Author Topic: ACME Anvil Winter Series  (Read 118155 times)

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
ACME Anvil Winter Series
« on: 20 October, 2017, 09:02:23 am »
The ACME Anvil Winter Series of 100km BP rides returns for its second year, starting on the 4th of November.  These four rides are intended to give you an incentive to carry on riding through the winter and the opportunity of doing that with friends as mad keen as you are.  They all start at 10am to allow you to ECE them; three from the Wetherspoons pub in Witham and one from The Railway Tavern in Kelvedon, both providing breakfast fare and post ride refreshments.
Last year saw an average of 85 riders on each of these events with a tremendously successful 333 validated brevets across the four of them. So if you didn't join us last winter you can be sure that there will be plenty to ride with this year!  Full ride details are on AUKweb where a handy clicky button to enter your ECE also lurks on the calendar page.

Links to the 2017/18 rides on AUKweb
November 4th:  Essex 3R's
December 2nd:  The Stansted Airport Express
January 13th:    Kelvedon Oyster
February 3rd:    Knights Templar Compasses and Cross
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #1 on: 20 October, 2017, 08:33:54 pm »
100km pre-ride ECEs planned...

Plan B, sleep in, just ride the calendar 100 if the weather is miserable.

Plan C, weather beyond a joke: go for breakfast to the pub, stay a rather long while...must be going soft to even consider this.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #2 on: 21 October, 2017, 07:26:43 am »
Not at all. We do this stuff for fun so do what makes you happy.

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #3 on: 24 October, 2017, 04:59:17 pm »
ECE entered for Essex 3R's. 56km before, 45km after. Suitable buffer added!

I'm looking forward to the start of the winter series, albeit it doesn't feel like winter quite yet.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #4 on: 24 October, 2017, 05:31:36 pm »
Interesting looking at the route for: Knights Templar Compasses and Cross

We bought a house in Silver End opposite the then Green Man pub and across the road from the pig farm. There was a lovely lane going through the fields to a small copse - probably torn down for housing by this time. Racing along the narrow road to get the London train at Witham was always a pleasure - except finding space to park near the station. It would be nice to ride the roads, although sadly - or not - I am too far away now to do that.

Silver End was a factory built village making windows -Critalls (sp?) as I recall with the main plant being in Braintree. A small half round catholic church was built there while we lived in the village paid for by the owner of the factory.

The Green Man was run by an old gentleman who kept it as a prefect roadside village pub and kept a shire horse in his garden and an antique Bugatti in his barn. Before we left the village, the old chap died and some yob took it over and introduced a juke box and slots, it was awful after that, so we moved away.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #5 on: 24 October, 2017, 07:14:48 pm »
80 miles from home to Witham.  :(  not ECEing that.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

mmmmartin

  • BPB 1/1: PBP 0/1
    • FNRttC
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #6 on: 24 October, 2017, 10:12:16 pm »
80 miles from home to Witham.  :(  not ECEing that.
Surely that's exactly the right distance? ride there, do 100k, go to hostelry with Jiberjaber & Oscar's Dad, rehydrate, eat chips, train home. Ideal day out IMHO.
Besides, it wouldn't be audacious if success were guaranteed.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #7 on: 24 October, 2017, 10:56:58 pm »
80 miles from home to Witham.  :(  not ECEing that.
Surely that's exactly the right distance? ride there, do 100k, go to hostelry with Jiberjaber & Oscar's Dad, rehydrate, eat chips, train home. Ideal day out IMHO.
Wouldn't 63 miles be the ideal distance for that? 130km would take at least 5 hours probably closer to 6.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #8 on: 25 October, 2017, 09:43:04 am »
I'm planning on these rides (with ECE) being my RRtY rides and I've promised Mrs Tippers one BIG ride a month so it reduces my choices. Although Tomsk's plan C might be applied if that is the case. My plan is to ride the 100 before the event and then potentially take the train home if I feel the urge. Stopping at the pub at the end it's nice to not have any time considerations. I am however considering a bit of extra sleep and starting a bit behind the field once I have finished my Breakfast.

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #9 on: 29 October, 2017, 04:11:32 pm »
The Essex 3R's route was ridden by 3 ACME members plus one who knows he really wants to properly join ACME bringing his AUK points with him  :demon:.  We all ECE'd or DIY'd it to 200+km, starting at Stupid O'Clock when I can confirm it's getting a bit chilly and longs were required.  Café controls are warned of a few cyclists coming through next week to possibly bother them.
All entrants so far will have received their joining email this afternoon.  If you haven't entered yet the closing date is Friday, or on-the-line if you smile nicely Saturday morning.

Looking forward to kicking off the ACME Anvil Winter Series off  :thumbsup:
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #10 on: 30 October, 2017, 09:48:21 am »
Is is 0830hrs that 'spoons start serving beer?

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #11 on: 30 October, 2017, 09:57:41 am »
Is is 0830hrs that 'spoons start serving beer?
Nooo, breakfast solids, soft drinks and coffee are available from 8am.  Essex Energy Drinks(TM) are usually available in Wetherspoons from 9am (you will have a 5 minute warning of this by the queue starting to form at the larger pumps).
The Battesford Court Wetherspoons doors will open at 8am, no point getting there earlier.  Although, if you are well ahead of schedule on your ECE there may be other cafés in Witham open earlier or I am reliably informed that the waiting room at the railway station is warm at 5am.   
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #12 on: 30 October, 2017, 10:12:13 am »
Top banana!

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #13 on: 30 October, 2017, 10:19:33 am »
As discovered during the route check last Saturday, there is a Wetherspoon app that lets you order and pay from the comfort of your table, thereby avoiding the queue at the bar. Food orders are apparently fulfilled quickly through the app; I'm not sure about the logistics of receiving beverages.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #14 on: 30 October, 2017, 12:55:42 pm »
I think it covers 'standard' beverages, but proper Essex Energy DrinksTM have to be ordered at the bar iirc
Regards,

Joergen

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #15 on: 30 October, 2017, 01:10:23 pm »
I think it covers 'standard' beverages, but proper Essex Energy DrinksTM have to be ordered at the bar iirc

This is true.

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #16 on: 30 October, 2017, 09:49:58 pm »
I think it covers 'standard' beverages, but proper Essex Energy DrinksTM have to be ordered at the bar iirc

This is true.
My student son had his local 'spoons app on his phone when we visited, and was well used to it! I got to order beer on it, but I don't know if the app showed a limited choice, as I didn't see what was on offer at the bar.
Just entered the 3R's, and hope to cycle to the start in time to enjoy brekky!
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #17 on: 31 October, 2017, 05:01:23 am »
I think it covers 'standard' beverages, but proper Essex Energy DrinksTM have to be ordered at the bar iirc

This is true.
My student son had his local 'spoons app on his phone when we visited, and was well used to it! I got to order beer on it, but I don't know if the app showed a limited choice, as I didn't see what was on offer at the bar.

The app lets you order the standard beers and lagers, including craft and world beers. It doesn’t have guest beers, which are the ones you need to order at the bar.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #18 on: 31 October, 2017, 09:29:14 pm »
I'm in, entry just gone.

Home Friday, so will take a look at the weather and decide if recumbent friendly or not. 

Will be good to put a few names to faces etc
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #19 on: 01 November, 2017, 06:00:15 am »
 :thumbsup:

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #20 on: 01 November, 2017, 11:21:30 pm »
I rode them all last year, but I think I mentioned somewhere else that I have a meeting on Saturday and can't make the 3R's this time :'(

Hopefully will be on the others though :thumbsup:

Carlosfandango

  • Yours fragrantly.
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #21 on: 02 November, 2017, 02:53:08 pm »
It's looking to be a bit damp at Audax o clock for an ECE. :-\

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #22 on: 02 November, 2017, 04:09:05 pm »
It's looking to be a bit damp at Audax o clock for an ECE. :-\

I was thinking the same as well....  :facepalm:

Perhaps I should just ride the 100 and save the 200 for next weekend, it's been a run of 200's each weekend for a while and I'm starting to lose the love for the bike a bit which is a sure sign that I wont enjoy  damp at Audax o clock very much at all....   :-\
Regards,

Joergen

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #23 on: 02 November, 2017, 05:50:14 pm »
Don't go putting me off ECE-ing with all this talk of rain 😕
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

Re: ACME Anvil Winter Series
« Reply #24 on: 02 November, 2017, 06:09:26 pm »
I'm still ECEing...got too much on in Nov to sort another 200