Dragon Ride Report

[huw williams]

Sorry, I'm still too knackered to write it up - report coming soon.

[Toks]

I hear that Rob Jefferoy, one of the nicer guys that rides for London Dynamos was the first man to complete the 160k version. He was last years nearly man - missed out on Gold in the Etape by a few mins and 2nd cat status in RR (got 29 points instead of 30). He's absolutely flying this year. I'll have to keep an eye on him tomorrow at Palace

[huw williams]

Rob scraped inat just under five hours

I scraped in at just under 5 and a half!

It was 12k longer this year with twice as many riders (1500).

Much higher standard - there were racing teams everywhere

[Toks]

[quote]It was 12k longer this year with twice as many riders (1500).

[huw williams]

Cheers. Yeah I was feeling really good so pleased with that - It was a fraction under 19mph average and you've seen what those hills are like!

I had to do the last 30 miles solo because the groups around me all broke up after that steep climb, so I lost out a bit to riders who might have managed to join reformed groups.

I tried to keep enough in the tank to go hard up the Rhigos and Bwlch mountains and I was climbing faster than anyone else by that stage - the downdside of that was I couldn't use anybody to sit behind and recover. Legs stayed pretty strong to the end but my head was spinning and I was all over the road.

[Brian Nolan]

I think the Dragon Ride results/times are not quite right on the pdf file / site that Google brings up... I cannot find my name on there at all ( nor Alan Malarkey's ).
On the Cycling Plus forum they had a link to Race Ahead which has got Huw, myself & Alan on the results . They also had a few write ups on there including one from the guy who came second. ..http://www.raceahead.net/SearchResults.aspx

I thought it was a great ride with some excellent roads that did not have too much traffic.. All the signs & marshalling were spot on with some welcome snacks at the water zones.
I guess it is because this event had so many entries ( and a bit of increased fitness on my part ), that I found it easier to jump from group to group on the rolling bits and the downhill sections. I think I let myself down a bit on the climbs - I seemed to ride within myself and not push too hard.. I would be going with a good group but I would get shelled off up the steep bits only to catch them a few miles later... I just did'nt push myself into the red . oh well , more work needed there...

[Alan M]

I thought that it was a very well organised event and with so many riders something of a spectacle.

My time of 6.21 had me at 429th of the 800 plus doing the 100 miles. I was happy with that. My first half time was very good and I had an average of 18.5 but after the big hill at about 64 miles I got cramp again and had to walk a bit. The roads were all wide and traffic was light and we had some excellent downhill parts. Like Huw, I lost out on keeping with groups on the hills but my loss of contact was for the opposite reason - the feeling of onset of cramp is a great inhibitor. I thought that the final section would be all down hill but there were some teasers at the end!

I now know what the somewhat lacking in logic description of "up in the valleys" means.

Thanks to Mark and Mark for their company and Mark L for his due deference in allowing me to use the bed rather than the floor - worth a drink Mark.

The most difficult part of the journey was the M4 closure and torrential rain, but with Mark M's excellent navigation we found a route that included a nail biting 5live account of English football at its least best.

Proably worth selecting this ride for another year as it seems to be on par with similar European events.

[Toks]

[quote]I seemed to ride within myself and not push too hard.. I would be going with a good group but I would get shelled off up the steep bits only to catch them a few miles later... I just did'nt push myself into the red . oh well , more work needed there...

[huw williams]

Brian - There seem to be some problems with the results. At the finish Steve Calland, who did a 4.50 something (don't ask) told me his chip hadn't registered and they asked him what time he had done at the line,
neither he nor his mates are on the results sheet

Alan - same thing happened to me last year. It's a long way back over the mountains when your cramping as early as the climb at Senni Bridge.

Since then, after numerous sportives last summer, I discovered what I need to do to alleviate cramping in long rides - I balance out the sugar intake with salty biscuits (TUC cheese sandwiches for the record) and I have no problems at all now.
Sounds ridiculously simple but it works for me.

On Saturday I only ate 1 bannana, half a go bar and three TUC biscuits. Drank 2 bottles of Go - that was it for the entire ride and had no problems at all with cramp despite going very hard for the last two hours.

I think everyone cramps for different reasons though - repeatedly climbing in too big a gear, not enough specific training etc - If you can discover the reason why it hapens then you can do something about it.

[adrian]

I'm a little susceptible to cramp - tight hamstrings, etc. My (twin) brother, who's a distance runner, was the same until he discovered potassium tablets, and hasn't had a problem since. Think I'll give them a go.

[Brian Nolan]

Amazing ! - how far you can go on ; " one banana, half a Go bar & 3 TUC biscuits " - I think I had 3 bananas, 2 or 3 jam tarts , 3 fairy cakes and a few grain bars as well - no wonder I was slow on the climbs, i was carrying Mr Kipling around with me for 6hrs & 35 seconds...

Of the three Sportives I have done this year I would put them in the following order;
1. Etape du Dales ( so far nothing has come close to matching the torment of that ride ..)
2. Polka Dot challenge ( good food & water stops - bit too much traffic )
3. Dragon Ride ( excellent fast roads- great scenery ) .

[Alan M]

Thanks Huw - I'll try the biscuits - maybe no alcohol for 2 nights before as well!!. Even on the Cotswolds ride, more rolling hills, I felt it coming on and had to stop for a few moments - it seems to be just after a very steep hill which pushes me over the limit, so maybe a salty biscuit then - This time I used electrolyte drink and had loads on the way round and numerous bananas for the potasium an energy gel, a bar and a couple of jam tarts - I am surprised end envious that you had so little to eat and drink and got round without a problem.

The results seemed available on the site that I looked at

Alan

[huw williams]

I know from experience that I can last about 100 miles on little food as long as I've prepared properly for two or three days before, lots of carbo and protein, no alcohol for at least three days and a few litres of plain water per day.

It's a risky strategy on the day because 100 miles in the hills is right on the limit of where I'll start to blow, but I definitely feel better without a ton of sugary, energy food inside me. Any longer than 100 miles though and I'll certainly be eating a lot more.

[Mark Leedham]

I enyoyed the ride and finished in 7:12 which was an improvement on the Cotswold ride the week before.

I also suffered from cramp which came on during the ride up to the Cray reservoir and kept coming back for the next 50 miles.
I think it was due to my diet for the two days which is slightly more than Hugh :

Evening - 3 cans of Stella and a glass of white wine
Day of the ride: 1/2 malt loaf, 1/2 pack fig rolls, 3 Go Gels, 2 gels with Caffeine, 6 bananas, 4 jam tarts, 3 muesli bars, 2 packs of things with apple inside and 4/5 bottles of GO drink. I think I put on about 3 pounds during the ride

Next year i shall try the Huw approach of 2 TUC biscuits

[huw williams]

A stunning achievement Mark - I really didn't think it was possible to eat that much in 7hrs 12mins