CrAcKpOt

[hellymedic]

Riding it as a solo DIY is something, let alone doing it in winter.
Looks like it's my turn to watch someone else on a live tracker.

 

Hope you have a good supply of TEA¹ and chocky biccies and are sitting in a warm room!

1) or any other beverage

[GPS]

Bad news - I've had to pack. Climbing Dunkery Beacon at night in an icy cloud whilst having the dozies meant I lost even more time than Id been losing earlier. Thought I'd tough it out & see how I felt at Bovey, but I was going to miss the 'control closing'  and just couldn't see myself getting the time back later.

Back to the drawing board for another attempt later in the year. At least I've recce'd Dunkery Beacon now.

How on earth did anyone ride the Crackpot on fixed by the way!?

Thanks for all the positive vibes folks.

[teethgrinder]

Unlucky, but a good try.
I saw the tracker at Crediton and thought you were a few hours behind, so now I know why.
That section from Minehead to Bovey was probably the toughest of all.
There were 3 of us who rode Crackpot on fixed.
Rob Gray in 2000 (who has since got himself pretty fast and has done 480 in the Mersey 24)
Alan Pedliham in 1998 and 2000
Myself all 3 Crackpots plus a wonky unoficial version where I went off route a fair bit.
There was a bit of walking involved.


Puts away tea and biccies...

[hellymedic]

Oh dear!
Amazing courage even to try!

[Hummers]

Bad news - I've had to pack. Climbing Dunkery Beacon at night in an icy cloud whilst having the dozies meant I lost even more time than Id been losing earlier. Thought I'd tough it out & see how I felt at Bovey, but I was going to miss the 'control closing'  and just couldn't see myself getting the time back later.

Back to the drawing board for another attempt later in the year. At least I've recce'd Dunkery Beacon now.

A darn site harder that sitting at home reading posts on here, that's for sure. Well done for giving it a go though; reasonable weather or not, January is a challenging month for most of us  riding a 200 let alone this one.

If you are looking to attempt this later in the year you are likely to find others keen to join you - including me. 

How on earth did anyone ride the Crackpot on fixed by the way!?

Queue Jonah.....and not just the Crackpot either.

H

[GPS]

Unlucky, but a good try.
I saw the tracker at Crediton and thought you were a few hours behind, so now I know why.
That section from Minehead to Bovey was probably the toughest of all.
There were 3 of us who rode Crackpot on fixed.
Rob Gray in 2000 (who has since got himself pretty fast and has done 480 in the Mersey 24)
Alan Pedliham in 1998 and 2000
Myself all 3 Crackpots plus a wonky unoficial version where I went off route a fair bit.
There was a bit of walking involved.


Puts away tea and biccies...

Cheeers. As I was dropping away from, first, my schedule and then the control closing times, I kept saying to myself, 'if only I had some lower gears' only to remind myself that you and others have ridden it fixed !

Sorry to ruin your weekend of live track viewing by the way !

[GPS]

A darn site harder that sitting at home reading posts on here, that's for sure. Well done for giving it a go though; reasonable weather or not, January is a challenging month for most of us  riding a 200 let alone this one.

Yes - Dunkery Beacon had a different climate than the rest of the ride ...

If you are looking to attempt this later in the year you are likely to find others keen to join you - including me. 

Sounds like a plan. How do we organise this so we have dates and controls - especially for sleeping ? As much as I enjoyed sleeping in an emergency tin foil sleeping bag in a bus(?) shelter in Withypool, it'd be a bit cramped for a group and it wasn't fantastically restful ...

Do you have any dates in mind ?

[tonyh]

Back to the drawing board for another attempt later in the year.

 

[Hummers]

Sounds like a plan. How do we organise this so we have dates and controls - especially for sleeping ? As much as I enjoyed sleeping in an emergency tin foil sleeping bag in a bus(?) shelter in Withypool, it'd be a bit cramped for a group and it wasn't fantastically restful ...

Do you have any dates in mind ?

Not at the moment but with respect to controls and sleep stops, I would have thought Jonah and Teethgrinder's previous experience may be a guide. To be honest, if all else failed I would rough it.

H

[Bianchi Boy]

Unlucky, but a good try.
I saw the tracker at Crediton and thought you were a few hours behind, so now I know why.
That section from Minehead to Bovey was probably the toughest of all.
There were 3 of us who rode Crackpot on fixed.
Rob Gray in 2000 (who has since got himself pretty fast and has done 480 in the Mersey 24)
Alan Pedliham in 1998 and 2000
Myself all 3 Crackpots plus a wonky unoficial version where I went off route a fair bit.
There was a bit of walking involved.


Puts away tea and biccies...

I thought Swiss Hat had do it on fixed? Must have been mistaken.

BB

[marcusjb]

Bad news - I've had to pack. Climbing Dunkery Beacon at night in an icy cloud whilst having the dozies meant I lost even more time than Id been losing earlier. Thought I'd tough it out & see how I felt at Bovey, but I was going to miss the 'control closing'  and just couldn't see myself getting the time back later.

Back to the drawing board for another attempt later in the year. At least I've recce'd Dunkery Beacon now.

How on earth did anyone ride the Crackpot on fixed by the way!?

Thanks for all the positive vibes folks.

To have tried and to have failed is better than not trying at all. well done.

[hillbilly]

Never mind. Audax would be less fun if every challenge we start were a guaranteed success.

[Jonah]

Good effort Graham and I'm sorry you had to pack!  When you're ready, lets get some possible dates for a second assualt

[GPS]

To have tried and to have failed is better than not trying at all. well done.

Never mind. Audax would be less fun if every challenge we start were a guaranteed success.

Thanks. I'm disappointed, but it's only made me more determined!

In the meantime, here's the ride on Strava with some photos which give a flavour of the conditions:
https://www.strava.com/activities/476834918

The first pic is of a sign taken just after the unbelievable climb between Halstock & Hardington Mandeville. I'd never seen that sign before !

[GPS]

 

Good effort Graham and I'm sorry you had to pack!  When you're ready, lets get some possible dates for a second assualt

Cheers Jonah. It all puts your massive achievement doing the ride on fixed into even sharper perspective for me ! It's one tough ride ...

When do you think you'll be ready to ride it again ? I'm keen to get going again - preferably when there's a full moon. That certainly helped although I couldn't go full speed on many of the descents because they're wessex lanes. I got a pinch flat on a pothole during one such descent, but at least I had some moon light to help me clean the mud off and swap out the tube. 

[swiss hat]

I thought Swiss Hat had do it on fixed? Must have been mistaken.

BB

My steed for CrAcKpOt, note the gearzzzz



Audacious attempt Graham. I'm sure the experience gained will help with the next attempt. Wait until nearer the summer though eh?

[Jonah]

15-17-Apr-2016?

[Jonah]

5-season tyres (no!?, not 'tires' - that means something else) all the way since my last Brimmers assault (9-p*******s between the 2 of us - (I had 4)).  I tried those GPX-'4-season' Rizzla Papers on a Hellish perm once but the 'Port Stanley Airport Runway, Circa 1982' style conditions soon put paid to them.

[GPS]

5-season tyres (no!?, not 'tires' - that means something else) all the way since my last Brimmers assault (9-p*******s between the 2 of us - (I had 4)).  I tried those GPX-'4-season' Rizzla Papers on a Hellish perm once but the 'Port Stanley Airport Runway, Circa 1982' style conditions soon put paid to them.

Yup - Conti 4 Seasons aren't designed for wessex lanes ...

[phydaux]

Never having heard of the CrAcKpOt before, I looked up the route on Ride with GPS (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10663412)

Is it supposed to finish just outside the Accident and Emergency entrance of Poole General Hospital?

[Ian H]

Never having heard of the CrAcKpOt before, I looked up the route on Ride with GPS (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10663412)

Is it supposed to finish just outside the Accident and Emergency entrance of Poole General Hospital?

Assuming the track doesn't actually go in through the doors, yes, that is the finish.  There's a garage there.

[hellymedic]

That garage is just outside Poole Hospital's A&E department..
...where Shawn & I sometimes chatted the night away at work in days of yore.
Shawn lives nearby and threw his home open as a control for the Calendar event.

That garage was also useful for me to convert a ride to my parents into a Hostel Dart.

[Hummers]

The first pic is of a sign taken just after the unbelievable climb between Halstock & Hardington Mandeville. I'd never seen that sign before !

I believe this climb is an annual feature of the Primrose Path. One year, in the ice, I witnessed Scampi (of this parish) fall off and slide back down the hill - he and the bike on its side.

It is tricky.

H

[GPS]

My steed for CrAcKpOt, note the gearzzzz

Audacious attempt Graham. I'm sure the experience gained will help with the next attempt. Wait until nearer the summer though eh?

Thanks.  Nice bike - is that a triple ? Could've done with one of them.

The summer would indeed make it a different ride ...

15-17-Apr-2016?

As for the next attempt ... I'm thinking of possibly trying again at the next full moon (20th Feb). It just seems appropriate in so many ways ...   I'm not taking the weather for granted though. I was rather fortunate this weekend !

Don't think I can postpone it because the calendar's filling up.

I'd be happy to pop down to Minehead or somewhere to provide a mobile control for anyone else if required on other attempts though**. (Nowhere was open in Minehead apparently at 5 a.m. on a Saturday ... unless anyone knows any different - ? ) ** Calendar & Mrs GS permitting ;-)

[Graeme]

Amazing ride Jonah, and GS' attempt in Jan is impressive. Having looked at the route it is going on my 'to do' list. I like the idea of riding this solo/DIY but have no idea when an opportunity will present itself. Perhaps in a year or two. In the meantime I'm following all the reports on this one as it looks thoroughly awesome.