Audax rides

@arup Buzzard is a tough first 600. They are all tough but every town seemed to be built in a hole and was a tough climb out each time.

You can't but it shouldn't be too hard to find a parking space near the start. Worth the small toll.

You sure? There were always lots of cars there the last two years unloading bikes etc. They all moved and parked somewhere else?

Was hoping to avoid using car immediately before and after ride. Though suppose i could just drop it off somewhere fri afternoon and pick up again mon morning and cycle over the bridge a few extra times.

Oh blimey. Perhaps I'll wait till September and do the Flatlands one.

Hop Garden 100 today. Gorgeous day for it. First sunny ride of the year. Being a bit of mentor introducing a friend to Audax with his first ride today. He also rode out and back with me too making it a 175. So big up to him. Also rode with another friend who is coming back from injury but used to ride Audaxes in the past. Really nice to ride more socially, enjoy the company and the sunshine and not worry about the time.

Rest of this month will be perms for me.

I tried it DIY GPS around Xmas. Got maybe 450k in when GPS failed and I bailed at Bristol or Bath. Remember it being muddy and cold. I probably wrote more about it in this thread.

BCM - which GPX route are people using? There's talk about scenic routes and quicker routes. I don't care, I just want the proper route.

Also, how are people getting there? I could go full on idiot and ride over the night before or I could drive over in the morning or perhaps train to Chepstow the night before? @fussballclub you mentioned a YHA or cheap hotel where people stay, once before? Where was that again?

Most are staying at the Severn View M48 Travelodge.

I am getting a train up to Bristol Parkway Friday afternoon and riding to the TL, when I booked it was cheaper than going to Chepstow, also means a short ride (15km) after 1hr 20m on the train, rather than 2hr 40m on the train.

I have checked the GPX files here earlier for accuracy and will be using these, no idea if it is the scenic route or the quicker route, likewise I just want to make sure I visit all the controls. https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=96725.0

Would have thought that is sold out now. Ideal weather for ride out to the Boars Head in Aust. Where you will have to blag a bivi bag space on the Travelodge floor in someone's room for beer. Or even better just kip in the pub garden.

Planning to use same GPX routes, though the subsequent debate on yacf has made me pretty confused as to which route is which...

I think Severn view is fully booked, but imagine there must be a load of dropouts close to the time so guessing maybe possible to get someone's room they're not using.

TL rooms still seem to be available for £63 and I'm sure there's more accom. around Chepstow.

It's about 2hr drive so I could just drive over Saturday morning. That'll mean I probably get the same amount of sleep as shivering outside the pub :)

Scratch that. It's fully booked, it'd set my dates to today.

Bristol Cribbs Causeway is available as is Portishead 10mi away.

I just ignored the debate, I checked them against the route sheet today, there is something weird going on with distances in the first few files for controls, but overall the route length is right.

Has anyone joined Audax UK ? Was thinking about joining as I fancy doing a few Audaxes over the summer. Or do you just pay the £2 surcharge for each event ?

I think most people end up joining once they've done a few - it's pretty cheap and being able to do your calendar on the audax website works well. Plus you get a bunch of copies of Arrivee magazine which is like the anti-Rouleur...

I went the other way, joined but didn't do any audax that year, renewed and then started entering calendar events.

Definitely worth joining if you're doing more than a couple of events, I feel. There's a discount for 5 year membership too.

Plus you get a bunch of copies of Arrivee magazine which is like the anti-Rouleur...

Ha!

The latest edition features an article by/about the best-dressed man in cycling; the legend that is George Berwick.

Membership is super-cheap; you've only got to do a few events a year to really break even, plus Arrivée, plus priority/guaranteed entry for London-Edinburgh-London (too late to take that benefit for 2017 edition, but 2021 - get that 5-year membership and that's covered).

For once, I actually managed to do something proactive and on-time for an event entry...

Need a new rear wheel for audax. Looking at building a DT Swiss 240s 32 hole onto a r-460 rim unless anyone can suggest something better.

I'm sure there is a thread with this but I can't find it.

The latest edition features an article by/about the best-dressed man in cycling; the legend that is George Berwick.

Who has, sadly, been told he's done too many endurance events ...

240? Hey big spender! :P

I'm using a 350 for my build.

Looks like you just saved me £100.

Not quite. My cut is 50% of all savings. ;)