Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: Bairn Again on 05 June, 2011, 09:14:47 pm
-
So who else is up for this cairry on next weekend?
I missed it last time, think I was on the Emerald Isle, but will be out next Sat for I hope an easy 600.
ps - just received the blurb from Mrs Ernst. If you are struggling for somewhere to park, the car park in Kirk Loan (edin - Preston) is officially free all weekend and is less than 1/4 mile from the start along Corstorphine High St. Oh yeah and wheel clamping is illegal in Scotland so that definitely isnt going to happen. :thumbsup:
-
Hm, haven't registered yet but am thinking about it (I seem to have lost my senses somewhere between Edinburgh and Preston or perhaps near Durness).
What's the weather forecast? Any wind?
-
So who else is up for this cairry on next weekend?
Me.
-
I'm going to DNS this one. Had entered but after last weekend's wind and rain fest I don't think I can take another trudge down beside the M74 for a wee while yet.
-
Beer festival :thumbsup:
-
So far we have about 18 or 19 on the start sheet.
There might still be a card or 2 spare so if you have a last minute crazy thought that you might like to do it, then get your request in quick, PM me or phone Sonya
It could be one of the easiest 600s on offer ;)
-
I'm a DNS - I just can't manage another 600 so close to the last...
-
I'm doing this. If George is feeling OK we will do it on the tandem as a little practice for the 24 TT. Hoping for dry calm conditions.
-
I am planning to be there. I'd only DNS if the forecast predicts weather like last weekend - that would be a bit gruelling. It's looking OK at present. Bit of a headwind going south but then a stronger one coming back. But anything can happen to the forecast a week in advance, so no chickens being counted yet.
-
Im hoping to travel light on this one - may risk a sportier set up given that this one isnt required as a qualifier for France.
Currently planning to sleep at home at 400k.
Id give you guys ^ a hard time for the DNS of this one but your suffering on E-P-E is justification enough.
-
I've only been on the bike once since EPE and both knees flared up right away - it's "stair climbing" pain in everyday parlance.
Bit of a pain but if I was going to be injured by any of the qualifiers I suppose the last one was best :)
Strangely it feels OK on the MTB with SPDs so I'm not immobilised, just annoyed!
-
I had thought this was later in the month and hadn't got round to entering it but Sonya contacted me end of last week to see if I was riding so it looks like I am :)
I will be dropping off an entry form and fee on the way home tonight. Re the weather the wind has certainly died down compared to last week still occasionally damp but nothing serious.
-
I managed a late entry for this one so will be taking up my usual position near the back of the pack.
-
So it looks like there could be a choice of 3 tandems to sit behind, at least till Annan.
Our crew is planning a DIY 300, going home by Moffat, so that we can get the finish ready for everyone getting back.
Andrew and Steve are the other crew.
-
Up date on the ride, 16 starters out of 21 entered, We set of with the group to do a DIY 300, we followed the 600 route till about 190km where we turned for home. The first 160km were a joy riding with one of the two tandem teams, and getting to longtown in record time, we had sunny warm weather with a slight tail wind.
We spotted at least a dozen riders doing the Border Raid 600 in Longtown.
The fun ended shortly after Longtown where the wind picked up and heavy rain fell. After a few down pour's
it settled down to less wind and drizzle.
We got home at 8pm (fast for us) I only hope the few riders using this as there PBP qualifier can make it to the finish, with the cold, damp conditions to deal with :-\
-
Hope everyone is home by now - weather at Bo'ness is looking a bit grim for anyone at the back of the field, with low temps, rain and a headwind :(
-
My second Audax on a tandem and only my 4th tandem ride. McNastie's chest seemed as bad as on the Snow Roads but at least he is now on antibiotics. A quick ride to Longtown then rain until Dalbeattie. Woke my we sister up at 2am at Corstorphine for a bed for a couple of hours and dry clothes but McNasty got up early so I had to comply. Calm and dry to Balloch with the only incident a puncture on the Kippen flats. Breakfast at Balloch and then turned into the rising eastery Wothill had predicted meant a really tough ride back to the finish. I might well not have finished if on my own but couldn't let the old man down. My only previous experience of tandemning is sitting behind one but I am now realising how tough it can be piloting one and am full of admiration for the Ernst's exploits. Many thanks to them for this event and to George who is away for a week so I will be taking it easy on the bike next week.
-
No easy 600’s but this was fairly routine. The ability to indulge in home comforts at 400k made it far more straightforward for those lucky enough to live in the vicinity.
Lows
Thunder/lightning, hail around Annan/Dumfries
Riding up a small river near Cushatgrove
Running out of energy resulting in a very very slow final 10k to Johnstonebridge
Getting a wee bit lost near Glencaple only to discover that somebody had moved the phone box
Feeling really crap about 30k into yesterdays 200 (in Grangemouth too) and harbouring dark thoughts on not going on.
The challenge of the aforementioned rising easterly for the last 100k.
Traffic & road surface between Stirling and Balloch.
Highs
Reaching Longtown (160k) by 11.50 and not even in the front group
Views of the Trossachs when heading back towards Stirling, one of few occasions when I lifted my head up!
A brief seat in the sunshine in Stirling on the way home.
Being cheered on from a loud house party in an upstairs flat at Carnwath
Cheery waves to/from other riders on the same event going the opposite direction (through gritted teeth when we realised that Wothill was already 90k ahead of us!)
The “fairy lights” cats eyes west of Balerno on the A70. Turnhouse Airport-esque.
The restorative properties of a ginsters spicy chicken pastry slice at 7.30am on a Sunday in Grangemouth, supplemented with super strong latte and a lot of shortbread. It was the very essence of audaxing.
Eck’s company for all but about 45k of the event. He makes some gruesome noises when riding his bike (especially going uphill) but there were plenty laughs which helped the km’s speed by at times.
Thanks to the Ernst’s for organising the event and for their hospitality at the finish from which I could almost freewheel home.
Top notch.
-
Started well, managed to hang on at the back for a guided tour out of Auld Reekie as far as the "Lizzie Bryce" where an ill timed car lost me 30 yards .
Fine run down to Lockerbie, in the company of Hanley the younger, where the skies opened and pelted us with rain and hail. Couldn't keep up when we turned into the wind and rain towards Anan. I missed the turn off to Glencaple and had to return from Dumfries to get control info. :sick: Later the guy who had just shut up shop at New Abbey spotted me, and let me in the back door for hot coffee and a receipt. My cycle computer unhelpfully packed up after Dumfries. Got about 20mins snooze at JBR not enough to give me any pace on the very chilly ride to over to Abington where a red bull and a bun didn't have the desired affect. Found a carpeted bus shelter in Thankerton :thumbsup:and grabbed half an hour kip. I plodded haplessly over the Lang Whang where I was consumed by a strong desire to pass away peacefully. Got to Corstorphine just after 7am having completed slowest ever 400k therefore decided against the second stage. Ah well I'm sure there's warm and sunny audax just around the corner.
-
Bad luck Dave - must say you've got my admiration for even starting the ride only two weeks after E-P-E. I was pretty happy with my decision to sit this one out, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have managed to cycle past my house without going home and staying home.
-
valkyrie, you had a narrow escape from an early call from a pair of vagrant cyclists on Sunday morning as Y L G and I rode into Bo'ness past your road-end, and considered popping in for a bacon roll.
-
Surreal comedy moment of the ride came for me at Abington motorway services late on Saturday night. Y L G and I had wheeled our bikes in to the foyer and gone to pick up some food at the counter. Jobsworth in fluo waistcoat approaches us: "I don't think you're allowed to bring bikes inside."
In our best Chewing the Fat conversational style, we asked, "How no?"
"Well, I dinnae make the rules, but if they let you inside with your bikes, well, everyone will be wanting want to bring bikes in here."
A moment later, bodach and McNasty wheeled their tandem in.... :facepalm: ;D
-
"Well, I dinnae make the rules, but if they let you inside with your bikes, well, everyone will be wanting want to bring bikes in here."
A moment later, bodach and McNasty wheeled their tandem in.... :facepalm: ;D
Brilliant!
I sort of enjoyed this 600 but perhaps that's just in comparison to the hellish e-p-e experience.
I found the Edinburgh - Stirling and Stirling - Edinburgh legs very hard and generally found the bits I rode solo pretty tough.
A massive thanks to the Ernsts for organising this and for their hospitality at the end of the ride.
That's me now completed my first SR series. Braw. :thumbsup:
-
Surreal comedy moment of the ride came for me at Abington motorway services late on Saturday night. Y L G and I had wheeled our bikes in to the foyer and gone to pick up some food at the counter. Jobsworth in fluo waistcoat approaches us: "I don't think you're allowed to bring bikes inside."
In our best Chewing the Fat conversational style, we asked, "How no?"
"Well, I dinnae make the rules, but if they let you inside with your bikes, well, everyone will be wanting want to bring bikes in here."
A moment later, bodach and McNasty wheeled their tandem in.... :facepalm: ;D
:'( with ;D
it's a cracker
-
Surreal comedy moment of the ride came for me at Abington motorway services late on Saturday night. Y L G and I had wheeled our bikes in to the foyer and gone to pick up some food at the counter. Jobsworth in fluo waistcoat approaches us: "I don't think you're allowed to bring bikes inside."
In our best Chewing the Fat conversational style, we asked, "How no?"
"Well, I dinnae make the rules, but if they let you inside with your bikes, well, everyone will be wanting want to bring bikes in here."
A moment later, bodach and McNasty wheeled their tandem in.... :facepalm: ;D
Takes the biscuit. Just wish I'd been there!
I had been thinking of trying this one without sleep, but I was so cold when I got back to Corstorphine with Tinez that I decided to have an hour in the sleeping bag in the car and Tinez went home - not sure I could have done that and then got up again, but the car wasn't all that comfortable, so I was on the road again after an hour's sleep. Dawn was a long time coming, but then, just after the sun was up (judging by the strength of the daylight - no sign of the yellow orb itself until quite a lot later) it started to get misty and it actually got colder. Fortunately, by then I had all my clothes on. The mist had cleared before Balloch but by then the east wind had begun to get up and it was getting quite strong by the time I finished - must have been a much harder final 100K later in the day.
Superb catering at the Ernsts' at the end - thank you both very much! I am not quite convinced by the arguments that PBP is actually possible even when you finish a 600 completely washed out and needing to sleep for a week, but well done for trying.
-
The ACP numbers for this event are now on the AUK website, if anyone needs them.
Keith
-
The ACP numbers for this event are now on the AUK website, if anyone needs them.
They haven't yet made it into the PBP registration system i.e. they don't appear when you mouse over 'Put your cursor here to have the listing of the BRM'
-
That must be a record - it's only 3 days since the ride!
Funny thing is that if you fill in the number (from the results sheet on the AUK site) the PBP does then complete the rest of it and after that, it does appear on the list when you hover with the mouse in the right place.
-
That must be a record - it's only 3 days since the ride!
Funny thing is that if you fill in the number (from the results sheet on the AUK site) the PBP does then complete the rest of it and after that, it does appear on the list when you hover with the mouse in the right place.
I think the record was set yesterday with the Seething results.
We think that ACPs system updates daily, so that although you have the number, the system does not recognise it for a while.
Keith