Scotland : Perthshire Etape Caledonia 2013

[Fubar]

Well done to all you guys who did the event; it's out of my league!

If I can do it anyone can...

 

[Fubar]

Last year i did 5hrs 50 mins this year 4hr 24mins.
Why?
Last year I just plodded along stopping too often and never pushed myself hard enough and the weather was rotten.
Trained hard all winter getting my average speed up , lost over a stone but I'm still 17stone +, never going to be a racing snake but managed to take a 1.5 minutes off my KOTM time and a minute of the timed Kilometer.

Similar story to me (though I'm much slower!), last year I took 6h 51m and did a lot of stopping on the way - and walked up Schehallion as I thought it would knacker me for the rest of the ride. This year I took an hour off my time (5h 50m) as I was determined not to stop where I wasn't supposed to! This time made it up Schehallion without stopping, forced myself to stop at all the feed stops to eat and drink even if I didn't feel I needed it. Not anywhere near some of the times on here but I was happy and hope to better my time next year.

 

[Brandane]

If I can do it anyone can...

I suppose I could do it; but it's not really my scene TBH. For instance, if the weather was bad on the day, I would have wasted my entrance fee. No way am I getting out of bed to cycle 81 miles in the cold and rain . I have done a couple of 100 milers in recent years and enjoyed them, but the route and chosen day was my choice, as was the pace and stops etc..

 

[Fubar]

I suppose I could do it; but it's not really my scene TBH. For instance, if the weather was bad on the day, I would have wasted my entrance fee. No way am I getting out of bed to cycle 81 miles in the cold and rain . I have done a couple of 100 milers in recent years and enjoyed them, but the route and chosen day was my choice, as was the pace and stops etc..

Oh absolutely, if it's not your thing why bother? Both times at the start I have wondered why I bothered! My main reason for entering any event is to force me to train for it, otherwise I struggle to get motivated. Knowing I have to do it forces me out and, as you can tell from my times I need all the training I can get!

 

[Scoosh]

I suppose I could do it; but it's not really my scene TBH. For instance, if the weather was bad on the day, I would have wasted my entrance fee. No way am I getting out of bed to cycle 81 miles in the cold and rain . I have done a couple of 100 milers in recent years and enjoyed them, but the route and chosen day was my choice, as was the pace and stops etc..

I did the Etape back in the days when it was a charidee ride and enjoyed it.

For me, the only reason I would do it again is for the Closed Roads. It's the only time we get to ride on the 'wrong' side of the road with impunity and without fear ! Sweeping down from Schiehallion using all the available road was quite something - as was avoiding those flying past me !

Interestingly, for the rest of that season, my ordinary ride average speeds went up by about 3-5kph after the Etape.

There are always the nay-sayers and the objectors, much of it to do with historical local community issues. That the Etape brings large amounts of money into the area is pretty obvious - and not just over that week-end.

It's worth doing (at least) once, I'd say ...

 

[HLaB]

For me, the only reason I would do it again is for the Closed Roads. It's the only time we get to ride on the 'wrong' side of the road with impunity and without fear !

Go to mainland Europe, it'd be cheaper

 

[edwardd67]

Similar story to me (though I'm much slower!), last year I took 6h 51m and did a lot of stopping on the way - and walked up Schehallion as I thought it would knacker me for the rest of the ride. This year I took an hour off my time (5h 50m) as I was determined not to stop where I wasn't supposed to! This time made it up Schehallion without stopping, forced myself to stop at all the feed stops to eat and drink even if I didn't feel I needed it. Not anywhere near some of the times on here but I was happy and hope to better my time next year.

Well done

 

[Simon_m]

lost 5mins this year, grrrrrrr