What bike yer got there?

It’s a Pickenflick

Excellent. Nice to see some more completions.

That was a great write up! Enjoyed that

Can't remember if I said before or not. Sadly I'm out of the VWE. I've moved house and am nowhere near where I was so I can't go to any of my checkpoints

benp1 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:23 pm Can't remember if I said before or not. Sadly I'm out of the VWE. I've moved house and am nowhere near where I was so I can't go to any of my checkpoints

Are you now living on the South Downs? If so I can sort you a set of GRs if you still want to do the VWE? It's an area I have on my digital mapping so not too hard to do. Given the circumstances of the last year I'm sure that would be allowed.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:05 am

benp1 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:23 pm Can't remember if I said before or not. Sadly I'm out of the VWE. I've moved house and am nowhere near where I was so I can't go to any of my checkpoints

Are you now living on the South Downs? If so I can sort you a set of GRs if you still want to do the VWE? It's an area I have on my digital mapping so not too hard to do. Given the circumstances of the last year I'm sure that would be allowed.

Yep, just north of Havant. Cheers Sean, that would be great, I'll drop you a PM. I already have my BAMs planned out for the next two months (WRT and JennRide) but I think we have until the 2nd clock change this year (which is the end of Oct...!) so that still leaves me plenty of time to bag them

It seemed fitting to finally tick this off on WRT weekend, especially as the weather has finally broken and it was utterly glorious for the vast majority of the ride. It made for a nice change to wake up feeling rested, with the sun illuminating the tent with a golden green. Each blade of grass was heavy with dew, and the barley fields were shimmering in the low sun.


We'll get to the route and grid refs shortly, but even the appearance of the Spawn of Satan on a short section of footpath did nothing to dampen the mood. Interesting to see they've stuck up some new signs, as there's been no livestock in there in my memory.


There was plenty of cow parsley.


Some recently mowed byways.


Plenty of dappled shade.


Have I mentioned the cow parsley yet...?


So my grid references were provided by middleagedmadness, and could be split into two rides if desired. As we're no longer having to camp in our gardens, I decided to do one big loop, with a wee diversion for more coffee and cake. I exported the grid references as a GPX, loaded it into RideWithGPS and plotted a route that would take me passed each one. As you can see, I didn't always take the photos at the exact spots an a couple of the grid ref markers are obscuring the photo locations as well.


The first one was near home, next to the local wind farm, on private land which with no public rights of way. I left the house as it was getting late, switched my lights off and cruised down some bumpy double track, passed the farm house, which was partially obscured behind some hedgerow, and up the other side to the required area. Then it was an easy cruise on Strade Bianche style wind farm gravel roads to exit the area and get back onto some public rights of way.


The second grid ref, was on Worsted Street Roman Road, which is a restricted byway that I cycle quite frequently. It was proper dark now, so this is all you're getting.


Soon after, I found a lovely bivy spot surrounded by loads of cow parsley, the only downside was the proximity to both the A14 and A11, so there was quite a bit of road noise. I must have been cream crackered though, as I dropped off pretty much instantly and woke feeling refreshed. I tossed and turned a bit after that, but when the tent started glowing a golden green, it was time to get up and get on with it. Breakfast consumed, the next grid ref was on a bridleway that takes me towards my in-laws village. It's a real leg sapper, as the grass is really grippy.


Grid ref four, was on a bridleway that I used to cycle frequently when commuting to and from Cambridge. I was once taken out by a dog a bit further along it. I haven't been down there in ages, so it was really nice to be back whizzing along it, and early enough that I only bumped into one dog walker, right at the end.


Grid ref five is another byway I've ridden loads. Depending on which way I cycle it, I'm either heading towards, or away, from the in-laws village. It a shame though, as it's one of those dead end jobs, with no other public rights of way available to cyclists. There is some footpath between the end of it and the lock complex at Waterbeach, which is one of the few footpaths I cycle regularly. Given the recent appearance of The Spawn of Satan, I can't see myself down there again for a while.


Rather than heading directly into Burwell and resupply at the Co-op, I diverted to Wicken Fen NT to use the facilities, then headed back to the Co-op. Grid ref six is the only one I didn't actually attempt to visit. It's on a private estate, with no public right of way access, so even though I could've whizzed down the gravel track passed the rear entrance, I stuck to the main road.


Grid ref seven was on the Icknield Way and heading towards my first pit stop for coffee and cake, at Phoenix Cycleworks. This sector is hideous when it's been wet, soft mud with loads of sandy gritty, you can hear it wearing away your drive train as you squelch along it.


At this point, I detoured off out into deepest Suffolk in search of more coffee and cake. Many bridleways and byways were ridden, coffee and cake was consumed, fellow riders waved at, bikepacking evangelised to interested parties; I was revelling in being outside, cycling in nice weather. Reality bites though, and soon enough it was time to head back and bag the last three grid refs.

Now, this photo is at the start of one of my most travelled local bridleways, I still hold the Strava KOM in the other direction. It has been utterly, utterly, ruined over the winter, and even more so in the last couple of weeks. I think a local stud must be using it for gallops or something, as parts of it were wall to wall horse hoof churned up un-ridable (and a loaded gravel bike) slop.


It didn't get any better after the slop, so I spent the next wee while cursing and swearing while bumping along the bridleway, which as this point is a field edge. It's recently been turned over and tilled, presumably for the horses, but it's been chopped up by them and the farmers tractor. I normally turn left at this point, and continue on the bridleway which turns into gravel double track, Grid ref nine straight on, along a footpath. I did that thing where you follow the line of the GPS, rather than using your brain, so turned sharp left, down what looked like a thin stony footpath, that had moto tyres tracks on it. This dropped me down onto a very stony, very wet, looking path, enclosed on both sides by high verges. I couldn't get going, as every time I pushed off, the front wheel hit a massive stone and pinged off in the wrong direction. After a bit of walking, the stones turned to gravel but the wall to wall puddles remained. At this point, I was realising my mistake, and rather than being on a thin sinuous footpath alongside a stream, I was trying to cycle along the bottom of the stream. When the gravel ran out, and the walls started closing in and the mud started seeping into my shoes, it was time to exit up the six foot bank, through the nettles and onto the actual footpath. With lumpy field edges, kissing gates, trunks down over the path, and plenty of KEEP OUT signage, I can't see myself using this over the bridleway.


The final grid ref, was the one the was concerning me most. While technically on a public right of way, all the footpaths that snake though this area, are on a massive farm estate, with more than it's fair share of PRIVATE KEEP OUT signage. I've walked some of the footpaths, which are on fantastic gravel roads, and I did cycle one recently in preparation. This time though, I decided to exit down some roads that aren't footpaths, as they were the quickest way out. So of course, I immediately bumped into a lady on a horse, with a gentleman walking alongside her. Cue my best impersonation of someone who is totally and utterly lost. Profuse apologies, clear indication that I knew I shouldn't be there, then the plea for the fasted way out, to some local village whose name I couldn't quite remember. They were lovely, and gave me the exact directions to exit stage left, that I'd put into my GPS. I wont be back, as even if you stick to the footpath, you've got to go though a farm yard at one end, and passed a load of farm estate houses and yard at the other, such a shame, as it would make local riding easier.


I finally rolled back into the village after 181km of riding totally spent, so I swung into the pub garden for some much needed refreshment. One of my best BAM rides ever, thanks in part to the fantastic weather, thanks for the grid refs middleagedmadness!

Sounds fab. Thanks for sharing!

Got to love cow parsley this time of year, especially mixed with a few bluebells

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:30 am Got to love cow parsley this time of year, especially mixed with a few bluebells

Certainly makes a nice change from the usual porridge .

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:47 am

Verena wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 7:30 am Got to love cow parsley this time of year, especially mixed with a few bluebells

Certainly makes a nice change from the usual porridge .

After my quarries extravaganza last month I needed to do a cheapy/local this month, so an ideal reason to revisit the Virtual Winter Event. The irony of doing a WE on the hottest day of the year isn’t lost on me.

My GRs were supplied by Angela in Sheffield and are within 10 miles or so of home. I didn’t hold out much hope of any great revelations or experiences since most are well known to me. Then again unpromising circumstances often lead to outstanding surprises.

MuddyPete foolishly agreed to accompany me for at least some of it and we set off at 7.30pm to GR1 SP9081129320 “soonest.vanish.blogs”, which was located in our local trail centre. Not much to say about it really other than here’s a pic of Pete not shredding anything, or sending it either come to that. Or hooning. I don’t think he’s used to trail centres.



Then off down a bridleway, past the fishing lake, and down the sandy hill to the canal. The sandy hill suddenly degenerates into a nettle and rose infested torture chamber and I slam on the brakes to ease my way through, but Pete nearly piles into the back of me shouting “it’s less painful the faster you go”. I’m still battling with the reality and logic of that statement, all help gratefully received . Having said that, “slow” didn’t seem to produce entirely satisfying results either:



GR2 SP8868829989 “bliss.ending.energy” was the next lock up the canal and we couldn’t make our minds up which side to approach it from. Pete plumped for the eastern towpath side and luckily a bridge at the lock opened up the western option too. We tried to depart west to reach a fairly roundabout selection of bridleways to GR3 but a fairly unequivocal “PRIVATE LANE” sign put us off so we continued up the towpath to Bletchley and suffered a bit of road work to get to the GR on a track called Weasel Lane – what a great name! - at SP8337532508 “aware.water.blame”.

From here to GR4 was quite a long plod through Milton Keynes and its various cycletracks and lakes. On the way we bumped into, almost literally, one of the little robot delivery vehicles on a footpath. It was having a bit difficulty crossing the road but unfortunately our presence seemed to make the situation worse, with it reversing into hedges, back out into the road, etc etc. Eventually we had to abandon the poor thing to its fate, and presumably someone’s cold curry to the dustbin. Here’s Pete teasing it:



Pete had a pub in mind next, but typically it was closed so we pressed on to Woburn Sands near to GR4 to see what bivvy options there might be. I convinced Pete to ignore the giant pub hangar on the main road in favour of a back street local which turned out to serve rather nice local ales. It also had some curious outdoor seating pods. They looked like little gypsy caravans without wheels and I tried lying inside one to see if it was sleepable – about 6” too short unfortunately. However I jokingly mentioned to the very nice landlady – yes I know they seem to crop up with some considerable regularity in my reports – after she spotted our bivvy gear and that we had nowhere to stay, that they would make ideal shelters. To which she replied she was quite happy with that and crack on! We bottled it and said we’d try that next time. However by the time we were about to leave at midnight the option had vastly improved itself in our heads so in we went! I can’t say it was the comfiest night I’ve ever had, with only 5 hours sleep, but it was certainly one of the weirdest.





Up with the larks at 5am and head out for GR4 SP9356935037 “cakes.permit.cliff” which was a bridleway junction on the sandy heath down the road. Time for first breakfast while we were savouring the clear morning air.





Various bridleways and tracks headed past GR5 SP9369332498 “ruffle.clubbing.keepers” after which Pete diverted away towards home and left me to continue with the rest of the locations. I quite liked the “layering” of the foliage at GR5:



More tracks and bridleways to the isolated church at Battlesden at GR6 SP9591129102 “dubbing.dugouts.symphonic”, followed by more roads round Leighton Buzzard taking me to Totternhoe Knolls, an old medieval motte and bailey, at GR7 SP9790422091 “name.rings.cave”.

GR8 SP9501117175 “flinches.just.coaster” was a badger sett on a bridleway running past Ivinghoe Beacon, which brought me out at Ivinghoe Windmill at GR9 SP9451415671 “pounce.bungalows.that”. It’s a 17th century mill and with the date 1627 carved on part of the framework. This is the earliest date to be found on any windmill in the British Isles.



Finally I was on the home straight back to Leighton Buzzard which was a relief after 3.5 hours of hard riding and already a very hot day at 09.30am. The last GR10 SP8973318781 “sparks.changes.users” was located next to Mentmore House once owned by the Rothschilds.



Sorry it’s not a very inspiring report, hopefully Pete was being more observant than I was and can add a few extra bits.

Only 6 months until the next Winter Event anyway!

I'm intrigued by the delivery robot, are they autonomous? How do they stop hungry bikepackers nicking the food out of them?

Are the gypsy caravan seats 6" too short or are you 6" too long?

Do you think if you'd done the winter event in the winter there might have been less brambles and nettles

sean_iow wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:50 pm I'm intrigued by the delivery robot, are they autonomous? How do they stop hungry bikepackers nicking the food out of them?

Are the gypsy caravan seats 6" too short or are you 6" too long?

Do you think if you'd done the winter event in the winter there might have been less brambles and nettles

We think they have keycode locks on them, presumably punter gets given code when ordering? They are quite impressive really. Would it have GPS and some sort of obstacle proximity sensors? See them around quite a lot and nobody seems to nick anything, although one took a plunge into the canal a while ago. They remind me of R2D2 somehow.

WE in winter, less brambles perhaps but more snow!

Dunno whether Climber has been keeping tally of who actually made the effort to do the VWE despite the lockdown delays?

I believe I was the only one to do it in actual winter...

I was hoping that seannyd would be reporting on the points I gave him to ride but maybe he is saving them for later in the year when it's, you know, actual winter

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:12 pm I believe I was the only one to do it in actual winter...

No, no, no, you've missed the point completely Colin

Some snaps on MuddyPete's behalf.....

Pete's pub-gypsy-caravan-seating-pod-thingy. With reference to the "it ain't 'alf 'ot mum" thread round the corner, the first thing Pete did when he went into his pod was switch the blasted heater on!!



Crossing over the line of the being-rebuilt E/W Rail Link from Oxford-Cambridge. Been in the pipeline for decades, "focus groups", "consulting papers" galore, JUST GET ON WITH IT! More money spent on the consultations than on actually building the bloody thing. New road - armies of planners push them through in 10 minutes. I hate road planners.



Sunset over Milton Keynes.....



"Git-orf-moi-lahhhnd" lock on the Grand Union...



Reg impressing nobody at all with his bikelimbo skills.... lean, slide, aaannnndd flip back up... casually flick dust off shoulders and continue...



Hmm...

Reg's swift and skilful negotiation of that tree was so impressive it inspired a film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vx37nm8lfLU

From their nonsensical middle-aged baldy-chat, it sounds like the script writer has been earwigging our conversations, too .
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That East-West Rail Link is going to make a lovely Oxford-Cambridge cycleway when they close it in 20 years time
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The robot was waiting to cross the road; but when it saw me it turned around and went the other way. Then it changed it's mind; turned around to have a go at me; then went and hid in a hedge . After watching it rock back-and-forth for a while I felt sorry for it, so lifted it onto the path (half expecting it to self-destruct if touched ), only to see it run back into the hedge and rock back-and-forth some more. It was rather sad: like watching a blind hedgehog trying to hide from predators or traffic . Thankfully it had a word with itself and, left to it's own devices, trundled off on it's quest to deliver sustenance to hungry mouths . They could do with an adorable face, though .
----
July is the perfect month for a winter event: so little faffing about and the weather's warmer, too . Those heated pods are ace, though. They have 7, so we know where 14 of us will be kipping on the Chiltern's Winter Event .
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Having the 5am world to ourselves and breakfast in the 6am sunshine were ace. I even managed 30 minutes kip before WFH .

A superb little ride .

MuddyPete wrote: ↑Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:38 pm Those heated pods are ace, though. They have 7, so we know where 14 of us will be kipping on the Chiltern's Winter Event .

Put my name down for that Will I have to drink until midnight to qualify?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:35 am Will I have to drink until midnight to qualify?

No no, but if you don't nobody else's conversations will make the remotest bit of sense.

Hang on, none of it will make the remotest bit of sense anyway whether you are drunk or stone-cold sober, or even whether you are the opposite side of 'sober' to 'drunk'.

Actually, people think sober is the opposite to drunk. It isn't. Sober is only the equilibrium state. The opposite of drunk is something similar to the Total Perspective Vortex, right out the other side of sober. You really really don't want to be there, it's infinitely worse than drunk. You see everything with absolute clarity of mind. Yes it's that bad.

Anyway we only arrived at closing time so midnight wasn't a big deal . And she was a very nice landlady...

Looking at who's quoting who there I think one of us still needs to sober up

Edit, it might be me as I'm sure I'd replied to my own question a second ago

I've just edited my post so that's probably confused you even more.

I'm not sure those advocating sobriety have fully understood the pressure they're putting themselves under or the danger - the likelihood of an encounter with the TPV is logically much higher the further away from 'drunk' you are


Time for a pot and a Tunnock's methinks.

Enjoyable read as always

Before this thread, there was another thread where pairs were partnered and it contained lots of advice about how to find appropriate grid references via OS maps. There was a certain app/website that I recall was excellent at exploring the surroundings of the person you were making grid points for.

Anyone happened to have a link to that or the thread preceding this one. Please... Ta.. It's very important

This one possibly

https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/p ... virtual