Author Topic: Oasts and Coasts 300Km  (Read 28019 times)

Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« on: 23 February, 2015, 12:38:58 pm »
Hello,

Is anyone in for this? I'm nearly pressing enter on this and a premier inn for the night before. Anyone done it before? Nice route? I don't really know Kent very well, I've done some of the Folkestone to Rye bit on one of Dave Hudson's rides, but don't know the rest (i.e. hilly!) bits at all so will all be new. And far. Such a long way 300k.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #1 on: 23 February, 2015, 01:25:45 pm »
I'm thinking of doing it but not entered yet.  It looks like a lovely route.
I've not ridden it before but done a few bits of it on other rides.  Most of the coastal bits are pretty, as are the hilly bits in the middle.  The bit from Rye to Folkestone is very flat and we are going the right way.  I've ridden it the other way and the headwind was like a wall.
You'll know Kent an awful lot better by the time you finish!

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #2 on: 23 February, 2015, 01:32:46 pm »
It does look nice- I've entered it this morning and will stay the night before. I have a 100m sportive in the North Downs (don't lynch me) the next day- this combination may actually kill me to death.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #3 on: 23 February, 2015, 01:59:01 pm »
Good luck with that!
I've entered as well.  Wedding anniversary the next day for me!

hillbilly

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #4 on: 23 February, 2015, 02:03:36 pm »
I'm almost certain to enter.    Just need to jiggle RL into place.

IMHO, it's important that local organisers are supported when putting on >100km events.

mmmmartin

  • BPB 1/1: PBP 0/1
    • FNRttC
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #5 on: 23 February, 2015, 02:17:11 pm »
I'm in but might be in Scotland cycling for a week or helping an expedition for the DofE people, so my presence isn't guaranteed. I'm also in the Green & Yellow Fields so will ride one of them as a qualifier.
I've ridden this before, it's a good route, mostly flat and as Frank says, the wind might be behind us. It might then be against us from Margate but that's sometimes sheltered by houses and stuff. It's certainly a good route.
Besides, it wouldn't be audacious if success were guaranteed.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #6 on: 23 February, 2015, 08:18:13 pm »
Yep, I did it last year, & have signed up for this year too.
It's a great route, I liked it mainly for the sea views for much of the ride.
1 or 2 hills (Toys hill, Dover, & 1 or 2 more), but nothing too difficult.
I seem to remember we had torrential rain for the first few hours last year, hoping for some better weather this time.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #7 on: 23 February, 2015, 10:41:41 pm »
Entered last year but had to DNS for reasons beyond my control. Thinking of entering this year but haven't got round to it yet.

I *hate* the road/racetrack from Rye to Brenzett but it's mostly a lovely route apart from that.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

rob

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #8 on: 24 February, 2015, 10:16:50 am »
I *hate* the road/racetrack from Rye to Brenzett but it's mostly a lovely route apart from that.

Try riding the KCA 12hr, you spend most of the day on that bit of road.

I do like riding down on the Marsh, though.   Can't ride this 300 as I have my clubs 10 mile TT that day.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #9 on: 24 February, 2015, 11:03:24 am »
Try riding the KCA 12hr, you spend most of the day on that bit of road.

What is it, a Rye-Brenzett-Appledore loop? Yuck. No thanks! At least it's flat, I suppose.

Quote
I do like riding down on the Marsh, though.

It was nice last week on the Wye Wednesday 200 with a tailwind.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

rob

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #10 on: 24 February, 2015, 11:52:48 am »
Try riding the KCA 12hr, you spend most of the day on that bit of road.

What is it, a Rye-Brenzett-Appledore loop? Yuck. No thanks! At least it's flat, I suppose.

Quote
I do like riding down on the Marsh, though.

It was nice last week on the Wye Wednesday 200 with a tailwind.

Brenzett-Military Canal Road-Rye-Brooklands(turn back towards Rye)-Camber-Lydd-Brenzett.   You spend 9-10hrs down there before riding back to a finishing circuit on the edge of Ashford.   It is very flat and a pain in the wind.   Can't ride this year as it's the weekend straight after PBP.

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #11 on: 24 February, 2015, 10:09:34 pm »
I'm in and will be driving down from Blackheath with space for another bike if anyone needs a lift to the start (they might have a long wait for the lift home though!)

Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

hillbilly

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #12 on: 23 March, 2015, 05:23:42 pm »
A mere month to go until this. 

I've entered, and my experience on the Man of Kent has left me enthusiastic to see the Kentish landscape blossom in Spring.  Fingers crossed by the end of April not only spring, but a touch of early summer will be in the air.

I will be paying very close attention to where it wanders and how it does the wandering, as the eastern bit of a 400km route I tentatively have in mind for a National ride appears to inhabit vaguely the same space as this and the Man of Kent (I'm thinking having a Ashdown Forest - Whitstable - Fairlight - Ashdown Forest loop in there).

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #13 on: 23 March, 2015, 06:06:41 pm »
This was a lovely ride last year - or at least the first two thirds of it were.

Sadly I have a prior engagement so can't redeem myself this year.

ianrauk

  • Tattooed Beat Messiah
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #14 on: 23 March, 2015, 07:51:36 pm »
I've signed up. It looks like a great route.

LMT

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #15 on: 24 March, 2015, 12:55:32 pm »
I'll ECE and make it a 400k ride.

Looking forward to some stunning coastal views.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #16 on: 14 April, 2015, 10:02:53 am »
Will the organiser be posting soon about the finer details of this brilliant event?

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #17 on: 14 April, 2015, 10:07:45 am »
Routecheck ride is planned for this weekend AIUI, with a view to any revisions being issued early next week.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #18 on: 14 April, 2015, 11:52:28 am »
Thanks! :)

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #19 on: 19 April, 2015, 03:37:16 pm »
Well, seeing as I can't make the event itself next weekend, Tom let me tag along on his routecheck ride yesterday. Bright sunshine through most of the day meant we had superb views: across the Ashdown Forest; first glimpses of the sea near Battle; white cliffs and Dover Castle's imposing bulk; looking behind us over a surprisingly attractive Folkestone and Dover harbours; a beautifully limpid light from the North Kent coast as the sun fell below the horizon.

The climbing is there, for sure, but never felt gratuitous: if there's a westerly next weekend, you'll even get a glorious balancing payback as it pushes you across the marshes and along the coast.

We, of course, had an easterly - worse, just north of easterly. From Uckfield to, I guess, more or less Rye we were reasonably sheltered from it: from there until, well, Sandwich, we weren't. That's the thick end of 100km into a punishing headwind: with any luck, we did it so you don't have to ... On the brighter side, it changed into a pretty flattering tailwind as soon as we turned the corner, crossing to Birchington and following the coast west. Chilly, mind ...

Anyway, the Rye-Brenzett stretch citoyen dislikes so much wasn't too bad (certainly the drivers were less of an issue than the wind) though there were a few close passes on other parts of the route, and the cafe in Hythe - now apparently under the railway's ownership - seemed somehow brighter and fresher than last time I was there. Inevitably there are a few bits of road surface to watch out for, and a few minor amendments to last year's routesheet (which I believe Tom will be finalising in the next day or three), but I really enjoyed the day out and I'm very pleased to have got round this year without remodelling my frame geometry.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #20 on: 19 April, 2015, 04:52:48 pm »
Anyway, the Rye-Brenzett stretch citoyen dislikes so much wasn't too bad (certainly the drivers were less of an issue than the wind) though there were a few close passes on other parts of the route, and the cafe in Hythe - now apparently under the railway's ownership - seemed somehow brighter and fresher than last time I was there. Inevitably there are a few bits of road surface to watch out for, and a few minor amendments to last year's routesheet (which I believe Tom will be finalising in the next day or three), but I really enjoyed the day out and I'm very pleased to have got round this year without remodelling my frame geometry.

Good stuff. I can live with that bit of road - the rest of the route more than makes up for it. Not sure what wind direction is ideal for this route. Possibly best to get the headwind out of the way along the marsh while you're still relatively fresh.

Glad to hear you didn't have a repeat of last year's bike woes!
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #21 on: 19 April, 2015, 05:06:05 pm »
Not sure what wind direction is ideal for this route. Possibly best to get the headwind out of the way along the marsh while you're still relatively fresh.

Pretty sure westerly or sou-westerly is a *lot* better. It's exposed along the coast from Birchington to beyond Seasalter, sure, but that's relatively short, and the stretches down to Uckfield and across the North Downs have much more shelter. An easterly gives you maybe 140km of headwind, of which only the first 40k or so have any real shelter: yesterday was a little too character-building for my taste.

Quote
Glad to hear you didn't have a repeat of last year's bike woes!

Not as glad as I was to pass the Birchington Bollard safely!

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #22 on: 20 April, 2015, 09:08:03 am »
Weather isn't looking great at all - rain for most of the day. However we seem to have tailwind ALL the way to Folkestone and possibly Margate. Then block headwind back to Meopham. I have ordered a waterproof!

It's shall be done.

hillbilly

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #23 on: 20 April, 2015, 10:48:25 am »
This far out, the forecast will change. It had better as I was looking forward to clear blue skies and shimmering water to the horizon.

Re: Oasts and Coasts 300Km
« Reply #24 on: 20 April, 2015, 11:47:06 am »
This far out, the forecast will change. It had better as I was looking forward to clear blue skies and shimmering water to the horizon.

I sincerely hope you are correct! :)