Author Topic: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19  (Read 7432 times)

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #25 on: 07 November, 2019, 12:20:01 pm »
I tried to do that fixed after 380k. On return I asked Will if he managed it on the rec, fixed. I was advised the route was advisory...

 O:-)

vorsprung

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Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #26 on: 11 November, 2019, 12:41:15 pm »
Please could someone post the link to the ride with gps track?  I haven't got an email about it.  I've emailed Will but no response yet

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #27 on: 11 November, 2019, 01:15:13 pm »
Looks like the pre-dawn chill is going to be bracing.

https://www.weatherbagel.com/f/07e67a65-36d1-40d0-89bc-3b01bb2bc6d6

Based on an ambitious 20 km/h ave and route from here: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/722343

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #28 on: 11 November, 2019, 02:12:09 pm »
Routes change for various reasons. Email sent.

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Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #29 on: 11 November, 2019, 04:00:16 pm »
Please could someone post the link to the ride with gps track?  I haven't got an email about it.  I've emailed Will but no response yet

got it, thanks Will

vorsprung

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Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #30 on: 11 November, 2019, 04:02:42 pm »
Looks like the pre-dawn chill is going to be bracing.

https://www.weatherbagel.com/f/07e67a65-36d1-40d0-89bc-3b01bb2bc6d6


3 degrees minimum isn't too bad.  Trouble is that doesn't take into account local variations
Any weather details 4 days out is going to be fairly fictional of course

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #31 on: 11 November, 2019, 05:48:25 pm »
Dry and above freezing the whole way round would be more than good enough, I'll be very happy if the forecast continues to look like that.

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #32 on: 12 November, 2019, 08:57:56 am »
For once I'm hoping the weather doesn't change for the weekend, looking briskly fantastic, lets hope the cloud cover abates as you go past The Crammer on the way to The Moonrakers in Devizes!

I've been kindly informed by those who can't attend. As such everyone on the waiting list has got a place and there are a few cards left over in case anyone has been 'umming and arrhing' now's your chance.
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/19-866/

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #33 on: 14 November, 2019, 10:57:21 am »
It looks like the forecast is getting wetter - might also have lost the best of the tailwind across Salisbury plain. Oh well.
I might take a different route between Liliput and Podimore - as long as it's early enough, the A350 should be fairly quiet, cut through Blandford, up the A357. Not to mention that I actually live up that way, so I might be able to make an extra "cafe" stop! It adds 2.5 kms, 6.5 if you instead go to Wimborne and use NCN 25/253 to Sturminster Newton (but, that route is gravelly after Blandford).

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #34 on: 15 November, 2019, 09:40:10 am »
Recumbent duly wedged into a GWR compartment (actually the part I was most worried about after all the horror stories). Now just hoping nothing untoward happens in transit.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #35 on: 17 November, 2019, 10:23:35 am »
It looked like a formidable ride but great conditions. Hope everyone had enough clothes to stay warm!
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

dat

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #36 on: 17 November, 2019, 10:43:39 am »
Enjoyed by me! Wasn't as wet as I'd anticipated.

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #37 on: 17 November, 2019, 11:59:24 am »
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The rain wasn't an issue, maybe 2 hours max in total, and not the drenching kind.

The sand on the coastal path was a challenge on 23mm tyres, but with care it was a nice interlude before breakfast. Same for the mixed use paths later on. Variety is very welcomed on these long rides.

Thanks to Will and all the helpers at the start, finish and in-between.

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #38 on: 17 November, 2019, 04:18:59 pm »
I dunno why anybody's doing this!

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #39 on: 17 November, 2019, 08:15:04 pm »
Great fun on the whole - this was kind of the opposite experience to the London Orbital, in that my mental energy was always there but somehow my time buffer just melted away. The off-road section arrived at the worst possible time and combined with a cramping leg I had actually decided that I wasn't going to make it and should look for the nearest train station... which turned out to be Yatton. Taking gates and gravel at rather unwise speeds I scraped through with quite literally a minute to spare. Thankfully after that it was smooth tarmac and plain sailing.

el

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #40 on: 19 November, 2019, 10:36:44 pm »
The ride started less than well. After arriving in Bristol, I realised that my cycling boots were still wet from my ride the week before, the insoles that I had removed were still at home as was my battery to keep my Garmin going as well as my batteries that I had carefully recharged during the week. Much of the time I had hoped to rest before the ride was spent restocking some of these supplies. Just before starting the ride, I managed to drop and stand on my glasses- good start!

We were off! Following a stream of riders and red lights after some rain I arrived at the first control. Too much of a queue for drinks- but a quick toilet trip as I had been waiting since the start as the line was so long for the one toilet in Bristol.
On to the second control, the lights now occasionally appearing down the road in front of me and bright lights behind me. A drink of coke and portion of chips in McDonalds whilst listening to a Welsh rider recounting his PBP experience before continuing on into the night.
The quiet calm night now enveloped me. Quiet- few cars, the swish of tyres through standing water on the road. Ringwood- I had camped here last summer.  I heard a muffled cry in front of me and looked up in time to see a deer silently crossing the road through the beam of our lights. The rain restarted and I stopped so my new riding partner, James, could put on his jacket under the bright garage forecourt lights. We must be near the sea. I was thankful for his conversation to keep me going through the night.
Down by the sea, threading through barriers, a few hardy souls were walking next to the beach and it looked like one group were digging in the sand. Were my eyes playing up? I certainly thought so when the darkness was shattered by a huge blue and white Christmas tree on the seafront.  I remembered the warning beware of the sand on the path. I slowed down, anxious not to take an involuntary tumble. I could no longer see the lights in front of me. How much further could the scout hut be? Had I somehow passed it? Reassured by a couple of riders, more courageous than me, who flew past either side. Surely not far now. The promenade finished. What relief I had survived the sand. How much further? Turning down a potholed gravel path I cyclists coming towards me and the the hut in front of me.
The door was opened and I was flooded with light. Bikes were lent up against the interior walls. Tired riders were sitting at tables eating and drinking. Soon I was replenishing the burnt calories with sausages, mushrooms, beans and toast all washed down with a couple of mugs of sugary tea.  Bottle refilled, a new layer of chamois crème applied I was ready for the off. At that moment a rider staggered in. He looked bedraggled and he announced that he had come off. He was upset at the holes in his new jacket and tights, although his injuries were not as bad as first thought as the red angry marks were not bruised and broken flesh but tattoos. I enquired if he had come off on the sand on the promenade. He had turned off the main road onto a steep lane, lost control on slippery leaves, and come off. He decided to call it a day and to return with his broken bike and bruised body on the next train to Bristol.
Spooked by his fall, I delayed leaving the control for a while until daylight. After taking a sunrise picture by the shore as evidence of my ride, and a brief conversation with another rider in highly reflective tights I rode on glad to be in the light but wary of slippery leaves.
Beautiful daylight, wonderful views. And now hills. A building on a hill which must be Glastonbury. Beautiful villages.  My solitude broken by having a conversation with another rider who told me about his LEJoG last summer, the benefits of steady riding, and the virtues of rainlegs.  At this point I realised my speed was continually decreasing, and it slowly dawned on me that my front mudguard was shaking. Further investigation revealed that a mudguard stay bolt was no longer attaching it to the front fork. Fumbling in my bag I fished out a roll of tape and bodged a repair.
Podimore Services- a free control. As I was now feeling a bit sick, what should I do? I decided on a sandwich and a drink would keep me going. I was not convinced I would make it back before the cut off. Why do these rides always involve so much maths? So may kilometres left- convert the distance approximately into miles. I set my self targets, after the next so many kilometres/miles I would take my hat off/gloves off/ put my gloves on. The distance counted down oh so slowly. Passing riders with punctures, riders passing me who I didn’t recognise but whose bikes I remembered from the night before. The shame of being overtaken by a lady on a mountainbike out for a ride with her son!

“I don’t like the Strawberry Line. I’m going to take the road,” another now familiar rider called out. The old trainline was on my Garmin so that was the way I was going, so we parted ways. Besides a trainline must be flat and easy going right? Sloshing though gloopy leaves and mud I attempted to pick the least squelchy line. My wheels were rubbing so a suitable stick was sought to help them turn more easily.
“Your lights really stand out,” commented a passing rider. I wondered if that was really a comment about my lights or more a comment that I had just stopped for a pee and my lights had caught me out. Such sweet relief.
Eventually Yatton Station, the next control appeared. Behind metal fences bikes were propped on the platform. Slowly my numb brain worked at the riddle of how to get around the barriers and park up. I just wanted to get a stamp and continue. Waiting in a long line I could feel my impatience grow as I inched my way forward. She seemed unwilling to stamp cards unless a purchase was made. I handed over my card with another customer and I was free to once more be on my way.
Yatton, just where was Yatton anyway? Another bike path next to a train track, this time overtaken by a kid on a BMX, and with the speed of a slug I realised I was in Long Ashton. Bristol, suddenly so many people, so many cars. The suspension bridge towered above me. After a confusing labyrinth of cycle paths, car parks, dead ends, bridges, graffiti sprayed walls, only a few hundred meters to go.  This must be it – the adventure playground. I had made it. I joined others slumped at tables and was offered food.

A few days later back at work I was asked about my weekend. I t was a struggle to articulate my experience in few enough words without losing the interest of the inquirer beyond, it rained, I saw a deer, I went to Bournemouth, it was long.

There wasn’t really the opportunity to talk about the fact my Garmin hadn’t crashed, nor had I crashed, the lack of punctures,the calm solitude of the night, friends made on the ride, the stunning villages, flooded drainage ditches, riding through the mud on a disused railway line, the sudden re emergence into the city of Bristol, the unimaginable fact that some people finished in almost half the time that I took...
 “How was yours?” I asked.

Thanks to the organisers and all the friendly faces along the way!

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #41 on: 20 November, 2019, 10:07:23 am »
A fabulous ride all in all.

It started terribly for me - I had a major mechanical in Kelston (my chain dropped and got twisted around the crank). At least I was able to freewheel down the hill into Bath. There, I was sure that my ride was over, but wait! I kindly stranger managed to fix what I had deemed unfixable. My chain would frequently skip, but I was back on the move. It was fairly plain sailing from there to Devizes, even if Bathampton hill was in the way.

The miles were ticking down quite nicely after Devizes. Flashing lights in the distance signalled the presence of other riders - slowly, ever so slowly I closed the gap. And then we were at Solstice Park.

The next leg was where I started to suffer. The pressure of trying to make up some time after the mechanical, and, more pertinently, the pressure on my shoulder. Oh well, it wasn't too far to Bournemouth now.


Finally, I had made the coast. I braved the Promenade for a time, but decided to cut across Canford "Cliffs". Immediately I was faced with a 10% gradient, but it was a welcome relief from the sand that was gumming up in my chain, and requiring constant attention. And so I made it the the hut before sunrise.

After breakfast, I made my first major deviation from the route. Instead of heading for Upton, I headed for Wimborne, then Blandford. This meant the Castleman trailway, followed by NCN 25. The Castleman section wasn't great, but NCN 25 was a nice quiet road route as far as Blandford. I was starting to really suffer, feeling truly exhausted.

As I worked my way up the North Dorset Trailway, I passed through a group of runners, just about to set out. At this point, I was doing little more than 15 kph - and started questioning whether I might, in fact, be overtaken by a runner. Fortunately, that fear didn't materialize. And then I was home! beef sandwiches and danish pastries awaited, kindly provided by parents. But the gamechanger was the bed that I occupied for 1/2 hour. I was now ready to dash up the A30, to Sherborne and the route. I had destroyed the time I had in hand, but I'd gained a second wind. Podimore was a few familiar climbs away. Temporary lights cost me precious minutes, but I got my receipt. And so it became the crossing of Somerset. The miles dragged on, and my Wahoo's battery dwindled. But there were the Mendips, and soon enough I was on the Strawberry Line. The lady at Yatton had closed up (at 16:30), but stamped my card. 2 minutes to spare, this is going to be doable. But, as my Wahoo died just before Long Ashton, I was faced with the unfamiliar maze that is Bristol. Google Maps helped, to an extent, but is a very fickle friend. Nethertheless, I met someone similarly lost, and together, we gradually, carefully, worked our way across the tangle of roads, reaching the Arrivee with 6 minutes to spare.

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #42 on: 30 November, 2019, 11:32:15 am »
Just found this great vlog from Neil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUgs5TmD0OE

dat

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #43 on: 30 November, 2019, 12:08:48 pm »
Just found this great vlog from Neil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUgs5TmD0OE
Just watched the vid and it reminded me a question I was going to ask. What vegan sausages where at the scout hut? Much better than Linda McCartney ones I sometimes use.

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #44 on: 30 November, 2019, 12:32:02 pm »
Slightly off topic, but myself and family like the pastry wrapped vegan sausages in Greggs.
Bikes are for riding, not cleaning!

dat

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #45 on: 30 November, 2019, 01:23:20 pm »
I had 4 for breakfast at the control.

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #46 on: 30 November, 2019, 05:17:43 pm »
I had 4 for breakfast at the control.

You had the sage and marjoram variety from https://www.vbites.com/sub-brand/vegideli/

dat

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #47 on: 30 November, 2019, 05:32:47 pm »
I had 4 for breakfast at the control.

You had the sage and marjoram variety from https://www.vbites.com/sub-brand/vegideli/
I had two of the sausages at the control. I had 4 of the Gregg's sausage rolls at the control after Poole. Thanks for the link!

Out of curiosity how many vegans where on the ride?

Re: Moonrakers & Sunseekers 300km 15/11/19
« Reply #48 on: 30 November, 2019, 05:36:38 pm »
6 vegan/veggies