So what time goal do i set myslef for Manchester to Blackpool 2013?

[Garz]

You make it sound like an absolute must miss!

+1 sod that for a game of soldiers!

 

[ColinJ]

It would be a pleasure to ride this again mate. Let me know if you are up for it when your in good spirits!

I'd like to do another 138+ miler one day, but it won't be that one!

 

[Garz]

I'd like to do another 138+ miler one day, but it won't be that one!

What if I say I will buy a spare square spoke?

 

[Shanksy]

I gave up on M-B and haven't looked at it for a few years, so maybe doing the route a disservice now but for me its a glorified skyride with an awful lot of nodders and daft sods who get the bike out of the shed once a year. My advice is keep your wits about you and treat it more as a jolly than a serious timed ride unless you start off right at the beginning. Even then you get a mix of riders who will do it in 2.30 and then meet you as they ride home again, planks racing the first ten miles or so before their legs scream for mercy, the twunks that think they have to be at the front at every set of lights regardless of who they have to barge past to get there. If you start later you'll be amongst the 10 milers hanging on for grim death & idiots suddenly belting downhill (I got dragged off starting late one year coming into Preston when one of these arses who we'd not long passed gasipng along wobbled past at light speed far too close and snagged my bars with his rucksack strap).
Theres a few dull draggy lumps and if they go in through Lytham, the bend feels boring and endless. Dunno if they still go through Haigh Hall but if so, they chicained the woody exit route with straw bales, Not them most terrific idea in good weather as you're going in an instant from bright sunshine to a stygian dark downhill slope with immediate barriers to send you flying, I saw a few come a cropper like that.

A warm up ride in from Littleborough wouldn't be so bad & from times/routes you're riding, if you start off nice and early you should avoid and quickly outstrip the hobbyists though, and don't let my grumpy git persona put you off.

Thanks for the reply pal

I am new to road cycling having only bought my bike at the end of March this year. Think I have mentioned that I got it with the intention of simply "making" the Manchester to Blackpool run, I was a smoker at the time and TBH struggled getting up the 200yd hill at the end of the street!

By a strange coincidence as I was looking for a bike in Evans at the Trafford I met a pal that I hadn't seen fro around 6 years! he was into road biking and basically took me under his wing spending time to go out riding with me and holding back to a pace I could manage.

Roll on 3 months or so and I now know I can easily make the Manchester to Blackpool (I actually did it 3 weeks after getting the bike) hence the reason for starting this post, to get some advice on what goal to set myself. I now realize of course that M to B is full of dangers and is not the ideal place/time to go for a personnel best, however I have a bet on with my brother, my cousin is doing it and he is a triathlete (yes in understand that does not automatically make him fast) and several of my brothers mates are doing the run. Ive always been big and strong (usually around 18stone) but never fit.

So for me although its not the ideal time to do it I kinda have something to prove to myself and its going to have to be on that day as that's when everyone I know is riding....

Just been out again and done 28 miles from Littleborough to Todmorden and then up Burnley road to the top turn around and come back.

Stats are:-
18.7 average on the way there
17.21 average on the way back (had a strong head wind coming back, without id expect to be quicker than going as its more downhill)
so 17.69 average overall

So im guessing/hoping to add at least 1mph average on the M to B run????

At the moment my target is therefore 18mph average.......

I know I know, don't even know the route yet, don't know what the wind will be like etc etc - gotta have a goal though!

 

[Shanksy]

Week before last was bad! i had an attack of diverticulitis which basically put me in bed most of the week and stopped me eating. Last Monday & Tuesday i got back on the bike and went around Draycote water (I was working in the area) for 20miles each ride. Legs felt crappy really and energy was low. Couldn't get out after that and last night was the next time i could. Again rode around Draycote water and did 30miles this time - average just over 17mph, felt miles better and could have done more but had to get back to the hotel for a steak lol

Manchester to Blackpool is this Sunday, wondering what else to do now?
So far I am thinking:
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - off
Thursday - maybe just a 10miler gently but with some 100% intervals
Friday Off
Saturday - again a 10 miler with intervals

Any thoughts from anyone who know better as to what i should do between now and Sunday?

Thanks

 

[JohnClimber]

I'll be riding from Liverpool, via Skemersdale to the start at Manchester, doing the ride to Blackpool then riding home to Liverpool this Sunday.
140miles I think.
Doing it on my CX bike with 4 roadie mates in a group

 

[Mapster1989]

Week before last was bad! i had an attack of diverticulitis which basically put me in bed most of the week and stopped me eating. Last Monday & Tuesday i got back on the bike and went around Draycote water (I was working in the area) for 20miles each ride. Legs felt crappy really and energy was low. Couldn't get out after that and last night was the next time i could. Again rode around Draycote water and did 30miles this time - average just over 17mph, felt miles better and could have done more but had to get back to the hotel for a steak lol

Manchester to Blackpool is this Sunday, wondering what else to do now?
So far I am thinking:
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - off
Thursday - maybe just a 10miler gently but with some 100% intervals
Friday Off
Saturday - again a 10 miler with intervals

Any thoughts from anyone who know better as to what i should do between now and Sunday?

Thanks

I would say no riding and just ensure that you're fuelled well i.e. lots of carbohydrates (but not too much). Doing 10 miles on the bike won't help you at all. By all means do the 10 mile ride but just do a gentle ride... none of this intervals lark. You needed to be doing that well before... not a couple of days.

p.s. I'm doing the M-B too so see you there and good luck.

 

[Shanksy]

I have done some riding this week around Draycote water. Did 30 miles on Monday and then 25 on Wednesday. Nothing yesterday and wont do any today, probably go for a gentle ride on Saturday. I have been eating more carbs in the form of pasta and drinking blood loads of water! sick of having to go pee now lol i must be proper hydrated by now.....

John - 140miles? crack on pal that's a fair lick! was wondering about riding back myself my by training pal (whos not doing MtoB) wants to do blackpool and back another time so may just leave it for now

See you both there John & Mapster.....not that we probably will do actually lol

 

[jarlrmai]

My solo ride time on flattish routes is around 18, I did 52 in the great mcr cycle at around 20.5.

Adrenaline and a bit of drafting in groups will push you faster.

 

[Tricky]

Shanksy, you're gonna need more than adrenaline and drafting to beat 'Team Little Shanks', I've cleaned my bike and everything!!

See you tomorrow big boy!

 

[JohnClimber]

So how did everyone do?

 

[Shanksy]

Just got back home. My ride time was 3:28 - 17.75 mph average so i was well happy

My brother & his team mates were slower, to be fair to a couple of his mates they were slowing up to wait for the slower ones and im sure they would have beat me if they were giving it their best....my cousin didn't do the race.

Jarlmrai i reckon you are right, adrenaline pushed me on more than usual, i didn't draft though just rode alone.

The interesting thing was how i could pass loads of riders on the flat parts, often id pas someone only for them to pass me back going up hills, 17stone is pretty heavy i guess!.

All in all good ride, i really tried as hard as i could i think, maybe i could have pushed it more on the hills though i guess that could have just burnt my legs out and slowed me down..

 

[Shanksy]

Anyone else do the Manchester to Blackpool yesterday?

What times did you get?

 

[SquareDaff]

Just got back home. My ride time was 3:28 - 17.75 mph average so i was well happy

As you should be - that's a good average over distance.

The interesting thing was how i could pass loads of riders on the flat parts, often id pas someone only for them to pass me back going up hills, 17stone is pretty heavy i guess!.

It's certainly a factor - but as a person that likes climbing, then so is technique. I see loads of people on hills in the wrongs gears/out of the saddle with really low cadences etc.... Have a look at what the people that pass you are doing and see if there are any ideas you can steal and incorporate into your own hill climbing style.

 

[Shanksy]

Evidence below lol
Its not a bad time for me given that i bought my bike end of March 2013 and prior to that did no aerobic exercise at all and smoked a bit, I have done weightlifting on and off through my life though which has given me strong legs.

Squaredaff - Yeh maybe its my technique so far that's wrong, i almost always climb in the saddle sat upright with the idea being i use my glutes that way and keep my chest open to breathe better, may be that my choice of gear is not correct yet, may be that i don't have the fitness i need really (more likely!)

It does surprise me though how i seemingly can beat what to me appear to be more experience cyclists on the flat, on the final run yesterday up through Saint Annes i passed plenty that had passed me, right at the end running up to the finish again i easily passed plenty that were trying....