Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?

[JonJo]

Smart work Socks. Congratulations on RRTY.

[D.A.L.E.]

I nipped out on the 31st to keep the RRtY dream alive after I bailed on the Peculier Old 200. A train (and tailwind) assisted ride, I got the train down to York, then a flat(ish) route via the highest market town in Britain to the Tyne valley railway line. Nice day for it.

[Pingu]

A chilly and well-ventilated DIYxGPS out to the Northron wastes.




IMG_2101 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_2102_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_2104_01 by The Pingus, on Flickr

[Feanor]

Whats with all the wee doglegs north of Ellon?
That looks like tie-in points for an OSM survey, but I'm pretty sure that road was already on there.

ETA: Ahh, tile-bagging, I think.

[Pingu]

...ETA: Ahh, tile-bagging, I think.

 

[Socks]

I nipped out on the 31st to keep the RRtY dream alive after I bailed on the Peculier Old 200. A train (and tailwind) assisted ride, I got the train down to York, then a flat(ish) route via the highest market town in Britain to the Tyne valley railway line. Nice day for it.

Dale - that's a nice route and an impressive ride, even with the wind assist - how far into the RrTY are you?

[D.A.L.E.]

Dale - that's a nice route and an impressive ride, even with the wind assist - how far into the RrTY are you?

Ha, not far. 6 months I think? November is usually my sticking point, so the thinking is if I can definitely do one in November, I should do one as part of the Festive 500 in December, then it's PBP qualifier time, so I should be riding every month until August. Long way to go yet, ha.

The route worked out even nicer than I thought tbh, very little traffic all the way. Finishing where I did meant I could get the train all the way home without having to cycle through the mess that is around Sunderland/Newcastle too.

I bought an open return to York, so I'm thinking I might do the reverse route sometime this month.

[Peter]

Lovely shots, Dale.  I think I may start a thread for pictures of bikes against the world's greatest bridge!

Peter

PS  Did you notice if the toy trains were running from Slaggyford? 

[JonJo]

Yesterday, another Monday, another big ring trundle down the vale of York. An out & back DIY 200 from Darlo to Squires bikers caff near Sherburn in Elmet.

Breakfast at the Angel, Topcliffe was pretty good. Dinner at Squires was exactly what you'd expect at a a bikers caff but tea at the Deli/cafe in Helperby was superb. Poached egg and mushrooms on griddled sourdough sounds mundane but tasted out of this world. Go there if you're passing.

Got back to Darlo two hours earlier than expected so jumped on a train to Durham where I was happy to be stranded in the Waiting Room drinking McColl's Mundo IPA until my original train caught me up.

An audax post mostly about food & drink. Tells you all you need to know about the route. Don't think I'll be doing it again.

[djrikki]

Went out on Sunday to do my first Perm, a 200km (240km total), done this plenty of times before this year and despite the SR "status" I am still in my infancy as long distance goes - I recorded a DNF.

Not far into my ride I came off my bike spectacularly flying off by taking a rather sharp bend much too quickly. Post-ride I found out the segment on Strava was called 'Watch Your Wheels' - so just maybe someone else has fallen over on this particular bend in Stainforth, South Yorkshire before? 

Anyway I bravely continued on for another 160km, my right thumb feeling uncomfortable on the bars no matter what position I rested it.  After feeling every bump and contour of the road and getting out of the saddle proving to be a painful affair --- I decided to cut my ride short - and created a straight line home - direct into a headwind I might add - leaving the ride short of 85km.

So yeah first DNF.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VfpAP1BrXg

[L CC]

Lovely shots, Dale.  I think I may start a thread for pictures of bikes against the world's greatest bridge!

Peter

Isn't that this one?

[Peter]

No, but it has to be in the top two!  (Stirrer!)

[FifeingEejit]

Regurgitated a route from earlier in the year for today as I really like it.
Though I changed the control points as I knew the Kirkmichael shop would be shut if I had to resort to receipts, forgetting there's two pubs in the village.

Didn't take many photos, only in the Sma' Glen and Smyrna sections.
I could regurgitate old pictures from the Tay Coast, Dunning, Moulin and Glen Brerachan sections if anyone really wants to see them.

Route was Newport out to Auchterarder via the Gauldry Hills and Tay coast before taking the Dunning road from Kintillo (The village at the back of Bridge of Earn); up by Kinky Bridge to the A85 crossing at Fowlis, then up to Buchanty and onto the Sma' Glen road to Amulree then up Glen Cochill and down  to Aberfeldy.  Last time I took the north road but it was quiet so took the south road, then turned up towards pitlochry at Logierait (Have identified that with Kirkmichael as the top control rather than Pitlochry and Alyth that I could have taken the road from Ballinluig and gone up past Edradour)
Onto the Moulin down to Kirkmichael, over to Bleaton Hallet and on up to Smyrna and down into Alyth where it got dark while I was eating my second lunch, back into a more populous area so a bit of traffic around for the first time since Pitlochry! Meigle, Newtyle, over the Muir to Birkhill and then due to low traffic levels opted for route 1, down between Campy and Templeton, over the Kingsway, discovered almost too late that the mini-circle at Dunsinane down and up the lochee bypass, then down lochee road, through the tunnel and into the docks to get onto the bridge back over to Newport.

I'll add photos in a minute or shree : Can't figure it out...
Photo Album possibly available here: https://1drv.ms/a/s!AlB7bV6RdTovhsQAFceGCywDUtUv9w


Between Kinky Bridge and Fowlis


Sma' Glen


Last dig to Amulree

Then the rain started... Camera away...


Signs of Sunset at High Rannagulzion


The fast route through Dundee drops you at the river here. (The slower route takes you under the railbridge, along the waterfront and through the urban regeneration area but before that you've the tech park and riverside avenue to get lost on)

[RobD62]

Not today - Monday 200 DIY 2 of 2nd RRtY
Started off a lovely morning, sun, blue skies, and moderate breezes in my favour.  Headed from home (near Chippenham) wriggling through the lanes to outskirts of Cirencester.  Through the Sherborne estate and down the Windrush valley to Burford. A stop for a large pot of tea for two (for one!) and a pastie at 80km
Onwards to Stonesfield and my rear mudguard sheared in half.  20 minutes trying fashion a repair that did not work and another 20 minutes after 6 miles. The next repair, zip tie and adjustment, worked.  This was followed by a pucture and a very  heavy downpour when sorting it.  A stunning rainbow too with reflection.
I had that horrible lull in power at two thirds distance.  It is strange, it ocurrs during any distance ride always at two thirds....all in my head I think!
I like Eynesham where there are many stop options..but not this time. Charney Basset is a pretty village and I seem to have entered and exited it form all directions now....but still could not recognise the info control from last years Upper Thames..... It was dark!
There was lightening in the dark, spectacular. The CoOp stop in Shrivenham was welcome and the Cotswold water park lakes colder and darker than I rember last in the dark.
I am looking forward to the next one but maybe make it a three stop with warm food.  It all fits in with my full value stratergy.
My fastest 200 is still the first 200 in the Flatlands 600 in September but I am sure that was the company I was keeping!     

[Socks]

I followed Dale's example and got the train to York, then a one way ride back home mostly with the breeze behind me.  Zig zags to get up to the required distance so this was a chance to use some of my favourite little lanes.  Lovely autumn colours in the sunshine and hardly any traffic.

The only hazard was hedge trimmings all over the place, it is obviously hedge cutting season and the farmers don't seem to bother about making roads impassable for cyclists.  I only had to walk one section, and had the good fortune to avoid any visitations.

It went a bit tango uniform in the last section.  Dark by then, and a couple of navigation errors meant riding on some horrible busy roads around Shildon and Ferryhill, putting me a few miles over distance but still well within the time limit. 

Hopefully these deviations from the route will be within an acceptable margin of error.  If they are, that's number 1 of my second RRtY attempt sorted.

[JonJo]

One of the best things about DIY by GPX is the spontaneity it affords. Was wide awake early this morning so came downstairs, filled in an entry form, uploaded a pre prepared route and off I went.

Down the A167 in the dark to get the boring bit out of the way and ride the best bits in daylight. Saw more cyclists out than I expected to at that time of day. Got talking to a bloke near Piercebridge and guess what he was up to - a DIY by GPX. I wonder if all the riders I saw were doing the same.

Had a bit of a tour around the Zetland lanes before breakfast at Barton truck stop. Felt good after that so took advantage of the calm conditions to push on a bit knowing that when the wind got up it would be in the SE to help me home.

I was on the way back, just north of Northallerton when the wind began hindering my progress. Just a local zephyr I thought, it will get behind me soon. But the smoke from the tyre fire along the Aislaby road was heading straight into the south and that's where the wind stayed until I got four miles from home.

A lovely day though.

[SR Steve]

I agree about the spontaneity of diy by gps, and it suits me not to have to stop as well.
Today, I rode from home in East Leake, South Nottinghamshire across the Wolds, through the Vale of Belvoir, over the Belvoir ridge and across the fens to Sutterton and back. It’s one of my favourite stock 200km routes, nearly all on pleasant, quiet lanes that were particularly deserted today.
My legs didn’t feel great right from the start as although I’ve been doing plenty of audax rides recently I’ve not been doing any shorter rides in between. The wind was against on the way out too and the last 20km across the fens was pretty tough. It was nothing like LEL though and I was soon enjoying the tailwind on the way back. I only unclipped twice, first to wait for some traffic crossing the A17 and second to switch my rear lights on before it got dark. It was only properly dark for the last five miles or so as there was hardly a cloud in the sky. I only ate three 40g SIS energy bars and drank 750ml of High5 energy drink during the ride.
I was pleased that it was nowhere near as cold as 29th December 2017 when I came off on black ice, rediscovering the law of gravity between two visits to the birth place of Isaac Newton!

[yanto]

Completed a 200k (actual 211k) DIY on Friday, cool SE wind, misty and drizzly all day.

I left from just north of Melton Mowbray, heading over the Leicestershire Wolds to Bourne, then flatlands to Spalding (Pinchbeck) up to outskirts of Boston then north to clip southern end of the Lincolnshire Wolds via Horncastle where I stopped for Fish and Chips, then across to Bardney, Waddington, then down to Long Bennington and home via evil little Stathern Hill at the 200k mark which by that time with dead legs I crawled up at a magnificent 7-8kph.

I felt like I was riding with wooden legs, although possibly because it was cool and damp and I'd dropped the tyre pressures a little on the Schwalbe Duranos as they have a habit in cool/cold conditions of developing bulges and going BANG!  As luck, bad luck in this case on a fairly rough road there was a BANG, turned out to be a sliced sidewall.  I normally carry a spare tyre, but not this time, so had to use a tyre boot chopped from an old tyre, it held all the way home although the tyre was starting to tear when I checked it at the chippy, it held together ok.

Also doing some of the smaller lanes in rural Lincolnshire I was following the GPS which said turn right then left, but there was no left, it was a field! It only required a couple of Km to divert around though.

What did I learn:
Always carry a spare tyre (in my case 2 as I have 2 different size wheels).
Always thoroughly route check a new trip on street view.
Fish and chips is too much for me to digest, stick with what I know best, grazing on lighter foods and a packet of sweets.

Riding time was 6hr 32m, faffing time including waiting for gaps in traffic at major road crossings 51 minutes.

[SR Steve]

Another great ride Yanto. Slightly worrying about the Duranos though as that’s what I have on at the moment. I cut the sidewall of one on the TINAT 600 so changed it, but otherwise no issues. Maybe it’s the speeds you get up to and the weight of your machine that give them a lot more stick than I would. Also missing potholes with all three wheels must be very tricky given the state of the roads.

[j_a_m_e_s_]

Put in a shift at work, rode home and munched some pasta for dinner, then a lovely night 300 starting at 1900 out through to Lambourn then hooking up with the Dean route to Malmesbury and back.
My first DIYxGPS
Note - from Membury to Malmesbury is deserted in the small hours. There is nowhere to get provisions if you don't already have some. I had stuff in the handlebar bag and made sure I was carrying enough juice until I got back to Theale - what a delight Hackpen Hill was! Only 32000m 3200m of climbing, but the cold easterly on the way back and my added ballast is probably the reason my legs are telling me otherwise.

Ooh - a bonus pre dawn 20min nap in a defribrilator telephone box too.

[whosatthewheel]

Put in a shift at work, rode home and munched some pasta for dinner, then a lovely night 300 starting at 1900 out through to Lambourn then hooking up with the Dean route to Malmesbury and back.
My first DIYxGPS
Note - from Membury to Malmesbury is deserted in the small hours. There is nowhere to get provisions if you don't already have some. I had stuff in the handlebar bag and made sure I was carrying enough juice until I got back to Theale - what a delight Hackpen Hill was! Only 32000m of climbing, but the cold easterly on the way back and my added ballast is probably the reason my legs are telling me otherwise.

Ooh - a bonus pre dawn 20min nap in a defribrilator telephone box too.

Old fashion hard core cycling... 

[mattc]

32000m of climbing is certainly hard-core.

[j_a_m_e_s_]

32000m of climbing is certainly hard-core.

😳😳😳

[Neil C]

With the mild and sunny forecast for the weekend, and nothing local on the calendar, I decided to do The London Ditchling Devil. And to use a new bike I'd only done a total of 30 miles on.

Leaving home was slightly delayed when I found out that Richmond Park was fully closed until 7.30 due to the deer cull. It was a good day to be on a bike but seemed colder and windier than I was expecting. The journey down to Brighton was made in good time despite the crosswind.

As I came down off Ditchling Beacon I could see a couple of riders with ACME jerseys ahead of me. I thought they could well be on the same ride, and as I was only a mile from the next control expected to see them there. I caught them up at the horrible, noisy, sloping T-junction just before the A27. But they turned left as I turned right and I only managed a few words.

The second half of the ride was more effort than the first and I crawled back to the finish. My legs at fault, not the bike. Back home inside 12 hours. Next audax not until 8 December.

( Just found out from Strava Flyby that the ACME guys were Jan and Andrew riding the Meridian Hills. Twice as hilly as my ride - much respect! Don't know if they lurk here. )

[Whitedown Man]

I also rode the Ditchling Devil Perm today, but didn’t spot anyone else looking like an AUK. Despite the frosty (5am) start and the chilling east wind from mid-afternoon onwards, an absolutely perfect day to be out on the bike - blue skies and sunshine all the way.