The Gran Fondo is an uncompromising road romp across 171 km of the toughest and most picturesque terrain in the Chilterns. From Great Missenden the route runs north east through Chesham, Berkhamstead, to Dunstable Downs before heading south west along the Chilterns scarp slope, with the biggest and steepest hills.
All the fondos amply capture the essence of the Chilterns with fantastic ‘Red Kite country’, superb scenery, and demanding hills that will be a robust challenge for any club rider. The Gran Fondo route was inspired by and takes in all of the best climbs of the Chiltern Spring Series reliabilty rides and there are plenty of extra climbs thrown in for good measure. By European standards the hills are not big but have demanding gradients of up to 21%.
Don’t think that these rides will be easy. Experience shows that the frequent climbs on the ‘Gran’ and ‘Medio’ Fondos are tough, strength and energy sapping and ideal preparation for major European sportives. Good pace judgement will be your only friend. Consider yourself warned.
More info: www.chiltern-hundred.org.uk
Is there a trick to entering this? My browser won’t let me proceed once I’ve entered my details.
Yes. The trick is to use IE7 rather than Firefox.
I had issues at work with IE6 too. I emailed the guy and he said others had issues and if you email him he’ll hold a place for entry later. I thought they’d fixed the issue though?
Yeah, he’s holding a place for me. I do use IE7 (I think…)
You think? Not a computer geek then are we? 🙂
Oh, it is working now, ta!
No, not a geek in the slightest :p
I can type quickly and use blogger/flickr etc. – that’s about the limit of my abilities.
Oh, I did 418km between Tues-Sat, so have new appreciation for how much you’ve been doing lately! Can’t stop eating…
I need a rest. VERY light week next week.
I’ve entered now, we should ride out – last year it added 26 miles to my overall total…
http://omcoc.blogspot.com/2007/06/ealing-great-missenden.html
You probably do need a rest, to soak up all that training. I, however, need to do some speed training early in the coming week – first race next Sunday 😐
Jeez.. 40k over the hills before we even start?!?!
It’s not that hilly. And the Chiltern 100 isn’t too tricky, it’s more a steady draining effort. I’m preparing with a 100 mile TT the week before!
*not that hilly = ride out there. The Chiltern 100 is very hilly.
"very hilly" and 90kg don’t go so well together! Too late now and I really want to do this ride.
I like the Chilterns anyway but that profile looks like a graph of a dude’s butt on his wedding night! 🙂
You will surely have lost weight by then. Plus the s-works is designed with gravity defying tubing, right?
You’ve never what I eat, have you? 90kg WAS factoring in weight loss! :S
‘Tis true though that the S-Works is about half the weight of the Ribble. I’ve come to terms with my need to ‘buy’ speed rather than work for it. 🙂
Oh. I reckon I eat more than you though – I live on a farm, after all :p
Something is wrong with my metabolism, I reckon.
Wrong? You mean you have been ‘gifted’ ya jammy git! 🙂
I’d put it down to eating healthier. I might eat less volume of food but it’s all high cal stuff like sweets, ice cream, chocolate, softdrink, chips, etc..
Nothing but the best fuels for me! Ha!
Whereas I run on 100% cow…
Moo! 🙂
I have conveniently dodged another ‘return to racing’.. I’m going to Egypt in early March so won’t be able to do the Maidenhead TT or the Hillingdon crit.
I am available for the 100mi ride around your place though.