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rather than the old days of Chepstow Tescos forecourt and hanging about at Membury service station wondering if life was still worth living.
Chepstow Tesco! That brings back memories of two Severn Across rides. My first (and second) 400 and always enjoyed it. Also trying to grab any amount of sleep on the grim carpet upstairs at Membury Services.
400 was a huge step up from 300 given my relative lack of speed and ensuing sleep issues. I remember being very sleepy on a section near Reading and being perked up by dawn coffee from a garage somewhere.
Greenbank
hippy
It's a good route. The organiser has done a great job in reinventing it and marketing it well, and to new audiences.
I did it three times when it was the Severn Across, and it used to get 25-50 riders - not big numbers. But it now sells out as soon as it opens. It's pretty much the same route but there is good food at three or four controls. The high level of support means it works better for people using it as a first really long ride - rather than the old days of Chepstow Tescos forecourt and hanging about at Membury service station wondering if life was still worth living.
In the old days it was pretty much X-rated and you could just bowl down the A4 for the last 100+km, which I enjoyed and it made it a very fast 400. Once when I was slow I coincided with club chucking out time in Reading which was hilarious. But there are now more controls which kind of cut that option off so it's more laney.