Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: citoyen on 10 June, 2018, 01:10:52 pm
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The second edition of the Thanet Platinum rides take place on Saturday 1st September 2018, starting from Goody Ales brewery in Herne village (near Herne Bay).
200 - basically the same as last year, with a few minor route refinements. Starts 8am.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-304/
This is last year's route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/24947881
110 - revised route to cut out the excessive over-distance, with a halfway control at Woodchurch. Starts 9.30am.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-305/
New route, pending checks: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27371286
Century - new for this year, a 160km/100 mile route. Uses the 200 route as far as Robertsbridge, cuts across to Rye, then uses the 200 route back to the finish.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-335/
Likely route, pending checks: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25192489
Food included at the finish - the pork pies were incredibly popular last year so I'll make sure we get more of those in this year, so later finishers don't miss out.
And the bar will be open until 11pm, serving Goody's ales, local cider, wine and soft drinks.
For those who don't want to drive, the first train from London gets in to Herne Bay at 7.39am and it's just 4km to the start from there (happy for people to start late). Alternatively, you can camp in the field at the start the night before, or stay at the posh campsite 100m down the lane. It will also be possible to camp in the field on Saturday night after the event.
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Right. Given the org and the route, I'm in. Unless I'm out of the country - as i might be in Norway. Current plan is to ECE the 100k. But the notion of camping nearby and the possibility that others might do the same and perhaps be in a nearby hostelry in the evening is most alluring.
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:thumbsup:
For those staying on Friday night, the brewery bar will only be open 4-7pm, but there are a couple hostelries just down the road in the village, including the original micropub - http://www.micropub.co.uk/
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I recommend this route. I also recommend 4 inner tubes and repair patches too. If you can get there and back with no driving. I recommend that as well as the beer looks great.
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This was great last year (didn't even get any punctures!) Is the brewery cat still in residence?
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Is the woodland off road bit still in it?
No, I've taken that bit off the official routesheet - it's still there as an option for anyone who wants to use it as a shortcut to the finish but I think most would rather avoid it. I still use it a lot myself but I get that it's not to everyone's taste!
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I also recommend 4 inner tubes and repair patches too.
I think the number of punctures last year was a bit of freakish bad luck - I've done this route several times without a single puncture. It was just unfortunate that the heavy rain the night before must have washed all the crap into the road.
But yes, best to be prepared for every eventuality.
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Is the brewery cat still in residence?
I don't think I've met the cat - but that's possibly because I usually have the dog in tow when I go up there, so it probably keeps out of the way.
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200 - basically the same as last year, with a few minor route refinements. Starts 8am.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-304/
110 - revised route to cut out the excessive over-distance, with a halfway control at Woodchurch. Starts 9.30am.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-305/
Century - new for this year, a 160km/100 mile route. Uses the 200 route as far as Robertsbridge, cuts across to Rye, then uses the 200 route back to the finish.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-335/
Just bumping this thread to say that provisional routesheets and GPX files are now available to download from the AUK website using above links. They should be fine but I'm planning to do a test ride of each distance over the next few weeks just to make sure.
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This is a cracking ride and perfectly ECE'able however I am away that weekend... I blame bad forward planning!
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I'm looking forward to this, had to miss it last year, but raring to go in 2018.
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Hopefully I'll be able to do this. I have most of August off with a family holiday so it should help me find my legs before the Fenland Friends the following weekend.
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Gratuitous thread bump...
Entries are trickling in nicely, so it should be a good turnout again. Closing date for entries is 27th August.
I've done a test ride of the new 110km route and I'm very happy with it - a definite improvement IMO.
I've also roped in some helpers to stamp cards at the Biddenden control. Might have more helpers at other controls but not counting on it - if not, it'll be commercial controls as last year.
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2m for AAA made me laugh
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2m for AAA made me laugh
One of those delightful quirks of the Event Planner. I haven't worked out how to change it, but it doesn't bother me enough to ask anyone else to fix it either. Might try to sort it for next year though...
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The AAA man can remove it.
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The AAA man can remove it.
The AAA man is on the case.
Probably for the best to remove that as it seems to be causing confusion. There are a couple of hills on the route but certainly not enough to merit AAA points.
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The AAA man has now fixed the glitch, so if you look at the entry page it's showing as 'revised AAA', although there are no actual changes to the route. However, he also checked the total climbing on the ride and added a couple of hundred metres of elevation that I overlooked*, so it is now 10% hillier than it was. Still a long way short of being hilly enough to merit AAA points though.
*I just went with the figure RWGPS gave me.
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In.
Now out: a friend's 65th birthday innit.
BUT - had entered because. Thanet club, innit.
Also - a 200k just in case I want to go to France next year.
And it's a week before the Fenland 600k so will give me an idea of what it is to ride a bike.
also - camping near a brewery, what's not to like? Can rehydrate in good company. Drive home in the morning, innit. Hic.
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In.
Now out: a friend's 65th birthday innit.
Ah, that's a shame!
I'm in the process of arranging a cyclist's breakfast offer at Bloomsbury's in Biddenden (first control on the Century and 200) - something along the lines of bacon roll and coffee for a fiver, details tbc. Last year, Biddenden was a 'free' control but I've roped in some helpers to stamp cards this year, so Bloomsbury's will be the official control location.
I did a test ride of the Century route yesterday. All I will say to anyone doing that one is: just because it doesn't have AAA points, don't expect it to be flat.
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Entered, but I have a 10 day holiday in Italy between now and then.
I expect I'll be a bit heavier by the time of the ride.
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The opportunity is opening up for me to ride, about time I came to support the Thanet lot after they have sent representations to ACME events ;D
I will likely drive the ACME team van with bike and air bed in the back so I can sleep over :thumbsup:
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Good plan given a goody ales finish :thumbs:
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I'm in I hope, the audax site suggesting I had both entered and cancelled. God alone knows what I did.....
Definitely planning on camping as Wiltshire to Kent is a bit of a hike and the beer sounds excellent!
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I'm in I hope, the audax site suggesting I had both entered and cancelled. God alone knows what I did.....
Definitely planning on camping as Wiltshire to Kent is a bit of a hike and the beer sounds excellent!
Yep, I've just sent you an email to confirm you're in. And yes, the beer is excellent. See you there!
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I'm in I hope, the audax site suggesting I had both entered and cancelled. God alone knows what I did.....
Definitely planning on camping as Wiltshire to Kent is a bit of a hike and the beer sounds excellent!
Yep, I've just sent you an email to confirm you're in. And yes, the beer is excellent. See you there!
Brilliant! Thank you very much.
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Note for anyone still thinking about it: entries close on 27th August - unfortunately, I don't have a legion of helpers so I won't have the capacity to process entries on the line, hence I need to be quite strict about that.
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The opportunity is opening up for me to ride, about time I came to support the Thanet lot after they have sent representations to ACME events ;D
I will likely drive the ACME team van with bike and air bed in the back so I can sleep over :thumbsup:
Which distance are you riding?
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The opportunity is opening up for me to ride, about time I came to support the Thanet lot after they have sent representations to ACME events ;D
I will likely drive the ACME team van with bike and air bed in the back so I can sleep over :thumbsup:
Which distance are you riding?
I'm in for the 200.
Camping Saturday night in my tent rather than the van on account of just having sold it.
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Entered, but I have a 10 day holiday in Italy between now and then.
I expect I'll be a bit heavier by the time of the ride.
God I feel unhealthy. Flight home tomorrow and hopefully back on the bike on Thursday.
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The opportunity is opening up for me to ride, about time I came to support the Thanet lot after they have sent representations to ACME events ;D
Martin is our main ambassador, as you probably know - he has even bought an ACME jersey. Unfortunately, I don't make it up to as many Essex events as I'd like, though I am down for the Fenland Friends 600 the following weekend.
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Martin is our main ambassador, as you probably know - he has even bought an ACME jersey. Unfortunately, I don't make it up to as many Essex events as I'd like, though I am down for the Fenland Friends 600 the following weekend.
:thumbsup:
Bon chance with the Fenlands Friends! Personally, I preferred the reverse route of the Flatlands so hope you enjoy it.
I won't be riding it as it's at least 217km further than I like to ride these days ::-)
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The opportunity is opening up for me to ride, about time I came to support the Thanet lot after they have sent representations to ACME events ;D
I will likely drive the ACME team van with bike and air bed in the back so I can sleep over :thumbsup:
Which distance are you riding?
I'm in for the 200.
Camping Saturday night in my tent rather than the van on account of just having sold it.
I would have thought 110 would be better ... more time available afterwards. I’m thinking of ECEing again, but don’t fancy it if none of the usual faces will be on for that distance.
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I've entered the 110km and will be taking full value ride; and have been informed from 2 reliable Thanax 'Acme' sources that is it quite lumpy. Camping Friday and Saturday night. You will be better off ece'ing the 200km - you will benefit from the extra training for the Flatlands. ;)
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I've entered the 110km and will be taking full value ride; and have been informed from 2 reliable Thanax 'Acme' sources that is it quite lumpy. Camping Friday and Saturday night. You will be better off ece'ing the 200km - you will benefit from the extra training for the Flatlands. ;)
It’s not really lumpy, I did it on singlespeed last year.
Needs to be the 110km for me as the ferry to Gravesend doesn’t start until 5:50, so it’s the only variant I can reasonably cycle down for the event start. Think I’ll be entering shortly.
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I've entered the 110km and will be taking full value ride; and have been informed from 2 reliable Thanax 'Acme' sources that is it quite lumpy.
It’s not really lumpy, I did it on singlespeed last year.
The route for the 110 has changed a bit this year - the flat middle section is now a rolling middle section. Still nothing too AAArduous but a wee bit lumpier than last time.
I think it's an improvement. Guess I'll soon find out if the riders agree...
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I would have thought 110 would be better ... more time available afterwards.
If the weather is good, like it was last year, riding the 110 and spending the afternoon relaxing over a beer or two would definitely appeal to me as a rider. I've been pondering the idea of an overnight 300, starting at 11pm or midnight like the Green & Yellow Fields, so most riders would finish early afternoon. Will have to talk to Karen at the brewery to see if that would work for them.
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I would have thought 110 would be better ... more time available afterwards.
tho but, no points and no RRtY tick, and ECEing from Witham then getting the train home is far too much faff. Keeping it simple and quite like the look of the 200 route in a part of the country I haven't ridden before. I hope to get back with sufficient time to enjoy the rehydration so will probably not be employing my usual full value strategy of seeing how many café stops I can get in.
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Weather is looking very nice for a mid-afternoon finish and sampling the on-site beverages in the afternoon sun. Very pleased I’ve opted for the 110km ride again, despite a 3am start for the ECE.
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Ah, a thread about going for a bike ride. What a breath of fresh air.
Looking forward to a decent day out on the bike.
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111 riders are now en route. Not a bad turnout from 122 entrants. Beautiful day for a ride, which no doubt helps.
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"See the coast in green and blue, see Chartham right in front of you"
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What a great formula ; host a 200k taking in the best of the Kent countryside , add in the option of camping at the start at a brewery , and arrange for the brewery to host the finish party serving beer & BBQ .
I brilliant 24hrs mini adventure - Thanks for organising Dave - same time next year ?!
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111 riders are now en route. Not a bad turnout from 122 entrants. Beautiful day for a ride, which no doubt helps.
That is excellent and testament to your organising skills!
My impression is that turnout is as much down to communication than it is down to weather forecast. If you do a good job of keeping in touch with the riders, they will show up. Some organisers don't even send an email to acknowledge an entry, no wonder folks don't show up...
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What a great formula ; host a 200k taking in the best of the Kent countryside , add in the option of camping at the start at a brewery , and arrange for the brewery to host the finish party serving beer & BBQ .
I brilliant 24hrs mini adventure - Thanks for organising Dave - same time next year ?!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! It's pencilled in for Saturday 7th September next year and will probably be open for entries early in the new year. Won't be a BRM next time - gives me time to think about planning enhancements without the rush to get it in the calendar.
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111 riders are now en route. Not a bad turnout from 122 entrants. Beautiful day for a ride, which no doubt helps.
That is excellent and testament to your organising skills!
My impression is that turnout is as much down to communication than it is down to weather forecast. If you do a good job of keeping in touch with the riders, they will show up. Some organisers don't even send an email to acknowledge an entry, no wonder folks don't show up...
Thanks. It's a lot of work but hugely rewarding. Very low DNF rate as well, which I'm pleased about. Again, the weather was a contributory factor in this. And the beer.
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Very low DNF rate as well, which I'm pleased about. Again, the weather was a contributory factor in this. And the beer.
Not sure... DNF doesn't necessarily mean that someone packs up. If the infos are too cryptic and the controls too much of a hassle, I might decide it's not worth the hassle for a shorter brevet.
Again, it's up to the organiser to come up with infos that are "unmissable"... the name of a pub rather than the name of a cottage surrounded by a sea of named cottages or so hidden from the road that anyone going over 5 mph would miss it.
Of infos that can only be obtained reading the route sheet... so that anyone using a GPS would miss it... or info which on the brevet card is 5 km after where it actually is...
Clearly you did a good job on that front too
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Very low DNF rate as well, which I'm pleased about. Again, the weather was a contributory factor in this. And the beer.
Not sure... DNF doesn't necessarily mean that someone packs up. If the infos are too cryptic and the controls too much of a hassle, I might decide it's not worth the hassle for a shorter brevet.
I had six "DNV" (did not validate) who were only interested in having a nice ride with food and beer at the end. It would be good to be able to enter DNV as a category on the results sheet for this purpose.
Of infos that can only be obtained reading the route sheet... so that anyone using a GPS would miss it... or info which on the brevet card is 5 km after where it actually is...
Embedding info controls as waypoints in the supplied GPX file is the solution to this. Although I agree that info controls should be made as easy as possible to locate - eg by placing them at junctions rather than at random locations along lanes.
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Embedding info controls as waypoints in the supplied GPX file is the solution to this. Although I agree that info controls should be made as easy as possible to locate - eg by placing them at junctions rather than at random locations along lanes.
Let's not stretch it, next thing we'll ask for infos to be in actual villages rather than in the middle of nowhere... ;D TBH I would be happy with a GPX file that actually follows the intended route and with a route card that is reasonably realistic about intermediate distances.
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There was a big old group that sailed right past the first control while I was getting a stamp.
I had a great day out. I has stuck a bigger gear on last week ready for the Flatlands, forgetting that ther would be some lumps. I got up everything apart from the steepest bit out of Hastings. There was a great mixture of technical lanes and fast and flat bits along the south coast and the route is really well thought out. I can feel it today, though.
I’ll admit to a bit of audax snobbery when 2 lads on stripped down bikes and no luggage sailed past me. I caught then on a flatter stretch but my route turned off left. They caught me 5 minutes later. I genuinely thought it was 2 mates out for a ride and didn’t realise they were on the same event. I did say that I wouldn’t normally let another rider miss a turn.
I had to placate a driver in the lanes about 10-15k from the finish as whoever was in front of me had sworn at him. I apologised on the riders behalf and wished him a nice afternoon. He went off seemingly happy, but I’m not sure why they always assume another rider on the same piece of road is ‘your mate’.
Thanks to Citoyen and all the helpers.
Rob
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There was a big old group that sailed right past the first control while I was getting a stamp.
Assuming that was the DNV group, the funniest thing about that is they finished 40 minutes after you.
Thanks to Citoyen and all the helpers.
Thanks for coming along - it's the riders that make the event. I went back over to the brewery to tidy up this morning and Karen commented on what a lovely friendly bunch you all were, even the ones who swear at motorists.
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Yes, I put infos and controls as waypoints in the GPX. I add 100m alerts to those waypoints as well so a nice beep and notification come up.
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There was a big old group that sailed right past the first control while I was getting a stamp.
Assuming that was the DNV group, the funniest thing about that is they finished 40 minutes after you.
They were all in the bakery in Robertsbridge when I rode through.
This confused the 2 sporty types I mentioned as they then thought it was a control.
You did send out a very comprehensive set of notes and it’s a pity that a lot of people can’t be arsed to read them.
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Well I had a great time. Good company and a splendid location for an Audax arrivee. I did make one major error though; arriving planning to camp and leaving your tent at home is a definite no-no. However our revered organiser rode to the rescue and I was able to use the tent he had supplied for left luggage!. I left before he arrived this morning so once again "Thank you Dave".
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By the way the two lads on stripped down bikes were on their first Audax (If it's the same two, that is) They were navigating with route sheet only. I played leapfrog with them for quite a way, helping them out with navigation and local knowledge as far as I could, and had a chat about audaxing in the bar afterwards.
Did you tell them about the Super Randonneur award? ;D
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Did you tell them about the Super Randonneur award? ;D
Someone told me about the SR after I did the Copdock 100 on a complete whim last year. Now trying to work out logistics for PBP...
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Well, that was a grand day out. Company in parts (and always good), pleasant lanes, pretty much perfect weather ... and of course a brewery finish.
*Much* harder than I was expecting from the climbing figures on the website, though the difficulty is partly down to inadequate legs, and to having decided it was a good idea to ECE from SE London - I certainly found the road home a bit of a strain, and that wasn't even lumpy ...
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LOOKing forward to this - particularly enjoy the section from Boughton Lees to Canterbury.
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:thumbsup:
Fingers crossed the weather is as good as it was last year.
Still open for entries if anyone else is interested...
200 - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-304/
166 - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-335/
110 - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-305/
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Can't make it this year. I have the Kent 12hr on Sunday. I know which one I would prefer to do.
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Can't make it this year. I have the Kent 12hr on Sunday. I know which one I would prefer to do.
Shame. I moved the date because quite a few of the club said they couldn't do it as it clashes with the club open 10, which is an annual fixture on the first Sunday of the month. Have any of them signed up this year? Of course not. ::-)
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When are you planning on closing entries?
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Can't make it this year. I have the Kent 12hr on Sunday. I know which one I would prefer to do.
Shame. I moved the date because quite a few of the club said they couldn't do it as it clashes with the club open 10, which is an annual fixture on the first Sunday of the month. Have any of them signed up this year? Of course not. ::-)
I was entered for the ECCA 12hr which is this Sunday, but they cancelled it due to lack of entries. The KCA 12hr is the last one on the calendar so I'm a bit stuck - I know the roads but it's not a course where you can get a good distance. I do get an extra weeks recovery from PBP, though.
Hope the event goes well.
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When are you planning on closing entries?
Officially Wednesday but let me know if you need to make a decision after then.
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Can't make it this year but it's a great ride and I would thoroughly recommend it!
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Having done the last 2 I would love to have made it 3, but alas, not this year.
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Controlled last year but seeing all the smiling faces coming in to get their cards stamped made me realise that I must be missing something good, so I'll be riding the 200 this time.
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72 finishers yesterday, over the three distances, and only 7 DNFs. One technically OTL but not by much so I applied organiser's discretion. Some got rained on briefly (mainly the faster riders), some got blown about a bit, some weren't so keen on the lumpy bits, and a few had reason to be disgruntled with local motoring standards, but other than that everyone seemed to have a jolly good time. And remarkably, everyone was finished before 8.30pm, which was very considerate - I was back home and in bed before 10pm (last year I was still at the finish until nearly 11pm).
For those of you who didn't make it, sorry we missed you - maybe next time...
I've been debating whether or not to run it again after this year, but after much deliberation, there is going to be a next time, but with a few changes, including a new name (for one thing, the club's 70th anniversary is now a receding memory, and for another thing, the club aren't really that interested in audax).
A few details TBC before I can add it to the calendar but hope to have that sorted soon.
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Well, the 200 certainly was a lovely ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite bonking badly as I slogging my way across the marshes from Rye with the wind ever-increasing (I suspect the early finishers may have missed that pleasure) and not recovering properly until about 25km from the finish. Yes, it would be possible to grouch a little about the little stretch along the seafront, with its dodgy drivers and dozy pedestrians, but that's still much more enjoyable than the main road inland alternative. So much of the route was on lovely single track lanes and, speaking as a poor climber, I would venture that the only serious climb was the one out of Hastings, and even that was perfectly manageable (and rewarded with a wonderful stretch of downhill).
Nice to meet several forumites, both posters and lurkers, too.
All in all, a cracking ride and one I think I'll be back to try again, no matter what it gets re-named.