andyjsg Posted February 16, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted February 16, 2014 As posted elsewhere I am doing La Marmotte the mother of all Sportives. Bringing it over to this thread, how easy was it to get in, someone said to me it was hard to get a space? Not that hard if you apply when the entry opens. I applied a day after and got in, but by the end of the day it had finished. Good to know, my mate suggested it was like the London Marathon to get into. Most good races/sporties tend to be a day or so, I think Ironman Frankfurt was 2 days (until they released a few more places). Ive heard Challenge Roth is a couple of hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Its first come first served, which I prefer to the lottery of the marathon. You need to provide a medical certificate to prove you are fit... La Marmotte is part of a series of other Sportives; I think one covers Ventoux, but they also run an extended La Marmotte over three or four days. If you think you are up to it, you can do a time trial on Alpe D’Huez on Sunday morning! Genuine madness. But the toughest multi day is Haute Route which is done over 7 days, 20 cols, over 20000 metres of climbing. You can choose to do the Alps, Pyrennes or now the Dolomites. Thats hardcore http://www.hauteroutealps.org/en/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Bump. yesterday's Paris Roubaix was terrific. A real Classic for the ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyjsg Posted April 14, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted April 14, 2014 Bump. yesterday's Paris Roubaix was terrific. A real Classic for the ages. Certainly was a cracker. Flanders was good too. I was on a trip in Lanzarote last week with a guy who is doing all 3 Haute Routes this year.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikantcpell Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I have been doing alot of bike riding lately and iam starting to get hooked on it..the feeling you get after a long bike ride beats that one you get when running IMO Iam gonna buy my first racer bike now and i need some advice from someone who knows. What kind of bike would you recommend me to buy ? my weight is 98 kgs and height 1.87.. A friend of a friend told me to buy a bianchi bike cause all the other was crap etc..and if i didnt buy a bianchi i should still buy a bike around the £700 mark cause under £700 most bikes are shit ? But i really dont trust this guy cause he is always full of shit. So what do you guys say ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 If your budget is £700 and you ride for distance, there's a bike shop in Leeds selling Cannondale Synapse Tiagra. It's a good bike for distance and retails pretty much everywhere else in the country for £900-£1000. A friend bought one three months ago and she absolutely loves the thing. After a quick check though, I can't find it. They do have a Synapse 105 for £800 though. The 61cm frame may be a touch too big though. I'm an inch taller than you and I ride a 58cm Cannondale and love it.http://www.drakescycles.co.uk/m1b0s6p4150/CANNONDALE_Synapse_5_105_C_2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veloman Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Well Bianchi are nice but not what they used to be; that is - made in Italy by craftsmen. Possibly China or Turkey now. If you are in Scandinavia it is a bit difficult to advise but I would always consider 2nd hand - ebay for example. But you need to see the bike before parting with cash - check for cracks in the frame etc. I have never bought an off-the-peg bike 'cos I tend to buy the frame and then get it built up with a groupset so no real experience of that. Go for as small a frame as you can get away with - at your height 56 or 58 I guess. Be prepared to put a new saddle on if you buy off the peg - O/E saddles are usually pretty poor. If you go for Shimano kit, 105 is excellent or if Campag, go for Centaur. No experience of SRAM but my mate who is a coach at Manchester Velodrome says the mechanics aren't too keen - could be just an opinion of course. Don't buy a Chinese carbon frame unless from a 'known' make like Cannondale etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyjsg Posted May 6, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted May 6, 2014 I'm similar height but a few kgs less so looking I guess around a 58 frame. Bianchi is nice, but it being Italian they really stretch you out so not always the most comfortable. I have 2 road bikes, 1 for summer which is a cervelo r3 but you don't get any change from 2k for the base model, my other for winter which was my road bike, a specialized allez and cost around 650 - excellent bikes. Also I know a few peeps with ribble, possibly best bang for buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikantcpell Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Is it a huge diffrence between a cannondale for £800 and lets say this one http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-pinerolo-al-zr-2013/ ? This is my first racer bike and iam afraid i will get bored of it thats why i dont wanna spend to much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Trust me, you will get addicted to it! I've passed the 1000km mark since early March and I'm going to get 5000km+ in this year. Got to better the 4000km I got in last year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikantcpell Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Okey, thanks evryone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikantcpell Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Was at a bike store today and the guy there told me not to spend under £1100 on a bike cause it wont last long because of my weight ? So if i buy a bike for around £700 it will only last a while cause i weigh 98kgs ? Find that hard to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Depends on what the frame is made of I would guess, each material has different qualities and longevity. The more you weigh generally the more watts you are going to produce and the quicker you will ‘destroy’ the componentry; gears, wheels, etc. I suspect the guy may be trying to sell you more than you need, but I don’t know what choice your were offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Was at a bike store today and the guy there told me not to spend under £1100 on a bike cause it wont last long because of my weight ? So if i buy a bike for around £700 it will only last a while cause i weigh 98kgs ? Find that hard to believe. That IMO is utter bollocks. It really depends on what you want to do as to what you should spend. I'd go with what you want to spend at present. Buy the best frameset you can afford (even if it means compramising on the quality of the group set a bit) because at least that gives you the scope to upgrade bits as you get better. Talk to a local independent bike shop and develop a relationship with them.... they will give you good advice as they will want to keep you. Join a local cycling club as well, some the best cycling advice I ever received came from wizened old gits in woollen jerseys on Sunday Club runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veloman Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Are you still in a club Eames ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Not at the moment. I've had an er.... break recently. Need to get back out there. Trying to find one thats not chock full of pretentious bellends in Team Sky kit. Much more of distance club run on a Sunday type of guy these days followed by a hard earned recovery ale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Sounds like you are in London! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Sounds like you are in London! Close enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikantcpell Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Why are there 18 to 20 gears on these bikes ?? i have 3 gears on my current bike and i only use 2 of them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloBarnesi Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 Sounds like you are in London! Close enough! Surrey ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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