flat out in the fens

[PaulSecteur]

Looking like 112 soggy miles for me.

Anyone else doing it?

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

77 soggy miles for me and the boy on top of no training whatsoever and me with a herniated disc. Joy.

I'll be the one crying most of the way around the route

 

[Alien8]

154miles

But as the re-route of the way out through Peterborough seems to have knocked-off about 3miles I guess that's 154->151, 112->109 & 77->74.

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

I did it just under six hours according to my computer. My official time will be about am hour longer as it takes the food stop and my slow puncture into consideration but it's the longest ride I've ever done, I loved every minute of it and I'm bloody pleased with myself.

 

[PaulSecteur]

Thats a great time - did you do the 112 (turned out to be 108)

The headwind in places was a mare. I was impressed with the organisation as usual for kilo to go, but Im not sure I will do this one again, at least not for a few years. After doing some of the Welsh ones this was a bit... boring. After I had seen the first 10 miles of turnip farms there wasnt much else to see to keep it intereesting. Except a red kite swooping down just in frot of me and getting a rabbit, second time thats happend on a sportive, and each time the rabbit looks happier than the average easy-jet customer.

 

[Alien8]

8:10 for 152miles according to my computer. Like I said above, all routes will have come up short because for some reason they changed the route out of Peterborough earlier in the week. Apparently there wad a 15-bike pile-up turning into the road where the first feed station was - but I missed that.

 

[PaulSecteur]

108 done in a total of 7.55, moving total moving time 7.02.

 

[Browser]

154/150 (whichever) done in just on 10 hours total time, which gets me a silver placing so I'm well happy. Considering my 'training' consisted of regular commutes to work, one 30 mile ride........aand that's it really I'm more than happy. Headwind was stiff at times but that's the fens for you (I live 10 miles North of Peterborough). Did you see that guy on the Eliptigo cross-trainer bicycle? I though I had a challenge today!

 

[Alien8]

Did you see that guy on the Eliptigo cross-trainer bicycle? I though I had a challenge today!

So that's what it was - I did pass on my admiration as I went past him.

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

Thats a great time - did you do the 112 (turned out to be 108)

Thanks but I did the 77 miler. My time isn't up on the website and I've a feeling that my chip didn't register. I'm not overly bothered as I'm going by time in the saddle rather than time wasted at the feed stop, the ten minutes where I fell off and had to reassure the lovely concerned passers-by that I really was ok and then the half an hour I had a puncture and not one person stopped to check I was ok

I probably will do it again next year, partly because I don't 'do' hills (too fat and unfit) and partly because a good friend lives in Peterborough and it's always nice to visit her.

 

[172traindriver]

108 done in a total of 7.55, moving total moving time 7.02.

Hi Paul, clocked 6hrs and 6 mins, moving time 5hr 58 mins but I lost 8 minutes at the feed stations and waiting for a train at a locally operated level crossing ( those bloody trains!! can't rely on them) and the trafic lights on that long section towards Chatteris next to the river/canal thingy. After that feed station at Downham Market, it was murder till virtually the end. If it wasn't an extremely strong headwind it was a killer of a cross wind.
Still it was testing, it must be pretty bleak and cold over there in the winter. I always think of up north as cold in the winter, but have different ideas now. It was pretty lonely on that last leg as I hardly saw anyone and it was a slog on your own. I enjoyed it because it was very different and it was a new experience.
Looking at the times I think there appear to be a few porkies or people haven't told the organisers that they may have changed to the shorter route. Under or around 4 hours would be pretty impressive especially with that headwind. The national record for the 100 miles is 3.22.45!!!

 

[Browser]

My only concern was how close some riders were passing me, which I put down to them looking like/being club riders who are used to riding in a tight bunch/peloton. As I was slower than them I kept getting passed by them, but they always seemed to pick a section of tarmac where I needed some space to avoid ruts/potholes/crappy sections and couldn't move to the right due to having a bike or two right on my elbow!
Yes 172traindriver, it can be pretty frickin' bleak in winter. We have what we call 'thin' or 'lazy' winds which aren't particularly strong but are bloody cold, and they can't be bothered to blow around you and just blow straight through you instead! As for the wind, you can ride into the teeth of a headwind, turn 180 degrees around and sill have a ruddy headwind