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Think someone is mad.

Old 05-08-13, 12:58 PM
  #76  
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Another month goes by - how's the team doing, Stapfam?
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Old 05-08-13, 01:43 PM
  #77  
Time for a change.
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Was going to keep those interested in an update last night but could not find the post. The ride is off. Son-in-Law, myself and a few mates have tried to get some training done but too few have been turning up for a ride. Out of the twenty that showed interest- only 6 have been regulars and a few others have appeared when a training ride was organised

Tried a few training rides for the "TEAM" and decided last night that none of them will make it. Only two are out for any training on a regular basis but took 6 out out for a gentle 30 miler with a 7% for a mile- 12% for 1 mile and a 12% for a mile with a good 20% for 100 yards. 3 walked the 7%-one made the 12% and they looked at the 12 with the 20% and started walking.

so 180 miles in one day is out but they now want to get fit for the London to Brighton in June. I have already told them they don't need Bike training but they had better get used to pushing a bike up anything that looks a slope unless they get out and ride 100 miles a week for the next 5 weeks.

London to Brighton is not hard. 54 miles with only two hills and even one of those is not bad. But too many riders and they will be walking the hills due to everyone else walking. Any start time after 8 am. and the road is packed.

Just to show--The pic is at the top of the last hill but it is this packed all the way if you don't get an early start.

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Old 05-09-13, 03:57 PM
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Hi,

I'm surprised at the number of seasoned riders in this thread
saying it could be done. Its utterly ludicrous. 180 miles in one
day with a bunch of 20 people ranging from one or two that
probably could do it to most of them not having a hope in
hell, to one two that won't manage 18 miles nevermind 180.

The 20 people may have cluelessly volunteered or shown interest
not knowing the sheer stupidity of the idea, or more likely went
along with it initially (showing corporate enthusiasm) knowing
that it was never going to happen, ever.

Would I ever ride 180 miles in one day, never, at the moment,
and I'm doing over 30 miles a day some days of the week.

I might have a go at 100 with a bunch of seasoned riders,
but I'd never consider doing a 100 in 3 months time with a
bunch of people who most of them have never ridden 10 miles.
Most of them won't train properly and won't make it, and
even if they do they would be painfully slow at times.

180 miles is ..... just mindlessly stupid, except for a showoff,
you would really have to desperately sad if that is the case.

Bike riding is an individual thing in the end, and the most
phenomenally stupid thing about trying to get 20 people
to ride 180 miles in one day is it would completely fracture
the group into small separate groups, hardly teambuilding.

rgds, sreten.

Last edited by sreten; 05-09-13 at 04:07 PM.
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Old 05-09-13, 08:45 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by billydonn
+1 for it is an unwise idea, probably very much so
+ 1 for the relay idea


"Doable", well maybe.
I can't believe I said "doable" at all. What was I thinking?
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Old 05-10-13, 08:08 AM
  #80  
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First, my complete lack of knowledge of the geography of the south of England leaves my surprised at the steepness and length of the hills there.

Second, so...what happened to the bikes that one of their customers or suppliers were providing?

Third, this pretty much unfolded like I thought it would.
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Old 05-10-13, 09:51 AM
  #81  
Time for a change.
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The Home Counties--All those Counties around London- are pretty flat. If you want FLAT-flat then go to Essex where speed bumps are the high points of a ride.

But South of London there are two Chalk ridges called the Downs running East to West. The North Downs are about 25 miles South of London and are about 1,000ft down into the next valley. The hill on the Olympic course-Box Hill- is on the North Downs and the road is about 5 to 10% gradient. The South Downs are not quite as high at 800ft but they are steeper. Length is not as much but there are plenty of 12 to 15% climbs for 1 mile that go either straight over or drop from the top of the downs down to the rivers along the ridge. My avatar is taken at the top of a 3/4 mile hill along the ridge.



Couple of pics of the Offroad route and a Profile map of the same. The "slippage" area is where I was going too slow to register on the Garmin and it then caught up with itself. The road routes are just a bit less steep but not by much.

The bikes were provided by one of their suppliers and 20 in number. Only 8 were taken up by the staff so 12 brand new Raleigh Hybrids still in the boxes to go back or they will be sold off to staff as we have convinced them that an organised 100 mile ride for charity could be done later in the year "IF THEY TRAIN FOR IT"

But at the current rate--There will still be 12 bikes going back
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Old 05-10-13, 10:57 AM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by stapfam
Was going to keep those interested in an update last night but could not find the post. The ride is off. Son-in-Law, myself and a few mates have tried to get some training done but too few have been turning up for a ride. Out of the twenty that showed interest- only 6 have been regulars and a few others have appeared when a training ride was organised

Tried a few training rides for the "TEAM" and decided last night that none of them will make it. Only two are out for any training on a regular basis but took 6 out out for a gentle 30 miler with a 7% for a mile- 12% for 1 mile and a 12% for a mile with a good 20% for 100 yards. 3 walked the 7%-one made the 12% and they looked at the 12 with the 20% and started walking.

so 180 miles in one day is out but they now want to get fit for the London to Brighton in June. I have already told them they don't need Bike training but they had better get used to pushing a bike up anything that looks a slope unless they get out and ride 100 miles a week for the next 5 weeks.

London to Brighton is not hard. 54 miles with only two hills and even one of those is not bad. But too many riders and they will be walking the hills due to everyone else walking. Any start time after 8 am. and the road is packed.

Just to show--The pic is at the top of the last hill but it is this packed all the way if you don't get an early start.

Originally Posted by IBOHUNT
With some 10,12, and 16% grades in the works I can see a lot of "bugger off' happening.
Nailed it...
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