Anybody fancy 'A Mere CycleChat Two Hundred'?

[ColinJ]

Hi all.

I have been discussing with tubbycyclist doing a long flattish ride. We love our local hills but it is nice to do an easier ride now and then, especially for those of us who have, er, carbo-loaded for an ultra-endurance event which never came ...

Kevin has some time off work after Easter so we have decided on Wednesday, 27th April.

We thought a 200 km audax permanent in Cheshire would do the trick and I suggested Mike Wigley's A Mere Two Hundred. I rode that in January 2007 and thought it was a good route. Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight and it was damn cold after sunset! No problem in late April though.

We are thinking of an 08:00 start and aiming to complete the 207 km ride in about 11 hours.

It would be an ideal ride to do on fixed, for those of you so inclined.

So, if any of you can get that Wednesday off work and fancy a long, steady ride with some fellow CycleChatters, post below!

Rider List:

• ColinJ
• tubbycyclist

PS I just spotted that this Perm was completed by 11 riders in 2007, 9 in 2008, 16 in 2009 and 14 in 2010. How about seeing if we can beat some of those numbers on just one day?

 

[PpPete]

An Audax perm as a forum ride.... what an excellent suggestion.
Would have loved to come, but it's a little too far from me to come for a day's ride midweek.

 

[potsy]

If it was next Wednesday I may have been tempted, don't go back to work until the Tuesday before your ride so doubt I'd be able to get the Wednesday off.

Sounds like a great idea though, have fun.

 

[ColinJ]

If it was next Wednesday I may have been tempted, don't go back to work until the Tuesday before your ride so doubt I'd be able to get the Wednesday off.

Your legs won't be up to it by next Wednesday!

(Not that I want to worry you about SITD ... )

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Would love to come but cant do it on a weekday right before a double bank holiday.

 

[yello]

'twere I in the UK, I'd be a starter.

Give me more time to get cheap rail tickets sorted and it'd be just the kind of thing I'd like to do!

 

[Polocini]

If you can organise one on a weekend I'll come along. Midweek is no good as I'm self employed so a day off work costs too much. It's the time of year with all the crappy bank holidays as well.

AL

 

[vorsprung]

I'm riding a 400 at the weekend. Not the Brevet Cymru, a test ride of the Avalon Sunrise. Also on PBP year I do try and stay focussed on the goal and not get diverted into interesting rides in places I don't go much. Maybe another time....

 

[dan_bo]

Err might do!


Aye I'll look into that one!

 

[Fiona N]

Can I get back to you ? I do like the idea (I hope this is the 'licking lips' emoticon)

Like Vorsprung I'll be audaxing for PBP on the weekend before (300km, Galashiels again) and the following Wednesday might be just a bit too soon to be doing a 200km, no matter how flat, for my ageing frame (me that is not the bike). Besides I was hoping for a fairly big wedding weekend - mileage-wise - if the weather's good.

 

[PaulB]

I'll let you know. I like the route but I need to wheedle time off to even think about that.

 

[ColinJ]

I've had to tell Kevin that I'm unlikely to be fit for this now since I have a bug of some sort (cold, whatever) and it is getting worse.

He has already paid his Perm fee and is going ahead anyway.

I'd certainly be up for this kind of thing in the future, but perhaps at a weekend so more people could come along.

TC - enjoy the ride! (If by some miracle I feel capable of joining you, I will.)

 

[DooBlood]

I wanna go but alas, is far out from my abode

 

[ColinJ]

Kevin - did you do the ride? If so, would you like to tell us how you got on?

 

[tubbycyclist]

It was near perfect conditions on Wednesday, and set off from the 24 hour garage at around 8am. In trendy Hebden Bridge the Royal Wedding is passing by but the bunting was out in a lot of Cheshire and Shropshire villages.

Ellesmere was the halfway point, which was a nice spot for a picnic. There is an air of the genteel promenade about the place. The lanes after this section were the highlight for me, quiet rolling countryside with no traffic but with some excellent scenery.

Rolled back into Cheshire around 5pm and it did get busier, some of the smaller lanes must be used as "rat runs" by local commuters and a couple of drivers could have done with a lighter right foot on these narrow, winding roads. I expect some of these lanes would be much quieter on a weekend for anyone contemplating this as a perm.

Back to the start in plenty of time. All in all, a good day out, although I think my pace faded a little at times when riding solo.