Severn Across 400k 24/Apr/10 - from Chalf St P

[simonp]

Looks like a headwind for the Coleford/St Briavels rollercoaster. Nice .

Was a head wind on the run up to St Briavels on The Dean; at least that means a tail wind on the way home.  We had a head wind on the way back to the finish in 2008, which I don't remember enjoying.

[Weirdy Biker]

Headwind through the forest isn't so bad, as the trees break up the effect.  Across the Tewkesbury flood plain would be where the feel it a touch more. 

If the wind strength is anything like on my ride in Surrey today, they've got little to worry about as it is an inconvenience rather than anything ride crushing.

[MattH]

T'was a good run. I'm back at home now (523km done in under 25 hours - pretty good for me).
Will write a proper report tomorrow - current sitting down with a beer and a sandwich

[Justin(e)]

T'was a good run. I'm back at home now (523km done in under 25 hours - pretty good for me).
Will write a proper report tomorrow - current sitting down with a beer and a sandwich

Pretty good for 99.9998% of the population (my rough calc based on the assumption that maybe there were 100 people in the UK who may do better.)

Looking forward to reading the reports.

Well done to the finishers.

[Hummers]

T'was a good run. I'm back at home now (523km done in under 25 hours - pretty good for me).
Will write a proper report tomorrow - current sitting down with a beer and a sandwich

Pretty good for 99.9998% of the population (my rough calc based on the assumption that maybe there were 100 people in the UK who may do better.)

Looking forward to reading the reports.

Well done to the finishers.

He's no slouch, that MattH y'know.

H

[Fidgetbuzz]

Home now. Apart from those I rode with and others I saw (too numerous to just list)- the most interesting bits for me were the comparison with 2009, my mechanical failure and the route home from Membury.
So -- much worse climbing than 2009 -- year older - and shortage of about 1000 miles in year to date figures ( 2000 v 3000, which included Feb and March Oz rides)
ie could not get up Yat - whereas managed comfortably in 2009. Total time riding, spot on 18 hours, very similar - but see route home notes.
Mechanical - snapped front mech cable leaving Chepstow- and was helped by advice from Andrew Rogers( ? ) - Peterborough top - on how to lock mech in middle ring - giving me about 5 gears for getting home - and NO GRANNY for the last leg. Bron provided actual physical assistance on the problem and then stayed with me all the way home ( MANY MANY THX) But this was going to be very very hard for me.
Route home - at Membury there was discussion part led by Peter Turnbull ( surely his advice about an easily navigate-able route had to be taken with X pinches of salt). In the end after studying the garage maps - we decided that the route WAS easily navigable -- B road to Newbury - A4 to Slough - B416 to Chalfont - 3 instructions only. But the joy was that the A4 was lit all the way - there was little traffic - no particular idiots in cars - and pancake flat - only hill on the entire route was the climb to Gerrards Cross - which although painfully slow - I could manage on middle ring. So we rode as group of 9 - and as evidence of how quick it was we caught up about 20/25 minutes on Ed Nevard, Jane ( Jez on forum ) and Plodding Pedro. Only oddity was the fact that all of us managed 200 yards the wrong way along a one way street in the centre of Reading.

I actually have the distance as a couple of Kms shorter than lane route - anyone else agree?

Finished at 03.45 - so total time 21.45

Good day out - thank you Mr Organiser

[MSeries]

- giving me about 5 gears for getting home - and NO GRANNY for the last leg.

Could you not remove the mech completely and stop to shift the chain with your hands when you need the granny ? (Like what Nick & Richard Crane did on JCE)

[Chris S]

I had planned to do the A4 return if my legs said "No" to the published route.

Riding 200km with a busted bike is the very essence of audacious riding. Good Work!

[MSeries]

I had planned to do the A4 return if my legs said "No" to the published route.

Riding 200km with a busted bike is the very essence of audacious riding. Good Work!

not really, it's just like riding with one chainring, you know some fools do these rides with one gear.

I seem to do 95% of my riding in the middle ring anyway

I prefer main road nvaigation at night, usually little traffic and signs to follow.

[kcass]

That was so hard. I rode 32km to the start and the return journey played on my mind all the way from Membury to Chalfont. Soon after the start I made the mistake of riding too fast on the  front of our group with JJ and another lovely guy who's name I didn't get. I was enjoying what a nice morning it was too much - won't do that again.

Apart from short sections with JJ, Phil (Groves?), Rich Forrest and 2 guys from Stourbridge I rode on my own from the first control (72km) to the garage stop (284km) before Membury Services. From there a group of about 8 of us had a good run to Membury but then everyone but me and Phil went via the A4. By then I was completely exhausted (although I felt weirdly strong on the hills) and I've got Phil to thank for getting me back. I really don't know if I'd've stayed awake or managed to keep pedalling without him to follow. We got back at 3.05.

Then I had to face the ride back into London which was interminable. I groaned and grimaced all the way and have never wanted to sleep so much, and been so far from somewhere where I could, in my life.

470km in 25 hours (20.5 moving)

ps I think all talk of rides being easy or easier should stop right now.

[MattH]

I was up at 2:30, and left home at about 3:20 to ride the 53km to the start. It was very fast - I averaged over 30km/h.

It was good to put some more faces to names at the start, then at the off I somehow ended up at the front. I became a bit worried when one of the two chaps I was riding with said that he'd done LEL in 72 hours, and was aiming for 450 miles on the Mersey roads. I dropped back a bit, thinking I was going to burn myself out.
I hit the first control as it opened and just as the first two riders were leaving - they bounced it, I needed food. Fast service meant that as the pack was arriving I was leaving.

I got overtaken by one rider on the way to Tewkesbury - I really didn't want to push too hard on the hills, and got caught by a guy called Robin, who ended up being my companion all the way around. Good food in Tewkesbury, then off again. Yat Rock was tough, not helped by me having a too short BB on the bike at the moment (it was what I had in the spares box a couple of days ago when I needed to swap my graunchy one out), so shifting to the granny ring meant getting off and manually pulling the chain over.

We were caught by one guy (Jack? from Cambridge) at the top of the hill, but dropped him on the run to Chepstow. One rider came and went whilst we were at Tesco, The Cambridge rider caught us up there and we rode out of Chepstow together. He got dropped again later. 15km from the services I was desperate for the loo. I thought about waiting, but then decided to just pull over at a convenient point. That cost time, as I ended up picking up a thorny stick in my front tyre, so a tube change was needed.

At the services we bumped into Marcus, who was doing the Dean permanent.  Then back on the road for the run back.

When we got there at about 12:45, we were the first ones since the hall had opened (I think four had finished before midnight). No one else came in except Manotea, who was going to be helping out later on. He had the news that it was starting to rain, but luckily nothing more than a few spots on an off on the way home.

I left about 1:30, but only saw a couple of riders on the way back down to Slough (perhaps I passed some when I took the main road the km or so down from the hall, rather than going through the estate before doing that short 12% climb towards Gerrards Cross). I started having trouble keeping awake on the dark roads around Swinley, some pro-plus, some food and some banging choons on the MP3 sorted me out, but I'd lost a fair bit of time.  I ended up taking almost an hour more to get home than I'd taken riding in.

A lovely day out, with the best weather of the year so far.

Tired and stiff today, but I've still spent the afternoon building new runs for the animals in the garden.

[scottlington]

Christ Almighty Matt! What have they been feeding you since I rode the Irish Mail with you last year. Even then I new you were faster than me, but Bloody Hell!

[Salvatore]

Christ Almighty Matt! What have they been feeding you since I rode the Irish Mail with you last year. Even then I new you were faster than me, but Bloody Hell!

Last time I saw him it looked as if they had been starving him.

[simonp]

I don't think I know of any Cambridge CC riders called Jack who might ride a 400k, though JJ was riding, I believe.  Could it have been Nick Jackson?

[MattH]

Could have been. Chris mentioned a name at the end looking down his list, it didn't mean anything to me. A big-ish bloke (rather than whippet like build), middle aged, riding a Bob Yates.

[L CC]

Back in the 'full value' section of the ride, I had a lovely run out to Tewkesbury but was not really drinking enough, and despite feeling great, just couldn't get my lardy arse up any of the hills as fast as the fab bunch I was with (Ed & Jane, Cap'n Fidgetbuzz, Bron & Plodding Pedro). Embarrassed at them waiting for me, I told Ed quite firmly I was fine to carry on solo- and continued so for the rest of the ride (violins out everyone).

It took me 90 minutes to get from 195.5 R @ T sp COLEFORD B4228 to 197.5 L @ T sp CHEPSTOW B4228. I stopped 3 times, bought water, drank it, felt sick and dizzy, ate, drank some more, shivered, lay down on a bench, shook, felt dizzy, lay down in a verge. That'd be dehydration/heatstroke then.  I felt concussed, it was actually quite scary...

A couple of pints of water and I was a bit more human, thanks to those who paused and offered assistance. I then bowled along glory-ing in scenery, Views, Severn Bridge, pretty villages... it was lovely out there.

What a great ride.

I finished somewhere between half five and 6 after having taken a less than fun diversion through Reading where I asked a very drunken youth to point me towards Henley 'it's a really long way' he said... erm... and then got chatted up in Henley (at least that what I'm telling myself a couple of lads asking for a backy were after) and a girl who made me think 'Lordy' asked 'why are you on a bike?'.Why indeed, it was 4am, what was I playing at?

O and Geenbank, No that was not like 2 x Upper Thames. That was closer to 2 x Anfractuous, OK. There's no walking on the Upper Thames, I'm almost certain.

And today?

Ow!

[MattH]

Well done for getting through that bad spell  Times like that can be very scary.

[Von Broad]

Well done boab on [what I assume] is your longest ride to date, together with a sesssion on the wisdom of keeping the body well fed and watered!
Great day to be out there yesterday.

Just one question: what's the deal with those two 'no-entry' signs imprinted onto your shoulder blades?

Back in the 'full value' section of the ride, I had a lovely run out to Tewkesbury but was not really drinking enough, and despite feeling great, just couldn't get my lardy arse up any of the hills as fast as the fab bunch I was with (Ed & Jane, Cap'n Fidgetbuzz, Bron & Plodding Pedro). Embarrassed at them waiting for me, I told Ed quite firmly I was fine to carry on solo- and continued so for the rest of the ride (violins out everyone).

It took me 90 minutes to get from 195.5 R @ T sp COLEFORD B4228 to 197.5 L @ T sp CHEPSTOW B4228. I stopped 3 times, bought water, drank it, felt sick and dizzy, ate, drank some more, shivered, lay down on a bench, shook, felt dizzy, lay down in a verge. That'd be dehydration/heatstroke then.   I felt concussed, it was actually quite scary...

A couple of pints of water and I was a bit more human, thanks to those who paused and offered assistance. I then bowled along glory-ing in scenery, Views, Severn Bridge, pretty villages... it was lovely out there.

What a great ride.

I finished somewhere between half five and 6 after having taken a less than fun diversion through Reading where I asked a very drunken youth to point me towards Henley 'it's a really long way' he said... erm... and then got chatted up in Henley (at least that what I'm telling myself a couple of lads asking for a backy were after) and a girl who made me think 'Lordy' asked 'why are you on a bike?'.Why indeed, it was 4am, what was I playing at?

O and Geenbank, No that was not like 2 x Upper Thames. That was closer to 2 x Anfractuous, OK. There's no walking on the Upper Thames, I'm almost certain.

And today?

Ow!

[JJ]

A big-ish bloke (rather than whippet like build), middle aged, riding a Bob Yates.

That'd be me then.  Delicately phrased. I assume you were the chap in grey, as oppose to LEL top?  I had been sightseeing at the rock and can now confirm that it is made almost entirely of birdwatchers.  When I popped out behind you, I had rested legs and was able to catch you. It didn't last.  I saw you again at Chepstow and introduced you to the alternative route to the bridge.

I fell behind thereafter, as predicted, and by Malmesbury te preceding two very short nights led to a dose of the sleepies and I bedded down on the verge until woken by a "concerned member of the public".  Felt much better then and reached Membury in time to see you briefly.

From Membury I hooked up with Mel K for the run-in.  He very kindly moderated his pace for my benefit, and we played the A4 gambit.  He waiting patiently for me in Maidenhead when I absolutely HAD to have another short kip on a pub table.   I wonder what they'll make of that when they review the CCTV tapes.

I did suffer my usual problem in the last few km of a 400's where my speed is proportional to the distance remaining, leading to an inability actually to arrive.  In fact I'm still somewhere in Gerrard's Cross.


Eventually made it in a little after 2.

Earlier on, rode much in the company of Kcass and Greenbank, and briefly with Richard Forrest, but he seems to have been drinking rocket fuel lately, so mostly we watched him disappear.  Up hills!

After Kcass had dropped me I met Swiss Hat briefly at the lights.  He went first left and I second, allowing me to gauge the advantage of the Ford and Toddington alternative route into Tewkesbury.  If Martin and I were evenly matched, then the advantage would be one cup of tea and half a baked potato.  We're not.  When he and John disappeared past me on the road to Newent, that was the last I heard of them until Chris confirmed that they had got back in time to catch the last train  .

Oranj amounted to a mythical rider, leaving no trace of his passing beyond a sense of awe and the slight disturbance to the fabric of space/time that results from a body moving at near light speed.

Many thanks to Chris for laying on the weather, and to the many whose company I enjoyed.

Boab, I think that was you arriving as Mel and I exited the car park.  I was too tired to react.  Sorry.

[Redlight]

A couple of pints of water and I was a bit more human, thanks to those who paused and offered assistance. I then bowled along glory-ing in scenery, Views, Severn Bridge, pretty villages... it was lovely out there.

W

God, I feel very guilty now. I passed you when you were lying on the bench and just assumed you were taking a break. I had some electrolyte drink on me which might have helped.

I also had a bad ride but sustained over a much longer period. Fine to Guiting Power then blew up on the climb out of there. Stopped to down an energy bar which gave me enough of a buzz to get me to Tewkesbury but I found the food at the cafe there hard to digest and left feeling a bit queasy.  The rest of the ride followed the same pattern and I just wasn't able to hold much food down so my energy levels just got lower and lower. Somehow dragged myself up Yat Rock and got down to Chepstow for a sandwich at the Tesco but I decided that I needed something hot so stopped in at Severn View.  What a dive that place is - a Costa panini was the best on offer and that didn't stay down long!

Hooked up with another rider (Anton??) at Malmesbury ands we stuck together to Membury where Swarmcatcher and Ray from Willesden CC were resting. We all left together just after 1, only to encounter poor Julesh coming in. The home stretch seemed to be just an endless series of drags up and potholed descents. I punctured twice - the second time Ray and SC were up ahead so we lost them. Anton and I meandered through the last stretch, including those lovely sharp climbs near the finish, and eventually staggered in at about 8.30.

I've never felt so bad at the end of an Audax of any distance. Thankfully there were some cereals at the finish and I managed to get a couple of bowls down me before sloping off for a kip in the car. Still feeling pretty delicate, as well as knackered, and  looking forward to bed...in about 5 minutes!

Thanks to Chris for organising and for an excellent routesheet and catering, to Brian from Sudbury CC, who lent me a spare headtorch when I discovered I had left mine at home, and for all of the company at various points en route.  Nive to put a few more faces to nicknames.

[simonp]

I love all these "I'm so slow" ride reports where people describe how crap they were, and then slip in at the end that they got round in 20h.

[Redlight]

Er - 26.5 hours in  my case.  I think that counts as almost comatose 

[Fidgetbuzz]

Well done boab on [what I assume] is your longest ride to date,

Before Boab replies - as a member of my Arrow team - she clocked up 427 kms or so, and the team were held up by this old man - so under normal circumstances I would expect to find Boab powering away at the front. I think it was just a bad day - and look at those shoulder blades - that really can not have helped

[Chris S]

boab.

Nuun. They really helps  .

FWIW - you were faster than me on my first rendition of the 7A. There are plenty out there who find this ride "easy". I ain't one of them. Good to hear you fought off a bad spell - the Coleford/St Briavels rollercoaster is not a good place to have a bad spell.

[MattH]

I assume you were the chap in grey, as oppose to LEL top?

No, I was in the LEL top. The grey was Robin (not on here - yet?)
That's another forum name and face matched for me

Bit miffed though, I didn't realise Fidgetbuzz was riding so that's another person to meet.