Audax rides

No but I bloody need to get back into doing some 100-200s.

Same here, I did the 10 Bridges ride organised by Willesden CC a few weeks back. Good ride, except I started late, and my GPS went haywire almost immediately, ended up off course. I retired at Henley-On-Thames and enjoyed the regatta that was on that weekend.

Headed for the end point, then cycled the 50km home, so at least I got my 100K in for the day, just not like I planned.

Did the Suburban Breakout too - enjoyed the route, 'cos I don't get up into Hertfordshire very often, though I'm sure I've ridden along Pest House Lane a couple of times before. Nice to meet and chat to Arup at the half-way point and then back along the route, with ice cream at the arrivee.

And I managed to miss the thunderstorms - two or three drops of rain at the bottom of my road, first roll of thunder as I was pouring a drink, first rain as I was drinking it, and properly pissing down by the time I got out of the shower.

Next - well, there's a couple near Reading on Saturday, or is anyone else thinking of the National 400 up near Darlington? Anyone fancy a car share?

Arup, which bike were you on? Is that you in your avatar? I don't immediately recognise your face...

That is me in the avatar but circa 2008. Look a bit older now and have long hair down past my shoulders. I was on an orange bike.

Yep! I remember seeing you now. Not on route but I think at the start.

Nice to meet and chat to Arup at the half-way point and then back along the route, with ice cream at the arrivee.

Next - well, there's a couple near Reading on Saturday

Hey, good to meet you too. I may well be up for one of the Reading ones probably the 100 as the transit rides will add a good amount - first to Paddington and then Reading to the hall. Ponder . . .

Cards arrived today for the 5-for-4 Wigley perms. Calendar events seem to keep clashing with other commitments so I'm going to give these a go instead. Might get out for a 200 next weekend and then Poynton-Holyhead and back over the last weekend in August. Will take the bivvy bag and do that as 2x200s, sleeping on one of he beaches. I believe someone described Newborough as the 'Cyprus of North Wales"...

Looks I'll be busy Saturday so I may do the Ditchling Devil as a DIY on Sunday as I missed the calendar one. Never done a DIY before and probably too late to get a brevet card so it'll just be following the route and riding the distance.

Looks I'll be busy Saturday so I may do the Ditchling Devil as a DIY on Sunday as I missed the calendar one. Never done a DIY before and probably too late to get a brevet card so it'll just be following the route and riding the distance.

Drop Paul an email, he'll sort you out I'm sure (assuming he's around), it's late notice but might still be possible.

At worst you just need the routesheet/GPS, control place locations and any info questions, which can all be emailed to you. The actual phyiscal Brevet card can arrive in the post after you've done the ride and filled in as required. On the day you just need to collect receipts for proof-of-passage and answers to info questions.

@dopelkorn, nice write up. I've had a busy year and not spent much time on rides over 40 miles either. I'm just about to start ramping up in preparation for next season, your post was a nice read - good to know it's not just a thread for super duper experienced audaxers (not a criticism).

Thanks Greenbank. I've just emailed Paul so I'll see what he says (if he's not away). I also read up on DIY by GPS and on the entry form it says you can just put in the date and then submit your track log. Would be nice not to have to worry about the controls and stop when I feel like it.

I did a very short 10k ride just now to test out the track log. I cleared it before leaving and viewing the 'current.gpx' file it did show exactly the route I had taken. I can also enter just before riding in case the weather isn't great or I'm just not feeling up to it.

Woo Hoo,

I have finally completed my Fixed Wheel Challenge. 26.75 FWC points as soon as Saturdays Perm get's validated.

Had to restart after I lost my first FWC card which was annoying but all in now.

I've also come to the conclusion that I'm not going to pursue much more in Fixed audaxing. My limit is 400k, even getting that far was fairly hellish for the last 100. Now currently considering a Giant Defy, a Pinnacle Dolomite or something from Planet X on the wife's Bike to Work Scheme. Also planning on trying a recumbent 200k for August to see how that feels.

Nice one. Well done on the FWC. I'm just over half way with mine. Feel like it's going to take a while though.

Good work on the FWC.

Had to restart after I lost my first FWC card which was annoying but all in now.

I wouldn't worry about that, it's all done on trust anyway. I never had to send my FWC card in at any time, it's more a case of letting RP know which rides you did on fixed.

Did the Ditchling Devil as a perm yesterday. Great weather, beautiful scenery. Even though I've ridden to Brighton using various routes it was great to do it yet another way. A lot hillier than expected and some long descents. Don't think I would have managed this on fixed. Just emailed my GPS track log. Tried to edit out the transit rides but there are time stamps from before I set off so I left it intact.

Looking forward to my next DIY now. When I have time and there isn't anything I fancy on the calendar.

A nice write up of The Highlands and Islands here: http://marcusjb.wordpress.com

I think the author may post on here occasionally. Some nice pics to remind me how great riding in Scotland is. Also a Audax Club Hackney jersey in one of the pics.

Now currently considering a Giant Defy, a Pinnacle Dolomite or something from Planet X on the wife's Bike to Work Scheme. Also planning on trying a recumbent 200k for August to see how that feels.

Would not recommend the Dolomite, great price, but very harsh to ride, even on 28mm tyres.

Good going on the fixed wheel challenge, must've felt great to actually completed it.

Greenbank, it was RP that said I needed to get a new card having lost the first one.

Ed just read a few of the reviews of the Dolomite and they seem to say the same. Those are for the 5 version and I wonder if the 4 is a bit more forgiving with the more standard wheelset rather than the racing ones. My old Giant OCR3 wasn't the softest ride either and part of it is getting the right balance between speed, weight and comfort. Might take it for a second test this weekend after I've done Planet X tonight.

A nice write up of The Highlands and Islands here: http://marcusjb.wordpress.com

I think the author may post on here occasionally. Some nice pics to remind me how great riding in Scotland is. Also a Audax Club Hackney jersey in one of the pics.

Thanks for the link. That was a special ride for sure. 1300km of the finest terrain the British Isles has to offer with some very wild remote cycling.

We got lucky with the weather, though riding for 5 days with temperatures reaching 29-30 degrees each day brought a whole series of additional challenges that I don't think any of us were really prepared for.

Audax Hackney were represented by Adam, who had a difficult ride with a wobbly left crank and a lost GPS - but he got round with smile intact.

Certainly the hardest 1000km+ ride I have yet done and a totally different experience to other long rides with manned controls etc. - we were very much left to our own devices and just had to get on with it. Very raw, challenging riding.

Snap.

Lovely report, Marcus, just a little difficult to follow in places owing to the lack of chronological order. :)

My old Giant OCR3 wasn't the softest ride either and part of it is getting the right balance between speed, weight and comfort.

Comfort = speed.

I notice very little difference between my CAAD10 and Croix de Fer despite the former being a race bike, it felt faster, stiffer, more responsive, but my commute/ride time is still pretty much similar.

emphasised on comfort over everything.

Lovely report, Marcus, just a little difficult to follow in places owing to the lack of chronological order. :)

Let me try again ;):

Hill, boat, loads of hills, really hot, curry, big boat, really hot, hills, boat, boat, midges, loadsa midges, hills, where's my dinner gonna come from?, really hot, midges, hills, hello fast boys glad you've had a solid night's sleep, goodbye fast boys, really big hill, hot, hot, hot, hills are easing now, hot, boat, traffic, pub, done.

Interject ice cream (must have had 4 or so ice creams on some days) and scotch pies (averaged about 2.5 per day I think) on a regular basis and you're about there!

Truly astonishing ride.

Chapeau Marcus, it sounded like a tough ride with that heat. Plans to take the Tempo out on a few Audaxes when it arrives?

Going to read the blog, look like an epic ride.

Hopefully it'll happen again in 2015.