Author Topic: Still Seething 600  (Read 25207 times)

Assasin

  • It can only get better
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #75 on: 15 July, 2010, 08:48:30 am »
I haven't ridden this one since 1991 (First go was 1984)
It will be good to see Paul & Jaqui again.
It will be the first time I have ever ridden the event on two wheels
Most remember to put a foot down when I stop!!!

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #76 on: 15 July, 2010, 07:01:57 pm »
I'm all packed and ready to roll- going straight from work tomorrow, and then straight to work on Monday.

All that's left to do is iron (Monday's work clothes), and paint my toenails.

I haven't actually ridden this bike since our DIY 600 4 weeks ago... but the boy has. He'd've told me if anything was up with it, wouldn't he?

Presumably this 'ere gale is going to die down a bit too, Hmmm?

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #77 on: 15 July, 2010, 08:10:18 pm »
If it's blowing like this tomorrow - the highlight of the weekend will be any video of me trying to pitch a tent in a gale  :facepalm:.

I'm cheating by not riding to the start. Mrs S is taking all my camping stuff to work, in the car with the bike rack on. I'm going to ride over to her work for the end of the day, and cadge a lift to Seething.

I may get a lift home too on Sunday, after the ride. What a slacker.

Fidgetbuzz

  • L sp MOON. 1st R sp MARS . At X SO sp STARS
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #78 on: 15 July, 2010, 10:06:08 pm »
Weather suggests still blowing hard Friday - but Sat and Sun easing
I was an accountant until I discovered Audax !!

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #79 on: 16 July, 2010, 09:03:24 am »
For those using my GPX, I've noticed a slight departure from the route sheet at Gislingham, right after the Thornham Walks control. Bizarrely, I have invented a L in the village that (a) isn't on the route sheet and (b) isn't needed because the flow of the road is that way anyway. However, there is then no R route point into Back Street after the village, as per the route sheet.

If you are using mapping - the track follows the correct route - it's just a route point error.

Also - in Red Lodge, obey the route point 1E at the third roundabout, not the route/track which will take you to a bonus extra roundabout before taking you back into Red Lodge! This happened because Mapsource doesn't think there is a connectible route down Boundary Road to Turnpike Road.

Fidgetbuzz

  • L sp MOON. 1st R sp MARS . At X SO sp STARS
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #80 on: 16 July, 2010, 11:08:40 am »
Found the tent. Sorted the bike. All looking good
I was an accountant until I discovered Audax !!

pixieannie

  • Partial to a dash of chainsaw oil
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #81 on: 17 July, 2010, 07:45:27 pm »
You all looked amazingly well this morning.

bazzerp

  • A new life in Cape Town.
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #82 on: 17 July, 2010, 09:37:40 pm »
Damn - Annie I missed you. DNS the 100 - instead helped a friend to collect some bulky Photo equipment from near London Bridge. My excuse was that heavy rain showers were forecast. Hope you had an enjoyable ride.
Where have all the hedges gone ?

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #83 on: 18 July, 2010, 09:54:21 pm »
Just arrived back home. Need beer and bed (had food).

Absolutely cracking weekend. Great organisation and (mostly) brilliant route.

Thanks to all organisers, helpers and my companions on the road.

pixieannie

  • Partial to a dash of chainsaw oil
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #84 on: 18 July, 2010, 09:58:20 pm »
Just arrived back home. Need beer and bed (had food).

Absolutely cracking weekend. Great organisation and (mostly) brilliant route.

Thanks to all organisers, helpers and my companions on the road.

Bloody well done. :-*

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #85 on: 18 July, 2010, 10:02:57 pm »
Just arrived back home. Need beer and bed (had food).

Absolutely cracking weekend. Great organisation and (mostly) brilliant route.

Thanks to all organisers, helpers and my companions on the road.

Bloody well done. :-*

Thank you! Forgive us for not stopping when we saw you in Debenham. Must have made you jump - a bunch of cyclists hooning through the village, many shouting "ANNIE!!" at the tops of their voices  :)

Viv

  • Are we having fun yet?
    • Lythgo
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #86 on: 19 July, 2010, 08:27:15 am »
Well we made it - I spent all weekend cursing "Stoopid hobby" and "I not doing this again" but as soon as I finished I started planning for next time. Perhaps I'm ill!

Thanks to everyone for the camaraderie and to Keith and Sue for an absolutely magnificently organised event (and the soup). It was an honour to take part!

Fidgetbuzz

  • L sp MOON. 1st R sp MARS . At X SO sp STARS
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #87 on: 19 July, 2010, 10:57:06 am »
One very nice part that I forgot to say "thank you " for - was the pictorial stamps on the brevet cards - never seen that before - and when the card ends back with me - and I am a dribbling wreck in a wheel chair - when a grandchild asks "What is this" - maybe - it will kick me out of my lethargy to explain all about this audax nonsense.

Great idea S & K - I look forward to the LEL 2013 pictorial stamps
I was an accountant until I discovered Audax !!

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #88 on: 19 July, 2010, 12:16:31 pm »
I was considering a blow-by-blow account of the ride.

But AndyC and Viv have summed it up really rather well. Great work NorfolkingGood, but if you keep this up, you're gonna have to change that name because it's wholly misrepresentative :).

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #89 on: 19 July, 2010, 01:21:56 pm »
This is Audax @ its “very” best. Whilst Perms & X rated events are clearly part of what we do,

events like this remind us what club cycling is all about. Even if you spend most of the ride on your own, its always a pleasure to  roll up at a control and be so well looked after.

Thanks to all the Orgs for a great weekend. Most excellent!

Top tip: Red Lodge portions of crumble crumble are absolutely massive and heated up to 2000C. If you're in a hurry, have it with ice cream not custard.

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #90 on: 19 July, 2010, 01:39:59 pm »
I've been really really spoiled.
In my (vast- hahaha) experience I now find that 600k rides mean the following:

A route that is largely delightful
Great company on the road
People you've maybe not even met before giving you unlimited great food at every opportunity
A smile and a pat on the back everywhere

and not so wonderfully
A stonking headwind
and  ::-) falling off your bike.

Keith and Sue and all the rest of your merry band of helpers, what a great job. That was fantastic.

My highlights-
sitting down at the beach cafe at Wells (with ice cream  :thumbsup:)to discover  a nice man had fixed my bike, because an even nicer man (:-* to Viv) had loaned a magic link for the chain

and having a wee lie down in the shade of a tree in Harvey's garden while lovely ladies provided freshly picked strawberries and ice cream  :thumbsup:


It was just all excellent. Thank you so much everyone. I was looked after brilliantly from the moment we arrived (beer with our pasta!) to the moment I left (smile and wave and 'well done'). Lots of thanks to Chris S for putting up with both my inappropiate bad temper & sweary-ness AND inappropriate cheeriness in the middle of the night. He hardly even complained about the singing!

On another positive I find I should now have: 2 x SR, RRTY and 50 points (subject to validation). Go me.

And Viv- are we having fun yet?

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #91 on: 19 July, 2010, 01:41:19 pm »
A wonderful experience for my first 600.  As others have said the organisation and help at controls was magnificent and even the wind couldn't put a dampener on this event.  I really hope Keith/Sue and everyone find the energy and resources to run it as a PBP qualifier next year (i.e. in June).  Many, many thanks to all involved.
The sound of one pannier flapping

Viv

  • Are we having fun yet?
    • Lythgo
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #92 on: 19 July, 2010, 01:59:46 pm »
Quote
And Viv- are we having fun yet?

Somewhat perversely, I think we are!
And boab - the split link was a gift not a loan.  :thumbsup:

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #93 on: 19 July, 2010, 02:06:51 pm »
Without such a big wind the ride itself would have been “perfect”.

 Even with the wind & Flat Earth Bob & I having 5 punctures on Saturday it was still pretty well near perfect.


There has to be payback for your hill-trained legs making us all look rubbish, so we threw finest East Anglian headwind and flints at you.

Seriously, very nice to meet you and Flat Earth Bob (The Legend that is....) at the start. I doubted I'd see you again on the ride... :D

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #94 on: 19 July, 2010, 02:09:00 pm »
What better ride for so many first time 600 riders? Well done  :thumbsup:.

For me - this marked my first fixed SR, and was my longest ride on fixed wheel.

Uncle Eric

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #95 on: 19 July, 2010, 03:00:14 pm »
Excellent weekend! Flawless organization and friendly cheerful organizers.

Lessons learned: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BIKE THROUGH A 30 CM DEEP FORD. It is not, uh, good idea. It may be slippery. This one was. Like biking on ice. Luckily only a bruised hand which made it impossible to stand up and power up hills on day 2. Not that I had much power left in the tank by then but still...  :D

Chris S

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #96 on: 19 July, 2010, 03:17:34 pm »
Some useless stats from the GPS:

Total ascent: 2983m. I think that counts as "flat".

Average speeds:

HQ to Stonham: 25.1
Stonham to Dunwich: 26.7
Dunwich to Thornham: 22.1 (Headwind!)
Thornham to Red Lodge: 24.6 (Headwind - but who cares?)
Red Lodge to Swaffham: 22.5
Swaffham to HQ: 23.3
HQ to Garboldisham: 24.8
Garboldisham to HQ: 23.9
HQ to Castle Acre: 18.0 (Ha! paying the price of yesterday's exuberance)
Castle Acre to Wells: 23.3
Wells to Wayford Bridge: 20.1 (Fading :))
Wayford Bridge to HQ: 20.0

Total Distance: 607.95
Time moving: 27.62 hours (9 hours off the bike)

Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #97 on: 19 July, 2010, 04:53:39 pm »
Us helpers had a great weekend also.

I was washing up Friday evening
Sat am Stonham checkpoint
Sat pm Swaffham checkpoint

Sun am washing up after breakfast

and some pics of the start











Recumbent Riders will rule the world........(maybe)

have a look here
Flickr: bottlemasher's Photostream

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #98 on: 19 July, 2010, 05:37:25 pm »
I'll second the 'superb apart from the wind' sentiment.  Lovely scenery.  I now know that a staggered X isn't necesarily one you have to stagger across.

Finally met Andy C face to face! (I'd met Bob already about n years ago), not to mantion many other familiar and not so familiar faces, it was nice to get a chance to chat for more than 15 mins at HQ.

The nice blast to Dunwich was followed by the 2-legs-worth of slog into the wind to Red Lodge.  For most of this bit of the ride I was leapfroggin with Richard and also Steve-from-Chelmer.

Someone had eaten all the apple crumble by the time I got to Red Lodge  >:(  but I'd never have thought of cooling it with iced cream anyway, I'll have to detour via there on my way to Mildenhall.

Nice to meet Mrs Chris S, having never met when I overnighted once upon a time (from 12:00 to 4:00 or some other silly time of night).

I too paid a visit to that 2nd ford and came away with a grazed knee (and complementary hole in the trousers) and ankle, just in the right spot to be rubbed by my sandal strap.  I also had my nice woolly socks completely soaked, luckily I had a dry pair back at HQ and a couple of placcy bags to avoid the dry socks being soaked by the soggy sandals.  I got the boil in the bad effect instead.

For the 2nd dawn-on-the-bike running I missed th dawn chorus, it coincided with my visit to Garboldisham - I had the entire crew there to myself as I fell between the 'go there 1st' and the 'sleep at 300k' factions at the tail lend of the ride.

I had an exciting 30 mins snooze after the Garb. leg, whereat I was awoken by a hubub of voices and decided that 30 mins was probably enough, based on experience.

Had a nice blast up from Castle Acre in the company of Viv and fellow Sudbury riders, just about managing to hand on at the back.  I trailed off the end at Arabella pace most of the way to Harvey's and then picked them up for the whizz to the ferry - Brian had led me to believe there was a lounge deck and bar onboard, not quite, Brian.  I then persuaded folks (apart from certain people who rushed off the front) to do the final few km at a more sedate pace.

7.5% faster than any other 600 I've done.   :)  This may be due more to sleeping less and being towed at stupidly fast than anything else.  But stupidly fast was a better idea than tackling the headwind on my own.

Hope those who were still out there when I left made it back OK.

Note to self - if I am carrying around random bits of spare chain they ought to fit the chain that I'm actually using.  Otherwise I should just not bother, it's not as if I used them when the chain did break anyway.
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Still Seething 600
« Reply #99 on: 19 July, 2010, 07:29:32 pm »
11-jun-2011, apparently [but you didn't get that from me, right?]

I may have found my qualifier ...
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles