My first 50

[Lucyap]

So I'm doing the NHRC 50 next weekend and could do with some advice!

The course is Course H50/, A31 Bentley-Chawton-Farnham- Bentley. What's it like?

Nutrition wise, I'm thinking of taking a bottle of PSP with me and a gel. Also a spare gel, just in case I need it, and just in case I drop the first one. Shall I tape these to the bike? Best place to put them??

I'm nervous to ride this distance on tubs in case I puncture. Can't change the tub, (plan to learn) and don't have a spare anyway. If I carry Pitstop and have to use it then the tub goes in the bin. But I could Pitstop a clincher and save the tyre? Thoughts please. Maybe I worry too much and should just say a few words to Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of bicycles??
Help!

Lucy.

[Jon H]

I normally take one 700ml bottle for a 50, unless it's an afternoon event on a hot day when I'd take two bottles. I think the best place for gels is to tuck them up the leg of your shorts.

The Bentley 50 course is all dual carriageway, a bit rolling, with 3 roundabouts. On the first two laps (20 miles each) you go straight on at the middle roundabout and turn at either end. On the last lap you turn at the middle roundabout.

My strategy on punctures is to use tubs and DNF if I puncture, either riding on the flat back to the HQ or hitching a lift. I only take a spare for a 100.

[Andrew G]

'twas good to see you on the startsheet, we've got a team. They must have thought we were all travelling down together as Rob myself and you are all off within 10 minutes of each other.

The course:

It's a nice one, I like the Bentley courses (10,25 and 50). As Jon says it's an up and down turning at a roundabout at each end with a third one in the middle, turn at the middle one on the third lap. The finish is on the opposite side to the start and by the Bull pub so make a note of where it is on a previous lap. By the way Ian if you read this the 10 you're doing on Saturday is the last half lap of this course but you finish more or less opposite the start.

It's a pretty fast course with a decent surface and pretty flat. There are a couple of little drags and rolls and on the return legs there's a little kick up just past the chicken pub. None of it is bad though and you can carry your speed on a lot of it.

We'll probably have arm numbers on as well to help marshalls and timekeepers identify us as there will be people on different laps at the same time. If you're lucky you pass the start shortly after a later starter has been pushed off and get a bit of a carrot, just make sure you don't follow someone straight on at the middle RAB when you're on your last short half lap, it's been done before.

Don't worry about the bit in the startsheet that mentions "important safety information" about the hatched areas. All it means is that in a couple of places the dual carriageway is reduced to single carriageway by hatching out a bit of the lane for a short while. Just do what you should anyway and stay riding on the carriageway and don't ride through the hatched sections.

Takes me about 1hr15 to drive there by the way.

Nutrition:

I can't eat first thing so I take a 750 bottle of PSP in the car and drink that on the way down, perhaps with an energy or cereal bar. What I don't drink on the way down I drink while I get ready and put the bike together. I have a little pot of rice pudding at HQ which helps put something in my stomach and is gentle on it.

For the race I take a 500 bottle of PSP (never needed more but if it was really hot I'd probably take another of water just to play safe), have a gel before I start and stick a gel up my skinsuit leg which I take at about half distance. Sticking them up the leg of your kit is best as they are easy to get to and then take without leaving the tribars. Once taken I either stick it back up the leg or tuck it inbetween my sock and oversock.

Punctures:
Rare things in general and if you puncture in a race then the race is effectively over so not worth worrying about. Like Jon I treat 100s differently as they are long enough where you could change a tub and still get a decent ride if you were going well. I take a can of pitstop just as a get me back to HQ measure in case it's too far to walk. If you're a later starter then you can often cadge a lift back from a marshal but we're all off early on Sunday so you ouldn't want to hang about that long.
Best way to avoid punctures is to check your tubs beforehand for grit, pump them up to 120psi for the race at HQ, and look where you're going when you're racing so you don't ride through grit and rubbish unless it's completely unavoidable.

[Sylv]

[quote="Andrew G"]Once taken I either stick it back up the leg or tuck it inbetween my sock and oversock.

[Ian A4size]

Good luck lucy,

Andrew thanks for the tip- I aim to be on my third pint by the time that creaky old pair Hutch and Dowsett rock up to the finish line.........

only because they start about an hour later than me

[Andrew G]

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]Andrew thanks for the tip- I aim to be on my third pint by the time that creaky old pair Hutch and Dowsett rock up to the finish line.........

[Lucyap]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm feeling a lot more positive about doing this now

I'm also thinking of booking the 100 on the 29th (Hounslow & District, H100/88). Anyone else doing this one? Lucy.

[Phil H]

I was thinking of doing a 100 but want to get a 50 in first so that would be a bit soon for me. I don't have the Little Book of Pain with me at work so I don't know what else is on.

[Robh]

A tubular with pittstop is good for ~3 months before the latex hardens.

[Andrew G]

I won't be doing that 100 this year, the SCCU one in July will probably be my only 100.

I've only started it once and DNF'd after 40 miles as I was having trouble eating that day. In theory it should be reasonably fast but you have to do 5 of the big loops we do on Sunday which might be a bit soul destroying. I may give it a go next year to see if I can cope with the repetition. Best to see what you think on Sunday and judge whether you think you could face 5 laps of going up and down the same road all morning without nodding off.

[Lucyap]

[quote]Best to see what you think on Sunday and judge whether you think you could face 5 laps of going up and down the same road all morning without nodding off.

[Phil H]

Is there a laybe or somewhere on the course where you could leave a car with bottles, food etc? Could make the repeated laps work to your advantage then.

It's almost tempting ...

[Lucyap]

Thats a good point about water bottles for 100. I want to be self sufficient on the bike, any advice on where best to fit an extra bottle. Between bars, or behind the seat post?? Not sure how either of these fit.

[Phil H]

I'm just wondering:
a) How long a Nintendo DS charge lasts when played continuously in a layby
b) Whether a small boy can be trained to hand up bottles

I can't see it being an exciting day out for the lad.

[George]

I will probably be riding this 100 too.

You can be self sufficient but will probably need 3 bottles to carry n the bike so 2 on the frame and one either behind the saddle or midle of aerobars.

as theres quite a few of us it will make sense to get a helper to hand up bottles, usually on top of the short climb just after the Hen and Chicken as theres a lay by in perfect for it.