Audax rides

Looking at the Fairies Flattest Possible 300 as my next 300. Just got an email back from the organiser saying that the hall is open from midnight. Ride starts at 02:00. Makes it so much easier to get a train out there.
http://aukweb.net/events/detail/15-859/

Just entered this now :)
Debating getting a train or cycling down

I don't suppose anyone has an email address or phone number fro Beast from the East do they? My pal wants to do a flat 600 so has got us both on Flatlands this weekend , so we are DNS on BftE

PM assassin on YACF

I was booked to do this last year but ended up having to work, quite fancy it, will see if I can fit it in.

Flattest Possible 300 was my first 300 (fixed too). Great ride, the 2am start down the A-roads to Ashford and then Folkestone is great fun. The train to Pluckley is fun too as (from memory) it was the last train towards Dover and filled with semi-drunk people (no hassle from anyone, all good natured chat of the "how far?" kind).

(It's the last 300km of this ride [I did it again as part of a DIY600 a good few years ago]: https://www.strava.com/activities/163185836 note the nice long flat sections down near Dingymess).

Perfect, thank you... He's a nice guy

Just booked the Fairies 300. Definitely want to do it fixed. My regular fixie is still away in Italy having a refurb and won't be ready by then apparently so I need to get my temporary commuter ready. Doesn't have a rack and light is mounted on the seatpost so I've been using a courier bag but would rather not do that for an audax. Thinking of getting one of those triangle frame bags and possibly a 2nd one that fits at the front. Basically carry less gear. Last time I took a pack of fig rolls which I brought back home with me.

So, Flatlands 600km this weekend for me. Never before have I been nervous about the LACK of hills on a ride. Really hoping that my riding pal has got his legs back because I'd like a decent kip on Saturday night, and I would like to finish at a reasonable time on the Sunday.

I finished Severn Across with a loose crank, that I had not noticed in the final stages and then it came loose again in the week. I tightened it and it seems fine now; really hoping I haven't damaged the splines and stored up trouble for the weekend.

As ever I am undecided about what spares to take. The fact that I saw a man with a blown out tyre last time is tempting me to take a tyre but the number of times I have ever needed a completely new tyre on a ride is zero.

Where is everyone else going this weekend?

Do you want to borrow a rack?

Or I have an Alpkit Koala that you can precariously balance a rear light on if you would like to borrow that.

Spare tyre weighs ~250g. Zip tie it to saddlepack for insurance.

Also, cranks could be fuxxored if they're coming loose and you rode on them. Double check 'em.

Have fun.

Oh, take enough food/coffee for the night/morning when nothing is open. Have a shit when you get the chance, don't leave it until 4am when nothing is open :) Don't use a Garmin 810.

I have a rack you can have. It's been sitting out the front of my place for two years now.

Thanks @hippy and @andyp but this frame doesn't have rack mounting screws or bosses. Think I'll just wing it. It'll probably be the one time I use this bike for an audax. I should probably try a longer ride with it just to see how it feels.

It's only a 300k :) - you should be able to fit everything you need in jersey pockets. Stop for water bottle refills and/or food restocks if you need them at the controls.

It's only a 300k :) - you should be able to fit everything you need in jersey pockets.

Indeed. Over time you slim down on what you take, now on a 300 I take less than half the stuff I used to take for a 200.

200 and 300: Topeak Aero Wedge - Large (2L) - with spare tyre ziptied on the back
400: Carradice Barley (9L) - with spare tyre ziptied on the back. Most of the extra space is for extra clothing to get through the night (and extra food in case I stuff up nutrition more than just bonk rations can help with).
600: Rackpack (16L) with lots of space inside, mostly the same stuff as I'd take on a 400 but the extra space means my tired brain can get at things easier.
1000+: Rackpack (16L) mostly full with change(s) of clothes, also have tools/spare-tubes in a small seatpack

Topeak fuel tank behind the stem for snacks, wallet, brevet card, phone, battery for GPS.

Utterly gutted. Had to abandon on Flatlands 600 as I managed to snap my seat post. So now I have to do a hilly one

I'm at the BCM finish waiting for my girlfriend. All the finishers look well jaded. Such heroes. This ride is hard as fuck.

So I took my tyre. My cranks were fine.

Neither my riding partner nor I took any spokes, so he broke one. There's bugger all point me taking spokes, I'd probably ended up with a taco shell shaped wheel.

I took tubes obviously, and had a puncture when I took my bike out of the car.

I took quicklinks. Didn't need them

I did snap my seatpost. I had no spare. My riding partner in all seriousness said "I brought
some gaffer tape, do you want to try taping it on"

Ho hum

Bugger. What sort of post?

One for next year perhaps.

Actually, can it be done as a Perm?

Could you just drop the post until you get to a bike shop?

A carbon super leggero. Either I left a buckle undone on my alpkit or more likely I over tightened it (because it's swaying was really annoying) and it popped.

Anyway, the strap got caught around my rear hub, did a few turns until it was really tight and then it yanked hard on the bag destroying both the bag and the post.

It was a very odd sensation as the seat disappeared from under me. I thought the wheel had collapsed or something.

Wow, you don't do mechanicals by halves do ya?

That is a bit hyperbole but yes it took three years from idea to finishing the ride today for me. Very happy!

Sad to hear from #Rapha that you had to miss the ride today you had been planing for a while.

Surprised myself, finished the first half of the autobahn version in bed after diner at 3.00am! And then rode day two mostly only on one leg and limped home.

Day One did not feel too much effort (and I had been checking a lot over the winter not to overload my left knee) some peoples said pain on outside left knee might be ITB band? Going to buy a power meter to limit my knee load if the old problem, no Stages obvs.