Prep for RvV

[Archibald]

sunk...
woke up in the early hours of saturday moring with a fever, sweats, sore throat and a feeling like dust in my lungs.
was so looking forward to riding off down into surrey

 

[Chuffy]

sunk...
woke up in the early hours of saturday moring with a fever, sweats, sore throat and a feeling like dust in my lungs.
was so looking forward to riding off down into surrey

Don't panic, there's still time to get in a few hills. Just take it easy and get yourself well.

 

[Archibald]

Don't panic, there's still time to get in a few hills. Just take it easy and get yourself well.

not panicking, but it's going to be all about survival in belgium and northern france now...

 

[Archibald]

a tad confused at the moment - still feeling the effects of the cold regarding breathing issues while riding a new 20km (each way) commute this week.
it's mostly flat, but quite knackering to hold a decent speed. the legs feel heavy and tired, and i'm sweating buckets yet my HR is noticably lower than usual...

 

[GreasyMonkey]

a tad confused at the moment - still feeling the effects of the cold regarding breathing issues while riding a new 20km (each way) commute this week.
it's mostly flat, but quite knackering to hold a decent speed. the legs feel heavy and tired, and i'm sweating buckets yet my HR is noticably lower than usual...

Sounds like you have been hit pretty hard, and that there is significant fatigue associated with the viral infection.
Usually if you cannot get your HR up to a level that you would expect for a known effort, then you are seriously fatigued - TIME TO REST!!!

 

[Archibald]

managed just over 3hrs this morning for just over 90kms - longest ride of the year so far, with the "ramps" in richmond park included - all seated in as high a gear as i could manage. Absolutely shattered now, and coughing like a dying smoker...
rest for the remainder of the weekend, then 160+kms commuting (mon-thurs) then hopefully a decent ride through surrey next weekend for either 150kms or 5hrs, whichever I can get...

hoping that'll get me through ahead of the broomwagon

 

[Chuffy]

managed just over 3hrs this morning for just over 90kms - longest ride of the year so far, with the "ramps" in richmond park included - all seated in as high a gear as i could manage. Absolutely shattered now, and coughing like a dying smoker...
rest for the remainder of the weekend, then 160+kms commuting (mon-thurs) then hopefully a decent ride through surrey next weekend for either 150kms or 5hrs, whichever I can get...

hoping that'll get me through ahead of the broomwagon

There is no broomwagon, so don't fret on that score. Otherwise, don't kill yourself! The 150km you have planned will probably be your best friend - base miles will count for more than macho 53/14 climbing.

I'm treating this like an audax - ie, finish in as good a time as I can but without busting a gut, I want to enjoy myself. The bergs look hard, but they are very short. Get over them any way you can and the rest is gravy.

Probably not much chance of meeting at the start, but if you see a slightly portly chap with a beard and a Road.CC shirt, that's probably me.

Oh and there are videos on You Tube - search for Flanders Sportive. Mostly of the mayhem on the Koppenberg...

 

[Archibald]

There is no broomwagon, so don't fret on that score. Otherwise, don't kill yourself! The 150km you have planned will probably be your best friend - base miles will count for more than macho 53/14 climbing.

I'm treating this like an audax - ie, finish in as good a time as I can but without busting a gut, I want to enjoy myself. The bergs look hard, but they are very short. Get over them any way you can and the rest is gravy.

Probably not much chance of meeting at the start, but if you see a slightly portly chap with a beard and a Road.CC shirt, that's probably me.

Oh and there are videos on You Tube - search for Flanders Sportive. Mostly of the mayhem on the Koppenberg...

there is a broomwagon for roubaix, so just thought RvV would too for some reason...

appreciate the advice. i'm looking at this in a similar way to what I ended up doing the london marathon - just run and enjoy the day regardless of time, and without realising it, I ended up nailing one of the targets I set for myself months earlier. I guess I'm headf*cking myself over things like 22% and the like...
I'll look out for the beard and road CC jersey/kit - I've no idea what kit I'll be in for RvV. Maybe my davitamon lotto aussie jersy - can't hurt to show a belgian sponsor or two (even if a rain jacket or gilet may hide it). Blue Giant OCR1 will be under me though...

 

[Chuffy]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Classics fans, I've looked at the profiles and footage of the bergs. Cobbles aside, they're just short, sharp hills, it's just the history that makes them loom larger than they actually are. Mind you, looking at the footage it might worth fitting an Airzound to warn the shambling MAMILs that you're coming through. There are some shocking road manners on display...

 

[L'arriviste]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Classics fans, I've looked at the profiles and footage of the bergs. Cobbles aside, they're just short, sharp hills, it's just the history that makes them loom larger than they actually are...

So have you ridden them all in one day, then?

 

[Chuffy]

So have you ridden them all in one day, then?

It's a Devon vs Belgium hill fight!

No I haven't, but in Devon we have plenty like them and I've done enough hilly rides to know the score.

Besides, I'll be riding at cyclo-touriste speed. There's no point going faster, I want to enjoy the view.











....I'm going to die on my ar5e, aren't I?

 

[L'arriviste]

....I'm going to die on my ar5e, aren't I?

I think you know the answer to that...

 

[Chuffy]

I think you know the answer to that...

I sneeze upon your piffling little bergs!

 

[L'arriviste]

I sneeze upon your piffling little bergs!

My advice to you would be, don't bring the British weather with you. As a rule of thumb, whatever's brewing in Britain, it'll be the same here two days later with a degree or two higher temperature.

The real problem with the bergs is that there's usually no run-up to them. The Molenberg, for example, is a 90-deg bend and a humpback bridge straight onto it. Then where there are cobbles, you have to ride that bit harder to avoid slipping. To "float" on them, you need to gear up a bit, get low on the bike and not get out of the saddle.

In Devon you can honk. In Flanders, you have to grind. R-Kelly will be proud of you.

 

[Chuffy]

My advice to you would be, don't bring the British weather with you. As a rule of thumb, whatever's brewing in Britain, it'll be the same here two days later with a degree or two higher temperature.

The real problem with the bergs is that there's usually no run-up to them. The Molenberg, for example, is a 90-deg bend and a humpback bridge straight onto it. Then where there are cobbles, you have to ride that bit harder to avoid slipping. To "float" on them, you need to gear up a bit, get low on the bike and not get out of the saddle.

In Devon you can honk. In Flanders, you have to grind. R-Kelly will be proud of you.

Ah well, cobbles I grant you. But our back lanes have moss, loose grit, grass and cow toffee, so you can still get wheelspin if you honk. But thanks for the advice.

As for weather, if your rain is warmer than our rain I'll be happy.

 

[Anonymous]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Classics fans, I've looked at the profiles and footage of the bergs. Cobbles aside, they're just short, sharp hills, it's just the history that makes them loom larger than they actually are. Mind you, looking at the footage it might worth fitting an Airzound to warn the shambling MAMILs that you're coming through. There are some shocking road manners on display...

The thing about the bergs is they are all hard and close together and if you are doing the full course you will have riden for 5+ hours before you get to the first one.

Oh, and you'll feel them for a few days after the ride.

 

[Chuffy]

The thing about the bergs is they are all hard and close together and if you are doing the full course you will have riden for 5+ hours before you get to the first one.

Oh, and you'll feel them for a few days after the ride.

Full course? 150k here, thanks. Anything more is just showing off.

I am assured that Belgian beer will anaethetise a chap very efficiently. If I can still feel my legs an hour after finishing, I'm clearly not drinking enough.

 

[L'arriviste]

Ah well, cobbles I grant you. But our back lanes have moss, loose grit, grass and cow toffee, so you can still get wheelspin if you honk. But thanks for the advice.

As for weather, if your rain is warmer than our rain I'll be happy.

Hee hee! Cow toffee! Never heard that one before.

But you know I'm British too, don't you? I'm just fortunate enough to live here in these three or four wonderful countries they call Belgium.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Hee hee! Cow toffee! Never heard that one before.

But you know I'm British too, don't you? I'm just fortunate enough to live here in these three or four wonderful countries they call Belgium.

3 or 4 countries I thought we only had Flandres and Wallonie

 

[L'arriviste]

3 or 4 countries I thought we only had Flandres and Wallonie

OK, I've started it so I'd better finish it before the Mods crush me: apologies for hinting at the Belgium-is-it-isn't-it thing again!

Back on topic, I hope we're all going to hear about how you get on - Chuffy, Archibald, Scott etc - once you get back. If you can even type after all that cobblerattle strain!

 

[Chuffy]

Back on topic, I hope we're all going to hear about how you get on - Chuffy, Archibald, Scott etc - once you get back. If you can even type after all that cobblerattle strain!

I have to, I'm on assignment for road.cc!

 

[Archibald]

Back on topic, I hope we're all going to hear about how you get on - Chuffy, Archibald, Scott etc - once you get back. If you can even type after all that cobblerattle strain!

my hands were a mess after just Roubaix last year. took months before I wasn't having problems...

surely there should be some sort of meetup at the finish too

 

[Chuffy]

surely there should be some sort of meetup at the finish too

I'll be in black lycra shorts looking tired and clutching a beer.
Srsly, would be good to put faces to names but it could be tricky with 18,000 MAMILS stumbling around looking dazed and confused. I've never done it before, so don't have any reference points or idea of finishing time.

Does anyone know the actual figures for metres climbed?

 

[Anonymous]

I'll be in black lycra shorts looking tired and clutching a beer.
Srsly, would be good to put faces to names but it could be tricky with 18,000 MAMILS stumbling around looking dazed and confused. I've never done it before, so don't have any reference points or idea of finishing time.

Does anyone know the actual figures for metres climbed?

I had about 5,100 feet climbed on last years 260kms. I guess that's about 1,600 metres or so?? I think it may be only slightly less than that for the 150km.

So, yesterday late afternoon, doing hill repeats near my house, just over 1km climb, about 250 metre elevation gain, pitches at 15%.... and raining.

It was perfect

 

[Anonymous]

my hands were a mess after just Roubaix last year. took months before I wasn't having problems...

surely there should be some sort of meetup at the finish too

There's a beer tent at the finish.

Take a few euro with you because I don't remember them being complimentary.