Audax rides

This the one you thinking of?

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I'm gonna send this to my colleague who I think is cool because he has done the London to Brighton ride on a park BMX with no mods

Not an Audax per se but I remember talking to someone on the Dunwich Dynamo one year who was doing it on a BMX. Mad fool!

Looks like I had a 32T cassette on not the 36T I thought. That might explain the sore back after the Wessex double. I've been living the high life with a 42T for the last few years. Not used to grinding!
#evidencethatIamhighlyunlikelytoaudaxonbmx

I think I remember that year, bonus points in that he had the seat right down so basically did half of the ride standing up.

There were also a few years where I saw Boris bikes on the DD which looked particularly slow-going

Yeah, he did heave the seat down which I remember thinking was a ballsy move but would be painful! I asked him how it was going at about 50 miles in and he sent happy though.

I remember the Boris bike as well. I'm sure it was someone on here but I can't remember who now.

EDIT: found them. It was @econodog.

yes that was me. I also remember mr BMX and thought that was waaaaaaay harder. the bb was fine I was just unfit and the saddle is murder on the asscheeks.

I'm a bit late to the thread but I'm also doing the rutland midnight express tonight. Is anyone else getting the 22:52 train from kings cross?

I've ruined my legs from running. Lol. So will not be riding tonight sadly

stop running, legs are for cycling

I'm aiming for the 22:16 London Bridge. But if I miss it will be on that King Cross train

We're going early for the curry so getting one just after 8 from Farringdon.

I'm closer to LB so I might aim for that one too if I've got myself in order. Are you the fixie I rode Southern Shires with last weekend? If so hi... It's Amy!

That’s the one!

Oh hey! Yeah that was me

Had a good one on the midnight express. Good riding with you lovely people. Special shout out to @ElGonzo who drove me up and back. Thanks for the Trance Anthems on the way back - without them I would have passed out for sure.

Nice pictures.
Wasn't it cold overnight - my Garmin went down to 1.2 degrees! We had the right gear so were ok but met a guy at the half way control who only had fingerless gloves. He said he had really suffered.
Those gates round Rutland Water got a bit annoying after about the 10th one.
Was a fun run in. We had to stop every 10km as my stoker was suffering, but there were half a dozen riders doing the same that we kept leapfrogging. I think they all made it.
Really good event!

2023 Porkers 400k
https://www.strava.com/activities/8993145445

I was one of the leapfroggers, saw you last at Oundle, after which I don't think I saw anyone till the end. Really struggled the last 50km, just got more uphill, bumpier, windy, sorer. Double Achilles issues, so rode last 100 with toes pointing down. Otherwise, some really nice quiet roads, drivers generally so much better than Kent, Essex, Surrey etc. Highlights were the mist in the dark, waking up in the warm sun on a bench overlooking Rutland Water, and getting sunburnt in the afternoon.

Rode The Snow Hare Takes The Scenic Route 300 over the weekend. It’s Mrs. Legs second 300 ever and first big ride after covid and she totally crushed it. We were both a little crestfallen after our last 200 didn’t go quite as planned, but now we’re both really excited to do the next qualifiers for PBP.

The route was great and took in a load of good climbs in the Borders. Weather stayed dry and we had an amazing Jaffa Cake cake at the Eskdalemuir control. Winner winner.

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I love to see a saddlebag.

Rutland Midnight Express report

I rode Rutland Midnight Express on Saturday with @Thrasher , it was a tester alright!

Having done a grand total of one overnight Audax before I clearly felt I was seasoned in the art of night riding.
Drive up to Baldock was spicy, trying not to get wiped out by the Friday night boy racers on the North Circular certainly livened things up. Just as we came off the junction for Baldock a wild @Ruserius emerges from the shadows looking to join the road, of course he's ridden up, of course.

Off we go after a little glitch with e-Brevet, it's cold already but we're rolling nicely. Few riders on ElliptiGos had me thinking I was hallucinating already! Not 10k out from the start a little group forms and out of nowhere Thomas The Tank Engine appears and takes up his position at the front of the bunch. A mythical, selfless being with a massive engine he pulls, and pulls and pulls... some brave soul tried to take a turn but Thomas quickly sent him packing. We were stretched; this was quick and a pretty stupid way to kick things off but maybe this was part of the Midnight Express vibe? Thomas just kept his Panzerwagen act going all the way to the first control 45k in at St. Ives where we arrived 12 minutes early. Unreal. Those that rode the train thanked him profusely but Thomas was nonchalant about the whole thing.

Out of St. Ives (without Thomas) the fog descended almost immediately, it didn't just get cold, it was baltic. We tried to keep a decent pace to stay warm but some of the quicker sections were dicey with visibility at I would guess, 10-15 metres. I think I saw @frank9755 on the tandem at some point, sorry I didn't wave/shout, I was not in a good place at that point :( The cold had really got to me around 90k but not as much as the fella on the Brother-something-or-other with a Hunt freehub that sounded like an angry swarm of Japanese hornets and a Garmin Varia-type rear light set to Utterly Obnoxious Prick mode. Three hills in quick succession after a lovely viaduct, Thrasher showed me a clean pair of heels there and I inched my arse over them as did not fancy going deep to stay with him. Second control at Oakham, great M&S service station, caught up with Thrasher and @WhitleyJay & @Amcharl. Chat, refuel, toilet and on we rolled into the dawn.

It. Was. Fucking. Cold. I tired to put in a surge up a little bump but all it did was expose the fragility of my legs and it didn't warm me up. The lanes, the light, the fields of rapeseed were all coalescing to provide 'a moment'; all the way to Bottesford it was an absolute joy.

Bottesford control at 155k was underwhelming in terms of food options so we didn't stop too long and started rolling south through some of the same lovely lanes we'd just come up. Another control at Whitwell which we pretty much rolled through and then onto Rutland Water which was super tranqui in the morning light but then full of flies or flying ants or whatever, free protein though. We hit it bang on Parkrun time so it was 5k of 'on your right!' which doesn't really work because of AirPods. I was starting to flag and in need of real scran, cafe at Fineshade Woods appeared just in the nick of time! Leisurely coffee, sarnie and cake and out we rolled into The Gravel Section! Nothing but unadulterated Tuscan vibes, the Fairlight Strael on 32s eating that shit up like Chicken Chow Mein.

Somewhat reinvigorated and having whipped off the arm warmers at the café (I too got burnt, obviously), we rolled on to the next control at 229k, Oundle. Didn't stop long then we clocked Amcharl and WhitleyJay... fweeends!!!

Caught up, had a chat and they were both riding superbly, particularly in light of their efforts on a 400 the previous weekend, chapeau indeed. WhitleyJay earning True Keeper Of The Cog stripes on 66 gear inches and demonstrating some truly enviable souplesse on the descents. A bit of a train formed with some other riders and then he re-appeared, Thomas!!! We picked up speed into the headwind (which was getting really tedious now) and I hid behind various wheels, was I fuck taking a turn. At around 260k I was fading like a cheap lightbulb and started canvassing support for a break, no way was I making it to the next control at that pace. Thankfully there were takers for the break and we laid down on a bit of lush grass at 270k for a bit, thank fuck for that. Bocadillos were consumed and after a much needed rest we rolled on to the next control at Ireland and finally back to the finish at Baldock. A fine day with lovely people but yeah, I found that one tough. The midnight depart, the cold overnight, the unnecessary 40k team pursuit at the start... some lessons were hopefully learnt, maybe, probably not!

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10/10 write up. Really enjoyed reading that.

There seems to be some exceptionally good ones on events organised by Scottish Borders Randonneurs.

Photos are breathtaking! Good to hear spirits are up for remaining PBP qualies!!!