Guest EPCC Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Cheers One sleep to the ferry two sleeps to the hell of the north Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest George Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Have a great time, chaps. I'm typing up a rough draft of a eulogy. Will edit it according to who gets themself deid first. Thomsons must be rubbing their hands at all the repairs & new bike orders coming their way next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Richard Posted April 9, 2014 Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Yeah, good luck, guys. Have a great time and take lots of photos for us stay-at-homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al yuille Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Just lookin at pics of Hincapie with broken (carbon) steerer ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Iain67 Posted April 9, 2014 Members Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Enjoy guys and please take care of Chung, what with his track record..... Well jealous, not of the ride but the beer and wine before and after! Stay safe guys Iain chung 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomsonscycles Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Hope you all have a smashing time (not literally despite what big George might think :-) ) Martin and I have really enjoyed being part of all the build up to the trip and we both wish we were coming as team service :-) Enjoy it and try and get a big JWCC Thomsons cycles mention on the road for the telly :-) All the best Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions PaulL Posted April 9, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Big Thanks to Allan and Martin for fixing my BB this week and thanks to their friends in Qbikes for sorting out the bearings last minute. Really appreciated! Cheers Thompsons Paul Thomsonscycles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin McPhee Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Have a good one guys will watch for you on the telly ! Thomsonscycles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EPCC Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Ride today brief was find the velodrome it's only 6 miles away After 13 miles we found it a nice twenty mile warm up in the sun Thomsonscycles, Richard and Big Al 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Cross Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 Well....Charlie has posted his ride on Strava so he's survived at least Eagerly waiting the report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EPCC Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 Brief report Hard hard hard everything hurts this was brutal , it makes Flanders fell like a Largs run I would say do it as it's an experience , but no chance I would ride this again ginty001 and Richard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life Members chung Posted April 13, 2014 Life Members Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Well, this is morning after our Paris Roubaix & we all survived to tell the tales! I just want to echo Billy's comment, indeed this was extremely HARD both for man & machine. 170km, 28 sectors of horrible pave which tried it's very best to throw you off the bike, but amazingly we all manage to stay up right and finished in one piece. In fact I don't think I've actually saw anyone fell off on the Pave, although Big Al Yullie had a wee incident, he clip the kerb on a road section while trying to "protect" me of some bollards ahead, what gent! :-) We were also lucky on the mechanical front too, only one puncture, one dropped chain & a few lost bottle between the lot of us, not bad at all everything considered. Personally, I think this was the hardest thing I've done on a bike! I knew this was very hard but when having not done enough training due to my recent fight with a bollard, it wasn't ideal for me but I decided to do it anyway given the fact I paid & organized it already not to mention getting new set of wheels built for this. It was an early 4am start to a really chilly day but weather improved as the day went on. Anyway, 13 of us set off as a group eagerly waiting to hit the first sector of Pave. But when I hit the I first, boy did I feel like crying, it was nothing I've ever experienced before. I had my hands on the drops thinking if something happens I'm close to the brakes, I've been told only the either ride on the drops or top, never on the hood. While on the pave, you & bike are thrown violently from all directions with absolutely no control of the bike at all, this of course slows you right down & this just makes it much worse. I have to admit I want to quit after the first sector, I was deliberately looking out for some support vehicle or broom wagon. Luckily I got a toll from Tom & Andy (Martins Eastcoast pal) and manage to get through 6 sectors before we rejoined the group waiting at the first feed stop. By then I was still in sh*ty mood as I did not enjoy one second of it at all. At this point I must say a big THANKS to all my fellow wheelers - Al, AllanM, Billy, Charlie, Greg, Iain, Mark, Martin, Paul & Tom and Martin's 2 friends Andy & Garvin for getting me through this. They waited, regroup, feed & water me along the way. I honestly think that I wouldn't have done it without you guys help. As the sector came thick & fast I manage to felt a lot more comfortable on them to the point of date I say "enjoyed" them. But the 5 star "Trouee d'Arenberg" was the worst of all, big massive stones stopping every momentone of you have of going forward & it's long and straight. The sectors are graded 2-5 stars, 5 being the hardest of course and there was three 5 star ones. In a way, this wasn't a bike ride in the usual sense but more an obstacle course, as Chris Boardman said "the PR is a circus show"! After a long day on the saddle, we all made it to the famous Roubaix Velodrome as one big group, riding the track & finishing altogether - pure brilliant. One fellow English PRer on the road summed it up quite well, "that's some Sunday Club run you guys are doing"! To be honest, I got a bit emotional when I cross the finish. I honestly did not think I could make it, but again I want to thanks my team mate for getting me through this! Now, we going to watch how it should be done proper! Thanks for reading Cheers Chung ginty001, KennyS, Richard and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Cross Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Excellent stuff. 100% glad I didn't go!!! Well done all and we won't expect to hear any of you complain about the roads back here again! Thomsonscycles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions thejanullrichdietplan Posted April 13, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Well done, sounds like a great experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Tom Hill Posted April 13, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Chung pretty well gives a flavour of the soul destroying torment and perverted satisfaction of riding 170km of silky roads interspersed with 55 god foresaken kilometres of the the worst road surfacing known to man that was the norm before Mr Macadam came to be. Why the rural north didn't adopt it we'll never know. But then I guess it would not have been a day in Hell if they had. (Not to mention a holiday) Now that 24hrs have passed and some semblance of touch has returned to my hands I am, through a vin rouge mist, thinking that I kind of enjoyed it. Though it is a box that does not need ticking twice!!! There is of course the usual Johnstone Fare and tales to be told of blocking roads and reversing up dual carriageways at 4:15 in the morning. As a previous "winner" this has my vote, regardless of the year remaining, for the Hamuk award!!! Mind you Coutie's unconventional use of a roof rack almost converting road side vehicles to convertibles does come a close second! A great couple of days, proud to be a part of the JWCC's group finish in the Roubaix velodrome. Well done guys!! ginty001, KennyS and Richard 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions ginty001 Posted April 13, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Brilliant guys, well done to all.... sounds like you could do with a few days in Majorca to recuperate :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Accrington Posted April 13, 2014 Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Great reportage Chung - well done all and welcome back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Iain67 Posted April 13, 2014 Members Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Well done to you and the rest of the lads Chung, great effort and sure there will be some 'battle stories' to hear when you all get back. Safe home Iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin McPhee Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 A huge well done to all hope all the bikes survived intact as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions iain couttie Posted April 14, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 pictures on maindru, google the race and it is about 5 choice, probably more as well iain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark O Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Fellow pave specialists can you send your various photos amd comments, thots anecdotes etc. I want to compile a bundle to send Alan C for the website. Easier if you send your stuff to my work email - mark.o'[email protected] Fab weekend, even if pave hurts. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. Another foreign sortie to add to the Joansin annuls. What's next is my feeling right now. We need to welcome our honorary east coast contingent of Andy and Gav to the fold. Two top blokes. M AllanC and Thomsonscycles 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Gummers Posted April 14, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Congratulations to the JWCC hard men completing the hell of the north! Well done all! Andy Thomsonscycles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions charlie p Posted April 14, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 ROUBAIX Thoroughly enjoyable trip. thanks lads Martin picked me up on Thursday am a tad later than planned. we were of course taking the tourist route to Hull via Edinburgh and North Berwick to pick up his mates Gavin and Andy. not a problem except when we got to Gavin's he was at Tesco shopping.He soon returned only to tell us that Tesco were wanting paid for his groceries and he had forgotten his wallet. That's the problem with the big supermarkets you lose that personal touch and trust so we persuaded Gavin to stuff the groceries so we could get on the road. Phew he agreed but then disappeared to pack his bag. so a bit more than a tad late we headed off to North Berwick for Andy. A slicker move here though I could tell that Andy was disappointed at me for declining his kind offer of a cuppa before we left. heading south the 3 amigos were exchanging banter about previous trips to Hull and how they nearly missed the Ferry. How comforting. anyway we arrived with 10 mins to spare and the only person to check the clock was me. I collected the passports for 'passport control'. Oops Gavin then spotted that his passport expired on Friday. Hey ho missed at British end and we got through. Met other lads on Ferry and we had a great night. Friday bit of a problem entering Belgium as their diligent man on passport control spotted the expired passport but after a call to his head office he told us all well and we were off to Lille. Excited. We travelled in a 3 vehicle convoy. 17 km in to route I spotted a police car in the rear view mirror with its lights flashing. As it passed us it slowed down and I thought that big Alan was about to get pulled for speeding but no we were pulled over. Yip Gavin had entered the country illegally so we were escorted all the way back to zeebrugge police station. police were very nice and 3 hours later we were back on road. Chung did text me..." Hi charlie, it's Chung here. Everything ok with yous? Why are your car being picked up by the police? We'll meet at the hotel in Lille & hope everything is ok! Cheers Chung " Nice leg loosening run to the famous Roubaix velodrome for registration. It did not disappoint and was looking forward to finishing there on Saturday. Returned to hotel for early night as early start following day Saturday Up at 3.30am. Had slept like a log and felt great. We had an interesting journey to stadium and got bus to start. Bit of a blow as had a puncture to front before the off but with my usual dexterity eventually changed tube and joined others at the start. Cinq ,Quattre,trois, deux,un BANG we were off.Rolled out then realised I had forgotten to set my strava so stopped to put on. Took me over 10 mins and179 beats per minute before I caught the joansin peloton. Good warm up on a very misty morning. Thereafter I can simply say that I had a thoroughly enjoyable day on my bike. There was not a bad moment . Chapeau to Chung for sticking it out after the shock of the first pave but he and the rest of us got stronger and stronger with every bit of pave roubaix had to offer. Sunday Arenburg forest to watch the pros. Brilliant day. Stopped off at pub on way to ferry to watch end of race. Once again a bit tight for time but I had given up caring. Ta to my joansin team mates and Gavin and Andy for a fantastic weekend. Already looking forward to next years tour Richard, martin, Mark O and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions gregbalden Posted April 14, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Fantastic weekend as a whole. I said I would never ride pave 3 years ago after de ronde,but some how ended up on the pave again. The first 12-14 sections were a joy!! Found that good technique the pave men had shared. The remaining 12-14 were a nightmare. Plenty beer drank and food consumed. Fantastic! Those pro's put on a good show too in the forest and pave.....pretty sure we done better....at getting the beers in!! martin, Richard and Thomsonscycles 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions PaulL Posted April 14, 2014 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 First time away with Wheelers, Had a brilliant time! what a club. Thanks for all the advice, encouragement and support(beer). Cheers Paul What a finish! http://prod.chronorace.be/PRC/VideoMP4.aspx?eventId=243129508691979&master=PRC2014&n=2465&location=timesplit4_2&hash=nRJ5TyyLjNldFI_-LHHabQJm9VA martin, al yuille, GrahamF and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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