SportivePhoto Southern Spring Classic 2012

I'm doing the epic route and I think I'm right in saying Jerry is as well. Anyone else joining us?

Yeah I'm on the epic

just signed up for the epic hoping to drag a few friends along

Started with Charlie at 09.00 on the epic, lost him by the bottom of the first descent - hope you got round ok Charlie?

Also hope the cyclist lying in the ditch next to the car with the shattered windscreen at Blacknest is ok. Didn't see what happened so no idea who's fault it was but please please please everyone take care at junctions even if you are in a time trial/sportive/race or whatever.

Completed the 73 miles just outside my target time of 4 hours (which ticked by as I was on the last climb). If anyone is lucky enough to be up and Hindhead with their bike I recommend the climb from North to South along the new cycle route over the Devil's Punchbowl (or the side of it as the punchbowl is actually the low bit in the middle), gradient is nothing special but it goes on and on - lovely views from the top though.

was a nice day, i think i finished just outside gold time by about 5 mins, awaiting results, i should have trained a bit for it i guess
was cold when we set off at just gone 8

Mark.McF wrote:
was cold when we set off at just gone 8

That'd be why I took the option of the latest possible start time for epic riders, mind you I did leave the house on the bike at 8 to get there...better than leaving at 7 I guess.

How did you like Hindhead?

hindhead pass was nice, cant quite see why some people were pushing there bikes at the top though.
well organised event at the end of the day.

i'm not asd fit as you so i drove the car there

Saw one guy get off in the car park, he hadn't finished but he'd had enough, just 50 metres from the finish! He didn't even have the energy left to walk to the finish poor chap.

I would have stuck with you longer, Jerry, but my bottle fell out. Twice! I found a couple of guys going at my pace after not too long, though, and I was looking good for gold time until I took a wrong turn at about 61 miles. It turned out one other guy had done the same thing so we went back on ourselves and ended up putting an extra 10 miles into the route . The really galling bit was that with around 10 miles to go, I felt myself failing and I struggled slowly up the climb to Hindhead, which should have been a good one ordinarily. Oh well, lesson learned. I think I did my 83 miles in about 5 hours. Not too bad considering the furthest I'd ever ridden in one day previously was 62 miles. On the plus side, the photos are free!

maybe time to invest in a gps Charlie? perhaps a garmin, routes can be downloaded from sportive organisers and routed into the unit. It's also a valuable tool for recording and analysing, not to mention sharing, your rides, races and efforts.

Well done for today

Charlie96 wrote:my bottle fell out. Twice!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-custom-race-bottle-cage-2012/ there is a reason these are best sellers - wish I had bought them when I first bought my bike!

Charlie96 wrote:I took a wrong turn at about 61 miles...ended up putting an extra 10 miles into the route

1. Open your eyes, the route was very well signposted!
2. GPS as Dave suggested - they were even loaning garmin devices free of charge (in the hope you'll buy one).

You went 5 miles in the wrong direction with no signs before you realised you'd gone wrong?!!

You're young...You'll learn! Good effort all the same, looking forward to seeing the photos, I may have posed for one or two

jerryc wrote:

I may have posed for one or two

why did i feel the urge to ride faster when the camera was pointed at me? not as if it will show up on a photo
when are the pics uploaded?

pics are up, check out rider 2058

i would do but i cant seem to find any pics

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewcontainer.tlx?containerid=9896127597&home=1 pop your rider number in the box in the top right

thanks Jerry, sorted now

My blog has been updated with the story of the Southern Spring Classic as told by me....Southern Spring Classic

Just looked at the results. If I'd stayed with the two guys I was with most of the way, I would have done a 4:30

Take 10 miles off your time you'd have been under 5 hours certainly.

Mind you so would Darby without having to mend a puncture.

Jerry how did you know i had a puncture,also rode the last 15 miles with a flat front

I whizzed by as you were mending it...would have stopped to help but you looked like you had it well in hand with two other riders with you as well.