[Closed] Chilterns Challenge (100km)

monday morning bump 🙂

anyone on here doing it?

(this Saturday now)

I think i did this when it was a BHF ride, really great routes round there.

Will call a few people this week and see if we can get out on saturday

That's right SB, it's virtually the same as the BHF one from 2 years ago.

Only 1 rider didn't like the route - a roadie's first time off road, and he didn't like all the singletrack!! 😕

even the guy who broke his arm/elbow enjoyed the 15ish miles he rode

the blood poisioning and three days in hospital were less good tho, so i doubt his missus will let him come out to play!

owwww. Was he the one who hit a speed (j)bump in the road and the First aiders couldn't find him?

anyone (else) up for the full 100km?

yeah that was him.

on a positive note our group raised in excess of £50 per mile ridden for BHF

I'm going to give it a go, sounds really good.

wow that's some expensive pedalling soobalias, well done.
You going to do the 100km ssnowman?

must be someone else up for doing the full 100km!!

Assuming no rain between now and then and the trails should be fit and proper for everyone.

yeah, was out earlier and they are all fine, even after the deluge over the weekend.

sounds great, im very tempted to give it a try as been meaning to try the chilterns for a while.

50 or 75km for me, but time permitting would be up for the 100.

yeah, was out earlier and they are all fine, even after the deluge over the weekend.

A run or cycle?

You'll discover some great routes on the event. Also, i've got a good winter ride I do that passes through Henley (train station there). Where are you from?

From Horsell/Chertsey/Heathrow area.(30mins away roughly)

Would be looking to ride the chilterns (although running is another fave activity).

I've just entered and will be in for the 100km option.

You get all 4 route maps when you enter the event, which has lots of lovely trails on it.

If you want more, including a good winter ride e-mail or corner me at the event and i'll happily help 🙂

This looks good. Been looking to do a decent longish ride soon. Double check my weekend manoeuvres before signing up..

but with a tag name like yours - mine should actually read ''singletrackplodderwithoccasionalbreathlessnessandinabilitytochoosealinewithoutfaliingoff''

will this hold me back?

ha ha, no I think the chilterns is great for all abilities. It gets harder the faster you ride it (singletrack). It's not too hilly, but enough to get you breathless 😉

I used to surf as well, hence 'surfer' before I moved away from the see 😥 Although I like to think I carve the singletrack trails too.

well i had entered - but then I broke my collarbone - pah 🙁

ill be signing up STS, so will pop over and say hi on saturday (somehow?)

e-mail me if you like and i can send you gpx files if they're any use?

My local-ish area! Lovely. Mrs is in that London on Saturday so sadly it will just be me. Still recovering from an ankle operation so will be slower than ever and probably only good for the 75k at best but will be there.

singletracksurfer will try and say hello. I'm the fat old bloke on a black Cotic Soul if you fly past me.

PS Mr singletracksurfer - where's best to park up please?

oneoneorange, im also keen to buy a Soul so happy to hook up and test out just how slow you are?

No problems slimjim - I start off OK-ish but then seem to burn out pretty quickly at present. Not sure what time I'll get there but will aim for 9ish. What bike are you on / descrption and I'll look out for you.

Park in woodcote, loads of room.

Plus (blatant plug) come to my cafe in Cholsey after (5 mins from woodcote) for cake and coffee and flapjacks! 😀

And we have mtb mags in the shop 🙂

will be on either silver Cannondale hardtail or pink On-One inbred.

I have 3/4 length tattoo'ed arms and pink/green/black Fox helmet (not much hair under it!)

and you?

Cake? Done.

yeah parking at the venue or roadside nearby.
rob do you (or your better half) know will & rosie rand? they mentioned some friends had opened up a cafe in cholsey.

oh my soul's are popular. I've got a blue (re-spray) one 😉

Blimey. I thought I had pretty much the only Soul in the Chilterns, I never see another. Hmmm blue eh? Look forward to seeing that.

Thanks surfer. Yes indeed, cake?!

slimjim - black helmet, brown Lezne hydration pack, no tattoos, fat and old (I note the 78 in your name, I'm way older than that) no hair. An unbeatable combination!

Will be wearing whatever shirt falls out of the drawer on the day.

Forecast is a bit pants for the weekend..

It'll be a good'un this.. did a rece' yesterday evening with a colleague who lives in Goring & knows the area well. nice singletrack and fast double track.

apparently some films at the finish

only light showers (at times) are forecast and the trails are ok now, so shouldn't be a problem.

apparently some films at the finish

Transformers 3?

Looking forward to hitting these trails.

BTW, im hoping to have recovered from cold/chest infection by saturday (as im training for a half marathon too) , can I sign up on the day of the event just in case im not fully recovered?

MTB films - so you can see how you should have been riding the trails 😉

Signing in on the day is allowed, but beforehand is encouraged so you can have your own custom rider no. plate and make sure there are enough refreshments.

See slimjim - if you don't sign up we'll finish it all and you'll have to go to Planet Cake in Cholsey.

Thanks for postin this up... Twodogs and myself have entered this now.. Perfect training day for the transrockies for us and we were getting a bit bored of our usual training routes and were going to do 5-6h in the chilterns anyhow over the w/e, so this fits in perfectly! And with cake! Cheers and see you all on sat...

sounds like D-U-G favs some rockcake 😀

Singletracksurfer - we do know will and Rosie. I've worked with Rosie for about 7 years! And will helped to tile the bathroom in the cafe!

We are right in the centre of Cholsey (ox10 9ns) open 9 to 5 but can stay open later for cake action! Do nice milkshakes too and bacon sarnies.

The cafe means I don't get much chance to get a ride in at the moment so always good to see people who've been out! Hope you can pop by, but either way enjoy the ride!

Managed to press gang a small group of 4 to join up for the day, should be fun 🙂

rob2 - it's a small world. will happily plug your cafe.

nice one Db

Didcot, Oxfordshire Close the Didcot, Oxfordshire box
Sunrise 05:06
Sunset 21:16
Very unsettled, with showers or longer periods of rain, with some of the rain heavy. It will also be windy at times.
Weather Temp.
Heavy Rain Shower
17°C 63°F Max. Day West South Westerly14mph 23km/h 93%

change of tyre choice me thinks

been out today and it's bone dry so hopefully the trails will soak up any rain up.
even got sunburnt today. shame it won't be as nice on saturday, but it should be ok.
showers available too. will take the dirt worker too.

Signed up for the 75km.. the [url= http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/se/se_forecast_weather.html ]Met Office[/url] aren't sounding too hopeful but with a bit of luck it'll just be showers which shouldn't affect the running too much after the dry spell we've been having..

Just finished the signing now. All tingly from clearing stingers and sunburnt! No chance of that tomorrow, but think the trails should be fine as mentioned.

At least their will be less walkers around and hayfever suffers should be ok 🙂

See you tomorrow.

It will be busy out there this weekend. On today's loop we passed signs for this event, a BHF ride and a duathlon. Up to an inch of rain forecast for tomorrow might make things fun.

the BHF ones are mine too (i ran out of mine) 🙂
and thought the duathlon is on Sunday (could be wrong).

Was out earlier too. Followed the signs from Whitchurch to nearish Ipsden, veered off, got lost, found them again and saw them on the run through woods near Checkendon.
Was spitting rain at 9ish on the way in to Reading so i probably had the last of the dusty trails.
Be a good ride just not sure if i fancy leaving the house at seven and riding all day in the rain.

[i]only light showers (at times) are forecast and the trails are ok now, so shouldn't be a problem.[/i]

Yeah, right...

I'd planned to ride but my better-half informed me that she'd already told me she was 'horse-ing' - probably saved me 🙂

Just how slippery/muddy was it?

Just the one shower then.. unfortunately it lasted from about 9am to 2pm, and may have come around for more! 😆

Getting a bit slippery in places, but a great ride.. would have been fantastic in the dry..

Thanks to the organisers..

Very wet & soggy but a great ride none the less, wish I hadn't expected to be able to get a brew at the checkpoint though 😆

Good ride, pretty big for me. Atleast it only rained for the 1st 85km

yeah sorry about the weather, it was about as bad as it could be in the end.
it did dry up and even got sunny.... once everyone finished 🙁

glad people enjoyed it.

Great course and it would be brilliant in the dry. Today's 'showers' were a little more than that, but the trails held up very well. The only problem seemed to be when the sun did make an appearance, the trails got more sticky, or maybe that was me just being tired for the last 10km or so.

Definitely one for next year and would be good to see more people out enjoying it.

PS. Damn fine cakes at the end too!

Great ride Singletracksurfer, really enjoyed it. Medal to your mum for sitting at the checkpoint all day.

Pah, it barely rained at all - just a light drizzle once or twice(!). We even saw a dry patch of road near the end!

Looking forward to next year, let me know beforehand what I can do with publicity or any other help if I'm around - you have my email address.

Oh yes - ace cakes indeed!

thanks for the kind comments everyone, much appreciated, and thanks for coming along.

looking forward to doing the next one (bigger & better). You really must eat more of the snacks at the checkpoint though, you hardly dented it - my kids wet themselves when they saw all the goodies coming home.

gutted I missed this one folks, hope to catch you all at the next one.

if anyone heads out again soon and fancies showing me some of the best trails then drop me a line!