Midhurst 600

[Hummers]

Popped up to pick up the van and clap the brave into Midhurst.

Chris Tracey and Andy were already there and Richard Thomas followed shortly - it had been a tough ride by all accounts and the weather earlier today turned into something of an epic.

Billy Weir, a lady whose name I can't remember but comes from Bournemouth and the tandem couple who were on the Denmead 300 came next.

Lee and Richard Phipps, both looking pretty fresh seeing that they had missed a night's sleep.

Driving back in the twilight, there were at least 6 other riders on the road including a chap who had done little since PBP and our own Cyklisten.

Stirling stuff and chapeau to all those who finished.

H

[LEE]

Fantastic touch by Hummers to cheer us down the hill on the approach to Midhurst, Nice one H.

Here's the first (maybe last) part of my ride report.

1) At 10pm this evening, in Midhurst, I could walk around comfortably and move normally.

2) At midnight, following a drive home and a glass of red, it seems this is no longer the case.  My knees are throbbing like a throbbing thing (and seem about to lock up).  If I drop something then it will have to stay on the floor because I am not bending down to pick it up.  If I try then I suspect my wife will find me lying next to the object in the morning.

The wind on the first day combined with the hills on the second made for a tough couple of days.  Even crossing the Severn Bridge was a trial of balance and nerve (whilst being lashed with, what seemed like, hail).  Although people tell me this is an easy 600 I have to say that it employs the South Downs, Cotswolsd and Malborough Downs to cruel effect (and some more I have forgotten).  The final 50km of this ride seems to go up and down all the way to Petersfield in a way designed to make you think "Fck the final 50, my knees have packed-in".  The overall gradient of this ride may be low but there are several memorable long drags as well as the smaller lumps.

Anyway, I did it, with Hummers' help early on and Richard Phipps help through the night stage and Sunday I rode pretty much non-stop from 5:30am Saturday to 10pm Sunday.  I 'rested my eyes' in Magor Services for 10 minutes but no more.  I had a few minutes this morning where I found myself drifting into a cycling-sleep but I didn't find the lack of sleep a problem on the ride.

Note: I have been Hallucinating this evening (genuinely).  I had the most wierd drive home and saw some crazy things.

I am going to go and get some sleep now.

PS.  From Hummers

I lost Lee on the long drag after Marlborough. I waited for him to catch me up after the descent off Whithorse Hill and at the Tesco's garage/control in Cirencester but he didn't materialise so I assumed he'd stopped somewhere else or bumped the control. I have sent him texts but have not received a response.

I went to Tesco store and took my sandwich to the Petrol Station bit as I saw Frere Yacker there.

Just got the texts.  I didn't use my phone much.  It was raining too hard on Sunday to even think about opening my bar bag.

Pity you had to quit but I understand why you did.  Cycling should be about fun.  Why start doing stuff you don't want to do?  You'll end up hating your bike.

I suggest you don't ride a bike for a few months then you may slow down enough for me to keep up.  I had to let you go off at your own pace or I wouldn't have made 200km.

Favourite bits:

1) Cyling to Magor through the night and, finally, dawn breaking as we were still cycling (and arriving at Magor just before the downpour started.  Some didn't time it so well).

2) El Supremo's support.  Obviously I've heard about it but it really does go above the call of duty.  Knowing that, in the pitch dark, in a Lay-by on a Welsh Hill is a mobile Cafe waiting for you really keeps the spirits up


Least favourite.

I have still got a real problem with cramp in my shoulder/neck.  Spending 2 days with what feels like a nail shoved in my back means I'm not free to really enjoy longer rides (I will consult a Quack and hope I get referred to a Physio).

The feeling of being a potential victim, in shitty little towns, in the early hours just because I'm riding a bike at an unusual time of day.  It may be just me but, once some spotty Cnuts start shouting expetives across a desolate Town Centre at 2am then I tend to worry about every car that approaches from behind for a while.

Overall though I'm proud of myself for doing it but not convinced I will ever really enjoy riding 600km in 2 days.

[Hummers]

Lee, I was chuffed for you that you'd finished your first 600 - and an epic at that.

I'm a relative newcomer to this Audax thing (I think this was Andy Saviour's 20th  ) but I'm not sure if there is such a thing as an easy 600.

I realise that I may not be imbued with the Spirit of Audax but two days and nearly 400 miles on UK roads, combined with the British climate weather means that anything can happen. If you're not careful, you end up carrying more kit/food than is strictly necessary which if you're not used to the extra weight, can be a bit of a shocker on the first hill. Even if there is an overnight stop laid on, there's the nagging time pressure that you won't get there with enough time to sleep which is possibly worse than not having somehere to kip at all.  Call me an AUK pussy but the prospect of kipping shivering to the point of hyopthermia in a grit bin/public toilet/bus shelter just leaves me, err, cold.

On saying all of this, I did really enjoy the two 600s I've managed to finish. 

As for hills on the El Supremo rides, these are as assured as a warm welcome and slice of Battenburg from his mobile roadside catering service and anybody taken in by a lack the absence of metres on the event entry form will be in for a surprise.  I remember sitting in the World of Water just before the last 40k of my first El Supremo 200, reading the stamp "Stoke up for the Hills" and thinking 'Hills, there won't be any hills in the next 40k, surely.......?' On last year's Hailsham 600, there was a lottery taking place at Halfway Bridge as to what the actual ascent was. I think the entry form said 3000 but guesses ranged from 5000m to 8500m. 

I reckon that if you swap the Thorn for that Mercian you've got in the garage, complete with 25mm tyres, you'll pick up speed and may even solve your neck/shoulder problem.

It is very hard to push on to the time limit, with no sleep and I think you have the grit to go further.

H

[frere yacker]

Quick report as I intend to write up something longer for Arrivee (together with my other May rides, all of which have a Welsh theme).

This was my first fixed 600.  Route was a decent choice for this - yes there were hills, but only two with serious gradients (Washingpool Hill? and out of Claereon). In fact, a flatter ride might have been worse due to the wind

The outbound 300 was in glorious sunshine, with a changeable wind that only really annoyed up Marlborough Down (from the easy side) but this was compensated for once we descended Cleeve Hill, as it moved to being a helpful shove all the way to Hay-on-Wye.  Beautiful views along the Golden Valley, with a ruby red sunset just taking hold as I reached the control.  Dave and Anne Lewis (or is it still Learmouth?) welcomed us along with Dave (love the expression Lord of the Layby Luncheon, sums the el Supremo experience up wonderfully).

Headed out onto the road, descending through Hay-on-Wye (a town seemingly drunk on culture) and then a twisty route through lanes (familiar from Brevet Cymru) to an info and then retrace, continuing to Talgarth and a long climb. Perhaps the most disappointing (but unavoidable) thing about the ride is that the picture postcard section is done in the dark.

At 360km, in Clarkenwell (? town 10km from Abergavenny) decided to sleep.  Would have got there at around 1am and slept in a covered bus shelter, atop a bench, wrapped like a turkey in tin foil, until 5am.

Woke to light rain but the horizon promised worse, so put on my raingear.  The rain got progressively worse down to Magor via Usk, positively hammering it down at Usk.  Steepest climb of the ride out of Claereon was one of two that required me to resort to pushing the bike - managed the first half but then thought "I've got another 200km to do, easy tiger".

Magor Services was a welcome respite, even though every breakfast seemed was rather expensive. Felt stung, probably being conditioned to el Supremo free feeds.

The next 30km was the toughest of the ride.  A very strong cross/headwind reached a crescendo on Severn Bridge - slammed from the side with 20mph+ winds, with heavy rain prickling (at times felt like piercing) the skin.  Not pleasant.

A new set of roads to get across the A38 (including the second of two hills that required me to push the bike, the top bit of Washingpool Hill?) and then the rest of the ride was a combination of main road slogs, rolling interludes but a welcome descent from Oxenwood to Sutton Scotney.  It was broken up with a 15 minute linger in Chippenham, which was in the revery of what seemed to be a Morris Dancing face off. Crazy Englanders!

The last stage took in every fugging hill around Petersfield, but by this time I was just thinking about the Arrivee.  Waved into town by Hummers at just before 9pm - cheery chappy that he is (thanks, made a difference on what would otherwise have been a rather anticlimatic finish).

Well done to all who finished, especially those who were doing the distance for the first time (LEE, who I seemed to swap places with throughout the ride).  An X rated event isn't easy, as comfortable sleep - however fleeting - does make the difference (next time, I'll probably stop at the bunkhouse at the top of the climb out of Talgarth).  That said, it was made significantly easier by the chance to chill out and stuff my belly at el Supremo feeds.

PS: Not as short as I thought this report was going to be - I worry for my Arrivee version!  A 600 is really epic and so much happens to all of us in the space of 40 hours.

PPS: I suspect el Supremo will be mortifed.  I lost 3/4 stone over the course of this ride!

[Swarm_Catcher]

Well done everyone who did the Midhurst 600 (including Hummers! - knowing when to pack and then doing it deserves respect).   I enjoy reading the ride reports.  It gives fantastic insight into each's experiences.   I am trying to visualize what it would be like, but I am certain that you 'would have to have been there'.  What a ride - absolutely amazing!   Once you have a 600 in the bank, you are a special Audaxer.  Congratulations!

[border-rider]

Well done all.  El S's rides are as well-organised as you say, but the hilly finish is a common theme.  It only takes a bit of weather to turn a walk in the park into an epic, and it sounds as if you got the full works this weekend.  Chapeau to all, to Lee especially for ploughing on and to Hummers for making an entirely sensible decision.  I suspect that if I'd been riding I'd have gone home and stayed there   [edit: wot Swarm_Catcher just said; cross-post ]

FY: I think the town 10 k from Abergavenny is likely Crickhowell.  Is the place with the steep hill Caerleon ?

[Martin]

Wot MV said; the walking (just) wounded at the end of last year's was enough to convince me that this is a tough event; if you can complete an El S 600 in those conditions you can definitely complete PBP

Well Done 

[MattH]

Well done all, it sounds like you had a fun[1] weekend out.
Congratulations especially to Lee and any other first timers.
And Hummers, I agree - if a particular ride isn't fun then why carry on? There's no point pushing on if your heart isn't in it. It is a tougher decision to just stop than to carry on regardless.


[1] Obviously, an Audaxer's idea of a fun weekend is rather different to that of the general population, as my wife constantly reminds me.

[frere yacker]

FY: I think the town 10 k from Abergavenny is likely Crickhowell.  Is the place with the steep hill Caerleon ?

Those are the ones.  My head is still a little bit fuzzy 

[frere yacker]

Let's not overplay this.  The route was average difficulty and the weather fine apart from the heavy rain (6am to 11am Sunday) and gusty headwind when crossing the Severn.

[scampi]

I'm happy to overplay it! I wouldn't have fancied being out on the roads Sat night/Sunday morning.

Well done to everyone who tackled it especially LEE and anyone else on their first 600.

Hummers, the lady from Bournemouth might be Margaret Philipotts (who wrote a PBP article for Arrivee). She rode the Dorset Downs and was worrying about doing El's 600.

[Hummers]

Hummers, the lady from Bournemouth might be Margaret Philipotts (who wrote a PBP article for Arrivee). She rode the Dorset Downs and was worrying about doing El's 600.

That's her!

This was her second SR. She had problems with her knee and suffered throughout Sunday but still finished in good time. A gutsy lady.

Text from Postie, he was back by 4 (with time out at Magor) so a good ride for him.

H

[Cyklisten]

Done!  .... well and truly! and with 4 minutes to spare. Full report with pix to follow. Well done everybody and commiserations Hummers. I was looking forward to catching up with you - didn't realise I had until today ... more later 

[Chris P]

Congrats to everyone that got round the Midhurst 600.  It was my first 600 and only my third ever Audax so it was very much uncharted territory for me and I was very pleased to get round.  

I've entered the Mille Miglia in Italy in August and had to do a 600 qualifier by the end of this month so I didnt have much option but the grit the teeth and keep going, come rain or shine!

The first half to Hay was fine, albeit a bit hillier than I had expected.  I left there to a glorious sunset and almost immediately hooked up with Richard (sorry dont know surname) and we had a fantastic ride to Magor.  This was definitely my favourite part, we seemed to be blown almost effortlessly all the way to Magor.  The weather was still fine and it was an almost magical experience with a great never ending descent from Pengenford.

We arrived at Magor at 0130 to the bad news that the bridge was closed.  This was v dissapointing as I was still feeling pretty good and wanted to crack on.  There was nothing for it but to doss on the floor of the services and within about 2 minutes Richard had found himself a nice spot and was fast asleep.  The staff were fairly relaxed about it but did make a token effort to get us to leave the bikes outside but were given short shrift by Geoff(?) who politely told them that we wouldnt actually be doing that!

Come daylight and the bridge still hadnt opened so we began to look at options.  The only alternative route seemed to be via Gloucester, which was a fairly unpalatable thought.  The other possibility of a train to the other side of the river proved to be a non starter too as they were all cancelled because of Engineering Work.  Finally a nice lady on the Traffic Wales hotline informed me they had just dispatched someone to re-open the bridge and it should be open again in 30 minutes.

That was the good news, the bad was that it was now tipping down with rain making the next stage to Leigh Delamere a fairly miserable affair.  At least it wasnt a full on headwind though.  Luckily from here the weather started to gradually improve and by the time we met Dave at Burbage we were able to dispense with the waterproofs.  

From here onwards the place names on the route description were all ones that I recognised reinforcing the feeling we were on the home straight.  Up to Sutton Scotney I was still feeling reasonably strong, all things considered, but from there on my brain signalled to my body that it was almost all over and it was OK to start feeling tired now.  The last section became a real struggle and I cursed whoever devised the undulating nightmare route between Ropley and Petersfield.  

We eventually rolled back into Midhurst at about 6 ish and I was mightily relieved that we'd done it.  I've finally qualified for Mille Miglia ...........  the only question is whether my @rse could stand another 1000km in the sadlle??

My altimeter clocked 8430m of ascent.  Usually its pretty accurate but I'd be interested to know if anyone else measured it.

It was great to meet so many new people and put some names to the faces of yACFers.

Hummers - sorry to hear that you packed but I've done exactly the same thing myself when I just wasnt enjoying enough it to carry on.  There are more thing to life ..............

[frere yacker]

My altimeter clocked 8430m of ascent.  Usually its pretty accurate but I'd be interested to know if anyone else measured it.

That would make it AAA 3.75; hillier than the Bryan Chapman, hillier than the Kernow.  This sounds improbable - do you use your altimeter on long rides; the sampling rate might make it less accurate over long distances?

[Hummers]

Well done Chris on your first 600  

A 6pm finish is very respectable and I am glad you enjoyed the ride. Regarding the Mille Miglia, I am sure that with your background, you will have the reserve and self determination to crack off those extra 1000kms.

Remember, with cycling, as long as you get the miles in your legs and get into the right feeding regime, it's no longer about miles but about time in the saddle.

Cyklisten, yes, I was that mad tosser in the van in the middle of the road clapping out the window and waving you on just outside of Midhurst.

Glad you got around OK.

H

[LEE]

Some photos I managed to get during the ride on my phone (hence the quality of night shots).

El Supremo rejects Hummers' advances at the start



The El Supremo stop near Ropley



Hummers, Frere Yacker and Dave (El Supremo)



El Supremo



Me, after a couple of hours, still able to walk up and down stairs.



The Malborough control just before setting off over the downs



298km, 10:21pm, Saturday, just outside of Hay on Wye




Sunday, 3:10pm, Burbage, Sunny and warm, just over 6.5 hours to go



Richard Phipps.  We dragged each other through the night.



Me at Bullington just before Sutton Scotney Control.  5:47pm, 4 hours to go.  I was wearing anything that was still dry (apart from my shoes which had been full of water for about 12 hours). 



I don't remember a time that I thought I wasn't going to make it. I certainly knew that should I get to Magor @ 400km then I'd make it back somehow. Richard Phipps' natural pace is slightly slower than mine which worked out perfectly.  I think that, left to my own devices, I would have gone a couple of km/hr faster overall but would have had little left for the final (lumpy) 140km from Leigh Delamere Services. I guess it's swings and roundabouts, I'd have had less energy but more time to struggle back.  In any case it was better, for me,  to have company.  When I'm cycling alone I only have my shoulder cramp to think about and maybe I would have packed because of it, it's a mental game at this level I think.

As for the hills, In their own right and on a 100k or 200km ride then there was certainly nothing too serious, a few long drags and plenty of Hampshire/Wiltshire lumps.  I just found them getting more and more relentless at a time when I could have easily done without them.  At my current level of fitness and after 550km there is certainly no such thing as a small hill.

Next stop, Denmead 400 for that damn SR badge. 

[Martin]

That's Postie next to you in the El S teapot shot (don't all say "which teapot shot?")
Chris Tracey and Ricardo Tomas in the Gazebo;
Mary and Phil Turner the Tandem Express in Burbage

not too many other regulars

[frere yacker]

Top to bottom

Hummers (he had to chase el S to get that shot)
Group shot, with Tiho and Jutta in the foreground, another tandem rocket (they packed at Newent)
Hummers and, er, me
Lord of the Layby Luncheon
Lee and Postie, with points champion elect Mike Kelly in the b/g
Group shot
Group shot
Chris and Richie
The Turners with the Phippinator in the background
The indominable Mr Phipps
Erm, Lee; looking annoyingly fresh for someone who has just ridden 540km!

Quite a lot of the field were within an hour of each other - I swapped places with most of the riders shown throughout the 40 hours (except Mike Kelly and Postie, who I suspect romped it round).

[LEE]

Done!  .... well and truly! and with 4 minutes to spare. Full report with pix to follow. Well done everybody and commiserations Hummers. I was looking forward to catching up with you - didn't realise I had until today ... more later 

As I drove home (at about 10:15 I guess) back down the A272 to Petersfield I saw 4 or 5 white-blue lights coming towards me at about 10 second intervals.  It's really only when I see these tell-tell signs of lone cyclists, the pin-prick of their LED stars in the vast dark of isolated country roads, plodding their way slowly to the end of a long ride in the dark that I realise how audacious Audax can be. 

It's a bloody strange hobby

[MSeries]

The chap in the VC167 jersey is Tiho Obrenovich, he is sat opposite his stoker and partner Jutta Urenjak. The current AUK tandem champions.

[Chris P]

My altimeter clocked 8430m of ascent.  Usually its pretty accurate but I'd be interested to know if anyone else measured it.

That would make it AAA 3.75; hillier than the Bryan Chapman, hillier than the Kernow.  This sounds improbable - do you use your altimeter on long rides; the sampling rate might make it less accurate over long distances?

I agree that 8430m does sound improbable, thats why I wondered if anyone else had measured it.  I use the altimeter in my HRM and normally its spot on.  For instance it recorded 4700m for the Elenith, exactly as advertised. 

I'm puzzled.

[Cyklisten]

I clocked 5615m climbing - Edge 705

report still in progress!

[Maladict]

A barometric only altimeter will be affected by changes in air pressure more so than one on a GPS unit which can compare the gross changes in the barometric pressure over time with the GPS altitude.

[MattH]

I clocked 5615m climbing - Edge 705

Did you manage to log the entire ride, or did some data get overwritten?