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Bath Sprint Triathlon

To whoever has done the Bath Sprint Tri before, is it lumpy enough to warrant using a standard road bike, or can you get a TT bike over the hills okay? Be interested to see what you think.



Thanks

Comments

  • I've done the oly which involved plenty of hills ( ie the climb to peasedown!)!. There are many hills around the claverton area of bath and in bath in general to be honest so I'm guessing the sprint course will be no different. Personally I'd use a road bike but then again.. you may be much fitter than me!



    Hope this helps



    lee

  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    I'm doing it to - so perhaps I'll see you there



    I have spoken to the organisers and they have sent me a basic map of the course, but I have also found this map http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1558256 which shows the full Olympic course.



    The Sprint course turns round just before the 13km/8 mile marker (at the roundabout to Bath Business Park/Wellow Lane) and makes the return route.



    That GMAP website is great fun as you can also get it to show the elevations on the route. This shows that there is one siginicant hill on the Sprint course around 10 - 11km route, which means another uphill at the 16 - 18km mark on the way back.



    I'm just starting Tri and cycling so I'm not really the person to ask about how tough the route is, and what bike to use, but I am going to ride it as a tester in a 2 or 3 weeks time to make sure I'm up to the task!
  • tony btony b Posts: 57
    Thanks Lee and Linds for your comments. I might go out and do my own TT on each bike to see the difference in time. I've never had the choice of two bikes before so I'm enjoying the luxury!



    Will look out for you on the day Linds, hope the training goes well, and will be interested to see what you think of the route
  • Lucky bugger, wish i had the option[:D]
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Update time



    After weeks of not quite making it, I finally rode the Bath Sprint bike route on Saturday and oh bugger.



    The route is pretty flat until the 5km mark, when you head down a long (1km) steep hill to Dunkerton, before heading up the other side of the valley for a 1km steep climb to Peasedown.



    There's then a short down hill, before turning round and heading back the way you have just come.



    All I can say is that those 2 hills almost killed me and I haven't cycled up anything like them in training (I have been using Ashley Hill is Bristol for hill work/training). They are just long and steep and seem to go on for ever and ever and ever and I ahve never sworn/screamed or shouted so much on the bike before.



    Then just before you get back to the Uni I came across a short, but sharp hill that I was in competley the wrong gear to deal with, tried to attack it, and died on my arse (I had to quickly find the granny ring just to survive), so much so that I then struggled to get above 20km/h on the flattish run to the Uni.



    Now I am a total novice on the bike and have only been riding to 3 months, so I guess most people are going to be fitter, but it was very depressing to realise how tough I found those hills.



    Oh and did I mention the wind - well it was a fairly strong south westerly which means it was blowing in my face all the out, and I swear it stopped for the return leg [:(]



    I ended up averaging 26.5km/h which is just above my 25km/h target (I'm hoping for a 1:45 total time) but I have serious doubts about being to be able to run a decent time following that ride.



    Once I finished I checked my computer and hit 70km/h at some point on those hills (gave a bloke in a Boxter a shock at one point), but on the way up I was lucky to see a double figure speed at times.



    Not to sure on the exact course length as i messed up slightly and went about 500m down the wrong road (and steep hill of course) but i think its a shade over the 25km stated distance.



    I have been looking forward to my first tri since deciding to give it a crack and have been reasonably confident in hitting my 1:45 target (a purely arbitary figure that I chose as it would appear to get me roughly in the/near the top half of the times), but now I'm not so sure.



    Still forewarned is forearmed I suppose.



    Best of luck to everyone for Sunday



    Linds
  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    Good Luck on Sunday!!



    I have only had the chance to drive the route and those hills looked pretty mad to me then - I am now a touch concerned.....but thanks for the warning!!!



    Only my second tri but still looking forward to it - btw I am 50 on current race numbering pop by in transition if you are about and say hi!



    Iain.
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    I'm race number 173 and have been left till the last wave at 1040, so perhaps see you there.



    Linds
  • Hi Linds,



    Don't be too disheartend about the cycle course, no one will find it a breaze!!! its rare to have a sprint ride that tough! I rode the olympic route last saturday and its the same as last year..... a bi*ch!!! so it could be worse[:D]



    Lee

  • cranmerecranmere Posts: 34
    Hi Linds, if you're a novice cyclist the trick is to change down gear early and go steady. If you have energy left after the bike leg you can go for it on the run but if you blow up on the bike you'll end up walking half the run which is frustrating.



    I'm not racing this weekend but I shall be out with a camera so smile (or grimace) if you want to be photographed and I'll see if I can get them online somewhere afterwards.
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Oh I am a total novice !



    Although to date I have coped with most of the hills ok(ish), it was just that last little hill that really threw me.



    The reason I was in such a wrong gear is that you can't see most of it as it's round a corner, it didn't look to bad (it got worse) and I couldn't remember it from the out leg, so I stupidly thought it can't be big and went for it. Lesson well and truely learnt!



    Still at least I will now get into a good low gear well before the hill (well slight bump really) during the race proper - so not a total disaster
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Just noticed that a certain jenson Button is doing the full distance.



    He kicks off at 855 - so bike porn just after nine then

  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    I see you did okay today - unlike me.... the heat really got to me and I blew up about 3/4 of the way round the bike, I now know what you meat about the hills - wow....congrats to anyone else who made it round



    oh well Malmesbury in a month hopefully the sunburn will have lost its sting by then....



    I.
  • I had the advantage of knowing the course well having cycled both routes before but it felt no easier on the day, the climb back up to odd down is always gonna hurt!!!

    Its not everyday you race jenson button and he was a really nice guy but I'm happy to say i beat him by almost 2 mins[:D]



    What a great race bath triathlon is, the hills are a great leveller.



    but.....Bring on the flat n fast london course!



    Lee
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Wow



    Bloody marvelous



    1:42:29 - Chuffed to bits with that as I was aiming for a sub 1:45 and at the start of the run I didn't think I was going to get anywhere near that.



    By god those hills are a killer, I was swearing and cursing as I got to the top at Peasedown and had to apologise to the Marshall on the way back for my "choice" language, but she just laughed.



    The run was just horrid - I was in the last wave so didn't start till 1110, so started my run a about 1220 when it was roasting. The first half mile was an absolute killer as I was so knackered off the bike that I just couldn't catch my breath and get into a rythem, but the last mile or so was actually ok.



    And I'm not sure I remember signing up for a cross country course with hills.



    I managed to get a bit lost in T2 (ran down the wrong aisle) and some bugger had taken up about three spaces with his bike, so I had to move that but apart from that things went well.



    Right time to sign up for another preferably FLAT race. Has anyone done the Malmesbury Sprint?



    Well done to everybody who took part and especially the organisers and marshalls who did a grand job
  • Hi Linds,



    I did malmesbury last year and really enjoyed and yes its alot flatter than Bath!!! unlike bath which the run is off road and seems to go on and on!!!! malmesbury is on roads and mostly flat except 1 slight incline and a little kick of a hill at the very end of the run. its a simple out and back run so its good if your running negitive run splits.



    Lee
  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    Well done on the time Lee - I saw you shoot past me on the hills (as did most people...)



    I am doing Malmesbury this year and having ridden the course (asuming it is the same as last year!) it is MUCH flatter than Bath [:D]



    Only downside is that it is not so well established as Bath so no chip timing [:(]



  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Right best get myself a place booked then



    It's going to be "fun" explaining this one to the wife
  • How did you know it was me? i was disguised in lycra and neo-like (the matrix) black shades!!!..... i thought my own mother wouldn't figure out who i was, maybe i should wear a fake tash next race!!!... I never boast wearing lycra and cannot condone it!!!!

    well done for taking care of those hills though, its easily the toughest sprint course I've done and the run was like a labrinth!!!!



    Lee
  • combatdwarfcombatdwarf Posts: 258
    Just as an Epilogue find attached the download from my Forerunner 405 on the bike course - I thought some of those hills were steep - at least on 13% and several above 5%....



    [image]local://2096/04B01A7F88A34E9C9240985D1DAE4073.jpg[/image]
  • LindsLinds Posts: 124
    Hey that's pretty cool



    Now it's time for Linds Stupid Question of The Day:



    What's regarded as a steep hill?



    I see anything up to 2% is considered flat, but was wondering how steep Dunkerton Hill was considered. (Bloody steep in my opinion).



    They also talk about 5 & 6% climbs on the tour in some awe - but obviously they last a "wee" bit longer than anything we will ever come across.
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