Milton Keynes September 600 (or 2 200s or a 300 and a 200) 2012

[teethgrinder]

Just done a provisional route on googlemaps.

Milton Keynes
Red Lodge
Harleston
Norwich Showground Premier Inn (we're staying at the Travelodge, but we'll eat here)
Sheringham
Heacham
Norwich Travelodge at 360-365km
Fleet Hargate
Ely
Biggleswade
Milton Keynes


Not definite, but that's probably what we'll do or not far from it.

[Bairdy]

No route planned yet, There's still about a month to go so I don't see what the panic is about.

My regional DIY organiser asks to allow up to a month to receive Brevet cards from him, and you are supposed to submit your proposed route with your cheque and application, so this is where the concern is coming from I guess.
I sent him a cheque and explained there was no route as yet. (I'm hoping this is O.K IanH  )

[marcusjb]

I am out of this as a social engagement on the 15th looks unavoidable. Shame as it sounds like it would be brilliant!

[mattc]

No route planned yet, There's still about a month to go so I don't see what the panic is about.

My regional DIY organiser asks to allow up to a month to receive Brevet cards from him, and you are supposed to submit your proposed route with your cheque and application, so this is where the concern is coming from I guess.
I sent him a cheque and explained there was no route as yet. (I'm hoping this is O.K IanH  )

It's also useful to plan in advance for other boring logistical reasons e.g. cheap train tickets.
But I'm certainly not knocking TG - he's only just finished organising a 400k for us! 

[david.fisher]

What can I do to contribute / help?

[Jethro]

Here's the menu for dinner -

http://www.premierinn.com/en/admin/restaurants/hoteloverrides/NORSHO.pdf.bodyrestaurantinfo.Single.DinnerMenuPdfFile.tmp/DinnerMenu.pdf

[Bairdy]

No route planned yet, There's still about a month to go so I don't see what the panic is about.

My regional DIY organiser asks to allow up to a month to receive Brevet cards from him, and you are supposed to submit your proposed route with your cheque and application, so this is where the concern is coming from I guess.
I sent him a cheque and explained there was no route as yet. (I'm hoping this is O.K IanH  )

It's also useful to plan in advance for other boring logistical reasons e.g. cheap train tickets.
But I'm certainly not knocking TG - he's only just finished organising a 400k for us! 

I'm not knocking him. I'm very grateful and I'm looking forward to my 1st 600! 

[teethgrinder]

Done the route now.

Milton Keynes Travelodge at Shenley

Red Lodge Cafe 110km

Eye 163km (I'm not sure what we'll use as a control but there is a castle there so there must be something)

Norwich Showground Premier Inn 206km (Table Table pub restaurant)

Sheringham 246km (I do like to be beside the seaside. ATMs, shops and a garage on the way out)

Heacham 298km (ATM for control. Only pubs and takeaways will be open. Buy a snack in Sheringham. I'm hoping that we are quick through this control and make a dash for bed at the next control)

Cringleford Travelodge 366km (time for bed. There's a garage if you're hungry)

Kings Lynn 430km (Wetherspoons opens at 8am for breakfast, we will get there after 9)

Sutton Bridge 446km (Co-Op shop)

Ely 496km (Coffee shops etc or Tesco)

Biggleswade 554km (Shops etc)

Milton Keynes Shenley Travelodge 602km (Toby Carvery or ATM at Sainsburys)


Distances are from google on "walking" setting. We'll inevitably end up doing extra miles. I think my track is 620km because I've kept us in the lanes. We can always bash down the main road if we are tight for time. 20km extra on a 600k is just over 3%extra and it will be mostly spread out, so should be barely noticeable. The worst sections for adding on extra miles are the first where I avoided Cambridge and the section from the Travelodge to Kings Lynn and avoided the A47 and A17.

Route needs to be checked with a DIY organiser. I've got to go to work, so can't do it right now.

[RichForrest]

Done the route now.
Route needs to be checked with a DIY organiser. I've got to go to work, so can't do it right now.

Google won't give me a short url for some reason 
The link 2 posts below (using Steve's controls) is ok for distance and if you add it to your entry (in the more info box) to your local DIY org all will be ok.

Rich

Edit to remove stupidly long link 

[Jethro]

There is a Little Chef and a Mc.Donalds behind the Travelodge in Eye and also a petrol station with shop useful for controlling at.

[alotronic]

Here's a bitly link that works for me: http://bit.ly/QIin8B

[fungus]

Quite looking forward to this now, not cycled round that neck of the woods before.
Still need somewhere to doss down on the Friday night though so anyone whith some spare room in a travelodge who wants to share the cost or any floor space would be good thank you please 

[Lady Cavendish]

Hello.

Just thought I would wake the thread up as I am still scared, wondering whether I should try and want to be having discussions on riding 600k from Milton Keynes to make me feel like lots of people do this and it is in fact possible to ride this far.

I'm doing 2 x 200ks this weekend for a bit of practice at riding a bike.

[Lycra Man]

LadyC,

Having done the 400k with you, I am sure you can do a 600, provided you throttle back a bit and pace yourself.

Comfort on the bike is vital, so more applications of chamois cream might be required. Think about any areas of discomfort, and try to improve them. Padded shorts, more padded gloves, warmer kit for the night riding, etc.

I am sure if I can do it, then you can.

Lycra Man

[Lady Cavendish]

I will absolutely need throttling back. I just kind of ride without thinking about any sort of pace. Errorrrrrr.

And yes, now I have learnt of the powers of chamois cream I will be bringing some!!!!!

[Chuffy]

Another room at Cringlewood?
Well, I've just counted the names to see if we have enough people to justify another room.

Yikes! look at this lot!

teethgrinder
Jethro
Bigsybaby
Lady Cavendish
Fungus
:demon:chuffy
AlbertoC
Lycra Man
Bairdy
Tomsk
Denice (via PM)
Dr Mekon
marcusjb
mattc (unless he wants to sulk instead )
Carngorm

I'm out. Staggered round the K&SW last weekend so I've got my (first) SR for the year. Not sure I can face another 600 just yet!

Cheers anyway & good luck to everyone. 

[PAC]

LadyC...you'll be fine.  When I did my 1st 400 I found it really tough, especially in the 250-300k distance, but got through that & a couple of weeks later did my 1st 600k, which again was tough, but achievable  

[Lady Cavendish]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Still going to attempt it but not sure about finishing it! I think it would be easier when properly healthy. I don't think it helps starting knackered. Can only get more knackered. But I've been promised this is flatter than the 400. And there will be lots of us so it should be nice and sociable

Not sure I'll make dinner Friday night- expect people will be eating too early for me to get there. Kids/swimming lessons/work blablabla

[MattH]

I'm sure you'll be fine. 600s really aren't that much harder than a 400, if at all - once you can ride that kind of distance, then a bit more over easy terrain at a sensible pace is simple. You'll also have hit the mental effect of "I'm nearly done, don't think I'd be comfortable doing any more". I get that even on 200s, whereas on longer rides where I'm not looking forward to a finish at 200, 400 or even 600 then those points pass without me thinking about them.

Finally, once you've done this ride then when your friends ask what you did at the weekend, you'll be able to utter the immortal line "I woke up on Sunday morning in a cheap hotel room with a load of blokes I'd met on the Internet. And my bottom hurt." 

[marcusjb]

Finally, once you've done this ride then when your friends ask what you did at the weekend, you'll be able to utter the immortal line "I woke up on Sunday morning in a cheap hotel room with a load of blokes I'd met on the Internet. And my bottom hurt." 

 

Ha!

I would agree that 600s are not that much harder than 400s (all things being equal). I am not good at the sleep deprivation thing, so suffer on a 400 as you are always struggling to build up enough time for a real sleep. On a 600, even at my slowish pace, it is usually possible to build up enough time (let's forget about K&SW this year where I built up no time for a sleep and did it with 45 mins kip and 15 mins spare).

If you can get a decent few hours kip and, the magic reset button of a shower, you will be amazed at how fresh you will feel when you set off again on Sunday morning.

I wish I could make this as it sounds like a lot of fun will be had (not just with men in hotel rooms!).

[Jethro]

Im sure that the 360k can be completed in 18 - 19 hours max.  So with a 6.00am start we should be in bed between 12.00 - 1.00 and I dont suppose that we will need to leave again until 8.00 for the 240k to the finish.

[JordanCarroll]

Would love to do this but being relatively new with only a couple of 200s under my belt I think more prep is certainly in order!

Have to experience the demands of 300s and 400s on my backside and mental state before something like this :p Hope it goes well (so you are spurred on to do it again!)

[simonp]

Im sure that the 360k can be completed in 18 - 19 hours max.  So with a 6.00am start we should be in bed between 12.00 - 1.00 and I dont suppose that we will need to leave again until 8.00 for the 240k to the finish.

360/14.3 = ~25. So you'd be 1h out of time leaving at 08.00. It really depends on the length of the next stage whether it's safe to set off with 1h to make up to get back in time.

[Chris S]

Hmm. We left our overnight stop about 45 minutes out of time on the Cambrian 600 a few weeks ago. It made for quite a stressful hour or few while we played catch-up - especially when the terrain became rolling and less conducive to bashing hard.

But this is a DIY, and intervening control times are not generally enforced - so not an issue in this case, surely?

[fboab]

If you can get a decent few hours kip and, the magic reset button of a shower, you will be amazed at how fresh you will feel when you set off again on Sunday morning.

I never feel fresh until I've finished and pretended it was all a dream.

Just sayin'...