Author Topic: Birthday Rides  (Read 3550 times)

Birthday Rides
« on: 05 August, 2008, 10:13:51 am »
Blew the cobwebs of the fixed gear and dragged it round the Birthday Flyer 100 yesterday.  Apparently 23 of us started though it was hard to tell as a 'peleton' of at least 50 10mph CTC riders set out on a different ride but with the same first few miles at exactly the same time.  I got myself in front of them before I found myself being sucked into the potter to the pub option they were probably involved in. 

A reasonably lumpy rural ride with 1400m climbing; lots of Infos and receipt control at Prestbury giving the option of a pub lunch.  Lots of pretty Cotswold villages and a chance to to do the 'other' hills round Compton Abdale.  Bit of main road through Stow but this included the fast A429 descent, bit more busy road up Cleeve Hill  with the fast descent into Winchcombe.  I walked up the hill after Stanton.  A great day out made even better by not getting sunburnt or rained on!

Jane meanwhile pottered round the Little Auk 50 which was a sort of family/first timer affair with gentle(ish) climbing, 6 hours to get round and a visit to Hook Norton.

An innovative approach to Audax organising with the same rides available on Wednesday and Friday as well as the 2 200km 'proper' Audaxes.  Steve Poulton is running them from a camper van inside the CTC Birthday Ride complex at Morton but you don't have to pay to enter the whole Birthday Ride 'thing'.  A senior AUK who turned up for an entry on the line at 5 to 9 with no entry form or nuthin' didn't look the flavor of the month (though he was catered for in good time).

Hope Phil d (and MattC?) enjoyed the 200.

Nik
The lights were red, his brain was small - he hardly felt a thing at all.

robgul

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Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #1 on: 05 August, 2008, 12:47:59 pm »
The Audax bit of the Birthday Rides seemed to work well .... although the organisation of the rest of it was described by a couple of participants as "interesting" and "woolly" .... I think partly CTC's volunteer management and partly that the venue hadn't done anything like it before.

Being pressed for time yesterday, and living just up the road, I did the 50k - great little ride - set off at about 0950 and finished at 1235 - drove home for 1315.

Rob

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #2 on: 05 August, 2008, 12:55:40 pm »

Hope Phil d (and MattC?) enjoyed the 200.
In parts ...
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
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

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #3 on: 05 August, 2008, 02:02:24 pm »
Yes indeed, we saw plenty of nice scenery.  But rather too much heavy traffic for our liking.  The route was mostly on A roads (including the A40 and A38), with only about 5 miles not on A or busy B roads.  Which was a great shame 'cos as I say the scenery we passed through was generally good (except Cheltenham.  And Worcester.  And Droitwich.  And Warwick and Leamington.  Straight through the middle of them all.)  All in all not my all-time favourite audax.  But I enjoyed it nevertheless, and thanks to Steve P for putting in the effort and time to run four events on three days - quite a committment.

This was the Spa Run.  I have looked at the Cotswold Cross (the other Birthday Rides 200) and it does appear to be rather more rural.  I have entered this (for Friday) but it looks pretty unlikely I can get away from work now.


Jane C

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #4 on: 05 August, 2008, 06:44:50 pm »
The Little Auk 50k ride was good. I don't do longer rides and am out of practice with following route sheets so it was great to have a good route sheet to follow and a ride that went round beautiful Cotswold scenery with hardly any main road riding.

A bloke called John told me about the Evesham Wheeler Clover leaf rides which apparently also include a 50, a 100 and a 200.  He had just introduced himself when we set off up a hill at Churchill. I said "I probably won't see you again. I fall off the back on hills." I didn't see him again.  ;D

Had a nice tail wind into Chipping Norton, then had a very early lunch.  (My idea of a ride is you cycle somewhere, eat, then cycle back, preferably a different way.)  Some lovely descents, as well as a few climbs to Hook Norton. On to Traitors Ford, where I chickened out and used the walkway, and up to the Brailes, then back into the wind through some pretty villages.

Thanks to Steve for a nice ride. I believe it's on again on Wednesday and Friday.


mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #5 on: 05 August, 2008, 06:51:31 pm »
Jane meanwhile pottered round the Little Auk 50

The Little Auk 50k ride was good.

Is this an amazing coincidence, or does Nik know the new-poster-known-as-JaneC?!?
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
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

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #6 on: 05 August, 2008, 07:49:02 pm »
The Little Auk 50k ride was good. I don't do longer rides and am out of practice with following route sheets so it was great to have a good route sheet to follow and a ride that went round beautiful Cotswold scenery with hardly any main road riding.

A bloke called John told me about the Evesham Wheeler Clover leaf rides which apparently also include a 50, a 100 and a 200.  He had just introduced himself when we set off up a hill at Churchill. I said "I probably won't see you again. I fall off the back on hills." I didn't see him again.  ;D

Had a nice tail wind into Chipping Norton, then had a very early lunch.  (My idea of a ride is you cycle somewhere, eat, then cycle back, preferably a different way.)  Some lovely descents, as well as a few climbs to Hook Norton. On to Traitors Ford, where I chickened out and used the walkway, and up to the Brailes, then back into the wind through some pretty villages.

Thanks to Steve for a nice ride. I believe it's on again on Wednesday and Friday.



We met up with John, an old acquaintance, and rode from Hook Norton to the finish together.  His rides .. this coming Sunday .. are great.  It's 3 or 4 x 50k loops from the same start, you can do 1, 2, 3 or 4 as you wish.

Rob

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #7 on: 05 August, 2008, 07:58:40 pm »
This was the Spa Run.
I think this is the same ride:
SP22
Quote
Midlands Vale 200
 
Permanent  200 km    

Deceptively hilly with Ledbury, Malvern Hills to Gt Malvern, Worcester, Droitwich Spa, Leamington Spa, Moreton, Stow and Bourton. The Birthday 08 ride perm.

It may have been hilly,I'm not really sure,  but Phil and I flew round due to a desire to get the A-roads over with
(and not a small amount of drafting).
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
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

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #8 on: 06 August, 2008, 08:56:30 am »
Yes indeed, we saw plenty of nice scenery.  But rather too much heavy traffic for our liking.  The route was mostly on A roads (including the A40 and A38), with only about 5 miles not on A or busy B roads. 

That's a pity!  What with the rides being run on weekdays it seems even more important to minimise the A roads (which the 100 and the 50 mostly does).  If there was a shortage of lansey routes available I just happen to know of a lansey 200 that goes through Moreton  ;)

Is this an amazing coincidence, or does Nik know the new-poster-known-as-JaneC?!?

I do happen to have a Jane C about here - could well be the same one - better be careful what I post then  ;D

Nik
The lights were red, his brain was small - he hardly felt a thing at all.

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #9 on: 06 August, 2008, 01:58:05 pm »
.......I just happen to know of a lansey 200 that goes through Moreton  ;)

Nik
Been there, done that, five times so far.

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #10 on: 07 August, 2008, 02:39:42 pm »
Just ridden the Cotswold Cross 200 on Wednesday from the CTC Birthday Ride site organised by Steve Poulton and enjoyed it.

Plenty of main roads and rather busy B'roads, but didnt really bother me.
Quite flat out through Banbury, Bicester, Woodstock, Faringdon, Lechlade and Cirencester.  Then up the Whiteway on to the Cotswolds proper before dropping off the other side into Winchcombe.

Nasty, nasty climb out of Willersey in the last 12k being the only tiime I had to use the inner ring and then another shorter, equally steep climb after Batsford.

Surprised that the ride took me almost 10-hrs, but having to obtain till receipts from places like Tesco, Woolworths with long queue's.

Very lucky with the weather as well which just got better as the day progressed and no rain at all.

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #11 on: 07 August, 2008, 09:04:25 pm »
Must of been a piece of cake for you Jethro after all that climbing on the Clwydian on Sunday.  That was a tough one for me.  Doing the Cotswold Cross tomorrow so will save some climbing strength for the last bit. 

Re: Birthday Rides
« Reply #12 on: 09 August, 2008, 09:09:19 am »
Hard to believe that there was only myself and another rider at the start on Friday and one for the Spa 200.  Plenty of bikes and folks milling about.  What's up with these birthday riders?

I guess it was Friday traffic making the roads busy.  A nagging drizzel until early afternoon didn't dampen the spirits and was a good day out.