OP
OP
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
Hope this still goes ahead tomorrow. The snow round these parts is still blanketing the roads!
England : Greater Manchester Mere 200 - 27/01/13
- Thread starter middleagecyclist
- Start date
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Mello
Active Member
- Location
- St Helens, Merseyside
If it is cancelled will they post the cancellation up on the Audax web site. I don't fancy travelling up to Cheadle just to check if its off or on!
This was my first try with an Audax event. Any do's or dont's?
This was my first try with an Audax event. Any do's or dont's?
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
It would be a bit dodgy to run a 200 in snowy/icy conditions! Anyway, there is a telephone number in the event info on the audax website: 0161 947 9700.
OP
OP
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
Just checked with the organiser. The snow is melting and the forecast looks good - warm with rain overnight and early Sunday morning with sun in the PM. It is on.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Well, good luck then! Just watch out for residual ice and snow in shaded dips in the road.
OP
OP
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
This is my concern too.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
- Pace yourself! It is easier to start off steady and speed up later, than it is to go off too fast and grovel later. There is supposed to be a 10 mph southerly wind blowing tomorrow which will be against you for the first half of the ride.
- Eat and drink sensibly throughout the ride. I usually struggle to get enough calories in because I would need about 4,000 extra to fuel me for a 200!
- Do your own navigation unless the person you are following has a GPS and has the route programmed in! I have told people that they were going the wrong way but they insisted that they knew what they were doing and then got lost.
- Take a good lock for your bike, lock it in your car after the event, or take it indoors at event HQ. To a certain extent there is safety in numbers but bikes still get stolen at audax events. I rode this event in 2006 and somebody told me that at least one bike had been stolen the year before.
- Try and find some friendly riders to ride with who are riding at a pace that you like.
- Most important of all - stay safe and enjoy the ride!
trio25
Über Member
The event is unlikely to be cancelled as such but they may advise not to ride it. As an Audax it is your decision. I'm hopeful as apparently it is melting well in Cheshire. Where I am it is melting but will take a while as we had an extra 8inches overnight.
As to ColinJ's comment about navigation, don't necessarily trust someone with a GPS unless they know now to use it, I often end up popular on these events as I am a reasonable navigator.
My only decision is now which tyres, thinking of ice tyres....
As to ColinJ's comment about navigation, don't necessarily trust someone with a GPS unless they know now to use it, I often end up popular on these events as I am a reasonable navigator.
My only decision is now which tyres, thinking of ice tyres....
Mello
Active Member
- Location
- St Helens, Merseyside
Guys, Thanks for the feedback. The side roads in Merseyside are still covered in snow and I would not venture out on them on my bike at the moment but hopefully the thaw will kick in or it will rain before it gets cold this evening.
All you advice is noted, I intend doing the ride at a comftable pace and I do have a Garmin and have uploaded the course. I don't have a bike lock but will lock my bike up in my car after the race. I always find it a lot tougher if I end up riding along on my own so I will try to latch on to some of my fellow riders. I intend taking plenty of rations with me. I am expecting the ride to take about 9 hours with feedstation stops.
All you advice is noted, I intend doing the ride at a comftable pace and I do have a Garmin and have uploaded the course. I don't have a bike lock but will lock my bike up in my car after the race. I always find it a lot tougher if I end up riding along on my own so I will try to latch on to some of my fellow riders. I intend taking plenty of rations with me. I am expecting the ride to take about 9 hours with feedstation stops.
OP
OP
middleagecyclist
Call me MAC
- Location
- Prestwich, Manchester
Bike stripped, inspected, adjusted, cleaned, lubed and reassembled. Rations ready, clothed sorted, route plotted and loaded to GPS, snow thawing. Lookg forward to the ride. Good luck all.
PMarkey
Guru
- Location
- Queensbury,West Yorkshire
Snow's disappearing at a great rate of knots here (Hills above Halifax) so bike is checked over and ready to go 
Paul
Paul
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
How did you all get on? 
tubbycyclist
Senior Member
- Location
- Hebden Bridge
One weather related apocalypse ended but the others turned up to fill the gap
Tough stuff. Headwind for first 100k, which then dropped for the return leg . Flooded roads that meant my bike now looks like it has seaweed, depth of water up to the knees in places. Patchy ice on the first sections too, and hail stones.
Epic :-)
Tough stuff. Headwind for first 100k, which then dropped for the return leg . Flooded roads that meant my bike now looks like it has seaweed, depth of water up to the knees in places. Patchy ice on the first sections too, and hail stones.
Epic :-)
