Author Topic: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series  (Read 71869 times)

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #175 on: 06 November, 2016, 04:59:14 pm »
Really enjoyed the ride on som good surfaces, I'm used to seeing a different standard of Essex Lane
+1. Being used to the torn up lanes around Saffron Walden, I couldn't believe I was in the same county. Now I know where Essex Highways spend their money  ;D

It was a great ride yesterday. I wasn't looking forward to it when I woke up to a drizzly morning yesterday, but it turned into a nice, albeit cold, Autumn day. My first run of any distance on my fixed wheel Moulton, which scored in the comfort stakes. I picked up another rider (not otp) just after Abberton who asked if he could get a tow from me, which was a novel experience for someone as slow as me :) He stuck with me for the rest of the ride. Good company and he bought me lunch in Stock, which was nice  :)

All in all, a good day out. Thanks to Huggy and the ACME team.


jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #176 on: 06 November, 2016, 05:12:02 pm »
A cold start and a fine rain marked the exit from Chelmsford and around the first 50km of my ECE to our inaugural ACME Winter Brevet ride.



A field of over 80 rides took part and I was expecting it to be chaos getting breakfast in our starting pub of choice in Witham, but they were fast and efficient, which was just as well as even though I set of at 06:50 ish I still struggled to convert that early start in to an early arrival… I just couldn’t get on song!



The ride itself was great, that yellow round thing eventually made an appearance and the wind made hard going but also fast going in equal measure around the route. Annoyingly I had a visitation just as I left Rettingdon and decided to try to pump it up just before I climbed the hill and make the 8km to the next control… this gave up as I was back riding on the rim with 20m of climbing still left to do… I managed to get to the top of the hill by standing up and putting my weight over the front…. I then managed to find the hole, fit a new tube and get it pumped up only to manage to unscrew the tube valve core… so had to spend time pumping it back up again!




A great route and well done Grant for organising and for various Team ACME for assisting in the running!



Overall I managed about 20mins ahead of schedule, and enjoyed a pint to celebrate… before I set off in to the dark for the final 50km home to complete the ECE… this was hard going and I was struggling in to the wind and perhaps suffering from a lack of food. I managed to make it through Danbury before the fireworks kicked off and thence onwards home though my 22kph average had dropped to 18kph and I was suffering! A track stand combined with toe overlap saw me having a clipless moment at some roadworks in Danbury which probably didn't help!

On the plus side, this ride marks the completion of my first Round The Year Randonneur!


https://goo.gl/photos/x4tFj4Aa3J4BBnJZA
Regards,

Joergen

Phil W

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #177 on: 06 November, 2016, 07:27:05 pm »
Congrats, straight into RRTY 2 or a break in between?

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #178 on: 06 November, 2016, 08:53:12 pm »
It would appear I might have 2 on the go already since May  :facepalm:
Regards,

Joergen

cgg

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #179 on: 06 November, 2016, 11:02:36 pm »
Well that was a nice day out, thank you very much Grant & ACME for making this happen. Also thanks redfalo & al. for the great ride out :thumbsup:

Now looking forward to the December one which I will hopefully also ECE, hopefully with a longer night before ::-)

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #180 on: 07 November, 2016, 10:39:43 pm »
Anyone got a GPX for the Stansted Airport event?

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #181 on: 08 November, 2016, 12:49:27 am »
Top ride (just like everyone else has already said!). We ECE'ed it and a bit more, the only trains running in the vague direction of Witham (ie to Basildon) not being tandem friendly. Had a decent run up in the morning although our arrival was a bit tardier than ideal, so only time for a quick tea and toast before the depart. Seemed like a fast ride to Abberton and then on to Latchingdon, where most of us practised our long audax ride petrol station technique.
The leg to Stock was harder, the wind had got up and the ride was up....We very nearly popped into Hyde Hall cafe as we went past the entrance on Buckhatch Lane, but decided to try out the D&B at Stock instead. After detaching ourselves from locomotive duties, we managed to grab a table and had tea and cake as that was reasonably quick. On to Danbury where we opted for the Coop as our control, only to discover a grid-locked car park. I suspect many of the car-borne shoppers live within easy cycling distance. I think it was somewhere on the last section that the sun finally came out, giving us a very pleasant final few miles to Witham.
Our ECE was only back as far as Upminster, but we knew we had the full distance to East London in front of us. We reached Chelmsford around 17.30 and are both scarred from the experience, the traffic was truly horrible........ a different ECE plan for December I think (hopefully the trains will be running to give more options). On the plus side we did see lots of fireworks, ranging from rather wimpy back garden affairs to large official displays. 

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #182 on: 08 November, 2016, 06:27:27 am »
Anyone got a GPX for the Stansted Airport event?
This is ONLY AN INITIAL PLOT of the route from Tomsk's draft route sheet so in no way guaranteed at all
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16841421
It may well get you round but has not been road checked for any RWGPS COR vagaries.  No doubt I will participate in a helpers ride and be able to provide an as-ridden GPX track closer the time.
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #183 on: 08 November, 2016, 07:49:36 am »
Thanks, yes, I'll pick up an official one later if it becomes available, as it probably will. I just like to take an advance look and I haven't got around to doing one yet.

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #184 on: 08 November, 2016, 07:58:02 am »
Anyone got a GPX for the Stansted Airport event?
This is ONLY AN INITIAL PLOT of the route from Tomsk's draft route sheet so in no way guaranteed at all
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16841421
It may well get you round but has not been road checked for any RWGPS COR vagaries.  No doubt I will participate in a helpers ride and be able to provide an as-ridden GPX track closer the time.

I've had a few requests for gps and this has been my standard response ^ Perhaps a helpers' ride at the earliest opportunity? I'm tied up with other stuffs the two weekends before, so may have to do the ride during the week. Feel free to ride whenever suits you and any others of the ACME peloton. I'll put something to that effect on the ACME Miscellany thread too...

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #185 on: 08 November, 2016, 08:58:30 am »
Chapeau Huggy! Impressive turnout bodes well for the rest of the series: a little taste of winter today, but could get a lot tougher...
Thanks to all that turned out to the inaugural ACME Winter BP Series ride, the numbers more than vindicate the concept and usual workload that goes in to organising these types of events with a new route  :thumbsup:
All comments I received were positive and the venues were very happy to see the cyclists passing through, even if the cafes were busy at times and may not have been able to serve as quickly as everyone would have liked the proprietors were doing their best to support the event for which I am grateful.  In fact, the Battesford Court Wetherspoons in Witham were more than happy to see you all and are very much looking forward to the future events using them as HQ.  They were also very helpful towards me with handing over the check-in/arrivee space.
The final figures are that there were 82 validated brevets for the Essex 3R's clearly showing a pent up demand for such events in the region.  I don't know how many ECE's there were but I'm sure Martin will be kept busy this week with validating them.

The rulz for the special badge to earn for riding the whole series are finalised:
Ride all four in the series in the same Audax year
     or
In a 2 year rolling period you must ride each of the calendar rides

Look forward to seeing you in December  :)

Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

redfalo

  • known as Olaf in the real world
    • Cycling Intelligence
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #186 on: 08 November, 2016, 12:46:36 pm »
We reached Chelmsford around 17.30 and are both scarred from the experience, the traffic was truly horrible........ a different ECE plan for December I think (hopefully the trains will be running to give more options).

Chelmsford is on the return leg of my default DIY route from London, and I can confirm it's really horrible to ride through. It took me almost half a dozen rides to get it right. From my point of view, circumventing it via Great Baddow is the best option (see here, for instande: http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jznriegteaokiikb)

National Rail currently says trains on the Norwich line will be running on Dec 3 BTW.
If you can't convince, confuse.

https://cycling-intelligence.com/ - my blog on cycling, long distances and short ones

Oaky

  • ACME Fire Safety Officer
  • Audax Club Mid-Essex
    • MEMWNS Map
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #187 on: 08 November, 2016, 01:20:37 pm »
Anyone got a GPX for the Stansted Airport event?
This is ONLY AN INITIAL PLOT of the route from Tomsk's draft route sheet so in no way guaranteed at all
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16841421
It may well get you round but has not been road checked for any RWGPS COR vagaries.  No doubt I will participate in a helpers ride and be able to provide an as-ridden GPX track closer the time.

Pickpocket Lane between Great Notley and Baker's lane is one piece of RwGPS-OD-ism.

ETA: on the OS map it's a Byway open to all traffic, but I wouldn't fancy getting a car into/out of the end pictured in the streetmap link :)
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Audax Club Mid-Essex Fire Safety Officer
http://acme.bike

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #188 on: 08 November, 2016, 01:35:09 pm »
Pickpocket Lane between Great Notley and Baker's lane is one piece of RwGPS-OD-ism.
RWGPS track at original link amended to go the looong way round down London Road.
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #189 on: 08 November, 2016, 01:48:36 pm »
The Bakers Lane end of Pickpocket Lane is properly muddy so not audax friendly.

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #190 on: 08 November, 2016, 07:33:32 pm »
Thanks again all. I like my maps, and the GPX has allowed me, minor mudbaths notwithstanding, to look where we are going more easily (without the minor trouble of setting one up myself). I'm looking forward to it - the ride connects up areas I know from Ugley and other events, whereas Witham itself is just outside what I'd regard as my normal stomping grounds.

And I promise, promise, promise to pick up a new routesheet and GPX before the ride ;D

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #191 on: 08 November, 2016, 08:02:50 pm »
Hooray, normal order is restored, we will be going to Thaxted! Also good to see the route goes very close to Rayne Booking Hall cafe at the old station, one of my favourites, known also to a few others OTP I believe.

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #192 on: 09 November, 2016, 09:01:39 am »
Hooray, normal order is restored, we will be going to Thaxted! Also good to see the route goes very close to Rayne Booking Hall cafe at the old station, one of my favourites, known also to a few others OTP I believe.

Thaxted, indeed  :thumbsup:

If anyone wants COR and a quieter, slightly shorter way through from Rayne to Black Notley, there's a bridleway way through to the country park & Great Notley, that avoids the A131 roundabout, but it also involves wiggly cyclepaths, chicanes/ barriers...

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #193 on: 09 November, 2016, 10:57:25 pm »
RWGPS, BTW and OTP I understand. COR and OD are escaping me :(

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #194 on: 09 November, 2016, 11:42:24 pm »
Comedy Off Road, being excursions, planned or unplanned, onto unmetalled surfaces (possibly including thigh-high mud), generally on entirely inappropriate machines.

Oscar's Dad, being a poster OTP and a leading exponent of COR.

Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #195 on: 09 November, 2016, 11:59:11 pm »
Of course. I have come across both before :thumbsup:

Oaky

  • ACME Fire Safety Officer
  • Audax Club Mid-Essex
    • MEMWNS Map
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #196 on: 10 November, 2016, 12:26:13 am »
The Bakers Lane end of Pickpocket Lane is properly muddy so not audax friendly.

 :o

Who are you and what have you done with the real Oscar's dad?


Do we need to pay a ransom?
You are in a maze of twisty flat droves, all alike.

85.4 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Audax Club Mid-Essex Fire Safety Officer
http://acme.bike

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #197 on: 10 November, 2016, 08:31:55 am »
The Bakers Lane end of Pickpocket Lane is properly muddy so not audax friendly.

 :o

Who are you and what have you done with the real Oscar's dad?


Do we need to pay a ransom?

We drove down Bakers Lane yesterday and reminded me I've never actually ridden Pickpocket Lane.  Wanna come with me?

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #198 on: 30 November, 2016, 11:51:31 am »
So who's in for the Stansted Express on Saturday?

Getting up at some ungodly hour to ride 50 freezing miles to the start doesn't appeal - but I've just looked at the train fares from London  :o :o.  It's gonna be an expensive day out.
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

huggy

  • ACME GCFO
    • ACME
Re: ACME Winter Brevet Populaire Series
« Reply #199 on: 30 November, 2016, 12:02:33 pm »
So who's in for the Stansted Express on Saturday?

Getting up at some ungodly hour to ride 50 freezing miles to the start doesn't appeal - but I've just looked at the train fares from London  :o :o.  It's gonna be an expensive day out.
Get yourself a Network Rail Card, it'll pay itself back over the remaining 3 Winter Series rides  ;D

ETA: or find 2 others doing the same thing and get a Group Save
Never knowingly underfed on an Audax