Reply To: Double Devil May 2nd

[MatG]

What mistakes to you often read about in sportives

do not Go off too hrad
stay in zone 2
make sure you know the profile of the course

well as usual I ignored these
started at too high a pace & then hit an unexpected 25% hill in first ten miles 🙁
After 25 miles in awful conditions soaked through & very cold hit the legendary devil’s staircase – equivalent to doing 10 pendines in a row! I looked at my stats on strava later – my average heart rate was 170 & not even in the top 50% of pople having ridden it.
Mike was a long way ahead of me by then so I rode on with Simon & Alex – having decided by then to down grade from 125 mile to 85 mile. Next food stop was in a pub at 43 miles – I stopped & stocked up on the food (boiled potatoes & pork pie) & was going to ring Mike to say I would see him at the finish as I was doing the shorter route. To my surprise Mike was shoeless & sockless in the pub trying to dry & warm himself by the fire. He decided to down grade as well.

We finished 85 cold & wet – but with the desire to come back & ride these hills again.

We should all go on a club outing do 100k route taking in the monsters.

Well done to all who did it
Only 50 signed up for long ride – think only about actually did it

Who fancies a trip up to do these climbs?