Round The Year Randonneurs Log

[tonyh]

Bwa ha ha ha! Another one trapped! Congrats on your 14 months.

And thanks for your write-up on the "Fred" thread.

(Sorry didn't manage to meet you at the "Windrush" yesterday, I must have seen you somewhere. I was probably the only rider with a pannier and four rear lights!)

Tony

[caerau]

And just one more to go - have recovered enough from Saturday's Hell-audax to remember it counts for another month 

April 13 - Two Battles 200 (Tamworth)
May 13 - Cambrian Series 3A perm (300) 
June 13 - The National 400 (Tiverton) 
July 13 - The Buzzard 600 (Leighton Buzzard -  SR yay) 
August 13 - Dr Foster's Summer Saunter (Cardiff) 
Sept 13 - Wem We Get There 200 (Tamworth) 
               Border castles Randonne 200
               Ferryside Fish Foray 200
Oct 13 - Gower Getter 200
Nov 13 - Transporter 200 
Dec 13  Monmouthshire Meander      good one this time very satisfying ride
Jan 14 - Dr Foster's Winter Warmer    Hmm, same comment as last time.  Must be improving my technique 
Feb 14 - Malmesbury Ride into the Great Storm Mash - hard won points these 

[Phil W]

Burford Bumble 200 ridden today, one more month and ride to complete first RRTY

[Revolution9]

DIY Permanent Series 200km 02 Mar 2013
More Passes than Mastermind 200km 06 Apr 2014
Berwick & Beattock 400km 11 May 2013
The Deeside Lass 600km 08 Jun 2013
DIY Permanent Series 200km 27 Jul 2013
Four Passes 200km 25 Aug 2013
Erit Lass 200km 08 Sep 2013
DIY Permanent Series 200km 05 Oct 2013
DIY Permanent Series 200km 10 Nov 2013
DIY Permanent Series 200km 01 Dec 2013
DIY Permanent Series 200km 19 Jan 2014
DIY Permanent Series 200km 16 Feb 2014 - Subject to validation

That's 24 months now, time to get off I think

[L CC]

Yesterday was the completion of #5.
4 more for #6
But I might reshuffle so one is entirely fixed.
I'm not really counting.

(click to show/hide)

[3peaker]

18 Feb 14: A respectable forecast after 2 weeks of nightmarish winds and rain suggested my Cotswolds & Mendips Grimpeur 200 Perm for 2.75AAA points. Birdlip Hill is the immediate hit, after which, this being a weekday at rush hour, I took the quiet lanes route to Seven Springs. Bubbs Hill follows; I won a Corinium CC Hill Climb here in 1982, so give it friendly and nostalgic respect. Then, a favourite Thames/Severn watershed route to Tetbury. I wanted to check the bridge replacement on the Fosse Way near Grittleton and try an alternate route to avoid the rough lanes around Alderton. Sadly, the bridge is well behind the (previous forecast)end-Jan completion and we will need to wait till mid-Apr; this means I need to re-route my Calendar Flyer 200 for 15 March. I back-tracked and re-routed via Hullavington, free-wheeling a 40yard flooded road. Castle Combe was bathed in sun and picturesque as ever. Crossing the A4 in Ford and the A4 was closed for bridge repair and re-surfacing. After an odd shower, the day was improving and, after Bath, the Mendips to Wells just tired me; I had covered +10km with my earlier recce and detour, 30mins lost. I was feeding for the hills and found the climb after Wells the same bottom gear plod to 255m. I love the view of Chew Lake descending Harptree Hill and today it was glorious. I had checked that ex-school friend Jill was in for a cuppa in West Harptree but had to leave around 5pm to keep to schedule. The flapjacks and sweet tea hit the mark and I flew the main road before descending Wick Lane. As daylight was advancing, it was still light enough to use the standard lane route to Pensford and also the lanes route to Keynsham; I had used main roads in Dec and Jan, still the same height to climb but slightly longer. I really like the roads to Chipping Sodbury and Wotton-under-Edge and the climb out of Wotton. The Nailsworth road is closed somewhere, so I continued to Cockadilly and Selsley Common for the delightful (Stroud 5 Valleys 50 route and tremendous views) descent and Paganhill route round Stroud. I now had to push it to Painswick and Brockworth to make time. That completes 5 consecutive (plan for 12 (AAARRTY?)) C&MG200s and RRTY 19 ride 10.

[Martin]

22.2.14 Meridian Hills 200 for my first ever double RRTY 

[wilkyboy]

I seem to have ridden my 7th yesterday: a 200 DIY from Cambridge to London and back to see my sister and drop off Great Gran's wedding ring heirloom thingy. 

A fair cross-wind run from Barrington to Great Dunmow (avoiding Thaxted).  But after the turn westwards towards Harlow it was into the wind, which is never pleasant.  And the driving in Harlow was absolutely shocking: so many cars pushing through gaps that didn't exist!  The road from Harlow to Waltham Abbey is double-white lines for 10km because of blind bends and hidden dips, and there were dozens of cars overtaking me, straddling the lines, in the face of oncoming traffic.  Absolutely horrible!!  London-to-Cambridge Charidy Ride uses this route in reverse on a Sunday and it's never been that bad, so maybe it was a Saturday thing.

Contrast that with London driving: brilliant.  Lots of respect, lots of space, lots of patience, although lots of annoying traffic lights (SO @ 16x TL -- aargh!).  And the run back up to Cambridge was quick and safe in the dark.

[Littlesox]

I'm giving it a go and am up and running !

05/10 DIY Perm by GPS 222km
03/11 DIY Perm by GPS 209km
01/12 DIY Perm by GPS 222km
02/01 DIY Perm by GPS 207km
16/02 DIY Perm by GPS 208km

[crowriver]

Penultimate 200k DIY completed yesterday (subject to validation).
Struggled a bit in a headwind during the afternoon, but luckily this had disappeared by evening and the home run.

Need to get some training in for next month though: 300k DIY planned! 

[SR Steve]

I completed a second successive RRTY in February by riding the Rutland and Beyond 100 + 100 ECE and kept up the two-a-month thing by riding a fairly lumpy DIY 200 with mds101 on Saturday. I finally got round to claiming my RRTYs and now have 3 including an extra one ridden throughout 2013.

The February rides have been the slowest of the winter at over 11 hours, so I am hoping that's because they were hard rides on windy days rather than my lack of fitness. Looking forward to Lichfield - Vale of Belvoir 200 and Alfreton- Roses to Wrags 200 next month.

[3peaker]

8 Mar 14: What a great day to complete RRTY 18.

I had ridden the Organiser’s event CC100 and CwR150 6 & 4 days previously and hoped I had recovered in time. I arranged to ride with Lou Rigby to suit her day off. Weather was scheduled to be dry and sunny after a dull start but with 20mph southerly winds. By a stroke of good fortune, I obtained my start PoP, went to join the route and there was Lou just about to cross my junction. What timing, as Lou had ridden from Tewkesbury (on the route) and I had come from Cheltenham! This is becoming a favourite route, as it has so much variety. It is perfect for a weekend ride. Official start is Chipping Sodbury, with its gorgeous wide High Street but, for us, a useful coffee stop. It uses the Bristol - Bath Sustrans ex-rail route from near Pucklechurch for 14km to Bristol Temple Meads. Then, it crosses Bristol Docks by Cycle Paths and Dock bridges past Brunel’s SS Great Britain, to pick up the A4 to Avonmouth, which again has a good Cycle Path. Before CS we were on the lower slopes of the Cotswold escarpment. To enjoy the expected backwind (was not disappointed), the spring-like weather was celebrated with stripping to shorts. After Avonmouth, we had a quiet main road before excellent lanes to another coffee/tea stop in Thornbury. The tailwind soon took us along clean lanes to Slimbridge before a blast up the A38 and Gloucester bypass to take the quiet road to Upton. Re-dressing for the cool evening at Hartpury, we then counted down the mileposts to Upton.  I did my best to protect Lou from the final headwind to return her home before my solo night ride to my Churchdown start.

Another day to remember and so rewarding to share a special ride. Shhhh, next month's 1st 200 completes RRTY19!

[Mrs Blacksheep]

Well done 3peaker amazing 18 RRTY's.

It was a great day, a route with so many differences, cotswolds villages, cycles paths through
Bristol docks, and then the flat ride home.

I need to keep the pace steady and 3peaker did this to perfection ,
plenty of good stops with food and rest. 

My new garmin even tells me I ave 14mph, and that before we really got going,
as I forgot my boost power pack and it died at 105 miles.

And today I feel a little weary but in the main GREAT.

Thanks 3peaker, looking forward to April's - not said that for a while.

[tonyh]

  

[Littlesox]

I'm giving it a go and am up and running !

05/10 DIY Perm by GPS 222km
03/11 DIY Perm by GPS 209km
01/12 DIY Perm by GPS 222km
02/01 DIY Perm by GPS 207km
16/02 DIY Perm by GPS 208km
09/03 DIY Perm by GPS 208 km

Half-time - change ends !

[Saracen Sean]

I have only been an Audax member for a little over Seventeen months and completed my first RRTY unaware that there was such a thing. After it was pointed out to me I thought it was an excellent way to keep my focus up throughout the year, I’ve now got two on the board and the target is to reach ten within the next twenty four months.
Looks like I’m hooked too.

[crowriver]

Well that's my first RRTY completed (subject to verification of the most recent ride).

Apr   DIY 200
May   DIY 200
Jun   Cromarty Cruise 200
Jul   Saltire perm 200
Aug   Forres Foray 200
Sep   DIY 200
Oct   DIY 200
Nov   DIY 200
Dec   DIY 200
Jan   DIY 200
Feb   DIY 200
Mar   DIY 300  (STV)

 

Hm. Wonder if I'll try for a second year?

[rabbit]

Does anyone know if the East Arrow counts toward the RRTY? 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Yes, the Easter Arrow does count towards RRtY and other AUK awards.

[rabbit]

Oh excellent, thanks 

[wilkyboy]

That's number 8 of series 2 done – End of Hibernation 200 from Cambridge (nice to be able to ride to the start).  TBH at times the weather was so filthy I wanted to go back into hibernation, but there were sunny moments and a quick tail wind for about a third of the ride. 

Thanks to Terry for a great route and a full-on hot nosh-up at the end.

[caerau]

April 13 - Two Battles 200 (Tamworth) [/font]
May 13 - Cambrian Series 3A perm (300) 
June 13 - The National 400 (Tiverton) 
July 13 - The Buzzard 600 (Leighton Buzzard -  SR yay) 
August 13 - Dr Foster's Summer Saunter (Cardiff) 
Sept 13 - Wem We Get There 200 (Tamworth) 
               Border castles Randonne 200
               Ferryside Fish Foray 200
Oct 13 - Gower Getter 200
Nov 13 - Transporter 200 
Dec 13  Monmouthshire Meander      good one this time very satisfying ride
Jan 14 - Dr Foster's Winter Warmer    Hmm, same comment as last time.  Must be improving my technique 
Feb 14 - Malmesbury Ride into the Great Storm Mash - hard won points these 
Mar 14 - The Dean

All done - spiffing 

[Bikeabilityman]

Spot the silly mistake, Caerau!
The Dean was month 13 for me (received my first badge the other day, so seeing as I signed up on the 5 years for the price of 4 membership, I would like the x5 badge).

To save looking, how many points for the AAA badge? Last year I only got points on the Dean and LEL, and DNF-ing the January Pickwick meant nil points (I think it had them).

[caerau]

No mistake - honest guv

[Phil W]

RRTY first year completed today in lovely Spring sunshine. A feature of today's ride was beer