CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.

Audax + sportives 2015

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  1. Smudge
    Member

    Cheers Fimm :-) just getting over flu so my mileage is in very short bursts (as you no doubt see on Strava!) but I'm sure it will build soon, well, once the ice disappears anyway! Still scary lol

    Don't know my travel plans yet, seems like a good few cce'ers going though B-)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. amir
    Member

    Forth & Tay this weekend!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. DaveC
    Member

    Snow Tyres fitted!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. DrAfternoon
    Member

    Probably bring my ski goggles!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. DaveC
    Member

    Are you going to ECE this into a 600 DrAfternoon? I see you did 4 600s last years right?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. ARobComp
    Member

    Nww wheels, drive train and other bits to fit on saturday ready for sunday...
    Exciting times!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. amir
    Member

    And GPS?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. amir
    Member

    I'm wondering whether to get the summer bike out of storage for this. The hill out of Falkland might be easier with the granny ring that I have on the winter bike though.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. DrAfternoon
    Member

    Only two 600s last year DaveC, plus the Highlands of course. Didn't quite do the hyper randonneur. Seems a waste in hindsight (actually a bit of foresight too, didn't care enough in the end), just 200k short. Never quite figured whether an ECE'd 400 to 600 would count.

    Anyway, adding Edinburgh to Dalmeny and back will be quite enough on Sunday!

    Forecast still all over the place, but not likely to be snow cold.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. HankChief
    Member

    A good turn out for the Forth & Tay - quite a few CCErs.

    Weather was good for the run up to aucterrader. Then a great tailwind to Tayport, where a heavy shower was less than ideal.

    The tailwind wasn't to last and quite struggle down towards St Andrews and then heading West home.

    I've bailed at Cupar as my lingering cough is getting worse and having an imperial century in the bag I'd rather not spend another 4 hours slogging home - call me a wimp if you must.

    Good luck and kudos to those doing the full thing.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. ARobComp
    Member

    It was indeed a bloomin tough race. For all my desires of trying to get a riding time of under 7 hours for a 200 I failed horribly with 8:30 in the saddle and 9:30 overall. It was WAY hillier than I'd thought but perhaps that was the headwind at the start and for the final 90km. It's amazing how you can barrel along on the flat at +30kmph barely touching the pedals then be absolutely drained, doing everything you can to make 14kmph up a shallow hill into the wind.

    Lovely route taking in some great sights. The last 20km through fife was a bit scabby though. Cowdenbeef was particularly horrid - boy racer central.

    I was only 10-20 minutes behind the lead group despite having ridden the majority of St-andrews back on my todd so I'll take that!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    That's a good time. We did the St Andrews to Craigrothie bit three-up and it was still tough.

    We missed out the Ballingry/Lochore/Lochgelly/Cowdenbeath bit by going north past Vane Farm and down through Kelty. I don't think it was any better. The cars were faster, the roads more cratered and we still had to go through Kelty and Crossgates and had a killer climb.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. crowriver
    Member

    Well done you lot.

    I battled the wind to get to the start late, and then decided not to bother. The ten miles or so was such rough going I couldn't countenance another 125! Fitness just not there to endure the headwind.

    Hope to see some of you on rides this summer: should be fitter by then with any luck...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. amir
    Member

    It was almost a good day and it seems better now. As the others say the ride to St Andrews was great then the suffering started. As well as the long drag against the wind, the climb over the hill from Falkland is challenging at this time of year with less hill fitness. Fortunately I was boosted by the UK's cheapest sandwich, sausage roll and drink combo in Falkland.

    cyclingmollie found us an excellent cafe at a garden centre between Abernethy and Newburgh. Fortunate as there aren't that many choices en route (especially with so much competition).

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. panyagua
    Member

    There was plenty of room in the Audax cafe of choice in Auchterarder... 2nd breakfast of champions (full Scottish, coffee and toast) all for £6.95! Apart from cake in Tayport, didn't need much more fuel for the rest of the day, though it was tough going on the return from St Andrews. 8:40 in the saddle, but, er, another 2:20 eating and faffing. Good to see cyclingmollie and amir - hope to meet other CCE-ers another time.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. DaveC
    Member

    You rode over that hill!! Ha ha ha ha ha ....

    We took a detour through Glenrothes.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. DrAfternoon
    Member

    Great day overall, absolutely zoomed along the north Fife coast and paid for it massively after St. Andrews. Some of the toughest riding against the wind I've ever done. The wind seems to work new muscles. My bum was in agony! It was excruciating to get going again after any kind of stop. Falkland Hill I actually really enjoyed, it was a relief to be fighting gravity instead of the air, and it's gorgeous up the top with the pines and the moor.

    Nice riding with you guys over Glen Devon.

    Most glamorous food stop was sheltering from the rain in a close in Tayport!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    You rode over that hill!! Ha ha ha ha ha ....

    Had to do something to burn off those 16 home-made energy bars.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Kim
    Member

    There are a couple of new Audax this year as part of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, see the 21st June.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. crowriver
    Member

    Kim, sounds good: have you registered these events with AUK?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. Kim
    Member

    As far as I know they will be, currently the details are still being worked out (not by me, we have an experienced Audex organiser doing that for us).

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. crowriver
    Member

    Good stuff! Great time of year for an event too.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. Cyclops
    Member

    I would urge your experienced organiser to get their finger out. There is just over 3 weeks until the deadline to get this event accepted by Audax UK and published on the calendar and the Events Team are completely unaware of it.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. Kim
    Member

    Well the deadline for the EdFoC printed programme is next Monday, so we are trying to get her to give us the details quickly...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. Cyclops
    Member

    Kim, if you or your organiser want to discuss this audax or need any help or advice you can contact me at events@aukweb.net

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. HankChief
    Member

    Just spotted that their is a proposal for another closed road sportive in Scotland at the end of September.

    http://etaperoyale.com is 100 miles through Aberdeenshire starting & finishing in Ballater having taken in the Lecht North to South

    The bumpf talks about getting 2500-3000 riders which seems a bit optimistic for such a long/challenging ride in a difficult location to get to / find accomodation.

    I'm not convinced it needs to be closed roads - feels like a lot of extra effort / expense for limited benefit.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

    "The bumpf talks about getting 2500-3000 riders which seems a bit optimistic for such a long/challenging ride in a difficult location to get to / find accomodation."

    Certainly be interesting to see if there is the demand for more 'safe' roads.

    Shame people will be driving to get there...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. panyagua
    Member

    More Passes than Mastermind 200 km tomorrow. I've signed up, but am swithering on account of the forecast - wind gusts 50+ mph (looking at what's probably the 'worst case' location - Wanlockhead YH). Rain too, but that's not the main issue. A yellow warning of wind has been issued by the Met Office.

    It was bad enough coming back from St Andrews the other week, but at least that was a steadyish 20-odd mph wind, without strong gusts. 50 mph seems borderline unsafe - what do others reckon? Anyone else on here planning to do it?

    I've been looking forward to this, but I do like to extract some enjoyment from my cycling...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. amir
    Member

    I think I'll almost certainly start. Did you do it last year?

    The leg to Sanquhar should be a good chance to measure how bad the wind might be and there's an easy return if necessary from Crawford/Abington. The hardest bit by some way will be the leg from Crawford to Thornhill over the Dalveen Pass. The gradient is neglible but the head wind could be tough. Once past Thronhill matters should ease especially once we turn back north.

    Not sure which bike to take.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. panyagua
    Member

    Thanks @amir. I didn't do it last year, no. Thanks for the info - keeping a close eye on the forecast. Winds later are shown due west, so not sure we'll get much of a push going north.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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