Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: zigzag on 12 January, 2015, 05:42:07 am
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Steve's off into a new day and one closer towards his goal! a challenging day ahead with 18mph south westerly and a fair amount of rain. luckily the temperatures are fairly mild up to 12'c. have a great day Steve!!
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Steve's off into a new day and one closer towards his goal! a challenging day ahead with 18mph south westerly and a fair amount of rain. luckily the temperatures are fairly mild up to 12'c. have a great day Steve!!
Beaten to it by 40 seconds!
Have another great ride Steve.
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Early indications seem to suggest he's treating himself to a tailwind for a start. If the forecast is right the wind should drop a bit on his return.
Mother nature certainly isn't making it easy for him.
Ashamed to say I've opted for the car to work this morning.
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I say he's got it good.
There could be 12" of snow and icey winds from the north.
It is January 12th ???
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He'll be getting a free ride as he is heading north east. Will be hard later when he turns. By my estimate he will run out of land in about 50 miles.
BB
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By my estimate he will run out of land in about 50 miles.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/baycycle-water-bike.png)
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Another visit to Lodge Farm Cafe is on the cards.
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It must get damned hard thinking up new routes. I'm getting so that I know every crack & bump for 30 miles around. Setting out every single day must be deadly.
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That wind is pretty gusty this morning, here's hoping it eases before Steve turns round.
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I don't suppose Steve needs to think up new routes. When you go that far each day, I would imagine that it's not so repetitive as it would be if (say) I decided to do 40 miles every day and had just 4 or 5 different routes. He's got a lot more countryside to cross for one thing. I don't think the repetition will worry Steve for one moment.
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I've been to that cafe he's heading for. We lunched there just after the twit left hooked me on our DIY 600 in 2009. Mr Smith isn't a fan but I really liked it- proper meals reasonably priced. This might be because I was really hungry at the time!
Me, RichForrest, Teethgrinder julesh & Adamski ate enormous pies. IIRC TG had 2 courses (custard FTW) but us mere mortals could only manage one.
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I wonder if there is any wind shelter to be gained for the return journey today by going across to Spalding and coming back via that route.
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A slightly more Northerly return journey via Kettering and Towcester might have more trees, and would produce a really good CDC for the tracks so far...
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Looks like he's stopped for lunch - forecast for that area shows winds dropping dramatically but not until after 14.00. He will likely struggle for a couple of hours once he starts back.
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Tarzan doesn't seem to have started today. He must be having a lie-in.
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Perhaps Jane forgot to set the alarm.
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Tracker suggests lunch in Fleet Hargate (Farm Cafe?)
Extremely unforgiving headwind all the way back I'm afraid.
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By my estimate he will run out of land in about 50 miles.
(http://images.gizmag.com/hero/baycycle-water-bike.png)
Tommy Johnson Godwin and his TWO giant bananas.
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Plan for today is easy 90miles to my favourite cafe which serves large meals cheaply in under 5 minutes.
Then 3 30 mile sections back into the wind which shpuld ease off. Can recommend the half roast chicken.
The year is going well so far. Problems with lights that don't work in the wet and getting equipment, especially wheels which we now need to get elsewhere. I seem to spend a lot of time not riding but in spite of that we're above the 87000 mile schedule.
Don't expect to hear much from me this year and sorry fir not replying to medsages etc.
Thanks for all the help anddonations do far. Bairdy's food is going fiwn very well.
Sorry for bad grammer and miss typing. Fumblefingers is writinng from his phone in a hurry.
Got to go, time is miles...
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(http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/9T4/pL7/9T4pL7LTE.jpeg)
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Good man! Eat, drink and keep bloody pedalling!
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A whole string of these....
:thumbsup:
...was always going to be inadequate!
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Plan for today is easy 90miles to my favourite cafe which serves large meals cheaply in under 5 minutes.
Then 3 30 mile sections back into the wind which shpuld ease off. Can recommend the half roast chicken.
The year is going well so far. Problems with lights that don't work in the wet and getting equipment, especially wheels which we now need to get elsewhere. I seem to spend a lot of time not riding but in spite of that we're above the 87000 mile schedule.
Don't expect to hear much from me this year and sorry fir not replying to medsages etc.
Thanks for all the help anddonations do far. Bairdy's food is going fiwn very well.
Sorry for bad grammer and miss typing. Fumblefingers is writinng from his phone in a hurry.
Got to go, time is miles...
POTD!
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Don't worry, he's gone. He won't see them. :P
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Surely Hope or Exposure would provide some decent lights?
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Tarzan doesn't seem to have started today. He must be having a lie-in.
Fell in the Okefenokee.
"Use your 'jungle call' fella... "
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Another visit to Lodge Farm Cafe is on the cards.
Tracker suggests lunch in Fleet Hargate (Farm Cafe?)
Is one of these the one on the A17 with lots of flags outside? We've been past it several times on way to Norfolk and often wondered
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Wow, a message from the man himself! Good to hear from you Steve, congratulations on the strong start...you're an inspiration to us all so keep it up!
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The bluedot tracker doesn't seem to be updating Steve's position in the last hour. Just me?
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Tarzan's on the move, and heading north.
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Another visit to Lodge Farm Cafe is on the cards.
Tracker suggests lunch in Fleet Hargate (Farm Cafe?)
Is one of these the one on the A17 with lots of flags outside? We've been past it several times on way to Norfolk and often wondered
It's this one: https://goo.gl/maps/tPrIh
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"Got to go, time is miles"....'bout sums it up really! RESPECT!!
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A pop-up by the man himself.
That made my day :thumbsup:.
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The bluedot tracker doesn't seem to be updating Steve's position in the last hour. Just me?
The tackleaders trace hasn't (for me) updated since 13:50. That could just be work shitty Orange supplied network connection of course
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2.26, 103 miles.
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2.26, 103 miles.
Looking at the map, that's going to be an underestimate. The trackpoint free part of the journey presumably wound through Wisbech.
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I've just noticed that the last two points registered were:-
Point #132 received at: 01:07:06 PM (GMT) 01/12/15
Point #134 received at: 01:41:58 PM (GMT) 01/12/15
No sign of point #133, and he seems to be very adjacent to 4-hour-old point 99.
There's been a bit of a glitch with his transmissions, I think.
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trackleaders back up to date-is (14:41), but big gaps in transmission - 20+ minutes apart.
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That is a little concerning. Also, Steve's SPOT stopped working between Rickmansworth and our place. Anybody here know what might have caused that?.
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SPOT relies on a one way transmission to a satellite with no return acknowledgement of receipt and transmits infrequently - every 10 minutes iirc. How far is Rickmansworth? A miss two in a row and its 30 minutes between updates. This is more likely in a built up area (but I don't know how much these types of signal are affected by line of sight obstruction).
On the lights front, surely this can be improved on - I have a spare brand new Philips SafeRide LED light which is much better than what Steve is using (based on LWaB's description). Cost me £30-odd, happy to donate if wanted.
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Good reliable lights are essential - could they be provided out of the overall donations fund?
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As for the lights, a Schmidt's hub dynamo and an Edelux II are the way forward.
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Steve, if you need wheels built, I'm happy to do the labour... gratis. I would just need the parts to build with. I noticed one of your stops is in Pinner in NW London. I'm based in Stanmore, so could deliver to Pinner by hand.
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Good reliable lights are essential - could they be provided out of the overall donations fund?
We are working on it, but it will not be a hub dynamo.
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Steve, if you need wheels built, I'm happy to do the labour... gratis. I would just need the parts to build with. I noticed one of your stops is in Pinner in NW London. I'm based in Stanmore, so could deliver to Pinner by hand.
And if Steve isn't in that neck of the woods I work in Hemel so if they were dropped off with me I could "relay" them up to MK if need be.
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Steve, if you need wheels built, I'm happy to do the labour... gratis. I would just need the parts to build with. I noticed one of your stops is in Pinner in NW London. I'm based in Stanmore, so could deliver to Pinner by hand.
Pinner was yesterday...
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I see that Tarzan is heading for a few thunderstorms.
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Steve has worn out enough Son dynohub bearings to think it likely that a dynohub could fail during the year.
He also uses several high-powered battery lights. In a different thread, it was correctly noted about recharge times being a limiting factor. The Cree has proved reliable thus far.
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Good reliable lights are essential - could they be provided out of the overall donations fund?
We are working on it, but it will not be a hub dynamo.
I'd have though it was a no-brainer for a challenge like this but no, I was interested to read a while back that Steve wasn't at all keen on going out with a hub dynamo. From a rider like TG who's nursed a schmidt through all kinds of averse environments over the years, maybe it's an indication that the time has indeed arrived when battery lights for Audax have come of age.
Nice to see the man himself pop-up.
What a grin day to be out there today. Grim for me that is!
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Plus should the need arise to swap bikes and/or wheels the use of hub dynamos could get complicated and/or spendy.
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I've used Lumicycles - the new ones have a 20 hour burn on low setting which is enough for riding at 20mph (the only time I've needed higher is descending on the Mille Miglia) and recharge in 6 hours. He would have to carry a charger. You may even be able to get Lumicycle to sponsor, being a UK based company.
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A couple of Hope 1s would be hard to beat I think.
Easily transferrable between bikes
AA batteries - so can recharge in 3-4 hrs at most in something like the popular Technoline BL700 charger depending on level of discharge and capacity of battery. Or just pop previously charged batteries in and away you go.
Renowned for quality and customer service
I've used them in torrential rain and never had a problem.
Burn Times 2013 version
Low - 24 hours
Med - 7 hours
High - 3 hours
Flash - 35 hours
Typically I would use one on flash mode and the other on medium. Alternating this between morning and evening riding should be enough to get through >7hrs of well lit riding. Switching to lower setting when suitable will prolong battery life much further.
Another British company so may well be interested in sponsoring Steve (assuming they've not already been approached).
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Steve has worn out enough Son dynohub bearings to think it likely that a dynohub could fail during the year.
He also uses several high-powered battery lights. In a different thread, it was correctly noted about recharge times being a limiting factor. The Cree has proved reliable thus far.
i've had several lights fail (smart, hope, b&m etc.), but to my surprise no-name chinese cree just keeps on shining and comes with very lightweight easy to carry wall charger. exemplary chinese reliability! (i'd never though i'd say this ;D )
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I do not think providing detailed info on what the team are trying to do on a daily basis makes a lot of sense. But the Hope sponsorship suggestion had already been identified and is being worked on.
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Both TG's tracker and Tarzan's seem to have lots of spaced out points not on roads today. I suspect both of those estimated distances will turn out to be very (under)estimated this time.
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Good to hear from The Man himself :thumbsup:
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As for the lights, a Schmidt's hub dynamo and an Edelux II are the way forward.
+1
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As for the lights, a Schmidt's hub dynamo and an Edelux II are the way forward.
+1
While that's probably true for mortals, Steve is not unaware of the benefits and possible disadvantages of a SON. Personally, I'm inclined to defer to his experience, accept his judgment, and try to learn from why he has decided battery lighting is the way forward for him on this record attempt - details of some reasons, of course, appearing in other threads here.
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Strava says 293.5
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Strava says 293.5
182.4 miles, to save everyone else converting it.
That's another great day, given the weather has been rather horrid (well it has over here in Wales anyway)
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Steve, if you need wheels built, I'm happy to do the labour... gratis. I would just need the parts to build with. I noticed one of your stops is in Pinner in NW London. I'm based in Stanmore, so could deliver to Pinner by hand.
Pinner was yesterday...
It was ever thus ....
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Wasn't that a movie title? "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium"
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Pinner certainly was yesterday for Sir Patrick Moore and Sir Elton John...
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That's another great day
and still ahead of the 87129 schedule :o
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TGs average heart rate is remarkably low. :thumbsup:
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The upload for 12th Jan has been "flagged (https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/20942097-The-Activity-Flag-Remove-an-Activity-s-segment-results-from-the-Leaderboard)" on Strava. >:(
https://www.strava.com/activities/240281817
Basically that just means it won't appear in segment leaderboards. Whoopee. But I really hope this isn't the tip of iceberg in trying to pull Strava.com (or, the anonymous masses) into the process of adjudicating the challenge.
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I suppose only someone logged into Steve's account can find out why it's been flagged or by whom.
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The reason and the flagger isn't shared with the rider. That info goes to Strava only.
It's doesn't seem to be flagged now, thankfully.