Jump to content

Steady run sun 9th nov


rovi

Recommended Posts

Sorry I will be in Snowdonia until Wednesday, so will not make Sunday or Tuesday 9.15,.9,30 or 10am.  As I said in a recent post, I leave it for leaders to decide the meeting time. I simply made a proposal and  thought there was a consensus in favour to change to 10am. Hope to see you on Thursday at the usual time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kay, it will be about a 60 miles round trip from Rednal with stop at around half distance. So arrive cafe 11.30-ish, leave 12.15-ish to get everyone back before 15.00.

 

Hannah, are you & Owen going with A's or B's?

 

Barry, I'm only a stand-in and would like to leave it to Ivor as regular B run leader to make any changes. Anyway, tomorrow's weather looks good (famous last words), Charlecote is a longish and somewhat lumpy ride, so best to have plenty of time.

 

Don't forget your poppies, folks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to miss on today’s ride in the sunshine but I’m shattered after yesterdays exhertions.

Here is an account of the day

 

I arrived in Tewkesbury for the 8:00am start, where I was only one of two riders (everyone else had the good sense to take the 7:00am start and ride for Monmouth before the storm had travelled too far east.

 

I set off gently and in last place as usual. Despite the downpour I was never cold unlike the 200km Audax I rode on Tuesday where I never got warm.

 

I had a pleasant and uneventful ride to Monmouth where I stopped at the café for an hour and waited for the worst of the rain to pass. I then made my way to Talybont-On-Usk in considerably lighter rain with just the occasional heavier shower.

 

After another leisurely stop and some warm sustenance I realised that I was on the limit and would have to push it on the ride back.

 

As I approached Monmouth, that is where my GPS decided it had finished its work for the day and no longer picked up any satellites.

 

I made my way into Monmouth but was unsure of where to go from there whereupon my GPS gave the reassuring message “Satellites found” and then “recalculating route” Yes a line on the unit to follow again!

 

After some twenty minutes cycling in the pitch blackness I was starting to lose confidence. I scrolled through the unit to discover to my dismay that I had 185km to go. I was being sent back out to Talybont-On-Usk.

I turned around and retraced my steps back to Monmouth where I found a garage and a woman who gave me directions to the Saracen’s Head, at Symonds Yat east.

 

I eventually found the path alongside the river and quickly checked in and kicked on because I was now close to the limit time wise.

 

Alas my GPS was to continue playing silly buggers and kept “Recalculating my route” and sending me god knows where.

 

I knew I was well off course but kept following the ever changing route and hoping for the best.

I eventually came into the outskirts of Gloucester and knew I was totally lost. There was nothing for it other than to phone Mark (the organiser) and tell him the name of the road I was on and the names of the places on the sign at the junction I found myself.  

Fortunately he had a rough idea where I was and told me to take the road to Newent and then some lefts and rights where I should hit the well signed roads back to Tewkesbury.

 

I peddled furiously under the full moon and light rain as if being chased by the four horsemen of the apocalypse knowing this was going to be a close run thing.

 

Fortunately Mark’s directions were true and I was soon following the signs for Tewkesbury. In utter exhaustion I made it to the Royal Hop Pole and walked in like Bambi on ice. I had made it with six minutes to spare!

 

My 200km Audax had turned out to be a 232km mystery tour.

 

Spending today with my feet up. :lol2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too much information Sean :-)

I went to Rednal to pick up the B run. No bees out, they must have hibernated. Met Ken at Tardebigge to form the Old Pals Battalion. We decided on a mutually agreeable pace and alternative destination and finished up at Craycombe, where a two minute silence was observed. I submitted a MIA report to the A Battalion but they were keeping radio silence and didn't reply. However a message was received from ChrisP who was apparently on a lone mission behind enemy lines and reported he wouldn't make the agreed rendezvous.

Come back soon, Ivor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The A's today were made up of a crack elite squad of 6 riders sent out on a mission to reach there destination Charlecote

using a slightly different route to normal to confuse the enemy. This also had the added advantage in keeping GRL and

Speedy in check as they seemed totally lost within 3 miles of leaving the Forrest and stopped them from upping the pace

at the front of the group.

We navigated our way through Hopwood,Weatheroak,Beoley,Ullenhall,Henley, Wooten Wowen and then Snitterfield,the

Big challenge then was to navigate our way across the Bermuda Triangle ' A46 Warwick-Stratford road ' without having

to ride up and down this road looking for an exit off. With this achieved we then headed to our destination following a

well signposted route anticipating the B's to be already there with there feet under the table eating all the delicious

home made cake.

Anyway to our surprise no B's, a short while after Pete Cooper arrived on his own and said he had not seen a soul but

had covered more miles than us getting there.

Having been fed and watered I decided to look at my phone to find that the B's consisting of Ken and Tony had been

sent on a secret mission to Craycombe and Chris P had gone missing, his last message saying he wasn't going to make

It. Presumably lost in action.

Our group today consisted of JohnS,Gypsy Rose,SpeedyK,Owen and tail end Charlie -Hannay and yours truly.

The return journey was uneventful taking in a different route via Stratford,Welford, Wixford, past Hilliers onto Radford

and Home.

Again the youngsters were keep in check as they didn't know how to get home.

My apologies for a bit more main road riding today guys but at least I didn't get us lost, always get lost going in a

Easterly direction, must go that way more often.

Mike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too much information Sean :-)

I went to Rednal to pick up the B run. No bees out, they must have hibernated. Met Ken at Tardebigge to form the Old Pals Battalion. We decided on a mutually agreeable pace and alternative destination and finished up at Craycombe, where a two minute silence was observed. I submitted a MIA report to the A Battalion but they were keeping radio silence and didn't reply. However a message was received from ChrisP who was apparently on a lone mission behind enemy lines and reported he wouldn't make the agreed rendezvous.

Come back soon, Ivor.

I don't have the confidence to come on the rides without Ivor! We must get him sorted out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'May I recommend the Ordnance Survey map, 1:50,000 scale, Sheets 150 and 151.  I used them to find our way to Charlecote today. We were able to plan our route via roads, as they are clearly defined using a colour coding system i.e, yellow for roads generally more than 4m wide and red dotted lines for bridleways. These maps are obtainable free on loan from your local library. They are environmentally friendly, do not give off any harmful emissions and can be used as an insulator against the cold. They do not require an energy source and are not a cause of annoyance to others in a confined area such as a cafe.'  

 

 Posted  4th November 2013

Today's accounts of the club run are similar to what I imagine a Wildebeest might write of their annual migration if it had the ability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken & I had a very nice day out, knew where we were going (and how to get back) , and knew why we didn't go to Charlecote (with our without a map). We DID expect to see Pete and maybe ChrisK at Tardebigge, and fie on those deserters who can only march under one captain! Maybe we ought to rechristen Ivor the Pied Piper of Rednal?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I lean towards an approach of mystery and as long as you end up at your choice of destination

WHO needs maps. Unable to read a map at speed on two wheels and certainly not recommended

on a safety level ' health and safety ' and the fact I can't be arsed in keep stopping to unfold said

map get my glasses out,read the map, refold and put away with glasses I prefer the adventure of

the unknown, we did have Garmin owner JohnS with us today but he still does not how to work it

after 12 months. However he can tell us how far we have travelled on arrival and advise on the

distance of our detour.

At least if you do carry a map and you are suddenly taken short and require to take cover behind

a hedge they do come in useful. You still have to get it out your pocket, unfold, use and then refold

the remainder and then put back in your pocket.

I don't really approve of this usage for a map though, not very environmentally friendly and bad for

my skin and much prefer to use a Dock leaf + the library you have it from on it's return will not be

to happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

Alas my GPS was to continue playing silly buggers and kept “Recalculating my route” and sending me god knows where.

 

 

I honestly dont understand why you would even have this stupid function turned on Sean, for that very reason??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL!!!  :laugh:  Mickey Rourke your account of Sunday's ride is absolutely delightful!

 

And Sean, you are a true trooper!

 

Really enjoyed being back out on the bike yesterday (as opposed to watching Owen fix his car!)

 

Hope the weather is good enough for another mission this coming Sunday! :wink:  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...