The Otley Sportive - 2nd Year - 15th September 2012

[ColinJ]

I am trying to get my fitness level up a notch and it seems to be working I am trying harder hills that I wouldnt try before, I also am thinking about maybe getting a new bike next year but I will need to maintain my fitness over winter first so I will see how that goes before I decide.

Sounds good!

This illness of mine is the kick up the arse that I needed! I've lost 20 pounds so far, and by the time my leg and lungs are working properly again I will probably have lost another 20 or 30. That should put me in a good position from which to start getting fit again.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Sounds good!

This illness of mine is the kick up the arse that I needed! I've lost 20 pounds so far, and by the time my leg and lungs are working properly again I will probably have lost another 20 or 30. That should put me in a good position from which to start getting fit again.

Just make sure you dont try to do too much too soon, which is what I always seem to do when I am ill.

Anyway I am off to bed as I need to be up super early so check back tomorrow my camera is on charge so I will try to take the odd piccy

 

[PaulB]

I'm about to set off to do this. Looking forward to it.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I'm about to set off to do this. Looking forward to it.

Yup me to just loading the car, cant believe how nice it is outside after what this week has been like

 

[ColinJ]

Just make sure you dont try to do too much too soon, which is what I always seem to do when I am ill.

It keeps happening! A month ago, I was so ill that almost any movement had my heart racing and me gasping for breath. Now that I'm starting to feel a bit better, I sometimes forget, jump to my feet and start moving about at my usual brisk pace. I last about 30 seconds and then it hits me and I have to sit down again.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Well that was fun, met up with DCLane in the car park 400 people turned up and it was quite eventfull.

After we set off we did about half a mile and I didnt see DCLane again .

There I was cycling along then there was a long down hill with a nasty corner at the bottom which I took a bit wide and I though to myself blimey I wouldnt want to go straight on there when I spot someone running up the road shouting, his mate thad gone straight on and straight down the banking so I stopped and we fished him and his bike out he was ok apart from a twisted leg.

Next I came across someone standing at the side of the road with all the rear derailleur hanging off his bike, stopped and had a word and he was waiting for the support car to pick him up so off I went.

Next managed to draught a group of 3 young ladies up a chuffing steep hill they seemed like that knew what they where doing taking it in turns at the front etc so I guess they must have been in a club, then when we got to the top the wind was mental and I went charging down the 16% hill at the otherside to get a good run up for the next hill, as I was going up it the rear gear cable snapped so that was that. The support car picked me up and guess who was also in it, yes the guy with the broken gears I have just spoken to.

So I did about 30 miles I got just short of grassington, when we got back a couple of people had actually already finished it was a novel experience to get back and have some food left (colinj and potsy will know what I mean ) . At least I wasnt last as there was loads of people behind me and I am glad the cable didnt go when I did it last week or it could have been a tricky ride home.

Anyway if you are reading this Luke thanks for picking me up I enjoyed the ride and I will be back next year so keep up the good work.

 

[ColinJ]

Pity about the mechanical, Phil! I'd have been tempted to force the bike into a compromise gear and use the endstops to hold it there.

I did a ride with bromptonfb a couple of years ago during which my front derailleur broke. I just stuck the chain on the 30-tooth granny ring and twiddled away on the flats and uphills, and freewheeled all the descents!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Pity about the mechanical, Phil! I'd have been tempted to force the bike into a compromise gear and use the endstops to hold it there.

I did a ride with bromptonfb a couple of years ago during which my front derailleur broke. I just stuck the chain on the 30-tooth granny ring and twiddled away on the flats and uphills, and freewheeled all the descents!

No chance, I did this ride last week and there is no way I was going to try that. If it had been the front mech I might have done that but with the hills that I knew were coming up there is no way I would have got up them all.

The annoying thing is that I already changed the chain and cassette and I knew the cables needed doing at some point I even have them sat here in front of me so I am now going outside to change every cable on the bike.

 

[PaulB]

Yup me to just loading the car, cant believe how nice it is outside after what this week has been like

Didn't turn out too nice though, did it? The wind was a total bar steward. On even steep descents, you had to push to maintain 10MPH!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Didn't turn out too nice though, did it? The wind was a total bar steward.

Yes it was a bit windy, but to be honest I cycle a lot of those roads most of the time and you sort of get used to it

The wind was a total bar steward. On even steep descents, you had to push to maintain 10MPH!

Yes that first 16% after greenhow hill I went full tilt down there and it was a scary experience, I wobbling was all over the shop

I have now replaced every single cable on my bike with the brand new ones I already had sat on my workbench the job even had the audacity to take less than hour to do. The stupid thing is that I normally carry a gear cable with me so it would have been a 10 - 15 min job to fix, but recently I have cut down on the crap I carry as I never use half of it DOH!!!!!!

 

[DCLane]

After we set off we did about half a mile and I didnt see DCLane again ..

Good to meet you Phil - and apologies I didn't get the chance to wish you a good ride. I thought you'd be somewhere nearby me by the first hill. You clearly had an eventful day

It was busier than I'd thought - it seems a number of people decided to turn up on the day, bouyed by the involvement of an Olympic lady cyclist.

We set off in the 3rd or 4th group on the road and I'd decided to chase a work colleague who'd gone in the 2nd. I caught and passed his group by the top of the Chevin and then set off in pursuit of the first group on the road.

From here it was a fairly hard push - my thanks to the Craven Triathlon Club who I teamed up with until the return trip through Grassington. They were better than me on the climbs, but I made up the time on the descents - with a couple of hairy moments when I nearly missed tight bends Having left them behind it was a push on through Appletreewick and the last couple of climbs.

Got back in 4 hours, 14 minutes. I think I was about the 2nd Long route rider back, just behind the first one, although since there were groups all over there will clearly be faster riders. There were a number of Medium route riders on the 2nd to last climb as well (Langbar?) who were walking (I DON'T walk) and it created a bit of a traffic jam.

Overall it was a good day, although the crosswind/headwind didn't help at parts. I need to learn how to ride in a crosswind . Also, I'd got my heart rate monitor on for the first time - I'll post the results up somewhere as I'm not sure what they mean Highest was about 174bpm, usually 130-150bpm but 154-174 on the hills.

The signage could have been much better however. Most were blown away or just missed. Too many riders were lost all over the place and going the wrong way!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Good to meet you Phil - and apologies I didn't get the chance to wish you a good ride. I thought you'd be somewhere nearby me by the first hill. You clearly had an eventful day

It was busier than I'd thought - it seems a number of people decided to turn up on the day, bouyed by the involvement of an Olympic lady cyclist.

We set off in the 3rd or 4th group on the road and I'd decided to chase a work colleague who'd gone in the 2nd. I caught and passed his group by the top of the Chevin and then set off in pursuit of the first group on the road.

From here it was a fairly hard push - my thanks to the Craven Triathlon Club who I teamed up with until the return trip through Grassington. They were better than me on the climbs, but I made up the time on the descents - with a couple of hairy moments when I nearly missed tight bends Having left them behind it was a push on through Appletreewick and the last couple of climbs.

Got back in 4 hours, 14 minutes. I think I was about the 2nd Long route rider back, just behind the first one, although since there were groups all over there will clearly be faster riders. There were a number of Medium route riders on the 2nd to last climb as well who were walking (I DON'T walk) and it created a bit of a traffic jam.

Overall it was a good day, although the crosswind/headwind didn't help at parts. I need to learn how to ride in a crosswind . Also, I'd got my heart rate monitor on for the first time - I'll post the results up somewhere as I'm not sure what they mean Highest was about 174bpm, usually 130-150bpm but 154-174 on the hills.

The signage could have been much better however. Most were blown away or just missed. Too many riders were lost all over the place and going the wrong way!

Yes there was a lot of problems with the signs, to be honest I expected that most of the long route riders would have either some sort of GPS or a Map. I stopped a couple of riders from going the wrong way obviously no sense of direction, I mean when there is a sign in front of your telling you Grassington is to the left there in not much point in going right

The support car I got picked up by was driven by Luke the organiser and he was tell me a few of the medium route riders were not pleased about climbing the hill up to Norwood

I think considering it was only its second year Luke did very well as he was running the show with very few people. I can see that next years could be even bigger and I reckon a few more organizations and businesses around Otley will be showing interest

It is a shame that Lizzie couldnt be there but she is racing at the moment but thats how it goes.

I wasnt suprised that you vanished into the distance I am not the worlds fastest rider, but I did suprise myself how many people I kept on overtaking and how many there acually were behind me. Its nice to know your not the slowest on the road.

I am suprised I didnt bump into you at the finish I only left just before you finished.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

The pics are up on the Otley Sportive website I can only spot myself on one pic with DCLane to the left of me out of camera shot.

They are now doing regular social rides, info on the Otley Sportive website.

 

[DCLane]

She got my bum:

The group up ahead was the small group of riders that drafted me for about 8 miles before the stop, then dashed past - only to stop at the feed station

I went past them and they caught up about 5 miles later and we did most of the ride as a group until I left them behind about 10 miles from the end. They were into charging up the hills as fast as possible!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

She got my bum:

The group up ahead was the small group of riders that drafted me for about 8 miles before the stop, then dashed past - only to stop at the feed station

I went past them and they caught up about 5 miles later and we did most of the ride as a group until I left them behind about 10 miles from the end. They were into charging up the hills as fast as possible!

Feed station ................. what feed station ................ was that the car at the top of the hill

Where that picture us taken it was the hill with the nasty corner at the bottom of that hill you have just riden up were we had to rescue that bloke who went straight through the corner and down the bank.