Velo South - West Sussex 23/09/2018 (Closed Road 100)

[kingrollo]

I pre-registered but decided against it on cost. I love the idea of a 100 mile closed road event and if I lived locally I’d pay £79. However being in Lancashire I’d be looking at two nights accommodation £200+, two evening meals and fuel. This would very quickly add up to £500 for a bike ride. A group from my club have organised four nights in Mallorca for £370 including flights which puts UK costs in perspective.

Having said that I’m still hoping to get on PRL which will cost £300-400. The difference being PRL has something of an iconic status and it would be a great weekend away with friends.

I had four emails from the organisers in 48 hours, 3 on Thursday, and two from BC in the previous 24 hours. I thought this smacked of desperation. It probably isn’t but that’s the impression I was given - overselling can create a poor impression.

Well Ive paid £109 for the event - £107 for one nights stay - petrol around £40 - I don't think you can really add in the cost of meals as you would eat even if you weren't doing the event.
I supposed a lot depends of what you done as a cyclist. If you raced, toured abroad etc - then perhaps this is small beer. I have say having cycled for 30 years - Velo birmingham was by some distance the high spot - it was so good that i would i have gladly paid 3 or 4 times the entrance fee.

 

[PaulSB]

I don't think it's small beer by any means. I'm sure it will be a great event. For me the overall cost is too high, that's all. The round trip is approximately 560 miles. I'd need two nights accommodation so using your costs: £109 entry, £214 accommodation, £80 petrol which totals £403. To that would have to be added meals. While I agree I'd have to eat at home that wouldn't come close to the cost of a service station break on both journeys and an evening meal on both nights. Just a coffee on the M6 is about £3!! I'd have to stay two nights as my experience of Ride London is trying to drive 240 miles home after a 100 mile bike ride is not a good idea!!!!

 

[Nig mtb]

There is not abundance of accommodation in the area so prices are going to be steep.
More emails coming in saying there are still spaces.
I am sure that when word gets out to the local population that route will change.

 

[Racing roadkill]

There is not abundance of accommodation in the area so prices are going to be steep.
More emails coming in saying there are still spaces.
I am sure that when word gets out to the local population that route will change.

They have their hands tied, in respect of the road route, for no other reason than they have to get approval for road closures, and they have to find roads capable of taking 15000 riders. There is plenty of accommodation in the area, or close enough to the area. So that won’t be a massive problem. Pitchfork wielding Locals, are nothing new. The big Goodwood events ( Festival of speed, Revival, Members meeting, and glorious Goodwood) attract more people, and they don’t have serious issues with those, so I reckon they’ll be okay with a few cyclists, seeing as the Revival often sees over 20000 extra people a day, over 3 days on the local roads.

 

[Racing roadkill]

There’s nothing wrong with the route as it stands. With the exception of about 500 yards ( which is only different because it would have been very risky on an open road) it’s verbatim, the same as one of my imperial ton routes, round that area.

https://www.strava.com/routes/12119309

The only difference being the route across the A24 near Horsham, as far as I can tell.

 

[kingrollo]

There’s nothing wrong with the route as it stands. With the exception of about 500 yards ( which is only different because it would have been very risky on an open road) it’s verbatim, the same as one of my imperial ton routes, round that area.

https://www.strava.com/routes/12119309

The only difference being the route across the A24 near Horsham, as far as I can tell.

What are the hills like - are the 7% drags for a couple of miles - or 12% for 3/4 mile ?

From what I seen on Velo birmingham they wouldn't be able to put much above 10% in, as the cyclists would grind to a halt from cycle traffic. On Velo Birmingham the worst climb came after around 30 miles - the gradient was ok, but the amount of cyclists slowing down to almost a halt mean't you just couldn't get past.

 

[Racing roadkill]

What are the hills like - are the 7% drags for a couple of miles - or 12% for 3/4 mile ?

From what I seen on Velo birmingham they wouldn't be able to put much above 10% in, as the cyclists would grind to a halt from cycle traffic. On Velo Birmingham the worst climb came after around 30 miles - the gradient was ok, but the amount of cyclists slowing down to almost a halt mean't you just couldn't get past.

The first spikes on the trace are Thicket Lane, it’s gentle until the last couple of hundred meters, where it kicks up to 22.5%. The only other climb of note, is 10 miles from the end, the segments are called “South Harting cat 4” and “South Harting steep bit”, and they are steep but steady climbs, just South of South Harting. This is the route as it stands at the moment, they have limited options to change it, if they have issues with Locals, and road closure permissions.

 

[kingrollo]

The first spikes on the trace are Thicket Lane, it’s gentle until the last couple of hundred meters, where it kicks up to 22.5%. The only other climb of note, is 10 miles from the end, the segments are called “South Harting cat 4” and “South Harting steep bit”, and they are steep but steady climbs, just South of South Harting. This is the route as it stands at the moment, they have limited options to change it, if they have issues with Locals, and road closure permissions.

With VB the route changes were quite major - If they make changes I think the same will happen again (just re routing a couple of miles doesn't achieve anything)
A 22.5% climb will be interesting, not just the severity of it, but the cycle traffic it creates - if too many walk everyone will have to - there just won't be room to get through.

 

[rich p]

I've booked it. It might give me an incentive to get fit. Hopefully my son will join me and drag me round.

My son has now also entered. He might need to tow me round.

 

[sussexrider]

Having ridden part of the course yesterday, i would like to put you mind at rest, Thicket Lane isn't 22.5% its more like a gentle 5% normally covered in about 1min. I rode the 1st 30 miles and I would class that part as commercial, wide rolling roads.

 

[Racing roadkill]

With VB the route changes were quite major - If they make changes I think the same will happen again (just re routing a couple of miles doesn't achieve anything)
A 22.5% climb will be interesting, not just the severity of it, but the cycle traffic it creates - if too many walk everyone will have to - there just won't be room to get through.

The 22.5% bit really isn’t long enough to cause a massive issue, the climb at South Harting, is a stinker, and at 90 miles too. It will be interesting to see if they take one of the mooted options after exiting the circuit, and go up Kennel Hill, rather than Thicket Lane, it’s a much steadier climb.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Having ridden part of the course yesterday, i would like to put you mind at rest, Thicket Lane isn't 22.5% its more like a gentle 5% normally covered in about 1min. I rode the 1st 30 miles and I would class that part as commercial, wide rolling roads.

You went the wrong way, the end of the Thicket Lane climb, is 22.5%, it’s the road that runs parallel to it, that’s a steady 5% climb.

 

[sussexrider]

Hi Racing roadkill, your right on 1 hand but wrong on the other. As you would expect the strava segment for Thicket Lane is called Thicket Lane Climb and is indeed a little steep. However the intended route for VS is the A285 north from Halnaker and that Strava segment is called Thicket LN Climb which is in fact a steady 5%. So in fact I went the right way ;-)

 

[sussexrider]

You went the wrong way, the end of the Thicket Lane climb, is 22.5%, it’s the road that runs parallel to it, that’s a steady 5% climb.

View attachment 398678

That's my point it says 23% but it isn't . Check out the strava elevation graph and rider times.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Hi Racing roadkill, your right on 1 hand but wrong on the other. As you would expect the strava segment for Thicket Lane is called Thicket Lane Climb and is indeed a little steep. However the intended route for VS is the A285 north from Halnaker and that Strava segment is called Thicket LN Climb which is if fact a steady 5%. So in fact I went the right way ;-)

You didn’t go the right way, end of.