2023 Wessex SR

[Wycombewheeler]

thanks, I was just planning on a hotel room picnic bought the night before. I assume there is no parking at the start. Creekmoor park and ride looks convenient, but google maps lists it as closed.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Last year I parked at Poole rail station, ironically during a rail strike.  From memory it was a 10 minute ride up to the start.

[GPS]

+1 for the train station - i've used it a few times.... it's close and cheap

[Wycombewheeler]

+1 for the train station - i've used it a few times.... it's close and cheap

I'm seeing £8 for saturday and £3.50 for sunday. on parkopedia

[hippy]

Picking up the brevet card from Maccas is presumably proof enough of the start? So assuming we're stocked with food on arrival we don't need to visit Maccas or the 24hr garage for a receipt?

[Wycombewheeler]

yes.

I was just thinking about breakfast. so it will be picnic in the hotel for me. If it was 24 hours I'd be there for some has browns and a bacon roll.

Considering I needed 39 hours 15 minutes for the Bryan Chapman yesterday, I don't think starting late (to have McDs breakfast at 6) on the Brimstone will be a good plan.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Although I have never ridden the Bryan Chapman and Brimstone in the same year, my average time on the Brimstone is a couple of hours more for the Brimstone (based on riding each 4 times), so that would imply less faffing / sleeping

[Wycombewheeler]

My car has decided now is the time to have a fault, so two questions

1) can I leave a bag at the start / finish
2) what are people's experience with southwestern trains and bikes?

I see bikes are allowed on the trains I would be looking at, BUT they also state that bikes are on a first come first served basis and I could be refused to board the train I am booked on. Has anyone used the train to Poole from London with their bike?

I'd like to think that if they won't let me on the train I am booked on due to lack of bike space my ticket would be transferable to a later train, but there's always a chance someone will say "your booking is not for this train and so not valid". So I'm looking for reassurance that travelling with a bike on

[andyp]

1) can I leave a bag at the start / finish

No, we're starting at McDonalds, just before it opens BUT I'm driving there and parking in the station car park at 05.15ish, so can meet you there and you can leave your bag in my van... we have a cunning plan to enable you to pick up the bag if you finish well before my best case 21:30 eta at the arriveé. I'll message you my number to confirm.

2) what are people's experience with southwestern trains and bikes?

Generally very good, the guards are pretty chill, and the train is usually half empty by the time it gets to Winchester (although it is the Friday before the bank holidays might be busy to Bournemouth), if there's more bikes than the 3 bikes the space is designed for, you can just stand with it in the corridor there: there's actually room for about 5 or 6 in extremis. and there's 2 bike coaches. Bike carriages are in the middle of the train.

what time are you leaving London? outside rush hour you'll be fine - 4-6.30, the above applies.  Sometimes train apps on the phone have the platform before the board so you can get a head start on the crowds.

if you were on a later train because you couldn't get your bike on the one you were supposed to be on, I'd be amazed if they made anything of it when you explained.

Just check there's no bus replacement service on the line on your return journey, they are not so chilled and never let bikes on the busses ;-(.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

You should get down to Poole alright on a Friday but they are doing weekend engineering work in the Basingstoke area (which they have been for a few weeks now) so a return journey on Sunday might be via Havant, which takes a good deal longer - worthwhile checking on the National Rail website or app.

[Wycombewheeler]

You should get down to Poole alright on a Friday but they are doing weekend engineering work in the Basingstoke area (which they have been for a few weeks now) so a return journey on Sunday might be via Havant, which takes a good deal longer - worthwhile checking on the National Rail website or app.

oh to be quick enough to consider going home on Sunday. It will be monday

1) can I leave a bag at the start / finish

No, we're starting at McDonalds, just before it opens BUT I'm driving there and parking in the station car park at 05.15ish, so can meet you there and you can leave your bag in my van... we have a cunning plan to enable you to pick up the bag if you finish well before my best case 21:30 eta at the arriveé. I'll message you my number to confirm.

.

thanks for the offer
don't worry, I am  not that fast, I was more worried about me making you wait.

[hippy]

We're trying the train for this one as well. Heading down Fri night and coming back Monday night. Thanks for the tip about engineering works, will have to check that out. There's never just a simple train journey here is there?

[Wycombewheeler]

well that was tough, but I am now the very proud owner of a Wessex SR badge, surely the highlight of the enterprise and much more satisfying that the trivial matter of PBP qualification.

Thanks to Peter for organising and all the helpers for the control stops whose support makes the entire series possible, trying to find other provisions in the blackdown hills or other remote spots would be a challenge.

Statements in the beginning of the series that doing the hard boiled and the Dorset coast back to back would be the hardest thig this year were proven false as both the Porkers and Brimstone rides raise the bar further in my opinion. Future entrants should bear in mind that making the penultimate control anywhere near cut off time is sufficient to finish Dorset Coast, Brimstone or Porkers. But the hard boiled is unique in having a tough finish so time in the bank will be needed.

Drivers in Dorset were generally much more patient and courteous than I am used to elsewhere. It was a pleasure to ride there.

Thanks also to Andy for storing my stuff in his van during Brimstone, and Stuart who provided me with a sofa (with a great view) to sleep on last night when all the inns were full.

My total time for Brimstone as about the same (+/- 5 minutes) as for BCM the previous week, but with shorter sleep and lighter equipment. No question in my mind the Brimstone is a far tougher ride.

Congratulations to all other finishers.

[hippy]

well that was tough

This ^

Big props to Pete and all the volunteers who patiently waited for us two poor souls to crawl around the route. Special thanks to Kate for the Di2 goodies (break your own rules, pay the price, hippy!) that allowed me to finish within time and saved my a visit to a local bike shop. Still need to debug this before Pendle but I made it work. Missus was pretty trashed on day 2 but she hung on to our little group like a trooper. I was full of beans for some reason. Weather was lovely all weekend. If it wasn't, I don't think I'd have kept going. I'd probably have binned the ride at the start and done a Perm to complete the series instead.

Had some pretty wicked chaffing again which I'm putting down to Assos changing their shorts again. Now I need to try and find the older version that didn't rub me raw. FFS. Also tempted to swap my Adamo "prong nose" saddle for a more normal saddle for these hilly events - I'm just not on the aerobars enough to warrant the TT saddle style I think and I could get more support (less focused pain) with a normal saddle.

Agree regarding the driving - I guess it's not tourist season and the locals are used to driving around tractors and stuff so they're more chill about cyclists being on the roads.

[Wycombewheeler]

So the Wessex series is approaching again, and while I don't think I am going to do the full series (especially as I have entered the Brevet Cymru). I am looking forward to the Dorset Coast (and even the Hard Boiled to some degree)

However, I note there is a rail replacement service between Bournemouth and Southampton on Sunday 14th of April which will affect others travelling to the event. So anyone planning on using the train will need other arrangements'.

[psyclist]

However, I note there is a rail replacement service between Bournemouth and Southampton on Sunday 14th of April which will affect others travelling to the event. So anyone planning on using the train will need other arrangements'.

Thank you for the heads up on that. I need a rethink on transport options.

[Lightning Phil]

If only you could do this in Dorset

[Wycombewheeler]

when I was at Cambridge and there were rail replacement buses, cycles could be carried at drivers discretion. If the bus was a bus they said no, but when it was a coach they were happy to put it underneath with the luggage.

But I wouldn't want to commit to that being the only option.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

when I was at Cambridge and there were rail replacement buses, cycles could be carried at drivers discretion. If the bus was a bus they said no, but when it was a coach they were happy to put it underneath with the luggage.

But I wouldn't want to commit to that being the only option.

That was the case with me when stranded by a mechanical in Oxford last year - put the bike in the coach luggage storage to Reading and then a train back from there. 

There is a possible, although roundabout, train route to Yeovil Junction, ride the short distance to Yeovil, to get a train to Dorchester, and from there to Poole, which will probably take you longer than riding from Southampton to Bournemouth.

If riding the gap, I would get off at Eastleigh not Southampton, as you can get a nicer cycle route that way.  Last year, after the Porkers they had a rail replacement service from Winchester to Basingstoke - so I rode that section, which turned out to be less painful than I thought.

[Wycombewheeler]

when I was at Cambridge and there were rail replacement buses, cycles could be carried at drivers discretion. If the bus was a bus they said no, but when it was a coach they were happy to put it underneath with the luggage.

But I wouldn't want to commit to that being the only option.

That was the case with me when stranded by a mechanical in Oxford last year - put the bike in the coach luggage storage to Reading and then a train back from there. 

There is a possible, although roundabout, train route to Yeovil Junction, ride the short distance to Yeovil, to get a train to Dorchester, and from there to Poole, which will probably take you longer than riding from Southampton to Bournemouth.

If riding the gap, I would get off at Eastleigh not Southampton, as you can get a nicer cycle route that way.  Last year, after the Porkers they had a rail replacement service from Winchester to Basingstoke - so I rode that section, which turned out to be less painful than I thought.

getting to the event is not a problem, trains will be running as normal on Friday. Getting home again after Dorset coast is the issue. 80km from Wareham to Eastleigh. I don't think I'd make that in time to get a train anywhere. So might as well stay sunday night in Poole/Bournmeouth and get the first train on monday morning, than cycle to eastleigh and still get a monday morning Train

[psyclist]

So might as well stay sunday night in Poole/Bournmeouth and get the first train on monday morning, than cycle to eastleigh and still get a monday morning Train

Be aware that South West Trains don’t permit bicycles on trains that arrive in Waterloo between 7am and something like 10am. I don’t know how strictly they enforce that.

I’ve been fortunate to be offered a lift back on the Sunday, and can travel down on a train before the late afternoon embargo on bicycles on trains from Waterloo.

[teethgrinder]

Trains have been a nuisance with replacement bus services since I started riding the Wessex events back in the middle 1990s! They still haven't sorted it!?

Hotels seem very expensive in Poole. Even the nearest campsite isn't cheap.
A Wessex SR is tempting this year. It'll probably involve some wild camping or bivvy type sleep for me...

[Wycombewheeler]

£77 for the travelodge in between the two rides, Friday night seems extravagant when the saturday ride starts at 2am.

The train situation is frustrating as a southeast network railcard (not just for the young) covers an area as far as Weymouth

[GPS]

the wait is nearly over - not long now ....

[grimpeur du sudocrem]

I've not done any of the Wessex rides before but am signed up for Hard Boiled. Not sure how to deal with the 2am start but I guess just travel down accepting no sleep and wing it from there 

Has anyone received a pre-event email yet? The event page says a GPX file will be provided, is this the case? If not I'll set aside some time for constructing one from the route sheet.

Going to be an adventure one way or another!