The Cambridge Pork Pie 200 + EXTRA + Spring Dash 100 — Sat 16 March 2019 — PBP Q

[yanto]

Once again  a huge thank you to Nick, Ewa, Ben (son 2, whom I'm afraid I don't know his name ) for turning a god day into a very good day.

As for the ride, it had many challenging aspects, notably WIND! Sometimes making it down right bloody scary, I hope all who started finish, good to meet familiar faces again, mutual friends and make new acquaintances.

[ElyDave]

I'll second that. I was chatting with a couple of riders at the arrivee who I'd been to and fro-ing with since the first control  we all said wed have probably stayed at home if we didn't have something to go out to. We were all glad we did.

That run down towards Fulbourn was pretty hairy in places with the crosswind, otherwise it seemed less dramatic than the forecast suggested.  Soup and cake superb as always

Thanks team Nick

[Martin]

On the train back from Kings Lynn having wussed on the idea of 90k into storm (whoever). Not a pushover either as encountered some nasty crosswinds RVing with the Double Dutch route. I was lucky turning up there as they have a Lumiere on at the moment (as well as seeing Chernobyl at night)




Excellent event and TLC WB!
Loved the stew / soup based thing at the finish and glass CAIK cabinet. And the breakfast and coffee stops. Please pass on my thanks to ] your team

[MsG]

First Audax today and really enjoyed it. Great meeting people, fab cake. Thank you Nick, Ewa and Ben.
ElyDave - presume we met on the train from Ely then?   
Possibly Martin too?

Agree,  the Fulbourn crosswinds were a bit hairy - Fenland seems to have visited south Cambs for the day.

[rob]

Battered.

[Phil W]

Hard going north west (winds more westerly at the start) and to our delight the winds changed to more southerly for the return. The hall was full of thousand yard stares.  Even riders who live in Cambridge were ringing their wives to get rescue unable to face anymore of the headwind.

My arms are knackered from trying to keep the bike upright against some of the nastiest cross winds and gusts  I have encountered for some time.

Thanks to Ewa and Nick's sons for the hospitality and arranging some characterful weather. Nice to catch up with a few familiar faces, and keep passing and repassing with other riders during the ride, or shout hi in passing.  Fortunately Yanto was heading uphill when we passed so he didn't pass at warp factor 9. That is my first PBP qualifier in the bank.

Lucky the rain held off till the very end.

[psyclist]

My first time riding the Pork Pie, and pleasantly surprised with how lovely the lanes were for virtually the whole route.

All food at the arrivee was spot-on, but especially the chocolate and guiness cake. Many thanks to Ewa, and to Nick, Ben and other helpers for making the whole occasion so enjoyable.

And then there was the wind ...

[MarkoftheShire]

In like a lion, out like a lamb only someone forget to tell the weather gods that we are halfway through March already.....conditions were a little ‘sporty’ to say the least. Many thanks to Nick and Ewa for their organisation and hospitality at Arrivée.

To all those who rode yesterday I think it would be fair to say we left it all on the road ... 

[alotronic]

A quick write up on accidentally doing the Extra and moody, solo rides.... https://audaxery.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/stormy-weather/

[rob]

Battered.

Bit more with it today.

I had switched to my commuter off the back of the wet and windy forecast.  It has more robust tyres and I’m less bothered about getting it dirty. 

I had decided to go in the 8am group which gave time for an extra coffee.  On leaving, paranoia crept in and I thought my rear tyre was soft so I popped back and put some more air in using wilkyboy’s handy track pump.   This left me dead last on the road, so I pushed the pace a bit sticking my heart rate in the right zone.   I popped in and out of small groups along the busway and then out into fenland.   This is where the crosswind started to get a bit interesting.  Being a bit of a lightweight it was chucking me sideward on the exposed sections and I felt a bit uncomfortable in places.

Just before Oundle the back of the bike got a bit rattly and I noticed the mudguard bracket had sheared at the brake bridge.   I faffed for a little while with a zip tie but couldn’t stop the tyre from rubbing.   After a few more minutes I took the guard off completely.  I wasted probably 20 minutes on that and then set off again.   I was carrying enough food and water so pushed through Oundle and into the rolling Rutland countryside.  I hadn’t ridden through there for years and the roads were pretty and quite rolling.

Being a bit behind where I wanted to be I bought some water and a coffee from the mobile cafe in the square and then set off back.   It then got really quite rolling and felt more windy.  I was feeling OK and still feeding from my top tube bag.  I found the steeper climbs quite hard and I couldn’t pull on the bars as much as I wanted to get the fixed moving.   I resorted to walking on just one climb before Seaton.

I didn’t stop in Oundle and picked up some tailwind sections here and there as I headed back to the busway.  I hadn’t seen another rider in ages but picked up someone who had had 5 fairy visits and turned back early.

I got in just before 18:00 but felt really rough.  I find in windy conditions I grip the bars too much which results in sore forearms but I also forget to drink.   Also, it was only at the finish that I realised it hadn’t rained all day, despite going a bit grey a few times.

I rectified this with a load of squash and coffee along with soup, cheese rolls and cake.   

Thanks to Wilkyboy and family for putting these events on.   

[Martin]

hope the hoots made it back OK they were into the sharp end of the wind to That London; but flew past me into it on the way to Heesden

ECE's all present and correct from everyone else 

[bhoot]

The hoots had a train ride back to London! We weren't aiming to extend to 300km, so the trip northwards in the morning was plenty enough. As it happened it wasn't a quick journey on the train as apparently plastic sheeting had blown onto the overhead wires, and we proceeded very slowly south of Cheshunt, with the journey eventually taking two hours!

[Martin]

The hoots had a train ride back to London! We weren't aiming to extend to 300km, so the trip northwards in the morning was plenty enough. As it happened it wasn't a quick journey on the train as apparently plastic sheeting had blown onto the overhead wires, and we proceeded very slowly south of Cheshunt, with the journey eventually taking two hours!

Sorry just checking my ECE entries; good call indeed!

I can recommend Kings Lynn station; it's all done up in old BR Eastern Region livery with platform signs and even ticket machines. No Class 47s any more though.

[ElyDave]

And not a bad cafe for such a small station either.

[Slimline Saxon]

With a dodgy groin and back which put me out of the Horsepower, this was always going to be a fitness test, with options to shorten the route if necessary. For some reason I thought the finish time was 17.53pm, not 17.04 pm, and felt I could manage it.

Anyway, the Big Saxon riding into wind, uphill on a heavy steel bike and short of distance training was always going to be difficult. Got to Meesden at 12 noon, met the unfortunate rider who crashed and injured  his collarbone/shoulder, hopefully he will be ok. Left as Ewa's sister arrived in the Lanterne Rouge position, having taken a detour. By now the back was aching, flew down the valley to Wendens Ambo and decided the train was the best option, although still thinking I could have made the time. Three minutes later I was on the way to Cambridge and rode back through the City Centre to Girton

As it turns out I was wrong on time and therefore took the right decision as I would have hurt myself and been out of time anyway. The main reason I came was to support Nick and Ewa as i always try to do, and of course to eat cake, I had the cranberry and pistachio options, Ewa sent me home with the Guinness and carrot cake for my wife, who is half Irish and ate the Guinness on St Patrick's Day,saying how wonderful the cakes were and does Ewa do quiches? 

Like many riders on Saturday I ache in many places from trying to stay upright, but more miles in the legs and back for Spring in South Suffolk on Saturday, less wind and I will get the carbon out for speed.

Thanks again to team Wilkyboy for a grand day out.     

[ElyDave]

First Audax today and really enjoyed it. Great meeting people, fab cake. Thank you Nick, Ewa and Ben.
ElyDave - presume we met on the train from Ely then?   
Possibly Martin too?

Agree,  the Fulbourn crosswinds were a bit hairy - Fenland seems to have visited south Cambs for the day.

Yes, that was me, good to see you made it round and enjoyed it.

Arms and neck very much aching for me on Sunday/Monday but in a good way.

[djrikki]

Hope everyone had fun at the Cambridge Pork Pie, unfortunately yet again had a mechanical so had to bail out at the last moment.  However, I did manage to recover my rare opportunity of a 3 day weekend and complete 2 x 200km DIYs either side of the calendar event. So I will call that success!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHGvzn2uUo

[Grimrod]

Whilst last year's Spring Dash was characterised by a memorable headwind blizzard, this year's only had the wind! I was actually able to enjoy the sight of loads of sweet little violets sheltering in the hedgerow banks....
On the Cambridge Audax website I found all the information I needed; a testament to excellent organisation and communication. Nick's assessment of what to expect (communicated through e-mails and briefing) was spot-on, so the arm-wrenching crosswinds on the last leg didn't take me by surprise.
A very sincere thank you to Nick, Ewa, Ben and his brother for their hard work, warm hospitality, and cakes to die for!

[caferaca]

Thanks to Nick and family for making my first Audax a stress free experience, parking, GPX files, cake . The Pork Pie was the longest I've ever ridden in a day and I'm still feeling it 3 days later! I don't train on many hills where I live and haven't ridden for so long in strong wind, a proper clenched teeth job in places.

Cheers, and hopefully see some of you in future events,
Rick

[JonJo]

A quick write up on accidentally doing the Extra and moody, solo rides.... https://audaxery.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/stormy-weather/

Thanks for the write up. Wise words for the fast lads.

[Chris S]

A quick write up on accidentally doing the Extra and moody, solo rides.... https://audaxery.wordpress.com/2019/03/17/stormy-weather/

Thanks for the write up. Wise words for the fast lads.

+1. That climb away from Launde Abbey is a Git.

[Martin]

I'd just like to add that having admin'd them for several years it was great to be a part of the East Anglian ECE Massive 

and that also goes out to all the other organisers who have created these events that are so popular and accessible to all from wherever they ride (to/from or both; and also the other non ECE riders)

[alotronic]

I'd just like to add that having admin'd them for several years it was great to be a part of the East Anglian ECE Massive 

and that also goes out to all the other organisers who have created these events that are so popular and accessible to all from wherever they ride (to/from or both; and also the other non ECE riders)

Nice work Martin, are the ACME posse particularity big in the ECE world - should we lobby for an award ;-)

[Martin]

I'd just like to add that having admin'd them for several years it was great to be a part of the East Anglian ECE Massive 

and that also goes out to all the other organisers who have created these events that are so popular and accessible to all from wherever they ride (to/from or both; and also the other non ECE riders)

Nice work Martin, are the ACME posse particularity big in the ECE world - should we lobby for an award ;-)

and ACH plus a few local clubs yes, I think Tomsk helps a lot with the winter series of 100s, although there are many others like the Kelvedon Oyster Knights Templar (on my list, I'm very into that Holy Blood stuff) Braziers Run etc

Have a look here
http://www.aukweb.net/results/detail/this/listevent/?Ride=ECE01

[jiberjaber]

I'd just like to add that having admin'd them for several years it was great to be a part of the East Anglian ECE Massive 

and that also goes out to all the other organisers who have created these events that are so popular and accessible to all from wherever they ride (to/from or both; and also the other non ECE riders)

Nice work Martin, are the ACME posse particularity big in the ECE world - should we lobby for an award ;-)

and ACH plus a few local clubs yes, I think Tomsk helps a lot with the winter series of 100s, although there are many others like the Kelvedon Oyster Knights Templar (on my list, I'm very into that Holy Blood stuff) Braziers Run etc

Have a look here
http://www.aukweb.net/results/detail/this/listevent/?Ride=ECE01

Thanks for that Martin - with a quick bit of excel magic here's the top 10. (72% of the 132 ECEs overall!)

AudaxClubMid-Essex      36 NO CLUB      17 AudaxClubHackney      14 AudaxClubPortsmouth      7 CCSudburySuffolk      5 FourCornersAudax      5 CambridgeAudaxCTC      3 CambridgeCC      3 LeicesterForestCC      3 HertfordshireWhsCTC      3