Author Topic: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series  (Read 71706 times)

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« on: 26 April, 2016, 07:20:13 pm »
So I was thinking...

A one-a-month 100km series from say, November to February: X-rated, mid-morning [10:00?] pub start to facilitate ECE-ing to 200. Ride to a good café and back via a few info controls.

I'd take this on myself, as it's not too arduous a project, but is any of the Mid-Essex Crew interested in dipping a toe into the waters of organising?? There's myself and Huggy who could mentor and help get things started.

Start of choice would for me be the 'Battisford Court' Wetherspoons in Witham. Lots of room, decent size beer garden for cycle-parking, good choice of food [and beer  ;D]. Witham has good train and road links and it's not too big a town to find reasonably quick routes out into the countryside. Chelmsford or Colchester would be less attractive. Well placed for routes out to the coast, up to Suffolk [Wally's Cafe?] and indeed all points of the Compass...

Thoughts...?

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #1 on: 26 April, 2016, 08:16:07 pm »
Good idea! 

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #2 on: 26 April, 2016, 09:03:05 pm »
Sounds like a grand idea Tom  :thumbsup:
 
Regards,

Joergen

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #3 on: 26 April, 2016, 09:28:20 pm »
Definitely Londoner-friendly, at least for the basic 100km. ECE'ing not quite so straightforward due to a need to steer google maps away from the A12!
Potential to be a good social gathering too with a pub start (and presumably finish).

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #4 on: 26 April, 2016, 11:36:38 pm »
ECE'ing not quite so straightforward due to a need to steer google maps away from the A12!

Not in the brave new world of mandatory route ECEs!
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #5 on: 27 April, 2016, 08:35:24 am »
Hmm. The location of the last two respondents sparks the idea of a group ECE as a regular addition to this new series ...

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #6 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:01:48 am »
Kelvedon Station and the Sun or Railway Tavern is another option.

The Sun has probably recovered from our last visit and, in particular, OD's musical extravaganza  :facepalm:

Actually, on second thoughts, maybe we should let the Sun have more time and use the Railway Tavern for the next ten years or so.

The pleasure of pain endured
To purify our misfit ways

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #7 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:32:57 am »
It was musical?

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #8 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:35:09 am »
Musical ? sums it up nicely.
The pleasure of pain endured
To purify our misfit ways

Bernster

  • ACME (Herts Branch)
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #9 on: 27 April, 2016, 03:05:31 pm »
Hmm. The location of the last two respondents sparks the idea of a group ECE as a regular addition to this new series ...
Tentatively expressing an interest in a group ECE (ideally from North London / South East Herts) - winter 200k rides can be a bit few and far between, so it would be nice to have some other options with company.

Nice idea Tomsk


Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #10 on: 27 April, 2016, 05:48:13 pm »
Approval of Londoners noted...

...Audax Club Mid-Essex...[ACME] has been mooted. This will no doubt be a hot topic tonight at the pub.

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #11 on: 27 April, 2016, 06:50:43 pm »
I am another London based rider who would be interested in some social ECE or 100k rides.

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #12 on: 27 April, 2016, 07:28:19 pm »
I've just started a double RRtY, and the idea of a mid-Essex winter series is very appealing. I'm based in Bishop's Stortford.

At some point I would put my hand up for organising, but I would prefer to become familiar with the Mid-Essex Crew set-up first.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #13 on: 27 April, 2016, 08:58:30 pm »
Ah, a successor to the Norfolk Nips: the Essex Exeats (exeat=he/she may leave).  We can then move on to some Suffolk Sorties, I have mumble 100k route from Ipswich in my back pocket.
I'm not sure the trike-and-tandem friendy trains stop at Witham, sob. (OK, slighty disingenous as I've hardly got out these last couple of years).
but thumbs up
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #14 on: 27 April, 2016, 10:37:41 pm »
I'm not sure the trike-and-tandem friendy trains stop at Witham, sob. (OK, slighty disingenous as I've hardly got out these last couple of years).
but thumbs up
In our experience all Anglia trains on that line are pretty tandem friendly outside peak hours (the same can't be said for the passengers when they are all trying to get to the London marathon/Westfield on a Sunday morning and the tandem is "occupying" the tip up seats)

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #15 on: 27 April, 2016, 11:53:22 pm »
I've just started a double RRtY, and the idea of a mid-Essex winter series is very appealing. I'm based in Bishop's Stortford.

At some point I would put my hand up for organising, but I would prefer to become familiar with the Mid-Essex Crew set-up first.

Greetings!  I'm an Elder of the mid-Essex crew. Why not join us one Wednesday evening?  Is there a pub you could comfortably get to that's between Stortford and Dunmow or Chelmsford?  We could meet you there. We're a friendly bunch!

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #16 on: 28 April, 2016, 06:57:20 am »
Sounds like a good idea. ECE from North London or South East Herts is a good idea, a few rails stops to the start for me from West Herts.
It's all about the breakfast

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #17 on: 28 April, 2016, 07:14:53 am »
Excellent idea Tom. Could even tempt me back into Audax (if I can do something about my sorry state of fitness first!)  :(

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #18 on: 28 April, 2016, 07:44:19 am »
Greetings!  I'm an Elder of the mid-Essex crew. Why not join us one Wednesday evening?  Is there a pub you could comfortably get to that's between Stortford and Dunmow or Chelmsford?  We could meet you there. We're a friendly bunch!

Sure, that would be good. I'll keep my eye out and get along to a Wednesday evening meet-up, or post a venue suggestion if you're not visiting places that I would be able to reasonably get to. 

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #19 on: 28 April, 2016, 08:00:15 am »
Greetings!  I'm an Elder of the mid-Essex crew. Why not join us one Wednesday evening?  Is there a pub you could comfortably get to that's between Stortford and Dunmow or Chelmsford?  We could meet you there. We're a friendly bunch!

Sure, that would be good. I'll keep my eye out and get along to a Wednesday evening meet-up, or post a venue suggestion if you're not visiting places that I would be able to reasonably get to.

On a Wednesday we've been as far west in Mid [or possibly North-West] Essex as the Axe and Compasses in Aythorpe Roding. The Queen Vic in Dunmow then the White Hart, Stebbing were the next nearest venues to Stortford. We ought to do somewhere north of Dunmow sometime - maybe on a fine summer evening when the Witham peloton venture further afield. We can always leave before closing time...[probably not  :facepalm:]

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #20 on: 28 April, 2016, 08:03:14 am »
Ah, a successor to the Norfolk Nips: the Essex Exeats (exeat=he/she may leave).  We can then move on to some Suffolk Sorties, I have mumble 100k route from Ipswich in my back pocket.
I'm not sure the trike-and-tandem friendy trains stop at Witham, sob. (OK, slighty disingenous as I've hardly got out these last couple of years).
but thumbs up

 :thumbsup: Organisers from outwith the Mid-Essex heartlands would be welcome to throw their hats in the ring. There's me and tedshred up for this so far...

Bernster

  • ACME (Herts Branch)
Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #21 on: 28 April, 2016, 11:31:39 am »
On a Wednesday we've been as far west in Mid [or possibly North-West] Essex as the Axe and Compasses in Aythorpe Roding.
I'll have to keep an eye out for your planned routes Tom / ACME - I'd be keen to pop out one Wednesday if you head over to the West of Essex again (think I may have mentioned this to you when we were chatting at the Horsepower arrivee)  :thumbsup:

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #22 on: 29 April, 2016, 08:13:58 am »
If I can get the time off, I'd be in for this (ECE from London) :thumbsup:

Re: Mid-Essex Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #23 on: 29 April, 2016, 09:38:54 am »
This sounds a very good project indeed. All the best to everyone concerned.

(dreams of long ECEs from Wiltshire - probably getting too old)

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #24 on: 18 May, 2016, 02:23:19 pm »
Looking at dates, the deadline for planning events up to the end of the year is looming [ie the first two events of the ACME series]. It's 01/07/2016.

How about the 1st Saturday of the month?: 5th November, 3rd December, 7th January, 4th February. Not many clashes to avoid at present, just Andy Terry's Santa Special on 18th Dec and the Willy Warmer on 22nd January, though there are other events further afield. I'd like to bagsy the 3rd December, as it's near my birthday.  :thumbsup:

Any takers to organise the first of the series? Bonfire Night will be a fun one for those out after dark ECE-ing/riding home.  :D