Author Topic: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?  (Read 152851 times)

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #400 on: 16 June, 2018, 08:55:45 pm »
Nice one, YleeG.
Shame you won't be at Fordoun tomorrow. I'm currently trying to moderate my wine consumption this evening, which is a bit of a nuisance!

Bairn Again

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #401 on: 16 June, 2018, 09:29:51 pm »
Nice one, YleeG.
Shame you won't be at Fordoun tomorrow. I'm currently trying to moderate my wine consumption this evening, which is a bit of a nuisance!
aye, I was given my orders to keep tomorrow free for Fathers Day.  Good luck!  I really must get out on the TT bike and get some practicce

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #402 on: 18 June, 2018, 07:52:10 am »
I churned out the Dark and White Peak 200KM Perm on Saturday. Easily my hardest 200KM ride to date with 4000m of ascent recorded and a persistent strong headwind for every Southbound mile. Spectacular scenery though. A highly recommended ride!


deejay

  • A wise man goes when he can
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #404 on: 21 June, 2018, 12:28:08 pm »
Always good to see others enjoying the weather and riding their bike.

Yep, it was a good day in the end if a little wet at the start for me. It threatened to thunder near the finish as I rolled back through Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket but nothing came of it.
 :thumbsup:

JT

whosatthewheel

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #405 on: 22 June, 2018, 01:25:25 pm »
Seven of best (or worst) climbs in the Cotswolds... hopefully 2 AAA points when validated

https://www.strava.com/activities/1654567082

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #406 on: 28 June, 2018, 05:59:36 pm »
200 yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to keep my RRTY going. Up the A38 to Gloucester for elevenses (more like tenses, but any time is good) then out over Alney Island and up to Ledbury, where I spent far too much time eating ice cream and generally looking around. There's a lot to look at in a small town, I must go back on another occasion without time pressure. On further north, continuing into a headwind, to the turning point at Bromyard. From Ledbury to Bromyard is really not very far but the heat and the headwind where draining me (nothing to do with being unfit, oh no) so I found a cosy little cafe where I had a cup of tea and a cheese and onion toastie. Bromyard is in a valley, which I hadn't taken any notice of when planning. I did on the way out. Fortunately the road out actually seemed a shallower gradient than the one in. I also hadn't paid much attention to riding along the A465 for several miles. You can't always tell with A roads unless you know them; some are horrible, some lovely. Even primary status isn't an infallible guide. Fortunately the A465 had not much traffic but gave me the benefit of a smooth surface, easy gradients and no give ways.

I crossed the Wye at Holme Lacy and the steep stuff started. Again, maps and signs aren't everything. The first hill the OS consider worthy of a chevron left me unimpressed while others with no chevrons were far more taxing. The descent into Hoarwithy manages to combine a chevron, meaning at least 14%, with a road sign indicating 10%. In this case, I reckon it's at least 14%. It's also quite potholed, so I rushed down in a clanging of luggage, bottles and Garmin! By now it was really hot – the computer on my bike indicated 33 degrees! – so I did something quite unusual for me, stopped at a rural pub (it wasn't in a village, just at a crossroads) and drank some orange juice and lemonade, which I found really refreshing. (But why does it cost more than beer?)

The hottest was yet to come though. The road out of Monmouth to Trellech starts with a long climb. It's never steep but it never stops and the road is quite exposed. It felt like five miles though looking at the map I think it's only about two. I went right down the cassette, kept my cadence steady and was glad to reach the top. So was my average speed, which increased noticeably as I freewheeled at 50-odd km/h towards Chepstow; I'd been bumping against the time limit before. Chepstow, of course, is virtually a suburb of Bristol (or vice versa?) so from there it's just a question of following my nose. Home, and there were peaches!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #407 on: 08 July, 2018, 10:59:32 am »
Today's ride turned out to be an exercise in poor nutrition and hydration (because I forgot my wallet). Conclusion: either don't forget your wallet or carry enough food and water to get you round sans dosh. I do these things so you don't have to  ::-)

Anyway, a lovely day to be out on the bike. Had a puncture at @ 20k in - boo and indeed literally hiss >:-( . Bastard headwind from Dufftown got bastardier as the afternoon wore on. Not much wildlife spotted - some buzzards, an oystercatcher chick and a smelly dead deer.

Met that Feanor on the Col de Chapel of Garioch  :)

Superior arrivée on this event  :)



LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #408 on: 08 July, 2018, 03:17:58 pm »
The Wee McTaggart and I tandemed round the Horses for Courses 200 perm yesterday, along with megajoules expenditure and HK on solos. Not too much in the way of hills but quite a bit of fluid consumed. It turned out that Snetterton Circuit wouldn't let us into the cafe without each of us purchasing a £16 ticket to watch the racing, despite advice to the contrary. A food stop a little further along the route seemed like a better use of our readies.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #409 on: 22 July, 2018, 11:29:42 am »
Yes. And it's only 11 o'clock! Oh, but it was yesterday I went out. So 24 hours ago IanN and I were somewhere between Tetbury and Melksham on a 200km route of his devising, which I christened the Veloviewer Special – he gave it another name – thanks to the various dead-ends and "straight-on dog legs" he incorporated into it for the sake of upping his Veloviewer score! (see thread elsewhere). Perhaps a route with dead-ends sounds odd, frustrating even, but in fact they were bucolic gems in a scenic route, leading us down tiny lanes you would otherwise ignore. The route was out of Bristol up through Wickwar to Tetbury, this section incorporating a 1 in 4(!), Minety, turning south and skirting Chippenham down to Westbury, where the White Horse followed us, then up to Freshford before heading in to Bath along the canal (gravel, drunks, travellers, holidaymakers, dogs and an electric fat bike) and cruising home on the cycle path. Ian was suffering in the heat and ran out of water, even I drank two bottles, which is unusual for me (in addition to copious amounts of tea – and thumbs up to the Folly Row cafe in Kington St Michael, which grasped without being prompted the dimensions of an audaxer's thirst for tea!).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Bairn Again

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #410 on: 23 July, 2018, 09:20:40 am »
Given that 6 weekends in a row (starting next weekend) feture no cycling for me, I bit the bullet and did aDIY600.  I wasn't feeling great at the end of the Hereward the Wake 300 last weekend so set off with some trepidation. 

Although my heart wasnt entirely in it in the days beforehand (a surefire DNF indicator I find) I decided to catch the train to Darlington and head south to Goole to link up with the Flatlands course, turning north shortly after Sleaford.  Id booked the Premier inn in canwick which was at the 360km mark for wash n sleeps.  The idea was for a gentlemans 600 in nice weather few hills and a proper sleep Saturday night. 

I set off at 0600 Saturday and stopped at Leeming for breakfast around 40km and made steady progress through Ripon to York.  After Boroughbridge I went via Aldborough (much nicer and flatter than yon lumpy busy B road) and used the bike path into York to avoid the A19 - very nice. 

A big early M&S Food lunch in York and then southwards to Goole (150km) and Gainsborough to Lincoln (220km) where I had  a huge plate of fish and chips on Burton Rd, checked in to my hotel and dumped a few bits and bobs.  A quick turnaround means that no thoughts of staying put were entertained and I was back out.  The B1188 after Canwick was too busy for my liking so I zigged zagged south knowing that all I had to do was to go through my controls at Sleaford then Threekingham by any route (the benefits of a GPS advisory route).  I even found a ford in those lanes - perhaps the last running water in the UK??   I turned north expecting a headwind but it wasn't too bad, I think the wind had dropped at almost exactly the same time.  It was dark when I reached the ford for the 2nd time and a back wheel slide woke me up a bit!!

I reached Canwick (360km) just before midnight, so I was "up" on my target of 20kph overall.  No dramas about taking my bike in the room either which was great.  Phone on charge, job done....zzzz.....press "reset".

However, 240km is a tad longer that Id want on Day 2 so after a wash and a snooze I was away super early at 0430.  I shunned the "booze Britain" McDonalds in favour of the petrol station on the northern outskirts.  Guy in front of me was buying two bottles of wine...at 5am...."just the strongest you've got love...".  I forgot that its possible to buy alcohol at any time of the day in Eng ger land (verboten 2200 - 1000 in Scotland, and not that long ago really that it was banned entirely on a Sunday.)

I wasn't hungry but knew I needed something so fuelled up on milkshakes and frappe.  Large latte and a whole packet of Jaffa cakes in Gainsborough hit the spot and allowed me to keep a pleasingly steady pace to Glews in Goole where I was properly hungry and got the arm and leg warmers off and sun cream on.  At this point I realised my arms were a bit red from the day before which had been mostly overcast!

Nice section north through Howden and Bubwith towards York, though the traffic on the run in to York was annoying.  York is up there with Perth imho for out and out bad driving - my theory is that the driving is worst in medium sized places that aren't close to the largest urban areas.  Folk get used to driving fast and in/around York I find it noticeably anti cyclist - a few close passes had me tetchy.

Anyhow, lunch and ice creams at M&S in York marked the 500km point which was something of a morale booster, and I retraced on the cycle path which was a lovely antidote to the busy run in from the south. Ripon was quite busy, something was taking place at the racecourse and I was glad to be on my way north through Wath to join the road beside the A1M.  This had been very quiet on the way south but was very busy when I joined it though it got quieter after Leeming. 

I had the radio on via my earpiece and listening to the golf helped the kms count down.  At Catterick I knew I was on familiar roads from the Yorkshire Gallop and despite there being a few lumps and bumps it was such a lovely day and I had loads of time in hand so I sunned myself on a grassy bank somewhere near Scorton and reminded myself how well I was doing. 

I really slowed up in the final 20km and the hill up over the railway at Croft on Tees was like the Alpe but I rolled into Darlo around 1745 so just under 36 hrs.  My train back to Edinburgh was after 2100 so I had a wash and a snooze before having a couple of pre train pints in the Quakerhouse.  It appears to be the only decent pub in Darlington which has the added benefit of a courtyard so I can keep an eye on my bike. The guy running the place recognised me from last time, I think I might be classed  "regular" now.  A guy was just finishing his live set indoors, which initially I thought was a mercy but he was actually quite good and I chastised myself for wishing him not to be there when I arrived! 

This was about as straightforward as a 600 is going to get, with molly coddling at 360km and good weather (though it was a tad hot on Sunday if Im being churlish!).  Glad its done.  left foot was a bit numb after 300km, and my hands ache a bit.  Legs are a bit of a mess, not sure if that's insect bites or sweat rash.  However on the inside they feel good enough this morning that Ive got my kit for my regular Monday spin class after work.   Got cramp in the pub so I had a tonic water chaser and salted peanuts with my ahem 2nd pint. 

So, subject to validation, that's my 14th consecutive SR.  One more maybe.....one more eh?                     

     

Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #411 on: 03 August, 2018, 09:37:10 pm »
A 400km DIY by GPS consisting of two loops from FurryBootToon.

The first Deeside loop started at 6am. There was a niggly headwind as far as Kirriemuir and then a warm wind assisted ride back home. Lots of sunshine. A couple of cyclists near Braemar waved vigorously and shouted something that sounded like "Sunday!"  ???

After tea was taken Mrs P gently encouraged me on the night time northern loop. It started raining at about half past eight and didn't stop until after midnight. At least it wasn't cold. Turning back was seriously considered, but I never got round to it. I nearly got taken out by a wowbadger on a descent towards Fyvie.

That's the UR done (subject to validation, of course).






Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #412 on: 06 August, 2018, 04:00:03 pm »
I rode half a 600 on Saturday. So that's a 300? No! That's not the way audax arithmetic works! My friend Ian (occasionally posting here as IanN) was determined to be certified as a super random nutter. To this end he needed to ride a 600, which is about double anything he's ridden in previous years, so a big step up. He set out on Friday morning and had a pleasant ride to Salisbury then out to Basingstoke, where the attraction is that you can ride on a gravel path across a golf course. Whether this path passes between bunker and green or between 18th and 19th holes I neglected to ask. Cycling, it was fashionable to claim a few years ago, is the new golf, so logically golf must be the old cycling. Ian would be the last person to deny his retro streak, so would he come back converted to putting and chipping, hang up his wheels and ditch the lycra in favour of loud checks? No, he wouldn't. Shimano no longer make golf equipment and he's about to jump for Campagnolo. Instead, he came back with a justified grumble about a lime green Aston Martin.

But that was Friday. On Saturday, having looped home for a shower and at least 45 minutes sleep, he met me at the Banana Bridge (yes, this is a thing) and we looped off for his second loop, my first. He'd actually done 360km on Friday so Saturday was to be only 240km – hence not a 300. We set off in a generally southward direction and immediately outside Long Ashton (twinned with Las Vegas in the audax-verse) saw a man who appeared to hand-scything a field of wheat. Must be for artisanal hand-crafted single-harvester bread, we decided, and this became a theme of the day; the single-bush coffee, single-tree cider (yes, we rode through the Thatcher's orchard in Somerset), and so on, reaching its apogee in the artisanal hand-crafted single-hen scotch egg – which happened to be part of Ian's lunch!

What about all the exciting things before lunch? There was the Flax Bourton Greenway, which is lovely but far too short, and the Somerset Levels, which were full of dragonflies, buzzards, butterflies, pumping stations and even an alpaca. There were the un-level bits around the edges of the Levels, which are not high but surprisingly steep. Then there was Pilton, home of the famous pop festival, past a farmhouse with a big letterbox labelled 'Eavis', and further on some teepee glamping. Then from grey stone to stone so yellow you'd think it had been painted (but it's the natural colour) in Castle Cary (home of the single-hen single-handed egg).

And what better to do after lunch on a scorching hot summer day than visit the English seaside? So we headed off towards Brent Knoll and Bridgwater, where we hoisted our bikes up a set of steps next to a rather rust railway bridge over the River Parrett – or maybe it was the Sedgemoor Drain. But Bridgwater isn't really the seaside so we carried on to Burnham-on-Sea, where the beach pulsed with happy holidaymakers splashing in the warm, clean water and building castles on the golden sand. Actually, all the families and kids had gone home because by now it was after 7 p.m. (I've compressed the timescale a little) and we were in search of sustenance for our continued exploits, so we pressed our way through the throngs of tourists and fishermen that characterise the Somerset coastal towns until we found a small taverna, humble but clean, which served us fish plucked from the nets that day, washed down with scrumpy from the vats of fermenting apples in one of the farms just two miles inland. And all for two shillings. Oh, you're so cynical! Alright, the town was dead. We found a Subway which lured us in with its glowing red lanterne open sign... the door was locked! So we gesticulated at the manager visible inside, indicating to him that the opening hours painted on the window said he should be open till 9, so why wasn't he opening his doors to two hungry, sweaty, tired, wild-eyed cyclists? And lo! he did. Real audax glamour, opens all the right doors.

Which was great but we still had 80-odd km to go. Good bye to the Levels, though we followed the coast a little more, then struck inland through Banwell and up to Wrington, where for some gratuitious reason we rode up this:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/idld.srf?X=347597&Y=163427&A=Y&Z=120&lm=1
Which is okay during the day, but somehow at night, when you can't see the top, feels intimidating. And the ripply surface on the very steepest section (just before the corner at the top) means your front wheel is always on the point of leaving the ground. After that it was pretty much downhill and then just bash along the main road back into the big bad city. And home. Congratulations to Ian on his super random nutter certifiableness, I was knackered having done less than half his distance!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #413 on: 20 August, 2018, 05:05:55 pm »
Begged a 200 DIY gpx file from @Socks and rode the route today as the BBC promised light winds and only 1% chance of rain.
It starts at Heighington, takes a cicuitous route to the SW of Darlo then heads straight down the A167 deep into the Vale of York. The return zig zags back up the county to rejoin the outward route near Croft.

Pretty much flat as a pancake but even so I was pleased to be round in 9 anna nalf hours with stops at Northallerton and Easingwold on the way down then Thirsk on the way back.

The 1% chance of rain manifested itself as an absolute deluge between Piercebridge and Heighington which is about six miles - easily far enough to get soaked to the skin.

The tracklog on the Garmin Edge 200 is showing only 123 miles, even though I did over distance, so I guess it won't be validated. I hate Garmin  >:(
Hear all, see all, say nowt

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #414 on: 20 August, 2018, 05:57:34 pm »
Jonjo - that's strange, it recorded on my garmin 500 as 203k last time I did it (beginning of this month).  Do you want to send me the file and I'll see if I can spot anything, or I could send you another copy of the track from my last ride if you want to double check the route?
Sunshine approaching from the South.

First time in 1,000 years.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #415 on: 20 August, 2018, 06:58:03 pm »
@Socks thanks for the offer but managed to look at in Ridewithgps. Nothing wrong with your file. My tracklog is showing a straight line between Northallerton (my first stop) and South Otterington. I've no idea why or how that happened but it would explain the shortfall.
Not too bothered if it doesn't get validated. It took me to some places I've never been before so from that point of view it was a successful ride.
Hear all, see all, say nowt

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #416 on: 21 August, 2018, 10:48:30 pm »
I rode Paul Worthington's Marchlyn Mawr 100.

Nice tour around Snowdonia National Park. Weather was ok but I was in an actual cloud at the top of the Llanberis pass.

Well worth doing if you are in this neck of the woods.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #417 on: 22 August, 2018, 12:17:35 am »
My tracklog is showing a straight line between Northallerton (my first stop) and South Otterington. I've no idea why or how that happened but it would explain the shortfall.

My guess: you turned it off when you stopped at Northallerton and when you switched it on again, you started riding before it had locked on to the signal.

Quote
Not too bothered if it doesn't get validated. It took me to some places I've never been before so from that point of view it was a successful ride.

I imagine it will be validated. DIY orgs are very reasonable like that.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #418 on: 22 August, 2018, 08:52:47 am »
I've once or twice known my Etrex turn it itself off in response to the zoom buttons. Which is annoying, but rare.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #419 on: 22 August, 2018, 09:22:12 am »
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.

Org has validated the ride  :)
Hear all, see all, say nowt

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #420 on: 22 August, 2018, 11:27:24 am »
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume.

It will start recording whether or not it has a GPS signal.

Anyway...

Quote
Org has validated the ride  :)

 :thumbsup:
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #421 on: 22 August, 2018, 03:12:38 pm »
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.

Org has validated the ride  :)

 :)   (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)
Sunshine approaching from the South.

First time in 1,000 years.

Chris S

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #422 on: 22 August, 2018, 05:35:51 pm »
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.

Org has validated the ride  :)

 :)   (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)

My advice to riders is always this - If validation means a lot to you, don't rely on one method; have a backup. If it doesn't matter that much, don't worry about it - I might still have enough to validate the ride. As Orgs, we're always looking for ways to validate, if we can.

Example backups: receipts, another GPS track.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #423 on: 22 August, 2018, 05:40:19 pm »
The Garmin 200 gave me a 'Resume' prompt when I set off from Northallerton so assumed that it would start recording when I pressed to resume. I've found it to be quite flakey but I've got an Etrex 30 for hillwalking so will start carrying that too.

Org has validated the ride  :)

 :)   (My worst nightmare would be a garmin malfunction so ride completed but not validated)

My advice to riders is always this - If validation means a lot to you, don't rely on one method; have a backup. If it doesn't matter that much, don't worry about it - I might still have enough to validate the ride. As Orgs, we're always looking for ways to validate, if we can.

Example backups: receipts, another GPS track.
Selfies? Snapchat stories? Facebook check-ins?

I've been meaning to buy a cheapo secondhand Edge 200/20 as a backup recorder for a while, must get round to it.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #424 on: 22 August, 2018, 05:45:23 pm »
Depends on the Org.

I've used selfies.