Bryan Chapman Memorial 2010

[Hot Flatus]

I'd already left before you'd arrived 

[Greenbank]

I'd already left before you'd arrived 

I'm still on my way to Menai...

[mattc]

I think there are 2 different issues here:

- the organisers doing their best to provide some beds for all. They're volunteers on a tiny budget, so we're all grateful for whatever they manage to conjure up.

- faster riders gobbling up resources before 'later' arriving riders. Every now and then this occurs with food, but far more often with beds (i'm talking about across all rides I know about, not on the BCM). I feel the quicker lads and lasses should at the very least co-operate willingly with any rationing system. It's obviously very difficult for early arrivals to police themselves, cos even a quick rider can be tired and groggy after 400k!

I want to emphasise that this isn't just about petty feelings of entitlement; sleep dep is a real safety issue. The slowest riders are often the most tired, they shouldn't be made to finish long events on less sleep than necessary. Of course we're all supposed to be self-sufficient yada yada.... but let's try to look after each other too.

[looking back I don't think I've ever gone without a bed in this scenario, but I have been on rides where it has happened. PBP07 would have been tricky, but I cunningly got well behind the bulge to avoid major queuing. And I've suffered from noisy riders not respecting those still trying to get to sleep ... ]


Yours, self-appointed Guardian of Sleeping Riders, etc ...

p.s. if you're ever worried about oversleeping:

I tried to wake you up but settled on stroking your hair and tucking you in.

H

[Chris N]

p.s. if you're ever worried about oversleeping:

I tried to wake you up but settled on stroking your hair and tucking you in.

H

Oh, thanks Matt.  I'd almost forgotten about that.

[vorsprung]

I want to emphasise that this isn't just about petty feelings of entitlement; sleep dep is a real safety issue. The slowest riders are often the most tired, they shouldn't be made to finish long events on less sleep than necessary. Of course we're all supposed to be self-sufficient yada yada.... but let's try to look after each other too.

If you enter the BCM that's how it works.  If you can get to the YHA before 2am there a good chance for a bed

If you did the "Bridge Too Far" 600 a couple of years ago then like me and Dai Harris you could have been sleeping on a garage forecourt.  We were expecting to do this sort of thing when we entered the event

If you ride the BCM and arrive at the worst time, say 4am a lot of the fast people are in bed and some of the slow people have started arriving.  You don't get a bunk but there are lots of dry nooks and crannies to use.  It's much better than a bus shelter

[Simonb]

<vorsprung's Audax blog link>

The blog link in your sig is borked.

[vorsprung]

<vorsprung's Audax blog link>

The blog link in your sig is borked.

So it is...is that any better?

[Simonb]

<vorsprung's Audax blog link>

The blog link in your sig is borked.

So it is...is that any better?

Thanks!

[3peaker]

Some could argue that the BCM is a ‘soft touch’ as 600’s go, now with bag drop and luxury o/n accom; even a sleep control for the faster lads 60km later.

Compare that with the Cambrian (done) where 24hr garages are your hard floor. Some events use a 400 loop followed by a 200 day ride (Denmead - done) but you still need to make the 400 for your bed.  The Bridge too Far a couple years ago had a dream of a sleepover, as heavy rain hit the event overnight.  Good thinking by Dave Lewis. 

I think the BCM stands out with its heavy altitude toll.  But all events are what the Organiser can make of them and is willing to invest in with his/her time. The Cambrian is so much a ‘Shoestring’ ride.  I fully valued Mark’s efforts; I know he did not start the event but we riders are extremely grateful for his efforts to re-invent it and add ‘spice’ and ‘challenge’ with the Scenic variation.  Some reckon this is THE Classic 600 and deserves AUK Central protection if it falls on stony (aka LEL09?) ground.  Let’s hope it does not come to that; if this year’s numbers are anything to go by it will be even bigger for PBP next year (though I know many, me included, Scenic and all, were pushing for the BRM credit).

SteveP

[arabella]

Oh dear,  it obviously came out rather whiny.  I do of course appreciate that a bunk is being laid on at all.
+1 to what Matt (guardian of sleep on audaxes) said.

I think you'll find that at > 36 hrs I *am* at the "slow end of the field".

But doesn't that >36 hours include a sleep from 2:00 am to 7:00 am? Even if not, >36 hours is faster by 3.5 hours than I am on about 2 hours sleep etc.

[Tewdric]

As far as I'm concerned, getting in early enough to get a clean bed in an empty dormitory is just another facet of natural selection....
 
 

Whereas arriving later and sleeping in your recently vacated bunk could be a form of unnatural insemination.. 

[Hot Flatus]

It's a f'kin tightrope, Tewdric... how do you know you didn't end up in a bunk vacated by Cap'n Nosehair? 

[Euan Uzami]

I think you'll find that at > 36 hrs I *am* at the "slow end of the field".

But doesn't that >36 hours include a sleep from 2:00 am to 7:00 am? Even if not, >36 hours is faster by 3.5 hours than I am on about 2 hours sleep etc.

yes, but even so it's still the slow end of the field. Not the slowest, but still probably in the slow half.

[Hot Flatus]

So am I, I finished at 5.30pm, so 35.5 hours.

[arabella]

This is turning into an 'I'm slower than you competition'.   

[MSeries]

I think you'll find that at > 36 hrs I *am* at the "slow end of the field".

But doesn't that >36 hours include a sleep from 2:00 am to 7:00 am? Even if not, >36 hours is faster by 3.5 hours than I am on about 2 hours sleep etc.

yes, but even so it's still the slow end of the field. Not the slowest, but still probably in the slow half.

I think 35-36 hours is about midde in terms of number of riders back, that is, roughly the same amount will be back after than time as those still not back. So you could say it's the slow end of the fast half or the fast end of the slow half of the field. Who cares anyway Ben, it's not a race.

[Ian H]

...it's not a race.

I'm positive there was a trophy sitting on a controller's table.

[simonp]

In 2008, I finished in 37h45 and at Woebly I was told there were 45 riders (half the field) behind.

This year I finished in 36h20, and at the finish I heard Mark say about 30 riders (of 92 finishers) were back.

Of course these numbers may have been inaccurate.

I had harboured thoughts of riding into the night from Kings, if the rain was going to be later.  However, a combination of the bonk, dozies, a sore knee, bubbling guts, a sore back, excess stomach acid and a bleeding arse, combined with the rain, was enough to make me stop for sleep.

[Hot Flatus]

Really can't see the point of riding through the night.  I'm never going to break any records so why bother? As it was Adam and I had 5 hours of bunk time and a very leisurely breakfast waiting for the rain to stop. I can see a point of hooning up to Menai and back to get a clean empty dorm before all the zombies turn up later in the night.  If I ride next year and I am in any sort of reasonable shape I'll be trying to get to Kings by 10pm so that I can chill out enough to actually sleep.

[simonp]

Well, no.  I spent 26h on the bike so to get a sub 30h time I'd have to get time stopped down to 4h.  Not likely, given my slow control habits.

[Chris S]

...a combination of the bonk, dozies, a sore knee, bubbling guts, a sore back, excess stomach acid and a bleeding arse, combined with the rain, was enough to make me stop....

I think Audax UK have found their next PR secretary.

You make it sound great 

[simonp]

...a combination of the bonk, dozies, a sore knee, bubbling guts, a sore back, excess stomach acid and a bleeding arse, combined with the rain, was enough to make me stop....

I think Audax UK have found their next PR secretary.

You make it sound great 

It was - apart from that one section.

[Jaded]

As it was Adam and I had 5 hours of bunk time.

You can't really argue with that.

[BlackSheep]

I'm positive there was a trophy sitting on a controller's table.

If you get it flaunt it  ... most unlike me.

If I had my way it would have been mounted on the bonnet of the car - so everyone could see it. so to speak.

I was surprised and very humbled to receive it, Mrs Blacksheep got to hold the trophy at the AGM - as ever I was a little further back along the road.

[mattc]

Really can't see the point of riding through the night.

If there's just one good sleep stop, and it's not an easy ride, only the really fast* would disagree I suspect (or insomniacs). Or ECE riders!

Of course other 600s will be different, especially shoestring events.

And then this "average" time business is tricky because of the very skewed distribution on all events. (so the median might well be 3 hours before the last rider, but 7 hours after the first back). The PBP site has a graph which shows this sort of shape - not sure I've seen one done for other events.

* (I dunno, sub 28H ?)