Wondered how everybody was shaping up? Any last minute long rides planned for next weekend? My legs are knackered having done 110 miles on the road yesterday. Might have a quick spin tomorrow and another light ride later this week. Considering 80-90 on the road next weekend then gently tapering (having a rest).

i think you've missed the point of stw; no one will be doing any training

we're all just wondering when to start discussing tyres – all the prep you could need!

You're right. Maxxis Ignitor front; Larsen TT rear – worried that the rear could be a touch tacky in the dry or get clogged if its muddy. Stuff the training I need to change tyres.

Just lost a week of riding to a bad cold so I'm going for broke with a weekend at Dales bike centre, followed by a week of more or less total rest. Got plenty of miles in my legs but not many hills! Fire XC Pro FTW (because that's what's on there at the moment)

Whats this tapering everyone goes on about?

I'll be doing my 5 x 76 mile daily commute, 2x 35 mile (tues and thurs night) club training, a 60 mile saturday morning club ride plus on my 2 days off some mtb riding ( albeit very medium paced). Prob take friday off day before and race on saturday.

This week will be all about checking bike is fine ( new chainrings, chain and brake pads going on and will bed them over 2 or 3 rides)
Will leave my specialized tyres on cos thats all i have and there pretty fast rolling
Next week will be sorting food and drink out

shame radiogear, if there's any truth in your regime you could prob do ok if you eased off a bit. That would be gay tho

exactly , and i couldn't be looked upon as being gay.

There's no way though, that the people who will win are doing that sort of mileage/time on a bike, unless of course it's you.

I'm just carrying on as normal. I was very crap last year and bugged out after two punctures, complete brake failure, 95% gear failure and a very poorly back. This year I just want to finish so I'll not be pushing hard at all.

There's no way though, that the people who will win are doing that sort of mileage/time on a bike, unless of course it's you.

Why not though? .TDF riders are doing 5 – 6 hours a day on their bike with only 1 or 2 rest days all tour, and even then they ride on their rest day. I'm not saying i'm pro level but i do alright

Reckon you'll be ok whatever tyres Mr G.
I on the otherhand have a few days to loose a stone, find some legs an lungs or at the very least think up a good excuse.
Is that the dog eating all my psp22…??

Whats this tapering everyone goes on about?

I'll be doing my 5 x 5 mile daily commute.

This week will be all about trying to find a bike or making mine not shit (bodging the BB, making the brakes work, putting the rigid fork back on).

Will leave my Mountain King tyres on cos that's all I have.

Next week will be sorting food and drink out.

😉

Why not though? .TDF riders are doing 5 – 6 hours a day on their bike with only 1 or 2 rest days all tour, and even then they ride on their rest day.

They do all start to look ill as the tour goes on though and there is a certain rate of attrition. That said sounds like you'll get round. It will be a bit more touch and go for me I'm afraid. Looking for a psychological edge. Perhaps small pork pies in the drop bags is the answer.

I'll be drinking beer and talking shite.

Still planning on coming over and offered to be a dogs body to Sara. Forgot about accommodation though. Oh well something will work out.

You can kip in my tent Drac, it'll be quite cosy seeing as it's a two man and you'll have to be quiet.

I've got a race in the morning you know.

I really should go out for a mountain bike ride at some point before the race mind.

140 mile road ride last Sunday, I'll be out this thursday on the mtb and over the bankholiday twice. Once on an easy ride with friends and once on a 50miler stretching my legs and doing final kit prep. In the week leading up I'll just be doing my normal commute and skipping the Thursday night ride. Probably do one 20 mile ride Wednesday/Thursday. I find I get lethargic if I rest too much before a race but I do notice if I take a few days off that I feel fresher. My main aim will be to get proper nights sleep in for the week (hence no night ride) as that effects me most noticeably.

Did the kielder Calling a week ago. Still have a bruised arse.

Had a very chilled out weekend just gone, no riding fri/sat/sun.

Bak into regular commute: 15 miles each way mon/tue/thu/fri, night ride wedesday. Do some relaxed mtbing over the weekend. Commute tue, mtb wednesday, chill thu and fri.

Closet lazyboy, I like my days off in the name of 'tapering' 😆

Forgot about accommodation though. Oh well something will work out.

I've not organised that yet either. Really should.

Ah cheers Samuri that's that sorted then, see something always works out.

I may bring a bike over, as much for fleeting between places as anything so probably the Jake. And fookin' big lock.

Phone the campsite, a nice lady will take your name for the "event-only" overflow camping. Give somebody a fiver on arrival and you're sorted.

I did a couple of long road rides last week, I'm trying to get out at for a couple of hours at a quickish pace every day this week, may do a 5 hour ride on Thursday and then a couple of very easy runs next week. If I take long rests I feel really sluggish when I get back on the bike.

Or I could take Samuri some beer.

radoggair – Member

Why not though? .TDF riders are doing 5 – 6 hours a day on their bike with only 1 or 2 rest days all tour, and even then they ride on their rest day. I'm not saying i'm pro level but i do alright
That's when they are racing. You are training, and also tiring yourself out with a full time job.

Radoggair, fair play to you for putting the miles in, but have you ever considered that you might be addicted to exercise?

I used to kick about with a Scandi girl who had issues, when we suggested that she took a day off she would say something like "I had a day off a couple of weeks ago". She used to keep herself going with enormous amounts of cereal, every now and then the sugar rush would wear off and somebody would find her asleep somewhere, like at her desk at work, or sitting on the pan.

Training was going well. A few 90 and 100+ mile road rides this summer with plenty of short, hard MTB rides. Felt good after two 7-hour MTB rides last week.
But then I got sent away by work at short notice on Tuesday. Hope to be home tonight for a short road ride or turbo session, which would be my first ride in four days. But I could be stuck here until Sunday, which would mean a whole missed week. I'm free all week next week when I had intended to be taking it easy and tapering. Should I stick to that plan, or does anyone have alternative suggestions for final week prep, given that this week has been almost completely written off?

I would be tempted to do a decent ride early next week if you've had time off, or maybe one or two short, sharp ones. It depends how well you usually recover. You are better getting out there and realising that you feel pretty good and are looking forward to the event, than resting and worrying.

I did an 83 mile off road on Sunday over the chilterns. Out for about 10 hours. This week I haven't done much. Might do a couple of short rides on the road bike.

Still debating whether to buy a suspension seatpost to make things easier on my super stiff scandium hardtail. Also not looknig forward to the 5 and half hour drive to kielder.

I don't need to train, because I've a lighter bike with bigger wheels arriving tomorrow.

🙂

I don't need to train, because I've a lighter bike with bigger wheels arriving tomorrow.

IS that a ragley by anychance?

IS that a ragley by anychance?

It is indeed 🙂

Just done 4 days of Stanes trails so I remember how hard all that climbing was 😉
Popped into newcastleton on way back, trails looking ace except for the bit they used before the soup stop, the forestry have totally wrecked them, even the fireroads….mudslop hell.

You can do it this year samuri

I don't need to train, because I've a lighter bike with bigger wheels arriving tomorrow.

Does it have a built in electric motor?

It's a weapon!

Last year I made some cue sheets on sticky labels and stuck one on my top tube. It gave the distance to Snack, Water and Food points and the time I needed to get there to maintain at 8mph average.

#k100 crib sheet – 8mph version by miketually, on Flickr

I found it really useful, but it was illegible by the time I got to Newcastleton.

This year, I'm going to print onto paper and coat in sellotape, then loop it round the bars, like a bracelet (inspired by marathon pace bracelets). Overall distance, interim distance, point, type (food, water, bag collection), time cut off, time to meet average speed.

Kielder Pace Bracelet Spreadsheet by miketually, on Flickr

If anyone wants a copy of the spreadsheet – miketually AT gmail DOT com. It's got the bracelets for 8mph to 13mph average.

If you want them laminated Mike I have one here I've never used I could print one of I do it. But as I'm such a disorganised feker best to have your sellotape back up.

We've probably got a laminater at work somewhere, actually. Good point 🙂

Lol I did wonder. Sellotape doesn't last long if it's heavy rain.

I'm seriously impressed with Mike's effort there.

You can do it this year samuri
You gave me one of the best racing tips anyone has ever told me last year, pity everything broke.

I'm seriously impressed with Mike's effort there.

It's all done automagically 🙂

That last 28 miles with no water or food stops really stands out when you list the interim distances…

Ruddy hell. Seeing this sort of thing is making me worry. I haven't got a bike computer and i wasn't even planning on havinga watch!

Ruddy hell. Seeing this sort of thing is making me worry. I haven't got a bike computer and i wasn't even planning on havinga watch!

If you're going for a really fast time or trying to avoid the cut-offs, it's more important. If you're confident you'll finish in 10 to 12 hours, you don't need to think about it.

I don't have a choice of tyre, so this is the alternative to pondering tyres 🙂

I'm going to use the 'Virtual Partner' thingy on my Garmin & plan to be an hour over the minimum time at the hot food stop & then manage that hour for the second half

That's the plan, the reality is likely to be a bit more chaotic