Audax rides

I had to sack off London-Wales-London due to a family emergency :(

Thinking of doing Dauntsey Dawdle next weekend instead. Anyone else doing it?

It's in my diary but not looked at it specifically yet.

Might be racing Sunday so will make call later in the week depending on weather.

I'm doing it, will be my last ride before the Highlands 1000k.

I haven't even looked at the route yet, just entered as it starts relatively close to home.

Hey audaxers - I had an entry + train tickets sorted for the West Highlands 1000 at the end of June, but one of my knee has become annoying since February so I think that's me out. As I can still comfortably ride 100/120 km per day I thought I'd use the train tickets anyway and turn this into a micro tour of some sort.

Train out arrives at Edinburgh on Thursday 05/31 shortly after 18:00, train back leaves on the following Sunday after 23:00.

I thought of two possibilities:

• get off the out-train at Darlington or Newcastle, ride up to Edinburgh (really liked this stretch during LEL) and take the train back
  
• take the train to Edinburgh and tour the area around. Maybe take a train back to Edinburgh on Sunday so that I can venture further out?
  
  

I'd go for the 2nd option as it's more uncharted waters for me, but I lack knowledge of the area. Does anybody have suggestions (things to see, bivy spots, nice routes, etc)

Maybe I should cross-post this to another thread?

Touring or Scotland threads?

That's a shame.
You could look at doing something vaguely based on the Auld Alliance route heading North of Edinburgh.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13389019

I did it a few years back (actually slightly different route now I look at it again, but I'm sure they'd only have improved it). That had some great scenery, You'd also maybe have time to extend it into the edge of the Cairngorms. It runs as a 9pm start 400k, so if you wanted to ride straight off the train it's probably suited to that as I think the first few hours were less exciting. Riding back over the Fourth Road Bridge at the end makes for a nice finish. No idea about bivvy spots, but there was definitely a fair amount of woodland that would probably be suitable.

Or, you could hop onto a train from Edinburgh to Wemyss Bay (another 2.5 hours) and then do some exploring round the Argyll Coast via a bunch of short ferry rides. Maybe that's over-complicating things a bit, but it's a really nice area and you'd be able to find places to bivvy easily.

The coast to the East of Edinburgh (around North Berwick, Dunbar, etc) is nice - much less dramatic than Argyll, but possibly another option to look at.

I guess you're talking about the LEL route heading South after Edinburgh? Or otherwise you took the hilly detour? Because the stretch heading to Moffat was one of the grimmest parts of the ride from what I remember...
I really liked all the bits around Innerleithen on the way back - That's an area I'm keen to go back to.

Thanks for the suggestions! For the 1st option I was thinking about the leg out of Moffat to Edinburgh, or the ride back from Edinburgh to Brampton. I really liked both of these, even though I got thoroughly drenched on the return leg.

To go to Moffat I took the flat A road through the night so it was nice and fast and I don't have much memories of it except for listening to 'Passenger' on repeat (and taking a reflecto-porn photo in front of the 'Welcome to Scotland' sign)

@hippy good shout, will do. Thanks!

"and I ride and I ride... "

Yes. Both of those sections were great. I bet there's some sort of nice circular route that could be made out of those two bits. Though I believe they're also meant to be some of the wettest bits of the UK so that's worth bearing in mind.
I did the flat (though also unpleasantly bumpily surfaced) bit to Moffat during a very grey bit of morning when I was particularly sleep deprived so don't have fond memories of it...

If it helps sell the extra train journey - this is down the bottom end of the Cowal Peninsula - a couple of short ferry hops from Weymss Bay and then about half a day's ride.

Leaving at 5am you can blast down the a40. (Sunday's are much quiter than Saturdays but 5 is early enough for sat ).
Most of it is cycleway and you only need to go on the road for a short section but that is a fast downhill.
We do it going out for TTs lots.
Alternative is via harefield but it takes an extra 15 mins.

Oh I forgot about that path. I've actually seen you on it before. I always get lost on it of course when you need to cross over closer to Ealing. Take a wrong exit in some underpass and end up riding to Ruislip or some shit again.

Ever thrifty, I don't want to spend my currant bun and samosa money on a campsite the night before and after Brimstone.

Any top tips on places to get my head down just out side Poole, that won't see me accosted for vagrancy?

By places I don't mean establishments, I mean trees, or fields etc.

There must be loads of places. Just ride around until you find somewhere out of sight. Helps if you arrive after dark and leave before people are moving.

Corner of a park? Bus stops, old buildings, etc

It did sound like a stupid question didn't it?!

I was toying with the idea of slumming it in Poole station sunday night, waiting for the first train, if i miss the last.

It wasn't stupid, just that free-camping spots are kinda personal and not exactly shared often. How much is the proper camp site? Personally, other than sleep, I crave a shower after big rides so I would pay for somewhere with this over sleeping rough (if possible).

Train stations can be ok but I don't like being tired and having to fend off the drunks and druggies that tend to also find them sleeping quarters... if anyone should be fucked up it should be ME!

In other news, AWE and MH is getting pulled at the end of the season.

I've put my name in the hat to carry it on next season.

I can live with some baby wipes for a couple of nights, thats fine.

Its only £90 summit quid for nights, but thats gonna work out at about £10/h of sleep - that sleep to quid ratio is not good enough for me to consider, especially as one night i won't even be there!

What do you mean? The org is stepping down from running them?

It's still on my list to ride. Be cool if you started running it! :)

90 quid for 2 nights at a fucking campsite?! No wonder you wanna freecamp!

Fuck that, I was thinking like a tenner or something for a tent space.

My experience is that it can be quite hard to find rough camping spots in advance but, when tired enough, they suddenly appear to be everywhere. However, I tend to go for more rural areas and would avoid stations in towns.
From a quick look at the map, the park by the boating lake looks like it would have potential.
Benches by the lake:
https://www.google.com/maps/@50.7194857,-1.9704732,3a,75y,76.5h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFBKO9DrlbpoSbc44uooZVw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DFBKO9DrlbpoSbc44uooZVw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D69.22881%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

I actually prefer towns as they have walls and roofs.

I've used quite a few entrance ways, multi-level carparks, park benches, toilet cubicles or campsite shower blocks. Basically, I'm just looking for something with walls and roof in a quiet corner of a town.

I actually prefer towns as they have walls and roofs

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong!

thats correct.

I've got no other info than what was posted on the AUK forum a week or ago.

It would be pretty cool for me.

Are you going wrong? You seem to do pretty well in ultra events.

I have also slept in the freezing in the middle of open fields, beside roads absolutely covered in bugs, besides streams, on farm driveways and actual driveways so it's not all glamorous "MTV Cribs, Bus Stop Edition" :)