ACME Miscellany

[tippers_kiwi]

Jerseys ACME Merino Jerseys are going into production.

Sheep have been chosen and put it to grass..... It's a long process!

If you look their company up on Google Maps and go to street view you might get a feeling you are exactly on the money there Jen. You would probably want a Gravel Bike to get up there!

Kaharoa Holdings

[Oscar's dad]

[Assume the voice of a posh lady and imagine this scene being played out about now ...]

"Charles, would you mind joining me in the back garden, I do believe the bees have learned to ride bicycles as there are numerous tyre tracks in the grass!"

The evening started with myself, Andy C3333333, and BFC The Ace Cycle Mechanic and Savior Of Inept Fettlers Like Me setting off from the Spa Road roundabout to follow a track I recorded in 2009. I remembered there being some light COR and I alerted my companions to the possibility.

All was well until we turned right off Breeds Road somewhere near the Chignalls. The lane we turned into led us into the garden of the posh house mentioned above. After circling the beehives BFC spotted a gate through which was the bridleway we should have been on. The torrential rain yesterday lunchtime had left the bridleway in a very muddy state. I was okay on Fred shod with his 40mm tyres and no mudguards, my companions coped less well, BFC particularly with his 23c slicks. Mudguards got jammed, wheels stopped turning but I wasn't lynched.

When we got to the Wheatsheaf I went in to buy the beers whilst the other two removed wheels and used sticks to clear the remaining mud.

Inside was Tomsk and we enjoyed a pleasant evening before riding home in fairly heavy rain.

[bobb]

acme.bike is currently being moved to a new server

It's still on the old one at the moment, but can still be accessed.

May I suggest things like the forward planned events are added on there? That's what it's for...

Seen jibers note about FORWARD PLANNING is now onna Google colander?

Yes, that's exactly what I saw! My point is, what's the point of having a website if we're not going to use it?

I think there's a couple of points for me here - from using them, both have there place I think.

The website events are fine for more organised events we wish to publicly advertise and attract people to, it takes a bit of time to add stuff to an event from the ones I tried but worth it for a permanent and organised event - a bit like Wilkieboys camaudax approach.  They are a bit harder to keep updated if things change.  Adding events probably gets easier with familiarity, but they need to be owned by someone to put them on and keep them updated (between us we haven't broached this subject yet)

For our MEMWNS sessions, doddle to add to the calendar, even a default event length of 2 hours helped ease the cut and paste pain from OD's document, The added plus of a mpa for the location helps too - it integrates in to my personal calendars so I would have done this for myself anyway, but a central location helps spread the load and might prove value for others. A few of us have the ability to add, modify events plus share with people - the key organisers of such events (i.e. Velodrome, pubs fwd planning, coffee, bivi) We play cat and mouse with the locations depending on where we sit in terms of conformist or anarchistic tendencies - so they are 'fluid' suggestions.  There might also be some concern about pre-advertising where we are going to stash our lovely bikes for a couple of hours at night, so restricted distribution and announcement in here might feel safer.

Whilst I am in ACME thoughts mode, can I ask people to get busy on twitter posting stuff and tagging @acme_essex - I am running out of content to post, there's only so much I can content I can generate myself   Quite a few of us have twitter accounts, if you are out and about, perhaps a pic and a tweet will help increase our presence if I RT it. 

ETA: Goes without saying, but appropriate content for @ACME_Essex so no big knockers or RT and win posts etc... vaguely audax/bike related would be great !

I have been cursing all of your fucking names this evening, but I have finally managed to connect to the Google Calendar. Please do not decide you don't want to use it now 



Obviously the events will be displayed in a more pleasing manner on the site....

[Oscar's dad]

Well done bobb!

Your next task is an automatic upload facility for our cat photo gallery just to piss jibers off 

[huggy]

I know the majority of the ACME peloton will be in York at the time and others may have other plans but just to put it out there that I'm thinking about the Double Dutch 200k on Easter Saturday, 15th April.  Starting from Huntingdon at 8am I'll be driving the team van that morning if anyone fancies it too.
Depending upon parents' plans on that day I may stop in Sutton Bridge to have lunch with them.

[jiberjaber]

Well done bobb!

Your next task is an automatic upload facility for our cat photo gallery just to lose jibers off 

 

[Oscar's dad]

Well done bobb!

Your next task is an automatic upload facility for our cat photo gallery just to piss jibers off 

 

[bobb]

When adding events to the Google Calendar, for consistency, can you please ensure you enter a start / finish date and a description of the event.

Ta

[Oscar's dad]

Yes Oh Wizard of the Web 

[psyclist]

Ooops. Had a quiet moment at work whilst I was waiting for something, and hit the 'enter' button for The Shark. Good training I thought before a weekend down in Wessex.

[tippers_kiwi]

 

I am bricking it about the Shark! Not actually sure why as I am feeling reasonably good on the bike...just not looking forward to all the massive efforts on the hills. Ah well, it should be a good prep for the Arrow!

[Oscar's dad]

Ooops. Had a quiet moment at work whilst I was waiting for something, and hit the 'enter' button for The Shark. Good training I thought before a weekend down in Wessex.

Did you do it last year?

[psyclist]

Ooops. Had a quiet moment at work whilst I was waiting for something, and hit the 'enter' button for The Shark. Good training I thought before a weekend down in Wessex.

Did you do it last year?

Yes. It rained for the first 4 hours last year, but still an enjoyable ride.

The food at the first control was very good - catering in a community hall. Sleaford is just an info control, so I just ate something I'd taken with me. At Mayfield I bought something at the little shop. There's probably other options if you wanted to sit down for food somewhere. My elapsed time last year was just under 11 and a 1/2 hours, so there is leeway to spend more time nourishing oneself.

[Oscar's dad]

Ooops. Had a quiet moment at work whilst I was waiting for something, and hit the 'enter' button for The Shark. Good training I thought before a weekend down in Wessex.

Did you do it last year?

Yes. It rained for the first 4 hours last year, but still an enjoyable ride.

The food at the first control was very good - catering in a community hall. Sleaford is just an info control, so I just ate something I'd taken with me. At Mayfield I bought something at the little shop. There's probably other options if you wanted to sit down for food somewhere. My elapsed time last year was just under 11 and a 1/2 hours, so there is leeway to spend more time nourishing oneself.

So did I.  The route is lovely but brutal, I'd only do it again by staying over night on the south coast thus spreading the ride over two days - have fun chaps!

[psyclist]

Hopefully tippers won't read that ...

[Oscar's dad]

Hopefully tippers won't read that ...

He knows my views, they are up thread.  It was a horrific experience but I'm glad I did it.  Everyone should do it at least once.  Twice is just stupid 

[Phil W]

I am bricking it about the Shark! Not actually sure why as I am feeling reasonably good on the bike...just not looking forward to all the massive efforts on the hills. Ah well, it should be a good prep for the Arrow!

Either the Arrow this year has a massive hilly section or the Shark is flatter than advertised? Hmmmm

[tippers_kiwi]

It's more the fact that the Arrow will be my first fixed 400km including some of the Wolds and I am riding with 3 very experienced and good fixed riders.

Being scared of rides is good in my experience. Last time I did a 200 with over 3,000m of climb I rode it like a flatlands 200....made it back in time though (working to 13.5 hours) but it was pretty close. Anyway, my control discipline has improved since then and I will make sure I have time in the bank before I start sitting in pubs and/or restaurants. I will assume that might well mean only stopping for any length of time at the end.

I know I'll be ok....it's the suffering I am not looking forward to at this stage. Will probably enjoy it on the day though.

[jiberjaber]

Yeah - I looked at the GPX today... 

My last two rides have felt quite taxing but on inspection I have been putting in as much effort as I did for July rides last year, so hopefully that is a good sign... I was 30mins slower than my fastest 200 time on Saturday but on the bed frame bike with an additional 400m of climbing rather than the carbon bike.  My worry is that this is twice as much climbing as the last two rides, but it can only makes us stronger right! 

I have toyed with the idea of getting the carbon bike out for The Shark as I am sure I would benefit from losing the 7kg or so bike weight.... 

[psyclist]

I have toyed with the idea of getting the carbon bike out for The Shark as I am sure I would benefit from losing the 7kg or so bike weight.... 

That's a whole bike in weight ... friend I rode with on Saturday had a sub-6kg bike. Even with that he only managed half the ride ... moral being it's not the bike ...

I'll be riding on steel.

As mentioned up thread, don't go too lightweight on tyres as some of the lanes are a bit gritty.

[jiberjaber]

I have toyed with the idea of getting the carbon bike out for The Shark as I am sure I would benefit from losing the 7kg or so bike weight.... 

That's a whole bike in weight ... friend I rode with on Saturday had a sub-6kg bike. Even with that he only managed half the ride ... moral being it's not the bike ...

I'll be riding on steel.

As mentioned up thread, don't go too lightweight on tyres as some of the lanes are a bit gritty.

I suspect I'll be hauling the CdF - though both have durano plus fitted, the CDF is 28mm rather than 25.  I hadn't thought of the whole bike weight difference!  Though I like the load carrying options it gives

[tippers_kiwi]

I will be on the Croix with the Durano+. I'm in no rush on Sunday, short stops steady pace.

[Carlosfandango]

Hopefully tippers won't read that ...

He knows my views, they are up thread.  It was a horrific experience but I'm glad I did it.  Everyone should do it at least once.  Twice is just stupid 

It was a lovely ride even in the rain. OD told me he was "suffering mentally" after about 40km. I`m afraid I couldn`t stop chortling long enough to provide any psychological support. So all credit to OD for finishing. I only added to his anguish by driving him home.

Don`t worry about bike weight just pack some gears for the gravelly 25% bits and also Toy`s hill and Hogtrough at about 150km.

I don`t have the time for it this year unfortunately, but have fun.

[Oscar's dad]

Well, what a smashing ride we had last night!  Present were me, Tomsk, AndyC333333333333333333, BFC, huggy, psyclist and jibers.   The weather is definitely warming up and some of us were showing a tantalizing bit of leg.  I for one enjoyed the extra distance and logged 41.3 miles.

The Three Horsehoes at Duton Hill is a super pub chock full of an eclectic collection of memorabilia.  Were it not for a couple of locals turning up just before we left we'd have had the place to ourselves all evening.  The conversation roamed around the usual topics.

Please ignore my talk of being up north next week,  complete bollocks, its the week after.  So I'm eagerly anticipating our return to The Royal Oak at Hazeleigh as we barrel at full chat into the second phase of FORWARD PLANNING    I trust the venue won't prove too controversial and should tempt some of our long term absentees to grace us with their presence - I'm referring to ted, 'fandgango and perhaps his brother.  Maybe even Oaky plus anyone else who has been missing us all dreadfully.

[jiberjaber]

Can I point out that it's the Maldon beer festival next week, and it is open on Wednesday... whilst the Royal Oak was nice, I'm not sure we've done the beer festival?  Details in the Calendar