Author Topic: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?  (Read 10228 times)

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #25 on: 16 February, 2016, 03:03:48 pm »
Then again, he is a grumpy sod and he would do anything to avoid having to go on the front  ;D

How very dare you!  :P

I'm not around this weekend, so I won't have the pleasure of riding behind you and your flaps....
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #26 on: 16 February, 2016, 03:25:15 pm »
Speaking of ECE Escapades.....the ride starts at 9am.

50km ECE + a bit of Coffee and Cake time I am thinking of leaving Tiptree somewhere around 6 - 6:15am.

It looks like it is going to be breezy but I guess we'll have the wind behind at some stage. I intend to work a bit harder on the ride and then relax on the inward part of the ECE.....but we will see what happens, depends how much punishment Oscars Dad dishes out on his Clacton trip on Saturday I guess.

Sadly, 6.00 am sounds a sensible time to get going.  I am happy with a relaxed inward and outward.  Assuming I go fixed, I will be riding the calendar part at my own pace rather than trying to stay in touch with all you superstars like the first part of the DTDO  :facepalm:  You should therefore have some nice cake and coffee time at the Arrivee before heading home, that is if you can be arsed waiting that long for me.

The pleasure of pain endured
To purify our misfit ways

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
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Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #27 on: 16 February, 2016, 03:42:02 pm »
We need to sync watches for formation at Great Leighs.....  :thumbsup:
Regards,

Joergen

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #28 on: 16 February, 2016, 04:19:56 pm »
Cycling to the start from SW London, not bothering with ECE.

Trying to decide on fixed or not; have done hardly any cycling in the last few months so it's going to hurt either way. At least with fixed I can blame it on that rather than it being a distinct lack of legs.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Phil W

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #29 on: 18 February, 2016, 08:09:51 pm »
Forecast improving, winds have dropped, could be as warm as 12c, topped and tailed with light rain.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #30 on: 18 February, 2016, 08:37:21 pm »
yes, hoping that wiggly front will be a bit further north on Sunday.

Planning a couple of hours tomorrow, looks cold.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Phil W

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #31 on: 20 February, 2016, 05:15:12 pm »
All set, chain freshly oiled, ECE and event routes on GPS, saddlebag packed, clothing laid out for early start.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #32 on: 20 February, 2016, 05:56:27 pm »
Sorting stuff myself, all in a box next to the front door, chain lubed.

In two minds for clothing, with the forecast, it's positively summery.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #33 on: 20 February, 2016, 06:26:01 pm »
Though looking like there could be a bracing wind in the afternoon :o


Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #34 on: 20 February, 2016, 11:20:14 pm »
Anyone driving to do the 100 from the Bucks/Beds area got space for a tired legs Chiltern Grit finisher, in return for petrol money. Not got use of the car and don't fancy the 200 ece now!
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #35 on: 21 February, 2016, 01:14:08 pm »
Though looking like there could be a bracing wind in the afternoon :o

Well bracing was one word for the wind! I packed at the halfway mark - the thought of another 50k in the wind when home was only a couple of miles away was too much for me :-)

Thanks to the couple on the tandem trike who stopped to help me when my chain broke on the climb out of Wicken. My ride would have been a whole lot shorter without their assistance!


ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #36 on: 21 February, 2016, 04:21:03 pm »
I know what you mean.  It was a lovey warm day, only marred by as you describe them "bracing" winds.

The second loop actually seemed a bit more sheltered, or perhaps not into the wind so much.  I was not far off packing it in at the halfway, but my riding partner kept me honest.

Only downside was my Garmin throwing a wobbly at the 75km mark and deciding to reboot itself, loose all stored data, lose todays route and lose the first 75km of effort for that day.

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #37 on: 21 February, 2016, 08:24:24 pm »
Agree on the wind. I ended up doing half of the ECE to the event on my own under time pressure after Ted had a pretty major mechanical. He made the wise choice and headed for home.

That first leg once we hit Great Sampford was ridiculous, with the ECE it was the last 200 to get my Second RRTY so there was no stopping but with cake and food like that it was almighty tempting!

Thanks to Tomsk again for the pull and sorry again that I managed to take a turn on the front just before we turned out of the wind and down the hill  :facepalm:

Good to catch up with familiar faces again!

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #38 on: 21 February, 2016, 10:10:16 pm »
222km in 12.5 hours — 9h45m moving — in THAT wind was pretty okay, I'm quite pleased.  I ECE'ed the event for extra points, on fixed, and managed to visit the county summits of both Essex and Cambridgeshire on the way home  :)

The main event was very enjoyable — great hospitality, a good route, and plenty of people to chat to made a nice change (I've been riding solo DIYs since October) — thanks Kieron  :thumbsup:  It would've been nicer without the wind, though.

The wind on the way back at times felt like it was pushing the whole bike sideways in a sliding motion — it was a tremendous gale.  But the final 20km I had a cross-tailwind and that was a nice way to finish what was a great day out on the bike.
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #39 on: 21 February, 2016, 10:15:55 pm »
I was close to jacking when I was at the Snug, this dammed cough I have was annoying me and probably everyone else plus at that point I was only 10 miles from home, but with still 90k to ride to get there.....  I burnt a lot of matches moving up from lantern rouge worrying about my last time after a puncture 1km from the start which left me lacking energy - so much for pacing LOL..

Nik - your flat route home was epic, really fast and relaxing (apart from some of the cars :( though swearing at them helped me to find some extra energy).  It was almost like a summer evening! I headed back towards Chelmo from Terling and was nearly blown over twice... it was wild.
Regards,

Joergen

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #40 on: 21 February, 2016, 10:25:10 pm »
Thanks to Kieron and his helpers. Very nice soup and cake! Thanks toPaul ( notp) and Wilkyboy for the tow. Last 20km or so proved tough as today doubled my ttotal Kms for the year.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #41 on: 21 February, 2016, 10:55:46 pm »
Not sure who I was talking to in the hut fterwards, tried to hand me a flyer for Cambridge on the 19th March.  looking to be there if work allows, could even ride there
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Phil W

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #42 on: 21 February, 2016, 10:58:20 pm »
Not sure who I was talking to in the hut fterwards, tried to hand me a flyer for Cambridge on the 19th March.  looking to be there if work allows, could even ride there

That'll be Wilkyboy, it's his event.

Assasin

  • It can only get better
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #43 on: 22 February, 2016, 07:39:01 am »
Gavin C.
You are most welcome.
We needed the tools to fix the longbarrow after we pringled the front mech and broke a chain aftrr the second info.
Just before we caught you after tilty church you looked almost at a halt when the route turned into the wind. It really was that windy.
Second leg was easier ( Merphys law)

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #44 on: 23 February, 2016, 12:50:27 am »
Not sure who I was talking to in the hut fterwards, tried to hand me a flyer for Cambridge on the 19th March.  looking to be there if work allows, could even ride there

That'll be Wilkyboy, it's his event.

From Ely it would be a nice warm-up — not quite far enough for ECE points, though  ;)  I hope we'll see you there!
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #45 on: 23 February, 2016, 12:51:39 am »
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

Phil W

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #46 on: 23 February, 2016, 03:14:25 pm »
My ride report here:  http://www.16inchwheels.uk/2016/02/21/braziers-run-100km-audax-120km-there-and-back/, lots of pictures too :thumbsup:
 

Nice write up.  You were right not to envy me my battle against the headwinds home.   If I'd reversed the ECE to turn that headwind into a tailwind for the longer leg I may have taken a reasonable chunk off my elapsed. The route out was much less exposed, not in direct alignment with the wind and only half the distance of my return that day.  But I didn't want an early start Sunday, preferring to leave home after 7am.

On another note, Martin has validated my submitted ECE GPS track pending the calendar event details being processed. :thumbsup:

Phil W

Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #47 on: 23 February, 2016, 04:39:13 pm »
Ride report here.

Braziers was the 2nd or 3rd audax I rode long before I joined AUK or had heard of PBP and LEL.  At the time I was riding both Sportives and Audaxes before I settled on which I preferred.  I was looking forward to riding it again after a gap of 5 years. 

This time I'd decided to try my first ECE.  At first I was having difficulty getting the minimum distances to work nicely with the route I wanted to ride.  I almost went for the mandatory routing option now available but in the end found my ECE control points with a little finessing.  This meant I wasn't tied down to particular roads if I changed my mind later. The challenge is all the bridleways round here which can quickly shrink your minimum distance, a km here a km there. You'd not want to venture off road, especially this time of year. I'm not particularly a morning person being more of a night owl. So I'd made my ECE uneven, with a 34km inbound and a 68km outbound leg from the event. 

The week before I came back to visit my ECE GPS tracks to make sure they visited the submitted controls.  I also got hold of the event GPS tracks.   The forecast weather was for gales, then it was a breeze, then it was raining, then it was raining heavily, then it wasn't, then it was, then repeat.  The only consistent element was the temperature which seemed to be settling between 11-13c, a warm day for February.  The last forecast had the gales back but only for a brief period.

The day of the ride I got up shortly after 6:30am.  Bacon and tomato butties and two large cups of green tea.  By 7:10am I was ready to leave.   As I walked up the steps and out the garden I almost didn't turned the GPS on as I didn't need it for the nav. Almost failed the ECE before I'd started pedalling. Luckily I had that Doh moment!

Given the temps and wind I set off with my 3/4 trousers, softshell windproof with my PBP gilet above it for the early light, summer gloves and shoes. After 10km at Cottered I was too hot.  I stopped and unzipped the sleeves from my windproof and put them in my saddlebag.  I was now heading east proper on a good A road, quiet at that time in the morning.  I was rolling fast with a good tailwind.  Still warm I rolled up my jersey sleeves, and they would stayed rolled up during the rest of the daylight hours. bare arms and bare legs in Feb indeed! I rolled through Ugley a place of many a comedy picture with friends, down the hill past other riders parked up under the M11 to the huts.  It took me 1 hour 7 mins to ride the 34km to the start, some tailwind.

I met up with friends from Stevenage CTC plus Wilkyboy and Tom and Jibberjabber.  As the others set off we waited for Nik Brunner who'd been delayed.  Whilst I waited I drank tea and had a banana. 

Nik made it, and off we went only 15 mins or so after the others.  The initial route was the opposite of the way I'd arrived, out through Ugley and Rickling Green before turning north to our first info clue at Wicken Bonhunt.  We were trying to remember what the answer would be as I'd passed close to the clue location on the way over.

We turned east and the gales helped us along to Great Sampford the second info clue location.   Again we were able to answer the question without needing to stop. This is only possible if the answer is relatively easy to remember. My brain is like a sieve with the mesh taken out.

We then turned south and west on the first loop return to the Uts. The gales made themselves known and I dropped off Tom's pace a little.  I then rode side by side with Nik Brunner.   As we left Thaxted Nik missed the turn left off the B road but a quick shout and no time lost.  I could see from my GPS mapping that the B road would save a couple of km, but we were here to do the distance and so shortcuts just wouldn't do.  Nik gained on the flat and I gained on the uphills reflecting our relative strengths. It was relaxed riding together.

Back at the hut for minestrone soup, a ham roll, some tea plus topped up my water bottles.  After a brief interlude spent chatting and eating it was time to head out for the second loop.  Tom, Nik Brunner and I set off together.  The second loop headed south to Elsenham where we tagged on the back of other riders waiting at the level crossing.

After the crossing and before the t junction and turn left a car cut across me blocking me from the back of the large group.  I could not get past to the junction and so had to wait.  This exposed the cruelty of the brutal wind as I was now riding alone.  I could see the others perhaps 400-800m ahead, but it was too high an energy cost to close the gap.

In a way I was a little relieved.  I was feeling tired, and could now settle to my own pace.   As it turned out, and I quickly began to notice, it was because I was dehydrated.  I was a little annoyed with myself.  It nearly always happens in winter when it doesn't feel like I'm sweating too much, but I am.   Later in the year I'm much more on top of this, and rarely get dehydrated.   I slowed and spent the second loop drinking down as much as possible.   Fortunately the loop weaved and twisted so you were rarely in a headwind for long.  I briefly saw Tom and Nik heading the opposite way at High Easter as I head towards the info clue.

Back at the hut, event finished Tom, Nik, Wilkyboy and other were enjoying the food and chat.  Kieron validated my card whilst I grabbed a plateful of calories and a tea with more than the government recommended amount of sugar.   Soon enough Tom and Nik left, with Nik keen to get going on his return ECE leg.  I went for more tea and sugar.  Eventually Wilkyboy prompted me to get going saying "come on we've been here over an hour now".  I wasn't in a rush knowing the wind was out there.  As long as I'm not pushing time limits I'm more than comfortable taking a nice break.

Eventually we said our goodbyes.  I said I might see Wilkyboy going the opposite way, after we'd discovered we were both approaching Chishill via different routes.  My ECE first went north then east via lanes to Saffron Walden, then followed a B road over to Littlebury. Here I picked up a lane which climbed steadily, rising 70 metres in a kilometre into the gales.   I slowed to a crawl up that hill.  Looking at the map now I wonder why I went that way because there was a much flatter more eastern route to get me to Duxford.  However, I did get to have thousands of Starling performing their ballet right above my head near Howe Wood. A splendid 15 mins I stopped and  watched, and would have missed via any other route. 

At Duxford the battle began.  I turned directly south west and rode uphill straight into the gales. There was no hiding and it was brutal to say the least.  I slowed to crawl with very little shelter.  Shortly after Chrishall Grange I spied Wilkyboy coming the other way. Downhill and powered by the gales that were sapping my energy. We stopped and took photos of each other.  He then sped off and round the corner out of sight, whilst I ground on.

Great Chishill there's a couple of pubs (Wilkyboy has picked up on the fact I seem to know all the in range village pubs) I took some respite and took on more calories.  Back out and past the Windmill to Barley. The Windmill had taken some damage and a few panels were missing, recent storms?  At this point I was wondering why I hadn't routed through Shaftenhoe End as it saves a bit of distance but more importantly you don't lose so much height.  I reasoned I must have placed a ECE control in Barley and thought no more of it.

Up to Barkway and west to Reed.  This section runs along a high ridge that overlooks the flats of Cambridgeshire. At a height of 158m it's higher than anywhere in Essex and Cambridgeshire.   There are a couple of transmitters up there. Boy was it catching the wind being very exposed.  I got to a turn onto a very minor road through Reed, but my GPS indicated straight on. Straight on meant staying out on the exposed lane rather than the sheltered one through Reed.  I stayed out in the wind thinking I had another control point.

Shortly after it was time to put my lights on and plough on into the wind along the ridge.  Finally off the ridge I gained some shelter in he lane to Sandon.  Sandon I took a break on a bench by a duck pond in the dark.   Then I continued on and found I'd routed through Redhill, again thinking I must have a control point there.

The battle lasted another hour before I rolled home about 07:30pm.  A good 12 hours 20 mins since I'd left.  I'd taken a battering from the wind on the final leg home. shower, pizza and beer. I only had one beer I was so tired, preferring instead to drink tea.  Again I'd got dehydrated fighting the wind.

As to the routing choices I questioned on the way home.  I was right, I had no ECE controls there.  I must have had them there originally when trying tog et get Google to meet the minimum distance.  Lesson learnt, double check the final controls you submit for an ECE, and don't make it harder than it needs to be when fighting gales.

A hard but good day out.  It also highlighted I'm less fit than my Easter arrow companions right now, probably as this is my first 200 after PBP in the summer.  I hope my planned rides over the next month are enough to bump up the fitness to where it needs to be. summer fitness is a distant memory right now.

 

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #48 on: 23 February, 2016, 05:18:33 pm »
Great reports chaps.   :thumbsup:

Nick, what camera do you use for your pictures?
Regards,

Joergen

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: Anyone else doing Braziers Run next weekend?
« Reply #49 on: 23 February, 2016, 05:37:35 pm »
Great reports chaps.   :thumbsup:

Nick, what camera do you use for your pictures?

Thanks.

My camera's a Nikon Coolpix AW100 — I've had it for a few years now and it's great on the bike because it's waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 5m, and ice proof.  It can sit in my sweaty back pocket all day long and still take pictures.  I've also taken it snorkeling and surfing and it has done very well at both.  However ...

I reckon Nikon don't want their consumer cameras to in any way compete with their big, expensive ones and so the JPEG compression is shockingly awful, very over-done, and no RAW mode.  I can use these photos in blogs, but I couldn't print them out large-scale for the wall, and zooming in on details is sketchy at best.  The latest model is better, but still suffers from over-compression and muddy results with poor background detail.    That said, I used to have a nice Sony something-or-other in my pre-audax days and that didn't last long in the weather, which is why I haven't replaced my Nikon — the compromise in quality is made up for in robustness, in that while the photos aren't great, at least I do have some photos.

I take a lot of photos in the hope that a handful will turn out okay.  Also, I tend to point the camera without looking at the screen — in case I crash — and so I take a few shots on the move each time, guessing the angles to the riders, and with experience I usually get something useable.

Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...