Author Topic: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019  (Read 3756 times)

Phil W

Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« on: 23 November, 2019, 09:43:58 am »
Anyone else planning on riding this ride on the shortest day Sun 22nd Dec?  Planning on using this as my first 200 since before PBP.  No objective other than getting round and seeing where my long distance endurance is currently sitting.  Plan to be recumbent, as aiming for a recumbent Audax year this season.

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/20-233/


Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #1 on: 23 November, 2019, 11:30:20 am »
I'm planning to be there.

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Proving ambition is undone by ability since 1958...


Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #2 on: 14 December, 2019, 07:50:53 pm »
Clocked up around 100km on new recumbent today.  Very cold and wet first half, with sun coming out towards the end.  A good reminder of what the weather maybe in a weeks time, and what kit to bring. Looking forward to my first 200km ride in months.

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #3 on: 15 December, 2019, 01:37:34 am »
I've entered. Hoping the weather won't be too dreadful!
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #4 on: 15 December, 2019, 09:49:33 am »
HK and I will be there.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #5 on: 15 December, 2019, 10:32:53 am »
I've not ridden this one before. Hopefully I'll have shaken the lurgy by then.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #6 on: 15 December, 2019, 11:41:25 am »
I am enduring attending a wedding the day before so unfortunately won't be in any fit state to get up and get myself to Colchester-ish for an 8am start but I can promise you all that it's a lovely ride, especially if the weather is good. 
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #7 on: 15 December, 2019, 11:44:36 am »
I've entered. Hoping the weather won't be too dreadful!

Hopefully I took the hit yesterday.  It was that freezing rain and quite a headwind after the halfway turn. Any chance of rain and definitely my winter cycling boots, and a second pair of gloves,  my fingers and toes were a bit purple when I got home yesterday.

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #8 on: 19 December, 2019, 10:59:23 am »
If I've stopped snuffling by Saturday, I'll put in a late entry.  I think this was the first audax I attempted 2 years ago.  Attempted being the operative word, horribly under-prepared for a a ride that at different times was cold, wet and dark I bailed at 165k at the Sudbury McDs with frozen extremities, lights on the blink, dead garmin and dead phone. Dead electronics I can cope with, but brain fades are a riskier business and I'd stopped enjoying the ride an hour beforehand.  A good learning experience (I now wear at least one piece of ACME kit on audax rides, provides all sort of super-powers).

Not been able to go past that McDs since without experiencing a little pang...
Turn, turn, turn again
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind

Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #9 on: 19 December, 2019, 12:55:49 pm »
Two years ago was the second time I rode the event. I didn't ride it last year.

If I recall it started off really cold and frosty, and was forecast to warm up. I took the B road alternative that morning.  Rain came after Wickham Market but it didn't really get that warm, maybe 5C Max..  I had an insulated gilet on, and don't think I took it off all day. I had some warmer gauntlet style gloves with me, and kept them on all the way round.  I was chilled a little by Diss.  I certainly went slower than the year before, where I was a couple of hours quicker.  Hopefully better weather this time round. Dry would be nice, but given how much it's raining this winter, we'll see .

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #10 on: 19 December, 2019, 01:11:35 pm »
ok forecast has now changed, now looking at wet start

http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/8c52daf6-2f18-4f85-b4c0-9c61701d482d

Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #11 on: 19 December, 2019, 08:51:33 pm »
Winter cycling boots and a spare spare of gloves if it's going to rain. Had rain at similar forecast temps last weekend and my summer cycling shoes didn't cut it.

Bike is ready


Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #12 on: 19 December, 2019, 09:06:20 pm »
Sat here thinking of a last minuet entry, I don't know the area at all, thinking of riding fixed is there ant real step bits ??

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #13 on: 19 December, 2019, 09:12:48 pm »
I rode the first edition on fixed. No major dramas that I can recall.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #14 on: 19 December, 2019, 09:19:16 pm »
No really steep bits. I've ridden twice on recumbent and will be on my new recumbent on Sunday for a hat trick / full house. You'll be fine on fixed.

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #15 on: 19 December, 2019, 09:21:56 pm »
No really steep bits. I've ridden twice on recumbent and will be on my new recumbent on Sunday for a hat trick / full house. You'll be fine on fixed.

Cheers.. hopefully see you on Sunday..

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #16 on: 19 December, 2019, 09:28:32 pm »
I rode the first edition on fixed. No major dramas that I can recall.

Thanks for the info..

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #17 on: 20 December, 2019, 09:34:37 am »
ok forecast has now changed, now looking at wet start

Changed again. Now looks wet overnight but dry throughout the day, at least that's the forecast on MetOffice. Quite variable at the moment though, so probably wont know for certain until we're actually riding.

I'll be riding fixed. I've never experienced any hills in Essex or Suffolk that have been a problem.


Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #18 on: 20 December, 2019, 09:00:34 pm »
I do/did most of my fixed riding on similar roads so it should be fine.
I'll be at a 60th birthday, I've never actually ridden, only done the Valley Farm control a couple of times a few year back.
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

Phil W

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #19 on: 21 December, 2019, 01:56:01 pm »
Looks like we could be missing a bullet at Halesworth as we turn left and left again on B1123 at Roman Way.

"This message has been issued because there is a possibility of some minor flooding to low lying land, roads and riverside areas. River levels are beginning to drop but will remain responsive to further rainfall. Areas most at risk are the Thoroughfare, Chediston Street, Saxons Way and School Lane in Halesworth, and the A144 and the railway line at Halesworth. The forecast is for rain showers this afternoon with some heavier rain overnight and into tomorrow morning."



The section from Monks Eleigh down through Hadleigh to Higham is then equally red on the flood map. 

"This message has been issued because there is a possibility of some minor flooding to low lying land, roads and riverside areas. River levels are beginning to drop but will remain responsive to further rainfall. Areas most at risk are Lavenham, Brent Eleigh, Monks Eleigh, Chelsworth, Semer, Ash St, Kersey Mill, Hadleigh, Upper Layham, and Shelley, including the A1079 at Hadleigh and the A1141"

Likely a few skoggy roads tomorrow, especially if it does rain overnight.

I was looking for something similar to weather bagel but for flooding but seems no one has built such a thing.

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #20 on: 21 December, 2019, 05:18:41 pm »
So whats the weather looking like for tomorrow ? Think theres a good chance of getting very wet wet !!    its a new area for me so I'm looking forward to it ..

Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #21 on: 21 December, 2019, 09:31:51 pm »
MetOffice is showing possibility of showers early in the ride but then clear. We’ll soon dry out in the wind!

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #22 on: 22 December, 2019, 11:09:56 pm »
A prang on the A12 meant that HK and I (and A.N.Other) started about 45 minutes late. Several folk didn’t make it to the start at all.

The weather was acceptable. The drizzle/ rain wasn’t quite heavy enough for me to drag out the waterproof. The headwind wasn’t quite strong enough for me to bog down on the fixed wheel.

The Young Lady rolled round pretty well and cracked the AUK Lady’s (or is it Ladies' ?) Mileater record just before Sudbury. The previous total always seemed a little unlikely to me. Some more commuting and the Festive 500 will bump up the number a bit before the fireworks go off.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #23 on: 22 December, 2019, 11:27:50 pm »

The Young Lady rolled round pretty well and cracked the AUK Lady’s Mileater record just before Sudbury. The previous total always seemed a little unlikely to me. Some more commuting and the Festive 500 wil bump up the number a bit before the fireworks go off.

Was the previous record a Poddington? Did any AUKS ever set eyes on this entity?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Santa Special 200 on 22nd Dec 2019
« Reply #24 on: 22 December, 2019, 11:30:39 pm »
A mother/ daughter tandem pair with the daughter at school. 22,000 miles ridden by AUKs in a year but no brevets at all does look somewhat odd. I’m not sure if any AUK ever rode with them.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...