Gypsy Hill nice and steep. Used to go up there on my old SS before some scrote nicked it! Used to ride all the hills around there .... oh I miss my old commutesbeen there, done that going up Gipsy Hill, Crystal Palace. Had the collision with the top tube at the time as well
It involves lots of elevation gain in comparison to the ToC. Unless I can shed a load of excess baggage I'll not be there for the long ride.
I did some of the route last May and had to walk up one of the hills - just too steep. Reminded me of the DD staircase! I wasn't the only one walking though. All the other hills were doable though. Absolutely beautiful scenery, stunning area of the country. I got in with a club from Poole last year and they let me join their group on the day - I got a nice free ride with them
Looks like it is a total of 200 per age group in next year's ToC which will mean only 50 qualifiers per age group. I still plan to give it a go - aim to get my best 100 mile time and an outside, outside, outside chance of qualifying. Did I mention is was a very outside chance? And I mean outside
Entries available to compete for qualification at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in 2019 has been restricted to just 200 places per age group at ToC next year.
The Race Gate entries available has been reduced to just 100 per age group classification and many of the age groups have nearly sold out already!
Didn't do last year and currently not dropped enough excess baggage for this year. Now scared that the 100 miler will have to be dropped in favour of the 100 km ride.
Nah, come on, MTFU ... if I can do the DD with the excess weight I had (plus having a massive asthma attack) you can do a 100 mile mostly flat course. It's all in the head. If you tell yourself you can't do it, you won't. If you tell yourself you can, you will! Keep training, cut out the crap stuff out your diet and you'll smash it
Nah, come on, MTFU ... if I can do the DD with the excess weight I had (plus having a massive asthma attack) you can do a 100 mile mostly flat course. It's all in the head. If you tell yourself you can't do it, you won't. If you tell yourself you can, you will! Keep training, cut out the crap stuff out your diet and you'll smash it
-Day. So onwards an upwards 
Stick to the 100 miler and your brothers will join you
In my head the miler is the one I will be doing. It's my brothers that are having a crisis of confidence. They have kids and all that entails. So they are not getting the riding in they should and there's little I can do about that.
Well there's only just over 2 months to go to
Don't let you talk each other out of it now you're so close 
I'm just hoping I have the right gear; it will get very painful very quickly if I don't have that right
Stick to the 100 miler and your brothers will join you
Once you're on the bike, with hundreds around you, the miles will slip by. The hardest thing will be making it to the start line; it will get easier once you're there
Just think, it could be worse, you could be doing it on a single speed
