Dick Turpin's day out 200kms

[Pip]

Och it was a dreich day on Monday. Cold and damp with a nagging headbreeze for the first 100 or so kms.

Three intrepid pedallers set off from Great Dunmow at 8 a.m, all claiming not to have ridden for umpteen weeks. You have to get your excuses in early at this game!

Big Ian decided that 25kms p h was not quick enough into the breeze, so he heroically took over on the front of our peletonette, and dragged us to Saffron Walden  22kms down the road at an average speed of 28kms per hour.
Pipsuds was in attendance masochistically riding a bike/pannier set up that must have weighed 20kgs. If/ when he acquires a lighter bike, and refrains from lugging full camping back-up around these events, he will fly like a bird.
Lavenham was reached by familiar roads and we stopped for soup ectc. Unfortunately it was equally cold inside the cafe as outside. A super ride followed through perfect touring lanes until the pie shop in Walsham. At this point, 97 clicks into the ride, I don't belive that Ian had used his smaller ring, nor any other sprockets save the two little ones .

A slower than expected trundle to Debenham followed (maybe it was the pies!), where we stopped for lunch...again.. in the delightful vanilla box cafe. More home made soup, sarnies, coffee etc were ingested and off we set into the gloom towards Sudbury.

By the this time the temperature had risen slightly, the breeze was on our backs, the roads were smooth and it had started to drizzle. Despite the fact that my beloved Schmidty had packed up (loose connections), the ride to Bildeston was enjoyable.

However soon afterwards, Pipsuds' rear wheel gave up the ghost, and he was forced to walk 3 or 4 miles to Sudbury to hail a taxi, whilst Ian and I completed the ride some 30 miles away in Dunmow. A sad ending for Phil. Meanwhile the benefit of having ridden parts of this  route on various occasions allowed Ian and I to do away with the routesheet/GPS and arrive safely, if a little cold, hungry and wet at our destination.

There are some glorious lanes and small roads on this ride, especially after Saffron Walden, and although we experienced some busy traffic around rush hour time, it was short-lived.

A much more demanding ride than we expected. Thanks to Tom for putting it together

[Tomsk]

Sounds like a tough day. I've already heard Pipsuds' tale of woe, just grateful it was a gradual rim failure, not a sudden explosion ! ! At least you earned a fair few Pie and Cake Points, which is why we do it  ! Sorry we weren't around, otherwise we could have commiserated/fed/warmed/dried you out afterwards.

[Deano4]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I thought it would be better than starting a new one.

Here's my report from this ride yesterday:

Ride 3 of my RRTY challenge for 2019 was Tom’s ‘Dick Turpin’s Day Out’ a 200km perm starting in Great Dunmow and visiting many places the famous Highwayman lived and robbed. I left the house just after 05:00 and arrived in Great Dunmow at about 06:30. The first cash machine I picked wasn’t issuing receipts, so good start there. I bit further up I found another one and I was able to get one, a quick check that it had the date, time and location and I was on my way to the first control in Saffron Walden.

There has been a mist over night and it showed no sign of dispersing as the sun rose on the way to Saffron. I controlled at the 24hour Tesco and tried to get a receipt  from the cash machine but once again it wasn’t issuing receipts. It was just as well really as the sandwich I bought came in handy on the next stage to Lavenham. I was making good time, at least for me and my cycle computer was showing my speed as 15mph (when there weren’t any hills at least) and with no extra effort. So either I had cracked this cycling lark or the wind was with me, probably the latter.

When I finally arrived at Lavenham at 09:50 the sun had finally burned through the mist and I could turn my lights off. I controlled at an expensive tea room rather than the co-op as including the journey from home to Great Dunmow I had done about 50 miles, so thought it was time for a proper sit down. I had stopped at this tea room once before on the Baron’s 200 miles back in 2017 and oddly enough the ladies there remembered me. I guess they don’t get many cyclists? Anyway one expensive sandwich and a cup of tea (highway robbery!) and I was back on the road Waltham-Le-Willows where I had planned to have lunch at the Blue Boar.

However once again I was making good time and arrived before it had opened. Wondering what to do about the receipt I took a couple of photos of my bike next to the pub (just in case) and then went to see if there was anywhere in town to eat and control at. Luck would have it that just down the road was Moriarty’s cafe, not sure where the Sherlock cafe is? My plan for lunch had to be cut short though to just a slice of cake and a coke as they were expecting a large party at 12:30 and needed my table.

Still at a crossed the half way point now and the next stage to Debenham was short. The wind now was starting to play against me but still didn’t cause any problems and wasn’t energy sapping. I controlled at the CO-OP buying another sandwich to eat on the next stage. It turns out this was another wise choice as half way up one of the hills I completely ran out of energy. I sat on the grass overlooking a field and ate it looking forward to the McDonalds at Sudbury.

10 miles later I arrived at the penultimate control and had my first decent meal of the ride. I think this one could use a Wetherpoons! With 25 miles back to Dunmow I checked how was I doing for time and realised if I got a move on I might be able to finish inside 12 hours for the first time I ever. So I finished my milkshake and hit the road once more. The rolling hills were a bit punishing but I attacked them as best as I could and got back to Dunmow at about 18:10, so inside 12 hours.

My thanks to Tomsk for putting this ride together, was a grand day out!