Asparagus & Strawberries 400 from Manningtree (2023 edition)

[αdαmsκι]

Huggy is meant to be organising this ride but decided he'd rather go on holiday with tedshred ( ). I've now done the route check for him and will be handing out brevet cards at Manningtree station at the start.

The route check was my sixth time of doing the A&S, making it the calendar event I've done the most. I set off early and really enjoyed the quiet Suffolk roads, spotting loads of hares who were still awake. Through Ixworth and then an easterly ride to Halesworth. Stupidly I hadn't charged the AA batteries in my Garmin and stopped before Eye to replace them, where upon my Garmin refused to load the basemap. Whilst trying to sort it out I managed to drop the SD card into some grass  At times I really am a muppet. After finding the SD card and trying again it worked, so cannot be too harsh on myself..

Riding solo can reduce the faff time but makes me more aware of where I'm living the bike. In Halesworth I'm grabbed some stuff from the co-op petrol station and kept moving.

It wasn't until gone 11am before I could remove the arm warmers as the wind was cold. At least I wasn't getting too warm but every time I set off I felt chilly.

Being Bank Holiday the Norfolk broads where busy esp Beccles and Wroxham. It's like everyone goes away to sit in a traffic jam! But the roads out of towns were lovely.

After the Reedham Ferry I ended up smashing it to Acle to keep in front of the other cyclists who'd been on the ferry .

Last year my Garmin would not display the basemap around Acle. It was the same today and really odd. I wonder if somehow the basemap is corrupted for Acle?

Approaching Wells next the Sea things for colder as I could feel the wind whipping off the sea. I fancied warm food but figured the town would be crazy, so instead it was a picnic sat in the co-op car park. I then rode into Wells. Yip it was busy!!

The long straight road through the forest to Barton Mills was lovely with light bouncing through the canopy. I stopped at Barton Mills and suddenly felt crap, similar to Lincoln on The Fenland Friends. I shoved some fluids into me, had a calippo and set off for the Newmarket M&S. It's only 15 km to Newmarket but I was suddenly dropping off to sleep. I think this is where riding solo is more difficult as there's no conversation to keep you alert. I had a roadside siesta for 15 mins just outside Newmarket, then some decent food from the M&S. It's 24 hours and IMO has better food on offer than Barton Mills.

Fab ride to Saffron Walden enjoying the evening light over the Cambridgeshire fens was a highlight. I was feeling much better and loving the ride. I left Saffron around 9:30pm into the evening light and on roads I know. Finchingfield, tick. Wethersfield tick. Sible Headingham, tick. Bures, tick. Stoke by Nayland, tick - cold in the mist from the river stour. Then Dedham and more cold mist. And a freezing cold decent to Manningtree station to arrive just after midnight.

That's me qualified for PBP

The roads were all fine. Couple of patches of new chipseal that'll be much better by 10 June. Toldish Hall Road after Sible Headingham was awful and Huggy's going to divert you all via Great Maplestead. It'll add ½ km but avoid likely crashes and punctures.

See you all at the start 

[Ribena75]

This will be my first 400 - looking fwd to it! The 9am calendar start means a morning arrivee so will probably aim to get head down at Barton Mills McDs for a bit before the hours until dawn.

[Wycombewheeler]

This will be my first 400 - looking fwd to it! The 9am calendar start means a morning arrivee so will probably aim to get head down at Barton Mills McDs for a bit before the hours until dawn.

sensible. I do like the later start, it means getting a normal nights sleep before travelling to the start and makes riding through the night easier.
Full value riders will find things open at Saffron Waldon. Faster riders can always slow down, or have a sleep stop.

[αdαmsκι]

Good luck Ribena75. If you are planning on relaxing at Barton Mills you may want to consider enjoying a bit of a decent stop in Wells Next the Sea before heading down the A1065 to limit the amount of time needed to kill at McDonald's. That section can seem endless and it's useful to have in your head the various towns you pass through to mentally break it up (Fakenham > Swaffam> Mundford > Brandon> Lakenheath RAF base).

There's a couple of petrol stations and cafe in Sible Headingham that's about halfway through the final leg from Saffron Walden to Manningtree that can also prove useful.

[Tomsk]

Wells is a good place to kill time and shorten the night riding requirement. The Fox and Hounds at Weasenham, (now closed since covid) was good for that too. Other pub options on that long leg south are in villages just off the route.

If on the other hand you're concerned about a late arrival at Wells, when things often seem to shut early, consider a stop at Melton Constable (about an hour before Wells). There's a Co-op, decent Indian and Chinese takeaways plus a chippy/kebab/pizza place. The first-class dining area is at the bus shelter on the right, at the top of the village. 

And stock up at Barton Mills for the desert that is Saffron Walden at silly o'clock.

[felstedrider]

In 2019 I got to Saffron Walden and the pubs were still open.  Those days are gone, though, I think.

My finish times have varied between 01:30 and 08:30.

[Ribena75]

Thanks all, noted! The stretch to BM I did the other way on G&YF, so slightly familiar. Will work out a plan of action to get me through, should be riding with others which will help too, I much prefer company on rides more than 200km (and night sections).

[LittleWheelsandBig]

HK and I will be there, probably on three wheels each. Not aiming to whistle round.

[bighaunds]

Hi all,

Could I seek what the more experienced/those that have done A&S before on what their experience of Greater Anglia trains/staff are like?

Given the civilised 9am start time, its an option for me to get the train to the start from Liverpool St / Stratford. The GA cycle policy says that reservations are required generally, but when I check their ticketing website it says no reservations are required on either outbound or the open return. I'd be aiming for the 06:43 from Stratford, 07:45 arrival at Manningtree for a hot breakfast.

How strict are the staff if there's a load of audaxers turning up for the same train?

[Wycombewheeler]

I think reservations are required on the fast trains to Norwich, not trains to Manningtree. I expect you'll be alright, and worst case is being bumped to the next train and having breakfast in Liverpool street instead of manningtree

[bhoot]

Reservations are needed only on Norwich trains - some of which stop at Manningtree. These have six bike spaces - I haven't tried to get on one of these without a reservation so I don't know how rigorously it is enforced, it may depend on the time of day, so if you have an open ticket and it's the first train it could be worth trying. Other Manningtree trains are going to Ipswich or Harwich and don't need reservations. These have a large (tandem friendly!) bike space in one carriage and a disabled toilet/wheelchair space in another carriage (which is probably fine for bikes if not needed for a wheelchair) in each unit - so a longer train may have two of each. If you get on at Liverpool Street you will get the space first (but risk being turned back by staff of there are too many bikes as it's fairly easy for them to tell which train you are heading for) whereas Stratford there could already be bikes on the train but the staff don't know at the barriers which train you are trying to catch so won't restrict you (in my experience). In my experience Anglia Trains are pretty cycle friendly, there is also quite a lot of room by the doors so I suspect if the train is generally empty of other passengers you will be fine.

Ah - just seen you said 06.43 from Stratford - I would not expect that one to be very full!

[bighaunds]

Thanks.
Helpful to know how the trains are set up.
I too had imagined that at 06:43 the train would be pretty quiet, fingers cross should hopefully be okay.
Unless I'm missing something obvious, the Greater Anglia ticket website doesn't seem to mention if its a Norwich train or not to Manningtree...but it does tell me that a reservation isn't required.
Though when I do search for a Norwich train it also says that a reservation isn't necessary...so who knows.

[αdαmsκι]

The 06h43 from SRA won't be an issue because it's the train that services Harwich rather than Norwich.

http://trains.im/schedule/P02808/2023/06/10/

[Timb]

Ece booked, now just to decide how much clothing I will need for the night section!! Looking forward to Saturday.

[Tomsk]

Ece booked, now just to decide how much clothing I will need for the night section!! Looking forward to Saturday.

The Brecks at night = COLD! Santon Downham meteorological station often records the lowest overnight temperature in lowland Britain. And you may not warm up much at McDonalds in Barton Mills ... then there's no chance of getting indoors when you control at Saffron Walden after that.

[Timb]

Ece booked, now just to decide how much clothing I will need for the night section!! Looking forward to Saturday.

The Brecks at night = COLD! Santon Downham meteorological station often records the lowest overnight temperature in lowland Britain. And you may not warm up much at McDonalds in Barton Mills ... then there's no chance of getting indoors when you control at Saffron Walden after that.

Thanks, sounds like the insulated gilet is getting packed.

[Von Broad]

Ece booked, now just to decide how much clothing I will need for the night section!! Looking forward to Saturday.

The Brecks at night = COLD!

Swinging in the opposite direction - I will not be making the same mistake I made on the Fenland 600 few weeks ago -
sun blocker will be packed. And used! I'm normally pretty good with things like that, but felt really ill for 3 days subsequently - such a silly mistake.

[Suffolk Born]

Yes, The Brecks can be bloody cold - has anyone looked at the forecast, its going to be one of the warmest nights this year!

[Tomsk]

Yes, The Brecks can be bloody cold - has anyone looked at the forecast, its going to be one of the warmest nights this year!

Ha yes! High teens ºC overnight forecast!

[Owen]

I didn't notice any mention of it in the e-mail and I haven't printed off the route sheet yet, but do we still need £1 in cash for the ferry.

Ta
Owen

[Wycombewheeler]

I didn't notice any mention of it in the e-mail and I haven't printed off the route sheet yet, but do we still need £1 in cash for the ferry.

Ta
Owen

it's in the information pdf

"Via Reedham Ferry [£1 for bike plus rider – if arriving as a group please have one collect the
individual cash fares while waiting to pay the ferryman to save time on the crossing. Card
payments are now also accepted] to:"

[Owen]

Thanks

I haven't printed that off yet either    still plenty of time !!

[Wycombewheeler]

Thanks

I haven't printed that off yet either    still plenty of time !!

I knew I'd read it somewhere, but couldn't see it in the email either, so I looked at the notes.

at least I've got my powerbank and lights charged, so nothing ends up on the charger on friday night when I'm getting everything packed, and won't be forgotten.

[Ribena75]

It does look quite warm overnight now, even taking 5c off the forcecast will put it in the high teens. This is good as would probably have overpacked otherwise. Storms forecast for the Sunday but these seem to have shifted towards the end of the ride now. Am not that great in the heat so will be taking it easy.

[Timb]

Update - insulated gilet is now back off the list!