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Hi Andy,
I assume you have 10 speed at present as the Ultegra 11-28 is only 10 speed.
Regarding mountain bike stuff I have run a 32 sprocket using an MTB cassette together with a Deore rear mech on a winter road bike. This was coupled with older Ultegra STI levers and normal road wheels, the whole setup being 9 speed. Have had no problems and it gave me some ultra low gears for the cost of a changer and cassette. On that basis I would assume the 10 speed versions are similar.
My setup has the changer reversed so the main brake lever goes higher gear and the small paddle goes lower. This is great as you can clip the paddle to get a lower gear when out of the saddle and know you won't get a mischange. MTB rear changers appear to come in "normal high" or "normal low" but both seem to work with road STI's. I just have to remember which bike I'm on, but don't normally find it a problem.
hope this helps
Dave
Thanks Les & Dave, I appreciate your input.
I think I need to do this and I'll take a good long hard look at the best cost options before I go ahead. Spoke to Dave Hinde and they wanted £170 to do it. LEJOG is already costing me £1K so I need to keep my costs as low as possible so I'll probably take a go at buying online and fitting myself.
Sorry not seen many of you lately due to too many work commitments and a lot of them interfering with weekends. Very disappointed not to join you all on the Cheshire Cat; had to pull out as I was told to attend our Global Sales Management Meeting in Hawaii of all places. So that wrecked 2 weekends of training prep for LEJOG but I managed to get one last day to myself with a colleague before we left and got in a 60 mile ride round West Maui with some 6,342 ft of climb - possibly the hilliest ride I've ever done!
Route here:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=pociuxkrvuulboxp
Spending so much time away from family that I'm on a "can't get out of it" visit with Paula and the kids down to my parents this weekend (another training opportunity gone). So I'm committing myself to hard training starting a week tomorrow 16th April and I'll get 5 weeks to pull myself into shape.
If any of you wish to Sponsor me for Cancer Research UK, I'm convinced by my limited training to date (the Maui climb above) and my 88 miles and back to back training in Yorkshire, that I'll complete the challenge. So, it's for a good cause and if you want to do your part for Cancer Research please visit:
www.justgiving.com/andy-hammond
I'm currently at £1,100 and targeting £1,500 but if I get close I'll push my target to £2K - the more I can raise for Cancer Research the better.
😀
Winsford Dave - I took another look at your recommended root via Longridge, Garstang, Caton, etc. I've taken the route through the fringes of Preston, skirting as much as I can of the main roads and although this variation doesn't shorten the route (just one mile shorter at 97 miles), it significantly reduces the amount of climb; original route 6,818 feet of climb, revised route = 4,498 feet! I wonder if you'd check what I've plotted in GPSies and tell me if I've got your recommended route broadly right? Link here:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wghwuzxbruevrmiq
If it's right, I think I'd be prepared to take my chances through Preston early morning 8.00ish. However, it's likely to split the LEJOG group as at least 3 of the guys love hill climbing.
Just a quick update on changing the rear mech too. I bought the SRAM Apex 11-32 cassette and with only a few adjustments to the front and rear dérailleur, it's working great! Dave Hinde quoted me £170 to upgrade the bike, including a complete new rear dérailleur but instead for just £30 from Chain Reaction I'm in business and my rubbish knees have never had it so good!
Just 29 days now until I set off - it's getting might close!
Andy
glad you sorted the gears out.
Iv'e looked at the route, I think I agree that it's worth chancing the outskirts of Preston and on to Grimsargh. At that point you could knock a couple of miles off by avoiding Longridge and heading towards Goosnargh, but I think I'd stick with your route here as navigation is likely to be straightforward. Also the roads are mainly open countryside, bit rolling but nothing major and will remind you of parts of Cheshire.
The only change I would suggest is beyond Scorton where you head up to Dolphinholme/Abbeystead (Iv'e ridden some hilly road races there many years ago) there's a slightly easier route; you still climb but not as much and it's a very pleasant ride as you head through the Quernmore valley.
I'm sure you will enjoy this route and it saves the legs for the harder bits later in the day! I used to love climbing but the original route is hard all day.
I've also put a link that might interest you - a tearoom/cafe at Hornby that local cyclists use.
http://www.cafe.southlakesgroup.org/hornby-post-office.html
Have a great time
Dave
Great - thanks for that Dave.
Just put in my first 100 miler! Decided to push myself in prep for LEJOG and did a variation on the Cheshire Cat but going from and back to Northwich. Set out at 9.50 this morning, then passed loads of the WVCC riders past Beeston, lunch at Dagfields and just got in at 7.35 this evening. I thought the challenge would be Mow Cop but little did I know that Mow Cop is just the start. For someone who is useless on hills- OMG! By the time I got to the Ship at Wincle I was truly done for but thankfully they were still open (just) and served me a pint of reviving bitter shandy and packet of crisps before they shut up shop. I walked nearly all the uphill peak sections but according to my Garmin Edge still managed a respectful 14 mph average over a ride time of 7 hrs 17 mins (you can see how much I stopped, walked, stopped).
It won't set the world on fire but I was really chuffed with that and at the moment I feel fine. It'll be different on LEJOG day after day I'm sure.
Route here:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=cymjrtiiwzzwnwru
Winsford Dave, you're an absolute life saver. I plotted your alternative route for Day 6 of LEJOG and shared it with the colleagues I'm riding LEJOG with but I know that some in our team relish the climbs and would be difficult to persuade to change the route. So I thought there's only one way you can get leverage an argument and that's with personal experience... so I rode the following route taking in elements of the original Day 6 (high, loads of climbs, stunning scenery) and your alternative proposal (still high-ish, with magnificent views across to Blackpool Tower and Morcambe Bay). It was a wonderful ride but I'm totally won over by your advice and the alternate route saves 2,500 ft of climb over a near 100 mile day - without your suggestion I'd be ignorantly toiling away until maybe 8 at night on Day 6. Thanks again for the invaluable advice - very gratefully appreciated.
My exploratory route here (and it's only 1 1/2 hrs away by car from Northwich - I recommend it to anyone in the club who fancies a change of scenery and some challenging riding):
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vmowjsimeetikkne
Andy,
so pleased you enjoyed the route, there's some great riding in that area - I noticed you went through Slaidburn and Chipping (great little villages) and then avoided Garstang by going over Oakenclough; I almost suggested Oakenclough and Harrisend fell instead of Garstang, cuts a bit out and it is stunning when the weather's been like it has, also not too much extra climbing. We used to have an evening training run that did Oakenclough & Harrisend fell so it has lots of memories.
And yes the views across to Blackpool and Morecambe Bay are stunning on a good day.
1 or 2 of the wednesday wrinklies were thinking of going upto this area in the summer to do a ride, looks like the ride you've just done would be ideal.
Come to think of it a throwaway idea - a weekend in the area some time with an overnight at Slaidburn YHA , its basic but good.
Hope you get good weather for LEJOG and can enjoy all the scenery
Dave
During today's 2 Mills run I had a few people kindly asking how plans and training was progressing for LEJOG and how they could donate towards Cancer Research. So, just to summarise:
I set off with colleagues exactly 2 weeks today (22nd May) from Lands End at 8 in the morning and should finish at John O'Groats June 2nd in the evening. 11 days riding and one day break mid-journey.
My Cancer Research fund-raising page is: www.justgiving.com/Andy-Hammond
You'll be able to follow our progress via daily tweets on http://twitter.com/Emerson_LEJOG
And if you want to join us for the two stages that run closest to WVCC then Day 5 (Thurs, Ironbridge to Charnock Richard) and Day 6 (Fri, Charnock Richard to Penrith) stages are as follows:
Day 5: http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=fsghdhcqcikadzby
Day 6: http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wghwuzxbruevrmiq
Craig, I know you were hoping to join us for part of Day 5 - if you or anyone else wants to join us then we start out each morning at 8.00. Alternatively meet us en-route - you can call me on 07825 451 593 to work out a plan of where to meet us each day.
Thanks everyone.
Andy
Yes, planning to join you on day 5, meet you at the A53 / A529 island just above Market Drayton town. Its about 23 miles from Winsford so if I leave about 8.15 I will be arriving there a similar time to you. I will be coming down the A529 so if you are ahead of schedule (tail wind) I wont miss you.
Will then cycle with you upto Bucklow Hill, then make my way back from there.
Will drop you a text this afternoon so you have my number should anything change drastically
That's great Craig. It'll be really good to have a fellow WVCC member alongside. I'll make sure I'm wearing my club strip that day. 😀
