Audax rides

Greenbank's a bloody hero. Here he is at the start:

And here he is at the Dolgellau control after 200 very wet kilometres, with another 170 or so to go before he got to doze for an hour or two and attack the final 230k:

(More pictures available here)

Chapeau!

So very glad I wasn't out on a ride last weekend. I have a 400k this weekend and it keeps wavering between wet and windy or quite nice actually.

When I'm volunteering at the Canonbie Control for the LEL this year, should I go out and chalk GREENBANK on the road TdF style?

Well done sir, a top effort.

So very glad I wasn't out on a ride last weekend. I have a 400k this weekend and it keeps wavering between wet and windy or quite nice actually.

When I'm volunteering at the Canonbie Control for the LEL this year, should I go out and chalk GREENBANK on the road TdF style?

Enjoy the Plains. Looks like you get to go to sunny Newtown, went through there last Sunday.

HTFU may be a more appropriate chalk mark...

I'm doing the Long Melford 200 tomorrow. Only my third Audax ever.

i can't wait to get into doing audaxes, and perhaps sportives one day. exciting!

Had a brilliant day out today at the Long Melford 200. Nice route! Met up with my mate Ian (whom Greenbank may know, as he was on the Bryan Chapman, too (riding a yellow Roberts)). He was still slightly recovering. No need to tell anyone on here that the weather was superb, perfect riding weather, purely and simply.

First a long ride west via Finchingfield and Great Dunmow of DD fame. In GD I busted a spoke going up a climb but luckily we found the only serious road bike shop in GD, who gave me a loan wheel as I have funny spokes for which they didn't have a spare in stock. A big hand for the excellent Flitch Bikes (http://www.flitchbikes.co.uk/) for excellent customer service. It also gives me the perfect excuse to plot a ride up to GD to swap wheels with them again.

The next great ride we picked up a part of was the 'Round Chelmsford'. We got onto that route at Pleshey and stayed on it, with a short interruption, until Little Baddow. Very nice lunch stop at the Papermill Tea Rooms on the River Chelmer just before North Hill, then tackling the hill suitably refreshed. Out, out and out Burnham-on-Crouch, Bradwell-on-Sea, and the final control in the St Peter's Chapel car park.

Then back via Mundon, Maldon, Kelvedon, Coggeshall, Earls Colne, Little Maplestead, Gestingthorpe, Belchamp Walter, and Liston.

My new favourite ever lane: Damases Lane (near Boreham). As pretty as it gets. Much too short!

This ride comes recommended.

Owing to engineering works, I had to ride out to Ilford on the outbound leg and back from Romford on the inbound leg. Total 145 miles. Great day.

Not strictly part of the ride, but I also loved the little train from Marks Tey to Sudbury (the Gainsborough Line).

400k - The Ouchening.

Tee off from Poynton car park on Saturday at 13.30. As mentioned upthread, the weather was lovely. We rolled through the last lumps on the edge of the Peak District and across the Cheshire Plains into a headwind. Luckily the second group that formed held together well into the first control some 70k at Market Drayton. The info control earlier on had turned out to be a bust because the council had replaced the signs since last year and they no longer showed the distance to Alderly Edge.

As the organiser got ready to leave, she mentioned that the next bit was tricky so I sprang into action and followed her out of town. This proved to be a rather wise move as the landmark restaurant had changed hands, colour and name and the road looked little more than a dead end back alley from first glance. The Shropshire Plains were far better than the Cheshire ones as the council see fit to resurface their roads from time to time. Alas they soon gave way to the allegedly easy way over the Long Mynd. In fact this is a soul destroying drag with unlimited false summits. None of the sections are enough to be considered difficult in themselves but as time wears on, you wear out. Luckily my water did last until the top and the descent to the next control didn't take long. People are drinking beer at the pub control but, tempted as I may be, I stick to coke, fearing my inability to stay awake.

Coming out of the control solo, I see a group ahead of me moving not that much faster so I decide to jump on the back. It's a group from the respectable VC167 club, propery hardy northerners to a man. I feel a bit cheeky latching on as the effort to get up leaves me clinging on the back doing no work. Finally some recovery and good descent means I can spring to the front of the three men who range from 10 years older to nearly twice my age. The long running descent is great after the hard climb and the scenery of mid Wales is lovely. Alas, Newtown is a bit of dump as far as the bit we rode through is concerned.

Two coffees and a snack later and we get moving again. The temperature is dropping fast but at least, after 170k, we finally have a tailwind. The countryside across the border is rolling but with a clear sky and a good moon, the descents are clearly visible in the dying sun and the climbs infrequent enough that the group stays together easily. One of the guys thinks its too easy without lashing rain and howling gales. I guess that's just how they roll Cumbrian style.

The Ford control is great. If you ever head to Wales out of Shrewsbury and feel a bit peckish any time of day or night, head for this. It's on the north side and really welcoming. Good food and a decent mug of tea (no gaggia here I'm afraid). Full english at midnight, oh yes. I can't recall much after that. I was geting tired and others more familiar with the area are navigating. I hand on until the A5 to Cannock before dropping off. It's a long straight road with no surprises.

There was some concern about Hollies as the numbers listed for them didn't work when the organiser wanted to call through expected numbers. It was still there thankfully, with a warm interior and apple crumble with custard. I nap for ten minutes before heading off alone. I thought another rider was leaving at the same time but he's nowhere to be seen. I've now overhydrated and frequent nature stops and some dig out the map as the routesheet is useless navigating means he catches me up some 25k later. We've both fallen apart in the cold morning fog and degenerate to trundling along, hoping for a Little Chef and more coffee at Market Drayton. No luck and I fall off the back again into Whitchurch.

We bask in the sun in Whitchurch outside the service station control. A dodgy sandwich, more Powerade and more coffee soak in as I wonder just how long I can justify staying here. The locals stare but seem used to bunches of exhausted people collapsed by the petrol pumps. I feel like a circus freak, you know that they're descent, ordinary people but you just can't stop looking at them.

It's away to the descent to Nantwich and then back on the Cheshire Plains and Cheshire lanes. I like the former and hate the latter but as least they won't lull me to sleep anytime soon. The other guy catches me up again as I stop for a faff with the bike. Nothing is wrong but you have to be sure. We ride together to the edge of Manchester and he stops having finally decided it's too hot for all the layers. I don't want to get out of the saddle so press on. The traffic is busy on the last stretch but at least I'm familiar with the roads. I even throw in a trackstand at some lights close to the finish, just because. My moment of glory, no applause.

When my gf picks me up, I have that too tired to sleep feeling, right until I wake up at her parents house.

Nice work man. Some people recon 400 is the hardest distance as it's tough to build in enough time for a proper kip, so have to keep plodding. I wouldn't know, I've yet to do one.

You doing Shiela's 600 from Stockport in two weeks time??

No, I have a wedding to go to. Thinking of the Denmead on later on, once I've had time to forget what this one made me feel like.

Great work, TSK. A 400 or 600 are definitely still beyond me right now, but I hope to get there in a few years' time.

No, I have a wedding to go to. Thinking of the Denmead on later on, once I've had time to forget what this one made me feel like.

Good work. 400 is a bit of a killer. I prefer 600s as it's generally a more leisurely affair (although I've only done two 600s and one 400).

The Audax people will be round in a couple of days to erase all of the bad memories and you'll soon be looking at the calendar with an eye to 600s...

It's only taken me a year to get to the 400k standard. Not that much effort. I think most of the work is psychological and nutritional. Once you can get that sorted you should be fine. I'm thinking that I should be OK for the 600 with some training to get a little bit faster. However, I am a little worried about how well I would cope with stopping, sleeping and then starting again.

The Audax people will be round in a couple of days to erase all of the bad memories and you'll soon be looking at the calendar with an eye to 600s...

Seems they don't take the bank holiday off. On Sunday I was convinced I was only ever doing 300s again. Today I want to ride the LEL unregistered on a unicycle giving piggy-backs to fat sweaty builders.

However, I am a little worried about how well I would cope with stopping, sleeping and then starting again.

I got 5 hours sleep on a very easy Norfolk 600, which is almost unheard of. It was flat, sunny, little wind, an excellent first 600. The hardest part was getting going again, it took a good couple of hours to get into a rhythm that felt comfortable. The last 6 hours were terrible. We sat in the sun and ate ice cream, but I was totally miserable, I just wanted it to all be over.

Sleep? Luxury! I got two 15 minute powernaps on the Bryan Chapman, but then I deal with no sleep quite well. I would have loved 4 hours sleep but I just didn't have the time.

Next ride is the insanely hilly Midland Super Grimpeur (5390m climbing in 300km) on the 27th June. Will be packing gears for that one.
Then, back on fixed and a week after, the Dun Run being made into a DIY 400 cycling there and back.
That leaves 3 weeks to chill and keep the legs spinning over on the commute before LEL.

After that I've got a perm card for the Cheddar Gorge 300. I then need another couple of 200s in September and October to make it up to 50 points for the year. :)

Then, back on fixed and a week after, the Dun Run being made into a DIY 400 cycling there and back.
There's a few of us planning the DD and back.

Find Hillbilly and myself* if you fancy some company.

*I'm afraid that we're lightweights and using gears though.

I was thinking of giving some longer rides ago. the most I've done in one ride is about 90-100 miles.
By DD do you mean the dunwich dynamo? how long is that?

180km from London Fields to Dunwich. So 200km assuming you need to travel to the start and from Dunwich to a nearby station to get home.

200km =~ 125 miles.

To make it up to 400km (for making it into a 400km Audax) I'm going to have to get the train out to Leatherhead and start there, plus finish near home in Putney.

There's a separate thread for the Dunwich Dynamo...probably best to use that for talking about it rather than this Audax thread...

Cheers Greenbank. here comes my first use of the search button.

Next ride is the insanely hilly Midland Super Grimpeur (5390m climbing in 300km) on the 27th June. Will be packing gears for that one.

I'll be on that one too, with gears naturally. Catch you there.....

Still a few places on my 600 this weekend from Otford. 6th/7th

Route; Otford, Cranleigh, Overton, Test Valley to West Dean, Petersfield, Pyecombe, Edenbridge, Otford for 390km and hall for food and sleep then back out to Sittingbourne, Hillborough, Wingham, elam valley to Westenhanger, then skirt around Ashford and Bethersden to Otford via West Peckham.

bloody hell, i dont know how you guys can do this jive. i didnt realise audaxs were this ridiculous. 600 odd miles with barely any sleep would be enough for me to go crazy, i could ride the distance as long as i got some decent sleep in a bed between stages.

on fixed is even more mad, you dont even get rest on the descents!

600 odd miles

Kilometres in this case. Audax UK is metric.

Well apart from the weather it all went well the weekend out of 33 entries I had 27 starters, two riders quit with mechanical problems to the bikes and one exhausted early on after being ill the week before.
At the stop back in Otford at 380km another thirteen decided to pack and not go back out in to the torrential rain and thunder storm Sunday morning.
That left eleven riders to finish, two of them were on fixed Tom Deakins on 73" gear and my friend Mike Friday on 72" fixed.

I had worked out the climbing to approx 4800m but two riders with gps came back with figures nearer 6400m of climbing so I will have to double check that, one rider said he thought the Brian Chapman was easier because the hills were more gentle and longer as opposed to relentless short sharp up and down bits.

Kent Invicta 600km on bikeley [ame]http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/2009-Invicta-600[/ame