Author Topic: Oasts and Coasts 300Km  (Read 28024 times)

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #150 on: 22 April, 2018, 12:37:29 pm »
What a lovely ride that was.


Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #151 on: 22 April, 2018, 01:24:29 pm »
Pizza slices at the end was ace! I REALLY welcomed that!

+1, especially appreciated after a long day in the saddle

Lovely event, thank you Tom and your helpers. It made such a difference to have warmth rather than the cold and wet of the last few weeks/months, and a superb route.

The ACME group on the road gradually whittled down on the road, as various members made haste to catch trains, or slowed to a pace more aligned to their early season form (lack of). 3 of us finished slightly slower than planned, thanks largely to late punctures.

A grand day out.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #152 on: 22 April, 2018, 01:41:23 pm »
Well that was excellent.

Loved the route, breakfast control incredibly efficient with large number arriving close together.
The marsh was  testing but being in a group made it bearable.
Traffic in Hythe was a pain.
Section along the coasts was lovely including all the hills around Dover.
Ice cream stop was also excellent, if only I had noticed the two tone whippy before ordering, hadn't had one of those for many years.
The section to Hollingbourne, didn't realise it climbed so much, though I was bonking until the last speedy descent in Hollingbourne showed just how much elevation we had gained, would have missed the turn if I hadn't been looking for the info control.
Definitely one to do again.

Thanks to the organiser and all the helpers at the finish.

I'm still not clear on what the difference between a checkpoint and a control is.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

whosatthewheel

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #153 on: 22 April, 2018, 01:50:12 pm »
I'm still not clear on what the difference between a checkpoint and a control is.

I got lectured about it by the organiser of Cestyll Cymru last year. Apparently a checkpoint is manned, doesn't typically have a building asociated... typical would be the top of a climb... a control can be manned or not manned and has time limits... or that's what I understood

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #154 on: 22 April, 2018, 03:24:29 pm »
A great day out, thanks Tom.

Had 'A great night's sleep guaranteed' at Premier Inn on the A2. Except for the pub car park and then couple of people chatting at my window for an hour. Where do I claim my money back?

There seemed to be a higher than usual ratio of whippet/strong looking people around at the start, so that there was a couple of TCR folk and someone who wants to  break LEJOG this year in the mix is not surprising. Or perhaps that's just Kent. More hills, more people on expensive drugs. Come to Essex where the drug of choice is beer and lean muscle mass is optional....

I had entered late and this was my first ride of any length since LEL so I knew there would be trouble ahead, slow trouble, but I really needed to kick-start the season after a long time off looking after knees and avoiding the winter. Completely accidentally there was a good show from ACME so, because I had my ACME shirt on they couldn't reasonably refuse me their good company and I spent most of the day in their midst. Literally, third wheel most of the way.

It's a cracking route and I spent more time than last year just looking around and enjoying the countryside. It's well thought through - varied terrain and sights, challenges but nothing ridiculous. This year the added bonus of sun meant the Folkestone coastal playground diversion was dripping in censorious parents and massive tattoos; great people watching. And the five of us sleek young things cutting through the foot traffic like sharks through a school of seals...

And just a lot of bits of lovely riding, perhaps my favourite being dropping down to Deal on the gravelish path...

At Herne Bay at 7pm I realised I was going to have to get a move on if I was going to catch the last train from Meopham at 11:30. 80ish km in four hours is not a struggle when you are feeling fresh but as this was my first long ride in over 6 months (how did that happen) it was touch and go. I left at 7:10 after saying my goodbyes to the ACME massive, who were arrayed around massive sundaes like sharks looking at a school of seals, and set off into the sunset.

A pair from Hub Velo caught me up just as you go up that lovely quiet long valley, and we chatted for a while before they shot through. I was having my late-innings struggle at that point, hardly a surprise, and was just hoping that it wouldn't last too long..... The service station control threw me - I was sure it wasn't there last year (turns out is really wasn't) and then sidling around the hill and down to the motorway, at which point I really felt better and was able to kick up the final rise back to the Control where I arrived at 11:10.

A quick round of thank-yous and then down to the train with ten minutes to spare. Arriving in London into pouring rain and thunder, I rode the CS2 (my commute) over to Liverpool St to catch the 1pm train back out to Walthamstow. I was the only sober person on the train and spent twenty minutes trying not to look at people having arguments. Ahhhhh, London.

Sore hands and bottom from a lack of conditioning but otherwise not too bad. Thanks for the ACME crew for nursing me through and Tom once again for the route and hospitality. This is a ride well worth getting out of your region for... 






Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #155 on: 22 April, 2018, 03:40:50 pm »

.......
Sore hands and bottom from a lack of conditioning ....

you sure it wasn't from the surfaces on the cycle paths?

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #156 on: 22 April, 2018, 03:45:57 pm »
Boasts and Toasts
The organisers have something to boast about and I toast them.
Excellent event.

The sunshine was brilliant, although it meant there was a lot of pale white, flabby, tattooed flesh exposed in the coastal areas. But for all that, I think I was more astounded by the fake tanned girl in Folkestone whose legs were so 'Tango orange' she wouldn't need flourescent safety overalls if working on an industrial site!

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #157 on: 22 April, 2018, 06:29:39 pm »

There seemed to be a higher than usual ratio of whippet/strong looking people around at the start, so that there was a couple of TCR folk and someone who wants to  break LEJOG this year in the mix is not surprising. Or perhaps that's just Kent. More hills, more people on expensive drugs. Come to Essex where the drug of choice is beer and lean muscle mass is optional....


 ;D last time I had a skinfold test the results told me I was obese.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #158 on: 22 April, 2018, 10:16:20 pm »
I did like to be beside the seaside.
Great to see the sun again and in good company.

A few photos

A big thank you to the orgs, controllers & helpers ...and the pizza delivery guy  ;)


Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #159 on: 23 April, 2018, 09:14:33 am »
Would just like to add my thanks to Tom the organiser and his team.  Fantastic route and day.  The route must have required a lot of work to link it all together.  It may well have been one of my best days ever on a bike.   This was aided by great company on the way round and riding with a certain Mr Kirkland for the last part.  Really did enjoy Pilgrims Way in the dark on a lovely night!!

Thanks again.

Jem

  • ACME HR and Diversity officer
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #160 on: 23 April, 2018, 09:25:34 am »
First time I've ever done this ride and will definitely be back. As Dominic says, it was one of the best days out on a bike I've ever had. Stunning scenery and lots of places I've never seen before. I'm already planning a weekend to go back and visit some of the places we passed like Dover Castle and more of the Viking coastal path.

Thanks Tom and all involved for a fantastic route and all your organisation.
See you next year.

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #161 on: 23 April, 2018, 09:44:00 am »
And just a lot of bits of lovely riding, perhaps my favourite being dropping down to Deal on the gravelish path...


That was lots of fun, and then shortly after Sandwich that industrial bit with the big pipelines and the solar farm was scenic in its own way.

Out of interest where is the AAA qualifying section? Guessing it would include the Toys Hill and Ashdown Forest climbs?
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #162 on: 23 April, 2018, 10:12:34 am »
Thanks from me too to Tom and all the helpers. Hot food is always a winner at the end -as is a very cheerful and welcoming group on the return. Some marked contrasts and a lot of scenery that was new to me. The gentle but oh so long climb up to Hollingbourne was a highlight on a beautiful evening in the soft light . Thanks also the group I rode with , my clubmates Sloth and Parky but also , Stuart, Ian, Colin , John , Magnus and to anyone I missed out -apologies. A really good group to ride with and chat to at the stops.

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #163 on: 23 April, 2018, 10:09:31 pm »
Forgot to mention the poor shopkeeper at the Deal Premier control who was starting to run out of receipt paper!
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Jem

  • ACME HR and Diversity officer
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #164 on: 23 April, 2018, 10:15:11 pm »
I did like to be beside the seaside.
Great to see the sun again and in good company.

A few photos

A big thank you to the orgs, controllers & helpers ...and the pizza delivery guy  ;)

Thank you so much for posting your photos. I'm too slow and knackered to take any myself and have really enjoyed looking at these.  ;D

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #165 on: 30 April, 2018, 05:20:04 pm »
Forgot to mention the poor shopkeeper at the Deal Premier control who was starting to run out of receipt paper!

Maybe a quick phone call next year to let them know a horde of cyclists will be descending mid afternoon?

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #166 on: 22 October, 2018, 08:52:01 pm »
Hey guys this event already open for next year! Get busy entering before it closes. I had it down for 1st November but it seemed to have opened earlier now. See you there!

ianrauk

  • Tattooed Beat Messiah
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #167 on: 17 April, 2019, 12:07:21 pm »
Not long until the 2019 edition. Really looking forward to this ride as always. Looking at the long term weather forecast we should be in for a great day.

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #168 on: 17 April, 2019, 07:09:35 pm »
It was fine in short sleeves last year :)
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #169 on: 17 April, 2019, 10:09:42 pm »
It was fine in short sleeves last year :)
Suncream needed last year. But short sleeves not ok at 6am or 9pm. But definitely ok for the middle 200

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #170 on: 18 April, 2019, 08:20:17 pm »
Got burnt last year! This year I have to drop out I think. Work shift could rear it’s ugly head :(.