Author Topic: London-Wales-London  (Read 67586 times)

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #175 on: 27 April, 2017, 03:28:52 pm »
Current WX looking like a crosswind outward and headwind on the return

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b21dd9ca-9d47-4dd0-ac22-5bb99c035bc4

Take heart:

a) It's not raining

b) Those numbers are in kph and not mph.

Plus a slim chance if I am a bit quicker of taking in the sunset as I cross the bridge! :D  :thumbsup:
Regards,

Joergen

Assasin

  • It can only get better
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #176 on: 27 April, 2017, 03:37:31 pm »
No loitering at Lamourne just cos its a bit windy.
You will all be ejected when the control closes to make sure you finish in time.

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #177 on: 27 April, 2017, 04:10:58 pm »
No loitering at Lamourne just cos its a bit windy.
You will all be ejected when the control closes to make sure you finish in time.

What time does it close?
The older you get, the better you get, unless you are a banana.

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #178 on: 27 April, 2017, 04:19:15 pm »
No loitering at Lamourne just cos its a bit windy.
You will all be ejected when the control closes to make sure you finish in time.

What time does it close?

02.56 according to the route sheet
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #179 on: 28 April, 2017, 06:22:44 pm »
No loitering at Lamourne just cos its a bit windy.
You will all be ejected when the control closes to make sure you finish in time.

Oh - BTW - did the cattle prods arrive?

Phil W

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #180 on: 28 April, 2017, 06:24:46 pm »
Current WX looking like a crosswind outward and headwind on the return

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b21dd9ca-9d47-4dd0-ac22-5bb99c035bc4

Take heart:

a) It's not raining

b) Those numbers are in kph and not mph.

Plus a slim chance if I am a bit quicker of taking in the sunset as I cross the bridge! :D  :thumbsup:

I'd expect you across the bridge long before sunset.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #181 on: 28 April, 2017, 07:14:00 pm »
Current WX looking like a crosswind outward and headwind on the return

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b21dd9ca-9d47-4dd0-ac22-5bb99c035bc4

Take heart:

a) It's not raining

b) Those numbers are in kph and not mph.

Plus a slim chance if I am a bit quicker of taking in the sunset as I cross the bridge! :D  :thumbsup:

I'd expect you across the bridge long before sunset.
goring/Streatley bridge?

Eddington  127miles, 170km

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #182 on: 28 April, 2017, 07:16:57 pm »
02.56 according to the route sheet

I'm surprised it's that early, but I've just done the maths and it leaves 6hrs to do the final 90km, which is spot on for a 15kmh minimum speed.

I didn't fancy driving up in the morning, and there isn't a train that will get me there in time, so I've taken the easy option and I'm setting off shortly for my luxurious temporary abode in Slough. See y'all bright and early tomorrow.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

alfapete

  • Oh dear
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #183 on: 28 April, 2017, 07:30:05 pm »
Looking forward to seeing you all at Tutshill (just before Chepstow). Food provided by the lovely people from Toast, but you'll have to proceed in a leisurely manner if you want the full experience of the coffee shop as we're in the village hall across the road until 5pm (full guidance will be given on arrival).

..and the Alfa will be in attendance, too.
alfapete - that's the Pete that drives the Alfa

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #184 on: 30 April, 2017, 07:47:23 am »
LWL - Audax Deluxe!

Superb, top notch event, controls were brilliant, full marks Liam (and team).

The only thing missing was a Loyalty Card Scheme that entitles me to priority booking for 2018 .

iddu

  • Are we there yet?
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #185 on: 30 April, 2017, 11:38:54 am »
The good news is I haz two bikes :thumbsup:
I'd offer you some moral support - but I have questionable morals.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #186 on: 30 April, 2017, 12:08:44 pm »
The good news is I haz two bikes :thumbsup:

That's excellent news!
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #187 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:03:38 pm »
It's been a couple of years since I've done the ride, but it looks like the A4 option on the last leg during the early hours has been banished with that info control at Henley. Best part of the ride that. :)
{stores up outrage until appropriate time ;)}

Garry Broad

LMT

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #188 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:20:29 pm »
It's been a couple of years since I've done the ride, but it looks like the A4 option on the last leg during the early hours has been banished with that info control at Henley. Best part of the ride that. :)
{stores up outrage until appropriate time ;)}

I would have taken that option but packed 250km into the ride, still happy though, got some decent numbers to work with leading up to LEL and with hindsight should have finished. Given that trying to get a train from Bristol to Paddington was a mission, various GWR delays meant four hours to get home back to London - audax karma. :facepalm:


Many thanks to the controllers and control staff at Woodstock and Tutshill which were superb and well done to those that got round.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #189 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:29:41 pm »
It's been a couple of years since I've done the ride, but it looks like the A4 option on the last leg during the early hours has been banished with that info control at Henley. Best part of the ride that. :)
{stores up outrage until appropriate time ;)}
What?  moving the 4th control to Lambourn from Membury makes it less usefUl.  But ni Henley info why would there be? A4 is not shorter and  ride is not AAA

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #190 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:32:01 pm »
@VB...

Spare the outrage... after finding myself exhausted at membury a few years back, I took the A4 tour with Martin (occasionally of this parish) to Reading, by which time I'd had more than enough of the A4, then struck north through caversham to pick up the route at Henley, which worked out just fine. :)

cgg

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #191 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:36:44 pm »
It's been a couple of years since I've done the ride, but it looks like the A4 option on the last leg during the early hours has been banished with that info control at Henley. Best part of the ride that. :)
{stores up outrage until appropriate time ;)}

There wasn't any info control at Henley wasn't there? Just an optional re-supply stop at a 24h garage. I remember the notes on the route sheet mentioning the A4 as a possibility as well (but couldn't make any sense of it by looking at a map)

Myself I stuck to the routesheet and had a really good time (only minor niggle being a busted front mech and some pain at the front of the right ankle  ???) so loads of thank you to Liam and all helpers.

Also I should have had some sleep at the arrivée before heading back to London. I got hit by the dozies really hard after 10km and had to crash (figuratively!) in a welcoming bus shelter for 15 minutes to be able to get on. Might as well have done that in a warm and quiet room!

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #192 on: 30 April, 2017, 01:48:22 pm »

There wasn't any info control at Henley wasn't there? Just an optional re-supply stop at a 24h garage. I remember the notes on the route sheet mentioning the A4 as a possibility as well (but couldn't make any sense of it by looking at a map)

Ah, beg ya'pardon...I was just looking at Liam's website and a brief overview of the ride. It wasn't obvious from the map [but is of course in the written description underneath] that Lambourn had been introduced. I see what he's done now.

.. after finding myself exhausted at membury a few years back, I took the A4 tour with Martin (occasionally of this parish) to Reading, by which time I'd had more than enough of the A4

Yes, quite, it offers a different kind of challenge and scenery :-)
Garry Broad

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #193 on: 30 April, 2017, 02:01:20 pm »
The good news is I haz two bikes :thumbsup:

This conjures up for me an image of Don Iddu sending out a message to Lambourn that no one messes around on his manor...


VonB's fears of an Info at Henley have not come to pass but I now you come to mention it, I think the phone box at the top of Colstrope Lane has enough potential questions to keep us going for a few years

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #194 on: 30 April, 2017, 02:11:59 pm »
I must thank the cast of thousands who helped make this one work including (but not limited to) AlphaPete, Assassin, Bruv Ed, Crazyenglish, David, IanOli, Iddu, LozFitz and MarcusJB.  In the last six months I've had great advice from a broad range of people including ShuP and JasmijnM.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the event - especially to the finishers who every year provide MarcusJB and me with company through the night.

I like Audax because it's a community as much as an activity; glad to see some new  victims members being drawn in.

Lots of lessons learned for next year

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #195 on: 30 April, 2017, 04:17:39 pm »
The good news is I haz two bikes :thumbsup:

This conjures up for me an image of Don Iddu sending out a message to Lambourn that no one messes around on his manor...


"I don't know who you are. ..I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go return the bikes now that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you ...."

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #196 on: 30 April, 2017, 04:42:35 pm »
Thanks Liam and all other helpers for putting on this classic ride. The new controls at Woodstock and Lambourn added greatly to what was already a well organised event. I was due to be the controller at Woodstock but a late substitution meant I could take on the ride for a third time.

A chilly start, I recorded 1degC shortly after we left but a decent group of 10 or so formed and gentle tailwind meant good progress to Woodstock arriving 10 mins after the opening. A great cooked breakfast with black pudding greeted us, too good to pass up. A few of us left together but the choppy terrain through the Cotswolds meant the group split up. I was riding with Chris on his first 400, we'd met a few weeks earlier on The Shark. To Tuweksbury and a quick shop stop before heading over to the Forest of Dean and the feature climb of Symonds Yat. It's a tough, irregular climb with oncoming traffic on a narrow road but we got over without too much difficulty. It drags on upwards for the next 10k before the fast descent into Chepstow.


We somehow managed to miss the control in Tutshill and only realised once in Chepstow. I called in to explain and agreed to pick up a receipt in town instead. A quick cafe stop and we were back on the road. Over the Seven Bridge, always a thrill but the wind was picking up and it remained Chilly. The sun finally came out for the climb up Somerset Monument, some welcome warmth. We started to labour so Malmesbury was a welcome sight and we stopped in a cafe for tea, coke and a snack. Saw a couple of riders pass by and left with a couple of Kingston Wheelers, they were going well and it would have been good to have company but we lost them on one of the small bumps out of town. The wind picked up a little, it had been nagging away all day but now energy sapping as we climbed up the Lamboune Downs. The Lambourne Control was perfect, thanks Iddu & Assasin for the Veg Chill & Bananas and Custard which hit the spot.

Felt very cold getting back on the bike, teeth chattering for the first 5k but the rolling terrain got the blood flowing. It was my first time following the official route as oppose to the A4. It's a lovely route but definitely more lumpy. I stopped to listen to fight on the phone which was a bit surreal but good motivation after 360k. Chris was tiring a little so we stopped in Henley for a coffee before the final push. The climb up to Holtspur was nasty after 390k but you've got to get up on the ridge somehow and beyond that there's only Welders lane to deal with. Finally then, the descent of Gold Hill and the comfort of the Arrivee. Stuck around chatting for a while as many of the original group rolled in.

A great day out, challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Thanks to all once again and good to hear the missing bikes have turned up.



Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #197 on: 30 April, 2017, 06:04:04 pm »
Thank you Liam and all your helpers.  No wind next year please.

Going to do the Chilterms route section next year I have done the A4 twice now.  Reading is a Gramin blackhole! This year it sent me heading in the wrong directiion towards Newbury.  The A4 may be flat but is tedious.  One of the reasons for doing Audax rides is to see the countryside not town centres.

Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #198 on: 30 April, 2017, 06:04:29 pm »
Yes, great teamwork from the LWL helpers.

My ride started around 3am, ECE-ing from Milton Keynes. Couldn't remember when I'd set off before, as it's been two years, and I couldn't find the files. The leg to Aylesbury was slightly longer than when I use my hybrid to work, which shocked me. thought I'd arrive for brekky around 5:30, but it was 5:45. I was greeted in the car park from someone who remembered my name, but I'd forgotten his (Richard from Tring). I dashed in to scoff jam on toast and down coffee, as I hadn't yet eaten.

Set off late (not as late as others), and was Billy-no-mates for a while, getting overtaken by fast people on fast bikes (aerobars, carbon and parachute bags). I eventually caught ACME man and his riding partner, and rode with them for a while. We were caught by Richard, who became my great riding partner for the rest of the event. It was great to have manned controls (not recalled on my 7across outings). Confusion over whether Woodstock brekky was free (it wasn't, as per the emailed instructions and sign at the bar, so I paid). This was another example of veggie's being short changed (no alternative to bacon, sausage and black pudding). I did get my hands on the last hash brown though. A Wetherspoons veggie brekky woulda gone down a treat.

I enjoyed the section to Tewkesbury, recollecting places from different Audaxes as we cycled through them. We just had to stop at the Royal Hop Pole (still dark inside). My planned soup and unlimited coffee turned into the veggie burger, chips and pint deal (usually enjoyed post-event). A pint before Yat rock? Caught ACME man again (sorry, I forgot to ask your name), and told him off for letting down the ACME team, not stopping at the pub. The last time I went up Yat was on our MK CTC (Cycling UK now) hostel weekend (just a few miles away). I used my other Audax bike for that one, but carried less, and had fresh legs. I got up ok, out the saddle, without much grief from motorists. There is a café on the right at the top, but I don't recall them giving receipts, if it ever became a control to stop the climb being bypassed.

The stage to Chepstow felt arduous, and dreading the climb from Tesco with close passing traffic didn't help. The village hall control was great though. I enjoyed the (chorizo?) baked beans, not spicy as I'd expected. So much better than controlling at Tesco or other shop as on previous visits, but I still haven't looked where the 'spoons is (my Team MK club mate has been there).

The climb up to the bridge felt easier than expected, but then I started not looking forward to the Thornbury climb (and headwind). I need to be more positive! We could see the monument in the distance, and dreaded the impending climb. I told Richard how it (in my opinion) breaks down into sections. I honked up it, easier than on the Dean when I had a jumping chain. we had a Co-op stop in Malmesbury, where we met an Audaxer on a (non-DIY) personal 360km ride via Marsh Gibbon (obliterated by TG). I must be sad when it comes to points, so much so that I have led a few club 100 milers in the past, then done another 25+miles to get two points, as well as helping my RRtY. we soldiered on to Lambourn, by now every worn and cracked road aching my wrists, arms, legs and behind (I don't think I've got the Brooks cambium saddle on this bike set up like my other one). Maybe new padded gloves and shorts are the answer (or a thudbuster seatpost). I really enjoyed the veg chilli and dessert at the control, taking the opportunity to use the Assos cream, change my shorts, and add base layer. Only the thermal socks I carried weren't used.

Richard took me on a once in a lifetime trip down to, and on, the A4 (I usually stick to the provided route). Still on some rough roads, and the monotony of pedalling on the A4 felt like the Fens. The end couldn't come soon enough, and I was pleased with around 4.5 hours in hand. I really fancied a chesee toastie, but couldn't face chewing. Fruit salad and rice pudding went down easier, as did tea (had enough of coffee). Said farewell to Richard, rested for over an hour, then set off on my (slow to begin with), ride home. Home before 8:30 and, for a change, didn't fall asleep in the bath. Had an hour's kip early afternoon, after a well earned visit to a Costa.

Thanks again Liam and team. Glad some pulled out so I had the chance to re-visit this newly controlled event, even though I missed going up to see the TdY.     
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

Assasin

  • It can only get better
Re: London Wales London (Severn Across as was...)
« Reply #199 on: 30 April, 2017, 06:41:11 pm »
Quote
The good news is I haz two bikes :thumbsup:

Awesome!
Those two riders had a lot of grief to contend with without a steed to ride home.
Quite a few personnel effect on board including a pair of specs.
And GPS's etc.

I hope both mounts are unscathed after a brief hijacking for a few hours.
Better make indoor parking compulsory next time....... :)