Manchester 100 - CC team?

[RedBike]

I will probably do it; and I will be on a fixed wheel bike.

 

[fossyant]

Very tempted again.....road bike or fixed...there is the question ?

 

[dan_bo]

It always falls on or near my missus' bday and there's very little chance of me getting her to do it- not this year anyway. Never mind.

 

[aJohnson]

Come on aJohnson I only got my road bike on Sunday but i am going to give it ago .


PS - If anyone passes a 6ft 16st blob on the floor next to a Boardman Hybrid Comp......please call an ambulance

Found out I cant anyway. Because I'm 17, it says I have to be accompanied by an adult.

 

[PaulSB]

I should be there and would be happy to ride a long for a while as we see how things work out

Despite it being my wife's birthday I got a pass..........the only remark was "you weren't planning to take me out anyway"

 

[OvertheHill]

Doing the 100 miles on my MTB - I'll be the one at the back

 

[aJohnson]

Grrrrr, I hate age restrictions.

 

[grimpeur]

I have just signed up for this event. Do I need to rely on a map of the route or are there marshalls and signs at all the important
junctions?

Also when I signed up there were 3 options :- 6 hours,8 hours or 10 hours- but it didn't explain these options at all or what difference it made what box you ticked.
I ticked 6 hours as I generally average 17-19 mph when I go out on training rides, albeit I generally stick to 40-50 miles max.
Does this affect my start time?

 

[ColinJ]

I have just signed up for this event. Do I need to rely on a map of the route or are there marshalls and signs at all the important junctions?

There are about 100 junctions in all and every one is supposed to have a sign and a marshal. I've ridden the event about 6 times now and out of those 600 junctions in total, I think signs and marshals were missing 3 or 4 times.

One time I went seriously off course and did an extra 10 miles which I wasn't too happy about.

Another time I remembered a turn where marshal & sign were missing and told about 30 riders they were going in the wrong direction but they didn't believe me!

Generally speaking you shouldn't get lost, but it might be a good idea to take a map with you. The one handed out at the start is too small to navigate by so I would suggest printing out your own from this map on MapMyRide. I haven't checked that route but I assume that it is the same as it always has been.

Also when I signed up there were 3 options :- 6 hours,8 hours or 10 hours- but it didn't explain these options at all or what difference it made what box you ticked.

I ticked 6 hours as I generally average 17-19 mph when I go out on training rides, albeit I generally stick to 40-50 miles max.

Does this affect my start time?

I always ticked 6 hours and just turned up with my mate fairly early so we could get away early. They send the riders off in small groups so just make sure you get towards the start in good time or you could have a longish wait to set off.

 

[RedBike]

+ 1 for taking a map.

I've never done a sportive yet where I haven't missed one turn or another.

 

[Beaker39]

Grrrrr, I hate age restrictions.

You could always be economical with the truth (not that i would condone such actions of course ) alternatively get someone to adopt you for the day!!

PS - What do the terms Audax and Sportive mean? I thought I had just entered a kind of leisure ride albeit a 100 mile version!

 

[fossyant]

It's very well marshalled usually, and signposted. Only issue last year was the long/short turning - the marshall was late and or missing at points. We spotted the sign and did the 100 miles.

100 miles starts at 7am, 100km 8am. To be honest we were just waved of at 7 despite my 7.10 official start time

 

[PaulB]

Since all the money they charge for this event goes directly to them and none goes to charity, would it be very wrong of me to suggest people might just want to turn up and ride without the faff of signing up for it? I certainly don't feel this particular company do anything to warrant the money they charge. If you just happen to be cycling the same route as the ones they are organising, it's no business of theirs, is it?

 

[ed_o_brain]

Good job I read this. I didn't realise there were two events! (d'uh.. the website made it quite plain)

I've just emailed bike events asking them to change my entry from the 100 km to the 100 mile event.

Now I'll get back to deliberating over which bike to use...

 

[nigelnorris]

Since all the money they charge for this event goes directly to them and none goes to charity, would it be very wrong of me to suggest people might just want to turn up and ride without the faff of signing up for it? I certainly don't feel this particular company do anything to warrant the money they charge. If you just happen to be cycling the same route as the ones they are organising, it's no business of theirs, is it?

Eh? It says on the site that the money is for a hospital charity:

http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=207