Wiggle Nottinghamshire "No Excuses" Sportive 2017
March 5th 2016
45 mile Sportive
This event was a fairly flat sportive in the Southwell area of Nottingham (some familiar roads from Outlaw!). The "No Excuses" aspect of it was that you pay an entry fee, but if you turn up and ride, you get your entry fee refunded! Otherwise, it is donated to charity.
I'd actually entered the "Epic" 70 miler, but thanks to getting a chest infection three weeks prior to the event I decided I would ride the first 38 miles of it, then cut to the finish. I could have done the short route, but the course split was just a couple of miles in so it would have been a lonely ride! This way I was guaranteed companionship (if I could keep up with it!) for the majority of the ride.
We set off, glad it was not yet raining as forecast. I was a little toasty in my arctic waterproof gloves over my winter cycling ones, but was mainly focused on trying to keep up. The route was fairly flat to undulating, and after 10 miles or so I got into it and could keep up without too many issues. At about 15 miles, our luck ended and it started spitting, graduating to fairly substantial rain by 20 miles. I pushed on to 24 miles (already in full kit) where there was a feed station and a needed loo stop.
This was about where I stopped getting any enjoyment from the ride - my chest was grating on me (literally) and suddenly the rain became torrential. We set off again with that just-after-a-feed-station-feeling, and I was already desperate for the course split and my route home! When we finally reached the split, contrary to the original plan, all five of the other had decided that enough was enough. Soaked through and freezing cold, they joined me for the miserable 7 miles back to the finish.
Generally a well organised sportive again, and it probably did well in terms of charitable donations from the horrific weather. And although it was awkward to get given a slippery plastic package at the finish with no feeling in my hands, it was great to get given a dry pair of socks, some warm soup, a medal and a buff. Great work Wiggle, far better than the horrible t-shirt, and the soup really was welcome!
Times
Speed: 14.8 mph
Total time: 03:20:33 (Silver - interpolating as I didn't do a standard route!)
Moving time: 03:00:53
45 mile Sportive
This event was a fairly flat sportive in the Southwell area of Nottingham (some familiar roads from Outlaw!). The "No Excuses" aspect of it was that you pay an entry fee, but if you turn up and ride, you get your entry fee refunded! Otherwise, it is donated to charity.I'd actually entered the "Epic" 70 miler, but thanks to getting a chest infection three weeks prior to the event I decided I would ride the first 38 miles of it, then cut to the finish. I could have done the short route, but the course split was just a couple of miles in so it would have been a lonely ride! This way I was guaranteed companionship (if I could keep up with it!) for the majority of the ride.
We set off, glad it was not yet raining as forecast. I was a little toasty in my arctic waterproof gloves over my winter cycling ones, but was mainly focused on trying to keep up. The route was fairly flat to undulating, and after 10 miles or so I got into it and could keep up without too many issues. At about 15 miles, our luck ended and it started spitting, graduating to fairly substantial rain by 20 miles. I pushed on to 24 miles (already in full kit) where there was a feed station and a needed loo stop.
Generally a well organised sportive again, and it probably did well in terms of charitable donations from the horrific weather. And although it was awkward to get given a slippery plastic package at the finish with no feeling in my hands, it was great to get given a dry pair of socks, some warm soup, a medal and a buff. Great work Wiggle, far better than the horrible t-shirt, and the soup really was welcome!
Times
Speed: 14.8 mph
Total time: 03:20:33 (Silver - interpolating as I didn't do a standard route!)
Moving time: 03:00:53
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