Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: Vigna on 19 April, 2018, 06:09:45 pm
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We still have space on the inaugural running of the Kingston Wheelers 400, it`s a varied and at times challenging route but should be a great day out.
Sleep over facilities are available on the Friday night. Please let me know in advance if you require a space. You will need to arrive between 8 and 10pm and supply your own mattress.
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When will this ride be closed for entry?
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May 12th. http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-297/ (http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-297/)
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May 12th. http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-297/ (http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-297/)
Thanks! Should read things more carefully. :facepalm: I may have to bring a drill with me if the weather is projected to be nice by then hah!
Edit: I am out. Too many clashes that weekend.
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If I still have spare brevet cards I'll keep ride open for entries after 12th May, but of course it makes an organiser's life easier if you don't leave it to the last minute. No need to wait for the weather forecast.....you know it's going to be wonderful ;)
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Helpers and final test ride done yesterday, all looking good no major problems found. I'll do the final tweaks to route sheet today and details will be emailed out to all entrants early in the week. They'll of course be available to download from Audax site. To date we have 65 riders entered. Few places still places available but I'll be closing ride on Tuesday.
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Ride information, routesheet, notes etc. has been emailed out to entrants. If you can't find it check the spam folder first, then contact me. See you all Saturday
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It only dawned on me how close this starts to me as I happened to pass the scout hut last night (daughter does cricket training nearby) and saw the big Audax UK banner out front.
One day I'll be back to do some longer Audaxes and I hope this one continues to run.
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Hi Alex, our 600 starts from same place in June
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-65/
And next year, a full SR series, all BRM[PBP] :thumbsup:
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Hi Alex, our 600 starts from same place in June
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-65/
Entries for your 600 have been closed for ages, but:
"Event now full. 75 rider limit due to small overnight control in Chepstow. If you are an AUK member, and you can sort your own accommodation, you can ride. Email organiser for more info."
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Firstly thanks to Gavin and all at KW for putting on this great new addition to the calendar - we were treated to a beautiful route in glorious weather and a perfect opportunity to avoid the other 'event' of the day.
Good to see a few familiar faces at the start and a large group of is got together for the run to the first control at Midhurst. A little sting in the tail with the steep climb before town, shades of Barhatch Lane on it's 20% max gradient. Alas, the cafe was rather underprepared for the first wave of riders so many left having placed their order and waited a while for it to materialise. 3 of us set off having waited out for our order, this next section was pretty undulating on quiet lanes so progress was slow. Overton came and went and we picked up many of the original crew including the SWRC boys Sloth and Rumps, and a very accomplished solo female rider who would eventually ride us all off her wheel. To Pewsey then, the halfway point with a large group of 8 or 9 of us. Here the cafe control was excellent, great service and very friendly.
We set off together as a group but started to splinter on the rolling terrain to Cirencester and I ended up in a group with the 3 riders from Midhurst, a young chap from Brixton Cycles on his first 400 and a seasoned campaigner from Sydenham Wheelers. We made for a good team and the miles clipped by on the flat roads to Oxford. The usual Audax devastation greeted us at the Oxford control, Peartree Services, people slumped on the charcoal briquettes and asleep on the tarmac. A joyous sight to behold. Ok, 100km to go and still warm in the late evening sunshine. A big climb up How Hill wasn't as grippy as we feared followed by a fast blast from Christmas Common via Pilshill on familiar roads to the 24hour garage in Henley. A strong rider from our group earlier in the day was ill and looked in a bad way here but the SWRC gents looked after him and got him back safely, we caught up with this group somewhere near Chertsey and pushed on together to the finish. I had good legs all day and managed to eat well (salads and fruit mainly) but once we arrived I felt a little secondhand and could'nt face the magnificent looking chicken stew. Ran the gauntlet of Putney High street at 1am and got home with 426km on the clock. I'd recored the Giro so stayed up to witness the Brit 1-2 on the Zoncalan, Chapeau!
Thanks to all I rode with but especially to Gavin for putting on this superb addition to the London Audax scene, long may it continue. Having helped at the arrivee for Liam's LWL400, and as a first-time organiser I'm beginning to understand the effort that goes into creating these wonderful events we all enjoy.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-198/
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thanks for the helpful comments above, and for the critique of our Midhurst control, which next year will probably move to here (https://goo.gl/maps/ddUHkhMQkix) which looks a lot better and saves the trek into and back out of Midhurst
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Yes many thanks to Gavin and all the volunteers for a great day out!
Cracking route, I loved the design with lanes and scenery in the morning and giving way to flatter faster roads as the afternoon wore on. We had a false start, having left our water bottles at home, and then some stoker illness called for some unscheduled stops, but managed to pull through all that and have a good blast in from Cirencester right to the end.
Love having a London based SR but easy egress out to the countryside, is a great recipe. Congratulations on successful inaugural run!
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Gavin-Congratulations! Great event. Having told everyone about the feast which would await them at the end , I was relieved ( but not disappointed of course ) that you did not let me down. Oh that fruit salad, none of those tinned peaches ( lovely as they are ) for KW. The breakfast was extremely fine as well, dried fruit and nuts supplied -lots of little touches which all the riders truly appreciate.
The route also looked after us with the climbing in the first half and the fast , flatter section on the way home. The first half or more of the route was stunning.
Thanks to your helpers -all very friendly and welcoming and with a long night ahead of them when we left.
Thanks also to the people I rode with , my clubmates, Parky , Richard and the Sloth, Blueskies, Andy from HAC the fastest man through a control , Mr Brixton Cycles-see above, and Ian who put in a Herculean effort for the last 100kms with repeated stomach trouble but strong to the last.
Great ride.
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Sounds like one for next year!
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What they said. ^
Also thanks to the Things for the tow into Pewsey, and Chris and Tony maybe not otp for the company from then on.
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Great route! Well done Gavin & the rest of the KWAC team. The majority of the ride was pleasantly traffic free.
There is something very special about relaxing in the setting sun on a garage forecourt with an assortment of long life snacks.
As others have mentioned, very good service from the cafe in Pewsey. The proprietor said she would appreciate a bit of positive feedback on Facebook, so if you were a happy customer and user of the book make it so!
I had a few tubeless issues with the G-Ones. A puncture on the wheel which had problems sealing. A lot of latex sprayed out and if I hadn't had full mudguards I expect I would not have been popular with my riding companions. I forgot to bring any repair worms and so had to top up with air a few times (Ride 24/7 bike shop in Cirencester graciously loaned me a track pump).
Topped up with more sealant and the leak eventually stopped. Much to learn about this "new" technology!
A few photos (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmk5GbRh)
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My experience is that your last line holds the answer. Unless the hole is already big enough for a "Worm", then just adding a suitable amount of sealant should work. And topping up monthly with fresh sealant may be needed if you do a lot of miles.
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I am down to do this next weekend if work doesn't get in the way. I have read a few reports so my questions is if I get the dozies (which i will), where is best to lay one's head down for an hour or so. Any other tips?
Sefi
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With a 6am start you will likely find yourself in the Chilterns when you get the dozies. Personally I know there are some village hall covered verandas in the Chilterns which are suitable for a kip. The GPX and route sheets will be sent out Sunday I think. Suggest you look at where it passes through once it is out, and see what you can find. There is also plenty of woods in the Chilterns where you'd be able to lay down if it's reasonably dry or you carry a bivvy bag.
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If you're really desperate, Peartree Travelodge have rooms for £129. :o The route passes through Oxford, Watlington, Henley and Staines. We're doing the final route check tomorrow and Sarah is planning on having the routesheet and GPX out on Sunday night.
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Just noticed that the route between Ashmansworth and Linkenholt has changed this year. There are a couple of extra chevrons (though one can be avoided by a judicious bit of off-roading, if you have fattish tyres).
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The route back from Henley was changed to be more direct so some additional distance had to be added in the middle of the ride to keep it above 400km. You'll get some great views as you skirt the edges of the North Wessex Downs and Downton Abbey fans may be able to spot Highclere Castle as they head along the ridge from Ashmansworth to East Woodhay.
There are loads of bus shelters between Cirencester and Lechlade but there are only 3 bus shelters between Oxford and Stadhampton and nothing after than until Henley. The garage in Henley has seating for 10 inside and has hot drinks.
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I did have a look at Streetview around Combe Gibbet and the views are rather splendid. Do hope we get some clear weather so they can be enjoyed. That reminds me, my rear disc brake needs a little adjustment so it bites earlier...
In other news my BB has started making the kind of clunking noises that indicate death imminent. Have ordered a couple of replacements and paid for next day delivery. Better it happened today and not Sat.
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Downton Abbey fans may be able to spot Highclere Castle as they head along the ridge from Ashmansworth to East Woodhay.
Does the route still go through Bampton?? :P
There are loads of bus shelters between Cirencester and Lechlade but there are only 3 bus shelters between Oxford and Stadhampton and nothing after than until Henley. The garage in Henley has seating for 10 inside and has hot drinks.
I don't know the exact road you're sending riders on to Henley [although I can guess!], but as PhilW said upthread, it's quite a good area for bivvying, even sans bus shelters; lots of shelter in the woods, and you can probably find some partial cover from a building somewhere.
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Downton Abbey fans may be able to spot Highclere Castle as they head along the ridge from Ashmansworth to East Woodhay.
Does the route still go through Bampton?? :P
There are loads of bus shelters between Cirencester and Lechlade but there are only 3 bus shelters between Oxford and Stadhampton and nothing after than until Henley. The garage in Henley has seating for 10 inside and has hot drinks.
I don't know the exact road you're sending riders on to Henley [although I can guess!], but as PhilW said upthread, it's quite a good area for bivvying, even sans bus shelters; lots of shelter in the woods, and you can probably find some partial cover from a building somewhere.
The route does still go through Bampton. I've not seen the show so if there's some connection between Bampton and Downton Abbey, you'll have to explain that one a bit more for me. We stay on the B480 from Oxford to just before Henley. It was 4 degrees coming down the hill into Henley on Saturday night so if anyone is going to bivy out in the open hopefully they'll take enough kit to stay warm. I'd hate to lug that kit up the hills on the 1st half though which is why I was looking for shelter that was already in place and had a bench to keep the prospective tenants off the ground.
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Does anyone know what the parking is like near the start? Likely to find on road parking at about 5.30? Will be driving over from Oxford leaving Headington about 4am if anyone wants a lift.
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The route does still go through Bampton. I've not seen the show so if there's some connection between Bampton and Downton Abbey, you'll have to explain that one a bit more for me. We stay on the B480 from Oxford to just before Henley. It was 4 degrees coming down the hill into Henley on Saturday night so if anyone is going to bivy out in the open hopefully they'll take enough kit to stay warm. I'd hate to lug that kit up the hills on the 1st half though which is why I was looking for shelter that was already in place and had a bench to keep the prospective tenants off the ground.
Yes, you're right about shelter - I was just thinking that the forecast for this weekend is significantly closer to May average than LWL/BC had!
Bampton is where they film most of Downton, I believe. Not in the centre though - I've been thru a 100 times without seeing any activity. But I'm sure the hardcore fans could make a small diversion.
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There should be plenty of parking at that time of the morning, most of the houses have driveways so the street is usually empty when we turn up at 5am.
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There should be plenty of parking at that time of the morning, most of the houses have driveways so the street is usually empty when we turn up at 5am.
Thank you :)
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<whisper> The forecast looks okay </whisper>
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<whisper> The forecast looks okay </whisper>
http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b390182e-7a8f-453d-a4d8-f8550f4bd9e7 (http://www.weatherbagel.com/f/b390182e-7a8f-453d-a4d8-f8550f4bd9e7)
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Epic ride weather says same. Just a southerly wind the whole way round...echelon time..
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More importantly the forecast winds look benign. After strong winds on my last two Audax outings I am looking forward to something a bit more amenable. As for forecast temps I'm assuming it will be somewhat colder (than forecast) at night and will be packing suitable warm stuff.
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That's good about the winds, there aren't any hedges on the section between Pewsey and Calne, we had a headwind on last year's route check and that was no fun.
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Great day out.
Lovely route - some of it known to me (but some of that only the other way around; for example the climb before Easebourne - I'd always thought it looked like a tough climb the other way around (to how I have done it previously) - I was definitely right! 17% and pretty relentless).
Those lanes after the first control though?!? There must have been sand an inch or more deep in parts of those - pretty sketchy.
Pretty good weather all day - not too warm, not too much wind - did ride on some wet roads, but I did not get a drop of rain (suspect some ahead may have done). Night was colder than expected - but the mist and the light of the full moon was pretty cool!
Really great event and massive thanks to Sarah and team.
Oh - and it was funny seeing another event going the other way at 2am or whatever it was - I believe the Bristol-London-Bristol event. I did think it very odd when I saw my third or fourth group of riders coming towards me as I couldn't think why there would be so many riders out in the middle of the night as that's something that only daft audaxers would do.
Looking forward to the 600!
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Oh - and it was funny seeing another event going the other way at 2am or whatever it was - I believe the Bristol-London-Bristol event. I did think it very odd when I saw my third or fourth group of riders coming towards me as I couldn't think why there would be so many riders out in the middle of the night as that's something that only daft audaxers would do.
Made us chuckle going the other direction, bloody weirdos out at 2 am. Fantastic moon though, even if the misty fog was freezing.
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They were still going by at 3:30am. Whether it was by design or accident what a brilliant twist.
Echo Marcus' words well organised and excecuted by Sarah and the gang. Beer the night before was a nice touch. What a brilliant route;though my riding partner through the night, Zumzum , was wishing for some more hills on the middle bit to get warm on. We'd seen each other from Coombe Gibbet onwards and when he came into the same Chinese as me in Cirencester it seemed a no brainer to do the night section together.
Loved the optional off road bit to Coombe Gibbet, as did the couple (who followed me) on the event. Well she did, I am not so sure her partner did. She asked if I was a mountain biker, yes, I thought so she said. Gave Neil a surprise when he saw me approaching the info from an alternate direction.
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That wasn't just any full moon - that was a blue moon! No wonder it looked fantastic, first peeking out through the clouds and finally revealed in full, shining through the mist and illuminating the roads like floodlight.
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/when-is-the-next-blue-moon (https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/when-is-the-next-blue-moon)
There were also some really beautiful cloud formations pre-sunset, including one spectacular vertical cone shape that looked like a static tornado. I was having problems charging the mobile so didn't stop to take any pictures, sadly.
We were lucky with the weather. There were sections both out and back that could have been pretty taxing with a significant wind. It did get cold but not as bad as recent weekend overnight temperatures.
I agree with what others have said about the route. Very pretty and plenty of variety, and I personally liked the flat return section (apart from the final hill looming out of the darkness). Very welcome with 250k already in the legs.
Many thanks to Sarah & team. It's great to have an SR series on the doorstep for us Londoners.
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Many thanks to Sarah and the Kingston Wheelers team for a memorable day (and night) out. It's great to have an SR series on the doorstep for us Raynes Park people!
I agree with Marcus about the hills, the sand, the weather and the surreal sight of all the bikes coming the other way at 2.30am. Strava flyby shows I passed someone I follow just as we crossed the M4 bridge. They were on The Paddington Express starting from Bristol at 3pm so I am surprised they were so closely grouped 12 hours into the ride.
I was most impressed with Phil's off road route at Coombe Gibbet - why go down the hill and up another steep one when you can just go straight across on the level? If only that manoeuver could be used on Bexley Hill and Howe Hill.
600 here we come!
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They were still going by at 3:30am. Whether it was by design or accident what a brilliant twist.
Once in a Blue Moon perhaps?