The Buzzard 2014

[BikinOn]

Thanks Ian.

Can I also take it you're recommending Leighton Buzzard Station Car Park South as the best place to park?

[Ian H]

Thanks Ian.

Can I also take it you're recommending Leighton Buzzard Station Car Park South as the best place to park?

It looks like it's £10 for a weekend ticket. As long as you park with consideration for locals, I make no recommendations. You could perhaps offer car-share for anyone coming from your area.

[BikinOn]

OK, I'll look into the parking options.

I don't bother to own a car, but just hire a small one as needed, train-wise I'm inconviently placed for audax start points 

So, I'm unlikely to have room for another bike. Additionally I've always been a bit of an inbetweenie in speed, not as fast as the fast guys, but not as slow as the slow guys, so someone would get to twiddle their thumbs for a couple of hours if I had a passenger

[bikey-mikey]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge! Then walked into the village and got mothered by the ladies at a church hall birthday, who dressed my many wounds and revived me with caik.....

[Ian H]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge! Then walked into the village and got mothered by the ladies at a church hall birthday, who dressed my many wounds and revived me with caik.....

Is it something about my events,  Mike?

[bikey-mikey]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge! Then walked into the village and got mothered by the ladies at a church hall birthday, who dressed my many wounds and revived me with caik.....

Is it something about my events,  Mike?

No, it's YOU ! 

[caerau]

Last year I found residential parking nearby the station that was completely free.  Hold on I'll see if I can remember where it was…


Edit - here iirc https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.913302,-0.673117,3a,75y,23.98h,84.62t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJuCoaWiepuGw00FLMkIFXA!2e0

[Ian H]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge! Then walked into the village and got mothered by the ladies at a church hall birthday, who dressed my many wounds and revived me with caik.....

Is it something about my events,  Mike?

No, it's YOU ! 

And still you come back for more!?

[bikey-mikey]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge! Then walked into the village and got mothered by the ladies at a church hall birthday, who dressed my many wounds and revived me with caik.....

Is it something about my events,  Mike?

No, it's YOU ! 

And still you come back for more!?

Oliver nuvva go, guvv 

[BikinOn]

Last year I found residential parking nearby the station that was completely free.  Hold on I'll see if I can remember where it was…

Ta Caerau, I'll try there first 

[BikinOn]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge!

bikey-mikey - Err, is there something about a part of this course you would like to share with us or were you just particularly unlucky?

[Bryce Ben]

Anybody driving to LB friday afternoon/evening and could give me a lift from around Warminster?

Return I'm going all the way to Penzance ... so happy to pay for fuel if i can get a ride too, if timing is convenient.

For now my other options are bike & train. I'm flying from Vietnam on Thursday so I'm trying to avoid any unecessary hassle!

Thanks

[Bugloss]

I was wondering if I can enter late on the line ish for this one as in true last minute Wilson fashion, I'm due to get the boat from Portsmouth to Cherbourg at 9 am tomorrow to start the 1000 St Germain, but.................the bloody plane is bust and at the moment I'm stuck in Denmark, so I may need a second event to do just in case.

[Ian H]

I was wondering if I can enter late on the line ish for this one as in true last minute Wilson fashion, I'm due to get the boat from Portsmouth to Cherbourg at 9 am tomorrow to start the 1000 St Germain, but.................the bloody plane is bust and at the moment I'm stuck in Denmark, so I may need a second event to do just in case.

On the line okay*, but only with completed entry form and right money. No change given. Steve is standing in for me and it's not fair to expect him to deal with unprepared riders.

*In advance, even by a few hours, via ukcyclist.co.uk, even better.

[Bugloss]

OK Ian, thanks I'll know in the morning so I've got some time.

[bikey-mikey]

This is the one where I fell off last year and crawled across the road dragging my bike to sit bleeding in the hedge!

bikey-mikey - Err, is there something about a part of this course you would like to share with us or were you just particularly unlucky?

It was just after Wilton and the course turned off the main road and down a hill towards Burcombe, with a left hand high speed curve towards the bottom before a bridge over the river.  The road had subsided on the inside of the bend to form a sort of trench, and before I knew it I was running along the trench, leaning left, due to the speed, and the trench got narrower and narrower and I had a hedge to my left so was restrained from leaning left, so had to try to bunny jump out of the trench and the front wheel didn't make it, so I hit the road hard and unexpectedly.....   

[BikinOn]

OK thanks, I'll take a look on Google Earth so I know it when I see it coming up - 'tis a wise man that learns from others mistakes 

Looks like a another ride where my old Burley waterproof will be seeing lots of service   Whatever happened to fighting the heat of Summer?

[Ian H]

It was just after Wilton and the course turned off the main road and down a hill towards Burcombe...

You should miss that this year. Assuming of course you have loaded the latest gps files.

[bikey-mikey]

Yep I see we leave the main road earlier and come into Burcombe as a straight through..... 

[bikey-mikey]

Calendar entry claims 5600. I presume that is my figure.

I loaded each of this year's sections into bike hike and added up the climbing from there  = 5454 metres...

[TheLemming]

Nothing like last minute planning.

Bike still in for last minute setup (no time to do it myself).
Wheels in my living room.

Saddlebag still not arrived so I've got an anorexic Fizik suitable for a pair of inner tubes (at a squeeze) and a small bar bag...

Looks like I'm taking a rucksack.
See you bright and early in the morning ladies and gents - fingers crossed for the weather.

[Ian H]

See you bright and early in the morning ladies and gents - fingers crossed for the weather.

Looks like you won't avoid the rain entirely, but it shouldn't be too bad.
27 entries; 3 apologies.
Good luck to all.
Thanks to Steve for his help.

[BikinOn]

Make that 4 apologies, after  spending several hours getting everything ready last night and then getting up at a ridiculous hour in the morning to set off I got transport issues!

I got everything sorted in the end, but it would have meant a 1 1/2 hour time penalty. I don't doubt I could have still finished, but doing the whole thing without seeing another rider and then trying to sort out the brevet card after the event didn't strike me as much fun, so I DNS'd 

I guess I'll keep this one for next year - BUGGER!!

[Ian H]

Looks like we have 19 or 20 on the road. The fastest might be going past here around 9ish.

[Ian H]

Honiton, Devon, at 290k.