Discussion: Well Done

Good time especially straight off the S6D. Did you get an earlier start time in the end, or did you have work your way through loads of slower riders?

Cheers, don't think the S6D was too much of a hindrance in the end but I was very worried about my longest training ride being 40 miles! Learned my lesson from the Dorking one last year though and took on gels and energy bars pretty much from Mile 1, and that saw me right.

No I stuck with my late start. It was a mixed bag of riders, some quick ones still but very few fast & organised groups to latch on to. Also descending and cornering was often slow. I lost a lot of momentum that way and suspect that riders in earlier waves would have been much more confident.

PS it's a shame you weren't able to ride, you'd have enjoyed it for sure. The course suited you I think with long flattish stretches were you could really put the hammer down. Will you be able to use your entry next year instead?

Thanks for the write up, it answers a lot of questions. Hopefully most of the shortcomings will be sorted out next year. I had a good look at the Newlands hub, quite a few small things that would have speeded things up. The worst was no taps that riders could access, instead the helpers were filling bottles one by one on request. Great atmosphere and by Newlands it looked as though most people had the hang of riding with others. Impressed too with the desending down Newlands, barely a person braked - self fullfilling mass confidence perhaps, there were even a few no hands eating on the straight!

Yes I've got a guaranteed entry subject to paying the 2014 entry fee (no refund for 2013). That's coming out of the £50 cancellable hotel booking that I've received back, oddly enough I've only ever paid upfront (£30) for every booking in the past.

You're absolutely right about the hubs, I'd forgotten about that.