Author Topic: 3 Down 300K, 2013  (Read 25831 times)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #125 on: 07 September, 2018, 10:33:18 am »
Is Costa the recommended stop in Pangbourne?

(I could pop down before seeing a Pangbourne man  about a dog ... )
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #126 on: 07 September, 2018, 12:38:46 pm »
It is indeed.

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #127 on: 07 September, 2018, 01:18:54 pm »
Is Costa the recommended stop in Pangbourne?

(I could pop down before seeing a Pangbourne man  about a dog ... )

It would be jolly nice to see you...

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #128 on: 09 September, 2018, 12:36:07 pm »
I had a lovely day out.  The route, weather and company was all excellent.  Lots of new roads for me  :)



Thanks to Ian and Willesden CC for running the event.

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #129 on: 11 September, 2018, 07:48:29 pm »
The Test Valley around Stockbridge is especially nice.

Glad of company into the wind after Nomansland...

Liam

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2019
« Reply #130 on: 21 February, 2019, 09:45:11 pm »
Set for April 6th

For riders who have done it before, Pangbourne's control will be the village hall. Stockbridge (which replaces Kimbridge) will be a cafe control, included in the price. I was down in the New Forest today and the  Fordingbridge garage is being replaced by a pub/cafe control - I have prioritised 3 to strike a deal with, which should be sorted in the next few days - but the food will not be included in the fee. Sparsholt with its mosaic bedecked bus shelter will remain an info. The Alresford and Winnersh controls will both remain open controls.

I am down to the last few general places. I will be keeping some places open for women after that and I will be running a waitlist.
Events I am running: 5th September 2021, the unseasonal Wellesden Reliability; HOPEFULLY Early April 2022, 3 Down London - New Forest 300K Audax;

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #131 on: 22 February, 2019, 11:02:11 am »
Looking forward to this, is there still space to overnight in the hall?
Regards,

Joergen

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #132 on: 25 February, 2019, 09:21:35 am »
Looking forward to this, is there still space to overnight in the hall?
Yes. I will be coming back with details nearer the event.

My trip to Fordingbridge to find a new control proved abortive in the end and it will stay being the petrol station, with cafes in Fordingbridge being an option.
Events I am running: 5th September 2021, the unseasonal Wellesden Reliability; HOPEFULLY Early April 2022, 3 Down London - New Forest 300K Audax;

halhorner

  • Cycling Weakly
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #133 on: 05 April, 2019, 03:25:06 pm »
looking forward to this tomorrow... looks like we might get a bit of headwind on the way back mind: http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/dc7f77df-bda4-4eba-8ad4-ba067e484281

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #134 on: 05 April, 2019, 04:31:57 pm »
Tail wind out though but....

I am unsure on what to wear now though, looks warm 14 C for the New Forrest bit and sunny, but then there's that return wind.... I hate these decisions at this time of year! Still... at least it looks dry :)
Regards,

Joergen

Chris S

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #135 on: 05 April, 2019, 08:47:39 pm »
Have fun in the Test Valley.

Fboab's got us doing some tour of the Thatchered Coalfields of Co Durham or somesuch.  :thumbsup:

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #136 on: 05 April, 2019, 08:58:24 pm »
looking forward to this tomorrow... looks like we might get a bit of headwind on the way back mind: http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/dc7f77df-bda4-4eba-8ad4-ba067e484281

After The Dean a few weeks ago - that forecast looks positively serene :-)
And for that reason, I'd expect the turnout to be near the maximum.
It's been a while.
Garry Broad

Phil W

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #137 on: 06 April, 2019, 03:28:11 pm »
Enjoy, nice light winds (if cold) out there today.

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #138 on: 07 April, 2019, 07:48:46 am »
Thanks to the organiser and helpers at Chalfont ang Pangbourne. The control at Stockbriidge was awsome (best sconea ever). The wind in the New Forest did me in, but i dragged myself around despite intending to pack it in at Alresford. Thnaks to those I shared the road with formyour company

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #139 on: 07 April, 2019, 10:30:22 am »
Thanks to the organiser and helpers at Chalfont ang Pangbourne. The control at Stockbriidge was awsome (best sconea ever). The wind in the New Forest did me in, but i dragged myself around despite intending to pack it in at Alresford. Thnaks to those I shared the road with formyour company

They really were the best scones ever! And I have eaten a lot of scones!! Loved that control . Thanks all for the organising- just wish you could have turned that wind off on the way back - especially over the exposed bit of the New Forest where 4 of us did our best to work together but it was super tough!

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #140 on: 07 April, 2019, 12:21:55 pm »
As age marches inescapably on  - I seem to increasingly find every ride these days somewhat of a physical onslaught. That's perfectly understandable and acceptable, but I suffered a lot internally yesterday, mostly expressed with what seemed like an interminable monologue running along the lines of 'what one earth I am doing? my heart's not in this anymore'. It might have just been a bad day or maybe there's a truth I need to acknowledge a bit more honestly.

Terrific ride though. What always amazes me about this ride, is that you never quite know where on earth you are as you weave your way down through a whole array of villages to the [almost] south coast. Flying on a magic carpet on the recumbent over the New Forest into Fordingbridge was brill, but the section after Fordingbridge to Alresford hits a bit hard after 150km though.

Many thanks to Ian and all the helpers.
The soup and samosas at the finish were to die for, they really were.
Garry Broad

markldn

  • Next ride: TCRno10 '24
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #141 on: 07 April, 2019, 04:14:18 pm »
What a superb route down to New Forest and back. Quite an effort to piece all that together I thought as I rode it. And I’m sure it was done before we had all these new fangled heat maps and auto route builders. I think these routes will become legendary as time passes. They already are. Maybe one day I’ll be able to piece together my own.

Cycling these distances relies just as much on your mind as it does on your legs, if not more (as we all know). Eat well, drink well, think well. Coming back at New Forest I was expecting to hit the wind, to go slower, that it would be harder. But also I was happy it wasn’t raining, my bike was working, and to take it in stages. My legs felt great and I cherished being able to give others shelter behind me as I had done two weeks earlier on the Gently Bentley as the wind and weather punished us all that day.

I did learned something new as is always appreciated. As great as you’re feeling, a kebab will quickly unravel that. Grateful to my mate Patrick who carried me home for the last 38km.


halhorner

  • Cycling Weakly
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #142 on: 07 April, 2019, 05:33:57 pm »
Definitely a classic route, the stretches through the Test Valley and over the New Forest in particular. Loads of TLC laid on, Reading CTC ran a very tight ship at Pangbourne and there was even artisan coffee and the aforementioned scones at Stocksbridge (the homemade sausage rolls looked good too).
It felt pretty chilly all day due to a NE wind, which also made the return across New Forest a bit of a slog. A bag of chips at Alresford restored morale (if not energy) and I was happy enough to take it easy for the last 100km over the hill to Basingstoke and home.
Thanks to Ian and all the helpers for all the hard work that must have gone into putting this on, it was great.

Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #143 on: 08 April, 2019, 11:32:01 pm »
Ride report filed: https://audaxery.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/3-down/

TLDR: Great route, great day, faster out than back. Thanks to the organisers - as above a lot of thought went into that route!

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: 3 Down 300K, 2013
« Reply #144 on: 09 April, 2019, 10:34:23 am »
Another good read Al  :thumbsup:

I opted to stay over at the hall where the ride started from as a bit of an experiment, it appears I got just under 6 hours sleep though I felt I was forever struggling to get comfortable I appear to have got about 3 hours deep sleep, so it sort of worked. It was a close call in terms of comparing it to being just over an hour away by car but I know I always sleep badly before an event, so no harm in trying!  The final thing that swayed me was knowing there was a large entry field there may be issues finding parking but that wasn't the case in the end..  Adding to my apprehensiveness was a lot of doubt of being able to do the distance - obviously rubbish idea but one I couldn't shift all week on the run up.
 
The usual mix of faces and a high entry level with this being one of the first 300km PBP qualifiers of the season, 150 riders were signed up, not sure the final on the road tally. Very cold start, murky all the way up past the first control. First control had the largest gathering of Alpacas just before we turned in to the town I have ever seen! Every ride has to feature Alpacas - I'm lucky that I seem to find them on almost every one I do - but this was on a different scale! Reading CTC put on a great spread there - looking forward to seeing the card stampers at our Woodman audax this weekend.

Test valley was loverly with an all you can eat banquet of cakes and proper coffee at the next control. Into the New Forrest with its roaming animals and then a great decent down to Fordingbridge (twinned with Vimoutiers!) for the halfway control and a proper audax garage forecourt session..
We had a flattering tail wind and our average was easily 24 kph for the first half, I was an hour ahead of my schedule, as we turned we still didn't get the headwind but then as we climbed on to the plateau we got the full effect and Joss and I then started to rotate to try and ease the progress, Joss was on fixed so at least I had somewhere to hide in my gears - his marathon training is certainly paying off as he was able to keep a good constant 21/22kph in to that headwind.. as we dropped off the plateau and hit the rollers the sun had gone in and it was starting to get quite cold, arriving in Alresford we opted for the chip shop but it was sub optimal - huge portions, but not really what I desired to eat, the only bonus for me being I managed to get a cup of tea in there to warm up.   

For the next leg I had a different route via Hook to the next control.  I had based this off Frank's TT bike version of the ride a few years earlier and was mostly in order to get me to somewhere to eat that was still open - this worked out excellent, the shop let me bring my bike in whilst I went about buying some jelly babies and a tuna & sweetcorn sandwich. Less well was the supposed 100m less climbing! With the jelly babies kicking in I was soon back to 26kph and on my way to Winnersh to control. From there is was mostly flat but with the odd 5% lump which felt more like 10% but I was able to keep something close to a 23kph average and also managed the usual effort to fully empty the tank on the run in to the Arrivee. 
I arrived back in the Arrivee for around 10:20 to a welcome cuppa and some rice pudding & fruit plus a bonus bowl of soup. (wish I'd had more of the spring rolls and tried a samosa now!)

After various faffing and chatting I put the bike in the car and grabbed an hours kip before setting off home. Another grand day out and 50% of my PBP qualifiers now done.  Thanks for the ride guys!













Regards,

Joergen