Author Topic: The Buzzard 600  (Read 14248 times)

Hillbilly

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #50 on: 11 July, 2013, 01:13:00 pm »
South facing descents even more FTW  :)

bikey-mikey

  • AUK 6372
  • Yes, I am completely mad ! a.k.a. 333
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #51 on: 11 July, 2013, 05:48:27 pm »
I did four 200 km rides from Friday to Monday last weekend, and they were all in scorching temperatures....  :demon:  things I learned..   :smug:.

SUNCREAM: I use Boots Soltan Once factor 40 - It gives 8 hours protection in one go, even if you get a bit wet occasionally, provided you don't dry yourself with a towel.  It takes 15 minutes to dry, which I hardly ever wait for, but of course that means that your arms and legs end up looking like the bottom of a budgie's cage....  I consider it likely that if you are protected for the worst eight hours of the day, you should be OK for the rest......

Keeping cool:  I tend to go into little shops at garages to buy chockie milkshake, which is normally kept in a fridge, and if you drink it down when it is icy cold, I think it is doing some sort of job cooling you inside - I also tend to stand around drinking it RIGHT BY THE OPEN FRIDGES, where you can lose a significant amount of heat (don't actually sit down in one, though I have come very close!!)

Baselayers:  I have always been a 'wear a baselayer' advocate, but experimenting over the four days I have changed my mind - nothing is quite as good at cooling you as a sweaty body directly exposed to 30 kph wind...  BY all means take a sleeveless baselayer for the overnight bits, when the temps can drop well below what the websites say, because the ride will go over some high ground...


WARNING: I'm staying at the Hockliffe, Dunstable Travelodge about 8 km from the start - if you are also staying there, be aware that the Little Chef that you can see on google is CLOSED - I checked with the hotel this afternoon - so take some food with you !!
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
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caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #52 on: 11 July, 2013, 06:34:40 pm »
I'm staying with my mommy in Bedford - plenty of food there  ;D
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #53 on: 11 July, 2013, 07:40:09 pm »
WARNING: I'm staying at the Hockliffe, Dunstable Travelodge about 8 km from the start - if you are also staying there, be aware that the Little Chef that you can see on google is CLOSED - I checked with the hotel this afternoon - so take some food with you !!

There's a Wetherspoons pub (and it's also a Wetherspoons hotel which serves breakfast from 7am instead of the usual 8am for future reference) in Leighton Buzzard main high street. Or if you're really desperate, there is the Maccy Ds on the A5. Sod all else in Hockliffe and not a lot in Dunstable really.
If you're feeling posh, then Woburn has some nice places to eat or if you feel like getting ome miles in then Milton Keynes is full of eateries but you'll probably end up getting lost.

If you're up for a meal Friday night then I might pop out on my bike and join in if you know when and where you are going.

bikey-mikey

  • AUK 6372
  • Yes, I am completely mad ! a.k.a. 333
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #54 on: 11 July, 2013, 07:53:04 pm »
WARNING: I'm staying at the Hockliffe, Dunstable Travelodge about 8 km from the start - if you are also staying there, be aware that the Little Chef that you can see on google is CLOSED - I checked with the hotel this afternoon - so take some food with you !!

There's a Wetherspoons pub (and it's also a Wetherspoons hotel which serves breakfast from 7am instead of the usual 8am for future reference) in Leighton Buzzard main high street. Or if you're really desperate, there is the Maccy Ds on the A5. Sod all else in Hockliffe and not a lot in Dunstable really.
If you're feeling posh, then Woburn has some nice places to eat or if you feel like getting ome miles in then Milton Keynes is full of eateries but you'll probably end up getting lost.

If you're up for a meal Friday night then I might pop out on my bike and join in if you know when and where you are going.

Useful info for the Sunday after arrivee, thanks TG - Friday night I will arrive fairly late and probably grab something at the MacD since it is only 550 metres from the Travelodge  :P  before getting my head down, but thanks for the thought !!   :)
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
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Euan Uzami

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #55 on: 12 July, 2013, 01:25:22 am »
30 "quite nice"?! Having a laugh surely ...
30 is *boiling*, quite nice is about 18-20. In fact the sort of temps it is here in wester ross. South of m4 corridor? Might as well just go to death Valley and have done with it ;)

bikey-mikey

  • AUK 6372
  • Yes, I am completely mad ! a.k.a. 333
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #56 on: 12 July, 2013, 07:32:54 am »
30 "quite nice"?! Having a laugh surely ...
30 is *boiling*, quite nice is about 18-20. In fact the sort of temps it is here in wester ross. South of m4 corridor? Might as well just go to death Valley and have done with it ;)

In the days I used to commute to Chelmsford from Bristol the M4 was similar to Death Valley, only more dangerous.....
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #57 on: 12 July, 2013, 07:34:51 am »
30 is *boiling*, quite nice is about 18-20.

30 is better than -3 in a millions miles.

Euan Uzami

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #58 on: 12 July, 2013, 07:58:54 am »
30 is *boiling*, quite nice is about 18-20.

30 is better than -3 in a millions miles.
Course, but that doesn't mean you have to be grateful for it when it is 30 ... ;)

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #59 on: 13 July, 2013, 09:19:18 am »
32 entries in total. 16 actually turned up at the start. The temperature hit 20 degrees at 0700 as they (all but two late arrivals) left.

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #60 on: 13 July, 2013, 11:15:05 am »
Apologies for a no show Ian,
haven't used my bike since pendle and have been stuck in exam mode for the last few weeks.

Last minute prep yesterday revealed a mystery broken spoke, thought it was too late/too much hassle to go sorting it out etc :/

αdαmsκι

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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #61 on: 13 July, 2013, 02:27:57 pm »
One DNF already. My wallet & phone escaped from my saddlebag, but I didn't realise this until Alex noticed my brevet card was also trying to escape. Alex gave me £30 cash (hero :thumbsup:) & I started retracing my steps. I eventually found the phone, broken by the A4 traffic, but no sign of my wallet. Ar$e. I didn't want to spend the rest of the ride begging for money from other riders and there was no chance I'd catch up again with Alex, so used the cash he'd given to me on a train ticket back to London. Time to now cancel my credit cards, block my Oyster card auto top up, order a new driving licence from the DVLA and railcard and buy a new phone.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #62 on: 13 July, 2013, 02:34:17 pm »
One DNF already. My wallet & phone escaped from my saddlebag, but I didn't realise this until Alex noticed my brevet card was also trying to escape. Alex gave me £30 cash (hero :thumbsup:) & I started retracing my steps. I eventually found the phone, broken by the A4 traffic, but no sign of my wallet. Ar$e. I didn't want to spend the rest of the ride begging for money from other riders and there was no chance I'd catch up again with Alex, so used the cash he'd given to me on a train ticket back to London. Time to now cancel my credit cards, block my Oyster card auto top up, order a new driving licence from the DVLA and railcard and buy a new phone.
That's a pretty comprehensive list of buggrits. Sorry to hear that.
One other DNF so far, due to a pothole.

Reg.T

  • "You don't have to go fast; you just have to go."
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #63 on: 13 July, 2013, 03:26:25 pm »
And there was me expecting to hear of attrition due to the weather. Sorry to hear of the DNFs, and I hope the others are all coping with the heat, managing to make progress without getting too dehydrated/exhausted/burned.

I found it tough going last weekend with a 200km + 100km (getting through 3 bidons in the last 50km of the 100km before the hottest part of the day, and still being really thirsty at the end), and happy to be having a quiet weekend in this heat. Chapeau to all.
Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies

marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #64 on: 13 July, 2013, 04:52:04 pm »
That's all a bit rubbish there Adamski - sorry to hear of your woes.

Hopefully everyone else is having a better time of it and looking after themselves in this heat - can't say I envy them today!
Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

Pete Mas

  • Don't Worry 'bout a thing...
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #65 on: 13 July, 2013, 05:32:33 pm »
Commiserations to Adamski.

With this heat, at least  the overnight riding should be excellent. Before then, my advice would be to stop at a nice pub half-way between controls and guzzle a few pints of....blackcurrant squash to re-hydrate, especially if the water in your bottles seems warmer than shower water.

I have the Kingston-Worthing 45mile TT tomorrow, but that starts at 6.00am, so temperatures should be pleasant
''It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive."

R.L.Stevenson

bikey-mikey

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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #66 on: 13 July, 2013, 11:14:09 pm »
I'm still at Exeter services, having got here at about 10:20 averaging over 20 kph.

Nobody else seems to have got here according to the staff, but I did see Alex going the other way (the wrong way) about an hour and a half ago, somewhere maybe near Honiton on the quiet hilly bit that parallels the A30, though I might well have got that place wrong. He waved and I wondered if he was continuing since he seemed way ahead but off course..

Oh and I had a buggrit, falling off by getting trapped in a road subsidence that I didn't spot in time - I tried to bunny out, but ended up eating Tarmac and swearing. Got gravel rash in many places and a big hole in my hand, and ahem there may be some work to Di on the DI2 - it changes but I can't use the largest sprocket cos the derailleur now clips the spokes..  and I need new bar tape and new bib shorts and a new Audax long zip top  and and and...

:)
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
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αdαmsκι

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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #67 on: 14 July, 2013, 07:35:59 am »
I did see Alex going the other way (the wrong way) about an hour and a half ago, somewhere maybe near Honiton on the quiet hilly bit that parallels the A30, though I might well have got that place wrong.

Alex packed.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

contango

  • NB have not grown beard since photo was taken
  • The Fat And The Furious
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #68 on: 14 July, 2013, 09:21:12 am »
I have trouble dealing with 30 when I'm not doing anything let alone cycling a long way.
Frankly I don't care what you think, sorry but like I said, some of us don't deal with heat well and I make no apologies about being concerned. I'll probably be alright but I think it's reasonable to ask advice on dealing with it when I haven't done it before.

My first 100 mile ride took place on Dec 29th against storm force winds and all-day torrential rain. It wasn't much fun at times but I did it and I expect this wont be remotely as bad and I expect it will be OK. Nevertheless, I have been sunburnt in less than 15 minutes in Scotland before now in the sunshine. For me this is a major concern so - with respect - just because YOU have no issue with it - it doesn't make that a universal fact of human reality.

Glad I'm not the only one. With the temperature holding around 25 or so I have issues keeping hydrated even on a 200. Probably because I'm still a heavy rider and sweat more, especially when climbing hills.

When the temperature goes into the 30s I tend to get miserable pretty quickly, I just don't like the heat.
Always carry a small flask of whisky in case of snakebite. And, furthermore, always carry a small snake.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #69 on: 14 July, 2013, 10:25:32 am »
Riders from hotter regions drink more and take it steady on the climbs. Brits think they are drinking lots when they go through more than 2 bidons per 100 km. I have more than doubled that consumption rate (+ more at controls) in the right conditions.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Chris S

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #70 on: 14 July, 2013, 10:29:41 pm »
So.

Did anyone actually finish this ride?

Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #71 on: 14 July, 2013, 11:16:39 pm »
When I was uncharacteristically cleaning my bike the night before the Buzzard, I found there was about half an inch of play on the bottom bracket as one of the bearing races had collapsed. I had a new bottom bracket and cranks, but didn’t have a tool for the outrider type bottom brackets. Luckily my brother-in-law had one and a handy metal pipe to give the leverage needed to remove the old one. I had to fit the new cranks as well because the spindle was a different diameter, so I had to swap the chain-rings and pedals over too. All this meant that I didn’t get to bed until 0030 and had to get up at 0330 to allow time to finish getting ready and drive down.

After all that, Ian didn't have my name on his start list again, just like on the National 400, so I think I must be black-listed by his Paypal account.

I did finish though, but due to needing lots of little sleeps and adding a few extra deviations to an already over-distance route, I had to ride through the hottest part of both days and finished at about 17:50 rather than early afternoon as planned.                               


bikey-mikey

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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #72 on: 15 July, 2013, 04:14:22 am »
I finished at about a quarter to seven Sunday evening with Steve, who had also had fallen on this particular event. Strange but true, we noticed that we had identical Santini fingerless mitts, and both right gloves are trashed, so we can't even get away with combining the  two pairs...
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
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Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #73 on: 15 July, 2013, 09:35:38 am »
The suspense is killing. I shan't know the numbers until the cards arrive in the post. It's the first time I've organised an 'X' event. Wondering whether to add some facilities around the 360k mark next year.

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: The Buzzard 600
« Reply #74 on: 15 July, 2013, 09:53:05 am »
Hmm, I replied to this thread earlier but the post seems to have disappeared into the ether.

Sorry to hear about all the DNFs and DNSs - particularly for Pat the rider who got hurt by the Pothole just (before/after?) Pangboure.  I didn't see it as it happened behind me but this elbow was clearly in a bad state.  I wondered if he'd carried on.  :(  I rode with Steve the other victim of that crash later on but he was clearly going well, certainly he left me behind as the hills of Chard began.

So ride report.

Well this was my first 600 and what an experience!  Phew that was HOT  :o

Flew off at the start, often riding at the head of the peloton as we made very good speed to Panbourne.  My handlebar bag demonstrated its issues here as I lost various belongings from it on the road.  If it hadn't been for that I would probably have arrived at Pangbourne ahead of pace as we were getting it up to 18.1 mph when I lost the first item from the barbag and had to stop and recatch the peloton for the first time.
Controlled at the co-op in Pangbourne and headed off with a now smaller group consisting of Bikey Mikey, Aidan and iCycle.  This dwindled to three as iCycle went his own pace but he was to be still seen at times for most of the day - saw him again at Sherbourne for example./

At Chandler's Ford I lost Mikey and Aidan as I followed my GPS while they clearly stopped for food.  So I had a club sandwich and an ice cold lager at a Harvester for my lunch.  Then headed for Salisbury on my own.  The heat started to really get up now and in Salisbury I sat at a lake by the cathedral and dunked various parts of my body in the water as I listened to charming teenagers discuss OD-ing and cameltoes (yeah, they were lovely :facepalm:)
After controlling here and going well so far off ot Sherbourne I went on my own.  On the way to here the heat and the fast beginning started to take its toll and the choppiness of the terrain drained my soul.  I linked up with iCycle and Aidan again into Sherbourne but we split here as I needed proper fuel and they wanted to go to yet another garage.  So I stopped at the same pub Teethgrinder used on his ride in December I guess - certainly it's where my GPS tracklog based on his stopped.  I was aware there was some heavy climbing to come soon and I was well knackered already.  So my thoughts were to get some major calories down my neck.  A problem that was going to get worse started here though as my body started to reject food.  I'd suffered this issue at the final control on the national 400 before though and that stuffed me - so I forceda lovely bowl of soup and a chocolated fudge cake down my neck.  Interestingly my body had no such problem with liquids as I inhaled a pint of lager as I waited for my food (it seems I was thirsty 8) ) so this was followed by two more pints - this time of Orang Juice and lemonade.
Controlling here was an issue though ::-)  The pub had only just opened so the receipt was just a small piece of paper with some numbers on it - no address, no time.  So I got the guy at the bar to sign and date both the Brevet card and the receipt.  I hope this is OK, I've also 'checked in' there on Facebook and have a GPS tracklog to back up my timings... I 'checked in' on Facebook at most controls just to let my various FB friends my progress - it never occurred to me that it might come in handy  later on!

So with boat loads of calories from Sherbourne the real climbing started.  I met up with Steve (of the early crash) on my way out of Sherbourne and we stayed together until Chard - well ish.  I could see him in the distance still; until I stopped at Tesco in Chard for some sustenance.  Anyway, I had suspected, as with other long audaxes that I might start walking hills and this seemed a likely time - but lo! fuel at Sherbourne did the business.  I didn't walk up a single hill all day on Saturday and made all; the big climbs either side of Chard.  I will admit to stopping for a rest up the final one halfway up - but I mitigated this by heading up to the top and then realising I'd left my glasses behind where I'd stopped so I had return to fetch them and so did this hill 1 1/2 times!  I arrived in Exeter at about midnight and had a Subway special.  I got quizzed here by another customer who, as it turned out, was a cyclist too and was wondering what I was doing out so late.  He gave me lots of encouragement when I told him :-)

So last leg of the night and more calorie intake saw me fly into the Travelodge in Sampford Peverell - I got a real second wind here and steamrollered past a couple of guys about 5 miles before the stop.
Took three hours sleep and the rest stop putting me right up against the time limit in the morning.  Had I realised what issues I was going to get later on I migth have given myself half an hour less but I don't regret the sleep it was lovely and just what I needed.

Day2
Woke up, had a crap shower (Travelodge - would a small bar of soap really be too much to ask?) and headed out in chamois cream covered fresh bibshorts and top.  Yes I'm finally coming to appreciate el-lubrication and the rigours of all day in the saddle re posterior issues.
Legs were tired but I was delighted to see that the next leg was very benign with only 362 ft of climbing!  I wondered if that in fact meant elevation difference and it turns out, yes, that is exactly what the Garmin meant ::-)  So in fact I rolled into Wells having done rather more climbing than I'd hoped.  It was *really* heating up by the time I got to Wells.
My body was still rejectign solids so controls from now on meant 1L milk, 1L of orange juice and loads of water.  I did manage half a flapjack in Wells though.

Now the toughest of all tough legs began.  Searing heat and some good proper west country choppiness preceded the mother of all climbs out of Bath.  I'd stopped in Bath and had a rather nice peach with another guy called Steve, pretty much the last fellow rider I would see on the ride.  This stop rather put me back right up against the time limit though although Steve was pleased that we had 4 hours to make the 60 km to Cirencester I was not so confident.  I descended into Bath and then got lost as the Garmin tried to send me up duel carriage way style roads the wrong way.  This was more or less after the climbs turned into 25% or whaterver those slopes are in Bath.  I ended up having to actually carry my bike about at one point as I certainly wasnt' getting on on those slopes and wheeling the bike on cleats on those slopes was dangerous at times.  So I used my phone maps to get me out of trouble and headed for Bannerdown.  I'm not sure I could do that climb in benign conditions - I certainly wasn't beginning to attempt it in that heat.  The air was dead and walking up to Bannerdown was little short of a nightmare in searing temperatures with very little shelter.  This was my lowpoint.  I was now walking and having been lost, significantly behind the time limit.  My crumb of comfort was that i knew this was the last of the big climbs on the ride.
So when I got to the top I tried to make up the time to at least get to Cirencester by the cut off. A little joyful moment came  18 miles prior to Cirencester where I stopped briefly in the shade to check on the time with the Brevet card and was delighted to see that I'd 2 hours to make 18 miles.  Easy.  The moment I headed off - puncture! Snarl.  Still, got it fixed and lost about 20 minutes. ::-) In the end I did actually manage it but only just and through controlling at Waitrose before I got ino Cirencester proper. 
The rest of the ride  was hopefully going to be easier now and I thought I could make the time up.

I could but it was tough.  I was proper dehyudrated now and I finally worked out why I could eat no solids.  My body was incapable currently of producing a saliva.  This discovery  allowed me to eat again at the expense of time and I had a celebratory banana and energy bar plus my usual orange juice/milk/coke combination at the last control at Brackley.
I made the last two control points with half an hour in hand each time and rolled into Leighton Buzzard at 10.30 pm.

Here the receipt is again an issue but again I have GPS and facebook 'check in' to help me plus a signed handmade receipt and Brevet card from the Barmaid.

So... less than a year after discovering I liked to cycle a long way and 13 months since I began my post-student cycling efforts I have completed an SR (subject to validation).

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Bike related woes.  Cable stretch means I've lost use of the front derailleur (for about the last 1/3rd of the 600k) and I lost my lowest gear *before* Chard ::roll::
It needs a new headset (kind of knew that already) and I suspect I've worn the chain and rear cassette althugh the skipping I got towards the end might just be an indexing issue related to the cable stretch.
I need a new set of cleats after Bannerdown hill.

Issues with myself.
I have a very sore arse!  I'm starting to agree that a racing saddle is not best suited to one of these things.
I've got numb heels on my hands and a numb right foot and more aches and pains elsewhere than I care to mention.
I broke my glasses on the way into Brackley.  I lost a lense on the road and it won't go back in.  Damn - good job it's still sunny and I can use my sunglasses on the way home where I have spare glasses.

What _ an _ adventure!  Congrats to all who made it and once again it was nice to ride with Mikey, Steve, Aidan, Ian and Steve.  (we should just make things easier and just call everyone who rides an audax Steve ;) )

It's a reverse Elvis thing.