Recent Posts

1

The Pub / Re: What have you fettled today?

« Last post by robgul on Today at 10:53:38 am »

Fitted Ergon GP2 grips onto my Brompton.  I can't believe how rubbish the cheap & nasty standard foam grips are.

I've just changed my Van Nic tourer to flat/slight rider bars with some interim ebay grips - are the Ergon GP2 (or GP3) really as good as they're cracked up to be, for the relatively high price?

2

Audax / Re: Intermediate Checkpoints Now Untimed for ACP/RUSA Brevets (Feb/Mar 2024)

« Last post by vorsprung on Today at 10:49:35 am »

Haven't seen this mentioned elsewhere here.

Doing some Audax related searches and ended up on Randonneurs USA (RUSA) site and saw a post regarding changes to ACP BRM rules and subsequent change to  RUSA rules. Bottom line is that for them all Intermediate Checkpoint opening & closing times are now only advisory with only the final checkpoint actually counting. Can't find anything related on ACP site but their "news" items are years old.

https://rusa.org/node/1667 

I guess it is up to each region to decide to follow ACP lead or not

PS - Also "ACP Super Randonneur Award - now calendar year" https://rusa.org/node/1677

I don't have the rules memorised or a rule book open in front of me but my approach as an org or rider is

1/ if you get to a control and it is closed, get proof of passage anyway.  You might make up the time later
2/ consider however that if you are so slow that you can't make the time for an intermediate then probably you are doomed
3/ orgs are fine to close, lock up and drive away from controls if they are ended even if there are riders out there.  As a rider you are just going to have to fend for yourself (including proof of passage)

There are some routes with a slow / hilly / difficult bit near the start where finishing might be possible even if you miss the intermediate time

OTOH if a rider gets to an intermediate too soon and ahead of time then they absolutely must wait until the control opens before controlling
Not sure what I would do as an org if someone broke this rule and turned up at the end with a otherwise valid card
Only remember it happening once on my events, I was at the intermediate control in question and they were about 1 minute early

3

Ctrl-Alt-Del / Re: Going VOIP - losing the landline

« Last post by Regulator on Today at 10:45:06 am »

My mother went VOIP a few months ago (Salisbury is one of the early test areas).  The process seemed to go very smoothly and she's had no issues so far.

4

Online quizzes / Re: Wordle

« Last post by Robh on Today at 10:35:47 am »

Wordle 1,049 4/6

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟨⬜⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

5

The Pub / Re: Tune Association II - Son of Tune Association

« Last post by Robh on Today at 10:23:07 am »

Who Is He And What Is He To You? - Meshell Ndegeocello

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Audax / Re: Intermediate Checkpoints Now Untimed for ACP/RUSA Brevets (Feb/Mar 2024)

« Last post by Wycombewheeler on Today at 10:17:50 am »

Not that I understand why people would voluntarily signup for a organised ride without any gains, pay money for it even and then not abide the decorum of the ride. But cheaters will be cheaters I guess.

Indeed, aside from points champion, there is no reason to cheat or at least no one else loses anything if someone does. Anyone going for that does not need to shave 5km off of a 200km ride.

I find it amusing that the official rules for Fleche Velocio (and by extension similar national versions e.g. Easter Arrow to York) do not allow teams to spend more than 2 hours at any intermediate control, to keep riders moving along their route and minimising rest/ sleep. At the same time, ACP's intermediate control opening and closing times are now advisory, potentially maximising the opportunity for rest/ sleep. There seems to be a clash of philosophies between those rules.

I think deliberately setting rules which restrict opportunity to sleep could come under scrutiny in the event of an incident, I'm surprised in this environment of organisations being very risk averse and concerned about litigation that no one has said, "are we sure preventing sleep when people are travelling on the roads is really a good idea?". I suppose the rule about maximum stop is really aimed at encouraging faster riders to try for more distance, and not smash out 300km in 12 hours, have a 6 hour sleep and roll the last 100km to the finish.

I suppose 24 hour time trials are a similar situation

7

The Pub / Re: Dez's funeral - 3rd May, 1pm.

« Last post by Robh on Today at 10:14:27 am »

Best wishes.

8

The Pub / Re: The Good News Thread

« Last post by bhoot on Today at 10:09:22 am »

Definitely congratulations on the gold award. A few years back I was a National Trust working holiday leader and they were a favoured choice for the gold award "residential". One of the best holidays I led had four DoE participants and it was great to be able to give them glowing (and well deserved) assessments at the end of the week.

9

Audax / Re: Intermediate Checkpoints Now Untimed for ACP/RUSA Brevets (Feb/Mar 2024)

« Last post by Wycombewheeler on Today at 09:59:59 am »

E-Brevet doesn't solve the locational problem with info controls.
You still need to know you're (within tolerance of) the right location to prove you were there.

And that's not necessarily easy.

but if you are not there, it tells you a) that you are not there and b) how far away it is. Whereas I could happily take down information from a road sign, and only find out at the end it was the wrong one. Or have the right information but be worried for the next 150km that it might not have been the right place. e-brevet gives certainty.

10

The Pub / Re: The Good News Thread

« Last post by Jurek on Today at 09:57:19 am »

Excellent stuff. I hear they have Posh Portaloos.

Not quite - the garden parties have toilets in smart marquees connected to underground plumbing  . . .  and all the crockery, cutlery etc is unmarked so it's not worth nicking

If you go behind the scenes in Buck House, once you've left the Grand Ballroom with it's 4m high ceiling and chandeliers to suit, its all a bit threadbare and institutional, like a run down hospital from the 60's.