JayP, that looks really nice. Did you come across Chester in the dark/early morning? You could call it "A Couple Of Old Bangors" - or alternatively, something sensible!
Pete
Trip to a very sunny seaside yesterday https://www.strava.com/activities/576081162
Included a small voyage (thanks to JonB for showing the possibility).
Got my keys back.
With the Dales Grimpeur rapidly approaching, and nothing more than a couple of DNS and a DNF to my name, I was allowed out to play yesterday as long as I was home for teatime. I left from Aberfeldy and packed as many hills as I could into a 150k, including Glen Quaich, Lawers dam road and the Schiehallion road. I saw an eagle circling at the top of the Schiehallion road (either that or it was a vulture waiting for me to expire - I was pretty close)
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8975398
Looking forward to Pateley Bridge now
So I have been out today, and I rode the route of the old Dee - Lecht -Able 200k which used to run from my home village.
There was a serious cold headwind from the North which was a PITA on the Ballater - Dufftown Lumpy Section.
On the homeward leg, the sun came out and fried me on the Right-Hand side,
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1168112652
:thumbsup:I can agree with all of the above.I rode it a few weeks ago and enjoyed it a lot .More climbs than you would think and I had to detour through Dymock due to a bridge closure.
I had a great day out yesterday on Mark Rigby's "Sam Wellers Day Trip to Wochma". Having DNS'd the calendar event in February due to the weather, I decided I must do the Perm.
What an absolutely gorgeous ride into the Wye Valley and the Cotswolds. I don't know how it looks in February but in May - stunning! Lush and green, carpets of bluebells and the scent of wild garlic. Tintern and the Abbey - wow! Definitely one of the best 200s I've done so far for it's beauty.
A challenging ride at times, I didn't find it easy, but very rewarding. I had to visit the Abbey Fryer in Tewkesbury for a fish and chip tea before packing the car! :thumbsup: ;D
Thanks of course to Mark for organising another superb route.
Thanks!With the Dales Grimpeur rapidly approaching, and nothing more than a couple of DNS and a DNF to my name, I was allowed out to play yesterday as long as I was home for teatime. I left from Aberfeldy and packed as many hills as I could into a 150k, including Glen Quaich, Lawers dam road and the Schiehallion road. I saw an eagle circling at the top of the Schiehallion road (either that or it was a vulture waiting for me to expire - I was pretty close)
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/8975398
Looking forward to Pateley Bridge now
Mary I've just spent some time dropping the pegman at random on your route. Terrific!!
Did this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEGhcx57vJ4Thanks for posting that.
Did this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEGhcx57vJ4Thanks for posting that.
Good stuff.
Did this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEGhcx57vJ4
Nice one, good route isn`t it ;D, and although you had drizzle at least you didn`t get the last few hours conditions of 2014 !!
Looking back up Glenshee:
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/4/3866/14242590850_56bae8dbef_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nGz14d)wet Glenshee evening (https://flic.kr/p/nGz14d) by jamesld8 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55935603@N05/), on Flickr
Did a DIY by GPS today: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9662780
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160718/1904cdfb52ac83dd35179be3fbd66e07.jpg)
Hehe! :-)(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160718/1904cdfb52ac83dd35179be3fbd66e07.jpg)
Ah, yorkie - if I had a pound for every one of those I've had as DIY proof of passage, I'd have...
* checks *(click to show/hide)
Cheers, Pete - the admin was mostly user error, I reckon. I tend not to enter DIYs until the last minute, and I didn't give myself enough time to really get to grips with the requirements. I emailed Andy C in the end, so we'll see.
Creating a usable track was a bit of a pain - I was using BikeHike, which is pretty good, but the auto-routing is on-road. With lots of offroady bits, I had to fill it in manually, which was a bit tedious. And inaccurate in a couple of places, as I was trying to cross canals where there were no bridges.
Then my track was too large for the entry form - no problem, I could just zip it. It wouldn't accept my zipped file, and I spent a fruitless half hour trying to find Phil W's thingummy for compressing GPX files (Dale mentioned this last week, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen it - it's buried away in the GPS ghetto: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=97952.0). Gave it up, emailed Andy C and went to bed.
Next time, I'll try to do all the prep beforehand, but still enter at the last minute!
It was a couple of years ago, to mark its 80th anniversary. It had been getting tatty for a while. Nowt to do with Middlesbrough FC AFAIK.
So my longest ride and reaching home couldn't decide how I felt about the whole thing, a curious mix of satisfaction and trauma coupled with exhaustion.
https://www.strava.com/activities/691434267/overview
I managed to get a pint of milk to go with my saddle bag supplies before returning to the route through Youlgreave.
Rode a 200 on Thursday. Maidenhead to Bognor Regis and back. Last day of the good weather.
Rode a 200 on Thursday. Maidenhead to Bognor Regis and back. Last day of the good weather.
I'm so confused! Can you two please decide when the last day of good weather and/or summer was?!
Or indeed whether it has already happened?? Will my lawn stop growing now (it's had a damn good last 7 days, I can tell you) ? And how many shopping days are left?
Last weekend - a couple of perfect days riding out to Alston via Kielder and the Borders, and back over Mallerstang and through the Dales. Comedy offroad orchestrated by Aidan, and the sort of skies you only seem to get in Northumberland.Is that the new wireless electronic shifting you've been working on?(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5204/30143485236_5c72bca206_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/MVFeYG)
(https://flic.kr/p/M29CBt)
Cool.
(Does VC167 usually use team radios?)
Despite all of the above an excellent day out with out of this world scenery on a great route and just about completed the 212km in BRM time.Excellent ;D
That red Jag was on our ferry.
That sounds great. Which Steve?
Bloody hell, pat - you're phlegmatic! Look after yourself.
Peter
That sounds great. Which Steve?
Steve Gee of the above CB radio fame. Who else? I can never remember his yacf handle.
I have done a couple of mandatory gps diys lately.
I really like being able to plan a meandering route without having to fret about shortest distance between controls.
IMHO mandatory has for me made diys safer and more enjoyable as previously I did long sections on busy A roads to keep the distance down .Now I take the pretty and more relaxed routes .
Did one yesterday .Only 1 km from the start in Magor came to a road closure but it was easy to avoid and final mileage came out ok so was accepted by the org.(thank you).
I enjoyed a day wandering up the River Severn via lanes and used Mark Rigbys route through Gloucester which is brilliant in avoiding traffic and takes you right past the cathedral grounds and other points of interest.
Above Gloucester did a loop around Sandhurst then a second loop out through Corse Lawn before lunch in the Royal hop pole followed by another similar meander home.
On crossing back over the Severn bridge the NEly wind was getting strong and pushed me the last 20kms in fine style, who needs banned substances when wind is available?
We've got a few 100s over here (South Pennines) with AAA of over 2 but I doubt if any of them are as hard as this looks! Is that long drag Ingleby Incline? And have you got a bit of the Lyke Wake Walk in after Blakey Ridge? It all looks great!
Peter
Yes and no, I walked the bike down to the main road in the freezing fog to find that covered in a sheet of ice too, so returned home, it's still below zero now so decided discretion is the better part of valour. Ah well.
Yes and no, I walked the bike down to the main road in the freezing fog to find that covered in a sheet of ice too, so returned home, it's still below zero now so decided discretion is the better part of valour. Ah well.
So nothing to do with the copious quantity of alcohol consumed last night then?
Second test ride of the forthcoming brevet unpopulaire, coming soon to an audax calendar near you.
Rode out to Lambourn from London along the Thames valley on IDDU's new EWE Baa 200km perm, aided and abetted by Mattc who joined me midway. Clear skies, low wind and single digit temps (oC) made a grand winter ride. I tend to overdress when the weather is cold but got things about right for once, two layers of merino plus longs being just enough to keep the chill off. Mostly flattish so a chance to work on spinning a larger gear. I get the feeling this will be a useful 'reference' ride... be interesting to see how things are going when things start to warm up in the spring.
Is that going to be a 100 km out of NTR?
Hopefully Newby Wiske, Northallerton if not.
You have a cross bike, right? Or you could just use your Pompino (I did!)
I have been thinking of doing the Ewe Bah starting at the other end. Bearing in mind I live in a welsh town and ride mostly rural routes how do you think the London end would be for me? probably ride on a weekday.Fairly quiet, not many sheep. Probably flatter than you're used to, and a few more traffic lights. HTH.
Is that going to be a 100 km out of NTR?Hopefully Newby Wiske, Northallerton if not.
You have a cross bike, right? Or you could just use your Pompino (I did!)
Dean, are you sure you don't mean INTO Northallerton? People will die if you send them DOWN Ingleby Incline! At least, I will!
Peter
Second test ride of the forthcoming brevet unpopulaire, coming soon to an audax calendar near you.
Behold the ridiculous elevation profile: https://www.strava.com/activities/785326300
Last year I completed my first RRtY and SR in my first Audax year and at the age of 62. So I thought I would try again. DIY 200 completed today - 11 more to go.:thumbsup:
Last year I completed my first RRtY and SR in my first Audax year and at the age of 62. So I thought I would try again. DIY 200 completed today - 11 more to go.
I'm thinking I might give it a shot on Friday - so if you hear the sound of helicopters, it'll be the Air Ambulance at Blakey :facepalm:
I'm thinking I might give it a shot on Friday - so if you hear the sound of helicopters, it'll be the Air Ambulance at Blakey :facepalm:
:thumbsup:
Take gears, good brakes and sturdy walking shoes would be my advice.
Barmouth Boulevard, the permanent version on the tandem yesterday. An adventure with lots of variety. Beginning in Dolgellau (home) the ride to Corwen was straightforward on gritted, quiet roads into the dawn. Back to Bala for second breakfast then the big hills from Llanuwchllyn to Trawsfynydd and on to Harlech for lunch. The legs started to get heavy on the ride south, over Barmouth bridge and eventually inland to Abergynolwyn and the final, hilliest stretch over mountains all the way home via Aberllefenni, Mallwyd and the bwlch. I would love to do the calendar event which includes Bwlch y groes and would involve the beautiful Aberangell - Aberllefenni road in full daylight. Some aches and pains and a loose (and occasionally errant!) timing chain put some dampeners on the day but we made it home well within time for a feast prepared the evening before :thumbsup:
Barmouth Boulevard, the permanent version on the tandem yesterday. An adventure with lots of variety. Beginning in Dolgellau (home) the ride to Corwen was straightforward on gritted, quiet roads into the dawn. Back to Bala for second breakfast then the big hills from Llanuwchllyn to Trawsfynydd and on to Harlech for lunch. The legs started to get heavy on the ride south, over Barmouth bridge and eventually inland to Abergynolwyn and the final, hilliest stretch over mountains all the way home via Aberllefenni, Mallwyd and the bwlch. I would love to do the calendar event which includes Bwlch y groes and would involve the beautiful Aberangell - Aberllefenni road in full daylight. Some aches and pains and a loose (and occasionally errant!) timing chain put some dampeners on the day but we made it home well within time for a feast prepared the evening before :thumbsup:
First failure :(I feel your pain and dissapointment especially after getting most of the climbing behind you.
Yesterday I attempted the Cambrian 2B in a reverse direction Chepstow start. I made Monmouth at my target speed of 17kph but every hill was absolute purgatory. At Hay-On-Wye I was still in time just, 15.2 overall average to there. I had to refuel which would put me behind but I had a decent chance of catching up on the flat stage to Builth Wells. It got a bit wierd on that stage. According to Garmin I was 21 minutes behind pace leaving Hay which I did catch up. What I cannot understand is why when I overtook my virtual partner I only had 14.4 average. Worst was on that stage I started to get a trapped nerve, I've had that before but never so early in a 200. I grabbed water and continued knowing that if I made it up one last bastard hill I'd be able to make up time most of the way home:
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq18/SoreTween/Misc/profile%203_zps9cyot10j.png)
With a lot of walking I did get up and started to cruise but the trapped nerve had other ideas, it felt like an electric shock right through my left arm to the extent it was making me let go of the bars. In the past it's just been a bit of an annoying twinge as I release or grip the bars. Fear of letting go made me go slow which made me cold and so it spiralled. Not far short of Brecon I phoned my wife, I couldn't talk long enough to sort logistics so said I'd call again from somewhere warm in Brecon. On the last km into town using my left brake was setting off the spasm. Fighting against myself to hold onto the brakes on a fast & twisty descent with a car up my chuff is not something I'm in a hurry to repeat.
Annoying to fail, annoying to fail with all the hard work done and not get to enjoy the payback.
On the bright side I had a nice pint and a meal in The Bank, I'm off the rtty treadmill and I'm alive. I need to find an osteopath that can look at my position on the bike. There's no rides floating my boat in Feb and I no longer need to ECE the Gospel Pass 150 in March, that's a ride I would like to do.
First failure :(
Yesterday I attempted the Cambrian 2B in a reverse direction Chepstow start. I made Monmouth at my target speed of 17kph but every hill was absolute purgatory. At Hay-On-Wye I was still in time just, 15.2 overall average to there. I had to refuel which would put me behind but I had a decent chance of catching up on the flat stage to Builth Wells. It got a bit wierd on that stage. According to Garmin I was 21 minutes behind pace leaving Hay which I did catch up. What I cannot understand is why when I overtook my virtual partner I only had 14.4 average. Worst was on that stage I started to get a trapped nerve, I've had that before but never so early in a 200. I grabbed water and continued knowing that if I made it up one last bastard hill I'd be able to make up time most of the way home:
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq18/SoreTween/Misc/profile%203_zps9cyot10j.png)
With a lot of walking I did get up and started to cruise but the trapped nerve had other ideas, it felt like an electric shock right through my left arm to the extent it was making me let go of the bars. In the past it's just been a bit of an annoying twinge as I release or grip the bars. Fear of letting go made me go slow which made me cold and so it spiralled. Not far short of Brecon I phoned my wife, I couldn't talk long enough to sort logistics so said I'd call again from somewhere warm in Brecon. On the last km into town using my left brake was setting off the spasm. Fighting against myself to hold onto the brakes on a fast & twisty descent with a car up my chuff is not something I'm in a hurry to repeat.
Annoying to fail, annoying to fail with all the hard work done and not get to enjoy the payback.
On the bright side I had a nice pint and a meal in The Bank, I'm off the rtty treadmill and I'm alive. I need to find an osteopath that can look at my position on the bike. There's no rides floating my boat in Feb and I no longer need to ECE the Gospel Pass 150 in March, that's a ride I would like to do.
I'll pay more attention to where my hands sit on the bike this week and see if I can spot a difference. I'll also pay attention to my elbows, it is very likely that my left is locking and the right not.It's all a bit of a minefield with each thing having consequences on another. As it was a hilly route you might also look at how much weight is on your hands when out of the saddle, or how much you're pulling on the bars.
I am currently in Subway in Hailsham, slightly less than halfway round a DIY 200, starting from home in Whitstable.What are you having to eat?
It's a variation on a route i devised some years ago but haven't ridden for ages. It's somewhat more undulating than I remember it, especially the hike up to Brightling. Quite challenging at current fitness levels.
I am currently in Subway in Hailsham, slightly less than halfway round a DIY 200, starting from home in Whitstable.
It's a variation on a route i devised some years ago but haven't ridden for ages. It's somewhat more undulating than I remember it, especially the hike up to Brightling. Quite challenging at current fitness levels.
I remember the route well; nice! especially "oh look 3 people on a bike" shouted at from some yoof on a park bench in Faversham (responded to by Arabella "no 3 people on 3 bikes")
Extra kudos for the extra weather!that's what happens when you leave the ride to the last available day, just have to suck it up to keep RRTR on track (7/12 now, I would have it if I hadn't missed out on July (of all months) last years.
Worst DIY ever.I'm intrigued, I've ridden the a40 everywhere between Wheatley services and the denham/uxbridge roundabout. Never felt in any danger anywhere although traffic can be bad in wycombe and beaconsfield. Either side of that stretch I can't believe anyone would consider riding there.
Clubmate has a London-Oxford-London route which he says is good.
Didn't bother checking it.
I can live with the NCN off road malarky. The horrific I am going to die at any moment ride down the A40 was the worst ride I have ever had.
It's entirely my fault for not checking the route.
Overall it was a crap route. There's no reason to ever ride through Oxford, too much A road, Beaconsfield is a sign there is no god.
If I hadn't left it so late in the month to do a 200 I'd have got the train home.
My friend who did it with me got halfway down the A40 before calling her wife saying "It's not fun anymore, come and pick me up".
Worst DIY ever.I'm intrigued, I've ridden the a40 everywhere between Wheatley services and the denham/uxbridge roundabout. Never felt in any danger anywhere although traffic can be bad in wycombe and beaconsfield. Either side of that stretch I can't believe anyone would consider riding there.
Clubmate has a London-Oxford-London route which he says is good.
Didn't bother checking it.
I can live with the NCN off road malarky. The horrific I am going to die at any moment ride down the A40 was the worst ride I have ever had.
It's entirely my fault for not checking the route.
Overall it was a crap route. There's no reason to ever ride through Oxford, too much A road, Beaconsfield is a sign there is no god.
If I hadn't left it so late in the month to do a 200 I'd have got the train home.
My friend who did it with me got halfway down the A40 before calling her wife saying "It's not fun anymore, come and pick me up".
Oxford itself is no great though too busy, never enjoy riding anywhere near the centre.
Worst DIY ever.I'm intrigued, I've ridden the a40 everywhere between Wheatley services and the denham/uxbridge roundabout. Never felt in any danger anywhere although traffic can be bad in wycombe and beaconsfield. Either side of that stretch I can't believe anyone would consider riding there.
Clubmate has a London-Oxford-London route which he says is good.
Didn't bother checking it.
I can live with the NCN off road malarky. The horrific I am going to die at any moment ride down the A40 was the worst ride I have ever had.
It's entirely my fault for not checking the route.
Overall it was a crap route. There's no reason to ever ride through Oxford, too much A road, Beaconsfield is a sign there is no god.
If I hadn't left it so late in the month to do a 200 I'd have got the train home.
My friend who did it with me got halfway down the A40 before calling her wife saying "It's not fun anymore, come and pick me up".
Oxford itself is no great though too busy, never enjoy riding anywhere near the centre.
I have a Garmin Varia Radar unit connected to my Edge 1000
it's well worth the money, especially when riding on busier roads .... I've had it for several months, and it's never missed a beat, and takes the stress away from riding on busier roads
That first bit I understand it's quite a long slow climb and not very wide, I usually only do that section in the other direction, so am travelling much faster. The second section, I've not had a problem with, I've even used as an alternative to the official route on both severn across and anfractuous calendar events, in both cases climbing to holtspur from wooburn green rather than loudwater.
This uphill section in the dark and rain with a reasonably narrow lane led to constant very close passes and a pavement covered in debris so that wasn't even an option
(http://i.imgur.com/Rnzb289.png)
The this bit again had cars doing well over the 50mph limit in the dark and rain on narrow lanes with close passes.
(http://i.imgur.com/E3HyZMV.png)
Maybe in the day it would be OK but considering we were lit up like xmas trees the behaviour of drivers seemed overly aggressive.
Either way you could have taken a route oxford, stadhampton, watlington, marlow, gerards cross which would have only be 4km further and likely much more pleasant.
while I'm quite happy to bash along a roads, there is a difference between roads I would be happy to ride, and roads I would recommend to others.
Mandatory route DIY by GPS
Mandatory route DIY by GPS
The wording of the motion passed at the 2015 AGM included (with my bold):
"Under mandatory routing riders follow the route set by the event organiser [for DIYs, this means the rider] subject only to dealing with any eventualities that might occur such as road closures or other factors which might render sections of the route inappropriate"
The heavy and fast traffic on the A40 at the time was, I feel, one such factor - I'd have gone Stadhampton and noted why to the Org.
For info, Barhatch Lane had a 'road closed' sign at the top. Various docs on www suggested it is closed but didn't state whether its impassable or not. I chose to divert on Greensands Lane. The road there would be a challenge to a horse and cart! There's tree-logging going on so it is hard to tell where the road ends and the bog begins...
DIY mandatory route for me, bit of a risk, as my garmin has been crashing a bit lately.
I've come to the conclusion there is a bad memory spot somewhere
really should have done this last weekend when the weather more more pleasant.
For info, Barhatch Lane had a 'road closed' sign at the top. Various docs on www suggested it is closed but didn't state whether its impassable or not. I chose to divert on Greensands Lane. The road there would be a challenge to a horse and cart! There's tree-logging going on so it is hard to tell where the road ends and the bog begins...
It was passable on Friday 17th of Feb and it's only verge repair work so I expect it will always be passable for bikes.
There were lambs, and hills, and bridges and rivers. We love it up here.Not a lot of cycling mojo, though.
<Tales of road closure woe...>
400k DIY yesterday - broadly London / New Forest / Devizes / London. The first 330k were glorious, everything I love about being on a bike.
The final 70k though, after night had fully fallen, reminded me why 300k remains my favourite distance but 400k my least favourite - I just don't enjoy riding after nightfall. I know this puts me into the 'big girls blouse' sub-section of the AUK membership, but in the words of the poet "eyam what eyam".
Another diy for me yesterday... Tamworth - East Leake - Bottesford - Uppingham - Lutterworth - Tamworth
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4777317?privacy_code=Arnp8RPHd26tgjVJ
I've only done this route once before & forgotten how hilly it was... suffered a fair bit after the stage from Bottesford to Uppingham which is really tough & groveled home to finish in around 11 hours.
2 rides of 136 & 138 miles + 4 11/12 hour shifts pulling 900 kilo pallets around pretty much did me in... feel better today though & next diy pencilled in for a week Tuesday :thumbsup:
There is one spot (descending into Salisbury) which I ride regularly where my Garmin always (100% without fail) switches off. I'm the least techie person in my universe so conclude that this must be evil spirits on that very specific street corner. But nevertheless, there's clearly a Garmin glitch that something localised and signal-related causes a shut-down.
The conceit was to visit four countries in one weekend
No. It's just ley lines ;)There is one spot (descending into Salisbury) which I ride regularly where my Garmin always (100% without fail) switches off. I'm the least techie person in my universe so conclude that this must be evil spirits on that very specific street corner. But nevertheless, there's clearly a Garmin glitch that something localised and signal-related causes a shut-down.
I understand that this is a map issue.Two tiles do not join together correctly and the Garmin cannot cope. You could prove by changing map or turning off map. Alternatively you could just put up with it. My solution is to not use maps - in return I get 100% Garmin reliability, a rare beast.
The conceit was to visit four countries in one weekend
Shame about the first 72k but sounds like a cracking thing to do on a weekend!
No. It's just ley lines ;)There is one spot (descending into Salisbury) which I ride regularly where my Garmin always (100% without fail) switches off. I'm the least techie person in my universe so conclude that this must be evil spirits on that very specific street corner. But nevertheless, there's clearly a Garmin glitch that something localised and signal-related causes a shut-down.
I understand that this is a map issue.Two tiles do not join together correctly and the Garmin cannot cope. You could prove by changing map or turning off map. Alternatively you could just put up with it. My solution is to not use maps - in return I get 100% Garmin reliability, a rare beast.
On my ride to the railway station I was amazed to see that darlington actually has driving instructors. :D
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4290/35451395040_edaf470a7d_z.jpg)That looks more like a "river bed used as road" than a ford!
No. It's just ley lines ;)There is one spot (descending into Salisbury) which I ride regularly where my Garmin always (100% without fail) switches off. I'm the least techie person in my universe so conclude that this must be evil spirits on that very specific street corner. But nevertheless, there's clearly a Garmin glitch that something localised and signal-related causes a shut-down.
I understand that this is a map issue.Two tiles do not join together correctly and the Garmin cannot cope. You could prove by changing map or turning off map. Alternatively you could just put up with it. My solution is to not use maps - in return I get 100% Garmin reliability, a rare beast.
Weird. Mine does the same at &searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Kirknewton (http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=391500&y=630500&z=120&sv=kirknewton&st=3&tl=Map+of+Kirknewton,+Northumberland+[City/Town/Village), or it has done the last couple of times I rode along that stretch of road, and I was blaming the military as Otterburn's not far off, but maybe it's The Mystical Powers of the Ancient Kings of Northumbria (http://www.gefrin.com/default.htm).
I'm starting to get a bit twitchy about validation for my previous DIY by GPS as it hasn't appeared in the results on the AUK website yet :-\
I'm starting to get a bit twitchy about validation for my previous DIY by GPS as it hasn't appeared in the results on the AUK website yet :-\
I believe your friendly local DIY organiser may have been otherwise engaged recently, ensuring that everything was in hand to welcome 1400 waifs and strays from THAT LONDON, and then send them on their way.
I'm not sending you a f*cking present as well!I'm starting to get a bit twitchy about validation for my previous DIY by GPS as it hasn't appeared in the results on the AUK website yet :-\
I believe your friendly local DIY organiser may have been otherwise engaged recently, ensuring that everything was in hand to welcome 1400 waifs and strays from THAT LONDON, and then send them on their way.
:) Indeed. It's like waiting for an eagerly-anticipated parcel, thobut.
I'm not sending you a f*cking present as well!I'm starting to get a bit twitchy about validation for my previous DIY by GPS as it hasn't appeared in the results on the AUK website yet :-\
I believe your friendly local DIY organiser may have been otherwise engaged recently, ensuring that everything was in hand to welcome 1400 waifs and strays from THAT LONDON, and then send them on their way.
:) Indeed. It's like waiting for an eagerly-anticipated parcel, thobut.
Yatton then along the Strawberry Line, except it was closed in two separate places. The official diversion was a muddy track so found a longer way round on roads.Don't I know it. I used the Strawberry Line yesterday on my LEJoG and followed the diversion, which was a mistake especially as I'm essentially riding a road bike with a Carradice. I wasn't amused.
Report here. (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=61324.msg2198039#msg2198039)I don't know why I bother...
Yet another DIY 600 (subject to validation) :-) The start was fairly chilly, down to 2°C at times, and misty. All the major climbs had bastard headwinds especially Dava Moor & Glenshee. Fortunately there was no rain. Some wildlife: hunners o' geese near Fraserburgh, singing seals hauled out at Portgordon, twit-twooing owls on the night section on Donside and Deeside and black grouse in Glenshee. Stopped at Wee House of Glenshee for noms where I was given the larger piece of fruit cake because I was "on my bike" :-) There was an an illicit, muddy traipse through roadworks near the end. The beer & pasta at the arrivée was very good :P
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/17916130
before the train home to Edinburgh.
Pingu and I have just DNFd a local 600 DIY after about 190k of foul weather.
So we bailed out to Elgin, which has a station, and got a train back to Aberdeen with our tails between our legs.
Pingu and I have just DNFd a local 600 DIY after about 190k of foul weather.
So we bailed out to Elgin, which has a station, and got a train back to Aberdeen with our tails between our legs.
I have seen this a few times....if you pitch up at a station like this how likely is it that you might not be able to get your bike on the train? Always sounds like a gamble to me.
Current long term plan is a "Half RRTY" i.e. a 100km ride each month (more in the summer), so I devised a DIY from Croydon to Littlehampton crossing both the North and South Downs.
Rode it today to tick the box for November, enjoyed cold but clear conditions all day and some fine views. Littlehampton is a strange seaside town though - the beach and town are some distance from each other!
Yup, agree with the masochism point. That and the very real risk of ice have put me off RRTY.Current long term plan is a "Half RRTY" i.e. a 100km ride each month (more in the summer), so I devised a DIY from Croydon to Littlehampton crossing both the North and South Downs.
Rode it today to tick the box for November, enjoyed cold but clear conditions all day and some fine views. Littlehampton is a strange seaside town though - the beach and town are some distance from each other!
It is a shame there isn't such an award in the AUK provision... there is an award for everything else.
Personally I think doing 200 in full winter is a bit masochistic... 100 are a lot more civilised, making full use of the "less cold" hours in the day
Yup, agree with the masochism point. That and the very real risk of ice have put me off RRTY.Current long term plan is a "Half RRTY" i.e. a 100km ride each month (more in the summer), so I devised a DIY from Croydon to Littlehampton crossing both the North and South Downs.
Rode it today to tick the box for November, enjoyed cold but clear conditions all day and some fine views. Littlehampton is a strange seaside town though - the beach and town are some distance from each other!
It is a shame there isn't such an award in the AUK provision... there is an award for everything else.
Personally I think doing 200 in full winter is a bit masochistic... 100 are a lot more civilised, making full use of the "less cold" hours in the day
I did float a variant of this once, a sort of "season-appropriate distance round-the-year". Probably 3x100km, 6x200, 3x300.
It got an indifferent response at best!
Bah, getting soft in my dotage - DNF'd Poor Student check, too miserable even for me...
Given a reasonably benign forecast I did a 200km arrow from Edinburgh - Stonehaven yesterday, one of my favourite rides.
true Ron, but it really was a rude awakening on the road out of Forfar. Id also previously thought the Bogside Rd ran almost due North!Given a reasonably benign forecast I did a 200km arrow from Edinburgh - Stonehaven yesterday, one of my favourite rides.
Yes, I reckon a Northbound arrow would have been just the ticket yesterday.
Sounds like a good one.
I did steal some of your routing for my EDI-ABZ 200 in December!
Can't see that being a problem as some Calendar rides use figure of eight routes.
the half way point would be my home address... not sure if that is an issue or not...
If anyone who uses me as their DIY Org is eyeing their mailbox nervously as we get toward month's end, you should be aware that I'm really busy with work, so there's something of a backlog. I'll try and find time to work through the pile in the coming days - but no guarantees.
Yesterday I rode up to Upton, where I looked for the famous Banjo's cafe but must have ridden right past it without spotting it; the same happened back in January.
A dart, if its a solo effort.
A DIY can be any route, it doesn't have to be a circle.
Around the Weald Expedition - Polar Edition.
Impromptu 200k DIY ride home from Edinburgh to Aberdeen today...
https://www.strava.com/activities/1483859010
still a decent ride on a day that was far too hot for such exertions.
Up with the larks for a sneaky DIY 200. Chilly start, Pingu had to use his "spare jersey" <insert Audax Ecosse joke here>. Startled a couple of deer by the Tin Coo. Stopped at Ballater for 2nd breakfast. Saw some bullfinches & a couple of wooderypeckeries. Tons of cyclists coming the other way from Braemar on some sort of event (The 3 pistes cyclosportive, apptly). Back to Ballater for lunch, where it was scorchio. Headwind all the way home (yay, my favourite). Recovery drink is the most delicious Belle Fleur by De Dochter Van De Korenaar.
I rode 'The Struggle Dales' sportive yesterday and extended it (back to the train station in Leeds) to bag a 200, subject to validation of course! This was my first Sportive and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the good atmosphere, having read and heard lots about how they can be unpleasant and attended by sketchy riders.
So, The Audacious Maattentart Heist: 0450 start wearing all the clothes. Saw lots of kitties on the canal path doing a spot of early morning hunting, as well as a giant metallic bat. 2nd brekky in Deinze was Maattentart from a van at the market. Then off up through the Flemish Ardennes for Dan 's fix of hills and the weather warmed up and we had wall to wall sunshine. Turned north in a bit of a head wind back on to the flat. Antwerp full of crap expensive shops. Down through the Sint Anna tunnel under the Scheldt which was very chilly after the 30ish °C on the surface. A flat bit next to the motorway which ate up the kms a bit with the wind behind us, before we got to the Dutch coast and quite a lot of interminably dull route behind the Zeedijk into a head or a cross wind. At this point the 3 litres of water consumed started to turn into a yen for a big sachet of salt and a can of fizzy pop. Some kilometers later we found a friteur and much rejoicing was done. After that more trundling along the usually heaving route past Cadzand and Knokke Heist which was happily dead at that time of night. Nice sunset and then finally we turned away from the coast on the last stretch into Bruges. Also seen: storks, several hunting kestrels, various dogs, cats sheep all flaked out in the sun, some hares and a dead cow in a farmyard.
I was out doing a DIY200 yesterday. On the run in the Red Lodge near Newmarket when I met two other riders. One was wearing a Audax Ireland gilet. We had a brief conversation and it turned out that the audax rider was on a DIY250 starting at Peterborough and had just met the other rider. I assumed everyone would be heading for the famous cafe but in the end I was the only one that stopped. I am just wondering if it was anyone from hear. I hope the day went well for you.
JT
Nice one, YleeG.aye, I was given my orders to keep tomorrow free for Fathers Day. Good luck! I really must get out on the TT bike and get some practicce
Shame you won't be at Fordoun tomorrow. I'm currently trying to moderate my wine consumption this evening, which is a bit of a nuisance!
Always good to see others enjoying the weather and riding their bike.
My tracklog is showing a straight line between Northallerton (my first stop) and South Otterington. I've no idea why or how that happened but it would explain the shortfall.
Not too bothered if it doesn't get validated. It took me to some places I've never been before so from that point of view it was a successful ride.
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume.
Org has validated the ride :)
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.
Org has validated the ride :)
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.
Org has validated the ride :)
:) (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)
Selfies? Snapchat stories? Facebook check-ins?The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.
Org has validated the ride :)
:) (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)
My advice to riders is always this - If validation means a lot to you, don't rely on one method; have a backup. If it doesn't matter that much, don't worry about it - I might still have enough to validate the ride. As Orgs, we're always looking for ways to validate, if we can.
Example backups: receipts, another GPS track.
Depends on the Org.Which filter did you use? I really like that puppy one.
I've used selfies.
:) (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)I wish that was my worst nightmare :-\
Did Socks's 200 DIY from Heighington today - a flat trundle down and back up the Vale of York to Great Ouseburn.
About as easy as a 200 can be but I managed to turn it into a bit of a grueller.
Firstly bad timing. I set off at 20 to 5 so when I got to Northallerton two hours later there was nowhere open for breakfast. Didn't get anything to eat until 50 miles in at Easingwold where I was ready to eat my own fingers. Also need to remember that every pub in North Yorkshire is closed on a Monday and the best you can hope for at dinner time is a brown lettuce & turkey sandwich from the Post Office in Scorton.
Secondly, my bib shorts and bib tights don't work well together. Feel like I've had a cheese wire up my snicket all day.
Nice day though and pleased to have been out all day after the recent bad weather.
If the timing is right the Oak Tree Inn at Helperby does a fab scrambled eggs on toast - roughly half way round the route. And a nice parking area otherwise known as the beer garden. I've called there a few times on winter rides, they seem to be open from about 9.00am for breakfast.
...Stow, which was busy...
...Stow, which was busy...
Stowed out.
...Stow, which was busy...
Stowed out.
;D
Discovered someone from Kelty who didn't know what that meant...
...ETA: Ahh, tile-bagging, I think.
I nipped out on the 31st to keep the RRtY dream alive after I bailed on the Peculier Old 200. A train (and tailwind) assisted ride, I got the train down to York, then a flat(ish) route via the highest market town in Britain to the Tyne valley railway line. Nice day for it.
(http://i65.tinypic.com/14b6fya.jpg)
(http://i63.tinypic.com/ypea0.jpg)
(http://i63.tinypic.com/24blrg6.jpg) (https://www.strava.com/activities/1938418031)
Dale - that's a nice route and an impressive ride, even with the wind assist - how far into the RrTY are you?
Lovely shots, Dale. I think I may start a thread for pictures of bikes against the world's greatest bridge!Isn't that this one? (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/04c6ac2e4f7c0d701ee9e6e23b769466.jpg)
Peter
Put in a shift at work, rode home and munched some pasta for dinner, then a lovely night 300 starting at 1900 out through to Lambourn then hooking up with the Dean route to Malmesbury and back.
My first DIYxGPS
Note - from Membury to Malmesbury is deserted in the small hours. There is nowhere to get provisions if you don't already have some. I had stuff in the handlebar bag and made sure I was carrying enough juice until I got back to Theale - what a delight Hackpen Hill was! Only 32000m of climbing, but the cold easterly on the way back and my added ballast is probably the reason my legs are telling me otherwise.
Ooh - a bonus pre dawn 20min nap in adefribrilatortelephone box too.
32000m of climbing is certainly hard-core.
( Just found out from Strava Flyby that the ACME guys were Jan and Andrew riding the Meridian Hills. Twice as hilly as my ride - much respect! Don't know if they lurk here. )
Another great ride Yanto. Slightly worrying about the Duranos though as that’s what I have on at the moment. I cut the sidewall of one on the TINAT 600 so changed it, but otherwise no issues. Maybe it’s the speeds you get up to and the weight of your machine that give them a lot more stick than I would. Also missing potholes with all three wheels must be very tricky given the state of the roads.
The plan was to head South down the B7076 'Link Road'.
I decided to take advantage of reasonably benign weather to do a 200k arrow from Edinburgh to Stonehaven...
did the first day of the festive500, a loop from london to oxford, cambridge and back to london, 344km. first time i've ridden through... marsh gibbon!!
need to do a hundred-miler tomorrow and the challenge will be completed.
Nice one ^.
I'm up in the Fort his weekend and had toyed with doing the Fort Navigation but the weather looks like its going to put paid to it.
Doesnt look too bad in the west Highlands right enough but I've now been stymied by having an unexpected extra passenger in the car tonight which means no room for the bike.Nice one ^.
I'm up in the Fort his weekend and had toyed with doing the Fort Navigation but the weather looks like its going to put paid to it.
Looking chilly but otherwise not too bad in the forecasts I'm looking at.
I'm hoping to get my 2nd 200 of the year in on Saturday; I need to think of something winter friendly and new from North Fife though, "Aberfoyle and back" and "Moulin Rouge" need some others in the mix.
Alarm set for silly o clock for the early train from the capital to Dunblane. DIY one way 200 to Aberdeen planned...
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29163679
Man & bike booked on 1816 back to Edinburgh. Hoping to have enough time for at least one pre train panache in Casc.
@graeme_wyllie
Alarm set for silly o clock for the early train from the capital to Dunblane. DIY one way 200 to Aberdeen planned...
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29163679
Man & bike booked on 1816 back to Edinburgh. Hoping to have enough time for at least one pre train panache in Casc.
@graeme_wyllie
Alarm set for silly o clock for the early train from the capital to Dunblane. DIY one way 200 to Aberdeen planned...
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29163679
Man & bike booked on 1816 back to Edinburgh. Hoping to have enough time for at least one pre train panache in Casc.
@graeme_wyllie
Aye, we saw you about 10.14, at about your 87k mark, yellow bike, red top, unmistakable style. We shouted after you but you were obviously on too important a mission to stop for a blether with us Angus proles.
I did my take on the old Lanark 200, starting from Selkirk to keep the RRTY dream alive.
The first 80k to Lanark were straight into the teeth of a force 5 gale.
I did my take on the old Lanark 200, starting from Selkirk to keep the RRTY dream alive.
The first 80k to Lanark were straight into the teeth of a force 5 gale.
Force 5 is but a Fresh Breeze!!!!
Gales start at Force 7
I did my take on the old Lanark 200, starting from Selkirk to keep the RRTY dream alive.
The first 80k to Lanark were straight into the teeth of a force 5 gale.
Force 5 is but a Fresh Breeze!!!!
Gales start at Force 7
True, but an unpleasant 5hrs nevertheless
Due to a mishap or 6 while fitting the winter tyres we changed plans from Anti-Clockwise to Clockwise so that we went round by Heavens Cycles in Bonar Bridge (I didn't know they had moved from Ardgay so just a minor fleg when I saw the shop was now a tartan outfitters!), though we needn't have worried about the 2 spare tubes to 4 wheels ratio we had before the shop stop.
By the time it got dark it was nice and sunny.
It's been a hard days night, said Socks, carefully climbing off his steed.
First 300km of 2019 planned for Saturday, it'll be my first "Winter" 300km ride in contrary to the late-Spring like weather looking to prevail this weekend.
Blue skies, plenty of sunshine forecast, leg and arm warmers coming off mid-morning - what more could we ask for at this time of year?
Rode the Snow Roads yesterday with Iroromono, not much snow but plenty of wind.top effort :thumbsup:
..........Detoured to a 24hr McDonald's before collapsing in bed around 5am.
Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
Rode the Snow Roads yesterday with Iroromono, not much snow but plenty of wind.top effort :thumbsup:
..........Detoured to a 24hr McDonald's before collapsing in bed around 5am.
Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
... and then while climbing down the Granites....
Fboab's got us doing some tour of the Thatchered Coalfields of Co Durham or somesuch.He was so enthused by the prospect he stayed home, the git, leaving me to haul my lardy arse solo through the terrifying shell towns of the former coalfields.
Pinch, punch, first of the month so a good day to bank a 200k DIY to keep an RRtY attempt going.
Route checked my audax today, "Riding the Ghost" and a cracking day it was too ! :thumbsup:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2570910326
take a few more pics than normal.
<snip>
...Headed west to Comrie then up over the moor road which has been stripped of it's tarmac and is now a gravel mess sadly, used to like that road too
...Headed west to Comrie then up over the moor road which has been stripped of it's tarmac and is now a gravel mess sadly, used to like that road too
I came over that road yesterday and its great now the gravels been swept aside by the cars.
It was towards the end of a 300km from home, but my route choice wasn't great. Traffic on the Tyndrum to Crianlarich bit was extremely heavy. On hearing a big truck behind me for a minute or 2 I pulled over to let him passed. It was about 10 mins before I could set off again !
Mine couldn't have been a Perm or DIY as I was motor-assisted up the OMR at the tail end of the convoy. While in the truck I heard the walkie-talkies saying to "hold all the traffic as they're sending down stuff from the RabT road" This meant not a single car passed me until I was near Inveraray ! :thumbsup:
I'd not ridden the Haul Road to Gairlochhead before, and I won't be doing it again. It was close to start time at the MoD bases and commuter traffic was very heavy and very fast. Trucks and buses don't want to slow down on the hilly road and lose momentum. I hated that bit tbh.
Tracklog uploader link : (copy the link below and keep it safe)
https://www.aukweb.net/forms/entryformtracklog.php?virtualno=21275&cle=uWLanT&uids=34
https://www.aukweb.net/forms/entryformtracklog.php?virtualno=&cle=uWLanT&uids=34
Diy 400 completed over the weekend. Saturday spin out tk avebury, Sidbury Hill and stonehenge 270km Sunday trip to London Kensington Gardens, the mall, embankment, Richmond Park, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle. Home in 26 hours and 59 minutes. 20 minutes lost trying to set up Samsung pay after leaving my cards at home, nearly proved critical.
Yes, I probably should have slept less and started earlier on Sunday. Or perhaps not removed the saddle bag to save the weight of extra layers used on Saturday. As 10g of the extra weight was my credit card. Was a very nervous finish constantly watching the kms remaining and time tick down.Diy 400 completed over the weekend. Saturday spin out tk avebury, Sidbury Hill and stonehenge 270km Sunday trip to London Kensington Gardens, the mall, embankment, Richmond Park, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle. Home in 26 hours and 59 minutes. 20 minutes lost trying to set up Samsung pay after leaving my cards at home, nearly proved critical.
Wow talk about really pushing the time limits. Well done.
Well I've just learned something. Interesting that the limit for a BRM is 27 hours, but the limit for a BR is based on a minimum speed which could be either 14.3 or 15 as set by the organiser. Which could be more or less than 27 hours depending on the speed selected.It comes with the link to your virtual brevet on confirmation of your entry.
I can't see anything on the diy entry, or on the diy FAQs that confirms which minimum is applied.
I've long believed that the additional time through BR is more valuable on a 400 than any other distance.Because those extra hours on a 600 are hours you don't want to use. Stay at 6am finish at 10pm ir finish at midnight. Whereas the extra hour on a 400 is most likely an hour in daytime.
Its only an hour but it seems to have magical powers and much more so than getting 42 hrs v 40 on a 600. :thumbsup:
Well I've just learned something. Interesting that the limit for a BRM is 27 hours, but the limit for a BR is based on a minimum speed which could be either 14.3 or 15 as set by the organiser. Which could be more or less than 27 hours depending on the speed selected.It comes with the link to your virtual brevet on confirmation of your entry.
I can't see anything on the diy entry, or on the diy FAQs that confirms which minimum is applied.
What's stopping you logging in? If I log in, then go back and try the link again it works. I've never opened one of those links beforeWell I've just learned something. Interesting that the limit for a BRM is 27 hours, but the limit for a BR is based on a minimum speed which could be either 14.3 or 15 as set by the organiser. Which could be more or less than 27 hours depending on the speed selected.It comes with the link to your virtual brevet on confirmation of your entry.
I can't see anything on the diy entry, or on the diy FAQs that confirms which minimum is applied.
I've not known that. Unfortunately the link in the entry confirmation email no longer works as you need to log in through audax.uk, and I can't find anywhere on that site to preview virtual brevets. Does anybody know where they might reside?
I've not known that. Unfortunately the link in the entry confirmation email no longer works as you need to log in through audax.uk, and I can't find anywhere on that site to preview virtual brevets. Does anybody know where they might reside?
ThisVery handy. Thank you.
https://www.aukweb.net/resources/controltimes/
As a DIY the minimum speed would have been 14.3 kph so you needn't have worried as you'd have had another hour or so, or longer if the route was overdistance. I do understand wanting to finish within the 27 hours, mind.So nearly 15 hours for my 213km gravel route to avebury and back. Hmmmmmm
I've not known that. Unfortunately the link in the entry confirmation email no longer works as you need to log in through audax.uk, and I can't find anywhere on that site to preview virtual brevets. Does anybody know where they might reside?
I've restored that login. For now. All (non-admin) logins on aukweb should be disabled eventually, but for now I'll leave these DIY-related ones working.
So nearly 15 hours for my 213km gravel route to avebury and back. Hmmmmmm
......
Checking the Council's road closures website, there was no mention of the C1K at Carmont still being closed on account of the train crash, so I presumed it had re-opend now. Wrong. Cheers, Aberdeenshire Cooncil! The way was held against me, with a security guard barring the way.....
......
Checking the Council's road closures website, there was no mention of the C1K at Carmont still being closed on account of the train crash, so I presumed it had re-opend now. Wrong. Cheers, Aberdeenshire Cooncil! The way was held against me, with a security guard barring the way.....
Id been looking at this road too, on the assumption that a Edinburgh - Stoney - Edinburgh ride makes for a nice 400km DIY. I'm assuming that the road wont be open until both (a) the wreckage is removed following the terrible accident and (b) the line reopened. Last week the latter was being reported as "several weeks" away.
Well done on your 238k Feanor
DIY 200K Today,3rd weekend in a row :thumbsup: excellent weather all day but some of the road surfaces encountered today :facepalm: some cooncil's need to get the finger out
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/55682100
DIY 200K Today,3rd weekend in a row :thumbsup: excellent weather all day but some of the road surfaces encountered today :facepalm: some cooncil's need to get the finger out
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/55682100
What was traffic like on the A84/85 bit?
A 13 hour elapsed 300 is very good going indeed. I’ve only managed that once and that was back in 2013. I have done a 11 hour 300 as part of a 600, but that was going north through the fens with a nice tailwind.My quickest '300' was 296km in 11:30 on asparagus and strawberries, then i ate, then i slept so time to 300km was quite a bit longer . Actual 300s vary between 13:30 and 16:00 getting to fougeres on PBP was 13:30 I think getting to menai in 13:06 on BCM was my next best 300km. I could probably do it more often by cutting stops down, which is probably why first 300 of longer rides tend to be quicker. I'm perfectly happy to finish at 9pm after starting at 6 so no need to rush at controls. While on a 400 I want to get finished and have some sleep.
When did you start on Fri, 1930 doesn’t work with a 0700 Sat start as well?You're right 07:30 Friday start. 19:30 would be crazy 3 nights and 2 days instead of vice versa
Ive not cycled the Col du Gauldry for many years (alas the Kingdom of Fife 200km event is no more) but the reward thereafter was the views along the Firth of Tay - glorious.
Two of us rode my Exeter-London 400 at the weekend. Probably the wettest ride I've ever done.
A 200 today from home to Ballingry - Muckhart - Dunning - Crieff - Comrie - Dunblane - Edinburgh. Lumpier than Id normally choose for an Autumn 200 but I wanted to catch rural Perthshires Autumn colours. It was a bit cloudy so that never happened!
A 200 today from home to Ballingry - Muckhart - Dunning - Crieff - Comrie - Dunblane - Edinburgh. Lumpier than Id normally choose for an Autumn 200 but I wanted to catch rural Perthshires Autumn colours. It was a bit cloudy so that never happened!
How tricky is it to get across the A9 at Findo Gask? I've never tried it but there's roads around there to bag including an old bit of A9 that is normally clear.
A 200 today from home to Ballingry - Muckhart - Dunning - Crieff - Comrie - Dunblane - Edinburgh. Lumpier than Id normally choose for an Autumn 200 but I wanted to catch rural Perthshires Autumn colours. It was a bit cloudy so that never happened!
How tricky is it to get across the A9 at Findo Gask? I've never tried it but there's roads around there to bag including an old bit of A9 that is normally clear.
It was reasonably safe, just a little worse than crossing the A90 dual carriageway around Edzell or Laurencekirk as sight lines as more limited. one to approach with a “proceed with caution” though Id probably not use it for a 50-100 person calendar event mind.
However thats crossing it going north, doing the same route t’other way as myself and The Braw Stoker did a few weeks ago on the tandem is another kettle of fish due to the left hand curve in the road. In that scenario visbility is poor (trees obscure a long view) and you are crossing three lanes - the slip road plus two lanes of 70mph traffic the fastest of which you cross last. Im not sure Id be wanting to do that very often.
If it werent for the Tee Room in Dunning Id not have bothered but its a great audax stop off - audax portions, quick service and a friendly welcome even for sweaty cyclists - an “in and out” via Auchterarder might be a more sensible and less hilly option
I'm planning to head out at 6am, can't bloody sleep though.
Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
Recently fitted a cadence sensor and got an av of 75RPM so will need to try and get it higher I think.
Recently fitted a cadence sensor and got an av of 75RPM so will need to try and get it higher I think.
There are differing opinions on that..
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a26305270/high-cadence-cycling-not-increase-speed/
Now heading SW with a slight tailwind there was now the long drag all the way up to Gleneagles but we broke this up by finding the very good cafe in Dunning at the golf course for some more warm food and a nice chat with the ladies who ran it.
I paid for some virtual brevets but never heard back from the DIY organiser
Not the Brace of Bramleys 200. I paid for some virtual brevets but never heard back from the DIY organiser so I just rode the route inna slightly anarchic way.
I’ve got 200 to 600 perm cards going back to 2013 (a 3peaker one) I should have used by now, but they all require travelling to the start.Not the Brace of Bramleys 200. I paid for some virtual brevets but never heard back from the DIY organiser so I just rode the route inna slightly anarchic way.
The purchase of DIY brevets is different to actually entering a DIY. Did you also do the latter? I’m still using up a batch of DIY brevets I bought a few years back.
Not the Brace of Bramleys 200. I paid for some virtual brevets but never heard back from the DIY organiser so I just rode the route inna slightly anarchic way.
The purchase of DIY brevets is different to actually entering a DIY. Did you also do the latter? I’m still using up a batch of DIY brevets I bought a few years back.
I don't expect anything from my DIY org when I buy brevets?
(Although it is always lovely to hear from him)
I don't expect anything from my DIY org when I buy brevets?
(Although it is always lovely to hear from him)
I usually only hear from my one when I cock something up.
Like when I somehow managed to enter 3 DIYs without realizing it and so my count and his were out.
And also when I did something daft on Mull because I believed that "not the same road twice" was actually a rule and not "internet bullshit" and that there had been nothing wrong with my original plan to Figure of 8 the island using the Saline-Gruline road twice Westwards, instead increasing my distance by 20km hand going over Ben More twice... I was slightly late for my Ne'ers day meal.
2nd Lockdown suggested I search for a ‘Local’ route. So, I designed a route of 2 loops from Cheltenham to stay close and realised the Controls matched my SP45, Glos & Worcs 200, so that is the route I rode. Dull day with some headwinds going South and hints of warm rain throughout; turn after Dursley and a glorious tailwind returning North. Managed 140km in daylight so a coffee in Upton as it was now dark, for a 60km night phase. That is 3x 200 for Nov, with 2 pre-LD.Then Lockdown was due to end on 2nd Dec. The forecast was fine for 1st Dec but crap for 2nd. So, I just repeated the former route; weather was fine (in Winter gear). Bonus was completing RRtY33! Checking gps, rides were within 5 mins and ave speed within 0.1kph. Same bike too.
I know that there are plenty folk who ride DIYs midweek and it dawned on me that quite careful planning is required to avoid roads that are a no-no Mon-Fri, or maybe folk just ride the same or similar route every time.
Third consecutive weekend with a DIY200. It was cold, frost on the fields, in the morning and wet in the afternoon. The new pogies helped. Using these DIY to bag tiles, so a non-trivial amount of riding is on unsurfaced paths, or the path appears to exist only in Garmin's imagination :P Bike came home properly filthy... Managed to get back to the station with less than 5 minutes to spare; which was a good thing as the next train would be in an hour and with all this COVID stuff (no pubs open, no waiting rooms) it would have meant waiting on the platform, shivering.
ps Deano, that is a stunning picture, I love the composition, emphasising those vertical and diagonal lines.
I know that there are plenty folk who ride DIYs midweek and it dawned on me that quite careful planning is required to avoid roads that are a no-no Mon-Fri, or maybe folk just ride the same or similar route every time.
I guess it depends where you are, there's some A and B roads that are pretty quite due to lack of day trippers mid-week out of tourist season.
First time I rode up Glen Ogle was a quiet Wednesday, second an off-season Saturday, third time was summer...
In February, you commented on the amount of stuff I had on the bike for a simple 200. Part of that was a big fluffy jacket for when I miss the train and have to wait 58 minutes on a cold platform for the next one.<grin/>
This was not the 400 I'd planned to do this year, […]
The haar burned off as I headed inland towards Perth,
Unfortunately there was nowhere to control at 4am in Crianlarich so a selfie at the station was the best I could do. As an aside, long distance perms are becoming increasingly difficult in Scotland with the reducing number of ATMs and 24 hour services.
Unfortunately there was nowhere to control at 4am in Crianlarich so a selfie at the station was the best I could do. As an aside, long distance perms are becoming increasingly difficult in Scotland with the reducing number of ATMs and 24 hour services.
E-brevet now provides a useful alternative proof of passage via a phone app without the need to submit a full gps track. It's available on a number of perms now. Any perm organiser wanting to find out more or to make their events available this way can contact Dave (webcontent@audax.uk) for more information, and if necessary help to set up the route, and John Ward for approval.
Just did my Randonneur Once A Year...
Veloviewer tiles: 158
Power stations: 2
Velociraptors: 1
Dead badgers: 0
Headwind: lots
Knees: Too many
Ibuprofen: 800mg
Sustrans traps: 1
Giant spiders: 1
Mechanicals: 2
Mycoprotein: 0
Sexual Harassment in Bordesley Green: None (It's safer in the dark?)
A beautiful blue sky, cold, crisp and sunny with not too much of a breeze gave me near perfect conditions for a trip round one of Tomsk’s perms - Boudicca’s Revenge 200. My first 200 to boot.Congrats on becoming a randonneur! It's quite a landmark.
A beautiful blue sky, cold, crisp and sunny with not too much of a breeze gave me near perfect conditions for a trip round one of Tomsk’s perms - Boudicca’s Revenge 200. My first 200 to boot.Congrats on becoming a randonneur! It's quite a landmark.
I think I might have to ECE February’s planned 100 just in case I catch the bug (no not THAT bug but the RrtY bug).
A beautiful blue sky, cold, crisp and sunny with not too much of a breeze gave me near perfect conditions for a trip round one of Tomsk’s perms - Boudicca’s Revenge 200. My first 200 to boot. A good run out to St Ives, the old part of town was very picturesque in the sun, and then on to Chatteris which was surprisingly quiet with very few eateries open. The whole day was full value for wildlife spotting with the list including two kestrels, numerous red kites, several buzzards, two separate herds of fallow deer, and a solitary muntjac.
A beautiful blue sky, cold, crisp and sunny with not too much of a breeze gave me near perfect conditions for a trip round one of Tomsk’s perms - Boudicca’s Revenge 200. My first 200 to boot. A good run out to St Ives, the old part of town was very picturesque in the sun, and then on to Chatteris which was surprisingly quiet with very few eateries open. The whole day was full value for wildlife spotting with the list including two kestrels, numerous red kites, several buzzards, two separate herds of fallow deer, and a solitary muntjac.
Snow Roads 300k Perm
With a companion, Anne, who was on PBP with me.
112k of grinding headwinds on the Southbound hilly section from Dufftown was a bit testing.
This lost us a lot of time, and it took almost 18 hours to get round, a record for me!
https://www.strava.com/activities/7112283037
Then the Garmin started playing up.
In a schoolboy error, I'd packed the new replacement tubes on the bike without nipping up the valve cores. This means that my Leyzene screw-on pump and CO2 inflators simply unscrew the core when you attempt to remove them. Bodge-around is to leave the CO2 inflator attached to the wheel, don't even attempt to remove it. However, this arrangement was leaking slowly, and I was rumbling on a very soft tyre into Couper Angus. Fortunately, I know a (former) Audaxer in Couper Angus, and was able to borrow a proper pump to get everything back in order. I'm considering retiring the Lezeyne stuff now.
Went out yesterday for my Aug 200km. This was my first DIY. The route was Reading, Salisbury across the plain's to Hungerford and back to Reading.
(https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/www.komoot.de/1g/1g1re5lt0m51wjt7riep69yjg4a7zvj17-p277568072-full)
https://www.strava.com/activities/7671568115 (https://www.strava.com/activities/7671568115)
I planned with cycle.travel (http://cycle.travel) and only made a couple of tweaks to avoid a crap road between Thatcham and Reading: That introduced the steep Sulham hill in the last 9km - which seems to be the pattern for all of my audax rides so far: A little kick in the tail.
It was bloody awesome - I started quite late because of the train strike (I got on the first Liz line) - but the weather was ace: Headwind down to Salisbury, and glorious tail wind across the open plain.
The section from Amesbury to Great Bedwyn is my idea of cycling heaven - rolling chalk downs, with views to the horizon: Dappled shadows from the cotton wool summer clouds and empty roads with excellent tarmac.
A fantastic day awheel.
That road across Wexcombe Down is in fact a delight, use to be part of the Winton 200 which then became part of the Hungerford rides organised by Scampi OTP, both now no longer calendar events.
That road across Wexcombe Down is in fact a delight, use to be part of the Winton 200 which then became part of the Hungerford rides organised by Scampi OTP, both now no longer calendar events.
The Winton 200 was the basis for the Hungerford Hurrah, you may also be able to find a route for that online.
Finally finished my SR with a decent 400 last week.
I started in York as I was staying over after a gig, a fun loop around the Wolds with some comedy offroad (I got chased away by a gamekeeper who kindly pointed out that the lovely estate track wasn’t a right of way and I had to hoik my bike up the steep side of the dene), then called in at Glew’s and had some very flat stuff around Drax.
Saw one dude who was riding the ACME Grand thing trying to get some kip at McD's in Goole, the pissheads kept banging on the window to wake him up.
And rode back along the A1 Service Road so I had a few places to sit down eat/sleep. The only problem was that the A1 northbound was shut between Bramham and Wetherby, and the traffic seemed to forget that it wasn't on a motorway any more. It was a bit disconcerting having even 3 am traffic thundering past me at M-Way speeds. Still, they had the whole other lane to use, and they did (mostly).
Back home for 11 am and a snooze. 11 SRs in different seasons and counting, so that's the first step towards my second Ultra SR ;D
Not me, personally, because of health issues. It's 8 years ago since I did my first DIY 600km, now it's a struggle to get over 30km. Two club mates did do a 200km DIY yesterday using one of my planned routes for a return to organising and feedback is good :)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37809633
Aye it looks a belter.
I've never stopped to take that picture as it's mid-descent.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52370316608_30128d50eb_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2nMMyzf)
I did my first dip of the toe in the audax pool on Sunday. I've been riding recumbents for the past 6 years but have moved back to standard bikes due to a couple of unsolveable problems on the recumbents. Still working out various newbie audax issues on the road bikes, the main one being a suitable bike. I have one on the way but it's not yet built so used my Tarmac on Sunday. A 150 round East Lothian and the Borders. Hillier than it looked when I planned the route but ain't that always the case :) I used the strategy of finding the thinnest and dodgiest looking back roads on Google Street View which worked out as a really nice route with very little traffic. Lots of right angles round the farm fields of East Lothian.
Had my brand new Super C Audax bag and Bagman rack on trial which worked nicely. Found that even with the QR bagman model as far back as it will go on the seat rails, if I really stuffed the bag the backs of my legs were just brushing the top of bag which would get annoying. I thought I would be well clear of the bag but maybe I just need to pack it better. The Tarmac is a bit sucky as a long distance platform though, reach is a bit too long and the drop to the bars a bit too high. It's great for high speed sportive fun-fests but beats you up a bit on long rides on poor roads (which is most of them round here). It's an older model with rim brakes so max tyre clearance of 25c. I did once fit 28c tyres on it which technically fit, but got a stone jammed between the tyre and the brake caliper at high speed one day resulting in a wheel lock up, so got them off them again pretty quick.
I had expected to feel a bit sore by the end and I did, still got a lot of work to do to get used to longer rides. The new bike should be a bit more comfortable though and will take much wider tyres.
Hoping to try a 200 this weekend down via Eskdale, although we'll see what the weather's like. No clearance for proper mudguards on the Tarmac. I've stuck a crud guard on the back which is a good temp solution but nothing on the front. Happy to ride in downpours with full length mudguards but I'll be wussing-out until I have a bike that can actually fit them. SKS Longboards at the ready. Just waiting on the bike!
Was a lovely day out.
With the AUK year-end approaching, I used a super Oct weather window to rack up my 100 points in year with a 4th October 200km on 18th. Even time for a 5th (?) to kick-start RRtY Series 42? How many super-Vets have achieved the Randonneur 10,000? (Only 75).
Project Return (soon-to-be-invalid) SAEs is underway to ride my Perms which pass close to AUKs who entered a Perm (or a few) when they sent 2x SAEs (most now use PayPal) and they did not ride the event. s.I very much admire your resolve to do this, Steve - it may only be a few pennies, but I hate to see any waste, and the PO cashing in on it (they already have the money in their coffers!). And a detour on a Perm adds interest, too.
Yep, 102 points for 2022 season. And now 2023 kick-started on 1 Nov with a wet and windy Perm 200. Project Return (soon-to-be-invalid) SAEs is underway to ride my Perms which pass close to AUKs who entered a Perm (or a few) when they sent 2x SAEs (most now use PayPal) and they did not ride the event. Have to plan for daylight, as finding an address in the dark is time-wasteful. Almost overshot the timing on Tues by finishing on the max time limit, having "Toured the Malverns" earlier to search out a couple addresses.Oh that reminds me I've still to reattempt the central scotland 300.
Did a 200k with three others from my cycle club yesterday. The ride was entitled "Tour de Spoons" on account of stopping at nine of the eleven Wetherspoons in Norfolk.
Had rain for first four hours, which was expected so stopped at the Fakenham Spoons to warm up and take advantage of unlimited hot drinks and then lunch at King's Lynn Spoons. Got out to find I had a puncture but was quickly fixed.
Personally flagged a lot across the Fens even though it was mainly a cross wind, but a coffee in Thetford (McDonalds, not Spoons) gave me a second wind that got me back to Norwich in what felt like much colder weather than has been the case lately.
Was a good route as had plenty of stopping options reasonably well spaced and knew we could get food/drink and because in towns, we had access to shops as well.
9 stops in a 200 ! :o assuming one at the start and one at the finish, that's 7 sections of ~30km between each spoons