Manchester 100

[PaulSB]

While there are a few short climbs on the route I can't recall anything one might describe as a hill. Mainly the climbing is out of short dips as you come out the other side.

There is on really nasty incline at around 90 miles just outside Wilmslow. A fast descent towards a steep incline which many riders struggle to get up. This forces cars to slow and riders who can do the climb get slowed or even stopped as small queues form on the climb.

 

[Paul_L]

I'll be aiming to do this. I did the 100km last year but i'm going to do the 100m this year. The course is more undulating than hilly. Anything that is steep is generally short. I'd heard about the climb in Wilmslow before i'd riden it, but it can't be more than a quarter of a mile long and you can get a fair way up it with a decent run up.

Depends what you're used to i guess. If you're travelling up from Norfolk then it might be hilly. If you're from Yorkshire or Cumbria then it's not hilly.

 

[fossyant]

It's not hilly if you are a local !

As a rule it's at least 1000 feet of climbing for 10 miles in the Peaks - so 3000ft over 100 miles is flat.

Best to get in with a decent group so you can have a chin wag. First year I did it, we had a good group that only broke up in the last 20 miles.

Last year's ride was a bit mental as I went with a fast group that hit the front just as you get through Wythenshawe - no-one was talking, and there was a guy putting in huge effort, and wouldn't let anyone come on the front. The group shattered after about 30 miles, I suffered a slight mechanical and had to jump off to adjust the front mech. Couldn't get back on, so spent another 20 miles on my own until the remainder of the group got together. - Those that were left were quite chatty.

Must have gone too hard as the last 30 miles were agony fighting off cramp.

 

[Garz]

Jimbo was banned months ago, for basically threatening one of the mods via PM ("I know where you commute and you'd better watch your back", or words to that effect)

Ahh that clears it up then. Wonder if he posts on BR...

Back OT, the manchester 100 is definitely not hilly when you contrast the hebdon forum rides you lot have been doing!

BTW potsy how is your newer block faring since the change?

 

[gb155]

Ahh that clears it up then. Wonder if he posts on BR...

Back OT, the manchester 100 is definitely not hilly when you contrast the hebdon forum rides you lot have been doing!

BTW potsy how is your newer block faring since the change?

Wow I would have him down as someone who did that sort of thing

Colin

I did the 100km as I was recovering my being mowed down by a van, my garmin said there was something along the lines of 2300 ft of climbing , verses the Manchester - Blackpools 2000ft

I'm doing the 100 miles this year, it will be my first century , I'll let you know if I change my thoughts on it being flat in a few months :-)

 

[ColinJ]

I was pretty unfit most of the times I rode the Manchester 100, but there was one year when I was in really good shape. I'd got my weight down to well under 12 stone. I had ridden hard through the previous winter and right through to September. As usual I was with my fit mate. Only this time, something was mysteriously wrong ...

We got in with a bunch of fit lads and were whizzing along happily at 25 mph. I felt really good. I was talking to my mate but then realised that he'd lost my wheel and was grovelling 100 metres or so back.

I slowed down for him and then paced him back up to the group at 30 mph. We just made contact and then hit one of those little climbs. I romped up it without changing speed, the way I'd jealously watched other riders doing in previous years.

I looked round and my mate was grovelling again. That wasn't like him. He's a 10 stone climber and those weren't even 'real' hills!

The process repeated itself over and over again - chase the group, get dropped on the uphills, chase the group. For me, it was like interval training - 10 mph then 30 mph; 10 mph then 30mph ...

My friend was in a bad way so we eventually gave up trying to ride with the fast lads. In previous years, my friend had got round in 4 hours 45 minutes to my 6 hours 15. No chance of a time like that now.

We limped round to the feed station at the 'halfway' point. NB - IT ISN'T HALFWAY ROUND! Did you get that - IT ISN'T HALFWAY ROUND! Don't say you weren't warned - it comes after 55 miles so pace yourselves accordingly!

My pal wasn't a happy chappy. He was complaining about his weak legs. He just couldn't understand why he was suffering so badly. I glanced down at his bike and saw the reason why - his rear brake had been knocked over to one side and was jammed against his rear wheel. The block on that side was half worn away. He'd just ridden 55 miles with his brake on! (It must have happened when we put the bikes in the back of his car.)

We sorted the brake out but the damage was done. He sat behind me for the 45 miles back to the finish and I had to keep slowing down so he could stay with me. We still got round in about 6 hours so I reckon that we could have done it sub-5 without the rubbing brake problem.

I let my fitness slip away and put weight back on. The following year, I struggled and got round in 6 hours 15 minutes again. Ho hum ...

 

[gb155]

I was pretty unfit most of the times I rode the Manchester 100, but there was one year when I was in really good shape. I'd got my weight down to well under 12 stone. I had ridden hard through the previous winter and right through to September. As usual I was with my fit mate. Only this time, something was mysteriously wrong ...

We got in with a bunch of fit lads and were whizzing along happily at 25 mph. I felt really good. I was talking to my mate but then realised that he'd lost my wheel and was grovelling 100 metres or so back.

I slowed down for him and then paced him back up to the group at 30 mph. We just made contact and then hit one of those little climbs. I romped up it without changing speed, the way I'd jealously watched other riders doing in previous years.

I looked round and my mate was grovelling again. That wasn't like him. He's a 10 stone climber and those weren't even 'real' hills!

The process repeated itself over and over again - chase the group, get dropped on the uphills, chase the group. For me, it was like interval training - 10 mph then 30 mph; 10 mph then 30mph ...

My friend was in a bad way so we eventually gave up trying to ride with the fast lads. In previous years, my friend had got round in 4 hours 45 minutes to my 6 hours 15. No chance of a time like that now.

We limped round to the feed station at the 'halfway' point. NB - IT ISN'T HALFWAY ROUND! Did you get that - IT ISN'T HALFWAY ROUND! Don't say you weren't warned - it comes after 55 miles so pace yourselves accordingly!

My pal wasn't a happy chappy. He was complaining about his weak legs. He just couldn't understand why he was suffering so badly. I glanced down at his bike and saw the reason why - his rear brake had been knocked over to one side and was jammed against his rear wheel. The block on that side was half worn away. He'd just ridden 55 miles with his brake on! (It must have happened when we put the bikes in the back of his car.)

We sorted the brake out but the damage was done. He sat behind me for the 45 miles back to the finish and I had to keep slowing down so he could stay with me. We still got round in about 6 hours so I reckon that we could have done it sub-5 without the rubbing brake problem.

I let my fitness slip away and put weight back on. The following year, I struggled and got round in 6 hours 15 minutes again. Ho hum ...

Great report

For my first century I'd be chuffed with anything over a 15 mph average ( so under 7 hours )

Blackpool in July will show me where I stand this year, but I feel fitter, stronger , I'm lighter and my commute times are miles faster, the one scary thing about a century is nutrition , Colin you know all about my issues , I have between now and then to formulate a plan for the day that fits around my SED to make sure I achieve my goal

Gaz

 

[ColinJ]

For my first century I'd be chuffed with anything over a 15 mph average ( so under 7 hours )

Blackpool in July will show me where I stand this year, but I feel fitter, stronger , I'm lighter and my commute times are miles faster, the one scary thing about a century is nutrition , Colin you know all about my issues , I have between now and then to formulate a plan for the day that fits around my SED to make sure I achieve my goal

Gaz - after reading what you have been doing, I'm absolutely sure that you can get round in nearer 6 hours as long as the weather isn't against you and you get the nutrition strategy right.

Make sure that you top up your energy supplies on the Friday and Saturday. I always have a big bowl of porridge on the morning of a hard ride but I have a feeling that you might struggle with that. If you can't eat anything helpful, then at least drink an 800 mL bottle of energy drink a couple of hours before you set off and another every 25 miles of the ride. I suggest something like the carbo-mix I described in this post.

I'd also eat something like 1 jam or banana sandwich every 25 miles. I know you might have problems with sandwiches. If you are able to face bananas then just take a couple of them with you, but be warned - they can go squidgy in a jersey pocket and I'm sure you wouldn't like that. You can get banana-shaped containers to carry them in or just improvise by wrapping them in some cloth to protect them.

If you've found any type of cake that you like, take a couple of slices of that.

I'd probably treat myself to a Mars Bar and a can of real Coke at about 80 miles. You can get carried along by the sugar and caffeine spike and would hopefully be back at Wythenshawe park before it runs out. Alternatively, if you can stomach them - carry a couple of gels in case you need an emergency energy supply.

Have a bottle of recovery drink waiting for you at the end. (If you can find a skimmed milk milk shake in a flavour that you like, that would do fine, or add a scoop of whey powder to another bottle of my carbo-mix.)

The only other advice I'd give is to not burn yourself out in the first half of the ride. I used to get an adrenaline rush at the start, set off way too fast and be grovelling for the last 25 miles or so. I'd suggest trying to hold yourself back to about 16 mph for the first 3 hours and that would leave you about 7 miles to go to the 55 mile checkpoint. As long as you didn't go absolutely crazy you could make a hard effort for that 7 miles.

Have a good drink at the checkpoint and try and force yourself to eat something. You are supposed to wait 30 minutes there but most people don't bother.

You only have 45 miles to get back from there so you could average 15 mph and still be back in well 7 hours. If you felt good, ride 15 miles at 16 mph, 15 miles at 17 mph and the last 15 miles as fast as you can but watch out for the hundreds of wobbly cyclists that you'd be powering past and the heavy traffic you'd be coming back into!


Good luck!

 

[gb155]

Gaz - after reading what you have been doing, I'm absolutely sure that you can get round in nearer 6 hours as long as the weather isn't against you and you get the nutrition strategy right.

Make sure that you top up your energy supplies on the Friday and Saturday. I always have a big bowl of porridge on the morning of a hard ride but I have a feeling that you might struggle with that. If you can't eat anything helpful, then at least drink an 800 mL bottle of energy drink a couple of hours before you set off and another every 25 miles of the ride. I suggest something like the carbo-mix I described in this post.

I'd also eat something like 1 jam or banana sandwich every 25 miles. I know you might have problems with sandwiches. If you are able to face bananas then just take a couple of them with you, but be warned - they can go squidgy in a jersey pocket and I'm sure you wouldn't like that. You can get banana-shaped containers to carry them in or just improvise by wrapping them in some cloth to protect them.

If you've found any type of cake that you like, take a couple of slices of that.

I'd probably treat myself to a Mars Bar and a can of real Coke at about 80 miles. You can get carried along by the sugar and caffeine spike and would hopefully be back at Wythenshawe park before it runs out. Alternatively, if you can stomach them - carry a couple of gels in case you need an emergency energy supply.

Have a bottle of recovery drink waiting for you at the end. (If you can find a skimmed milk milk shake in a flavour that you like, that would do fine, or add a scoop of whey powder to another bottle of my carbo-mix.)

The only other advice I'd give is to not burn yourself out in the first half of the ride. I used to get an adrenaline rush at the start, set off way too fast and be grovelling for the last 25 miles or so. I'd suggest trying to hold yourself back to about 16 mph for the first 3 hours and that would leave you about 7 miles to go to the 55 mile checkpoint. As long as you didn't go absolutely crazy you could make a hard effort for that 7 miles.

Have a good drink at the checkpoint and try and force yourself to eat something. You are supposed to wait 30 minutes there but most people don't bother.

You only have 45 miles to get back from there so you could average 15 mph and still be back in well 7 hours. If you felt good, ride 15 miles at 16 mph, 15 miles at 17 mph and the last 15 miles as fast as you can but watch out for the hundreds of wobbly cyclists that you'd be powering past and the heavy traffic you'd be coming back into!


Good luck!

That's what I call a vote of confidence. thanks dude, with your info & help and my big ring , anything is achievable

 

[fossyant]

That's what I call a vote of confidence. thanks dude, with your info & help and my big ring , anything is achievable

Gaz I'll be riding this - happy to ride with you for the 100 miles. Let me know what you'll eat/drink and I'll have a think about what you need to consume and when.

I'm not going for a time this year following my op.. but fancy riding it fixed this time !

 

[ColinJ]

I'm not going for a time this year following my op.. but fancy riding it fixed this time !

On one M100, a cyclist with huge legs rode up to a group of us on his fixed-gear bike. He seemed to be a track sprinter out on a training ride. He left us after about 10 miles and headed back towards Manchester.

I got chatting to another young rider on fixed. I was intrigued at how he could corner at full-speed without grounding his pedals and I was impressed by how fast his cadence was. He had no problem keeping up with me at 30+ mph on downhill stretches.

 

[carolonabike]

Hi all,

I'm doing this with my sister. This will be my first 100 so I'm a bit apprehensive. Actually, more than a bit. I'm a bit excited but quite a lot scared

I currently cycle to work 3 or 4 days a week (15 miles) with a longer ride of 40+ on a weekend. I also run a couple of times a week and I'm doing the C2C in July over 3 days.

I'm not a fast cyclist at all so I've put down 8 hours for my predicted time. The thing that worries me most is how to approach training for this length of time on a bike. My longest ride so far has been 57 miles but there's a big gap timewise between the two.

Any ideas?

 

[ColinJ]

I'm not a fast cyclist at all so I've put down 8 hours for my predicted time. The thing that worries me most is how to approach training for this length of time on a bike. My longest ride so far has been 57 miles but there's a big gap timewise between the two.

Any ideas?

Well, you've already done a 57 mile ride so you know you can get to the 'midway' stop (which, as I mentioned above, is actually at the 55 mile point).

Pace yourself so that you are not exhausted by the time you get there. Eat and drink more than you think you need to.

The first time I did the M100, the stop not being at 50 miles did my head in because I couldn't figure out what was going on and I was worried that my bike computer was way out.

Once I discovered the truth, it was a big relief. The return leg being about 20% shorter then the outward leg is a big psychological help. After an hour or so more riding, you really feel that you are well on your way back.

The traffic in the last 20 miles can be annoying, and the 100 km riders you will be overtaking can be very wobbly and unpredictable so watch out for them. Assuming that you have eaten and drunk enough thus far, you should be getting a bit of an adrenaline rush as you get near to the finish.

One final thing - remember the nasty hill just before Styal!

Good luck!

 

[carolonabike]

*** unless you are strong enough to big-ring your way up it!

Not a problem for me Colin, I'll probably be on my small ring anyway. I rarely use my big ring being a bit of a twiddler . If my legs go too fast to pedal downhill then I reckon that's time to free wheel!

Thanks for the tips, and I shall be reading last year's thread with interest.

 

[gb155]

Gaz I'll be riding this - happy to ride with you for the 100 miles. Let me know what you'll eat/drink and I'll have a think about what you need to consume and when.

I'm not going for a time this year following my op.. but fancy riding it fixed this time !

Foz you sir are mental :-)

I've got a few months to try and start eating *something * healthy