Yes, do! I’ll be the one up to my arms in black brake pad crap being shouted at for not changing tubes quickly enough! 😉

Good grief. Overshoes? Guards? Just adds weight, it’d slow me down, plus I’ve crappy tyres on the winter bike, its asking for a crash.

I just popped out for a 50k warm up and got rained on 3 times – how appropriate. As long as you don’t stop, its quite warm.

Anyone know when they take bags off you for the stuff you want to pick up at the finish? Just before you set off, or when you turn up, an hour before?

Wasn’t going to bother with the extra faff, but if it’s weeing down, it might be nice to have some extra stuff for the ride over and the waiting, then strip off and ditch it before the start.

This is interesting, not seen it before:

http://www.metcheck.com/UK/confidence.asp?day=2&zipcode=london&hourOf=6&dayOf=10&Unit=mm&monthOf=8

Shows you the results of all the different models. eg they all agree what the temperature is likely to be, 75% agree there’s next to no rain, but the other 25% of the models are spread evenly in predicting everything up to “really quite wet”

The train’s starting to look attractive. Ride through the smart bits of town, divert to Victoria, train to Guildford, ride Surrey Hills, jump on the train at Leatherhead, get off at Waterloo, finish off.

😆

The rain looks to be appearing mid to late morning. I’m starting to feel happy with my start time of 0605, and hopefully finishing not long after 10:45 ish. I have packed three different weight rain jackets, from monsoon to soft shell. More worried about the poor spectators, or people not used to all weather cycling.

Hmm mid-morning. Starting at 0627, my plan had been to roll round, I really don’t care about my time, but that’s changing to put the boot in …

I’ve also seen snow forecast for Sunday!

http://weatherscopes.azurewebsites.net/?starSign=Libra

😉

Me and Mrs M both in through the ballot. Look out for a big lump in a bright red BHF top. That’ll be me BTW. 😀

looks like i have a 06:50 start and no waterproofs !

Part of the BC Club Challenge. Twickenham CC have 65 riders and I’m hoping we run in two or three blue trains. So do say Hi. I’m off at 06:12 and would like to be back by 10:30. I’ll wave Nick, but don’t plan on stopping with my team. I will then wait around for a another four hours for my sister to finish.

Bought two Ass Savers at registration because the race bike is due a trip this year and i’ll need the aero into that headwind 😉 . The Endura race cape may negate all the same aero gains from the skinsuit.

Good luck everyone. Take plenty of spare inner tubes.

Wish if bought an ass saver now!

Bet you wish you had a castelli gabba too.
Mine turned up today. I’m not riding on Sunday though 😆

I’ve woken up in a very negative frame of mind. Considering taking the winter bike with old crappy tyres (turbo worn Duranos) now and sod the time target, also realised I don’t have a road rain jacket so I’ll have to see what’s left in the scraps of the Bike show, if anything.

If it’s raining at 4am it’s going to be very hard to leave home tbh. Feel free to post any motivational tips…

Bright clear skies in Dorking at the mo.

Forecast shows continuous rain from midnight tonight to about midday Sunday, which is just when …. oh.

If it’s raining at 4am it’s going to be very hard to leave home tbh. Feel free to post any motivational tips…

Well, just think of it this way Stan, I’m stuck at home unable to ride, and you have the opportunity to ride in the country’s biggest cycling event, that just happens to be a bit wet. If you don’t end up riding it through a bout of apathy, I will hunt you down and slap you with my 1 remaining functional hand.

Feel free to post any motivational tips…

side benefit of raising money for charity, ‘it was a bit wet’ doesnt really cut it as an excuse..

Not just a “bit” wet though is it.

http://www.yr.no is a bit more optimistic in that might be starting in the dry, that’s what concerns me most, getting cold and wet whilst waiting to get going. We had a downpour in Surrey last night – at least my waterbutts are no longer empty.

OK, how about 20,000 riders (one of whom has only ridden 24 miles in training) can obey Rule #9. Why can’t you? Start should be dry, possibly two hours of rain plus a 20mph tailwind. What’s not to like?

Mate of mine applied through the lottery system and was gutted when he got the dreadful “Dear John letter”.
Bet he is chuckling now though 😀

Well, just think of it this way Stan, I’m stuck at home unable to ride, and you have the opportunity to ride in the country’s biggest cycling event, that just happens to be a bit wet. If you don’t end up riding it through a bout of apathy, I will hunt you down and slap you with my 1 remaining functional hand.

He’s right. Definitely some MTFU needed! I’d much rather be doing it!

I’ll watch out for the ‘blue trains’ Daren!

K57, got gloves? got clear shades? got Belgian booties?

If there’s a tick for all three then really the only thing stopping you is your own wild estimate for a PB.

Heck, you’ll be with ‘000’s of others, some of whome will be feeling like you, so you’ll all be kindered spirits won’t ya. Not only that, you should take a look at one of Raphas films, the winter one in Norway… Just pretend your ride is in black and white and grimace a bit whilst looking uber cool.

There you go, have fun.

How about when you’re done and sat at home enjoying a cup of tea some people will be packing up gear in the rain for a couple of hours before going to a hotel for the night then spending most of Sunday driving home. Here’s hoping the help we’ve been promised turns up.

Feel free to post any motivational tips…

What would Jens do?

So, chamois cream, yay or nay?

Nobby – Member
So, chamois cream, yay or nay?

You’d consider riding without it?

Right, the proper rain jacket I should have owned anyway is now purchased. There’s no time to be aimed for, I shall be on the winter bike with guards and dry gear in my finishing kitbag.

🙂

I never use chamois cream but do use a little vaselene on long wet rides.

Not sure about a jacket as thinking could get too warm so thinking more gilet and arm warmers.

I’m over the negativity.

We’re mountain bikers, we’re suppose to ride in the rain.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rYWMs-1SLc[/video]

I’d just be getting wet, gilet as mentioned, but not a jacket.

Having just ran through the local forecasts the worst of the rain (rated as heavy) appears to be on the southern part of the loop between 0400-0700. Nearer the start it is rated as light showers/moderate rain.

Between 1000-1300 there is a risk of thunderstorms again on the southern part of the loop, mist likely when most will hit the climbs, but the rain at these times is actually limited to less than 1cm over the 3 hour window.

The return to London looks like showers.

Winds do switch round about 0900 onwards from a South Easterly direction to a stronger South Westerly wind, but that will help the final stint!

It looks like they now anticipate the bulk of the storm to be south of the projected tracks that were available yesterday, which is a good thing.

The latest email from the organisers doesnt sound too promising with the talk of cutting out leith hill and box hill

its only a bit of rain and hardly the transcontinental!

My funk has gone! I’m with you Mudshark – I shall be in club SS with arm warmers, with race cape over if we start in the rain. As I’m riding up and carrying dry kit in my kit bag for the end this gives me a perfect opportunity to see how warm I’ll get and make adjustments.

I’ve cleaned up and re-oiled/greased the bike, superglued some cuts and I’ve even installed an unnecessary TT tri bag to carry my lunch in 😀

P.s. Dharmstrong theirs a FB report which states the storm is going completely the other way – southwest to Central England up t’north. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

That sounds better, cap on, clip in, ride hard, have fun 8)

Kryton57, could well do as I was only looking local to the route. As long as it avoids me I’m not bothered!!

Not just a “bit” wet though is it.

I’m from Devon, this is just a bit wet…

Let’s keep it positive: the pollen count will be low.

And if you have any mechanical problems at Newlands we will be equipped to help! I have about £3k of cables, brake pads, chains, mech hangers, tyres, tubes etc in my car, plus a half reasonable workshop!

might be having a psychological problem by then! got a couch and clipboard?