Asparagus & Strawberries 400 from Manningtree (11/05/2013)

[Tomsk]

A sign for asparagus and strawberries was spotted, but no roadside produce stalls selling any, though we have had local sparrowgrass in Dunmow market recently....

Lots of green and yellow fields though   

[L CC]

I will re-think the Barton Mills control for next year [and for the G&Y Fields], possibly an El Supremo-style roadside control in the Forest. All the way past RAF Lakenheath, I kept thinking, I bet they've got a cosy 24 hour cafeteria in there along with all the military hardware, nukes etc!

We're unlikely to ride these next year so shout if you want help. I'm in BSE but have stove, will travel.

[stevevw]

I will re-think the Barton Mills control for next year [and for the G&Y Fields], possibly an El Supremo-style roadside control in the Forest. All the way past RAF Lakenheath, I kept thinking, I bet they've got a cosy 24 hour cafeteria in there along with all the military hardware, nukes etc!

We're unlikely to ride these next year so shout if you want help. I'm in BSE but have stove, will travel.

Any chance of a camp bed or two 

[Chris S]

I will re-think the Barton Mills control for next year [and for the G&Y Fields], possibly an El Supremo-style roadside control in the Forest. All the way past RAF Lakenheath, I kept thinking, I bet they've got a cosy 24 hour cafeteria in there along with all the military hardware, nukes etc!

We're unlikely to ride these next year so shout if you want help. I'm in BSE but have stove, will travel.

Any chance of a camp bed or two 

The back of a Volvo probably runs a close second

[wilkyboy]

Go away and realise that an average moving speed of 20 kph gives you 30 hours riding for a 600 ( remember to allow for overdistance if it is a BRM) so equal chunks of 22s to start with followed by 20s and then 18s will still get you there- and therefore you have 10 hours off bike - work out sleep - 2 /3/4 hours whatever you need - and then with (10 minus 2/3/4) now work out stops of 15 or 20 minutes ( ie nearly a bounce) and longer ones of 1/1+ hours.

Certainly thta is my general background approach on a really long one - but you should be able to do better ( younger) but possibly offset by bike which may cause extra oddities thta I do not know about.

You're right, Rog, I am over-thinking it and worrying myself.  I am sure I am capable of the distance and I think I can do it at 20s +/- 2 in spite of the hills, which as you say gives plenty of time for stops, so it will all be fine (although a bit uncomfortable).  One control at a time.

[Oaky]

Tomsk, never mind 24-hour cafes in nuclear bunkers, you should have a control where riders can actually buy and eat asparagus and strawberries!

The asparagus would make for rather distinctive hedge stop scent-marking.  (And a much shorter route sheet: "R out of control and follow your nose to Saffron Walden")

[Fidgetbuzz]

Tomsk - you could perhaps explore that petrol station at Newmarket that Wilkyboy has written up. Take the old route to Red Lodge - and ride about 1 mile on the A11 - it is pretty safe at that time of night -- I did it this time - dual carriageway, no traffic and a reasonable side strip if you feel the need to pull out of the inside lane.

[i cycle]

Being this was my 1st 400 I did not know what I was going to be like or what to expect, but having done 3 x 300 in the last 4 weeks I knew that I would need some sleep at around 18hr mark.

Looking at the weather forecast I knew it was going to be cold at night and wet at some point so I decided to take extra clothing with me for the night leg as I made the mistake on the 3 down not to take anything warm for the night leg after misreading the forecast.

I made Wells at 7:30 around the time I was hoping for, but I knew the next 2 legs would be harder due to the wind.  Around 10pm I had a puncture which delayed me.

I arrived at Barton Mills at 1am only to find the coffee machine had just switched off. Tried to get some sleep there but it was too cold.
Got to Newmarket and decided that I need sleep, so fell asleep outside a garage at 2:45 which was round the 18hr mark as I predicted.

Got to Saffron Walden to find a few others arriving at the same time.

Enjoyed the last leg back arriving at 9, also I am glad I did the last leg in daylight due to hills and bends.

Really enjoyed the route and was surprised on how good the roads were after riding some really bad ones lately.

Thanks for a another good one Tom.

[edscoble]

That was an awesome ride, it's not only my first 400k (the most I done in one day is 250km) but also my first X-rated audax too.

First thing first, I must apologise for appearing unsociable, the main reason is that because I'm profoundly deaf and wear a hearing aids, it's extraordinary hard to listen to people while riding let alone read their lips when necessary, the hearing aids is more akin to having a microphone facing against a gale force wind (or Kerry Katona's whine), so all I hear is pretty much white noise.
This is why I was wearing those fancy noise-cancelling headphone (aren't they're great for keeping your ears nice and toasty?), rather than an attempt to not socialised with anyone during the ride.

This is me in case you're not sure whom I was;



Will post photos soon, but for the TL:DR readership, the ride was awesome, and the people involved made it so.

[Auntie Helen]

A sign for asparagus and strawberries was spotted, but no roadside produce stalls selling any, though we have had local sparrowgrass in Dunmow market recently....

Lots of green and yellow fields though   

I bought a punnet of strawberries from a wayside table in Lawford (at the top of the hill from Manningtree) about half an hour ago so they are available now!

[wilkyboy]

That was an awesome ride, it's not only my first 400k (the most I done in one day is 250km) but also my first X-rated audax too.

First thing first, I must apologise for appearing unsociable, the main reason is that because I'm profoundly deaf and wear a hearing aids, it's extraordinary hard to listen to people while riding let alone read their lips when necessary, the hearing aids is more akin to having a microphone facing against a gale force wind (or Kerry Katona's whine), so all I hear is pretty much white noise.
This is why I was wearing those fancy noise-cancelling headphone (aren't they're great for keeping your ears nice and toasty?), rather than an attempt to not socialised with anyone during the ride.

When I last saw you, you looked like you were enjoying yourself and you were going really strongly, so I don't think the headphones slowed you down at all 

Will post photos soon, but for the TL:DR readership, the ride was awesome, and the people involved made it so.

Haha, that's a very succinct summary    and you aren't the first to comment on the length of some reports, but at least I include pictures for the impatient

[Ivan]

It was my first 400 as well, think you can just about see me in the back of the police car!



Need to work on the food intake, but apart from that happy with the ride, the wind, rain and dark certainly made it interesting. I do feel bad about the guy I refused to share my double bed with, when he was getting turned away from the Barton Travelodge at 1am, I'll book a twin room next time!

Thanks for all the words of encouragement along the way. Now I know the only way I can complete the Kernow 600 is at a slow and steady pace with no time for a sleep stop. Trying to ride faster over the first part to make time for a longer break doesn't really work for me.

Ivan

[rob]

Small world.   

Ivan - I got the train up with you.

Ed - Chatted with you over fish and chips in Wells.   Love the bike - proper randonneur machine.



Rob

[Oscar's dad]

I do feel bad about the guy I refused to share my double bed with, when he was getting turned away from the Barton Travelodge at 1am, I'll book a twin room next time!

I think we're all adept at building relationships with men we've met on the interweb (or in parks in my case) but being expected to share a double bed with a random chap (whom I'm sure was delightful in every way) you've never met before is a bit hardcore 

[αdαmsκι]

Christ. A chance to shack up with a random guy on an audax and you turned him down? That doesn't seem very audacious!

[Oscar's dad]

Christ. A chance to shack up with a random guy on an audax and you turned him down? That doesn't seem very audacious!

   and ...

   (tea dribbling from one's nostrils is not a nice look    )

[stevevw]

Ivan
I am so glad you said NO to my advances. When I saw you on the road past Lakenheath my head was in a very bad place probably because of only getting around 6 hours sleep since Thursday (not a good way to prepare for a 400) all I could think about was getting in a nice warm bed for some sleep. Anyway after being told they had no rooms and you said no the only other options where to get arrested or MTFU and get on with it. I chose the later but was so nearly the former as I was caught on CCTV applying sudacream to the undercarriage on the Barton Mills garage forecourt. I had an hours rest/sleep there then got on the way. After laughing at the drunks at Swaffam and Newmarket I remembered that I had seen a likely looking Audax hotel in Balsham the year before, when I arrived it was already occupied but this chap was willing to share ;0) This bus shelter was not as I remembered and thought it must have been modernised. It was so cold and the bench was one of those sloping things I went for a little nap in the adjacent phone box instead. After checking out I got 200m down the road to see the bus stop I was expecting a full on 5 star affair, brick built, glass window and a glorious bench that you could actually lay down on. Must remember better for next year. So thanks again Ivan for making me do the right thing.
PS I only wanted to lay on the floor not cuddle up to you in your double bed.


edscoble
Next time I see you on a ride I want to spend some time having a proper look at your lovely Oak Cycles Randonneur. Great that another bespoke bike is being used for its intended purpose of being ridden and not as a trinket to be looked at. Thanks for your kind comments on my Ruby. I also need to have a closer look at the Orange Roberts tandem.

[Oaky]

After checking out I got 200m down the road to see the bus stop I was expecting a full on 5 star affair, brick built, glass window and a glorious bench that you could actually lay down on.

That was where the Tomsk train holed up for 20 mins power napping.  A very nice shelter - walls on 3.5 sides, a proper slatted bench and glass windows to the front.

In fact the floor underneath was clean enough for Tomsk to classify the accommodation as "bunk beds" and check with me if I wanted top or bottom bunk .  As it happened, I was happy just to slump in the corner at one end of the benchtop bunk.

[edscoble]

This is my first x-rated Audax as well as my first 400k, the most I've ever ridden in one day is 250km, I decided to enter this particular 400k due to the lack of climbing required as I wasn't in the best of form especially when I DNS a couple audaxes before this.





It's also a perfect audax to test out my new audax bicycle that I've been aching to eat up the kilometres on, and did so brilliantly, lightweight 42c tyres and huge handlebar bag make a massive difference compared to my previous audax bike with skinny 28c and your traditional Carradice saddlebag, I was even convinced that the bag somehow reduced aerodynamic drag when I get on the drop (and barely notice my knees getting cold too which is new), placebo effect of a new bike I'm sure.



Was rather amusing to hear the general tones that my tyres and handlebar bag look quite big and heavy.





One thing I can says about the A&S is that the severe lack of climb is surprisingly off putting for someone who take great pleasure in ascending the notorious of hill, I remember it being a constant trundling of tiny ascent and descent with a lots of "false hill", basically a road that look fairly level but isn't so (riding from Wells was a very long and slight ascent). There was little moment where I can just sit back and descend for a long time, or drop your cadence and spin comfortably on the flat like I did in previous audaxes/tours.

Norfolk is definitely not flat, that's for sure.





I've never done a proper night ride others than the Dunwich Dynamo (several times), I'm starting to understand the solitary of riding in the night alone with only yourself and the tiny beam of the dynamo light to content with, except instead of thinking up philosophical quotes in the like of Hemingway, mine was more about the stupidly of not owning knees warmers let alone being able to find my 3/4t trousers for the best pair of an hours.



And repeating the same damn song in my head after the headphone's battery die (I'm Afraid of Americans - David Bowie, after it die, I started repeating the chorus but with object I've seen on the way).



The distance between Wells and Barton was quite large, something like 80km between each control so it was rather draining to fight against the wind all the time made worse by the aptly located RAF Lakenhealth which was long and tedious, luckily the next control was nearby, although didn't know it at the time.

I also remember thinking why am I riding at night and out of my depth, and why is this considered fun*.

I must remember to bring my headtorch as I was extremely lucky to get a puncture after Barton in a street lit towns full of drunks (and a mobile drunk centre thingy to help the drunkard, was that Swaffam?), could not find the tiny hole in the inner tube, so replaced with fresh one (and removing a very long piece of broken glass from the front tyre), was hoping no more mishaps as I can only find one inner tube.

I took the advice of a veteran audaxer (audaxee?) that a 15 minutes sleep make a world of a difference, after Newmarket I kept an eyes out for a bus shelter to sleep in, but for some reason I managed to stumble upon an occupied one already taken by a audaxer, it wasn't till after Saffron Walden I managed to find an empty one at 5am and promptly slept before waking up freaking out at how long I was out for (literally blacked out).

The last legs was the most enjoyable with hills to play with, beautiful view but didn't take any photos as I was in quite a lots of pain on my shoulder realising that the bar/brake set-up wasn't suited for more than 250km (I since then changed them for a classic road drop with aero levers).



Arrived in Manningtree at half 8, texted my girlfriend to let her know breakfast is delayed, took the train to Liverpool Street, rode back home and have falafel for lunch.



Loved the ride, it was great to relax and banters with others, more so than a says, 100k audaxes for example (I'm looking at you Dulwich Paragon for taking the fun out of it!).

*probably due to the lack of battery light, inner tubes and hydration.

Ed - Chatted with you over fish and chips in Wells.   Love the bike - proper randonneur machine.

Thank man, few tweak and it'll be perfect.

[jogler]

Any chance of a camp bed or two 

The back of a Volvo probably runs a close second
[/quote]

one of the support crew at last years Mersey Roads 24TT discovered the back of the joglerVolvo with the seats down & a sleeping bag/mat combo to be sufficiently comfy for several hours overnight sleep

[Oscar's dad]

Great pictures Ed 

[poweredbyveg]

Ed - great pictures, must have been at Barton same time as me as my bike's leaning outside. I was then in the bus shelter in Balsham, you stopped to ask if I was ok but I thought you wanted to stop too. Gorgeous bike, I had to google it and found a nice bit on Oak's site about the build.

All in all a great Audax, my second 400 and a bit different to the National last year. Tried to put some faces to names off this forum.

After leaving Barton it then got a bit drizzly, I was v cold and thought I need a bus shelter. Found one in Balsham, the one SteveVW eventually joined me in. 2 hours I spent in there 

Spent 6 hours in stops overall, including a very relaxed lunch of cheesy chips and treacle sponge at Bridge Cafe. Snack outside Acle co-op, where I think it was Big Saxon who I offered to buy one of his multipack Powerades but he let me have it gratis, I owe you one chap

Stopped at Melton C for a salad pitta bread in the pizza shop, hoping for a warm up, but the door was open and the pitta not too warming, should have had pizza

So Wells chippie called for mushy peas, coffee and then using the small loo to change into nice dry long winter bibs and dry socks.

Bit of a drag down to Barton so stopped at Swaffham for a snack stop and glove change where Rob B and another were. SteveVW and I think Roger Cortis? then stopped too and we watched some drunk dancing like a loon in one of the pubs

Just got to Barton for a coffee and crisps, and banana for later just as the assistant wanted to shut shop. Next bit to Newmarket was good but later used the Balsham bus stop, the crap glass one not the nice one 200 yds down the road. Couldn't really sleep or warm up and kept stirring every time someone cycled past. Set off again at about 0420 begging for some daylight to start appearing and cheer me up.

Got to saffron about 0530 where there were a few riders spread around the square, quick banana/ATM stop and onwards.

I had forgotten about Sible cafe and was glad to spot it was open and stopped for a coffee and manky toast. Inside were Tom D and friend and then the tandem and SteveVW arrived.

Just the last little bit of hills and hills and hills was a real test for this Norfolk Boy, but well worth it, gettin to station at 0915, not too shabby for me after 6 hours of stops.

Hopefully see some of you again for the Hereward in July

[edscoble]

You stopped to ask if I was ok but I thought you wanted to stop too.

The way you sit down (sleeping?), I thought you were miffed off waiting for someone to come along! you're the first one I saw in the bus stop where I thought about doing the same, further down, another one is in a bus stop, next town, same again...

[wilkyboy]

I also remember thinking why am I riding at night and out of my depth, and why is this considered fun*.

+1 

Nice write up and pics Ed 

[poweredbyveg]

You stopped to ask if I was ok but I thought you wanted to stop too.

The way you sit down (sleeping?), I thought you were miffed off waiting for someone to come along! you're the first one I saw in the bus stop where I thought about doing the same, further down, another one is in a bus stop, next town, same again...

The bench was too narrow for a lay down so I was trying to sleep sitting, cheers though for checking 

If it wasn't for the perfect storm of wet/cold/wind/dark I would have ploughed on regardless, all good practice though