Audax rides

ride into a parked car.

this is why no1 should buy a powermeter

Catching up on this thread - I’m now based near Tewkesbury, and Marks audaxes are really well run.

You can train it to Gt Malvern direct from Paddington on Great Western. Plenty of campsites round here or Id be happy give up the spare room to a forumenger who needs it.

Easy ride to Tewkesbury from Malvern - probably 45mins at an easy pace and all downhill. The place I’ll be renting from next month will be even closer to Tewkesbury too.

I’ve got a 200k on Saturday - first one since before covid so looking forward to it now I’ve got a few 100k rides under my belt over the last month.

Cheers.

Unlikely to be able to get up there mid-year but I'm all about Scotland and getting the fsck out of London so it's in the calendar for consideration.

I didn't realise that you organised that one!
I thought it always sold out as soon as it opened, no?
It sounds epic but the timing probably won't work for me this year. But I've pencilled it in to my planner in case. Would love to do it one year after having read some good accounts.

I had a look at the AAA points tables and the peeps at the top each year are doing mostly 100k rides it seems. I never knew that was a thing. I guess it means people that live near some big climbs just do quick rides out and back to get their AAAs. No good for the southerners unless they're also going for big 'normal' points.

I've taken it on this year as it was last run in 2018 with no future plans from the previous orgs.

It usually sells out, but I've done a soft launch so far with no promotion beyond it being published in the calendar. We'll have ~100 spots so plenty still available at this point.

Yep, much easier to slot a few 4 hour rides in, than an 8hour one I guess.
( I managed an AAA SR last season as a Southerner with DIY from home by front loading a stack of climbing before heading out into the levels)

Lost all my conditioning of 5ish years of very regular, almost daily riding.

It comes back pretty fast though. (no, I'm not pregnant, it's just beer, but I'm very experienced in doing feck all for months and then starting again)

I've only run into parked cars without a powermeter.

This is why everyone should buy a powermeter.

People keep telling me this, which is great

Something to do with muscle memory, and muscle cells not actually vanishing just shrinking IIRC.

This is why everyone should buy a powermeter.

Yes, @amey was talking about you. He said:

this is why no1 should buy a powermeter

Ealing to Slough to Great Malvern might work. 2.5hrs and no trip into Paddington.

I think the problem with most of these is they don't run early enough on Sat so it would be an after work train on Fri and the overnighter and I hate getting bikes on GWR trains with their stupid racks.

Official campsites or wildcamping spots? Lots of the proper campsites close for off-season.

And congratulations, Niki!

much easier to slot a few 4 hour rides in, than an 8hour one I guess.

Definitely.
Also, when 50k of your 200k is pan flat to get in/out of London and you end up with the same points as someone living in the Peak District doing a 100k.

Because I've now looked at some of the awards I'm thinking of doing something dumb like:
100 AAA (tough)
AAARTY (less tough)
AAA SR (even more less tough)
as well as convincing the missus she should do the same AAARTY and AAA SR as me so I don't also have to deal with her own events :)

I've got a great route for a 300km from Newton Abbot or Exeter (an event that doesn't run atm). 4.5AAA. Some lovely coastal riding into Cornwall.

Same deal though isn't it? 3hr train ride to start from Paddington on GWR trains and they'll probably want £100 for the privilege.

I've got a 235km 3AAA DIY I use in the Chilterns from Dave Morrison. But I can't imagine riding something like that 30x over the course of a year just to get 100 points.

Each no doubt. Damn trains are expensive these days. 2(50kmx1AAA) a week, easy.

Where's the 50k/1AAA near me though? This place is flaaaaat.

The closest thing I have are these:
http://westlondoncycling.com/grimpeurs-du-sud-award/

This is 61k but ends up being more like 120k by the time I've ridden to the start and back
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37816291

I think the best bang for buck is Chiltern Chillout
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37816294

This still works out to be 160k for 2.25 points.

and they're all on the shit roads I stopped riding a couple of years ago because I can't handle the constant shitness of driving here.

There are various cheaper and bike friendlier options to Birmingham where you can get a local train towards Worcester etc.

For Exeter there's an alternative route via Waterloo and Salisbury. Or will be once they've cleaned up the weekend's wreckage.

I can see how this is a problem. If you need a garden to camp in, you'd be more than welcome down in SW (once house is done ha)

Cheers. Will try to remember this for next year's calendar events.

Yep, would be a weekend job by train. Lots of official campsites. Lots of wild camping spots too - various woodlands/farmland/Malvern hills have a few tucked away places plus riverside spots closer to Tewkesbury/Upton on Severn.

Mum and dad have a field out back too - am sure they’d let people stay if I ask nicely and provide proof of ID via audax membership number.

What does AUK use to calculate ascent in routes?

Say I wanted to build my 100AAA elevator as close to home and efficiently as possible, what app would I use to ensure it's getting the correct points?

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