Audax rides

I think there are far skinnier people living in far hillier places that would have an easier time of this. What you're saying is, I'm the only one stupid enough to bother trying it. ;)

I hear this Thursday is supposed to be a good day weather wise for Meridian Hills though.......

I'm going to ride to Whitstable and back on Friday this week

I've signed up for all of the Kingston Wheelers rides (except the 600) as prep for This Is Not A Tour.

Going to ask Hippy to plan my routes so I can get the necessary offroad practice in :-)

Still thinking about what to do for July/August/September. Maybe it's the year to take a week off and Audax-tour London to Nice. 200-300k a day leaves time for wine stops, right?

Audax-tour London to Nice

Sounds like a plan... Or there are some nice big ones around this time too (1000 Cymry, Acme Grand, Borders Of Belgium)

Hmm. But then the lines on my heatmap will remain disconnected.

Not at all! 😛

My ride window this week coincides exactly with the rain that passes through.
Should be fun - now do I do MH and get wet? Or do I do AWE and hope the rain passes through quick enough that I don't get really wet?

To be honest, the hotels at the beginning and end we didn't have much luck with - Whitehaven is a strange place which is a mixture of economic depression, pretty side streets and an early example of a grid layout that lends itself to boy racers. On the other end, I managed to stay above a late-night student boozer in Newcastle and didn't sleep much! We took it pretty easy and stayed an extra night in Alston, though, which is a lovely place.

Going to ask Hippy to plan my routes so I can get the necessary offroad practice in :-)

A risky approach, as it'll also mean detours due to roadworks, so factor in a rather higher mileage. :)

Cheeky gits.

For someone so shit at following a pink line I'm still at 100% success rate finishing Ultra races.

Current forecast is looking great for both of us :/

You make it easier for yourself by making it harder for yourself, etc. :)

I'm comfortable with the Gerrards Cross section onwards, but does this look like its a sensible enough route back from The Dean?

Looks ok, but that first bit of the A40 isn't very nice, but it depends on whether you're doing it after finishing or after a night's kip in the Travelodge. Also depends on your attitude to main road bashing.

Watlington to Marlow is a traditional crossing of the Chilterns on Audaxes, but there are plenty of variations to choose from.

Here's a not very sensible route back from the Dean:-

https://www.strava.com/activities/162789149

I went out to Aston Clinton on purpose (as I needed to push the ride out to 100km so I had a control in Aylesbury), and to do that climb.

2008 was my first proper year of Audaxing. My legs were shot. The Dean was the hilliest thing I'd ridden (and was my second ever 300). Fixed of course. It was cold on The Dean that year, a thick blizzard climbing up through Broad Hinton towards Marlborough. Clocks went forward and I think I finished at 3.45am or something silly. Had a hearty breakfast (well, whatever the Little Chef could provide) the next morning by the Peartree Travelodge and set off in lovely sunshine to ride back to SW15. Looking at the finish it seems I'd forgotten (but luckily remembered eventually) about needing a final cashpoint receipt (back in the old days of those DIY perms).

The hills I'm hoping will be okay - if all goes to plan I'll be on 50AAA by then.
I'd hope on getting about in something like 18hrs, maybe a shade over. That's the ECE return leg I've declared and I'm hoping the main roads are a bit quiet from midnight onwards - but then it is Saturday night.

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Nice day for an expedition around the Weald , he says, dripping all over the Langton Green control floor and shivering uncontrollably.
Still, it should stop raining soon, and it is only about 80km to go.

Edit - Done. just.

Lovely ride around the South of Bucks Winter Warmer, nice riding with @jaeyukdapbap and others, and DAS'd @hippy at Pangbourne. A good day :)

Hope he obliged..

Well he was sitting down in the café...

Aaand it looks like I have a slow puncture on the rear. Surely this will hold from Marylebone to Finsbury Park.

Did it?

Couple pics from earlier with @cgg Was chilly out there!

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Yes! The events as they unfolded - took the wheel out at the station to change the tube, couldn't see anything obvious sticking out of the tyre, couldn't be bothered to the change the tube but topped up the pressure a bit because I might as well, rode home. Phew.

The Sleepy Hollow.