Audax rides

How did this go in the end?

How far through RRtY are you now?

Just got a reply from Billy today who said it's down to the validation secretary but he'll put in a good word for me. He also suggested I try and get another ride in before the end of August just in case.

The Mildenhall Rally on the 29th may be an option but it means sorting out childcare. Or I might have to ride the Boat Trip or Ditchling Devil again at some point during the week. I've got 7 in a row so it would be a real pita to have to start again.

The weekend of September 5th has both the Steam Ride and the London Sightseer. Thinking I might do the 'Steam Ride - Inside Track' on the Saturday. Then the Sightseer on the Sunday. Should make for a good set of social rides, any other takers? A good combo for new Audax riders or thread lurkers looking to get into it perhaps.

I've just entered the Steam Ride:London-Oxford-London. Will be my first Audax

#audaxlyf

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The London-Oxford-London is a great ride, done it anti-clockwise the first time it was run. Not done it in reverse, I have a feeling the reverse might be a tad easier since you hit the climbs earlier in the day.

There used to be a 200 called The Muswell Hills from North London to near Oxford and back run by Nick Bloom. I did it in 2007 I think.

It went up to Brill which is where you can see the other Muswell Hill (between Brill and Piddington).

Lovely roads going out that way.

I'm racing and then flying to Spain so will miss it but I hope to ride Tim's 300k Steamride later on in Sept.

I have just switched my place from Tim's 300k to the 150k with AAA points, forgot I have a wedding to go to on the Sunday in Hampshire, so could do with getting home earlier. Later start will be welcome too!

Just got a reply from Billy today who said it's down to the validation secretary but he'll put in a good word for me.

Assuming you've got a phone/camera with you, selfie with bike & village sign/shop/church visible is a good bit of brevidence. Absolutely no guarantee it'll be accepted, but in general organisers and ValSec will do their best to validate unless there's a damn good reason not to.

Ride it again ya big blouse and this time do it properly!

Really it is me who is the blouse (but Arup was kind enough not to say), we rode this together but when it was apparent I was going to miss the last train and didn't have the lights to enable me to ride home after I packed with 20k to go at Edenbridge and got the last train back to London.

This meant he had to face the delights of a British town centre on a Saturday night alone, I am sure if we had finished together we would have got receipts. safety in numbers and all that.

My poor planning meant I would have had to ride 25 miles home with no front light. I stupidly looked at my recent 200k times of less than 10 hours and assumed I would only need my light for an hour or so, it is one of the cree ones with the specific battery I didn't take my spare battery pack and had no back up light (again f***ing idiot).

Ah, well, then you'll both have to ride it again and this time fit lights. I tend to carry lights most of the time because you never know how long you might need for rehydration after a ride... :)

. Wrong thread

I am going to sort out Dynamo lights, take away the hassle of thinking about it.

http://www.transoz.bike/

Ideas came to me when I got home but at the time being tired after a ride and seeing rowdy drunk Saturday night revellers milling about I wanted to be there for as short a time as possible. I could have picked up an ATM receipt from the floor after someone had used it to get cab fare for example.

Looks like Boat Trip perm this weekend then. Sunday heavy rain is forecast but Monday looks better. Possibly even tomorrow if I can rearrange childcare.

Childcare sorted. Tomorrow it is then. Better charge up those Garmin batteries. Buy a few snacks. Make sure I have track logging switched on. Other than that, get up early, get on my bike, ride it.

If anyone happens to have the day off (or needs an excuse to take one) and wants to join me they are more than welcome.

Feeling a bit spammy with four posts in a row but I'm glad I did ride on Friday. Great weather, great route and was feeling on form physically. Mentally I struggled with doubt and boredom. Feel a bit locked in with this RRtY challenge. I probably would not have done this ride had it not been for RRtY. Why am I doing it? What does it prove? What do I get at the end of it? All these sorts of questions kept going round and round as I rode.

Well done for getting out there again, sometimes it just never feels fun and you wonder why you're doing it, but in a few days you'll be happy that you did.

Not giving in is good training for the next ride.

Do you at least get a cloth patch? It's meant to be the hardest award (RRtY), so I've heard.

Cloth patch on the jersey pocket. Wave it in people's faces.

Why am I doing it?

Because it's there to be done.

At least my arse is well and truly calloused and I can kiss goodbye to saddle sores. But they will require maintenance. Now there is a good reason.

Looking at the calendar the Greenwich Mean Climb is probably the only one that fits my schedule. Any idea how hilly it will be compared to the Around Weald Odyssey? Some of the route looks similar. Climbing hills is definitely a lot easier after my weight loss. Ponder, ponder.

Around Weald had no AAA points (3000m total), Greenwich Mean Climb has 4.5 AAA (4500m total). I think you would be fine, it is similar terrain just a few more climbs.