Author Topic: Back to the Smoke 2018  (Read 9835 times)

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Back to the Smoke 2018
« on: 27 January, 2018, 05:48:55 pm »
I have been sorting my calendar out and the weekend of the 9/10th June has magically become available. This ride has attracted me as I will get a good sleep in my own bed on Friday night before heading out at a sensible time to catch the train to Exeter.

Anybody else planning to ride?

I love riding through the night and starting at mid-day really has appealed. Could even ride back to Reading at the end.

 :thumbsup:

BB
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #1 on: 29 April, 2018, 05:46:51 pm »
There has been an issue with dooking rail tickets o GWR as there are extensive rail works in the Hayes area. The tickets are now available for Saturday morning and I will be on the train that gets into Exeter at 10:13. Should be enough time to find the start and get some food.

BB
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #2 on: 29 April, 2018, 09:32:54 pm »

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #3 on: 12 May, 2018, 03:40:52 pm »
I've entered this ride, and also like the look of a linear ride, especially as the finish is only 30 minutes from my house. Only Straight Outta Hackney is closer...

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #4 on: 22 May, 2018, 11:18:01 am »
Routesheet, gpxeditor map, and gpx file are all now published (subject to last-minute route-checking).
http://www.ukcyclist.co.uk/audax-events/73-back-to-the-smoke-400

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #5 on: 22 May, 2018, 02:47:16 pm »
There has been an issue with dooking rail tickets o GWR as there are extensive rail works in the Hayes area. The tickets are now available for Saturday morning and I will be on the train that gets into Exeter at 10:13. Should be enough time to find the start and get some food.

BB
"Starting at 12 noon, 9 June 2018 from Exeter St David's Railway Station"
Hope you won't find 'finding the start' takes much time.
As far as getting an early lunch, rather than the rigors of the station cafe or climbing up into the city, I'd go to Exeter Quays; route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27576143
Several eating options.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #6 on: 22 May, 2018, 04:25:27 pm »

As far as getting an early lunch, rather than the rigors of the station cafe or climbing up into the city, I'd go to Exeter Quays; route:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27576143
Several eating options.

Or, to save traipsing over Exe Bridges, the Imperial is just around the corner — better than average Wetherspoon in a nice building.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #7 on: 22 May, 2018, 08:35:04 pm »
Is anybody else considering an overnight sleep. There is a Premier Inn in Chipping Norton that looks a likely candidate.

By my calculation I would hope to be there at about midnight. If you fancy getting a few hours shuteye then drop me a pm.

BB
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #8 on: 04 June, 2018, 09:54:59 pm »
Everyone should have had an email today with the updated routesheet and gpx. 

I rode over the weekend in just over 21hrs.  That was with route-checking and annotating the routesheet, so it should be quite a fast 400.

I couldn't find any 24hr facilities at Buckingham, so I'd advise stocking up at Stow. 

See you on Saturday outside St David's.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #9 on: 07 June, 2018, 10:30:50 pm »
Everyone should have had an email today with the updated routesheet and gpx. 

I rode over the weekend in just over 21hrs.  That was with route-checking and annotating the routesheet, so it should be quite a fast 400.

I couldn't find any 24hr facilities at Buckingham, so I'd advise stocking up at Stow. 

See you on Saturday outside St David's.
https://www.spar.co.uk/store-locator/afb17957-spar-euro-garages-buckingham
Is 24 hour - so the web says.....
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Ben T

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #10 on: 08 June, 2018, 08:45:41 am »
Everyone should have had an email today with the updated routesheet and gpx. 

I rode over the weekend in just over 21hrs.  That was with route-checking and annotating the routesheet, so it should be quite a fast 400.

I couldn't find any 24hr facilities at Buckingham, so I'd advise stocking up at Stow. 

See you on Saturday outside St David's.
https://www.spar.co.uk/store-locator/afb17957-spar-euro-garages-buckingham
Is 24 hour - so the web says.....
as does https://goo.gl/maps/o4WBZEBPrRr

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #11 on: 08 June, 2018, 09:04:40 am »
https://www.spar.co.uk/store-locator/afb17957-spar-euro-garages-buckingham
Is 24 hour - so the web says.....

Good find! Can we use that as the "control", or does it have to be somewhere in the town centre?

Nigel


Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #12 on: 08 June, 2018, 09:41:54 am »
https://www.spar.co.uk/store-locator/afb17957-spar-euro-garages-buckingham
Is 24 hour - so the web says.....

Good find! Can we use that as the "control", or does it have to be somewhere in the town centre?

Nigel

If the address is 'Buckingham', then it's fine.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #13 on: 09 June, 2018, 05:33:21 pm »
Two riders had bike reservation problems and arrived at the station just over an hour late.  They look like the kind who'll catch up quite quickly.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #14 on: 10 June, 2018, 03:36:23 pm »
Time's up.  I know two packed.  I know seven finished.  As for the rest, we'll see what arrives in the post over the next week.

Bianchi Boy

  • Cycling is my doctor
  • Is it possible for a ride to be too long?
    • Reading Cycling Club
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #15 on: 10 June, 2018, 04:17:07 pm »
I finished at 10am with Richard? Had a great ride.

Out to Wells in 4 hours and then to Durrington by about 7:30pm. Eat a meal in Durrington and then back on the road. Final climb to Stow BP services was a killer with my body screaming for food. From there to Buckingham was quite straight forward. After Buckingham I had a real low point and had to stop for a sleep. From there the ride into London was probably as good as you can manage, but I guess that is what you expect with a central London finish.

All i a great day and I really like the straight route, makes a real change to the standard loop.

BB
Set a fire for a man and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.

Ben T

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #16 on: 10 June, 2018, 10:38:52 pm »
I finished, got back to Marylebone just gone 11.
Good route. Would have found the durrington to stow leg a bit long if I hadn't inserted a pre planned stop half way.
Wiltshire was hillier than I had it down as. Stow was slightly foggy. After that the terrain was nicely rolling I thought and got light soon after stow.
Didn't get too dozy, couple of gate-leans before Buckingham though.
Got over hungry on the last leg and on finally getting to a mcds over-ate.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #17 on: 11 June, 2018, 08:33:14 am »
Yep, enjoyed that a lot. I'd pencilled in a 24 hour garage on the A420 (off route towards Swindon) between Durrington and Stow, but ended up not needing it.

It was good to see the sights: Glastonbury Tor, Stonehenge, Abbey Road, genuine doggers on the M4 underpass*...

(* apparently "real men ride women". Given all I could see were a bunch of glum men standing around waiting, perhaps it was more of a plaintive plea for one to turn up)

Quote
From there the ride into London was probably as good as you can manage, but I guess that is what you expect with a central London finish

I found Watford-Cricklewood to be an order of magnitude worse than anything I normally choose to ride on in London. South of Edgware was gridlock mid-morning and required loads of dangerous filtering.

Aldenham Road, which broadly parallels the A41 section can be lovely and empty. You just have to choose the right roads.

Quote
Two riders had bike reservation problems

I made my reservation over the phone and didn't have anything printed and they insisted this would be fine. Some officious dickhead at Paddington demanded I go to the ticket office and get a printout with minutes to spare. Fortunately the train was the wrong way round and I didn't have to walk the full length to get to the bike spaces. Grrrrrr.

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #18 on: 07 July, 2018, 10:17:44 pm »
Chippenham to Exeter train arriving with an hour and a half to spare and met Tom (Hackney AC) and Cris (Reading) We all took pre ride sustinance at the Spoons "Imperial" Met the local boys on a Breakfast ride (more breakfast thatn ride me thinks - they thought my pre 400 Shandy a bit bold!
Ian made the start a very civilised affair and the lights/junctions out of Exeter did a good job of splitting the goup of about 30 plus.  I was amazed at my pace on the roads to Taunton given the northerly wind drift the weater man had predicted and spent some of it wiht Tom.  Got to Wells in 4:20 and had posh cafe food with Chris and Allesando(both Hackney)  I let them go as I knew, form growing up in the area, what lay ahead...that climb out of Wells goies on for ever..and I do not climb quickly!. it was not until a gateway stop near Shrewton did I reealise how close I was to others when passed by three riders in quick succession.  Durrington I met up with Tom and others again but departed on my own.  joining up with Chris and Allenssandro whan they stopped to check on Tom who wsa having some shut eye before Shrivenham.  The doggers at the M4 turned into boy racers by the time I got there....all gave me a wide berth! considerate boy racers!  Rode with Tom for a bit again through Highworth and now understand why Upper Rissington is so called!  Hot Bacon and saussage bagguette with black coffee was welcome at the BP at Stow in the early hours.  The Sun rise after Chipping Norton wsa splendid.  then came the low point when all roads to Buckingham seemed to drag up!  the fella sorting the papers at the Spar garage at Buckingham came to check on me as I sat on a sack of out of season rock salt and devoured my egg and cress sandwich and more black coffee.  I deveated to Cheddington at Long Marston for toast, tea and a wash (clean shorts and under vest) at my son and his girlfriend's house stopped for about 50 minutes. This brightened me up no end and sharpened my senses for the ride into London.  Having commuted in the smoke for many a year I reverted to hearing and seeing all and treating London traffic with a great deal of respect.  Tom rolled into Marylebone about 25 minutes after me - the time was 12:55 happy with that.
Thank you Ian - I very much enjoyed the event - back to the smoke next year I hope....

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #19 on: 06 March, 2019, 05:37:41 pm »
I'm booked on to this ride for 2019 but it seems there are no train tickets to Exeter available on the saturday

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #20 on: 06 March, 2019, 06:14:32 pm »
It's the first weekend of the new railway timetable and it takes time to finalise these things. Keep an eye on this page:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #21 on: 06 March, 2019, 07:42:55 pm »
It's the first weekend of the new railway timetable and it takes time to finalise these things. Keep an eye on this page:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx

Thanks. Thought it was odd that it would offer me Friday or Sunday but no Saturday. Hard to believe there would be no trains or that every single train that day was booked.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #22 on: 06 March, 2019, 10:05:26 pm »
I think the trains only take up to four bikes. I was strongly advised to book a bike reservation.
Really looking forward to this event.
#makewattsnotwar

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #23 on: 08 March, 2019, 11:28:29 am »
Thanks for the reminder - I've just booked myself and my bike on the 8.20 from Paddington, getting in to Exeter St David's at 11.42.

£14.50 for the train ticket, which is an absolute bloody bargain - it normally costs me more than that just to get from East Kent to London.

Are people planning on stopping en route or riding through the night? I'll bring my bivvy bag as I might need a kip on the way, but I'll probably aim to avoid stopping if I can help it.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Back to the Smoke 2018
« Reply #24 on: 08 March, 2019, 11:38:35 am »
I made my reservation over the phone and didn't have anything printed and they insisted this would be fine. Some officious dickhead at Paddington demanded I go to the ticket office and get a printout with minutes to spare. Fortunately the train was the wrong way round and I didn't have to walk the full length to get to the bike spaces. Grrrrrr.

Useful to know. I'll make sure I get to Paddington in plenty of time...
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."