Paris-Roubaix Challenge - cobbled roads in the UK?

Thanks guys.

@Yorkshie Whippet - That’s quite an impressive itinerary. Good luck with it all.

@Fringe - You’re right, the Bristol cobbles were extremely mild compared to the real Roubaix thing, but they were better than nothing, and quite handy for getting used to cornering fast with a front wheel bouncing around. The best training ground turned out to be the Fosse Way through Wiltshire and Gloucestershire - a mix of road and off-road sections - where I cruised along on the tarmac and then pounded a big gear for all I was worth on the rough stuff - which was pretty much my strategy last Sunday.

@giff77 - Placing the words ‘ball’ and ‘intact’ in the same sentence is most apposite.

There's a bit more info about the bike I used here:

http://road.cc/content/feature/56310-riding-paris-roubaix-pave-its-all-a...

I never made it to the perimeter road, but did go over the Imber road a few times. However, the best place I found to get the hang of riding fast on bad roads was the unsurfaced sections of the Fosse Way. It was rough, but to be honest, nowhere near as rough as those Roubaix cobbles.

In fact, there's NOWHERE as rough as those Roubaix cobbles!

I wasn't sure if this thread had run its course, but for those still following: I did indeed complete the Paris Roubaix Challenge on Sunday. Thanks to all the advice I got here on this forum, and elsewhere, my final choices of tyres, wheels and frame were absolutely spot on, and helped make the pave' simply bad rather than utterly horrific.

Nothing fell off my bike, nothing snapped and I didn't get a puncture. Result.

I was exceedingly happy to get round in 5hr 3min. Without the stops for food and photos I guess ride time would be a tad under 5 hours.

Roll on next year? I'm not sure. Maybe the Paris Roubaix Cyclo in June 2013. Longer, but more relaxed, with more time to stop and eat - and even look at the scenery...

@ Yorkshire Whippet - having enjoyed the P-R Challenge, are you doing the Cyclo this year as well?

Thanks, everyone, for the latest suggestions on where to find cobbled roads in the UK, and other tips on surviving Paris-Roubaix.

For those that may be interested, my training continues. Lots of long hard rides, often in bad weather, but admittedly mainly on tarmac, plus some shorter spurts on the broken concrete of Salisbury Plain’s military roads, and along the unsurfaced byway sections of the Fosse Way in Gloucestershire. Nowhere near as rough as the real pave’ will be, I know, but a step in the right direction.

I’ve been experimenting with bikes, including steel, aluminium and titanium, as well as trying out various wheels and tyre widths.

To help avoid the dreaded snakebite punctures, I’ve also been testing tubeless tyres and wheels. There’s a full review of the Fulcrum Racing 3 Two-Way Fit wheels in the Gear section here on road.cc - and a tubeless tyre review will follow soon.

I’ve received a lot of advice from riders who have done the route before - suggestions on tyre pressure, saddle, bar tape, gearing, clothing and so on. Most memorable was a tip from a guy that rode the Paris-Roubaix audax last year: “before you start, remove your b****cks, keep them somewhere safe, then put them back in when you’ve finished”. Hmm. Nice.

A slightly more inspiring story: While I was pottering about at the Newport Velodrome recently, I spotted Magnus Bäckstedt, former Tour de France professional and winner of Paris-Roubaix in 2004, doing some training on the track. I was too much in awe to ask for tips, but I did shake his hand and get my photo taken with him. It’s the nearest I’ll ever get to Paris-Roubaix glory.

Thanks Rob. Yes, as you say, not flat, but we have got a plan to include it in a training ride soon, just for fun. Likewise the famous Gold (aka 'Hovis') Hill in Shaftsbury. Any other suggestions for close-to-cobbles rough-as-hell roads in the Westcountry all much appreciated.

Meanwhile, here's another question for anyone who might have done this ride, or similar jaunts. Glasses or not?
Sure, they keep the mud out yer eyes, but are they likely to get so splattered it'll be like riding blindfold? Any thoughts and advice most welcome.

@ Fringe - thanks for the interest. A few people have emailed me to ask the same question. Training is going well. Several long steady rides over the past month, some in Flanders-like conditions, interspersed with turbo sessions. The nearest we've got to pave' has been several furious laps round the cobbled quadrangle of Queens Sq in Bristol (much to the bemusement of passing Christmas shoppers) and a couple of rides taking in the miltary roads over Salisbury Plain (normally closed to the public, but open end-Dec early-Jan). Still nothing that comes close to the infamous boulders we'll encounter on the Paris-Roubaix, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

@giff77 - ahhh, that's a bit too far north for me, especially on a Sunday training ride from West Wiltshire.

Looks like I'll be heading to Salisbury Plain this weekend to check out Mat's suggestions.

This is all very useful. I really appreciate the responses.

With some of my buddies (also training for Paris-Roubaix) I have indeed been riding on bridleways and byways recently - notably some all-day jaunts up and down the off-road sections of the Fosse Way and Ridgeway. But these routes are mainly loose gravel, compact stones, chalky mud or wet grass. It can’t harm the training of course, but I think they’re simply not rough enough to give a feel for the aforementioned EVIL CHUNKS OV STONEY DETH.

Mat - I will investigate the Salisbury Plain perimeter road. I have ridden across the Plain a few times on the Imber road that is usually closed to the public - and some of that is broken concrete and quite rough. If the perimeter road is like that, then it will be pretty handy, as you say.

Failing everything, then I’m off down the tool hire shop to get a pneumatic drill to sit on, as recommended by shollin. If it doesn’t help for Paris-Roubaix, at least I can send the video to Jackass.