Author Topic: The Horsepower 200 & 100km  (Read 23724 times)

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #75 on: 10 March, 2019, 06:33:59 pm »
Any more encounter with the 'Pothole of Doom'? I've narrowed it down to Norwich Lane, between Knettishall and Sapiston. This is very much the flinty, potholed, stamping ground of 'She Who Must Not Be Named' - Tippers had his double 'visitation' a few years ago on a snowy perm/helpers' ride [not sure which]: famously repaired with gloves kept on [while we all watched, gave 'helpful' advice, and shivered]!

That's two bikes written off there yesterday - classic front end impacts - wobbly front wheel, forks ok but top and down tubes bent/fractured downwards. Injuries, but thankfully non requiring 'blue lamps'. PM/email me if you need to report an accident, please.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #76 on: 10 March, 2019, 06:54:48 pm »
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #77 on: 10 March, 2019, 06:56:16 pm »
Any more encounter with the 'Pothole of Doom'? I've narrowed it down to Norwich Lane, between Knettishall and Sapiston. This is very much the flinty, potholed, stamping ground of 'She Who Must Not Be Named' - Tippers had his double 'visitation' a few years ago on a snowy perm/helpers' ride [not sure which]: famously repaired with gloves kept on [while we all watched, gave 'helpful' advice, and shivered]!

That's two bikes written off there yesterday - classic front end impacts - wobbly front wheel, forks ok but top and down tubes bent/fractured downwards. Injuries, but thankfully non requiring 'blue lamps'. PM/email me if you need to report an accident, please.

Crikey!  Stay safe, folks!  :o

I believe this is the thread you're looking for, Tomsk — "Essex PBP Training" from four years ago; the first ride of the Horses for Courses perm.  I can never pass Tipper's Verge without a wry smile  ;D
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #78 on: 10 March, 2019, 06:57:25 pm »
https://www.fillthathole.org.uk might be useful.

It's Suffolk: big county, small budget.  Worth a try, tho.
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

rob

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #79 on: 10 March, 2019, 07:11:49 pm »
Location sounds about right.   There was a group of 4 looking at something broken when I passed.  Not much after that that I had my second visitation.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #80 on: 10 March, 2019, 07:12:44 pm »
I believe there is a statutory requirement to fill potholes above a particular size, once notified. The threshold size is defined by the county but recorded crashes should bump up the repair priority. If a pothole has been notified prior to crashes, I think the county has increased liability.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

wilkyboy

  • "nick" by any other name
    • 16-inch wheels
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #81 on: 10 March, 2019, 07:20:52 pm »
I believe there is a statutory requirement to fill potholes above a particular size, once notified. The threshold size is defined by the county but recorded crashes should bump up the repair priority. If a pothole has been notified prior to crashes, I think the county has increased liability.

You are correct.  They may just spray paint around it and hope nobody else comes-a-cropper, though  ::-)
Lockdown lethargy. RRTY: wot's that? Can't remember if I'm on #8 or #9 ...

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #82 on: 10 March, 2019, 08:17:13 pm »
Struggling into the wind with a number of riders and stopped to change batteries on the Garmin, a short while later I turned a corner to see Peter lying muddied in the road with another rider. He looked shaken, with signs of grazing and bruising to the side of his face, not good.

Five or so minutes later with help he stood up and retrieved his bicycle, and attempted to sort out his brake shifter. Chatted with two other guys repairing punctures just up the road who had also ridden through the hole.

Peter by this stage had remounted his bike and appeared gingerly to be back on his way with two or three others.

Continued assuming all was well.

The water filled pothole was on the lefthand edge of the road, approximately four inches deep 20 or so yards from the cellphone mast

https://goo.gl/maps/xCvhYonzQ5x

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #83 on: 10 March, 2019, 08:38:03 pm »
https://www.fillthathole.org.uk might be useful.

 :thumbsup: Has been commended to riders yesterday. I have used this with success, at least around home turf where I have kept an eye on the outcome regularly. At least one of yesterday's victims took photos of hole, damage etc and has the gps location.

... a short while later I turned a corner to see Peter lying muddied in the road with another rider. He looked shaken, with signs of grazing and bruising to the side of his face ...

Peter W made it back and seemed ok to drive, painkiller assisted. Later reported back from home after a no doubt painful clean-up ...

I believe this is the thread you're looking for, Tomsk — "Essex PBP Training" from four years ago; the first ride of the Horses for Courses perm.  I can never pass Tipper's Verge without a wry smile  ;D

Yes, the ride with icy road edges on the A/B road first section, a slight thaw then horizontal snow showers and the Russian tank outside the old Snetterton model shop looking appropriately 'Eastern Front'! Tipper's Verge is engraved in Audax Legend!

Alex B

  • Headwind specialist
    • Where is there an end of it?
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #84 on: 11 March, 2019, 08:28:09 am »
Well, I've never been blown off the road before, so that was a new one: somewhere near Troston a mighty gust just cuffed me onto the verge. A passing motorist stopped to see if I was okay (young children in baby seats waving at me), but the only damage was to my dignity.

A pretty ride and lovely route - but the blowy conditions made the second half quite testing. Good PBP training as the forecast* is for a tropical storm then. Thanks to Tom and the ACME team for running another excellent event.

- Alex.

* In my head.

Chris S

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #85 on: 11 March, 2019, 12:14:16 pm »
The most noticable after-effect of this ride has been wrist pain - presumably from the rictus grip I had on the tandem's bars as I wrestled it through the worst of the broadside gusts. That drag up past Cavenham was a soul-destroyer and no mistake.

No takers for the tandem tow in the last section; Tom's rides are all about the Essex chop, which makes riding with us pretty much untenable; you can get off and walk faster than we climb anything steeper than 8%.

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #86 on: 12 March, 2019, 03:38:20 pm »
Well, after checking out how little riding I've been doing because of real life, this was my first 200km+ since Hereward the Wake in July 2017! After a previous enjoyable experience on this ride thought it would be a gentle reintroduction to the world of audax. How wrong I was.
First half of the ride was a most enjoyable pootle after hooking up with Andy and Jan at the start, thinking to myself "yeah I've still got it!" About 15km out of Snetterton the wind whipped up and we were hit with a horizontal downpour. Crawled up to Snetterton from there and I had to walk the last 200 yards to the café as couldn't actually stay upright because of the wind.
A good refuel and sit down prepared me for what I remembered was a most pleasant push to Newmarket. On my way with Andy, Jan and joined by Deano44 we pressed on. What a slog! Taking it in turns at the front we battled on. I became more weary as the ride went on and was cut adrift to suffer on my own at the back. Had to stop for 'a moment' at one point to get my breath back shake my legs out, Andy informed me we were only half way to Newmarket. In the words of Bill Bryson "Are you shitting me!?!?!"
After an eternity we made it to Spoons in Newmarket and curry was consumed post haste before heading on. More of the same on the way back but the pace picked up a bit. Being the gentlemen they are the other 3 stopped a few times to wait for me on the last leg and am eternally grateful for being looked after. Made it back in 11.5 hours so not a bad start to my distance rebirth. Big thanks also to Andy who saved me from having to cycle the 25k home at the end as well. If it wasn't for him I may still be out there now.
The pain has subsided now and am ready to do it all again......

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #87 on: 14 March, 2019, 08:28:20 pm »
83 validated 200km brevets, 7 of which are helpers'. 9 DNFs. Uploaded to AUKweb, with brevets to go off for physical validation towards the end of the month.

Rob B's inner tube and prk receipt from Newmarket Halfords spoke volumes; some of you opted for a Wetherspoons feast, but a lot did the Shell/BP garage thing for a fast passage.

46 100km finishers, including 1 helper. 4 DNFs.

Well done to all finishers, commiserations to the DNFs and their various woes. Thanks again to all our helpers for stamping cards, feeding and caring for riders, and generally being excellent.  :thumbsup:

rob

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #88 on: 14 March, 2019, 08:51:43 pm »
Rob B's inner tube and prk receipt from Newmarket Halfords spoke volumes.

Bloke said ‘are you having a nice day ?’ - I showed him my filthy hands and gave him a withering look.   He then asked if he could e-mail me the receipt.   At which point I remembered that I needed a Newmarket receipt.   Could have been a mistake.

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #89 on: 15 March, 2019, 08:06:09 am »
Thanks Tomsk it was a lovely ride (or would have been without the weather) I may try it again in more benign weather.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 9th March 2019
« Reply #90 on: 17 December, 2019, 04:43:07 pm »
Horses For Courses 200km [Permanent version of The Horsepower] ridden last Saturday - sampled the sparkling new services on the A11 slip road at Snetterton, includes a Greggs, McDonalds, Starbucks and a Spar shop; I got my final free loyalty McD's coffee of the year. :thumbsup: Routesheet on AUKweb updated with the Snetterton control information.

Still the Pothole Capital of East Anglia, and a Neolithic flint arrowhead got through my Durano Pluses - the first in three winters!

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km Saturday 14th March 2020
« Reply #91 on: 26 January, 2020, 08:00:01 pm »
This year's Horsepower Audaxes have small changes to the start times: 07:00 for the 200km, 09:00 for the 100km.

I've been putting on events in the two venues at St Mary's for ten years now (!) This year the church is raising money for some new chairs, to replace some pews and I'd like to help out. By offering more food to riders, for a small donation and topping-up from any surplus event funds, we will be able to help with this project. Catering has been fairly basic up to now, with the limited space in St Mary's Centre, but if we have the use of the church itself (the chairs are intended for more flexible community use of the building), then we have a whole load more possibilities for TLC.

I'm thinking along the lines of hot food for breakfast: bacon/egg rolls, porridge, toast, as well as the usual pastries and cereal bars. The food at the arrivee, usually soup and rolls, will be much the same, but I'm still working on the details with the church catering commitee.

I've put a basic outline plan on the AUKweb info document for the two events, with more to come in the next few weeks.

By the way, the Helpers' Ride will be on Saturday 7th March. Not a track day, unlike 14th, so as the circuit will be shut that day, it'll be a trip to the sparkling new services on the A11!

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #92 on: 27 January, 2020, 09:35:48 am »
I'm pondering the helpers ride, but undecided on the 200 or 100 as I want to ride it fixed and I we always seem to have a mega headwind on the helpers ride as a sacrifice for the main event... will have a think about it closer to the date, it's a few weeks away now so still time to get my head around my first 200km on fixed!
Regards,

Joergen

Deano4

  • Trouble
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #93 on: 27 January, 2020, 10:17:26 am »
Happy to help out on the 200km and on the day.  :)
ACME - Suffolk Branch

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #94 on: 27 January, 2020, 12:17:23 pm »
... still time to get my head around my first 200km on fixed!

and hit a significant Eddington milestone distance

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

BFC

  • ACME Wheelwright and Bike Fettler
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #95 on: 27 January, 2020, 12:45:02 pm »
I've already signed up for the 200K helpers ride on the 7th at 07:00 - probably on the fixed unless the weather is a lot better and the roads have cleaned up a lot.

And scheduled for helping out on the day in the tin box - car park duties at start, relocating to Snetterton for card stamping and water duties.

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #96 on: 27 January, 2020, 12:55:11 pm »
... still time to get my head around my first 200km on fixed!

and hit a significant Eddington milestone distance

Yep - still trying to avoid that :)
Regards,

Joergen

Tomsk

  • Fueled by cake since 1957
    • tomsk.co.uk
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #97 on: 27 January, 2020, 07:23:35 pm »
 :thumbsup: Thanks folks!

Phil W

Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #98 on: 27 January, 2020, 08:17:22 pm »
I'm pondering the helpers ride, but undecided on the 200 or 100 as I want to ride it fixed and I we always seem to have a mega headwind on the helpers ride as a sacrifice for the main event... will have a think about it closer to the date, it's a few weeks away now so still time to get my head around my first 200km on fixed!

Aren’t you retired from 200s?

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: The Horsepower 200 & 100km
« Reply #99 on: 27 January, 2020, 08:25:45 pm »
I'm pondering the helpers ride, but undecided on the 200 or 100 as I want to ride it fixed and I we always seem to have a mega headwind on the helpers ride as a sacrifice for the main event... will have a think about it closer to the date, it's a few weeks away now so still time to get my head around my first 200km on fixed!

Aren’t you retired from 200s?
Up to 200....
Regards,

Joergen