Audax rides

Apart from LEL, I'm after the Wessex SR next year.

I'm really tempted by The Pendle too which looks like a killer.

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

I use a Topeak Fuel Tank (large) instead of a bar bag. Less un-aero and not too big that I end up filling it with too much crap. Usually holds wallet, pen, keys, mobile, USB battery to keep GPS going, tiny pump and then any space left over for bonk rations (flapjack, chocolate and, latterly, gels).

Looking to do the Ditchling Devil faster than normal (for me anyway) and with less time stopped. Not trying out the gel/energy-drink only smashfest yet though.

Will be starting at 8.30am as I'm helping out at the start. Feeding on the move (flapjacks, pastries, gels) and short stops at the real controls (<10 mins Highbrook, <15 minutes Upper Beeding, <20 minutes Chiddingfold) and no stops at the info controls, plus my usual half way snack top up; the Saino's half way down Carden Ave in Brighton as you drop down from Ditchling.

So hoping for 6pm finish (under 9 and a half hours with less than an hour stopped).

Hope the cafe in Richmond Park sells beer.

Great summary and tips! Thanks!

Did my first 400km Brevet weeks ago, first time riding an entire night (depart was at 20:00PM on a friday). Not too much people showed up, and only found one companion that could keep the same pace, but still enjoyed it. Things learned by experience:

• No need of caffeine for me, just dress to feel a bit of cold at night and my body will fight to stay awake for me. Although a bit of Coke its great for the sugar spike and morale.
  
• I can ride without lights if the moon is bright enough, but not in descents.
  
• Feral animals don't obey traffic laws at night, almost crashed into crossing deers twice.
  
• Don't tell anyone along the way how much km you're riding that day, or you'll loose some precious time explaining why...
  

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@hippy got the Tan Hill routesheet earlier - are you going to try plotting your own track for it?

Thanks for all your efforts!

Feral animals

They're not feral, they're just wild and free. :)

Sorry, you're correct, my english vocabulary & grammar is not as good as it should :)

I've had one in storage since 2005 you could try. It's not real compact though.

I might but only if it's getting close to the ride time. I'll probably wait and see if someone else posts one and gets confirmation that their road choices are ok.

If you want to post this on ridewithgps and share on yacf for someone else to check that'd be good, I'm too lazy to sign up for ridewithgps but happy to edit if I've missed anything. Distance to controls seems right.

It's just a track, don't know how all the turn by turn stuff works but this is fine for me following the line on my etrex :)

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• Tan_Hill_600.gpx

I can upload it to RWGPS and share if you want. Cheers.

I'm not sure how to make a track into a route on their system but I'll have a look later.

Go for it. I'm sure there's someone out there who'll add any extra data if needed...

Just upload it. Then whoever downloads it can choose their format.

You can copy it from "rides" to a route so try this:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14167829

I've posted @andy_k's to YACF and someone else has posted one too:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14168325

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14168335

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/14168343

Don't have time to check for diffs yet.

Thanks, checked differences and posted to YACF, assume no one else here is riding it...

Ta

Very early start climby climby all the way from the rheinische Tiefebene to near the Belgian border south of Aachen. Coffee and croissant at Nideggen before the hairpins into the Rur valley and more climby. Strawberry tart and coffee at Delhaize after bombing down the Vennbahn from Lammersdorf to Roetgen where the thick fog had become something that required oversocks. Vennstraße into Eupen where the road was blocked by a massive all generations mountain bike race next to the football ground. As it was now Saturday morning there were lots of cyclists. After Limbourg, Ardennes Bleu, climb to a bridge over my favourite E40 motorway. Roll into Maastricht N650 one club run after the next. Should have stopped at the first cafe on the left in the Netherlands. Had my banana and half the Vollkornbrot sandwich after Maastricht instead. But as it was I found an empty fiets cafe and had another coffee, vegetable broth and egg and bacon in Maasmechelen after crossing into Belgium again. Long runs along the canal. Masseik is charming reached by a brilliant fietspad. Had another coffee and packed a massive slice of Frangipane before crossing into the Netherlands again. More club runs. Selfkant finished the Vollkornbrot sandwich and then roll back along the Eifel hills before climby again to Nideggen. After long and steady you descend again for the final 5km with the nice 9% mostly which made me inhale my Frangipane. Very generous slice. Then roll back. 314km. 16h. 200g fat burn.

Ditchling Devil was amazing; really good day out. Thank you to all who organised (@Greenbank ). Absolutely destroyed now.

empties fridge

Looks awesome!

No need to thank me, I just gave out some Brevet cards. The controls were excellent as usual, it's great having food included and not having to worry about endless lose change filling up the bag. Always amazed by the Upper Beeding control in the Brighton CC Chairman's house.

I found it tough in the heat and seemed to be going backwards on every hill, fine on the flat and descents though, often faster than the people who out climbed me. GC claims a best 20 minute average power just 1W off my FTP. Hmm (FTP retest for me I guess).

But my plan of minimal stops at controls seemed to work. Kept the stops to just about an hour (including helping two sets of people on the road). I like helping out at the start as it means I get to start late and get some peace out on the road, rode the majority of it alone which gives me time to think. Got to the pub at 6.45, quick pint and then legged it home (pint almost reappeared as I climbed Nightingale Lane).

It hurt a lot more than I expected, which is making me think whether MR24TT is a good idea at all. Maybe I should just save myself for IM Wales (can't imagine running a marathon at the end of the ride today though) and do the MR24TT next year. Will reassess in a few days rather than think about it too much now. Must lose the weight before September.

Well done everyone who rode it.

Fantastic ride, please pass on our appreciation to the organisers @Greenbank - the feedstop on the way down was brilliant and the open house at Upper Beeding way beyond the call of duty. The route back was gorgeous - as good as it gets on a bike.

6:45? Nearly caught you up.

Great to see so many out enjoying the DD yesterday. I followed parts of the route home from chiddingfold ish, on the way from Portsmouth to home, and everyone seemed to be having fun, of sorts.

Shame to have missed out on this great event once again.