ACME Grand 1000km 28 June 2018

[Ivan]

With a climbing rate of 11.67m/km, that nominal 9,126m covers 782km, which then only leaves 277km for the non-AAA ease in/out, plus there is a slight variation in how climbing figures are calculated.

[grams]

Using RideWithGPS I can find 8726m in the 782 km from roughly the A6 north of Bedford to the M1 north of Milton Keynes (via Wales!), so only a 400m difference, which is not unusual when comparing numbers from different tools.

(If you took RWGPS as AAA gospel the most you can get is 7.25 points for the 650 km loop west of Banbury before the rate of climb falls below the AAA threshold)

[TigaSefi]

11,000 feet a day sound insane!! what am I letting myself in for.

Sleeping in Barry on Friday 29th June right ?

Wyboston Premier Inn seems to be full. Any other recommendation?

EDit Towcester silverstone is literally on the route near mcdonalds too. perfect.

willing to share a twin room to split the costs.

[Ajax Bay]

(If you took RWGPS as AAA gospel the most you can get is 7.25 points for the 650 km loop west of Banbury before the rate of climb falls below the AAA threshold)

This is very close to the figure I got when I looked more closely (ie Banbury and back). Would still be interested to learn the start and finish points of a 9+ AAA point element. But the tools used do seem to suggest significantly greater climb than RwGPS routes calculate. For example, on RwGPS BCM 2016/17/18: 6615m in 596k (AAA requires 7271m @ 12.2m per km for under 600km rides) but gets 7.5 AAA points.
Irrespective, looking forward to the ride.

[Ivan]

FWIW, I've got it starting 133km in, north of Bedford as Graham has it. The AAA tool uses OS data in the UK which is of generally better quality than the STRM global data RwGPS is most likely using. Also the sampling method is chosen to match existing AAA assessments as closely as possible, so I wouldn't obsess too much over the exact climbing amount, which like measuring the length of the coastline is always going to be an approximation.

In other news, I've booked the Barry Premier Inn for Friday night, looks like the place to be, and will wing it with a bivvy bag for the others. Need to round TINAT to decide on the gearing but most likely keep the 73".

[Tomsk]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon, courtesy of Mr Triple A    9163m climbing eligible for points, out of a total 10997m...

Thanks again to jiberjaber and wilkyboy for the gps data 

[psyclist]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon

That’s more than I was expecting, but very welcome. I think that I might need to study the route a bit more closely; I should be ok with my conservative pace estimates, but they might not be as conservative as I thought! Pleased I opted for Port Talbot on night 2 though.

[the straggler]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon

That’s more than I was expecting, but very welcome. I think that I might need to study the route a bit more closely; I should be ok with my conservative pace estimates, but they might not be as conservative as I thought! Pleased I opted for Port Talbot on night 2 though.

Yikes, no need to study the route more closely! I'm taking my m-bike.

[Ajax Bay]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon, courtesy of Mr Triple A    9163m climbing eligible for points, out of a total 10997m...
Thanks again to jiberjaber and wilkyboy for the gps data 

The RwGPS link on the AUK Calendar event page doesn't seem to work for me:
Website: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27454318

[jiberjaber]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon, courtesy of Mr Triple A    9163m climbing eligible for points, out of a total 10997m...
Thanks again to jiberjaber and wilkyboy for the gps data 

The RwGPS link on the AUK Calendar event page doesn't seem to work for me:
Website: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27454318

Hmmm - not sure why the link isn't working- the last link had a '.' at the end so I assumed that was what had broken it, but the revised link exhibits the same behaviour!

[Tomsk]

Riders will get emailed in a few weeks, once the route has been ridden in full next week: route sheet revised and the RwGPS link. Plus my top tips for bus shelters/church porches and other choice bivi spots.

I need to do more bike fettling this weekend, gears need attention...

[megajoulesexpenditure]

The link seems to work  fine if you remove the https://  and then paste it into your browser

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon, courtesy of Mr Triple A    9163m climbing eligible for points, out of a total 10997m...
Thanks again to jiberjaber and wilkyboy for the gps data 

The RwGPS link on the AUK Calendar event page doesn't seem to work for me:
Website: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27454318

Hmmm - not sure why the link isn't working- the last link had a '.' at the end so I assumed that was what had broken it, but the revised link exhibits the same behaviour!

[Phil W]

It does not work as it has doubled up http and https in the link.

So the address starts http://https/ridewithgps ... Needs the https/ taking out of the link address

[Jem]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon

I really didn't need to know that......
 

[Tomsk]

It does not work as it has doubled up http and https in the link.

So the address starts http://https/ridewithgps ... Needs the https/ taking out of the link address

Done! Fingers [or should that be digits] crossed it works...

[Nim]

AAA points to the value of 9.25 are coming soon

I read "9.25" and had assumed or hoped vainly this was a typo and it'd be more like 1/3 of that accounting for the hilly welsh bit... but no, tis updated on aukweb now. I am definitely bringing the geared bike.

Happily this puts an AAA SR within reach for me this season.

This should also make the ride eligible for Grimpeurs du Sud.

Nim

[wilkyboy]

The climbing is mostly spread-out.  There are a few significant climbs in Wales, but otherwise it looks like rolling landscape all the way. 

I checked the first 1000km of my PBP track from 2015 and that came out with more climbing, and that felt okay when I rode it (well, as okay as 1200km ever is), with nothing too onerous about the climbing.  So I'd expect this one to feel similar.

[Ajax Bay]

Can a local help/explain why there seem to be no trains on that Sunday (ie 1 Jul) from Witham/Chelmsford into (say) Liverpool Street. Essential railway maintenance?

[The Family Cyclist]

Probably Witham is generally the center of the world for rail replacement

[rob]

Trains running from Stansted but that’s a fair old ride back.   Mrs Rob can’t pick me up until late afternoon Sunday.   Anyone recommend anywhere to park for 4 days ?

[Tomsk]

Trains running from Stansted but that’s a fair old ride back.   Mrs Rob can’t pick me up until late afternoon Sunday.   Anyone recommend anywhere to park for 4 days ?

Any residential road in Witham should be ok, but Withamians may have specific recommendations...

[Ivan]

If it was engineering works, they would be showing a replacement bus service, so I reckon it's just a glitch in the new calendar.

[rob]

If it was engineering works, they would be showing a replacement bus service, so I reckon it's just a glitch in the new calendar.

Thought it a bit odd as I also searched Braintree and Chelmsford and they all gave nil results.

Despite the short hop from St Neots Sunday morning I can’t see myself wanting to ride home, although I suppose we’ll both be going the same way ?

[Ivan]

My original plan was to ECE it but not sure I can face traversing the outer reaches of East London twice so going to put that decision off for as long as possible.

[bhoot]

I think it is because the timetables , particularly around engineering works, are not available yet - see http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/184755.aspx There is some major issue which is reducing the planning to only 6 weeks instead of 12 and paying havoc with advanced ticket sales amongst other issues (like audax ride planning!)