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540 k in one go.

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540 k in one go.

Old 06-22-08, 03:22 AM
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540 k in one go.

Yesterday I rode the "Great test of strength", from Trondheim to Oslo. It's been on for 42 years and on friday I spoke to one of the two guys who have a perfect record. At 62 he was doing his 42. consecutive ride! I guess there is a bit of a competition between them as to who will yield to old age first. In my group we were 6 riders over 50 that finished the ride. We used 16,52 (aiming for 17), and I am very happy with the time. We had bad weather in the mountains and great conditions riding along the biggest lake in Norway.

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Old 06-22-08, 06:22 AM
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Any photos?
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Old 06-22-08, 07:41 AM
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Having four 5 minute breaks for the whole ride we were strongly adviced against bringing a camera. Others took plenty so I will see if I can get some in a few days.
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Old 06-22-08, 07:46 AM
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Is my math right? That's 350 miles at 21 MPH! I think that one century in under 5 hours is pretty good.
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Old 06-22-08, 08:10 AM
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It is quite a bit less tough than it sounds. We started out with a total of 49 riders divided into two groups alternating every half hour at the front. Two lines of riders constantly change places when one group is leading. This gives time to feed and recuperate at the back, and even when up front you only take the wind for a few seconds at a time.
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Old 06-22-08, 08:57 AM
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For anybody who's interested, google "styrkeproven". This ride is on my "bucket list", along with PBP.

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Old 06-22-08, 09:29 AM
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Congratulations Plodderslusk!
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Old 06-22-08, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by plodderslusk
It is quite a bit less tough than it sounds. We started out with a total of 49 riders divided into two groups alternating every half hour at the front. Two lines of riders constantly change places when one group is leading. This gives time to feed and recuperate at the back, and even when up front you only take the wind for a few seconds at a time.
I hear what you're saying about working together as a relatively big group making the physical part of the ride a lot easier. You still had to stay mentally focused and alert for almost 17 hours. I'm not up to that. I found it interesting about rotating the two groups. I'd think that would give you a little mental break when you're riding in the second group.
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Old 06-22-08, 11:29 AM
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Oh man this sounds like an awesome ride!!
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Old 06-22-08, 12:03 PM
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Wow, I am duly impressed!!
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Old 06-22-08, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by bobbycorno
For anybody who's interested, google "styrkeproven". This ride is on my "bucket list".
This ride would be my bucket event!

Somewhere in the first 1/4th-1/3rd of the event, you would find my lifeless body lying along the route.

540km in less than 17 hours. Hard to even believe.
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Old 06-22-08, 12:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

540km in less than 17 hours. Hard to even believe.
Really hard to believe. How could you find 49 riders of that level who could work together for 17 hours? Is there climbing? Mountains and bad weather? I know a guy who did a triple century in around 15 hours, but he is a very rare individual.
Are you guys all pros or ex pro racers?
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Old 06-22-08, 02:39 PM
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None of the members in my club are pros and only a few are, or have been "racers" . We are the third fastest group for this distance in the club. (13.32, 15.18 and our time of 16.52. We had two more groups coming in at nearly 18 hours and a bit over 21). Total climbing is 3350 meters and the highest point is 1040m which in Norway is treeless mountain terrain. We had a nasty cold headwind and rain up there.
We have trained together three times a week since april and quite a few are veterans with a lot of knowledge about how to ride this event well.
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Old 06-22-08, 02:52 PM
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Interesting. So do you do other events like this, or is this the only one each year? Do you train for long hours together? How many kilos, or miles, do you ride for the year?
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Old 06-22-08, 02:54 PM
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Wow, what a ride.

I thought Randonneurs were crazy...
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Old 06-22-08, 03:36 PM
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I guess most riders in my group will have around 3000 to 4000 k so far this year. Two times a week we do longer rides training for the kind of group riding we shall be doing (usually 80 to 120 k) and once a week we do intervals, both speed and hills. It varies a lot what other events people do but a number uses early season rides to train for this ride. Some do much more later on. A guy my age told me during the race that he was doing the Trans Austria this september. (16000 m elevation in 7 days). I do not know what I will do the rest of this season, I will see how my body feels in a couple of days.
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Old 06-22-08, 05:19 PM
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I'm guessing you don't ride the road for at least part of the winter, so 4k to this point does seem like a lot. You're posting here, so I guess you're over 50. The road riding in Norway must be good? I have read that the mountain biking in Norway is wonderful, and there are no land use problems.
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Old 06-23-08, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Kerlenbach
Any photos?
Us, yours truly is the second rider in the second picture:
https://www.skomedal.com/foto/dssp200...a_DSCN0255.JPG
https://www.skomedal.com/foto/dssp200...a_DSCN0257.JPG
https://www.skomedal.com/foto/dssp200...a_DSCN0267.JPG
https://www.skomedal.com/foto/dssp200...a_DSCN0275.JPG

The winning group:
https://filer.sportsklubbenrye.no/bil...oer_Oppdal.jpg
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