Kent Hop Garden 200 10 May

[Martin]

a bit Coals to Newcastle for me but still a nice ride with a lot of lanes I never normally do; if I ride it will be an post- raincheck EOL as I'm saving my rims 

anyone else?

[frere yacker]

Thinking about the version that is running on 10 May...

If you are free on 3 May, fancy doing the Man of Kent 300?  I sent off for a perm card yday.

[Fixedwheelnut]

 I am hoping to be my first 200 for two years 

[Martin]

Thinking about the version that is running on 10 May...

err yes that'd be the one 

[nuttycyclist]

Any idea of the route for this?

[Martin]

assuming it`s the same as 2005 Ivy Hatch-Ashdown Forest~Romney Marsh~World o Water~bloody great hill up the N Downs (Holly Hill apparently*)- Meopham;

sorry if it's a bit vague I was trying to hold onto Simon B's wheel and not thinking too much last time I rode; it definitely went the same way over the Forest (Friars Gate) last year as we met it on a club run; although I was a bit confused 2 years ago as we met it going towards the WoW from the North as we were returning from the same on the Hailsham 400

* Bigfoot Bike Club - Bromley Based Cycling Club

[Martin]

Tom's upped the EOL fee to £7 but I still think I'll take a punt rather than risk another wet 200 across Romney Marsh (after last year's Dungeewow)

[nuttycyclist]

Well I certainly intend to be at the start... and hope I won't be a DNF due to mechanicals or injury...



I've put the route into the GPS (which is a first) and because I don't trust it I have moved the maptrap to an old broken spacebar of cheese and zip tie construction so that the GPS can go on the stem.

I've redone the bar tape that was badly done and starting to fall off during the last ride.

I've adjusted my slipping gears - and found the derailleur was cross threaded instead of being installed properly (I took it off last month to clean).

I've adjusted the stop screw again as the cage now goes into the spokes.

I noticed while doing that that when I put power on the pedals the extremely worn chain slides up the teeth of the chainring and shows daylight between chain and ring...

Test ride is tomorrow's commute...   and that's the last time I'll be able to ride the bike before the ride...

[tomj]

Hop Garden route is much the same as in previous years with a few extra Km’s between Appledore and Brenzett to “make up the distance”.

Early entrants should note my booboo with the 200Km route sheet.
Amended route sheets available on request.

Correctly update route includes:

Stage 3 Rolvenden to Staplehurst
106   L to ROLVENDEN
107.7   R $ WITTERSHAM into Maytham Road
114.6   R @ T $ WITTERSHAM B2082
117.4   L $ APPLEDORE on RH Bend
122.4   R $ APPLEDORE into Court Lodge Road
123.4   R @ T $ New Romney (BRENZETT) B2080
129.5   L @ RAB $ Brenzett Green and first
129.8   L into Church Road and shortly
129.8   INFO CONTROL


All the scenic bits are still there!


On the line entrants welcome although you may get a 2006/7/8 Brevet Card

[Martin]

Another excellent edition of this very nice but also pretty hard ride; the main reason I've not done it more often is that it's a lot further than Hailsham and also comes back to Ashdown Forest; but the bits that are familiar to me are very little of the actual ride so it was very worthwhile.

Met Simon B formally of this parish at the start and rode most of the day with him; also Ed Nevard (with apprentice) for bits. Wrong turn just after the start and a loose gear cable in Simon's bike saw us firmly at the tail end.

We caught a few others up before traversing Invicta Grimpeurland but got a bit engrossed in conversation and missed both Leigh and then the next thing we knew we were in Tonbridge  a bit of local knowledge and experience of previous bum steers got us back on track in Langton Green, we were 10km over by the time we hit the Ashdown Forest drag in Groombridge; a local hill for me but always a pleasure.

Thereafter a reverse of the Mid Sussex Hilly as far as Burnt Oak before more ESCA reliabilty trial favourites to Wadhurst and familar El Supremo 400 route to the WoW who were as efficient and plentiful as ever 

A quick loop of Romney Marsh for an info then a rolling route to the wonderful Iden Herb Garden caff. We knew what was coming for the next 40km and it was a long old grind up first Holly Hill and then the final hill up to Meopham to finish in 10.30 (10 dead if you allow for the Tour de Tonbridge)

Many thanks Tom and your helpers

I'll be back 

[nuttycyclist]

An excellent ride indeed, but for one thing...


Was it just me, or were those the most poorly surfaced roads going?   I had to stop after 19k (SO X with A25) to re-fit the spacebar to the handlebars with better rubber padding, as it was pointing down after every descent.

I had to stop later to tape the route sheet into the maptrap (first time ever!) as it shook out on every downhill if I went over 25mph.  I really had to hold my speed down*, and so finished at 19:00, whereas I was expecting 18:00 as usual for a 200.

By the end of the ride the maptrap had half destructed (photos to follow) but I should be able to fettle it back to shape.

I couldn't hear the scenery over the noise of rattling bars, mudguards, spacebar, rack-pack, etc etc etc.


It seems that many of the roads have been sprayed with tar & chippings, which have now half vanished to leave the old surface in random lumpy patches; or the stone chippings used to make the road are huge and without any tar padding.  On top of that the roads seemed full of potholes, or patched trenches from cable/pipeline laying.  Oh, and all manholes seemed fitted 2 inches below the road surface.


The ride itself was excellent, but I'm considering taking the 200k gpx file and submitting it to CTC's fill-that-hole site 


I'll ride this one again





* although I did notice the computer showing 40mph in Groomsbridge, as a 30mph speed limit sign went past 

[Martin]

An excellent ride indeed, but for one thing...
Was it just me, or were those the most poorly surfaced roads going?   

no it's not just you; yes they were in the main pretty appalling; not helped by my very twitchy Trek that has now given me a sore bot despite new shorts 

BTW who were you nutty? I was in the PBP top with matching yellow yellow yellow and yellow

[Chris S]

Was it just me, or were those the most poorly surfaced roads going?   I had to stop after 19k (SO X with A25) to re-fit the spacebar to the handlebars with better rubber padding, as it was pointing down after every descent.

I'm sure it wasn't just you.

I had to stop and attack my bike with spanners on the Severn Across last week, when the appalling road surface through Great Missenden started to undo everything not actually welded to the bike.

I'm sure it's no coincidence that one of my fillings fell out this week... 

[nuttycyclist]

BTW who were you nutty? I was in the PBP top with matching yellow yellow yellow and yellow

ACF shorts and cap.  Blue Dawes Audax.  Gloves on to hide fettling scars.  Stopped at the roadside more than I wanted to be to fettle.

[Cyklisten]

Good to see some of the usual suspects and one or two new (to me) faces.  A patchwork (as were the roads!) of other rides there were plenty of "Ah, this is the bit from ...  ".
My plan to rib Martin about getting extra miles in around Tonbridge evaporated when our approach, from the wrong direction, to the Iden checkpoint was spotted by ...  guess who! Doh!
A new chain on an old cassette (lectures on a postcard, please) put paid to my favoured 'climbing out of the saddle' mode so the bigger climbs were done seated and gently on the cranks to stop the chain jumping. 
I missed out this ride last year (and probably the year before too) owing to El Supremo's 400 but my late training plan (BS for 'Not done much') allowed me a local ride. It feels odd passing within a couple of miles of your own front door knowing that Holly Hill (Birling Hill) has to be climbed after 200 or so k's instead of while fresh. Maybe I should've ridden to the start and done it twice - Ha!
Many thanks to Tom & Co for an excellent day out

[leeg]

ACF shorts and cap.  Blue Dawes Audax.

I think I knocked your bike over at the last control.  Sorry, hopefully no more damage than that already caused by the road surfaces.

[Bendy Bianchi]

So how many other people didn't manage to find the final control, like myself?

[Cyklisten]

well ... eventually 

[Blodwyn Pig]

I whimped out and only did the 100k first audax for over 2 years. and thoroughly enjoyed it!  well except Holly Hill ( oh and that other little one a bit after)splendid ride. well done Tom

[dougal]

I went for the 100 as well and had a super day out.

Having cracked on Holly Hill at the end of the 160 last year I was better prepared and this year I relished every knee popping second of it, even more so the extra bit at the end.

[Martin]

well ... eventually 

and wasn't it worth it? 

[Grandad]

Nice to have visitors confirm our opinion that Kent is the pot hole capital of the UK.  KCC boast of how many they have filled but don't mention how many are still left to do (or how many reappear within days of being "filled")

[Cyklisten]

well ... eventually 

and wasn't it worth it? 

(Churchill)  awww, Yes! 

[nuttycyclist]

ACF shorts and cap.  Blue Dawes Audax.

I think I knocked your bike over at the last control.  Sorry, hopefully no more damage than that already caused by the road surfaces.

 



No worrries     My fault for being stupid and leaving a top heavy bike leant against a wobbly sign.  I felt awkward that the control lady picked it straight up to lean it against the hedge, and thought that if I came running over to help her it'd seem that I was fussing.

So how many other people didn't manage to find the final control, like myself?

 

I remember last time I went to Iden Herbs for a control, I started wondering just how far down that driveway one had to cycle.

Does anybody know if the foreign sounding chap (German/Austrian type accent, very bright flashing front and rear lights) found it?   I met him just after the first control, that he'd missed, and sent him back up the hill*.  Then he bounced WOW while I was eating my chips.



* On leaving me he started heading towards oncoming traffic, then swore at the memory as to the side of the road we use, before swerving through traffic back to the left 

[Cyklisten]

I remember last time I went to Iden Herbs for a control, I started wondering just how far down that driveway one had to cycle.

Does anybody know if the foreign sounding chap (German/Austrian type accent, very bright flashing front and rear lights) found it?   I met him just after the first control, that he'd missed, and sent him back up the hill*.  Then he bounced WOW while I was eating my chips.



* On leaving me he started heading towards oncoming traffic, then swore at the memory as to the side of the road we use, before swerving through traffic back to the left 

If you mean the chap on the yellow Airnimal, yes he was sitting at the same table as me when you bike went over ...

I think he is from the Netherlands ... possibly Martin Hilbers (deduced from rides where I have seen him before)