England : Lancashire Good Companions Based 200km 19/20 October

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I'm planning on doing the Good Companions permanent audax either Saturday or Sunday 19/20 October. Either day is good for me.

This route......http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2608054

Anyone fancy coming along? I'll be starting at the junction of Rossendale Road/Manchester Road on the outskirts of Burnley simply because it's so close to home. The maximum time allowance is 13 hours but I should be able to comfortably finish within that.

Again I'm flexible on start time but earlier would be better. I've done this route before with @Pennine-Paul and it's a great route.

Because it's a circular route start points could be anywhere for your convenience.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I can do the Sunday.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Ok dokey, Sundays fine. FYI if I'm too slow then it's fine to leave me if want to complete it quicker.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

What time and where do you fancy meeting up? If your driving you can leave your car at mine if you want on our drive.

Is 6am a bit too early?

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I think I can make that! I will drive up, I would have to leave the night before to cycle there!

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

Are you doing it as an Audax event? Have you applied yet?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Are you doing it as an Audax event? Have you applied yet?

I've paid for cards via paypal ages ago via Rich Forrest who is set up for that sort of thing. He said it was also ok to just submit a GPX file of the completed route a s proof. I asked Chris Crossland if it was in the rules to start anywhere on a circular route and he said it was ok.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I will apply this week but can submit gpx file after.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

£3 postal order and form posted early this morning. 30t ultegra cassette arrived and will be fitted today...doing Blackstone Edge near the end will require lower gearing for me.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

FYI for anyone wanting to join in, Martin and I have planned to set from Rossendale at 6am, but as it's a circular route we could meet people as we go round. It's a cracking route to Glasson Dock and back through Chipping and Whalley, reasonably flat too.

 

[tubbycyclist]

FYI for anyone wanting to join in, Martin and I have planned to set from Rossendale at 6am, but as it's a circular route we could meet people as we go round. It's a cracking route to Glasson Dock and back through Chipping and Whalley, reasonably flat too.

Unfortunately I don't think I am back to fitness, grrr. I would say flat first half out to Glasson Dock but Harris End (surprisingly tough IMO), and Blackstone Edge do give the second half some "scenery" points in audax speak so not without lumps and bumps - hope the weather is kind for you.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Unfortunately I don't think I am back to fitness, grrr. I would say flat first half out to Glasson Dock but Harris End (surprisingly tough IMO), and Blackstone Edge do give the second half some "scenery" points in audax speak so not without lumps and bumps - hope the weather is kind for you.

Thanks, luckily my 30t arrived so I think I'll be ok and Martin finished well in front of me at SoM so I think he'll manage it no probs.

I have done a route based 90% on this so I agree, first half lovely second half lumpy but not too bad. The worst bit for me will be the non stop climbing from Hebden to home after 100 miles.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I fitted a 30t cassette for the season of mists last week and its not coming off this weekend!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Update:

Well me and @Martin Archer started at 7am in Mytholmroyd.

Everything was ok till 100km, I started to feel flaky - huh I thought, no big deal, the cafe stop's only 5km away. I had 2 egg beans on toast and a coffee and 2 diclofenic as my injured elbow was giving me some pain.
We worked out we had an hour in hand, great everything's going to plan.

Got back on the bikes and I knew something was wrong, I felt awful, really weak and nauseous. Queue the next 65km of purgatory. Martin, bless him, stayed with till Whalley, and wanted to stay with me until the end. That made me feel guilty because I knew he could easily finish before the cutoff, so we parted ways.

At 170km, I had a decision to make at a junction 3 miles from home and still on time at 15km per hour overall. Do I go home or try and make it? I felt really ill at this point and decided to get drinks at the nearby local shop. The weather also deteriorated at this point as well, the roads were flooded it rained so hard.

After having a rest and a drink, I suddenly became macho and mtfu and decided..."no, this 200km keeps alluding me, not this time, no way". I knew it'd be slow and outside of audax rules, but I just wanted the 200 in the bag.

So off I set, 180km - projectile vomiting, 183km - more vomiting, 187km snapped spoke, 191km - top of my street and even heavier rain, I decided I was too close to the 200km to fail now, so the longest 9km of my cycling career followed and every lap I was 100 metres from home....

200km done! I'll post the ride up later, it was at 13.9km overall average and an hour outside of audax rules so I can't enter it as a DIY..who cares.

"Arte et Marte"...oh yeah.

Martin texted to me to say he'd completed it in time so I'm well chuffed for him, he could easily have done the whole ride inside 7 hours he reckons.

Martin, it was a pleasure meeting you again and thank you for the support and patience with the fat lad at the back.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

To be honest I think 7 hours would be pushing it, maybe 8.
Once I left you and upped the pace, I regretted not taking on much fluid or gels, My legs started aching a bit on the hills. I nipped into a garage for some food and also something to oil my chain, that was annoying me more than the hills! Suitably refreshed and with a quiet bike again I finished the ride before the weather got too bad.
Its a great route and one I will certainly do again. I am glad you got the 200K in, I know that if I was feeling that bad I would have bailed sooner!