Author Topic: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400  (Read 14696 times)

Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« on: 03 May, 2016, 11:11:44 am »
So this seems to be the one that will pull me out of retirement. I've even just rejoined AUK :-o

I still haven't *quite* entered because I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to anything that keeps me up when I should be asleep.

Who's doing this? New event right?

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #1 on: 03 May, 2016, 12:29:36 pm »
I'm in. Looks like sleep back at base as the sun goes down so no looking for bus shelters. ;D
It's all about the breakfast

wilkyboy

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #2 on: 03 May, 2016, 12:30:01 pm »
It looks like a nice new 400 — an easy late-morning start, so no problem travelling to it.  Dinnertime control at Harwich (160km).  Bedtime control back at Great Dunmow (273km), so opportunity for a bit of shut-eye, perhaps change kit from the boot of the car (for those who've driven).  The route is rolling Essexonia, Danbury probably being the biggest climb at 100m or so, but I rode it last week and it was fine (on fixed).

Tomsk has a reputation for providing welcome TLC at his manned controls, too, so this could be considered a good alternative to the National 400 if you can't make that date (which unfortunately I can't) — as in, it's a relatively straightforward 400 with TLC at probably the two most important controls (dinner and bed), on a route that's rolling but not challenging on roads that are easy to navigate, I think.

I've mapped it on RideWithGPS here:  https://ridewithgps.com/events/Kingdom-of-the-Saxons-400km-Audax.  There's a wide variety of types of road, a lot of lanes, but some B-roads too, plus a seaside cycle path.

I'm looking forward to it — the later start means ECEing this from Cambridge will be straightforward even with a bit of a lie-in  ;)
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

Oaky

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #3 on: 03 May, 2016, 01:17:49 pm »
I'm in - looking forward to it!
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Audax Club Mid-Essex Fire Safety Officer
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Tomsk

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #4 on: 04 May, 2016, 08:24:38 am »
I'm going to test ride a section of the route next week: in particular I need to check out progress at the re-vamped Pier Hotel in Harwich...

I always intended this as a 'National 400' style ride with the late morning start, plenty of tlc, sleeping after 250+ kms, benign route - ok, some climbs on the chalk in the North-West of the county, around the River Stour on the Suffolk border and of course the Mighty North Hill at Little Baddow [1/12th Alpe d'Huez!]. Hoping to attract first timers at the distance, as well as those who want to discover the very best bits of Essex, rather than head straight out to foreign parts, as all my other rides do!

Pub finish too! :thumbsup: Traditional Essex arrivee! [That is unless you're super-fast and get back to St Mary's Room before the tail-enders have been sent out on the final loop.]

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #5 on: 04 May, 2016, 09:32:30 am »
I've never slept in a 400 before! But with the later start I like the idea. What time do we need to finish by on the Sunday?

marcusjb

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #6 on: 04 May, 2016, 09:43:16 am »
Sleeping on a 400 is so much nicer and a later start makes it very attractive (the Porkers with it's 2pm start also lends itself to this).  I really struggle to ride a 400 with no sleep - just not fast enough to make it safely around.

A 6am start (and therefore, 9am finish for a BRM) means you reach the point where you might want to sleep (say midnightish) and most riders will be reaching the point where they are getting into the last 50-100km and you have the issue of do you just get it done, or do you take a sleep? 

This puts most at that 250km point around midnight to 2am (i.e. 13-15 hours of riding).  Sleep and set off at 5-6am to give yourself 8-9 hours for that final 150km - nice!  Little night riding (sun will set around 9:30-10 I guess, so only 3 or so hours of night riding needed hopefully).  Even those of fuller value should be able to grab at least an hour or two of kip and really separate the two days.

Anyway - this sounds a great ride and if I weren't on the Pennine 1000, I'd seriously be up for it.
Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #7 on: 04 May, 2016, 09:53:21 am »
God it sounds so civilised when you put it like that Marcus!

Genosse Brymbo

  • Ostalgist
Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #8 on: 04 May, 2016, 06:13:22 pm »
Lady C, marcusjb is correct.  Sleeping on a 400 is very pleasant and makes the event more enjoyable.  In my 1.0 guise I always slept on 400s (well, on the Brevet Cymru, my only 400, and the Snowpocalypse Easter Arrow, somewhat too deeply).  The transition to 2.0 with optional sleep occurred on Brevet Cymru 2015, when I knew I'd not wake up/start again during the overnight deluge.  Stress, adrenaline, and survival instinct kicked in (and the need to complete a PBP qualifier).

So I'd suggest you aim to sleep and only carry on without if you're able to do so safely and something forces the decision.  It really is much more civilised, as you say.
The present is a foreign country: they do things differently here.

Tomsk

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #9 on: 04 May, 2016, 07:22:06 pm »
I've never slept in a 400 before! But with the later start I like the idea. What time do we need to finish by on the Sunday?

Churchend Control, after the first 268km loop, is open from 19:56 to 04:52. I'm guessing those that might want to sleep would get in around midnight, then get sent out again in the wee small hours, but then have the prospect of dawn breaking soon. Even a 'lantern rouge' leaving on the time limit would have roughly 9 hours for the final 140-ish kilometres.

At present the plan is to have an area for sleeping in the main hall, but if there are enough entries and the budget allows, I'll get the smaller hall too [St Mary's Centre], for those needing more than a power nap.

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #10 on: 04 May, 2016, 07:37:44 pm »
I've never slept in a 400 before! But with the later start I like the idea. What time do we need to finish by on the Sunday?

Neither had I until last year's National 400 and when I arrived at a control late at night it was already getting so cold that I decided it was a sensible way forward and as audax is not a race, there was no rush to finish.  A most fantastic experience, thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend when starts like this event accommodate such a strategy.

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #11 on: 04 May, 2016, 10:07:05 pm »
This is where the late morning start is so good. I'm absolutely useless between 12 and 4-5 anyway, so will take all the sleep I can get!!!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I will have the ladies dormitory please ;)

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #12 on: 04 May, 2016, 10:08:45 pm »
Having said this, I think I will do this weekends 200k and see how it all goes first to check I am not getting over carried away. (I did 115 miles last weekend but 250 miles is a whole new ballgame!)

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #13 on: 04 May, 2016, 10:48:58 pm »
Sleeping does sound good, but changes a 1 day event into a 2 day event. Horses for courses I guess.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #14 on: 04 May, 2016, 10:58:19 pm »
Surely starting at 1100 means it will be a 2 day event anyway, unless you plan on 30kph.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #15 on: 05 May, 2016, 02:03:21 am »
Surely starting at 1100 means it will be a 2 day event anyway, unless you plan on 30kph.

sure the choice is an event like this where you can get up at a reasonable time before travelling to the start, ride 250km have a sleep and finish before you travel home after the ride on day 2.  Or the alternative style where you start at 6am, and by the time you think about havign a sleep have 50-75km left and so might as well just push on, finish at 3am and go home. If the start is local, then you have only used one day, and had a slightly short sleep.

I didn't mean you could do this without sleeping as a one day event, but that whether you are time constrained or would prefer the more relaxed approach and choose events accordingly.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #16 on: 05 May, 2016, 09:18:46 am »
If the start isn't local though, I don't feel you've lost any time, as you'd have a night away before the ride that you don't need with an 11am start.

I don't want to ride the same events over and over again because they're local. I liked the Severn Across, my 'local' one. But I don't want to do it again because I've done it. For me, these aren't just to say 'oh I've done a 400' Nothing to prove there. I want to see new places and do something different, that's the point of them for me :)

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #17 on: 05 May, 2016, 10:05:04 am »
I've quit fannying around and entered it  :o :o :o

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #18 on: 06 May, 2016, 08:01:42 pm »
This might be a go'er for me too. Bookmarking the thread.

Tomsk

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #19 on: 11 May, 2016, 05:58:11 pm »
I rode the first 260km loop this week, over two days [with camping gear], checking the route [loads of changes to signage etc since I last passed that way and actually took any notice!] & lots of extra control info to go on the route sheet. Harwich control venue is still a big unknown...

I expect to check the final 140km-ish loop fairly soon.

I'll get some photos up here soon to whet your appetite. Day one was great, especially the run along the Stour Valley and Constable Country, but a bit wet yesterday, so not many pics.

Tomsk

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #20 on: 18 May, 2016, 03:22:14 pm »


^Just a few hills in NW Essex...



^A long-held ambition to stop here - passed may times on 'Dick Turpin's Day Out'.



^Dedham Vale view.



^A little [illegal] wild camping, can't say where...



^On the Colne in Colchester: old house boats and new flats [rebuilt a long time after Ms Boudicca's little spree].

Last 140km to be test-ridden soon...

jiberjaber

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #21 on: 19 May, 2016, 05:26:44 pm »
Looks great :)
Regards,

Joergen

Tomsk

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Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #22 on: 21 May, 2016, 07:41:56 pm »
The final 140km loop, ridden this morning. Bit of a nagging headwind going south, but after elevenses at the 'Tall Green House', I set off back with a decent bit of help. By now a few motorbikes out enjoying the 'Burnham Bends' [where the road does 90 degree turns around the ancient field system]. Most riders should be through here well before the B1010 gets busy:



^ Crouch Vale: Radar Hill on the left, South Woodham Ferrers in the distance.



^ Vineyard looking over the Crouch towards Burnham.



^ 10 o'clock ferry about to leave.



^ Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in the distance, from Burnham Quay. There's an info control just out of sight  ;D

Cycling Daddy

  • "We shall have an adventure by and by," said Don Q
Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #23 on: 25 May, 2016, 04:01:06 pm »
I hope to be able to ride this.  Bother sadly prevented owing to need to attend concert in which my wife is playng
Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote

hillbilly

Re: Kingdom of the East Saxons 400
« Reply #24 on: 25 May, 2016, 06:28:31 pm »
I am hoping to ride it as well (but holding off entry until I'm sure I'm up to it).  It looks great.