Author Topic: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014  (Read 97950 times)

Bugloss

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #575 on: 16 September, 2014, 12:32:20 pm »
Bugloss could have claimed his brulee at the finish, if he'd have stuck around a little longer.

He's an impatient chap and had a flight to catch. Plus, the beer and company was so good at the finish I would have become welded to the chair if I'd stayed any longer.

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #576 on: 16 September, 2014, 12:36:47 pm »
Bugloss could have claimed his brulee at the finish, if he'd have stuck around a little longer.

Indeed he could have:

http://www.angelandharp.co.uk/downloads/sunday-menu.pdf

Only £5.95, a bargain!

Bugloss

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #577 on: 16 September, 2014, 12:48:10 pm »
Bugloss could have claimed his brulee at the finish, if he'd have stuck around a little longer.

Indeed he could have:

http://www.angelandharp.co.uk/downloads/sunday-menu.pdf

Only £5.95, a bargain!

NOOOOOOOO, shut up!!!!!

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #578 on: 16 September, 2014, 12:51:39 pm »
For some reason, I am unaccountably happy to still have this debt...
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Bugloss

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #579 on: 16 September, 2014, 12:56:51 pm »
Now I've ridden 1600km for a bloody creme brûlée. How much longer is this torture going to last ?

Jack_P

  • It's just dicking about on bikes
    • Cycling hobo
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #580 on: 16 September, 2014, 01:56:56 pm »
 Great ride stories.
:facepalm: It was a mistake to read this, now I'm even more depressed at being stuck indoors with a burning chest cold at the weekend.
Oh well next year.

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #581 on: 16 September, 2014, 02:41:54 pm »
A view from the other side: manning the control at Red Lodge

I had been down to ride the Flatlands this year, but family duties on Sunday got in the way.  Since Tomsk had successfully marketed the ride as a last-chance-before-PBP pre-qualifier, 140+ riders had entered, although it was expected that a good proportion would DNS (myself included).  Still, 100+ riders was realistic and for such a large field the first control (by last year's experience) would have been bedlam, because they aren't set up for giving out receipts, and as I was at a loose end I offered to run a proper control for Tom to help get riders through quicker.

I set off from my home in Cambridge at the same time as the main start in GD for the 40km ride to Red Lodge, knowing that I would be well ahead of the first riders, but giving me time to set up the control and get some breakfast myself.  It also gave me a chance to chat to the staff and give them an idea of what to expect: they were much better prepared this year, and my breakfast arrived in about 60 seconds.

This was my first time as a controller and I didn't really know what to expect, but running the numbers I could see that I would need to sign-and-stamp quickly at times, as riders tend to come through in groups.  Practice makes perfect, and this is a classic time-and-motion exercise: when I first practised at home I was turning them around in about 30 seconds each, but gradually got this down to the 10-12 secs mark, 5-a-minute, 100 through in 20 minutes.  Given that the point of running the control on what is supposed to be an X-rated event was to reduce the queues, it would have been ironical indeed if the queue merely moved from inside the café to outside!!

The control was due to open at 8.02, and although I knew that Tom was setting a quick group off early, I'd taken from what he'd said that this was so they could get through the breakfast queue early, not so that they could control early, so I ended up holding a couple of riders for a few minutes.  It didn't really matter, as most of them left their brevets with me and went off to grab some breakfast before the main body came through, since the café had opened 10 minutes early for us.

The control had been open about 15 minutes before the flood started and a couple of times I had a short queue, but many riders handed their brevets over and went off to get breakfast while others buddied-up and I validated three or four at a time.

It was great to see everyone energised about the ride: it has gained a reputation for being both flat and yet hard and I was able to share some insights from last year's ride.  It was particularly nice to get to see everyone on the ride — normally I end up in a quiet bubble between the quick and the slow riders.  It was particularly good to see Veloman (who got me through Flatlands last year), MemSec, Alotronic, HK and LWaB, Lars, Oscar's Dad, 3peaker, [edit:] Teethgrinder, and everyone else I met but don't have names for — at times I didn't have time to look up to see whose passage I was proving!  Edit: and it was good to chat to many of you too, in between signing and stamping!  ;D

Before the first hour was up, the numbers started to dwindle and the Alpe d'Huez organiser's group rolled in, having set off 30 minutes later than the main bunch in order to clear up the hall at the start.  Since they were the last to leave (although at least one very late starter to follow) then they made up the tail-enders, except for the few they'd passed along the way ... Sometime around 9.30 the Elliptigoes arrived — I had ridden with them briefly on LEL last year and it was good to see them out in force, particularly Idai and Alan.

After this I validated one more rider, who'd missed a turn and lost time, and then tumbleweed for the final 20 minutes.  As he left, Tomsk suggested I don't wait for the tail-enders, because they could validate with receipts now the café was quiet again, but I kept the control open until 10.04 anyway and I was still there with a coffee until 10.20 for any remaining of the 6.15 group to roll in, but nobody did.

To get home from Red Lodge I followed the Flatlands northbound route to Earith Bridge and then turned left and followed the southbound route through Swavesey Willingham, along the busway and finally to home in Girton (a couple of hundred yards before Tomsk's final resting place).  I only rode 90km on the day, but I got a sense of the fog in the morning and the rising crosswinds across the fens later in spite of the forecast.  After being off the bike for summer holidays it felt good to put some distance in my legs again, however short it was.

Looking back I think having a proper control at Red Lodge worked well.  There were only a couple of times I noticed the queue almost to the door of the café (last year it was out into the yard most of the time), and only when groups of riders came through and tried to validate at the same time did I have a small queue at the control.  Speaking to the riders during and the staff afterwards everyone seemed happy with how it had gone.

In the few days leading up to the event I knocked up a simple phone app so that I could easily track the times when riders came through — I figured the data would take almost no effort to collect and the results may be interesting (or not).  The spread data indicated that after the quickest riders, the busiest period was around 20-30 minutes after control opening and tailed off very steadily afterwards.  Also, from the cumulative data I thought it was interesting that 90% of riders of all start times passed through within the first hour of the official control time.  Which meant that the quick riders had nearly two hours in hand already, and almost all other riders had at least one hour in hand after just 61km.  Given that those with a later start time also had a later finish time then for many riders it was significantly better than one hour.

This was my first experience from the other side and I really enjoyed it :thumbsup:

It's great reading all the write-ups from the event — it's rapidly turning into a classic ride with plenty of war stories to go around — well done Tomsk for creating and organising this original ride, and congrats to everyone for finishing :thumbsup:

I now have a Flatliner perm brevet to ride before the end of September for my RRTY and Essex SR — it's going to be a long and lonely ride, but in many ways that will be an even bigger challenge than last year, methinks, and I am quite looking forward to it.  At least, as some have mentioned in their reports, the GPS course has been well tested and I shouldn't get lost in the night  ;)
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #582 on: 16 September, 2014, 04:51:25 pm »
I was blessed with the company of Mike Wigley, Judith Swallow and Dave Minter for some serious Fenland and night bashing.
I too rode with them for a while after Red Lodge, until I noticed on the routesheet there was a Wetherspoons at the next control, and I fancied a veggie breakfast before they stopped serving at 12 (only had a coffee at Red Lodge). Was this the reason TG bumped Red Lodge, because he fancied a Wetherspoons brekky?

Shame I didn't see you, 3peaker. I still haven't done your 200 perm from last year (or a couple of 600s, if there is no time limit). It was good to see familiar faces (although I forget names), and ride with some new ones.

I see why the Essex SR series is popular. Well done Tomsk!
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

cyclinggeezer

  • Cyclinggeezer
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #583 on: 16 September, 2014, 05:10:11 pm »
I did the Flatliner perm a few weeks ago from starting Sleaford, heading south first so I can say I have been to Yorkshire via Essex. Had the advantage of fog lowering temperatures until I hit Cambridge when I had the disadvantage of trying to avoid tourists and the temperature being red hot. After Red Lodge long cool run north thro' Whittlesey to Boston McDs at audax o'clock where I was the object of attention from the locals who were strangely fascinated by flashing red lights on the bike and my pink cycling cap. One even asked for me to be in his selfie.

Slightly damp on the fens and as I was a bit sleepy crashed on a bench in some village past Boston in the rain for a bit.(as you do)  There after the wind was kind until I got to the Isle of Axholme and Goole. Journey back south towards Gainsborough, Lincoln and Sleaford was very familiar territory. Thought the Spar at Kirton was great for coffee and sandwich breakfast

Best of luck to Wilkyboy.  I thoroughly enjoyed the solitude for nearly two days and the adventure. Lots more places en route to stop off than you would think in Lincs - enjoy

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #584 on: 16 September, 2014, 08:21:55 pm »
Before I start I would like to apologise for not being able to name anyone as I am not sure who was who, but you are welcome to put me right on names.

I was looking forward to this as I missed it last year due to a crash the week before, the omens could be conspiring against me again for this ride as I reached the half way point on my drive to the start I realised I forgot to bring my lights with me that I left on charge the night before. As I had a head torch I decided to carry on as I knew I would be riding with my constant partner Jonathan Greenway who is always in his Norwich CC top.

We set off at a steady pace up to Red Lodge eventually joining up with the lady on the trike and a couple off other riders, at Red Lodge we decided to jump the control as wilkyboy was kind enough to be an controller there.

On the way to Whittlesey we picked up the couple on the tandem with the Irish contingent behind them, us and the tandem were rotating for a good bit at a steady pace then all of sudden the Irish team went on the front and decided to up the pace for some reason, this pace would take its toll on me later on.

After a the stop in Whittlesey we carried on with the tandem and 1 of the Irish team up to Boston, I think a couple more ended up with us near Boston. We stopped at the Weatherspoon's for lunch and a rest.

We left with the tandem for leg up to Kirton-in-Lindsey as the Irish guy decided to stop for a bit longer, just before Kirton-in-Lindsey we lost the tandem as they stopped only when the arrived at Kirton-in-Lindsey the lady said her husband felt ill and that way they stopped.

We left Kirton-in-Lindsey with a couple of riders as they wanted to tag along as they did not have gamins for night navigation, on the way there we past a few riders heading back. Upon arriving at 10 we decided to go to MacDonald's for a couple of hours rest.

I was feeling ok when we left Goole but I knew from my previous rides my limit is 300k before I need to try and get some sleep, but with Jonathan being a experienced flatland rider 100 points this year with most of them done on the broads I decided to push on but my speed was declining slowly with each mile.

Upon arriving at Gainsborough we encountered someone resting on the charcoal bags which reminded me of my first audax hotel stop at Newmarket on the A&S curled up amongst the charcoal bags on a garage forecourt. Then the police turned up and questioned some polish bloke about his car. The tandem reappeared as we were leaving.

We missed a turning shortly after leaving which enabled us to catch up with the tandem again, by now fatigue was starting to catch up with me now slowing me down. We lost the tandem again on the 1st hill into Lincoln.

We arrived at Sleaford around 6 and found a couple guys crashed out in the bank cash machine foyer, after getting something to eat at a shop I realised I needed sleep so we both managed to squeeze in the hotel with luxury carpets, I dread to think what the staff will make off CCTV yesterday morning.

Feeling refreshed we set off to Chatteris with the sun coming up at a steady pace, we stopped about halfway for a little picnic at the side of the road, just after this the wind started to picked up, the last 3 mile turn into Chatteris to the Green Welly Café was brutal open and exposed which was hard work with by now my ankle was starting to hurt.

We left o the last leg with a brief stop just after Cambridge to stop for water, then near Duxford we managed to see the old B52 flying fortress flying, but also we managed to catch up few riders for the final push home, the hills were a welcome sight for me as they seemed to make me come awake.

We rolled in at 4:30 at the pub around the same time as a few others, the fellow on the single speed informed us he had to do the Saffron Waldron hill twice as he decided leave his phone at the bottom.

I enjoyed this ride hard with the wind but then I was my bike with the rack on, in hind sight I could have probably got away doing this on my carbon bike but at the moment I am still getting used on what to take with me.

And finally thanks to Tomask for organising the ride, Jonathan for getting me around and everyone we had a few laughs with.

PS: does anyone know if the tandem made it safely?

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #585 on: 16 September, 2014, 11:09:54 pm »
What happens when a 24 spoke, lightweight, racing wheel meets an 18stone Kiwi on rough roads?
(click to show/hide)

I would like to point out I did actually have 28 spokes in the rear wheel and the 27 got me home as mentioned (just)

This is a pic of the Bodge I put together with the Cassette removed


This was the damage once I removed the hub and spokes



Taking a closer look the next morning I think it is safe to say I was lucky to complete the ride. I found 3 more spoke holes with visible cracks as per below!



Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #586 on: 16 September, 2014, 11:36:04 pm »
PS: does anyone know if the tandem made it safely?

I saw them in the harp and Angel and well within time.

Also rode with them for a while just outside Spalding and they were doing OK.

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #587 on: 17 September, 2014, 07:39:48 am »
PS: does anyone know if the tandem made it safely?

I saw them in the harp and Angel and well within time.

Also rode with them for a while just outside Spalding and they were doing OK.

Glad they made it back safely.

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #588 on: 17 September, 2014, 09:03:52 pm »
This was only my 2nd audax but I'm no stranger to long distance rides so I was looking forward to the challenge.

I'd planned to put in a good long 1st stint and get my head down for 4 or 5 hours in a proper bed. Booked a B&B just south of Gainsborough and got there for around 1.30am. Left again at 7.00am feeling very normal and other than cocking up the navigating around Lincoln all went smoothly from there to the finish twelve hours later. Was really surprised by how much energy I had left in the final stint and pretty much rode it non-stop from Chatteris. The Essex hills were welcome as they got me out of the saddle for the first time in the ride!

Not many notable moments from the journey but the Irish lads were good blokes. Had breakfast with them in Sleaford and rode a dozen or so miles with them afterwards. Also thanks to the two older guys who I followed out of Kirton up to Goole - being encouraged to shovel down my chips to fend off the sicky/rough feeling that was weighing me down was excellent advice. I'd always attributed that to dehydration not hunger. You live and learn...

Wasn't feeling too sociable at the finish so I drove up to GD town centre and had a pizza and a read of the paper in Bosphorus kebab house. A few hours sleep in the car then a lovely 4 hour drive home up the A1.

I'll be back on the audax scene for my SR series in time for PBP. Hopefully see a few familiar faces then!


Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #589 on: 17 September, 2014, 09:41:03 pm »
Forgot to mention one nice incident.

I was rolling into Lincoln alone and a bloke on a push bike wearing a hoodie sails up alongside me.  The conversation went along the lines of:

Hoodie: You on some sort of tour?
Me: No I'm riding a 375ish mile endurance event.
H: Fuck me that's fantastic!  Do you have a support vehicle?
M: No, you have to be self reliant on these events, all my kit is on the back of my bike [point at rack].  Last night I had a quick sleep in a wood.
H: Amazing.  I really respect you long distance guys.  What's your name?
M: Steve
H: I'm Kevin.  You know, I don't really believe in this religious or spiritual shit, but every hour on the hour I'm going send you positive vibes, help keep you going.
M: Thanks very much Kevin, that'll be great!

At which point he sped up and disappeared.

 ;D

That is just wonderful!

Congrats to all.
Garry Broad

bikey-mikey

  • AUK 6372
  • Yes, I am completely mad ! a.k.a. 333
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #590 on: 18 September, 2014, 08:13:23 am »
Well done folks and it's great to read all the stories  8)
I’ve decided I’m not old. I’m 25 .....plus shipping and handling.

Cycling heatmap
https://www.strava.com/athletes/4628735/heatmaps/6ed5ab12#10/51.12782/-3.16388

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #591 on: 18 September, 2014, 11:54:35 am »
I slipped a disc (L5 if your interested) in April last year and for about 6 months couldn't imaging riding a bike again, let alone riding 600km,
It wasn't until April this year that I felt able to get back on the road bike, I was just doing gentle rides on a hybrid up to this point.

When I was put in the MRI machine you get offered a CD to listen to, so as to take your mind off the hum of the MRI machine. I declined and instead imagined I was cycling an audax event.

My point is this, The Flatlands ride bookends for me a recovery process,  I really didn't think I would ever manage this type of riding again, also this maybe gives a little bit of hope to anyone else that finds themselves with a debilitating pain like a slipped disc...

that's all .

Still Just Being...

Bugloss

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #592 on: 18 September, 2014, 12:48:27 pm »
You've done we'll to recover from a discal prolapse and ride a 600, especially one that involves so much time slogging away in the saddle.
Did you have a lot of pain whilst riding ?

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #593 on: 18 September, 2014, 01:03:01 pm »
You've done we'll to recover from a discal prolapse and ride a 600, especially one that involves so much time slogging away in the saddle.
Did you have a lot of pain whilst riding ?

No more than a achy lower back for an hour or so, I was certainly not in screaming agony at any point.
Earlier in the year I was i was getting a mild pain during longer rides but that seems to have gone away, fingers crossed it stays away.
Still Just Being...

Genosse Brymbo

  • Ostalgist
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #594 on: 18 September, 2014, 08:31:22 pm »
Thanks very much to Tom and helpers for a great event.  It was a good idea to have a controller at Red Lodge so that things ran smoothly. The route is a good one, with well-positioned controls, a large range of shops/pubs/cafes so that nutrition and hydration were never a problem, and a choice of commercial and non-commercial sleeping opportunities.  As others have said up-thread, don't be discouraged by the X-rating.

Fortunately for me the ride was flat and uneventful.  It was a re-sit of the 600 I needed for this year's SR, having spent too much time asleep on Blacksheep's Dragons and Legends in June.  Validation failures are a problem when your annual calendar is just an SR - 1*200, 1*300, 1*400, 1*600, 1*egg, 1*basket.  Strangely, Tomsk has had a part in the 600 ride for all my SR seasons.  He was one of the experienced riders on Teethgrinder's 600 for new riders in 2012.  Last year he dragged me up Pen-y-Pass on the BCM600 after buying me a drink in a pub in Beddgelert (he had a beer :o).  This year he's laid on this beauty.

The terrain presents little opportunity to get out of the saddle, and the first time I had to use my inner 34 chainring was on the climb out of Lincoln.  This means that you're putting quite a lot of your weight through the saddle for a long time, especially when the headwind sections like Spalding to Boston push you back into the saddle.  I find the antidote to this is to mash a bigger gear than normal (Frankly Frankie has talked of this several times on here).  It works, but the downside is that your feet take more punishment (maybe the cause of Oranj's hotfoot described up-thread).
 
Isn't Lincolnshire a strange place - mile after mile of vegetable fields, the smell of brassicas, huge lorries passing you displaying company names like "Vegelinc", pumpkin pickers working in the fields just North of Spalding early on Sunday morning, and then the all-night party which was Lincoln town centre at 3:30 on Sunday.
The present is a foreign country: they do things differently here.

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #595 on: 18 September, 2014, 09:18:03 pm »
Just remembered one little vignette from the ride…

Passing through a small village south of Gainsborough at about 3am I spotted a group of 5 or 6 "youths" hanging around at the side of the road.  Worryingly, as I approached they wandered into the road and fanned out in front of me.  I took a chance that I was more likely to get verbal aggro than anything physical and rode towards them at a steady rather than fast speed, but fast enough to outrun them (I hoped) if necessary.

As I got close, one shouted: "'scuse me but we were wondering why there were so many cyclists out so early in the morning", to which I rather weakly replied as I passed "It's not early for me, I've been cycling since 6am yesterday", by which time I had passed through the group and was "safe".

It was only as I carried on down the slight hill that I heard the lad plaintively call out: "That's amazing but you still haven't answered my question."

For the next few miles I found myself regretting that I'd not turned around and gone back to explain.  Maybe somebody a little while behind me was able to oblige.
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #596 on: 19 September, 2014, 04:04:33 pm »
As promised, here are some of my pics:





You'll note how we all tended to become less photogenic toward the end of the ride  ;D

Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #597 on: 23 September, 2014, 07:05:56 am »
This has appeared in my twitter feed!  It's the Dunmow Broadcast report as mentioned by Tomsk. ;D

https://twitter.com/andys2tyred/status/512672838440861696/photo/1

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #598 on: 27 September, 2014, 06:15:06 am »
Wish me luck — "I am just going outside and may be some time." 

Weather's looking fine as it ever can for the fens, barring a northerly on Sunday (can't have everything).
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: 'The Flatlands' 600km 13/14th September 2014
« Reply #599 on: 27 September, 2014, 06:29:10 am »
Have fun out there.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...