CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Other thread mentioned event but thought it might be worth posting just in case someone had something they wanted to share (!)
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16359
I know many cyclists object to paying a toll to ride otherwise quiet routes. I admit to doing the Tour o the Border a few times but was swayed by the fact it was organised next door in 'the sector' aka 'invisible bike shop'.
I beileve Dave has something to confess to, judging by his strava feed :-0
Did it on my recumbent. Well organised and nice to know that nothing coming towards you when going downhill. Expensive though - had a carry forward from last year so last years prices. It was also good to see so many locals out supporting the event following the etack!
Congrats to everyone who made it around!
I managed 21st place in 3:30 which felt like good going. I rode solo from Glen Lyon to the finish, trying to bridge up to the leaders, but they were a bit too nippy. If I could have found a minute somewhere I could have snuck into the top ten.
Interesting event. I'm not sure how much I'd recommend it since you basically have a freight train of 2-300 roadies in one massive peleton from the start to Schiehallion, on an extremely narrow road which you can't really enjoy because of the bike traffic, then it splinters and you have a pretty unremarkable ride back down the main road to the finish (barring the sting in the tail). Tour o' the Borders has been much more enjoyable every time I've done it. But then, horses for courses...
Great effort there Dave. 20 mins better than my PB & I thought I was going some. Of course, conditions were probably easier for you yesterday. ;-)
Pretty certain 3.30 won it the year I did it when it was sabotaged. Maybe an hour faster than my old legs managed it. My first 25 miles were faster as I was on the beechams all in one, slight cold, but fell away a bit then pulled a wee bit back on the climb up schiehallion where it thinned out due to tacks etc. But then had 90 mins waiting at the top. Cold etc. Toiled on the last seven miles back up to Pitlochry at the end
I did not like the chain gangs passing to my right and left. On descents with signs telling them to slow down etc.
Seems incredibly popular compared to say Drumlanrig two weeks ago which was altogether more relaxed. I would do Drumlanrig but not sure about Etape. I will ask my buddy from Drumlanrig as he did Etape too.
Fourth year for me, 3.49 this time round. For me it's more than just an organised ride (which I can do anytime on a club run if I wanted), but it's the atmosphere, social aspect, making new friends with like minded folk, a couple of days away from home, the incredible support from the local community, the stunning backdrop and the chance to enjoy something more akin to a stage 'race' by which I mean closed roads, support, marshalling, cheering crowds, etc. I'm sure others have different motivation of course. Some years I've fundraised, others I haven't. Interested in your comments Dave about the freight train. The Etape has always released riders based on their self declared anticipated completion times so the 'roadies' are generally off at the start so in theory slower riders should be placed in similar groups. I must admit I actually enjoy that aspect when you have an 'organic' peloton forming from other riders who are a similar pace and the unspoken respect that you all help each other...or maybe that's just me!
My buddy says he prefers the Ken laid law or the Bethany sportive and would do them in preference to Etape. I think if you were in the first group and could keep the pace up then you would have a whole closed road 80 odd mile speedfest.
Our fast rider was whistling down the road to the finish line from the hotel in his civvies but when we checked the time he was only about ten mins in front of us (because of the big wait at the top I assume) he went back next year and went under four hours for sure. Joined a cycling club on the Wirral where he lived, neglected his family in favour of cycling and is divorced now. Shame. Another one of our riders head butted the road on a training ride at thirty miles an hour and spent a year in southern general, remains paralysed a bit but seven years on has got back on a bike. So team marmite and the Etape that was tacked. On the whole bad luck.
I think it depends on what you want from a sportive. My problem with some of the smaller ones is that you often end up riding on your own or with just a few people. If that is the case what are you paying for? I can do that any day of the week. I enjoyed the Etape because it gives you a different experience & there really is a buzz about the event. I wouldn't want to ride in a group of a hundred people every time I went riding, but it is the novelty which appeals.
This was my first Sportive. Glad to have got around in the allotted 5:30 (well, half a minute over) given I started from zero six months ago after a few years away from the bike. Was a great incentive to stop the rot and improve my fitness - I hope to sign up for more to keep it going. Not sure that I'll do the Etape again, possibly because it felt a bit frantic due to the numbers but put off by the cost as well I suppose - glad to have done it this time though. Did enjoy that it was well supported by residents along the route.
First half of my ride:
If anyone can't be bothered sitting through the whole thing, I reckon skipping to 9:00 and watching for a couple of minutes gives you a good idea of what it was mostly like, and why I thought it was too congested to enjoy. Mind you, there is some good overtaking going on in the first half of the video.
Lot of Dave overtaking but no footage of Dave being overtaken? Dave, did you start too far back?
Actually I thought maybe if I did it again I would go further back. This means when you catch up with the big traffic jam at the front, you started later than them so you have a few minutes in hand.
A few did overtake me going up the big hill, but I don't have any footage of that. I'll have an external battery next time!
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