Shop2Shop Torture

[HeartAttack]

Here is the blurb on the event...

Shop2Shop Torture 26/07/2009, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

This new sportive for 2009 starts and finishes in the picturesque town of St Ives in Cambridgeshire. The route follows some of the sponsors Richardson Cycles shop locations via Stamford and Corby before coming back to Huntingdon. This 100miler will prove to many that this part of the country is not as flat as most think and this rolling course will wear down even the fittest riders. High5 will supply the feeds at the Richardson shops and the whole route will be fully arrowed and timing is available. The sponsors will supply a very generous goody bag and food for all finishers, the Geoff Thomas Charity will receive a contribution from each entry fee and the Town will offer a good day out for all the visitors.
Ok enough with that, so with a friend we went to see what it was like, well other than a club ride we had nothing better to do, first off we were all greeted by a friendly team, checking if we were ok and ready for it, signing on was very simple, they even had a timing machine set up to clock out and in. The ride of 100 miles, actually 106.7 was split into 3 sections 45 miles to the first shop was nice and rolling with almost all the slopes just long drags, section 2 was 26 miles, this was the lumpy part (remember i'm from Norfolk ) several 10% slopes and a nice 12% (garmin said 13.7%) just outside Corby, some great downhill sections but these weren't long enough for more than 43mph freewheeling. Section 3 the head home, again lumpy but almost all of it was block head wind and it was windy due to being open and exposed.

Out on the course there was a mobile mechanic should anyone have a problem, on arrival at the shops we were greeted and offered fruit and cake, but also and this was nice High 5 gels, energy bars and also drink bottle refils with either water or the High 5 sports drink, all in the price. At the end we were clocked in, offered more cake, tea, coffee and fruit, we were also handed a sports back pac/goody bag containing a couple of cycling mags, a new boxed 700c inner tube, 2 park tyre levers, cycing buff and a 500ml High 5 drinks bottle containing a gel and bar, and if this wasn't enough we also were given a food voucher to go across the road to the cafe and have a hot snack and drink.

I personally had a couple of small problems, firstly I must remember to check what cassette is on the wheels, 11-21 is not ideal when combined with the 53-39 for the steeper hills, also as I was riding with a friend who isn't as strong on the hills, I must try to remember to wait at the top and not worry that I can't see them, therefore ride down again to check on them only to have to do the hills again (106.7 miles was after I took out the hill repeats) and lastly getting to 98 miles and having a rear tube let go, check the tyre for flint etc only to miss a split and so 1 mile later get another tube failure luckily a tyre patch and another tube sorted it so I could complete.

I have to say this was a very well sign posted and run sportive, and one which I will most definately be going back to next year, and I would highly recommend it to anyone else

 

[Aperitif]

Nice report HA - sounds like a generous bike shop! And I hope you avoided all the greasy, cheesy, hot yummy things at the café...and stuck to lettuce sandwiches.

 

[jimboalee]

Here is the blurb on the event...

Shop2Shop Torture 26/07/2009, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

This new sportive for 2009 starts and finishes in the picturesque town of St Ives in Cambridgeshire. The route follows some of the sponsors Richardson Cycles shop locations via Stamford and Corby before coming back to Huntingdon. This 100miler will prove to many that this part of the country is not as flat as most think and this rolling course will wear down even the fittest riders. High5 will supply the feeds at the Richardson shops and the whole route will be fully arrowed and timing is available. The sponsors will supply a very generous goody bag and food for all finishers, the Geoff Thomas Charity will receive a contribution from each entry fee and the Town will offer a good day out for all the visitors.
Ok enough with that, so with a friend we went to see what it was like, well other than a club ride we had nothing better to do, first off we were all greeted by a friendly team, checking if we were ok and ready for it, signing on was very simple, they even had a timing machine set up to clock out and in. The ride of 100 miles, actually 106.7 was split into 3 sections 45 miles to the first shop was nice and rolling with almost all the slopes just long drags, section 2 was 26 miles, this was the lumpy part (remember i'm from Norfolk ) several 10% slopes and a nice 12% (garmin said 13.7%) just outside Corby, some great downhill sections but these weren't long enough for more than 43mph freewheeling. Section 3 the head home, again lumpy but almost all of it was block head wind and it was windy due to being open and exposed.

Out on the course there was a mobile mechanic should anyone have a problem, on arrival at the shops we were greeted and offered fruit and cake, but also and this was nice High 5 gels, energy bars and also drink bottle refils with either water or the High 5 sports drink, all in the price. At the end we were clocked in, offered more cake, tea, coffee and fruit, we were also handed a sports back pac/goody bag containing a couple of cycling mags, a new boxed 700c inner tube, 2 park tyre levers, cycing buff and a 500ml High 5 drinks bottle containing a gel and bar, and if this wasn't enough we also were given a food voucher to go across the road to the cafe and have a hot snack and drink.

I personally had a couple of small problems, firstly I must remember to check what cassette is on the wheels, 11-21 is not ideal when combined with the 53-39 for the steeper hills, also as I was riding with a friend who isn't as strong on the hills, I must try to remember to wait at the top and not worry that I can't see them, therefore ride down again to check on them only to have to do the hills again (106.7 miles was after I took out the hill repeats) and lastly getting to 98 miles and having a rear tube let go, check the tyre for flint etc only to miss a split and so 1 mile later get another tube failure luckily a tyre patch and another tube sorted it so I could complete.

I have to say this was a very well sign posted and run sportive, and one which I will most definately be going back to next year, and I would highly recommend it to anyone else

If only you'd listened to Jimbo.

 

[jimboalee]

Here is the blurb on the event...

Shop2Shop Torture 26/07/2009, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

This new sportive for 2009 starts and finishes in the picturesque town of St Ives in Cambridgeshire. The route follows some of the sponsors Richardson Cycles shop locations via Stamford and Corby before coming back to Huntingdon. This 100miler will prove to many that this part of the country is not as flat as most think and this rolling course will wear down even the fittest riders. High5 will supply the feeds at the Richardson shops and the whole route will be fully arrowed and timing is available. The sponsors will supply a very generous goody bag and food for all finishers, the Geoff Thomas Charity will receive a contribution from each entry fee and the Town will offer a good day out for all the visitors.
Ok enough with that, so with a friend we went to see what it was like, well other than a club ride we had nothing better to do, first off we were all greeted by a friendly team, checking if we were ok and ready for it, signing on was very simple, they even had a timing machine set up to clock out and in. The ride of 100 miles, actually 106.7 was split into 3 sections 45 miles to the first shop was nice and rolling with almost all the slopes just long drags, section 2 was 26 miles, this was the lumpy part (remember i'm from Norfolk ) several 10% slopes and a nice 12% (garmin said 13.7%) just outside Corby, some great downhill sections but these weren't long enough for more than 43mph freewheeling. Section 3 the head home, again lumpy but almost all of it was block head wind and it was windy due to being open and exposed.

Out on the course there was a mobile mechanic should anyone have a problem, on arrival at the shops we were greeted and offered fruit and cake, but also and this was nice High 5 gels, energy bars and also drink bottle refils with either water or the High 5 sports drink, all in the price. At the end we were clocked in, offered more cake, tea, coffee and fruit, we were also handed a sports back pac/goody bag containing a couple of cycling mags, a new boxed 700c inner tube, 2 park tyre levers, cycing buff and a 500ml High 5 drinks bottle containing a gel and bar, and if this wasn't enough we also were given a food voucher to go across the road to the cafe and have a hot snack and drink.

I personally had a couple of small problems, firstly I must remember to check what cassette is on the wheels, 11-21 is not ideal when combined with the 53-39 for the steeper hills, also as I was riding with a friend who isn't as strong on the hills, I must try to remember to wait at the top and not worry that I can't see them, therefore ride down again to check on them only to have to do the hills again (106.7 miles was after I took out the hill repeats) and lastly getting to 98 miles and having a rear tube let go, check the tyre for flint etc only to miss a split and so 1 mile later get another tube failure luckily a tyre patch and another tube sorted it so I could complete.

I have to say this was a very well sign posted and run sportive, and one which I will most definately be going back to next year, and I would highly recommend it to anyone else

Is that from your History file on 'Training Centre'?

Garmins record 'spot' data points. The accuracy of position is a 20ft radius sphere around where it thinks you are. This includes elevation. If two spot points are different – the second some distance greater in elevation from the first, the unit will show a spike on the 'Gradient' chart. Inversally, if a dubious position is lower than its predecessor, there will be a negative spike.

I have seen this a lot. A -25% gradient where I know for definite there is nothing of the sort on the route.

Having an accuracy of +/- 20 ft on three dimensional positioning, I don't take any notice of the 'gradient vs distance ( or time ) charts on 'Training Centre'.
I check the OS Pathfinder.

On my 100km AUK DIY round Shropshire, I had evaluated the hills on the OS Pathfinder.
My Garmin 605 consistantly 'overcooks' gradients.

 

[fenman]

really good event signage was spot on, feed stations great, loos a bit sparse, weather good till the head wind after alconbury hill but local knowledge let us dig for home. on route we were joined by a young lady and her father,after the feed station at stamford there is a drag out towards ketton this young lady (13yrs old) left me for dead !!! got back on and was impressed by her road sense and ability to sit in a bunch of fairly fast moving lads . we droped her and her dad on a fast stretch but she soon got back to us and then on the next hill rode past with a smile on her face . a young lady to look out for in the future. i am just sorry i did not get her name . but no doubt she will go past me on other hills in the future