Scott SoCal/Flanders Cyclo

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Might as well stay another week and check out LBL too.

 

[Ferminal]

OK.

By far the coolest thing I have ever done on a bike and I can't wait until next year.

Ride time was 9:39. That is a long day. It rained for maybe 6 hours of the ride. Towards the end I didn't have all my gears or my rear brakes... The pads worn out completely. I had to walk up the steepest parts of the Paterberg (by far the hardest climb) and Koppenberg. Muddy mess and fallen riders everywhere.

The ride does not quite follow the course but is very close. The course is not closed but there is much support from the politie (cops).

All in all, AWESOME day. Highly recommend it. BTW, full course or forget it.

Oh, and I am in the bar De Gaar having the house beer as I write this. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Cheers!

Nice work.

You can feel the envy in this thread...

 

[Race Radio]

Good work, that is a very fast time for that course in those conditions.

I hope to do it next year.....but the 140km version. I am afraid the 260km route will interfere with my beer consumption.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

OK.

By far the coolest thing I have ever done on a bike and I can't wait until next year.

Ride time was 9:39. That is a long day. It rained for maybe 6 hours of the ride. Towards the end I didn't have all my gears or my rear brakes... The pads worn out completely. I had to walk up the steepest parts of the Paterberg (by far the hardest climb) and Koppenberg. Muddy mess and fallen riders everywhere.

The ride does not quite follow the course but is very close. The course is not closed but there is much support from the politie (cops).

All in all, AWESOME day. Highly recommend it. BTW, full course or forget it.

Oh, and I am in the bar De Gaar having the house beer as I write this. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Cheers!

All I can say is Chapeau!!

 

[craig1985]

Are you going back next year Scott? Because if I make it, we might just have to have a square off for the full course, and whoever gets in first has forum bragging rights.

 

[elapid]

Staying for P-R. Cancellara v. Boonen round 2. It should be very interesting.

Watched the Ronde from the top of the Kappelmuur on Sunday. Cancellara was just devastating. Even the most die-hard Flandrians just shrugged their shoulders and said, "what can you do?"

I was also very, very impressed with David Millar. Dude came up the Kappelmuur in 5th having just been dumped by Gilbert and the Vascanso guy. That's only 15kms from the finish and he's squarely in the finale of Flanders. Wow.

On the other thread discussing which race is better; RvV, or P-R.... I voted P-R but now I'm not so sure. Flanders is just incredible.

I didn't ride the sportif, but thoroughly enjoyed my day on the Kapelmuur. The top of the muur was a bit too crowded by the time I arrived, so I settled myself into a nice vantage point a couple of turns away from the final push up the Kapelmuur. Unfortunately I did not get to see Cancellara make his move, but still an awesome day and looking forward to PR in a few days time. Here are some of my photos from the day ...

 

[elapid]

 

[elapid]

 

[Big GMaC]

Really Great photos!

Do you mind If I save a few?

 

[craig1985]

I always wonder what they're thinking when climbing the Kapelmuur.

 

[Bala Verde]

great pictures elapid! great quality and very 'up close and personal'... as if you were on a moto.

What were they running uphill there, a 39x25?

 

[elapid]

Really Great photos!

Do you mind If I save a few?

No problems.

 

[elapid]

I always wonder what they're thinking when climbing the Kapelmuur.

I think Ballan was probably thinking "Holy s**t, this hurts", and Cavendish "When will this end?"

 

[Bala Verde]

Staying for P-R. Cancellara v. Boonen round 2. It should be very interesting.

Watched the Ronde from the top of the Kappelmuur on Sunday. Cancellara was just devastating. Even the most die-hard Flandrians just shrugged their shoulders and said, "what can you do?"

I was also very, very impressed with David Millar. Dude came up the Kappelmuur in 5th having just been dumped by Gilbert and the Vascanso guy. That's only 15kms from the finish and he's squarely in the finale of Flanders. Wow.

On the other thread discussing which race is better; RvV, or P-R.... I voted P-R but now I'm not so sure. Flanders is just incredible.

Be careful though, the country is full of willynilly liberals and socialists Agreed with RDV though, stay for the fleche, LBL and why not AGR!!!

 

[scribe]

You can see it in Cav's eyes.....

"I might not come in first, but I am the best damn cyclists out here."

 

[Bala Verde]

You can see it in Cav's eyes.....

"I might not come in first, but I am the best damn cyclists out here."

I only read 'with every pedal stroke I prove I am so much better than Greipel' in his face

 

[Anonymous]

Are you going back next year Scott? Because if I make it, we might just have to have a square off for the full course, and whoever gets in first has forum bragging rights.

That would be fun. I hope you can make it next year.

The ride is... there are so many people and it is so hard/long that after about 6 hours or so I didn't care about anything except getting to the finish. Of course immediately after I mentioned to my wife that I'd never do it again. But, that's all changing now

 

[usedtobefast]

That would be fun. I hope you can make it next year.

The ride is... there are so many people and it is so hard/long that after about 6 hours or so I didn't care about anything except getting to the finish. Of course immediately after I mentioned to my wife that I'd never do it again. But, that's all changing now

after the pain goes away, the fun returns. funny how that works.

 

[craig1985]

That would be fun. I hope you can make it next year.

The ride is... there are so many people and it is so hard/long that after about 6 hours or so I didn't care about anything except getting to the finish. Of course immediately after I mentioned to my wife that I'd never do it again. But, that's all changing now

I have always wanted to see the Classics, and the Giro as well. I was going to go to the Giro, but Armstrong was racing so it jacked up the price and out of my price range (more then $4000AUD and that is BEFORE I had to pay for flights).

So I guess the Classics will be it for me. I gather you trained for the event, do you do a lot of short sharp/steep climbs in your area?

 

[Anonymous]

Today I rode the Paris Roubaix race course from Orchies to Gruson.

The good sectors are brutal and the bad sectors (Cysoing, Camphin en-pevele and Carrefour d'Labre) are effing bone-rattling. My wrists are sore and have blisters from just 50k.

The amount of effort required to ride the pave is really high. I have a new respect to say the least.

 

[Bala Verde]

Today I rode the Paris Roubaix race course from Orchies to Gruson.

The good sectors are brutal and the bad sectors (Cysoing, Camphin en-pevele and Carrefour d'Labre) are effing bone-rattling. My wrists are sore and have blisters from just 50k.

The amount of effort required to ride the pave is really high. I have a new respect to say the least.

What bike/wheels were you using.

And always double tape the handlebars

 

[Race Radio]

What bike/wheels were you using.

And always double tape the handlebars

Good question. And Tires and gearing as well

 

[usedtobefast]

Good question. And Tires and gearing as well

we need a full tech recap on both Flanders and P-R. also what gloves you were using, so i can avoid those.

 

[Anonymous]

What bike/wheels were you using.

And always double tape the handlebars

2010 Trek Madone 6.9 (sorry), single tape on the bar, Fizik, carbon bars and stem, Zipp Team Issue clinchers (fantastic wheels for this type of environment), Vittoria EVO Pave 24mm clinchers.

As for the gearing, it's the set-up for Flanders which is a compact crank set 50-34, and 11-26 rear cog set. Probably not ideal for Roubaix but I never came close to getting to the 11 on the pave.

I read where Hushovd is using 27mm Vittoria tubulars. That's probably smart. Also, the pros are running air pressure around 90psi. I didn't do that as I didn't want to deal with pinch-flats so I ran 105psi. I'm told that's a big reason why my eye-balls were rattling around in my head.

 

[Anonymous]

we need a full tech recap on both Flanders and P-R. also what gloves you were using, so i can avoid those.

Me and another guy from Miami rode together. We were like little kids at Christmas. Little French town, bike race course steeped in history, the pave...

Well, both of us forgot gloves.

Hopefully I'll be more able to function (mentally) next year.