Discussion
Anyone from here going this weekend?
Whilst reasonably sensible people are heading off to Le Mans this weekend, I’m off on the ferry tomorrow to Denmark, and then across and up into Sweden. I’m going as ride captain for an Anglo-Swedish team of nutters riding the Vatternrundan. This is a 300km cycle ride through the night, or at least what passes for night at this time of year that far north, around Lake Vattern which is the largest lake in Sweden.
Just to put this in context for those of you not at LM, when you go to bed on Friday night, we will just be climbing on to our bikes. When you get up on Saturday morning we will still be on our bikes. When you start thinking about lunch we might just have finished.
If the weather is good, it should be a blast. The forecast, sadly, is anything but good . . .
Wish me luck
Whilst reasonably sensible people are heading off to Le Mans this weekend, I’m off on the ferry tomorrow to Denmark, and then across and up into Sweden. I’m going as ride captain for an Anglo-Swedish team of nutters riding the Vatternrundan. This is a 300km cycle ride through the night, or at least what passes for night at this time of year that far north, around Lake Vattern which is the largest lake in Sweden.
Just to put this in context for those of you not at LM, when you go to bed on Friday night, we will just be climbing on to our bikes. When you get up on Saturday morning we will still be on our bikes. When you start thinking about lunch we might just have finished.
If the weather is good, it should be a blast. The forecast, sadly, is anything but good . . .
Wish me luck
I did the ride last year as I was working over in Stockholm.
Unfortunately I didn't have a road bike so I did it on a mountain bike. I started at 10pm and finished at 10am.
The first part of the route before Jonkoping is really spectacular and all the people in the villages camp outside their houses wrapped in blankets and getting drunk and cheering.
Here's a few tips
You're cycling close to the water most of the time so it was a lot colder than I was expecting.
It gets a little hillier in the last 60 miles so save some for that.
The food stops are pretty s
t unless you can ride 300km only on bread rolls and pickled gherkins, so take plenty with you.
Unfortunately I didn't have a road bike so I did it on a mountain bike. I started at 10pm and finished at 10am.
The first part of the route before Jonkoping is really spectacular and all the people in the villages camp outside their houses wrapped in blankets and getting drunk and cheering.
Here's a few tips
You're cycling close to the water most of the time so it was a lot colder than I was expecting.
It gets a little hillier in the last 60 miles so save some for that.
The food stops are pretty s
t unless you can ride 300km only on bread rolls and pickled gherkins, so take plenty with you.Just got back this afternoon. From the petrolheads point of view this was a great trip with 1500kms of driving through Denmark and Sweden on nice smooth uncongested roads. And then you get off the ferry at Harwich and on to the A12 and then the M25!
A total time for me from start to finish of 13.55 including 5 - 10 minutes at all but one food stop, so 13 hours ish actual riding. Should have been better but there was torrential rain just before we started at 23.56 and we rolled out in to a pitch black rather than a light Scandinavian night so the first couple of hours were slow watching for the water on the roads and having never ever ridden at night before. Blustery head winds later as well (all the cyclists excuses coming out here!).
Came in 4th out of our team of about 12, the first 3 being younger guys who regularly ride long distances and who blew round in 10 hours and a bit and two abandoned due to the cold in the early hours so reasonably pleased with what I did. Room for improvement next year if I go again!
Cycling etiquette as usual leaving a lot to be desired. I'm not fast enough for the 35kph groups and I found that those groups I sat in on did not want me there so just slowed down, and if I took to the front no-one would come through and take a turn. Some massively stupid riding as well; downhill on the wrong side of the road into a blind left hand bend was one example I saw so Darwin must be out looking for new business
A total time for me from start to finish of 13.55 including 5 - 10 minutes at all but one food stop, so 13 hours ish actual riding. Should have been better but there was torrential rain just before we started at 23.56 and we rolled out in to a pitch black rather than a light Scandinavian night so the first couple of hours were slow watching for the water on the roads and having never ever ridden at night before. Blustery head winds later as well (all the cyclists excuses coming out here!).
Came in 4th out of our team of about 12, the first 3 being younger guys who regularly ride long distances and who blew round in 10 hours and a bit and two abandoned due to the cold in the early hours so reasonably pleased with what I did. Room for improvement next year if I go again!
Cycling etiquette as usual leaving a lot to be desired. I'm not fast enough for the 35kph groups and I found that those groups I sat in on did not want me there so just slowed down, and if I took to the front no-one would come through and take a turn. Some massively stupid riding as well; downhill on the wrong side of the road into a blind left hand bend was one example I saw so Darwin must be out looking for new business
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