Audax rides

I'd really like to have a go at the Andy Corless rides. I've already signed up for the Ditchling Devil so can't do the Knock Ventoux 300km. I think I'll have to look at next year's events or get my head around permanents. The BCM has left me a little over confident of my riding ability. I think the Andy Corless rides will put me back in my box.

would love to if free that day, will check the diary,,

Rode my first 600 this weekend, John Perrin's Three Steps to Severn. It all went better than expected and was good to break the recent run of DNS/DNFs.

I'd say the first half of the route was most enjoyable, better roads (generally quite and smooth) and riding through Llanwrtyd Wells/Sugar Loaf, over the top of the Brecon Beacons and through the Black Mountains didn't disappoint. Severn Bridge at night was pretty cool, although not much to see from the cycle path side. Arriving at the village hall, JP and Peter Bond manned the Van of Delights, serving food, tea and generally good vibes.

Skipped sleeping in the village hall in Aust and pushed on for another 40km or so before trying to nap in a bus shelter. After being woken by a bunch of trucks I rolled on a little further to find a freshly mown field, got the bivvy out and had a pretty comfortable couple of hours there. Chatting with other riders it seems like this was a good choice, hall was pretty packed and no one seemed to have slept well...

The route back through Gloucester (eww...) and the string of A-roads in the "Heart of England" was a bit of a drag, too many cars, crappy road surfaces and a chilly headwind. Thankfully the last 50km or so featured a bunch of short, steep hills away from the main roads. Took a little detour over the last 20km, trundling through the back lanes of Cheshire to avoid riding back along the A6.

Overall a good ride and I'd recommend it as a good first 600 if it runs again.

Next time I'll probably use the drop bag option to send ahead some vegan snacks - after 9 garage/service station/tiny village supermarket controls I was getting very bored of bags of almonds, bananas and naked bars...

Good work Andy.

Anyone riding the Ditchling Devil this weekend?

Anyone riding the Ditchling Devil this weekend?

Yes, and handing out cards (in a LFGSS cap probably) at the start so probably starting 15-30 minutes late.

It means I get the grim reaper role picking people off during the ride. Anyone I catch before Banstead probably isn't going to make it.

Well done @andy_k

I'd like to ride the DD but riding Asparagus & Strawberries on the Saturday so unless I'm superfast or can stay awake that long I'm not going to make it.

I've entered the Ditchling Devil

Hey guys, little bit of a hijack but thought you'd probably be interested. Just officially became the first person to ever 'Everest' on a fixed gear.

344km of horizontal distance, 9360m of elevation gain, 21.5 hours elapsed.

Wrote up a little report in the weekend ride thread: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/1683­86/?offset=9600

Well done, that's insane...
Also - if you're recording any long ride on a garmin again, just reset the ride every 100km or so - you can easily glue the files back together with fitfiletools. The some garmins get unreliable on rides of around 300k, but also will lose everything if battery runs out mid-ride. I now just save the ride every 100k and start another one.

Also in for Ditchling Devil. Riding on dubiously welded frame as haven't got anything better organised yet. If it held for 450km I'd imagine it can go another 200k. Will be avoiding riding in close formation with anyone just in case... Easy enough ride to bail out of enroute if necessary.

@veganjoseph good work. I've done Leith and Boxhill. Would not want to do anything fixed. Tough enough with gears.

I figured I should try a few audax before I mentally commit to LEL...

Has anyone ridden 'old roads and drove roads'? Only 200km so not too severe for an introduction and, and should still be less than 250km if I ride there and back. Also, having just bought a CdF, I quite fancy the idea of 40km of unpaved paths.

have diarised, what time at Cutty Sark Gardens for the ride-out?!

(will endeavour to be there unless Ditchling Devil breaks my thirst for those southern slopes!)

Aim will be 8:00am to get out of town before the traffic starts, but could be persuaded for slightly later if it causes an issue!

I will be riding DD, I will be on a Planet X in Audax Club Hackney kit, say hello if you see me.

I've entered this year. Some ride reports from previous years on yacf. It does look good.

All good until I read about doing it effectively singlespeed by unclipping on the descents.

Man up and spin on the descents.

Non-fixed-purity thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Unclipping is very audacious.

Also in for the Devil. Weather forecast looks good and it will keep my RRTY going.

Could be the first time in an 'Audax Hotel' this weekend. Should I get a bivi bag?

8am is half an hour later than i was bracing for based on the route card (!!), sounds good to me, :-)

will look out for you on Sunday then too, 👍🏻

First audax with the DD this weekend. Much excites

Thinking about getting a bar bag to increase my luggage capacity for longer rides. Something compact that won't obscure the light. Any ideas?

The small Decathlon one is good. Easy to attach, accessible and not too massive. Cheap too.

Depends on your light set up but if the bag doesn't interfere them there's a chance the lights might interfere with getting in/out of the bag on the go if they're bar-mounted.

Good work.

Audax for beginners (Ditchling Devil specific).

Get to the start by 7.30-7.45 (too late and you'll still be faffing when everyone wants to leave), usually biscuits and squash available but the Windmill cafe itself will be closed. The toilets aren't part of the cafe so they will be open. Start is at 8am although it'll be busy (possibly 400 entries this year) so you'll probably be sent off in waves.

Make sure you can navigate as none of it is signposted. Either upload the route into a GPS or have the routesheet somewhere where you can read it whilst riding. Or cling on to someone else who knows where they are going but this is a dodgy tactic.

Brevet Card: The bit of folded card you get given at the start. Lists the controls (and their opening/closing times) and collect stamps/signatures and has the info control questions (see below).

Controls: At each control you stop and get your Brevet Card signed/stamped. This also lets the organiser know that you're still riding and that they should be expecting you at subsequent controls. You'll be able to get food at the controls (on this ride it's included in the entry fee) and get water/squash for bidons.

Speaking of subsequent controls: If you decide to give up the please text/call the organiser (his phone number will be in the Brevet Card) to say you've stopped riding (include your name in the text!). If you don't do this the people at the next control(s) will have to wait until the closing time (and past it usually) just in case you are still out there. The organiser will also try to contact you and eventually the emergency number you've provided (this is never nice when your emergency contact eventually gets in contact with you to find you've been lounging around in a pub for hours).

For the DD the first control (Highbrook) can be a little tricky to find. Look out for this on the descent a bit after Turner's Hill: https://goo.gl/maps/VmfUU1Arbc92 and you want to turn right and then immediate left (to go up the road past that pub on its right hand side). Once you're on that road keep riding until you see a village hall on the left and a paddock on the right.

Info controls: There will be a question written in the Brevet Card for you to answer. In previous years it's been a word printed on an A4 piece of card stuck to a post. One at the top of Ditchling Beacon where the South Downs Way crosses. Here: https://goo.gl/maps/uHF1jHU8U7v

The other is on a post outside the Devil's Dyke pub. Here usually: https://goo.gl/maps/ng776cWfaT82

Write the answers in the Brevet card (if you don't have a pen then remember them, or photograph them, and then borrow a pen from someone else or at the next control).

Dropping down from the Devil's Dyke; down from the pub, left onto the road and past the golf club, left onto Saddlescombe Road and it's easy to miss the left hand turn to Poynings: https://goo.gl/maps/eTXM6R4eGAH2

Upper Beeding control is in the garden of someone's house (the Chairman of Brighton Excelsior CC no less). Shoes off if you go inside and don't forget to say thanks!

Chiddingfold control in the pavillion by the sports field on the right: https://goo.gl/maps/RzWTQK5zV3p cakes/tea/squash/etc provided by the local church group.

Enjoy How Lane, Turner's Hill, Ditchling Beacon, Tongdean Sodding Lane, Devil's Dyke, Combe Lane and then it's pretty much all downhill from there.

Finish in Richmond Park (the Cafe near Roehampton Gate) for the faster lot and from 6:45pm-ish (there will be some overlap if you're on the cusp) at the Rose of York PH (Sam Smith's!) on Petersham Rd (just below the Petersham Hotel). Note that the organiser has asked to be texted (include your name!) if you're likely to finish at the pub rather than the cafe. You've got until 9.40pm and there's no shame in using all of that time, plenty of people do and Audax is about finishing and not about getting a time.

A big D-lock isn't required, I just use a lightweight cafe lock for piece of mind if you nip into a shop along the way. Most won't have a lock at all. I'll carry some cheapo blinky lights as I generally sit around at the finish and chat until it starts to get dark (the benefits of being slow and finishing in the pub).