Rider Times
Well done to everyone who braved the wet, cold and muddy conditions and came and joined us for our first event of 2013. You can now download rider times from the Chieveley Ride It! using the link below.
Photographs
MTB photos available, everyone is a shade of brown so look closely -
We are on site running the MTB ride today and I’ve been forced to make the descision to cancel tomorrows Sportive. If you know me and have been on our winter snowy rides, you know I don’t do this lightly!! As you know, the weather has not played ball and there was forcasted snow over night. This now looks unlikely but it’s still going to get really cold tonight and possibly icy. Which wouldn’t be too bad if it hadn’t rained pretty heavily for the last day which left the road wet and therefore potentially dangerous if it does ice up. The real nail in the coffin is that the field we were going to use to park you all is now water logged and we have only managed to get 5 cars on it today. Tomorrow we need to get atleast 150 – which is just not going to happen. The village can’t take this amount of on road parking so there is literally no where to park you all.
We are removing the course today and I will be the only one on site explaining to anyone who didn’t get the message.
We will sort out refunds next week but bear with us as there’s about 350 to do!!
Sorry about this and hope to see you at a sunny event later in the year.
Dean
Bit late in theday but………rather helpfully our IT dept cancelled our PDQ machine yesterday and it takes 24 hours to shut down so has now gone blank! I can’t get it running until Monday so please can I ask that you bring cash if at all possible.? Many Thanks
Snow!!
Just looking at the forecast for the weekend and it’s forecast to snow on Saturday night for a short spell. I drive the course from 4am so will have an idea of the road conditions for the Sportive. I will post here and on Facebook by 6am to let you know if we need to cancel so check here before you set off. If we do cancel you recieve a refund.
Ta
Dean
Hi All.
Just got back from putting out the Long road loop, my first work ride of the year! The temperature has dropped so there was a bit of a nip in the air as I set off but after a few miles I was nice and warm and by Streatley Hill I was pretty toastie 
Here’s all the details you’ll need for the weekend.
PLEASE BRING YOUR HELMET TO REGISTRATION. You will not be able to register without it and you’ll have to go back to your car to retrieve it.
PARKING
This might be a bit of a problem this weekend. There is a field and it’s OK at the moment but I will need to keep an eye on it to make sure we don’t destroy it. Please follow the directions of the marshals. If we do have to close down the field please find somewhere in the village to park. There is space down near the local shops and along local roads, please DO NOT park in the small cu-de-sacs or block off peoples drives. If you have a LARGE VAN then please park along the road anyway as you Will not be allowed onto the field. Thanks for your understanding if this occurs.
MTB
I don’t think it’s going to get cold enough to freeze the ground so expect some mud! Some friends went out last might and rode the route, their thoughts were that is wasn’t as muddy as they thought…….. I’d prep your bike with some knobblies.
It’s not a race!
Please give way to other trail users, walkers, horse riders etc. If you come across a Horse, please let the rider know you are there in plenty of time and follow their instructions. Remember, if you spook the horse it might hurt you or other people and you are responsible for you actions and the consequences!!
SPORTIVE
The roads are in winter conditions. On my loop there was the odd pothole, a bit of mud and one big puddle but nothing particularly bad. I’d make sure you have a way to repair at least two punctures with you. We will come to your aid but it might take us a while depending upon where the vans are, much better to be prepared.
The Long loop breaks away from the the rest of the routes after about 200mtrs and does a loop back to the start. There will be a drink station set up around the entrance to the village hall by the road. If you want to stop then great but please DO NO APPROACH THE START. If you do and the timing system registers you then that will be your ride time. If you wish to use the loos then remove your helmet with the timing chip and leave it by the drink station. The Long loop will be closed at 9.45 as usual and we will removed it at 10am, please do not start after this as you will be behind our riders.
Drink stations are approximately at:-
Short – 21miles
Medium – 31miles
Long – 22 and 53miles
This is not a race!!
Please obey the highway code, stop at junctions and only ride two abreast where it is safe to do so – not on main roads or winding country lanes where cars travelling at speed will not be able to see you and stop!!!! If you cause and accident, you are responsible for the consequences and any costs.
Maps
I will try post up maps for both days by tomorrow night. These are for info only and you will get a hard copy at registration.
GPX files
Everyone who has pre-entered will have received a pre-event mail that has links to the GPX files and a guide to show you have to view them interactively. If you have not received this by 7pm tonight please check you junk folder, old accounts, your partners email if they booked and make sure you check the address you booked with! These are all common causes for not getting the mail. If you still don’t have them then email me on dean.stacey@evanscycles.com I’ll check your entry and send you a copy. If you have not pre-entered then you can down load the files from our computers in the morning ( except Sportive as there are no on the day entries), please don’t email me asking for them
See you all there!
Dean
Welcome to the New Year and the first of this years Ride It Events.
And to kick it off we have sold out on the Sportive ride. If you don’t already have a place please do not turn up as we do not have any parking for you – it’s very tough and go as it is for the numbers we have.
I will update as the week progresses.
Ta
Dean
My third Chieveley sportive (medium route). Weather looks a bit chilly though. Are we to climb Walbury Hill or is the route similar to previous years
Steve
Hi Steve.
Iv’e tweaked the start from Chieveley but it’s more or less the same as last year. I’ll try and change it for next year.
It’ is looking a bit colder this weekend though…..
Ta
Deab
Do you know when we will receive the route info?
Hi Paul.
You should recieve an email later this afternoon/night.
Ta
Dean
Hi
Is there still room for on-the-day entry for Saturday’s MTB ride?
Cheers
Simon
Any first timers undertaking the MTB ride on Saturday ?!
how long is the long and medium course?
Hi Nolan
I’m assuming you mean the MTB as you can’t enter the Sportive. 24 and 31 miles, but they are going to be hard, muddy miles!!
First time for the Chieveley MTB but done Evans Rideit before – usually at a warmer time of year…!
Thanks for a fantastic ride today – a perfect blend of trails, Great organisation as usual with a really friendly atmosphere.
Cheers Paul, glad you enjoyed the challenge.
Dean
My first time on one of these rides. Chose the long route – more mud here than in the South Downs where I usually ride. Thanks to the Evans team for excellent route marking and organisation generally. Great stuff.
Many thanks to all who organised and helped with the ride today. Great route, I do love MUD !!
ps many thanks for the freebies. Doug
I was expecting a cold morning, theres not a frost on the cars or lawn. No wind, nothing just a clear blue sky beautiful winters morning. RideIt could not have wished for a better January morning to organise a sportive!
Hi Lee.
Yep, British weather/forecasting for you. We still couldn’t have got everyone parked on site though.
Cheers
Dean
I did my personal sportive. Two hours in sparkling sunshne around Hannington in Hampshire. Fantastic lanes round here. Bad luck on today but I like the blog feature. Good to be able to talk to the man in the hot seat and good on you for responding so diligently Dean. Ten out of then for visibility!
A great shame you had to cancel. I live about fifteen miles from Chievely on the Hampshire downs and I’ve woken up to no snow and not even any frost up here, plus full sunshine. I did slightly wonder though, looking at Chievely on Google maps, how five hundred or so cyclists cars were going to be accommodated in this small village. Ah well, better luck next time. It’s a Sunday run out on my own for me!
Hi Steve.
Tell me about it!! I was there this morning to do the final bit of clearing up and to explain to anyone who didn’t get the message. It was sunny and not too cold so i would have run the event if I could have parked everyone. We had 350 riders booked on which would have been fine if the field was dry. I was talking to a guy who runs a Dog Show there in June and they get over 1000 people on site.
Ta
Dean
Rather than a refund would it be possible to transfer my booking to another ride?
Hi Steve.
Our customer services are going to have to process 300+ refunds over the next day or two so I’d rather not ask them to start transfering rides. It’s far easier and less likely to cause problems if we just refund everyone.
Cheers
Dean
…any idea when/where the times will be up for the MTB event on Sat?
Hi Mark.
They should be up here by this evening.
Cheers
Dean
Thanks for a fantastic day, it was cold and VERY muddy but that’s what it’s all about! Pretty much perfect organisation – only feedback i would give is that the stop felt a little bit too far into the ride. Might’ve been me though. I will be doing more!
Cheers guys and girls
Sonnie
Hi Sonnie
Good to hear you enjoyed the ride.
The drink station was the only one for all ride lengths so it was about half way for the short and long routes but a bit further around for the Medium. Personally I like to think that I’m over half way when I stop
Cheers
Dean
The Dorking Rideit I did last year had 2 drink stations, which was about right – it was a looong way to the first stop on Saturday. I guess if it wasnt so muddy and hard work it might not have felt so far…
I have only done 2 rideits – is the norm 1 or 2 drink stations?
Hi
It’s either one or two. More of the twos than ones.
Ta
Hi…thanks for getting the times up, although I am disappointed that they have not been corrected for all the peple that changed to the medium route instead of completing the long due to the weather. I know that the finish marshal was being told of the changes by riders when they finished…many of whom where from my club…yet they are all still showing the long route when they in fact only did the medium. I know its not a big deal, and its purely for fun…but whats the point of asking riders when they finish if the records don’t show the right thing…?
Hi Mark
That’s odd as Mark generally does the changes. At the top of the times sheet is a note to say email him with any changes and he’ll make them.
I will let him know there are some changes needed.
Ta
Dean