Author Topic: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor  (Read 93274 times)

Ultradiscostu

  • Stand Up And Ride
    • My blog
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #575 on: 01 June, 2015, 05:53:57 pm »
 A post on behalf of Team ElliptiGO to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers for their amazing hospitality. It was astonishing how quickly one could enter a control get the brevet card stamped and have a delicious hot meal and coffee served up. This helped enormously with managing our time as Billy and I were on a strict 15 min per control strategy (with a few 30 mins too). Our entire stopping time (excluding our very luxurious 3hr sleep at Chester) was just 3:38. We just couldn't have achieved this without all the wonderful helpers. The route was indeed challenging but to complete it on an ElliptiGO as our final PBP qualifier made it all the more rewarded. I wouldn't change a thing about this event. Thanks Danial!
Push your limits and never be afraid to dream big. Ignore the naysayers and GO for it!

www.ultradiscostu.co.uk

Smeth

  • less Grimpeur than Whimpeur...
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #576 on: 01 June, 2015, 05:56:24 pm »
Quote
I want to run a good event, and want to support riders by offering an interesting route and excellent controls staffed by people who understand their needs. Not having to queue to get food, or wait for it to be cooked, or find a cashpoint for a receipt, saves lots of time. If we offer all that and you can't finish in 40 hours, you probably wouldn't finish PBP either.

Hear hear. We have loads of 600's to choose from this year in the time window. This definitely had the love. Well worth the extra k's. And as for the food. Numnumnumnumnum.

Smeth

  • less Grimpeur than Whimpeur...
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #577 on: 01 June, 2015, 05:58:22 pm »
I thought I was hallucinating when I saw that towel hanging in the bush after the ford. (sound of hysterical laughter for next 5k.)

αdαmsκι

  • Instagram @ucfaaay Strava @ucfaaay
  • Look haggard. It sells.
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #578 on: 01 June, 2015, 06:05:24 pm »
Route comments:

In general I thought the route worked really well. The Chilton hills were good with the 100s of red kites (although I did not enjoy overlapping with the Chilton Sportive on Sunday morning!); the A44 was fine both ways; the Cotswolds were stunning; Bidford was nice; the little cyclelane route in Droitwich Spa helped miss the town centre; and the ride north of Lilleshall was beautiful. I loved the glimpse of Liverpool Cathedral and Elsemere Port I got just before Tattenhall. Riding past Cholmondeley Castle with the woodland was stunning.

I managed to shorten the route in a few places to end up with 614 km.

1) From Tattenhall to Christleton and then back to Tattenhall I made use of the A41 like so: click. Riding northbound at about 6 pm there was some traffic on the A41, but nothing too bad IMO, although there was a lot of traffic heading southbound. However, when I rode back down the A41 at about 7 pm the traffic had thinned out a lot. Considering everyone else would hit that section of road even later than me they should have even less traffic, so that's one possible way to lose 5 km. (This assumes the northernmost control remains at Christleton.)

2) Southbound I rode straight through the centre of Kidderminster like so. At midnight this was absolute fine, and I imagine it would not be an issue early Sunday morning either. This saved me another kilometre. However, I don't know how late into Sunday morning riders were passing through Kidderminster, which could be a factor not to officially route the ride straight down the A449.

But in general don't change the route because it worked very well :thumbsup:. (Well if you could get rid of the A4130 Henley to Remenham Hill section I won't complain because slowly riding up that hill on Sunday afternoon was horrible because of the traffic; the worst bit of the ride IMO.)
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

billyam998

  • LEL rider C6 2013 / B11 2017 / B4 2022
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #579 on: 01 June, 2015, 06:07:27 pm »
... I had felt awfully slow all afternoon, not helped by a dip in the stream / ford. Luckily for me there had been some towels dropped on the roadside a bit further on- clean and dry! I dried off and kept going. ...

Seriously? Was this alfapete's doing?

Whoever it was was an absolute star, so there I am dripping wet, feeling pretty stupid wanting something to dry myself with and, as if by magic at the roadside are towels!! I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #580 on: 01 June, 2015, 06:08:05 pm »
Fantastic event.  It felt like a short version of LEL.  As far as I'm concerned this takes the bar to a new level for non-X rated 600k events - for £30 that was insane VFM.  Good route - much better than last year.  Great riding with great people.  Soul destroying riding into the worst of that head wind on the return leg, but great last 50k on roads I know well.

Quote
What I may do is try and move the start to the other side of Windsor to shave off some distance. Whether I use this to make the event shorter or to take out the A44 section remains to be seen.
Give a thought to Holyport Memorial Hall.  It's a few hundred meters off the current route and would take about 10k off the distance each way.
37.9 miles from Marsh Gibbon

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #581 on: 01 June, 2015, 06:19:55 pm »
Give a thought to Holyport Memorial Hall.  It's a few hundred meters off the current route and would take about 10k off the distance each way.

Cor, cheers! I'd be keen to get rid of the drag into Old Windsor anyway as the traffic can be heavy and the drivers prone to an inflated sense of entitlement.

Though thinking more about this, the issue isn't so much the distance between controls as the route required to keep off the main road. DelphCyclist offers a choice of route on his events, tailored to the time of day you're passing through. I might do this myself. For example you could have jumped onto the A41 straight after Lilleshall and used it all the way to Christleton and back. I've used this road a few times for back-pocket DIYs but would hesitate to run an event that explicitly used it.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #582 on: 01 June, 2015, 06:45:12 pm »
Give a thought to Holyport Memorial Hall.  It's a few hundred meters off the current route and would take about 10k off the distance each way.

Cor, cheers! I'd be keen to get rid of the drag into Old Windsor anyway as the traffic can be heavy and the drivers prone to an inflated sense of entitlement.

Though thinking more about this, the issue isn't so much the distance between controls as the route required to keep off the main road. DelphCyclist offers a choice of route on his events, tailored to the time of day you're passing through. I might do this myself. For example you could have jumped onto the A41 straight after Lilleshall and used it all the way to Christleton and back. I've used this road a few times for back-pocket DIYs but would hesitate to run an event that explicitly used it.
that sounds like a good plan :)

Having run an over-distance quallifier in 2011, you have my sympathies! Mine was very flat, so it wasnt a big issue,  but I had a couple of complaints (the loudest was from an AUK not on the event  :facepalm: )

A couple of suggestions from local (Oxon) knowledge:
- Ladder Hill: I'm pretty sure I'd ride to Chalgrove from Wheatley via Little Milton (this is the reverse of a section on the Upper Thames, and plenty quiet on a Sunday).  Gmaps suggests it is at least as short.
- Remenham Hill (out of Henley): when I rode to Windsor last year, I turned right at the bottom of this hill and took the lanes. Then rejoin the event route a few miles later. Same climbing, but broken-up a bit, and I do hate A-road climbs! Afraid I havent checked the distance :-/
(biggest drawback with this option is a shitload of extra instructions)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #583 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:00:27 pm »
A DNF for me.
A bitter end to a disappointing month of right Achilles tendon pain that had kept me off the bike since I completed the Auld Alliance 400km. Having seen a Physio for some treatment and dosed up on Ibuprofen & Ibuleve topical gel I decided that I may as well give it a go, but was fairly resigned to the fact that I probably wouldnt complete – advising Rachael (my wife) that it would probably be all over by breakfast time.
I ultimately managed to hold out longer than that, though eventually had to call it a day at the Lilleshall control after 388km, on top of the pain the roads had shredded my rear tyre, must get something more durable than duranos. I managed to fashion some tyre boots from bits of my many wrecked tubes and cycled onto Stafford to catch the train home.
Not my best day by a long shot and it has scuppered my hopes of doing this Years PBP, what with Rachael & me preparing for our move to France on the 26th June, I wont be able to fit in an alternative 600 though I doubt my leg would be recovered sufficiently in any case.
I will be have to settle for coffee & crepe Duties at Paul Rogues stall in la Tanniere (at about 290km & 939km) on this years event, as per 2011.

Bon Courage to all those who have or are aiming to qualify for this years ride, I will be cheering you all from the road side, stop & have a coffee.

I'd like to thank Daniel Webb & everyone involved in the organisation of the WCW and all the volunteers for their amazing hospitality at the controls, fantastic food (special mentions for the oatcakes and also the corned beef hash) and their encouragement.

Anyway heres to the long ride to qualify for the PBP 2019.

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #584 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:24:12 pm »
I will be have to settle for coffee & crepe Duties at Paul Rogues stall in la Tanniere (at about 290km & 939km) on this years event, as per 2011.

Will have to put a waypoint with proximity alarm on the GPS for that !
Sorry you didn't make it.


Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
    • Pics
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #585 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:38:48 pm »
I will be have to settle for coffee & crepe Duties at Paul Rogues stall in la Tanniere (at about 290km & 939km) on this years event, as per 2011.

Will have to put a waypoint with proximity alarm on the GPS for that !
Sorry you didn't make it.

@nadir Sorry to see you at the weekend about to leave for the nearest station. I remember meeting you at La Tanniere and then riding with you near MK in late 2011, and hearing your PBP plans then

@Somnolent Just look for the postcard display (much bigger now than in his photo). 5 are from me. You can't miss it.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #586 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:46:40 pm »
I did a bit of filming at Christleton, I shot about 90 minutes, which has been reduced to 11 and a bit. Good practice with that camera, which can be fiddly.
I would have used the A41 between Lilleshall and Christleton. I've ridden all of that section on 12s and 24s, the main problem are the lorries headed to Ireland, which come through in time with the ferries around 3am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2lmbVg4gMI

StevieB

  • I'm an embarrassment to my bicycle!
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #587 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:54:18 pm »
A DNF for me.
A bitter end to a disappointing month of right Achilles tendon pain that had kept me off the bike since I completed the Auld Alliance 400km. Having seen a Physio for some treatment and dosed up on Ibuprofen & Ibuleve topical gel I decided that I may as well give it a go, but was fairly resigned to the fact that I probably wouldnt complete...

Many thanks 'nadir' for sharing your drug stash with me - surprising effective and enabled me to keep going (sore knees are a common theme on this thread). Sorry you didn't make it - hope to see you in France - just the small matter of a 600 as I was OOT!

Thanks to 'haffers' for navigating me through the dark after I'd completed a additional 10k loop around Tattenhall and lost confidence in my ability to navigate with the routesheet!

So much tougher than in past years - in my case because the event was in May and not September!

Great event, great atmosphere at all the controls - hope we don't have to wait four years for the next one!
It may be self-flagellation, but it still hurts

JonB

  • Granny Ring ... Yes Please!
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #588 on: 01 June, 2015, 07:57:17 pm »
A DNF for me.

Sorry to hear that Nadir, enjoyed riding this with you last year (it was my tyre that shredded that weekend).  Best wishes for the move and hope that achillees sorts itself out.

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #589 on: 01 June, 2015, 08:43:46 pm »
A great ride through some interesting countryside and a fine outing.  :thumbsup:

Good to see familiar faces along the way and have the opportunity to chat to people at controls.

Many thanks to Danial and the team for a fine weekend  :smug:

H

Salvatore

  • Джон Спунър
    • Pics
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #590 on: 01 June, 2015, 09:16:51 pm »
'Lucky' Salvatore has a tale to tell too. I'll leave that there as a teaser.  I'm sure he will tell that tale when he gets home (he's still on the road).
But first I'm going to get some kip.

If there's still anyone who hasn't heard it, this is what happened:

I was riding with an Oxford rider named Tom, who was out for a Saturday morning spin, and we'd just reached the Islip 1-way system, when my legs started spinning without any effect on my speed, as if I had changed into a ridiculously small gear, or my chain had broken. Neither was the case - the freewheel was freewheeling in both directions. I leant my bike against a wall and wondered what to do. I didn't have the tools to dismantle a Campag freewheel, and I didn't have the cable ties to make a temporary bodge (as I'd used in similar circumstances on the BCM some years ago). Tom had plenty of spare wheels but it was too far from home and he didn't have a car. My 3 thoughts were: "That's it for this ride", "That's it for PBP qualification", and "There is a solution, something will turn up, I just don't know what it is yet". This last thought was inspired by the broken chain incident on the WW 300 earlier in the year, when the heros of V.C. Walcot had turned up, ridden to Bath, found an open bike shop, bought a chain and ridden back to meet me. At that moment a local walked up. "Riding Windsor Chester Windsor? Is there a problem?" he asked. He looked familiar, but he recognised me first. It was John Hopper (or John "No-Relation-To-Jim-Hopper-But-Toby-Hopper's-Uncle" Hopper to give him his full name). We'd ridden the last bit of PBP together in 2007 and I'd like to think I had some influence in his getting back 5 mins inside the 90-hour deadline rather than passing the deadline asleep in a bus shelter . Anyway, he took me to his house 100 yds away, we went to his shed and he handed me a rear wheel, inner tube and new tyre while he went to make me a cup of tea. 

What are the chances of that? The only local is not only a cyclist, an audaxer, knows me, lives nearby and has exactly what I need to get going again.

  • 31 minutes from realising something was wrong to being back on the road.
  • My original wheel had a Campag hub - the replacement was Shimano. No indexing or compatibility problems. DT friction FTW.
  • After 50 km or so I realised the sprockets were loose. I tightened them with the Shimano-compatible tool I had with me. Why was I carrying a Shimano tool and using a Campag hub? Don't ask me.
  • The replacement has a 32 or 34 -tooth sprocket (as opposed to the 28 I'd started with). Those extra teeth turned out to be very useful later on.
  • After this and the WW300/VC Walcot/chain episode Drew Buck has a theory about my bike maintenance philosophy: If my bike is making a funny noise in midweek I just leave it until the following weekend's Audax and rely on someone else's kindness to sort out.

Other things from the weekend:

What everyone else has said about the controls and volunteers.

At Hartlebury Roy Goodbier told me an anecdote about the 1989 LEL which I knew nothing about. Which was surprising because I had a central role in it. I and 2 policemen.

Total expenses for the weekend: Entry: £30. Food: £1.60 (I bought a cappuccino this morning on my ride home). Transport to and from the event: £0.Accommodation before during and after the event: £0. Bike repairs parts & labour £0. Total £31.60.

I rode with Drew Buck on and off all weekend. By Weston we were both worried that we'd finish out of time. Leaving controls as they closed wouldn't work as that would leave less than two hours to ride the last 50km. Our overall average was close to 15 kph, so we'd have to increase our average, with the Cotswolds still to cross . Some first-time 600 riders with us were very grateful  to us for pointing out the difference between 15 kph intermediate controls and the 40-hour flat-rate finish.  It was very rewarding to see them finish in time. As it happened the ripsnorting tailwind across the Cotswolds meant that for DB and me the fears of finishing HD had disappeared by Chalgrove.

Towards the end as a 7:30 starter I found myself riding with 6 o'clock starters who had no realistic chance of meeting their 22:00 deadline. It must be disheartening to put in all that effort and then slowly realise that it will count for nothing  (nothing PBP qualification-wise but hopefully a valuable experience).

The tailwind assisted blast down the A44 was one of the highlights.

Did any one else notice that we went along Chester road just north of Kinver, and past the end of Windsor Holloway just south of Kinver? No? Just me then.

Left Luggage A helmet with nice mitts, buff, USB charger thingy and a bag of bits and bobs (all together in the helmet so I assume the same owner) were left at the hall (I slept at the hall and Danial left me to lock up), so I brought them home with me .
PM me if you're the owner. Also a pair of skanky mitts.
Quote
et avec John, excellent lecteur de road-book, on s'en est sortis sans erreur

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #591 on: 01 June, 2015, 09:44:46 pm »
Did any one else notice that we went along Chester road just north of Kinver, and past the end of Windsor Holloway just south of Kinver? No? Just me then.

No, I'd noticed that as well. I love Kinver - so many happy memories from days out there when I was a kid. :thumbsup:

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #592 on: 01 June, 2015, 09:58:11 pm »

What are the chances of that? The only local is not only a cyclist, an audaxer, knows me, lives nearby and has exactly what I need to get going again.



what a fantastic story Salvatore, yes i remember you from the PBP and the bike ride around MK.
Sorry i couldnt hang around to speak to you, but all that was going on in my head was "That's it for this ride", "That's it for PBP qualification" and most importantly "I must get to Stafford train station to catch my train home".
good luck with the PBP

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #593 on: 01 June, 2015, 10:06:30 pm »
A great ride through some interesting countryside and a fine outing.  :thumbsup:

Good to see familiar faces along the way and have the opportunity to chat to people at controls.

Many thanks to Danial and the team for a fine weekend  :smug:

H

How far did you get before your head cleared on Saturday morning Hummers? you weren't looking your normal ebullient self at the start.  ;)

αdαmsκι

  • Instagram @ucfaaay Strava @ucfaaay
  • Look haggard. It sells.
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #594 on: 01 June, 2015, 10:09:51 pm »
I love Kinver - so many happy memories from days out there when I was a kid. :thumbsup:

I will remember Kinver for all the traffic. It looked like a nice place that has been ruined by cars.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #595 on: 01 June, 2015, 10:10:23 pm »
If there's still anyone who hasn't heard it, this is what happened:

Great story John.
When you open your heart to the Universe, Lady Luck rides with you. Or something like that.

Glad you made the time.
Garry Broad

αdαmsκι

  • Instagram @ucfaaay Strava @ucfaaay
  • Look haggard. It sells.
Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #596 on: 01 June, 2015, 10:19:00 pm »
I set off from Windsor with the optimistic aim of sleeping at Hartlebury, giving myself a “short” day on Sunday. However that would depend on the weather because I didn't fancy riding through the night if it was hosing down like the forecasts were predicting. At least all the controls had sleeping options so it would be easy to change the plan.

In the end Saturday was great. I wasn't the fastest person on the road, but was having fun being overtaken by people on downhills only to pass them again on uphills and chatting for bits of time to various people. I wasn't stopping long at controls, instead grabbing food (cake, sandwiches, cereal bars etc.) and eating on the go, which meant I was keeping up with the front riders. After Hartlebury I dropped into a group of four other riders, which included MikeH, and I go towed along at a rapid pace to Lilleshall. Another quick stop at Lilleshall meant I enjoyed the Cheshire plains on my own, and this was one of the highlights of the ride. The Christleton controllers were slightly surprised to see me arrive just after 6 pm as they were about to eat their dinner before welcoming the riders.  Clearly not stopping at controls had allowed me to make good time; I'd only had thirty minutes stationary up until this point. I had my first sitdown feed, and drank the wine the Christleton team had with them.

The ride back south was brilliant as I waved to the 100+ riders heading northwards and enjoyed more of the Cheshire plains. I got back to Lilleshall, were the controllers were initially a bit confused if I was heading north or south, as there were still a few 07h30 starters heading northwards, such as Feline and Salvatore. The weather was still fine and it was only just dark so I set off to Hartlebury. The rains hit at Kidderminster, but that meant 7 km of riding in the rain, so clearly so my ride plan had worked a treat. More food and then bed.

After a 05h30 wake up call I felt OK. I then rode back to Windsor with Douglas who was on his first 600. He showed me how not to ride through the ford, and spent the rest of the day wet. I used the bridges. Going through the Cotswold we spent our time yo-yoing, with him going past me on descents and me overtaking on the uphills. The weather wasn't as good as Saturday, but we remained dry, made good progress and the views were fantastic.

Back to Windsor just after 2.30 pm, a quick thank you to Daniel and then I shot off to Datchet to catch the train back to Waterloo. This ride was amazing value for money, £30 entry which included all my food for Saturday and Sunday and somewhere to sleep. Fantastic. The full catered, all inclusive, controls were fantastic. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. I really appreciated your efforts and had a great time on the ride. Oh, and I am now qualified for PBP (and also entered after Pippa stayed up until 11 pm on Saturday to sort out my registration). Brilliant weekend. Thanks everyone.

My photos can be view on Picasa: click.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

Chris S

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #597 on: 01 June, 2015, 10:42:24 pm »
I love Kinver - so many happy memories from days out there when I was a kid. :thumbsup:

I will remember Kinver for all the traffic. I looked like a nice place that has been ruined by cars.

My head is full of memories of such places; Burnham Market (Norfolk), Thirsk (Yorkshire), Helmsby (Yorkshire), Rothbury (Northumberland).

Plus pretty much everywhere south and east of a line Severn/Wash.

France doesn't seem to suffer this problem at all - at least, not where we've ridden so far, which is probably why we're heading back there soon.

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #598 on: 01 June, 2015, 11:08:35 pm »
At Hartlebury Roy Goodbier told me an anecdote about the 1989 LEL which I knew nothing about. Which was surprising because I had a central role in it. I and 2 policemen.

I was also reminded of that anecdote by Roy, I'd forgotten the event despite also being there and fully conscious at the time. I think we saved Mr. Spooner from a charge of vagrancy.

Re: Coming soon - the all new Windsor-Chester-Windsor
« Reply #599 on: 02 June, 2015, 12:50:44 am »
First 600 for me. Many Many Thanks to all involved, having so much support at the (well spaced) controls made it so much easier. All I had to do was follow each section on the GPS and keep the pedals turning. I'm fairly new to the Audax world and still wonder why I need to put myself through such torture, maybe I was a bad person in a past life. Maybe see some of you in Paris!