Audax rides

I did it for a few of the Essex winter 100's, get up at 4am ride 100k to the start, have breakfast and sit about at the start, finish the event by 2/3ish, pints then train home.

I've also done it on Kingdom of East Saxons 400, we rode 100k to the start (starts at 2pm from memory), did the ride and then rode 100k back to London, it was a little weird as it meant we were on a different schedule to other riders having a decent kip rather than riding though etc, but probably one of the more enjoyable rides I've done, as it was a 600 without an early start and I didn't need to book any hotels/trains etc

Yeah, we're down for the Wessex SR, which starts the 300k on Sat at 2am so you can get around and then go to bed and do the 200k on the Sunday after. I've done that before, but caught the train down to Poole and hung around for the start IIRC.

There's nothing wrong with what you thinking of doing. I guess I find early starts preferable to late nights. I'm just less inclined to do that kind of thing these days. I've spent the last 20 years of my life sleep-deprived and I don't even have kids to blame for it.

I shouldn't be encouraging this kind of audax behaviour. I'm not sure I could ECE a 300 event into a 400. Sounds evil. Plus for a 400 there will always be a certain amount of night riding.

Anyway, these two (links below) start at night, you could get the train to an acceptable point and ride to Manningtree for the first one. Not sure how you'd get home without at least two trains. The second one you could easily ride there and back or do a longer loop to get there and train from Ashford once finished.

https://www.audax.uk/event-details/10002-green__yellow_fields

https://www.audax.uk/event-details/10384-fairies_flattest_possible_300

I rode 300km to the start of the Fairies Flattest Possible 300 one time to make into a DIY 600 (in the days before ECE but which helped prompt the ECE system).

SW15 to Cambridge and back, then over to Bethersden via Tonbridge arriving an hour before the FP 300 started, quick kip on the floor and then out on the FP300. We were the last back by about an hour though, so I did feel a bit guilty about it, but this was still a couple of hours within the time limit of the calendar event. Would have got the train home but managed to blag a lift from someone.

Anyone Sharking on sat?

If the ECE starts and ends from your house then it at least partly covers time you’d be awake and travelling by other means anyway, and you can just fall into bed when you’ve finished instead of worrying about how you’re getting home.

I'll be starting it. Hardly ridden in a month and haven't ridden over 90km since September....

I guess you don't know what I look like but if you can spot me you're welcome to join. I'm being dragged around by my boss but he seems keen to smash so I may go solo later on

@leggy_blonde look out for someone handsome, well turned out, confident, seemingly a little aloof at first but actually very emotionally available, deeply kind, giving - a lot like you really. Oh and custom Ti and a nose ring / septum jewel

Probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me fr

Yeah I've done 400s starting at 12pm a few times. If you crack on, you're finishing the ride at a nice early evening time of day, buzzing with beer and nice food rather than 6am, shivering and eating toast and marmite

@PhilDAS sorry I missed this otherwise would have said hi!

The Shark was good! Nice weather, tough but well thought-out route and nice soup at a village hall. Good bins to sit and eat by too.

Was seriously worried about not getting round but @Ruserius and I let the fast people go up Ide Hill and then went at our pace to the sea. We seemed to get faster and faster (less slow) on the way back and picked up various friendly riders. All were super impressed by @Ruserius efforts fixed up and over nearly 3500m of bastard bergs and I think he only walked 3 times.

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Easter Arrow done

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Easter Arrow was hard work. TFL fucked us on trains so we missed our start time. Missus was in bits by 100k mark with the tandem was kicking our arses, I was hurting from using kit I've not touched in months and years... yada yada

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You only saw me walk 3 times. Just on Toys I got off twice. Turns out I'm faster walking up Hogtrough than riding apparently!
Very good day out all round.

My PB on Hogtrough was walking!

Saw you guys on the way back from Seaford, props for riding fixed I did it once, made the cut off with 5 minutes to spare and vowed never again!

I was behind you guys for a bit on the way back at one point.
Mad respect doing that without gears. I'm broken today. Any aspirations I had of doing fixed audaxes in the future have rapidly disappeared.

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Sorry, that wasn’t deliberate.

It was the first time this tandem team had even ridden together and we were worried about dragging up the hills and overly slowing the Arrow team through the first 100km.

It was good that we finished comfortably in time, even with a 35 minute delayed start and a noticeably over-distance route. I was impressed by every team member during the brevet.

Not having a go at you guys - I thought your riding was great and I need to sit behind tandems more often! :) It was a reflection on our lack of pace. I think we're too use to churning out very lumpy rides at 10kph over the last year at a similar W/kg and the flat stuff put her out of her comfort zone and probably panicked her a bit given it was a team event.
I really thought I'd be sticking her on a train to be honest so I'm pretty impressed she kept going to the finish.

How long do you reckon I should leave it before I tell her about the Wessex 300/200 weekend she's entered in :D

Does this Arrow count as a 400k for your SR towards PBP? When's your next ride?

I was pretty happy about taking (aka making the missus carry) the 10mm allen key when you were looking for one and her Di2 worked and her cranks didn't fall off so that's a nice change.

Very impressive riding fixed on that ride, whether walking for short periods or not!

I would wait a couple of days before mentioning the Wessex SR weekend. She won’t have to worry about too much flat riding.

The Arrow was our shakedown ride, not a PBP qualifier. Steve’s 300 qualifier is next Saturday and the 400 a fortnight later. I did my 300 a few weeks ago in Qld (>35 degrees was a bit tough).

Your young lady having 8 and 10mm Allen keys to hand stopped my brain from exploding with worry, so a good move there on your part.

I reminded her about it after a couple of margaritas last night. I think I got away with it...

Qld to here must've been a shock to the system. I did an MTB race here in 4C after being in 40C+ for 2 weeks. Brrr.

I'm risk averse and if she's gonna let cranks just fall off willy nilly then she can carry the tools to fix them. I'd suggest adding them to your collection. It's not like a couple of hundred grams will make a difference to your climbing and they could save your ride(s).

When I get a chance I'm going to probably replace her FSA cranks with Shimano anyway.

It is the stoker’s tandem and he is in charge of equipping the beast. I used to be a shop mechanic and my preference is to carry everything needed.

The tandem will be swapped from 3x9 to 2x11 tomorrow and the cranks and BBs are also getting replaced. I will see what kit is on the tandem on Friday evening before our 300 at 06:00 Saturday.