Elgar Route 2nd Sept

MartinM said:

anyone else? should be quite enjoyable if only for the fact of rising
Eastwards over the Severn Bridge in order to not complete the Severn
Across but get back in the car and go home. It apparently shares quite
a lot of route with The Dean.

It looks like a soggy ride. Last time I rode it there was glorious sunshine.
But this Saturday it looks like rain. A piece of advice to people coming by
car the start car park is a pay car park. Some people like to park elsewhere
in Chepstow. Some people even park at the Aust services and ride across to the
Severn bridge to the start. Avoids parking fees and bridge toll. I will take
the train as usual.

Also make sure you read the route sheet before setting out. Retrace to 724511
is not my favourite instruction, but its not quite as bad as it seems.

Ian Blake wrote:

.. Avoids parking fees and bridge toll. I will take

Quoted message said:

the train as usual.

Yep found a quiet lane on the English side

Quoted message said:

Also make sure you read the route sheet before setting out. Retrace to 724511
is not my favourite instruction, but its not quite as bad as it seems.

that was fairly easy as the immediate R was visible from the L@T. Did
you notice some wag turned the signpost 180o shortly after? The format
the places passed thru (or not) was presented was a bit odd, we seemed
to go thru every type; give me capitals every time.

Very nice ride; how does Nik do it for the money? and possibly the best
finish control ever ;-) . Very wet, and very hard work back to Newent,
but I like the Dean route thru the forest. Got a bit lost before the
first control and then near Hereford so was one of the last back. Sorry
if I missed you, I had the Yellow Ribble (and everything else FTM).

MartinM said:

Very nice ride; how does Nik do it for the money? and possibly the best
finish control ever ;-) . Very wet, and very hard work back to Newent,
but I like the Dean route thru the forest. Got a bit lost before the
first control and then near Hereford so was one of the last back. Sorry
if I missed you, I had the Yellow Ribble (and everything else FTM).

You did not miss me. I rode to the station on Friday night and collected my
ticket. Rode home went to bed woke up totally shattered (sometimes my 150mile
a week commute catchs up on me) I looked out the window seeing the rain. Riding
all day in the rain did not appeal so I went back to bed. I did go out on the
bike a bit later and felt a little guilty that the rain had eased off while I
was out. But the wind and rain seemed to get worse again after I got home. So
I think I made the right decision. I never used to have any motivational
problems for wet or cold audax rides but since my year round commute became 16
miles each way I feel I get my fair share of bad weather already. I want my
weekend cycling to be fun!

It is definitely a good value Audax. The cost of brevet cards and non BRM
validation are under £1 but most organisers have other costs. Nik obviously
does not need to pay for any of his controls. But it still amazing that he his
happy to keep the cost so low.

My next rides are
Landsker 100km Carmarthen
Ferryside Fish 220km Tongwynlais (100m from M4 J32)
Taith Y Mynydd A Mor 200km Llanelli

The Ferry Fish Foray is a very nice ride along the South Wales Coast.
Taith Y Mynydd A Mor (Tour of the mountains and the sea) is a nice ride up
around the A40 (but not on it) to Brecon and back. But since Dai has been
running it we no longer visit Rhosili so there is no sea in it.
The Landsker is ridden to support Carmarthen rides and maybe persuade John
Ridge to run the Polka again.

MartinM said:

anyone else?

No, I was in the right part of the world but at my sister's wedding.
Don't think I could have got out of that one.

Quoted message said:

It apparently shares quite
a lot of route with The Dean.

Ack! I winced today as we drove past Membury services, remembering all
too vividly how I felt last time I was passing through that area...

Anyway, I'm doing the On-Off Shore next weekend, which I'm really
looking forward to - it's far too long since my last 200+ ride, and this
does look like a particularly good fun one.

d.