…will I look a knob if I turn up in this with matching shorts?:

Hmmm, nice!

My 13th time doing the full route and I can’t wait!

Nah, you need to be about 3 stone overweight wearing the current World Champion’s full kit to look a bit like a nob.
Have fun, we’re Paris – Roubaix-ing the following weekend.

I’m doing the P-R in June. The only time my club mates
do this sort of ride, why they don’t like doing Flanders I’ll never know.

We did RvV in 06 for a few years, but its just too busy now and you can’t ride up the hills. P-R (at least the gentlemen’s ride the day before) is still quite low key.

I’m considering this

as it says “I’m from Yorkshire and I love Flanders”. I saw it in their shop last week and it really caught my eye. To be worn on my summer bikes, beer and chips tour of Flanders with my mate. Being from Yorkshire it also appeals more than your choice as it’s half the price 🙂

I rode last year, no probs on any climbs but the Koppenberg.

Going over this year but just for the spectating and beer. Lots of lovely nutritious beer.

We did it last year and rode every hill but the Koppenberg, as mentioned above. Yes some hills were busy but that just added to feeling like a pro I guess, at least in my little fantasy world it did.

We rode the Koppenberg the day before though, along with a few of the others.

This year we are doing Amstel. Will go back and do RvV soon though.

My 13th time doing the full route and I can’t wait!

My 3rd time this year… It was bloody cold last year wasn’t it? I hope its a bit warmer this year.

I’m going with a group of workmates, who are one by one getting the excuses in for not riding, but going on the piss in Ghent instead, (broken hand? Pah, they’re only a few cobbles!)

Only doing the medium one, but on my singlespeed to make up for that. I bought the organiser a pair of the On-One Flandrien socks as a thanks. That’ll have to do.

Nobody looks a knob on the cobbles, especially doing the 255km beast.

6 of us going from Sheffield on the 138km ?

I started about 7:30am last year and I don’t think it got above zero for the first 100 miles!

The roads aren’t as busy these days as they are now limited to a mere 16000 riders. I think one year there were over 21000!!!

Doing the long route normally means the hills are pretty clear by the time we hit them. Never had to get off before although came close last year with the wet patch on the Koppenberg causing a few to topple.

I started about 7:30am last year and I don’t think it got above zero for the first 100 miles!

… and then it started snowing. It was only light but at least I can say I’ve ridden Flanders and it snowed!

😀

If you’re already entered it’s worth also entering this win a BMC granfondo GF01 bike competition. As I am the proud owner of one such piece of gorgeousness (also won) I can’t recommend it enough. It’s totally worth having a go:

Just enter here

Billy no mates going. Flying from Manchester Friday afternoon. Anyone got details of accommodation near Oudenaarde?
thanks

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6vPQL_aYfI&feature=player_embedded#t=5[/video]

This time next week chaps… we’ll be in pain! 😀

Anyone planning to do it on a cross bike or all using road bikes?
It’s on my list to do but dates aren’t likely to work until the year after next.
Is the tourist route the same?

I did it on my cross bike (with slicks) one year – normally take a bog standard road bike though. You see people on all sorts of things, of all sorts of vintages, so just take something that isn’t going to fall apart with a bit of vibration 🙂

The saturday route used to be more or less the same as the race route, but with a bit of cycle path action in places. Now that there are finishing circuits that repeat some of the hellingen, it is a bit different (not bothered to actually look at the differences).

I’ll be there on the 134km ride, ti Serotta, pink and blue JMJ Cycles jersey if the weather is nice!

CX or road bike – doesn’t matter. Flanders’ cobbles are smooth compared to Paris-Roubaix.. nothing to trouble any road bike.

I’ve done it twice on a carbon Colnago with 23mm tyres.

Lots of people will say ‘Oh you must use 25mm or 28mm tyres.. blah blah’ ‘You should use a CX bike’ blah blah..

It’s all nonsense.

Just queuing to get on the plane. Excited and scared. I’ve never actually ridden 150 miles before. But I have written a blog, because obviously that is almost as good as training. Ronde

Jealous.

did it once in 2011. what an incredible weekend. shame they don’t go up the muur anymore. nothing prepares you for the roar as the first riders come past the chapel. makes me shiver even now, thinking back to it

OK so I also accosted a bloke in that Morvelo Flanders jersey and felt a bit of a wally when he turned out to be a Dutch bloke who’d never heard of STW. But it was a cracking day out…

Anyone thinking about doing it next year, don’t hesitate. Plan it in. 14th Saturday of the year. Apparently.

I saw him too! Glad I didn’t get the kit in the end after seeing it in the flesh so to speak. What a great day though. Clover, did you start at 7am in the market square? That start gun/cannon had me in shock for a few seconds!

I missed the start gun! Thank goodness, I was already in panic mode without it. We crossed the line at 7.39.

Thought the Flanders kit looked smart, although the Dutch guy did say he only just got it in time. Wonder if he was asked about his forum id a lot?