Audax rides

What is a CUK Member on this thing?

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Pasta bowls eh? Bit posh for me.

I'm always grabbing cakes and shite. The missus gets sick of this after about one control so then we have to look for savoury food. soniamdisappoint.gif

What is a CUK Member on this thing?

C̶u̶c̶k̶o̶l̶d̶ Cycling UK/CTC.

I see. It wasn't that stopping me entering anyway, it was the global "accept terms" thing in our user profiles that needed clicking.

"Yes, I will accept these terms I've definitely not read"

I'm looking for a ride for a couple of weeks' time when I've potentially got up to three days.

First thought was to do London lands end London, which I entered but couldn't ride last year. But I'm not sure I could quite handle a solo 1000km. I've got a perm for Mark Rigby's hilly 600 round Wales so that's an option, + ride out to Tewkesbury and back on train.

Any other good 2-3 day ride ideas, ideally without having to drive or get hard to book bike trains?

@honk your 600 looks interesting. I'm on phone now but will have a proper look at it later.

I'd do Mark's ride. Probably train out and back though and use the spare time at the pub.

But there's also Hellfire or whatever that hilly Perm 600 is down south from Porkers guy.

Another option is this one - your usual Cotsworlds route NW out of London but then goes over all the lumpy / scenic stuff in Shropshire like The Burway etc, back near the Wrekin and through Ironbridge.

Very enjoyable and scenic though I ended up climbing The Burway at 1am due to numerous fuckups setting off. There's a Travellodge up by Shrewsbury if you stop.

Shares some DNA with Willesden's Last Gasp and that hilly 200 from Kidderminster iirc

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35842104

interesting - the loop section from bewdley back round look ideal - only bit that seems to match the kidderminster killer (hilly 200) is the leg from ludlow back to bewdley
the KK does go to the burway and on towards montgomery back via bishops castle i think

Thanks, a couple of good options

Ahh yes of course it does. Think I was trying to find a way of riding the Burway but still ultimately heading north east to Ironbridge.

People welcome to stay at mine if doing the 600km from Tewkesbury if train times etc are a faff.

https://twitter.com/witoorbikenight/status/1522943279666507776?s=20&t=rsW0Z4CarqN8iUpg6oJpAg

Thanks @honk that was a toughie! I hope you didnt have to wait outside locked gates for too long

Agreed! A very good test, which was just what I needed.
I was expecting it to be like the Shark, which has similar climbing, but it seemed harder, maybe because there was virtually zero flat. The bit that looked like it would be fairly easy, the lanes after Battle, was probably the hardest bit with no momentum from downhills, especially in the rain / wet roads.
Great to finish at Herne Hill.
Good routes in and out of London, will reuse those!

Well that was hilly. Ended up finishing in a good time (for me), with lovely views throughout and perfect weather. I really liked the route out to Knatts, will turn that into a new local loop.

There are better things to do on your birthday, there are also much worse things. I'd been nursing a dodgy achilles so hadn't so much as left the flat for the past week. Thought I'd give it a crack anyway, forecast was as good as you could hope for so it was now or never to tick off my first 200.

Made it to about Chislehurst before my achilles started tightening up, I tired to ignore it but feared the worst... Thankfully, and I really don't know how, by the time we hit the first info control at Knatts Valley the tightness/pain seemed to have vanished. Sun was out, my spirits were up.

The one thing that was grumbling already was my Garmin; 'off course... make a U-Turn, make a U-Turn, course found!' - shut up you useless gobshite!!!

Lovely route through to the next info control and then the stamp one at the Bells Yew Green Village Hall at the 70k mark. I was giddy with joy at the sight of a Tunnock's Caramel, what a result!

Through another info control and on to Battle, halfway mark. Achilles still good, legs could definitely feel the lumpiness. Raclette and red onion toastie, quick espresso and a chat with a group of young whippets who'd barely broken a sweat... "Yeah the tough bit is the way back, including Ide and Brasted..." fan-flippin'-tastic.

Rolled out of Battle to gloomy skies and sure enough, bit of a downpour which made the next 15-20kms quite sketchy but stayed upright. The lumps were relentless now and I distinctly remember a tipping point where I thought 'oh I'll just stay in the big ring and power over this tiny lump'... Nope. That is absolutely not going to happen, not a chance.

On to Uckfield at 140k and petrol station drinks/snacks. Dark skies and threats of drizzle, chat of waiting it out for a bit but I got going and was lucky to escape the rain. A stretch of 10k or so across Ashdown Forest into a bit of a headwind, handful of close passes (Qashqai and X-Trail, Nissan's cuntiest duo) and by the time I hit 160km I was flagging. "Just keep the legs ticking over and save some matches for Ide and Brasted..." Quick stop to shake off numbing hands and a bocadillo left me feeling a little better.

On to Ide; crawl up this one, down a bit and then it's just Brasted and on to the Velodrome. Crawl up I did, final info control on the village green and on we go. Brasted looms, I feel ok. I got this, I've saved some matches, right? Useless Gobshite Garmin's ClimbPro tells me I'm on it, I switch screens as there's no use staring at that. Now, where are those matches? Are they wet? They're certainly not Original Cook's Matches... Fuuuuuck this hill with 180kms in the legs!!! Turns out I never had any bloody matches to save. Just a useless lump of flesh to haul up. Got there in the end, barely.

Roll on through South London, nothing says you're home quite as reassuringly as the crack of fried chicken bones under wheel. Over the top of Westwood Hill and through Dulwich, the college and grounds looking sublime in the early evening light. Into the Velodrome to a round of applause which was nice.

Thanks @honk for organising, was that @jackbepablo that I chatted with for a bit? Good to mee you! Also good to meet and roll out with @hippy.

https://www.strava.com/activities/7106491539

Strong contender for the toughest ride I've ever done. Excellent route @honk, and apologies to everybody who had to listen to my complaining on the way round. Good to meet @ElGonzo and @hippy!

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZdqPZaDB6diFRs1r8
A few behind the scenes photos from FTITHW (or whatever the # is meant to be).
Was a lot of fun helping. Glad I wasn't dealing with the paperwork side of things which looks even more insanely complicated than I imagined. Well done to everyone that took part.

Nice collection of pics there.

Ha ha you've captured me perfectly. Great pics.

Which one are you?

I really would have liked to do before/after portraits, but logistics of that are way beyond me.

SKODA top looking grumpy outside the village hall with a coffee

Enjoyed this and the other FTITHW reports!

-- Brixton CC finish line applause coordinator.

Was tempted by that Dubbel at the end but stuck with the Brockwell IPA.

Was it good?