ACME Anvil Winter Series

[drossall]

Don't suppose anyone's going from North Herts way? The rail engineering has put a spanner in my wheel. I'll get there anyway, but I'd like to leave the car for my wife if I can.

[Jem]

Assuming it isn't icy (forecast looks OK at the moment) I plan to start Saturday's ride.  If anyone fancies a slow pootle round you're welcome to provide me with a wheel to follow 

I plan to start.
I do not plan to provide anyone with a wind, rain or snow break.
However, I do plan to put into practice again my newly found Turn Left skill at the first sign of ice, snow, wind, rain or - and more likely - a warm dry cafe or pub. 

Hmmm ... Compasses abound on this ride ... 

I might be making it a dash from one to the other - if I get out of the Spoons.....

[wilkyboy]

I might ECE this 

Although given the temperature this morning I might not! 

[psyclist]

I might ECE this 

When I ECE events that are a long way away, I sometimes drive the first bit to get closer and then do a 50+km ride from the car to the calendar event start and back. Given the weather forecast, this might be something that would work for you ... or you could get the train down to Bishop's Stortford or similar and ride from there.

I'll be ECEing this one, sticking to gritted roads. On the proviso that tomorrow's snow has cleared.

[wilkyboy]

I might ECE this 

When I ECE events that are a long way away, I sometimes drive the first bit to get closer and then do a 50+km ride from the car to the calendar event start and back. Given the weather forecast, this might be something that would work for you ... or you could get the train down to Bishop's Stortford or similar and ride from there.

I'll be ECEing this one, sticking to gritted roads. On the proviso that tomorrow's snow has cleared.

I always try to leave the car at home for "local" events, seems only fair to those I've left behind.

BS would be workable, but whenever I've looked at the timetables, I always think it would save not as much time as one would've thought, by the time I've connected both ends 

[ElyDave]

Bike is prepped, trains are still useless unless I want to take three hours for the same journey that takes an hour in the car.  Snowpocalypse excepting I'll be there.  One of these days, I'll pluck up the courage to ECE a Dunmow or Witham event via Stansted airport railway station.

I got myself up to 165 for the day in the summer, riding to/from a Mildenhall event, so it's not much further, need to do more fettling of the back first though

[grams]

Don't suppose anyone's going from North Herts way? The rail engineering has put a spanner in my wheel. I'll get there anyway, but I'd like to leave the car for my wife if I can.

If you can get yourself to Finsbury Park or thereabouts for 8-ish I can take you.

[drossall]

Thank you. FP's no problem because I go there daily on the way to work. I'm just wavering slightly on weather conditions, as the forecasts change. If there's a likelihood of ice, I think I may cry off. Does anyone have local information on conditions? The forecast's just got a bit better again, I think, so that a couple of degrees above would probably melt anything. Could be a day for fixed...

I'll PM with a mobile in case that helps.

[Nim]

Does anyone have local information on conditions? The forecast's just got a bit better again, I think, so that a couple of degrees above would probably melt anything. Could be a day for fixed...

I'm in the same position, wavering on a DNS depending on ice tomorrow morning as I'm doing an ECE starting at early o' clock from east London.

Would be really helpful to have some local mid-Essex knowledge of conditions on the ground.

Ps: is it not always a day for fixed?!

[psyclist]

Would be really helpful to have some local mid-Essex knowledge of conditions on the ground.

In the west of the mid-Essex area (30km west of Witham), the roads are clear, just damp. The covering of snow on the grass from last night has been melting and not much left.

The big question is what happens tonight and how cold it gets. Some snow is forecast, but temps might hover just above 0. At the moment I'm planning to depart on my ECE just after 6am, sticking to gritted roads all the way to Witham.

[wilkyboy]

At the moment I'm planning to depart on my ECE just after 6am, sticking to gritted roads all the way to Witham.

6.30 départ for me — last time the run from Cambridge to Witham took 2h45, so even a tardy 3h15 would still be 9.45am arrival.  Not specifically aiming for gritted roads, although I'll be riding in very straight lines and trying not to lean the bike over at all — it's looking like a day for a delicate feel with the grip.

Ps: is it not always a day for fixed?!

Absolutely 

[jiberjaber]

Everything has melted here in Chelmsford, its 2 degrees at the moment and forcast to dip to 1deg between 5AM and 9AM  It will be colder out in the countryside.

My recommendation would be if you decide you want to ride in then to use gritted roads.  You can see the Essex network of grited routes at the following link:
https://www.essexhighways.org/roads-and-pavements/winter-travel/salting-routes.aspx

The following twitter account is good for general forecasting across the essex area
https://twitter.com/EssexWeather

Gritter updates:
https://twitter.com/essexhighways



And the ACME twitter account (usualy) retweets the local gritter status as well.
https://twitter.com/ACME_Essex

[BFC]

Does anyone have local information on conditions? The forecast's just got a bit better again, I think, so that a couple of degrees above would probably melt anything. Could be a day for fixed...

I'm in the same position, wavering on a DNS depending on ice tomorrow morning as I'm doing an ECE starting at early o' clock from east London.

Would be really helpful to have some local mid-Essex knowledge of conditions on the ground.

Ps: is it not always a day for fixed?!

Planning to ride home tonight (6 pm depart) from Chelmsford, heading south west , down to Purleigh and back to Witham on the reverse of the route.

Will update sometime after getting home - stopping at a pub on the way is to be expected.

[tedshred]

I am sticking with my slightly laney ece route - subject to what it looks like at 6ish tomorrow.  Hopefully my 38mm tyres will keep me upright.

[tippers_kiwi]

I might be controlling from the back of the Volvo tomorrow!

[wilkyboy]

Us "northerners" should be blessed with a gentle tailwind to the start in the morning 

... and cursed with a strengthening headwind home again 

[Nim]

Thanks for the weather updates everyone, it's very much appreciated.

My ECE is a gritted roads route out to Finchingfield and looping back - will see how things develop. Crying off definitely an option, though hopefully will see you all tomorrow.



Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

[drossall]

Sorry all, I've decided not to start. Over-caution I'm sure. I've been riding into work all week, but I don't fancy the chance of ice on what's a leisure ride.

[BFC]

As of 10:00pm road conditions are:

Wet but no signs of ice, snow or slush.

It has stopped raining as well, surplus water on the roads should drain away. Predicted temperature (Metcheck for postcode CM8) does not indicate significant frost risk.

[wilkyboy]

Aaargh!  It snowed overnight in Cambridge and the temperature is about -4°C, so it has all frozen, even where it melted — I nearly fell over a dozen times just walking up our lane, the entire surface is a skating rink.  It's not a day for an ECE for me, my touch isn't quite gentle enough for these conditions, and Mrs WB needs the car, so it looks like I'm out 

On the flip side, I'm sure there are Brownie points to be earned from an unexpected extra day around the house 

Good luck to everyone who's riding — hopefully being closer to the equator means you'll be riding in warmer, safer conditions

[ElyDave]

A very light dusting twenty mi!es further north.

I'm driving, and will judge it when I get there, if it looks iffy I'll not start, don't fancy breaking something again on my first decent ride.

On another note, WB, could I pick you up on the way through?

[wilkyboy]

On another note, WB, could I pick you up on the way through?

Thank you for the offer, Dave.  I'm already looking forward to going back to bed, so this time I'll pass.

[jiberjaber]

Weather conditions in Chelmsford are sunny!! its a little breezy and 1Deg C.  I've just been out to the car and it feels warmer than 1deg out of the wind.

[Phil W]

Aaargh!  It snowed overnight in Cambridge and the temperature is about -4°C, so it has all frozen, even where it melted — I nearly fell over a dozen times just walking up our lane, the entire surface is a skating rink.  It's not a day for an ECE for me, my touch isn't quite gentle enough for these conditions, and Mrs WB needs the car, so it looks like I'm out 

On the flip side, I'm sure there are Brownie points to be earned from an unexpected extra day around the house 

Good luck to everyone who's riding — hopefully being closer to the equator means you'll be riding in warmer, safer conditions

Wise choice, especially in a PBP year where you don't want to be missing qualifiers due to injury.

[huggy]

85 brevets counted out on the road, from an entry of 141, look forward to counting 85 back in this afternoon!
(plus 5 helpers from last week who enjoyed just slightly higher temperatures)