As sportives go this is a really big one and very popular too. It was a mega early start for me 5.15 on a Sunday morning, how rude! Anyway I was up, dressed, fed watered and out the house by 6am.
The start point for the whole 102 mile route was at the Alexander football stadium in Crewe. Now I am not a great football fan (by any stretch) but the kilo to go team really made very good use of the facilities. They had just about everything set up and ready for the event.
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| The whole setup from me at the holding area waiting to start |
It was a really well organised and ran like a well oiled machine, I only wish my bike was running like the well oiled machine like it should be too. I only say that as from when I arrived in Crewe and took my bike out of the car it was creaking and groaning at me. My body on the other hand seemed in really good condition and ready for the 100+ miles of abuse I was about to dish out to it. Bring on the burn!!!
Now this weekend was quite a hot one and Sunday was certainly no cooler than Saturday, it was in fact about 27-28 degrees. Waiting around to start I could ready feel the effects of the 27-28 degrees on the back of my neck and my arms.
As I waited to get going I got talking to some nice chaps from a cycling club from Preston. One of them was a 77 year old that had done the Cheshire Cat every year and has never failed to get up Mow Cop non-stop. Well if he can do it then so can I surely!!!
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| Some of the happy starter ready for the off! |
So eventually we got moved forward from our holding area onto the starting lane then finally ready for the off and away down the road. I left the start line at about 9am and it was going to be a long day ahead.
It did again seem that lots of the riders were obviously in a race to get around so the set off like you wouldn't believe. some of them very serious looking cyclists but I did have a feeling I would see some of them later on too. We headed east through the Cheshire countryside with the heat climbing as the day progressed on. I realised as soon as we set off that I had a very full bladder and should really have gone to the toilet before I left. I would have to hold until the first feed station at 30 miles but first one of that 30 would be the formidable "KILLER MILE" Mow Cop!
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| The map of Mow Cop with the Speed and elevation |
They call this "The killer mile" for a very good reason. It has a between 6 and 10% gradient all the way up to a 25% wall of tarmac for about 250 meters that stops lots of cyclist, walkers, runners and even cars dead in there tracks. The challenge is to ride the killer mile all the way to the top without stopping. Not very easy but there was plenty of people standing outside the pub at the steep bit.
These two pictures give you some idea of how steep it was but really they don't do it any justice and to see it from a riders perspective it was amazing! How does anyone ever get anything up that hill it is just bonkers! (that isn't me on the bike, Hopefully I will get those pictures later on)
After climbing the steepest hill I have ever experienced on a bike in my life and without stopping! I turned left at the top and carried on going.
It was a long way back down and over to the first feed station. The hills going up are hard on the legs and lungs. On the way down hard on the arms, hands, brakes and nerves. At one point some chap on a fully carbon racing machine came flying past me only to not make the next corner and pile straight into a tree. Wham! that must have really hurt and it also looked like he really damaged his bike too. However he was riding like an idiot and did cut in too close to me too so I had limited levels of sympathy. Once a race marshal arrived and started to administer first aid, I left so not to be in the way and headed for the feed station that wasn't too far away.
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| First of Three feed stations Rabid dogs and all |
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| However a really nice view with the break! |
First thing empty the beach ball I had for a bladder then stuff lots of the free energy bars and fruitcake down my neck, take on plenty of water then set off for the next leg!
It was again a good slog with some sizable hill in the way. The miles ticked by and the temperature climbed as it headed towards midday. I made sure I was drinking plenty and my bike made sure it kept me alert. My bike is a 25 year old frame with parts that I bought off eBay bolted on to make a working machine. I could feel the old girl really creak as I put in the stresses of the miles. With the constant changing up and down the gears and the pressure I was putting my machine under came of course the inevitable. I changed down on my front derailleur to climb a big hill only to find as much as I wanted it too I just couldn't get it to change back up again.
Pit stop time!!! Well one thing that is great about having built my own bike is that I know how it works inside out and made sure I had the tools to fix it. It was all just a cable that had slipped so I made a temporary repair and carried on. One thing I did notice all day was that so many people rode with either the smallest of saddle bags that either carry super tiny tools or more than likely they just didn't carry any means to make any sort of repairs by the road side themselves! I really think that some of them will have to learn the hard way on that one. Personally I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it, even if it does mean a little extra weight I have to carry.
So I got to the next feed station at the 60ish mile point, again I threw food and drink down my grid like a man possessed and quickly set off again. I tagged on to a group for a short while only to find that when I got to the route split they went left on the medium route (some 75 miles) while I went right heading westwards on the long 102 mile route. Onwards I went constantly trying to stay within sight of other riders while keeping an eye out for the signs that Wiggle had put out (the route was really very well sign posted), as well as just enjoying the wonderful scenery that hides down the country lanes in Cheshire. It was really nice not to have to ride on the main roads and just seeing the country side unfolding before me made the ride well worth it.
I passed many people lots of which said hello. On one of my little stops (to sort out my chain that wouldn't change up again) a local vicar came out of his house to ask how far the ride was today! I told him just over 100 miles and he kindly wished me luck, so with a merry "God be with you!" I carried on my way slogging through the miles and finally making it to the third feed station. This one was obviously just for the 100 mile riders as it was small (but well stocked). They even had some DJ's spinning the "wheels of steel" (as they so announced) and played an Oasis tune Wonder wall, Usually I would really say I love Oasis and in fact they are still one of my favorite bands, (makes me think of growing up in the 90's). This time however once I left the wonders of the feed station I then had that tune stuck in my head. So after about an hour I was going nuts!!!
Onward and downward for my sanity then! I only had about another 20ish miles to go to the end by this point. Each peddle stroke was getting harder and my legs really starting to hurt. Getting a comfortable position for my hand was also starting to hurt, My neck was hurting from the constant position I was in. I could feel my saddle was punishing me and then I started to get cramp in my right leg too. Of course when everything is getting painful and weak civvy Matt wants to give up and wait for the broom wagon in comes Sergeant Major Matt and screams at me to keep going. The little hills over rivers and up really small rises began to hurt me at this point, however once I had screamed at myself the pain all went away! it is a very psychological thing but it really really works!
Finally I started to see other riders merging in from the other shorter routes and the country side melted away to the built up areas of houses and industrial estates. Heading back into Crewe was a really nice run, the organisers had clearly picked the quietest route possible. I have never been so happy to see a football ground too.
Finally I finished with a total time of 7 hours 43 minutes. I stopped my Strava app on my phone too only to find my 3G had crashed!!! I had to restart my phone and just prayed that it had saved the ride. Thankfully it had saved it properly and gave me my real ride time of 7 hours 6 minutes. Not bad really. I clearly spent more time in the feed stations plus I had to stop at the top of lots of hills to change my chain up too. A respectable time for the first time I have ridden 100 miles I think!
I will be taking a few lessons from the Cat too.
Firstly it is well worth using Chamois Cream to stop you getting saddle sores! Even thought I could feel the punishment of riding for so long with a hard saddle I have no sores.
Secondly I really need to look at replacing the front derailleur cable on my bike as it would appear that the current one is knackered.
Thirdly I must look at what is causing my bike to creak as I ride as it was using up lots of my energy that I could have really not done with just being turned into heat and noise.
Finally and most of all I can do over 100 miles even on the hottest of days so I have no excuses not to get a better time on my next one.
I really enjoyed the sportive which was my first real big one! I certainly recommend going on one to anyone who is enthusiastic about cycling and certainly Kilo to Go are really good at organising them.
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| Just finished and really happy to be too!!! |
Brilliant and can't wait for the next one!
