Eureka!

[Karla]

I've entered.  I'll probably have a silver Specialized and red Planet X l/s jersey.

[YahudaMoon]

Just recieved my route sheet in the post. Thanks Peter H.

[JayP]

Amin

[Euan Uzami]

yep
probably riding to the start as well
like the fancy route sheet!

[JayP]

Maybe they eschew mudflaps to discourage wheelsuckers 

I want to know more about these people who suck wheels and chew mudflaps?

[Karla]

While GPSifying my routesheet last night, I noticed that the return leg is a bit different to the Google map linked on the Peak Audax website.  If anyone wants an up-to-date track, PM me with your email addy.

[mikewigley]

While GPSifying my routesheet last night, I noticed that the return leg is a bit different to the Google map linked on the Peak Audax website.  If anyone wants an up-to-date track, PM me with your email addy.

I've made a correction to the Google map link so that should be right now.  Peter is using a rather pretty lane alongside the Carden Hall golf course to get to the Ice Cream Farm.  I like that bit.  In fact I like all the Eureka route and rode it on Saturday.  The one brief shower occurred while I was inside the Eureka cafe, so that's as good as it gets for a November ride.

[Karla]

Thanks Mike.  See you at the weekend.

[MSeries]

  The one brief shower occurred while I was inside the Eureka cafe, so that's as good as it gets for a November ride.

no rain here on Sunday. WIsh I could make Eureka !, one of my favourites

[Climberruss]

I'm in fir this one. Nice ride - did it last year too.

[Euan Uzami]

hmm, not riding to/from the start now, been roped into an event on the sat - probably useless but if anyone wants a travelodge room at didsury travelodge for the sunday night after the audax you can have it cos it's uncancellable

[Bigsybaby]

Izin

[jogler]

I DNS

[DanialW]

Did anyone take photos?

[Euan Uzami]

Home now - I've packed in 'cos there was too much ice on the road for my liking. There were at
least three fallings-off - I hope any injuries turn out to be short-lived.

Met Mr Bunbury, good to see you mate, sorry it wasn't for long, hope to ride with you again proper another time.

Did anyone take photos?

I think the organiser took a photo of the pack just before set-off. Not sure further to that.

[Euan Uzami]

I DNS

probably wise.

[Karla]

That was pretty icy near the start.  There were some other falls apart from the 2 broken collarbones.  I slid twice, the second time at low speed at the point where Ben T and another rider packed.  I decided to carry on and see how it went, but after a few km I got an answer: not good.  I decided that my wrist would resemble a balloon if I rode on it for another hundred miles, so I headed back up the A56 to spend the day catching up with Manchester friends. 

I hope everyone got round safely after I left?

[mikewigley]

Very fine film of ice early doors.

This completely surprised me.  There was no hint of ice on the Cheshire Safari which started half an hour later and used a slightly different route out from Cheadle.  I'm not sure what lessons there are to be learned, other than to urge caution on the riders on these winter rides.  It didn't feel that cold when we set off.

I see that one of those collar bones belongs to Huddersfield CTC, so that's 3 injuries Peak Audax has inflicted on our Yorkshire neighbours in the last 12 months or so.

[don black]

 Nice to see Derek Heine overseeing Peter Hammond at the Eureka control. He seems
to be  slowly recovering from his injury on the Cambrian 600 by use of a trike.
Don Black.

[Jord]

I DNS as my bike was still in the LBS... Sounds like it was a little icy! I spent the day in the Welsh mountains which had a nice dusting of snow on them instead.

Sorry to hear of the broken collar bones. Not a nice thing to happen. It looked a perfect day for a long winter ride.

On the H&S issue I'd also think it is my responsibility to be safe - this H&S culture is just crazy in my humble opinion. Where did common sense go!

[border-rider]

Just so as you know, the very interesting stuff on this thread on risk management has been split out to a thread of its own, by request.

Risk management

[Karla]

I had an X ray today, my left scaphoid (wrist) is broken.  Still, the last bones I broke were in my skull so it's better than that!

[Peter]

I'm really sorry to hear about the number of incidents.  I came across what was probably the first one, Peter from Southport.  It looked pretty awful and I was glad to hear from his club-mates later on the ride that he was in good spirits in spite of his injuries.  Not long after that fall, which must have been in the first half-hour or so,  I came up to a bunch of stationary riders warning of ice (one of their number presumably being one of the posters on this thread).  A big thank-you to them for hanging about to warn people.  I now realise how lucky I must have been:  Although it's obvious it was there, I didn't see any ice at all!  I thought Peter had come off on leaves (which I did manage to see).  Do you think riding big fat Schwalbe 28s rather than thinner tyres or even slicks (this is a roadies' course) would have helped, or was I just lucky, given my obvious ocular limitations?

I hope the fallers make swift recoveries.  I had a great ride, especially the last hour or so in the twilight, still in the country, where you can see the stars properly*.  It was extended unintentionally by my turning over two pages of the route-sheet by mistake; but what's the point of carrying maps if you don't get lost?

These people who pop round in 8 hours and have mates who think that's slow, well, whatever next?

Thanks for a great ride, Peter and family.

*Red sky in the morning: sailor's warning - Red sky at night: you live in Manchester

[jogler]

These people who pop round in 8 hours and have mates who think that's slow, well, whatever next?

I would need to use a motor-bike to do a 200km ride in 8 hours
Is that a winning time

[mikewigley]

I would need to use a motor-bike to do a 200km ride in 8 hours

Just make sure you take your GPS with you