Otley sportive 14/9/13

[Kbrook]

Hope I am not starting a new thread, I am thinking of entering this. Apparently the long course is different to previous years, and I want to find out just how tough this is going to be. I don't understand Garmin and those sort of things but this is the file apparently.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/2171494

Can anyone tell me how much ascent there is, I really don't want to enter something I am going to not be able to do. I have done the 100 mile Manchester which was easy enough, and the most climbing I have done over 65 miles is about 3500 ft... How does this compare?

I know from looking at last years thread some on here have done it but as I say this is apparently a different course. Many thanks.

 

[ColinJ]

Hope I am not starting a new thread, I am thinking of entering this. Apparently the long course is different to previous years, and I want to find out just how tough this is going to be. I don't understand Garmin and those sort of things but this is the file apparently.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/2171494

Can anyone tell me how much ascent there is, I really don't want to enter something I am going to not be able to do. I have done the 100 mile Manchester which was easy enough, and the most climbing I have done over 65 miles is about 3500 ft... How does this compare?

I know from looking at last years thread some on here have done it but as I say this is apparently a different course. Many thanks.

If you follow your own link, there is a profile graph showing you exactly how many hills there are, and how steep each one is! (If you run your mouse pointer over the profile you get a reading of altitude vs distance so it is easy to calculate the gradient of each hill.)

 

[Kbrook]

Thanks will give it a go

 

[ColinJ]

If you found the Manchester 100 easy enough, then you must be reasonably fit?

How did you get on with the hills on your 65 mile ride?

There are obviously quite a few hills on the Otley Sportive but if you pace yourself properly and eat and drink enough to fuel your ride, I'd have thought you should be okay. (That's assuming that you have low enough gears to get yourself up some decent hills.)

 

[Kbrook]

Thanks, making my mind up between this on the Saturday or the Leeds 100 on the Sunday. Think I will go for this as I think the Leeds 100 will be very similar to what I've just done.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Thanks, making my mind up between this on the Saturday or the Leeds 100 on the Sunday. Think I will go for this as I think the Leeds 100 will be very similar to what I've just done.

Do both

 

[ColinJ]

Do both

Drafting Phil!

 

[Kbrook]

Do both

That would be an achievement and had actually got me thinking, going to enter the Otley one now and can always pay on the day for the other. This cyling is bizarre gets you thinking about stuff you never dreamed of, right got a week to get fitter. Going to get my bike out once the man from the water company gets his arse here, my new meter would you believe is running backwards and has been for 8 months !

 

[Kbrook]

Otley entered! Just had to press the send button!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

That would be an achievement and had actually got me thinking, going to enter the Otley one now and can always pay on the day for the other. This cyling is bizarre gets you thinking about stuff you never dreamed of, right got a week to get fitter. Going to get my bike out once the man from the water company gets his arse here, my new meter would you believe is running backwards and has been for 8 months !

Just had a look at the Leeds 100 website and it says they are not making a GPX file available of the route and it looks like the only refreshments are water to refill your bottles

 

[Kbrook]

Thanks but what does that mean, they are not making a GPX file available. Surely I won't get lost on the Leeds one, there will be thousands doing it I would imagine. I don't have a nav system anyway. I really am clueless at these things. Is a navigation system worth it for the Otley sportive I don't want to get lost are they generally well signposted? I may lose contact with most of the other riders!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Thanks but what does that mean, they are not making a GPX file available. Surely I won't get lost on the Leeds one, there will be thousands doing it I would imagine. I don't have a nav system anyway. I really am clueless at these things. Is a navigation system worth it for the Otley sportive I don't want to get lost are they generally well signposted? I may lose contact with most of the other riders!

I always like to have the route on my GPS that way if a sign is missing or there is no one around I know where I am going.

I just did the Selby Sportive and it was £25 which is quite a lot for a sportive but I have to say at the feed stations there was tons of food and the signs were very good and you got a timing chip and a t-shirt. In comparison the Leeds one does not look that good a deal considering they are charging £19.50 and it doesnt look like they provide any food and no GPX file of the route is provided.

 

[Kbrook]

No the Manchester 100 was the same price, no timing chip no food, and I'm told none of the money goes to charity on these Bike Events rides.Anyway have entered Otley which was only £12 so will see how I feel after that.
Going to look into GPS devices now take it you are talking about Garmins?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

No the Manchester 100 was the same price, no timing chip no food, and I'm told none of the money goes to charity on these Bike Events rides.Anyway have entered Otley which was only £12 so will see how I feel after that.
Going to look into GPS devices now take it you are talking about Garmins?

Considering the entry fee I think they are charging far to much and should be giving money to charity considering they have a charities logo on their website.

I have a Garmin 200 currently £87.99 at halfords you can upload a route to it then just follow the black line and it does everything else a bike computer does for recording your ride. If you are a British Cycling member you can get another 10% off in store.It does not have the mapping that the more expensive ones have but I dont need that.