ACME does the DunRun 1/2 July 2023

[ElyDave]

planning a route back on Sunday, was intending on a fairly direct route thr Woobdbridge and the outskirts of Ipswich to cross the A14 and head down thr Dedham Vale to Halstead.  Is Ipswich a bad idea? Any other way around it to cross the A14?

[Wowbagger]

Ipswich isn't bad for cycling - if you are happy with roadside cycle paths. Better than most towns, I'd say. The centre is pretty much at sea level so there's a climb out whichever way you go.

[BFC]

If looking to escape ipswich and can access strava, look at: https://www.strava.com/activities/9256462822
Otherwise string it together as something like:
Hadleigh Rd
R @ TRL [and over A14]
L @ RAB, KO to Copdock/Washbrook
R at bottom of hill (12%, down) "Swan Hill"
fork R by Brook Inn
L @ T shortly R and via Wenhams to
L @ T B-something-or-other
next R into Halton at tri where
keep L at large tri, ? Sandy Lane
R @ T
avoid crap surface on 1st L and cont to Higham where
L @ tri
this gets you to Stratford St Mary with under A12 option of needed etc.
Warning - check this on map as done from memory!

[MsG]

planning a route back on Sunday, was intending on a fairly direct route thr Woobdbridge and the outskirts of Ipswich to cross the A14 and head down thr Dedham Vale to Halstead.  Is Ipswich a bad idea? Any other way around it to cross the A14?

I have a random assortment of Ipswich - Ely routes (or thereabouts) but they aren't very direct! I concur about the cyclepaths, as some of the main roads otherwise get a bit close passish.
E.g. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40333997
Not as scenic as Dedham Vale though

[ElyDave]

planning a route back on Sunday, was intending on a fairly direct route thr Woobdbridge and the outskirts of Ipswich to cross the A14 and head down thr Dedham Vale to Halstead.  Is Ipswich a bad idea? Any other way around it to cross the A14?

I have a random assortment of Ipswich - Ely routes (or thereabouts) but they aren't very direct! I concur about the cyclepaths, as some of the main roads otherwise get a bit close passish.
E.g. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40333997
Not as scenic as Dedham Vale though

I'll be heading back to Dunmow though as that is where the car will be. 

[ElyDave]

If looking to escape ipswich and can access strava, look at: https://www.strava.com/activities/9256462822
Otherwise string it together as something like:
Hadleigh Rd
R @ TRL [and over A14]
L @ RAB, KO to Copdock/Washbrook
R at bottom of hill (12%, down) "Swan Hill"
fork R by Brook Inn
L @ T shortly R and via Wenhams to
L @ T B-something-or-other
next R into Halton at tri where
keep L at large tri, ? Sandy Lane
R @ T
avoid crap surface on 1st L and cont to Higham where
L @ tri
this gets you to Stratford St Mary with under A12 option of needed etc.
Warning - check this on map as done from memory!

That is the route I've planned, so good to know it works

[Tomsk]

planning a route back on Sunday, was intending on a fairly direct route thr Woobdbridge and the outskirts of Ipswich to cross the A14 and head down thr Dedham Vale to Halstead.  Is Ipswich a bad idea? Any other way around it to cross the A14?

I've gone through Ipswich a few times to take a direct route back to Dunmow. The A1214 is ok with some cyclepaths, underpasses etc, but I now would go Bealings Road, Playford Road from Martlesham to pick up the urban stuff by the hospital: Spring Road, cutting off down Rope Walk and then over the river and past the station. Sometimes via the Wetherspoons (second!) breakfast in the town centre - The Cricketers, on Crown Street, north of the centre. The route through the centre to Copdock picking up the cyclepaths by the old A12 would be ok on Sunday morning, though I have sometimes used the parallel Hadleigh Road instead. Then: Nayland, Bures, Halstead, Gosfield, Shalford Green and Stebbing to Dunmow. A few good cafés and pubs en-route in Halsted if you need an extra stop.

If retracing the outbound route, you'll get tired of waving/nodding/cheerily insulting those still heading to Dunwich.

[Deano4]

Is there an ETA at Dunwich for the ACME crew?

I might pop down and say hello? 

[ElyDave]

planning a route back on Sunday, was intending on a fairly direct route thr Woobdbridge and the outskirts of Ipswich to cross the A14 and head down thr Dedham Vale to Halstead.  Is Ipswich a bad idea? Any other way around it to cross the A14?

I've gone through Ipswich a few times to take a direct route back to Dunmow. The A1214 is ok with some cyclepaths, underpasses etc, but I now would go Bealings Road, Playford Road from Martlesham to pick up the urban stuff by the hospital: Spring Road, cutting off down Rope Walk and then over the river and past the station. Sometimes via the Wetherspoons (second!) breakfast in the town centre - The Cricketers, on Crown Street, north of the centre. The route through the centre to Copdock picking up the cyclepaths by the old A12 would be ok on Sunday morning, though I have sometimes used the parallel Hadleigh Road instead. Then: Nayland, Bures, Halstead, Gosfield, Shalford Green and Stebbing to Dunmow. A few good cafés and pubs en-route in Halsted if you need an extra stop.

If retracing the outbound route, you'll get tired of waving/nodding/cheerily insulting those still heading to Dunwich.

Thanks for the tips on Ipswich, that route you describe is generally the one I'm planning.  cant see any fun in retracing the same route. Planning on stopping at Snape Maltings and the Bentwaters museum as well.

[Tomsk]

Is there an ETA at Dunwich for the ACME crew?

I might pop down and say hello? 

We're quite a mixed crew this year, but all being well we might be on the beach/in the café sometime between 07:00 and 08:00. I can text you when we're there, if I remember!

[Deano4]

Thanks Tom,

I'll try and make it down for around 7ish  .

[onerousdeporte]

So is there a YACF meet up in Hackney?

[Wowbagger]

5.32pm from Prittlewell arrives in Braintree at 6.50pm. Allowing myself a little over an hour to cycle along the Flitch Way and find Tomsk's house, I would hope to be there before 8.30pm. That will allow ample time for a charge.

There are two potential annoyances with this. The first is that my back has been playing up since I did too many deadlifts on Monday. The second is that, according to the Greater Angrier website, the lift serving Shenfield's platforms 3 and 4 is out of order. That is going to mean hefting a 29kg bike up the stairs.

[ElyDave]

Thanks to Tomsk for pre ride coffees and snacks.

Reflections on kit
- front light bracket developed a looseness which meant it was focussed about 3 ft in front of me, not helpful.  COrrected with the aid of a screwdriver at the scout hut (I alsmost threw my swiss army knife in my kit).  Thinking back, this was probably linked to my bail out onto the verge about two weeks ago when confronted by a large tractor coming round a bend.
- Glasses - used my glasses with the reactive outers, but these have a prescription insert for distance, meaning the Garmin is a blur. Popped out one of the lenses and tricked the brain adequately.

Physical
- only felt sleepy on the bike for about 20-30mins at 2am, then all OK as the sun started to come up
- Hands really suffering, I think it's the way the spirals wrap, leaving regular knobbles, seems that they were spaced to press on a nerve or two
- right achilles, has been nigly, held up fine with tape
- knees - I think will suffer tomorrow, lots of climbing for a recumbent

Planning
- carried excess kit - had planned on changing at Dunwich, but it was too cold.  I should have packed my down jacket instead.
- Unused stuff, could have been left in the car - powerbank for example, when I knew what my device performance would be.
- I always carry excess food just in case, so not going tpo self criticise for that, as a T1D I can't afford low BG episodes in the middle of knowhere.

Philosophy - do I need to stop more?  Am I a bad audaxer for just riding through and not stopping at every pub to queue for overpriced refreshments I don't need?

EDIT - that return headwind was ferocious, knocked my average speed down from 24.7 to 23.0km/h

[JellyLegs]

EDIT - that return headwind was ferocious, knocked my average speed down from 24.7 to 23.0km/h

That’s pretty good, mine went from similar to 20 kph, not helped by under fuelling due to not realising the size of the shop desert after Ipswich and failing to stock up to cope.  It was good to put a face to a name.  Hopefully see you around.

[ElyDave]

EDIT - that return headwind was ferocious, knocked my average speed down from 24.7 to 23.0km/h

That’s pretty good, mine went from similar to 20 kph, not helped by under fuelling due to not realising the size of the shop desert after Ipswich and failing to stock up to cope.  It was good to put a face to a name.  Hopefully see you around.

Same here, I ran out of water, facing the prospect of the last hour dry. Luckily chanced on a village shop as I rerouted to avoid resurfacing works

[Tomsk]

Well done all of you! Cracking night ride, but very chilly by Dun Run standards. Very impressed that Mrs Josser went swimming.

I had a leisurely recovery ride on Sunday morning (as much as you can into that strengthening headwind!) - guts felt rough too, similar to on the A&S so treated myself to a whole tub of Alder Carr Farm raspberry icecream from the posh but tiny village shop in Orford. That seemed to help but I didn't fancy any proper food until I got to Walton, though managed a few snacks.

I was a guinea pig on the Butley ferry (first crossing of the day), as even with two crew they were unsure of the viability with the crosswind. It seemed the rising tide was cancelling out the drift of the boat to some extent, so we made a fairly straight course, though doubts were raised about running the service in the afternoon on an ebb tide! Bawdsey's little Radar museum was an interesting half-hour before the ferry to Felixstowe, then another museum in the old naval mine establishment by the Landguard fort (not the main one in the fort which I've visited before), lots of local history. The crossing to Harwich was fairly uneventful followed by the loop round Hamford Water, with an occasional tailwind, hurrah!

A pleasant but short stop in a friendly pub, the Queen's Head in Walton, followed by an early night on the Naze. Reasonably mild overnight under the trees - distant yoofs on the beach or further down the Naze in the night, but no problems apart from the usual muntjac barking ...

Up at 05:30 to pootle down to Clacton for a 'spoons breakfast, wind strong already. First ferry of the day again from Point Clear to East Mersea, very choppy, rolling about with spray going everywhere. Other passenger being an old chap with middle-aged daughter taking him for a birthday 'cruise', having a right laugh. They were being met on the island to be taken to lunch with the rest of the family. The ferryman reckoned the wind was close to 30 knots, which is the point at which the service gets cancelled.

Very slow going across the exposed Strood and coast, though a little better inland. Up to Braintree for a Greggs lunch (was aiming for home but running a bit late!) - happened to meet Wingnut OTP, another retired audaxer. Home for threeses in the end.