Author Topic: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011  (Read 19178 times)

aregister

  • On entre OK, on sort KO
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #100 on: 05 November, 2011, 05:50:38 pm »
DNF. Descending Whilte Lane and - POW! - which, after much faffing, I finally realised was a rip in the front tyre sidewall.
Naturally I had no spare tyre or tyre boot (3 inner tubes, though!), so thank you very much for the person who rode halfway back up the hill to give me a tyre boot.
It did the job and I gingerly took the main roads for the 20 plus miles back to Chorley.
Thanks also to Mr and Mrs D for their hospitality while waiting for the key to the hall so I could get my bag back.
I saw the parsnips all ready to be made into soup before leaving to get the train back to London.
So instead of homemade soup I had a lamb wrap at a Lebanese place on the Edgeware Rd, which wasn't bad.

iddu

  • Are we there yet?
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #101 on: 05 November, 2011, 07:15:05 pm »
A pleasant bimble....

Glenn/Neil - thanks for the company; Glenn: hope your crank held up, Neil: so when's your 300? ;D


A motley crew ;)


Birthday Girl ;D


Grumping Berins Hill...


...and descending from Stoke Row


Paul + ?


M'lady said "Bring me a shrubberyCAIK" - who are we to argue ;D


AUK "Rear of the Year" Calender, entry #1 (incoming...)


Just past Brize - nighty night...

Ranty from Boab as the chain came off tandem - "Bloody Gears". "Ah, well - fundementally, there's yer problem" was the response.
Loved the FAIL by Chris trying to trackstand the tandem as she leaped off - strange they declined to repeat for video to "Framed" :)

Thank you Mr Toyata4WD for your considerate driving as I grumped up the hill from Minster; in deciding to stop 1 millisecond later at the T-junction and contemplate which direction to go, don't be suprised when you get a "MOVE THAT PILE OF SHITE YOU COCKWOMBLE"

Ah yes, Blowingstone to home - how could I forget?  260 FTD - not as bad as some of the ECE's, but they're strange people ;D
I'd offer you some moral support - but I have questionable morals.

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #102 on: 05 November, 2011, 10:58:36 pm »
72 starters, 68 finishers (plus Steve and me on Thursday).  Really lucky with the weather, which bore little resemblance to the forecast of just a few days ago.  Sacrificial virgins clearly work - perhaps another one or two would have ensured a tail wind to Chippy (Steve and I had one!)

As ever my thanks to Mary for all her fantastic work in the kitchen, also to daughter Ruth and her new husband Phill, and Mick & Sue Simmons for giving up their evening, and Matt for his car-park duties in the morning. And Stephen for company on Thursday and checking riders through at Chippy.   And of course to the 102 people who entered.

We haven't counted the Air Ambulance donations yet, but it is clearly a considerable sum - thanks.  ReadingCTC will also be getting a substantial boost to their funds from the event itself.

Time for bed.  Goodnight all. :)

border-rider

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #103 on: 05 November, 2011, 11:09:57 pm »

Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #104 on: 05 November, 2011, 11:10:16 pm »
Thanks for a great day out, Phil and helpers. Yes, fine weather albeit with a wintry feel. It's only going to get colder from here on, for the next few months anyway!

Martin

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #105 on: 05 November, 2011, 11:32:32 pm »
a great day out as always and a ride of 3 halves Brian;
1. a 40min late start and a mad dash over the sticks to Waterperry
2. a lumpy section to Bicester with Polepole and Chris B where I was sent packing for being too err enthusiatic so chased down anyone left in Chippy
3. a relaxed peleton with Manotea Lycraman tonyh and phil d back to alomst Didcot where I peeled off to go and watch the fireworks in Waliingford whilst waiting for my car passenger AJB

and great weather; keep those virgins coming;

many thanks Phil and team  :thumbsup:

RichForrest

  • T'is I, Silverback.
    • Ramblings of a silverback cyclist
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #106 on: 06 November, 2011, 08:34:20 am »
I did it as a 360ECE, I wasn't the only mad one. David Parkes was riding to and from Coventry as a 430!
The 75km ride there went well in 3hrs, 12hrs to get around the event which is about my average for this one.
The ride home was somewhat different as it took me just over 5.
Don't know if it was the wind the cold having to keep pumping up my front tyre or just no miles in my legs this year.
Either way a good ride  :thumbsup:

Thanks again Phil

marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #107 on: 06 November, 2011, 09:35:11 am »
Lovely day out. Weather behaved itself as well as can be hoped for this time of the year (though it was pretty murky at christmas common), though with the recent rain and hedge-cutting, it seemed like many people were having a real devil of a ride with punctures.

First time on the ride and it was a great route. Having only two controls certainly encourages you to get on with it and not faff about, so it was probably one of my highest average speed 200s ever. Felt pretty good all day, but the 2nd section was far harder than it ought to have been, there was enough of a head wind to make it a real drag, and it does feel like you are climbing gently for about 20km into chipping norten.

On the plus side the 3rd section was very rapid!  Not too much time in the dark, but enough to remind me how tough riding through autumn/winter can be.

Trains make this an easy option for anyone London based, so I am sure I will be back next year. Thanks to Phil and everyone else for helping out and organising a great day out.
Right! What's next?

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

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #108 on: 06 November, 2011, 10:16:48 am »
Well. Our first time out, er, together.
When the tandem, and crew, were working on song, it was freaking brilliant.
This machine has quite a stellar history, a lot to live up to. We're just larking learning.
Highlights:
Autumn beechwoods
Stonking past people on the flat
Ringing my big shiny bell
Chris S falling over with a clipless moment, thanks to my mis-judged dismount
Chris S booting me in the boob with a mis-judged dismount
Laughing. A lot.
CAIK
Cheered by kids in Chadlington- it was almost like PBP
Unintentionally taking the Jaded approach for LOADS of fireworks
Mrs D's soup.

Lowlights:
Bloody gears
Bloody mudguards
Being fat :(


Brilliant way to spend a birthday.
Thanks everyone.
HK/LW&B- expect PM when I get home & have a proper keyboard.

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #109 on: 06 November, 2011, 10:21:44 am »
A great day out and a lovely route. Nowhere near as lumpy as I had feared. I instinctively avoid any ride that mentions Cotswolds but this was very gentle. Two controls works very well. Nice to meet Fungus and mattc. Thanks to Chris B for his company on the ride. Good to ride with Martin for a short while too, glad you managed to catch the others in CN despite your dawdle with us.

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #110 on: 06 November, 2011, 11:38:02 am »
DNF. Descending Whilte Lane and - POW! - which, after much faffing, I finally realised was a rip in the front tyre sidewall.
Naturally I had no spare tyre or tyre boot (3 inner tubes, though!), so thank you very much for the person who rode halfway back up the hill to give me a tyre boot.
It did the job and I gingerly took the main roads for the 20 plus miles back to Chorley.
Thanks also to Mr and Mrs D for their hospitality while waiting for the key to the hall so I could get my bag back.
I saw the parsnips all ready to be made into soup before leaving to get the train back to London.
So instead of homemade soup I had a lamb wrap at a Lebanese place on the Edgeware Rd, which wasn't bad.

Sorry to hear that you didn't manage to complete but glad you got back to Cholesey. You can return the favour next time!

Lycra Man

  • SR 2011, 2012 & RRTY
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #111 on: 06 November, 2011, 11:50:35 am »
What a great ride. So lucky with the weather, as I was expecting a day-long drenching, so I felt that the headwind from  Bicester to Chippy (where I lived for 10 years) was a small price to pay.

Good to meet and ride with others - Richard Jennings briefly at the start, Marmite Geoff and his newb Rebecca, Adam (not of this parish, but a lurker who I have encouraged to break cover), Tony H, Manotea, Martin, ChrisS and Fitboab - Many happy returns!

I experienced an intersting route malfunction on my way round, and climbed up Hollandridge Lane to Christmas Common. This was a relic of an early route that I has downloaded, and quite an experience on a road bike. There were full-width puddles, mud, some flat tarmac but not much, and then mostly a choice between riding in either left of right hand rut, or the muddy slimy centre. There was plenty of flint and a couple of really deep potholes, and the distraction of seven attractive female mountain-bikers coming down the hill. We passed with friendly greeting, and the leader said 'You've a long ride ahead', and I thought she must have been speaking to another audaxer, about the 200k of our ride. On reflection, I shink she meant the 3 miles climb up Hollandridge Lane. Next year, I'll know better.

This ride completed my first RRTY, and I am suitably pleased, but determined it won't change me.

Thank you Phil for the excellent ride and better than expected weather, and Mrs Phil for a wonderful spread at the finish.

See you next on the South Bucks Winter Warmer.

Lycra Man

Mike Conway

  • Wheel builder and general bike rider
    • 23mm-wheels
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #112 on: 06 November, 2011, 12:21:25 pm »
Woke up this morning feeling suitably drained from what was a fairly tough day out yesterday. I spent the ride with a well-spoken gentleman named Edmund (apparently he doesn't visit YACF) the whole way and we were back n Cholsey by 5.30pm.

The weather, although not raining, was still a bit crap - strong head and cross winds between the Chilterns and Chipping Norton and heavy fog in many places, so ended up wet and very muddy (time to fit front mudguards methinks) - my chain and cassette are ruined! The upside was that although there was over 2000m of climbing it definitely wasn't as tough as the Anfractuous last month. That section of about 40km after the last cafe control we must have done in an hour - lots of downhills and strong tailwinds - the 53x13 came in handy!

The finish control was brilliant - loads of hot food - pasta, soup, tea and coffee as well as a huge variety of cakes and biscuits - definitely worth doing the ride just for the cuisine on offer. No problems with the trains and the ride back from Paddington station back home to north London was filled with fireworks - whoopee!

Thanks to Phil and co. for an excellent event!

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #113 on: 06 November, 2011, 02:27:29 pm »
Had an excellent day out, with the bonus that the promised rain did no appear.  I was teamed up with Rebecca by Matt C of this parish, I do not know who was escorting who but she seemed to enjoy herself and was blown away by the experiance of riding in the dark, even if it was using the wash from my lights.

Saw many others of this parish so Hi to all not greeted so far.  and helped the birthday girl with the loan of a chain tool, and was very glad when we were overtaken as they were discussing heading streight home.  :(

This was the first time I had used the Ipstone leg as I have always used the main road to finish, as the slope is gentler at that stage of the ride.  loved it apart from that bit of a lump, it made me puff a lot.

Thanks to all the others that left some of the soup for me.   :thumbsup:  Most of the last leg I was looking forward to it.

Thanks to Phil, Mary, and all the other helpers,  I will be back.

Geoff
Only those that dare to go too far, know how far they can go.   T S Elliot

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #114 on: 06 November, 2011, 03:33:45 pm »
Another vote of thanks here to Phil and all his helpers for a most enjoyable ride once again. Good cafes, well spaced and most of the hilly bits in the earlier part of the day make this a very good route for this time of year. The number of entries is evidence of its popularity - I don't think I've seen quite so impressive a line of tables holding brevets at the start!

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #115 on: 06 November, 2011, 04:58:45 pm »
Someone lost a North Face skull-cap yesterday.  If anyone here claims it, let me know.

Genosse Brymbo

  • Ostalgist
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #116 on: 06 November, 2011, 05:47:54 pm »
Thanks for a super day to all involved in the event organisation.  There's nothing I can really add to all the praise in earlier posts to this thread except to thank Phil for the provision of the GPS route and tracklog.  Without that it would have been much less enjoyable for me;  I even got lost riding to the start in Cholsey despite only living a few miles down the road  ::-).  (Appropriately I'm visible on the far right of iddu's first photo, setting my Etrex for the heart of the Chipping Norton.)

Laughing. A lot.
Your giggles certainly lightened up my descent of White Lane.

Thanks to all the others that left some of the soup for me.   :thumbsup:  Most of the last leg I was looking forward to it.
Consider yourself lucky.  The soup was so good I would have happily paid for an entire air ambulance fleet if that meant I was allowed to consume the lot.
The present is a foreign country: they do things differently here.

Ray 6701

  • SO @ T
    • Tamworth cycling club
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #117 on: 06 November, 2011, 05:53:43 pm »
As said above: a great day out again thanks Phil D & his team of helpers  :thumbsup: 

Rode the 1st leg to Waterperry with marmitegeoff & newbie Rebecca who both bounced the control & deserted me, after that I rode the rest of the way round with Janet Thacker.  The leg to Chipping Norton was a bit tough into the wind but after a nice lunch at the old mill cafe we had a tailwind & some fast descending on the last leg to Cholsey which made it quite easy + the navigation in the dark was easy too, helped by a faultless routesheet.  I also liked the format of 3 legs & 2 controls which worked really well  :thumbsup:

Saw several red kites & a muntjack deer eating at the side of the road who took absolutely no notice of us at all  ::-) & of course plenty of fireworks once the sun had gone down.

SR 2010/11/12/13/14/15
RRTY. PBP. LeJoG 1400. LEL.




Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #118 on: 06 November, 2011, 05:59:47 pm »
Someone lost a North Face skull-cap yesterday.  If anyone here claims it, let me know.
Red?
It's mine- it was protecting the emergency drrrink on the way round. Bacardi bottles are a little bit narrower than your traditional bidon.
Laughing. A lot.
Your giggles certainly lightened up my descent of White Lane.
Ahh yes. White Lane.
Quote from: Chris S
Just close your eyes
Quote from: fboab
Look at the pretty trees! Arg! Kittens! Eeep! The sky! *snigger* Arrrgh! The sky, look at the sky! OMG I'm going to die! *snigger* Arggg!
etc, etc

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #119 on: 06 November, 2011, 11:02:54 pm »
marvelous ride and soup etc. thanks Phil & friends, 1st time but deffo not the last, not your fault I got 4 punctures, I thought the tyre was good... been riding it for years...

was using a garmin for 1st time, birthday prezzy last week, it didn't quite make the full trip:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126974626
low battery warning came at about 8 hours and the thing died just when I needed it most as got dark, 9.5 hours... the manual says fully charged battery can run for up to 15 hours... should I take it back to the dealer?  otherwise I thought it was pretty amazing bit of kit, so sorry to everyone I used to diss for cheating with this technology  :facepalm:

marcusjb

  • Full of bon courage.
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #120 on: 06 November, 2011, 11:18:43 pm »
Edit - my answer about gps battery life moved to here http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=53570.0
Right! What's next?

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

Chris S

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #121 on: 06 November, 2011, 11:27:50 pm »
Not much to add to my charming stoker's account - I don't hold any grudges for being dumped on the deck at Long Crendon, in front of all the Saturday shoppers. Really. It's fine. We were stopped - in a queue of traffic, waiting our turn to execute the R@T. The "DISMOUNTING!" announcement from behind was... um... unexpected - that's all. The failure to unclip was all mine.

;)

When the Tandem first came to us, it was in a more traditional racing configuration - with gears and brakes in the stoker position. We decided to change this - so that I would have these duties. Well - that's all fine, but I've been riding solely fixed gear bikes for three years now - and I've forgotten how bike gears work  :facepalm:. So it was hardly surprising that - many duff gear changes later - somewhere between Bicester and Chippy, I managed to twist a link in the chain, which caused ride-ending degrees of skipping.

Thanks so much to Marmitegeoff for the use of a chain tool - we'd pretty much resigned ourselves to a gentle pootle back to Bicester and a DNF train to (somewhere). Note to N00bs-on-Tandem: You're riding a bike with TWO frikkin chains. Take a chain tool with you, FFS  ::-).

Our confidence grew a lot in the second half of the ride. We recorded our max speed of 71km/hr on the descent to Chadlington, and I was starting to get the feel of how to ride more positively into corners and less defensively.

I had a lot of problems with cramp later in the ride, and have had DOMS in my legs today; which proves that solo-bike fitness doesn't necessarily translate directly to riding a tandem.

But I loved it. We both did. How the GPS saw it: Clickity

Thanks to Phil & Crew for another excellent UT.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #122 on: 07 November, 2011, 12:06:18 am »
Last year this was the kick-off for my RRTY. I didn't win last year, it didn't even middle-field. I came last. Resoundingly, completely and and utterly last. Most of the leftover soup had already been frozen for use this year  ;) . This year I was not going to come last. Although I'd heard that when I entered the ride phil had booked the scout hut for two days.

Got there just in time, considering the fog patches and my late night before. Three hours sleep. However this time I didn't get lost in Wantage. I planned for that. I went a different way.

Just in time meant: hug boab, meet Chris S, dash to the Scout hut to interrupt Iddu's photo, get my card (what a shame there were so many DNSs), avoid MattC's leaflets  ;) and set off. Except as I reached down for my water bottle it wasn't there. Back to the car. Note: if you put your water bottles in a safe position that keeps them upright in the car, they will be mostly hidden.

Set off 10 mins late.
Play leapfrog with Blue Black Red until 1st control. I think it was mostly Red that was having problems, but Blue and Black waited patiently for him. It was a great 70k, done at an average of 19.6, which for me is fast. I declined MattC's offer of a 'shortcut' via a 'secret lane' and followed the proper route.

Into a headwind, that got stronger, along with a hill, that got stronger. It was a nicer route than last year from Bicester, but it was still mostly uphill. I think phil d should see if M C Escher could help with routing. Three downhill legs with a tailwind would be just perfect.

I knew I wasn't last as I dropped, drained from the uphill headwind drag, into my chair at Chippy Norton. Ordered food and the last rider (AJB) came in. We had a brief conversation, between mouthfulls, and I set off first, full of confidence and brio.

Until AJB overtook me with gusto. My chakras were damaged beyond repair, my buttocks were displaying thin-pad syndrome and some silly tit had taken my Ibroprufen out of my rack-pack and put it into my grab bag. Which was in the car.

That last 50km were the worst 50m I've done yet on any ride.

There was a lovely tailwind. There were great sights to look at - mostly Didcot Power Station and some not insignificant firework displays. I'd done the route before (some parts multiple times). It wasn't cold or wet. I was fed and watered. However, nothing was right.

Even at 30km I was thinking that I'd throw this ****ing bike into a ****ing hedge and book into a pub/hotel. In fact I'd be happy to walk 5 miles to a ****ing pub or hotel. In the past after every bad bit of Audax there's been a good bit. No good bits came. Just pain, aggravation and pain, followed by pain.

Cholsey Hill was a blessed relief as, finally, I could say bollocks to my conscience and walk. I even considered stopping at the Car Park and collecting my car on the way to the finish. (500m to go).

So, I was last, again. 30 mins slower than last year.

Mr and Mrs phil d and their helpers and Mattc (who did stay behind, but didn't give me a leaflet ;) ) were outstanding as ever, and on my drive home and during the log painful drag upstairs I vowed not to come last next year.

Next year I won't come last.

Promise.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #123 on: 07 November, 2011, 01:40:47 am »
and on my drive home and during the log painful drag upstairs I vowed not to come last next year.

Next year I won't come last.

Promise.

A much better resolution would be ; next year I won't worry about coming last.

I'm usually towards the back of the field, if not last, myself so have some appreciation of how you feel. At first I used to stress over keeping the organiser waiting, now I don't. It's their choice to run the event and with that comes the possibility that they may have to wait right until cut off time for a rider, for whatever reason. So just relax and enjoy the ride and don't let your relative position bother you. The main problem I have found with being a slowcoach is that after the main field have gone past there is no one to chat to and I much prefer some company on a ride.

Re: Upper Thames - 5th November 2011
« Reply #124 on: 07 November, 2011, 06:24:58 am »
and on my drive home and during the log painful drag upstairs I vowed not to come last next year.

Next year I won't come last.

Promise.

A much better resolution would be ; next year I won't worry about coming last.

I'm usually towards the back of the field, if not last, myself so have some appreciation of how you feel. At first I used to stress over keeping the organiser waiting, now I don't. It's their choice to run the event and with that comes the possibility that they may have to wait right until cut off time for a rider, for whatever reason. So just relax and enjoy the ride and don't let your relative position bother you. The main problem I have found with being a slowcoach is that after the main field have gone past there is no one to chat to and I much prefer some company on a ride.
Just smugly think that youi got the best value out of the day.    :thumbsup:  I once did a ride with Jack Easton, who comeing in 15 mins before the cut off was heard to mutter  " B---er I could have stopped and refilled my pipe".  those of us in the controle had a chuckle at that.

Geoff   not that far in front of you.
Only those that dare to go too far, know how far they can go.   T S Elliot