Author Topic: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020  (Read 19058 times)

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #150 on: 03 August, 2020, 09:53:54 am »
Absolutely cracking ride.
Haven't been out further than 60km all lockdown, so the extra 50km hurt. I thought Essex / Cambridgeshire was flat!

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Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #151 on: 03 August, 2020, 11:19:54 am »
AndyW, Lightning Phil, how did your Buntingford-based rides go? I didn't see anyone I knew to be on the event all day. Sorry if that means I failed to spot someone.

I left home at 11:25pm to start Boudicca's Revenge 200 at Buntingford not long after midnight.   COOP cashpoint was just a black hole of darkness, and the few drunk people about were no help.  I took a picture of the Jolly Sailor pub and carrried on.



Couple of cars passed on the section over to Hare Street, plus one down from Little Hormead. Bit of low mist in the lanes, which surprised me and I had to come to a stop quite quickly when I released I'd turned off a lane onto a gravel farm track. A car at Furneaux Pelham, plus some in Stansted MountFitcet by the garage you cross at, then all quiet till Great Dunmow.  ATM at Barclay's in town then up to the church to top up the water bottles from the tap Tomsk had indicated.



I had two routes plotted for the overnight section. The recommended one by Tomsk or straight up the B road through Saffron Walden onto the A1303 through Cambridge.  I opted for the latter, which made it easier with the white lines in the middle and along the edge of the road.  The odd car now and again but otherwise quiet. From the north side of Cambridge, you go past the Girton turn, about 800m, then there is a track on right (just as you reach the roadworks) that takes you to a new bridge over the A14.



That leads to an access road on the north east side of the A14, that runs parallel to the A14, and is free of any motorised traffic.  That leads to the new section of A1303 again running alongside the new A14 sections.  There's a 4m wide cycle way on the right, and it's all new tarmac.  That takes you straight to the cycle bridge over the A14 and the services.  It's also about 10km shorter than Tomsk's route. It's now about 4:40am.  It was too early for the McDonalds breakfast menu so I had a big Mac.  That was a mistake, not great for the digestion.  Should have had a McFlurry or something instead.  Wore buff as face covering, till my food arrived. Only one sat in there so social distancing not a problem.   



I left the services about 5:05am and headed back over the bridge and onwards through Swavesey and north to the control at Chatteris.  I'd been wearing just shorts and a short sleeve merino top overnight, given the warmth.  But I'd chilled a little sat in the air conditioned services.  So it was nice to get warm again.




The landscape got flatter and the wind picked up, but mostly blowing from south or west.  Plus on the recumbent, who cares?  The sunrise came with a bit of cloud so the sun didn't make an appearance till about 5:50am.



Reached Chatteris around 6:20am where I stopped at the BP garage for a water top up and to eat some of the flapjack sat in the sun.  Still very quiet with hardly any cars about.



Returning south there was a definite headwind but fairly gentle.  The sun was now casting shadows on the road.  I stopped in St Ives on the medieval bridge to have some more food, that was 7:38am according to the time on the photos I took.






Then south to Potton in the early morning light, though it was already getting warm.  I stopped in Potton at the Tesco Express. Had ready salted crisps, ice cream, mango juice, milk shake, and topped up water  Enjoyed on the grass by the car park.  Initially I turned right and started heading north again but soon corrected myself to continue south.



I met Gavin out on a DIY a few miles south of Potton and we stopped for a chat on opposite sides on the lane whilst tractors and cars interrupted us to get past.  As you head towards Ashwell the chalk ridge running along from Weston towards Barkway and beyond looks like the Himalayas. It's been so relatively gentle on the northern sections of the ride. But it's nothing to worry about even if the legs have forogtten what cycling uphill feels like. Through Ashwell and up the hill towards the A505.  I met Jan and the ACME crew at the top, and again stopped for a chat.  Shortly after I met the fifth rider on the 200.  I didn't meet the sixth rider of the 200 but I believe they started at the services so the timing wouldn't have worked.

From here I realised that if I got a move on I might catch Tomsk in Buntingford and be able to hand my card over before I headed home.  So I upped the pace after the A505, up through Roe Green, Sandon and Green End, across A10 and down into Buntingford.  I stopped at the cafe on the corner and had a mini breakfast, with green tea, and another milkshake.  Tomsk arrived about 15 mins later, where we had a quick chat, and I handed my card over. He then set off in pursuit of you 100 riders.

I stayed at the cafe a while with top ups of my green tea.  Then I trundled slowly along the A507, then left through Cromer and across through Halls Green and Weston to home.  There was an impatient driver on the A507 who pulled alongside and said maybe I shouldn't be on that road.  I gave him short shrift on that matter. The missing sleep of overnight was catching up at this point, energy levels dropping, and I had no intention of making the ride home much longer than it needed to be.  The A507 was unusually busy at that time of day.  They were all out on essential journeys no doubt!

Home for lunchtime.  Had a shower, then went to bed with a pint of ribena, and slept for 5 hours.  Then enjoyed the late afternoon and evening with beer and food.

No aches or pains, or digestion problems.  Could have drunk more, but otherwise, all went well.  I had intended to push the pace a bit on this ride to see what I was capable of over the distance.  But it was so muggy and warm overnight, that I quickly abandoned that idea, and settled into an easy pace for the duration.

So I guess this means my RRTY is restarted.  I intend to do a 200 in September anyway and see if I can keep it going through winter, subject to audax perms being possible.  I get a feeling calendar events won't be seen for the rest of 2020.

Total of 236km, and nice to get an overnight ride in, during the warmer months.  It may have been the warmest overnight this year. 


rob

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #152 on: 03 August, 2020, 11:23:15 am »
I noticed the bank on the left (Barclays ?) as you come into Buntingford is no more.  The Sainsbury’s has a cash point.

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #153 on: 03 August, 2020, 11:56:48 am »
I noticed the bank on the left (Barclays ?) as you come into Buntingford is no more.  The Sainsbury’s has a cash point.

Indeed and I had I thought I little longer the BP garage (I'd passed) at the A507 / A10 crossing probably had a cashpoint.  When I next do an overnight ride, I'll have to scope out proof of passage a bit better than relying on one ATM. Got rusty at this audax lark!

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #154 on: 03 August, 2020, 02:36:56 pm »
The Coop at Buntingford has a cashpoint, only problem is that it is surrounded by police tape at the moment.

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #155 on: 03 August, 2020, 03:55:55 pm »
The Coop at Buntingford has a cashpoint, only problem is that it is surrounded by police tape at the moment.
Ram raiders should stop making holes in the walls where there is one already!
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #156 on: 03 August, 2020, 10:08:04 pm »
I left home at 11:25pm to start Boudicca's Revenge 200 at Buntingford not long after midnight.
Wow. I messed around a bit and left home about 8.25am to start the 100km about an hour later. Can't have missed you finishing by too much?

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #157 on: 07 August, 2020, 02:41:54 pm »
Brevets from Saturday all validated and in the post this morning, along with the Sunday and mid-week crop. Applications are coming in by post almost every day and the Perm. Sec. reports 150 validations nationally this week!  :thumbsup:

Next chance for me is next Sunday 16th.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #158 on: 07 August, 2020, 08:42:49 pm »
Apologies to anyone trying to enter one of Tom's perms - there was an issue that meant "postal only" perms still had an "enter online" button which then failed at the Paypal stage. This has been fixed and so now you should see the correct entry buttons for each perm event - including a specific one for entry by GPS when this is an option, and no online button when only postal entries are accepted.

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #159 on: 10 August, 2020, 05:25:21 pm »
Brevet card back today. Thanks Tomsk.

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #160 on: 10 August, 2020, 08:35:42 pm »
Thanks bhoot - I wasn't tempted to succumb to accepting pp for my perms - I fear it would have released an ongoing flood of last-minute-itis ... Keep a stock of useful brevets in and a few down the back of your sofa like The Straggler does!

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #161 on: 10 August, 2020, 10:18:25 pm »
Returned from cycling in Norfolk, Brevet Card in post box, thank you for a great ride.

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #162 on: 11 August, 2020, 07:52:44 pm »
I'll arrange another date for an ACME group outing next month (Saturday 5th September?) and a Richard Ellis Memorial Weekend in October. If the 6 rider limit remains, I'll probably not specify an event for September, just that we could all meet up at the Angel and Harp afterwards like last time.

Another possibility could be to arrange DIYs on more-or-less the same route as an event, solo, or as small groups, starting from your home or near-ish, but finishing in the same venue: option of the Compasses Littley Green, instead of Dunmow then? Depends who's keen to get riding 200s every month.

Subjects for discussion at tomorow's Tippers MEMWNS gathering?

Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #163 on: 12 August, 2020, 07:16:56 am »
5th Sept sounds like a good date. September was when I planned to restart my RRTYs, but as my French ride has ended early, it looks like I’ve now got time to fit them in during August after all.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Socially Distanced Group Permanent on Saturday 1st August 2020
« Reply #164 on: 12 August, 2020, 08:54:28 am »
5th Sept sounds like a good date. September was when I planned to restart my RRTYs, but as my French ride has ended early, it looks like I’ve now got time to fit them in during August after all.

Sounds like you have a tale to tell ...

5th Sept is good - we're looking at fitting in a holiday the week before, back on 4th.