Original Thread Title: Tour of Wessex Sportive, 24th-26th May '08
Anyone interested in this sportive?
300mi over three days following hot on the heels of the pro race.
Entries open Boxing Day (when I'm abroad and can't enter - note "abroad" and not "a broad")

Website: http://www.tourofwessex.com/

I tentatively say yes as I wish to break the 200 and 300 mile barrier this summer, however it quite early on in the year.

Well, this one is 100mi per day over three days so you wont be doing >200mi/day but it's in an area of the UK I've not ridden before and it follows a pro race and sounds quite interesting/well supported (well, they all do really). I'm thinking about these now (like the White Horse ride and the Dave Llloyd MEGA Challenge in Wales) because if you don't enter early and start training/saving/planning then you tend to miss out on doing them.. and I don't want an empty schedule for another year while every other fscker goes out and does big/cool rides.

Nothing wrong with May is there? It might be a bit cold but April was nice this year while Summer was a pile of shit, so you never know really..

So it is not 300 mile in an Audax style then?

No nowt wrong with may. the early in the year thing was more to do with trying to get up to 300 mile Audax distance. How much is it. Do they supply a hostel or something or do you need to stay the night if it is not done in one big ride.

i think that it would not be possible to be fixed or would it be possible?
i have no geared bike - does look fun tho

'course it's possible fixed.. just depends on how silly you are :)
I've not looked into accom. yet Tommy. Cost for me is less of an issue than the actual organising and logistics.

just got the email bout this. looks good...dunno if i can do 3 tho but ill give it a go! awful amount of training required for that. 150+km and 2k+m elevation gain in each stage. ill sign up for all 3 and see how far i can go

dont think it's audax style. each stage is its own. no price yet...or is there!? dont think they'll organise accomodation....it'll prob be just like every other sportive, just entry. it's not like mtb's transrockies or transwales where camping, food and transport are part of the package

Long way off, but I'd definitely consider this.

fbr: 150k a day isn't that much with a bit of training beforehand. 15kph = 10hr = slow but doable.
It's a sportive, not an Audax, so it's more like a race with marked course and support (food stops, sag wagon, etc).
Entry form and info pack are available Dec 1st.

There's also the Whitehorse Challenge, 27th April, 150k, £20 as a useful warmup:
http://www.whitehorsechallenge.com/

10hrs is prob pushin it. broom wagon will be right behind you.

whitehorse is a good one but plannin on goin to NY around that time. might do catford cc's hell of the ashdown challenge as my first for '08 http://www.catfordcc.co.uk/

I was just using 10hrs as an example of slowness.. I'm saying it's gonna be a fair bit less than that for only 3 days. Fine if you train for it and don't kill yourself on the first day.

Let us know about this Catford thing when you see more.. pretty please!?

yep. suppose we can do a robbie mcewen on the first day so as to save some for the next two. or maybe do it again for the 2nd day ;)

ill keep an eye out for more details of the catford cc event. route is short but looks like they're takin on some steep hills in the area.

Are you planning on doing the Ashdown challenge fixed?
I live near there and have done a few of the mentioned hills fixed, although there is a lot of climbing going by the route on Bikely. Sounds like quite a fixie challenge!

I'd definitely be interested in this. Will look at some more details.
Also going to enter the Kent Cyclosportive:
http://kentcyclosportive.co.uk/
which isn't until September, but entries are open now.

I am def up for the white horse challenge. But less so for this I will keep brooding over it.

Are you planning on doing the Ashdown challenge fixed?

hell no, dont have jonnywilkinson type climbing legs, nor the patience to walk up and descend with brakes on. besides, just ordered a new road bike so ill be using that as much as possible in these events.

if u have the strength and skills to do all the hills and the distance then good for you...i find that they're taxing enough doin it in gears.

fuzzybrain told me he did the circuit of kent sportive singlespeed...he got the "WTF, you crazy?!" looks from other cyclists...haha. anyway, he did very well to finish that

The Kent Cyclosportive is reasonably flat, but with a bitch of a climb (One Tree Hill, also known as Carters Hill) about 2 miles before the finish. Anyone getting up that after 140km whether on a fixed, SS or geared bike gets my respect (except anyone with a granny gear!).

By the way, I'll also be entering it.

yeah, may well be up for this. probably look into doing it with gears though as would want to complete (compete?) all three days. will put it in the diary cos as you say hippy it is easy to leave it until it is too late.

not comparable by any means but for the last four years I have done the Isle of Wight Randonee, basically a ride all the way around the island. rolling hills and a couple of steep ones. done it the last three years fixed having originally done it on mtb. it's only about 100k but normally add a bit on to that getting to one of the checkpoints. would be well cool to see some of you guys down there. oh, it's normally at the end of april/early may. the bank holiday weekend. all good for the training pot.

fbr, cheers for the compliment dude, but i was sucking your wheel for a good while on sunday

Keep 'em coming.. I might just enter them all and then let god sort 'em out.. or whatever :)

isle of wight you just enter on the day. it's not a sportive. just a decent ride.

am definitely looking to up the mileage for 2008

Hippy being as you are a master of these things could you post a list of the spotives you have been chatting about over the last few weeks inclluding dates and entry times / details. If I am at any you are I will kick your ass, like buffalo with a rattle snake warped around it's under belly.

Riding around the Isle of Wight is great, and hilly than you'd expect, especially round the south-east part. Took a nice shot (using my old Nokia) of my brother riding up into the fog on the climb out of Shanklin towards Ventnor about 2 1/2 years ago.



Yes, that is his real hair.

Oh, it's a challenge then is it? I'd never take the bait.. I'm not the least bit competitive..

As for the list, I get emailed by http://cyclosport.org various sportive reviews and stuff. I'd be on their forums more but this one is too much work as it is :)

I might be able to list 'em tomorrow or something. There's also some reliability trials (kinda like audax I think but somewhat supported?) in Jan or Feb.
My club (willesden cc) is running one at least in the Chilterns.

Seriously there's fscking hundreds of rides out there. Just a matter of freeing up weekends to do 'em and sorting out transport/accom. if needed.
Audax is also a cheaper/non-supported version but I'm liking the sportif idea coz you don't have to nav yourself. I can tour in my own time.

Yeah, brain dump. Wessex, White Horse, the Welsh one (Dave Lloyd MEGA challenge), the other welsh one (dragon something?), Kent Sportive, Isle of Wight ride (could ride down there first),

Dragon Ride ;0)

That's probably it :)

Here's another one, up north, June next year:
http://www.northernrockcyclone.co.uk/CycloneChallenge.asp

There is this one too.

I seriously thinking about making a weekend out of this.

http://www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk/

That looks cool too! Damn.. tonnes of these.
Is there a train station near this place?
You taking the van? Want someone to split fuel/etc costs?

Dartmoor Classic certainly looks cool.

Maybe we can get enough people to go to hire a van for the bikes?

I was going to organise it properly. Book bunkhouse/B&B I can fit Eight others in my van and take their bikes on my trailer and roof.

Watch this space.

Not very presumptuous of me.. ;)

Dartmoor Classic:
1. Caspar
2. Hippy

I rode the Cheddar sportif last year and that was a pleasant day out, a friendly lot down there in the west country replete with cider and accents.

ill put it down as tentative. may or may not be in the country for that date

Dartmoor Classic:
1. Caspar
2. Hippy
3. fatboyralph?

here's the other good one i mentioned last nite uci highclere castle sportive http://www.cyclosport.org/article.aspx?id=148&eventid=27