Triathletes/Cyclists Forums

fatbuddha

any other triathletes/cyclists out there who use their homes when doing events??

we find it so easy to travel to and stay at events as we can take as much kit as we want and don't have to worry about accomodation

Alfa_Scud

Not yet but I fully intend to! I'm not a triathlete though, nor indeed a cyclist, in fact I'm more a monathlete, just being a runner and all!

However, we've only had the van for a fortnight & i'm recovering from an op which has put me out of action for 6 weeks - first run last night - but I'm going to be taking it whenever I (or we when I talk her into them!) go to a race. It has to be easier to get changed there, then have a bite of lunch & maybe even a shower after, if it's a trail / fell run. Looking forward to it. In fact I'm on the lookout for somewhere to lay up for Edinburgh marathon weekend if I ever get fit enough to it by then - 13 weeks & counting!

dinger

Sadly iam just a spectator, but have a couple of mates that are heavily involved at international level (road/track), one being a GB machanic and the other ex olympic rider. I have a huge respect to the fitness of these guys , and spend many an hour over a beer talking about their exploits.

Taking the van to events is certainly a great way to prepare rather than just turning up and racing.....

Dinger

fatbuddha

hi dinger - I see you're in kent

we rode from Eastbourne to Canterbury on Saturday to collect the Hymer from Brownhills - it was in for a service (we'd ridden back the week before). just over a 100km so a good training ride for the upcoming Triathlon season.

looks like the van will get a fair bit of use again this summer but not for the big event unfortunately - Ironman France in June. Nice is just not geared up for sites for the van so we're flying instead. great shame as we've done other European Ironmen and the motorhome is a great way to combine the event with a holiday.

dinger

Hi FB..... theres,s nothing like a nice gentle 80 mile run to blow the cob webs away , i only went out once with my friend the ex Pro rider ....never ....ever again .....its emabarising.....different legue....different world.
Nice bit of kit the Hymervan, perfect for your needs i would of thought,
.....we were very near to buying the 572, but wanted to keep compact for the moment, until van number 3 is on the cards.

We are picking our Hymer Exsis up this Sat.....strange looking van but does everything more or less what we want it to do.Bikes on the back and we are off, especially with France so close.

Will keep a look out for you on the road.

All the best Dinger

P.S

If you need a good wheel biulder ../ machanic i know a man that can.

fatbuddha

we had an Exsis before the Van - maybe you're buying our old one?? Laughing

(doubt it - we sold it to Hymer UK over a year ago on a part/ex with the Van)

having a garage in the van is much better for us - keeps the kit nicely tucked away, safe and warm! having bikes hanging off the back of the Exsis was OK 'cept when the weather turned foul so the nice shiny race bikes ended up filthy and needed a good clean before racing. not what I wanted to do pre-race

there's less internal room in the Van compared to the Exsis which took a bit of adapting to but I prefer it now.

cheers

FB

oh - and as you now know - never EVER go out training with Pros and Elites. it's frigging demoralising as they make you look even more amateur than you know you are......know your limits and stick wth that!!

RichardnGill

I use our van to get to some races/rides. I only do time trials/mountain time trials/ cyclo cross/ some mountain bike events and the odd half marathon though, and all badly at the moment. I mainly race for fun these days.

It would be nice to have a small meet at a site near a big event. I should be running in a Half marathon in Keswick in a couple of months time, not sure where I will be stopping yet though.

Or what about organizing a meet and a long bike ride one weekend. I can do both road or mountain bike rides. A nice steady 4/5 hour ride on a Sunday in the Peak District.

fatbuddha

Hi Richard

Peaks are a bit too far for us for a w/e - we are on the Channel coast in Sussex. I think the furthest North we're planning to go this year is Rutland! most of the events we're doing will be South - including a few cyclosportives - and with my wife training for Ironman France most w/e's are accounted for until at least June. I'm not doing France having retired from Ironman now after 3 finishes....well I might just take a year off but I haven't told her that yet.... Twisted Evil

FB

dinger

Yes the little Exis is a Tad left field and would love to have the Hymer garage , but everything comes down to Pounds / size / requirements at the end of the day.
I think if hymer had tried a bit harder they could of improved no end on the design side , but hey ho , it certainly makes people stop and stare.

You both put me to shame as , i only ride my mountain bike in fair weather now , as i had a double disc replacement in my neck two years ago , that still has a tendency to play up , so one has to be a bit careful.

Have you ever fancied watching some of the Tour de France ( via van...)
??????
My mate has just returned from 10 days in Ghent with the Junior GB squad
and recomended that i go and watch some races in the Veladrome, as its quite a spectacle, plus the dark beers are nice as well !!!!

fatbuddha

when we had the Exsis friends christened it the Ice Cream Van 'cos of it's design! it is a bit odd but it works well and the bed is HUGE - even if it's a pfaff getting in and out of.

you'll have fun in it all the same

have looked at doing some TDF stages but just never got around to it as there's always something going on with an event in the UK. would love to see them over the Col du Tourmalet sometime as I've skied over it many many times - it looks a tad different under snow!