RR: Autumn Assortment 100

A few weeks ago Mrs. Hall and I had a "frank exchange of views" over
several things, including the fact that I bugger off on the
occassional Audax leaving her at home. The natural culmination of
such a discussion was that we ride one together. Time passed and
weekends had been busy. Then last Thursday I noticed we were free this
weekend and The Autumn Assortment was happening. I rang the organiser
who agreed to let us enter on the line. All set.

Cut to Sunday morning. 7 o'clock and Mrs. Hall is still in bed. A bit
of coaxing and we're up and ready. Then she decides it's time to do
her legs. I tut, remain calm and we're off.

Nine o'clock and we get to Ruislip, with a height barrier at the car
park. Unload bike, _then_ park car. Sign in, cup of coffee, looks of
amazement from the other entrants at the Pino and we're off.

Fairly soon we're the lanterne rouge - we can't rush these things. A
bit of plodding on, under the M25 and up into the Chilterns. Not
massive hills, but some short sharp buggers. We grit teeth, change
down and get up them without bursting any blood vessels. This
perservence pays off and we eventually catch a father and son team
from Willesden CC. We play tag with them and a pair of late starters
for the rest of the morning. A bit more undulating (1) countryside and
we find ourselves on top Ivinghoe Beacon. We scream(ish) down the
other side and then grovel the last bit to the halfway control at
Aldbury tea room. I remembered this from doing the 200 a couple of
years ago and it was as still as slow as ever. We get more food and
drink at village shop and set off again.

Up, down, along, up and "descend grotty lane" where the p*nct*re fairy
strikes. Bum. Remembering HDV's advice, I scoff an energy bar before
fixing the puncture. We get passed by those we have left in the tea
room and regain our lanterne rouge. Setting off again we manage about
10 yards before the _other_ thorn in the tyre reminds us of its
prescence. Bad words and tools out again. Eventually we're off again,
struggling a bit in the scenery. Then a good flat bit and the spectre
of running out of time recedes. We stop near Coleshill for breather
and watch some Red Kites.

A final bit of scenery near Chalfont St Giles and back over the M25.
We're going well but counting every kilometer. And then we've
finished.

Squash, tinned rice pud and peaches, a quick natter with a former
Tandem Club RO and back to the car park. I load the roof rack and
BUGGER, forget about the height barrier, fortunately before I've
attempted to drive out of the car park. Unload, move car, reload and
off home. Mrs. Hall sleeps most of the way.


Those stats in full:

Distance: 103km
Time: ooh ages. Somwhere in excess of 7 hours.
Badgers: 0
Red kites: 3
Minutes at tea stop: 40



Tim


(1) Is flat ground "dulating"?

"Tim Hall" wrote in message
...

Those stats in full:

Distance: 103km
Time: ooh ages. Somwhere in excess of 7 hours.
Badgers: 0
Red kites: 3
Minutes at tea stop: 40

nice one; my old old stomping ground. You missed a corker of a 1.0 AAA down
in Kent, frequented by 3 of this parish

Tim Hall wrote:

Sign in, cup of coffee, looks of
amazement from the other entrants at the Pino and we're off.

Aha! We were chatting to a chap in the caff in Aldbury who said he'd seen a
rather odd tandem earlier in the day and described a Pino. "I know a chap
who's got one of those", I said...

On the 200[1] I only got one kite, one buzzard (who I'm convinced was eyeing
me up hungrily), no badgers and one p+nct+r+ which the Slime seems to have
sealed after a couple of abortive attempts. Very nice ride once the rain
had stopped.

1 - 210 and a bit. "1st L no SP" said the route sheet. "No, not down
there!" said a chap fixing a p+nct+r+ at the junction. He had, apparently,
been advised by a Man of Willesden that this was not the right road. It is
gratifying to note that the Turnbull Effect is spreading to his clubmates
:-)

--
Dave Larrington
http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
It would appear apparent, to me at least, that dinosaurs were
largely burrowing creatures.

"MartinM" typed



"Tim Hall" wrote in message
...

Those stats in full:

Distance: 103km
Time: ooh ages. Somwhere in excess of 7 hours.
Badgers: 0
Red kites: 3
Minutes at tea stop: 40

nice one; my old old stomping ground. You missed a corker of a 1.0 AAA down
in Kent, frequented by 3 of this parish


Rocco made some pithy comment when he saw me riding the Pedersen.
I wonder if he'd recognise it if Tim Audaxed on it?

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

"Dave Larrington" wrote in message
...
Tim Hall wrote:

Sign in, cup of coffee, looks of
amazement from the other entrants at the Pino and we're off.

Aha! We were chatting to a chap in the caff in Aldbury who said he'd seen
a
rather odd tandem earlier in the day and described a Pino. "I know a chap
who's got one of those", I said...

I have still only ever seen one (and not one bearing a brace of Halls) on
the Denmead 100. The couple on it said they bought it after seeing Tim's.

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:16:06 +0100, "Dave Larrington"
wrote:

Tim Hall wrote:

Sign in, cup of coffee, looks of
amazement from the other entrants at the Pino and we're off.

Aha! We were chatting to a chap in the caff in Aldbury who said he'd seen a
rather odd tandem earlier in the day and described a Pino. "I know a chap
who's got one of those", I said...

What time did you get to Aldbury? Wozzit an older chap with large,
proper flappy touring style shorts and big socks? We left at one,
heading for the post office where Welsh Cakes were obtained.

On the 200[1] I only got one kite, one buzzard (who I'm convinced was eyeing
me up hungrily), no badgers and one p+nct+r+ which the Slime seems to have
sealed after a couple of abortive attempts. Very nice ride once the rain
had stopped.

Aye. Ipssing down at the start according to Liz.



Tim

Tim Hall wrote:

What time did you get to Aldbury? Wozzit an older chap with large,
proper flappy touring style shorts and big socks? We left at one,
heading for the post office where Welsh Cakes were obtained.

I didn't get there until gone five p.m. - Aldbury was at 167 km according to
the Cateye. The chap with whom we were chatting was a forty-something
fellow in a yellow T-shaped shirt; I think he said he'd encountered Bicycles
(assorted) while out messing around on motorcycles earlier in the day.

--
Dave Larrington
http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
Oxymoron: spot cream for chavs.

On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 09:10:24 +0100, "Dave Larrington"
wrote:

Tim Hall wrote:

What time did you get to Aldbury? Wozzit an older chap with large,
proper flappy touring style shorts and big socks? We left at one,
heading for the post office where Welsh Cakes were obtained.

I didn't get there until gone five p.m. - Aldbury was at 167 km according to
the Cateye. The chap with whom we were chatting was a forty-something
fellow in a yellow T-shaped shirt; I think he said he'd encountered Bicycles
(assorted) while out messing around on motorcycles earlier in the day.


Ah yes. We got overtaken by a several of ****e Old Bikes near
$somewhere in the Chilterns. Then we turned right and they left.
Some time later as we grovelled up the last hill before Aldbury a chap
on a more modern day contraption and his chum on another ****e Old
Bike passed us. They slowed to ask us a question, which as they were
wearing full face helmets sounded like it was spoken by Kenny from
South Park (1). My inner babel fish kicked in and decided they were
asking whether we'd seen any ****e Old Bikes. Yes, somewhere in a lane
far far away was the answer and they pottered off.


Tim

(1) Kenny speak translator at http://www.namesuppressed.com/kenny/