2010-01-09 - Poor Student Audax- 206km

I've just had an e-mail back from the organiser, and unfortunately, places, which are allocated on a first come-first served basis, are being snapped up fast, only two left. As I can't send in my entry yet, that means I probably won't get one. However, the ride can also be done as a 'permanent', as the organiser helpfully points out:

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/perms/index.htm

If this one doesn't work out on the 9th January, we should pick a day and do it off our own bat. The route quite appeals to me.

I might've ridden some of those roads during the Whitehorse Challenge.

So, as a Permanent you pay £2 to get the route sheet and then do it whenever you want?
How do they prove that you've done the ride?

Commercial controls. You have to obtain reciepts from shops or ATMs from the same places that would have been used as controls.

I missed my chance on this one too - definitely up for doing this one with you guys another time.
Anyone fancy setting a date?
:)

I got another helpful e-mail from the organiser to say that all the places had been taken. So yes, I'd be well up for it as a permanent sometime soon. Do you want to pick a date, Niamh? ;P

I was thinking of just heading up on the day and riding it anyway, outside of the organised event. Is that not the done thing? Plus that way we 'get it done', as opposed to putting it off and attempting to organise etc. Only with the incoming weather atm maybe it would be better putting it off for a bit...

I was thinking of just heading up on the day and riding it anyway, outside of the organised event. Is that not the done thing?

Well, you don't get a brevet certified and I suppose people might see you as an interloper, but it depends on what each individual organiser thinks about this. Some might be OK with it, others might not.

Doesn't usually go down to well. Have heard tale of a couple of riders who were being tailed by some spongers. They went off route, dragged the followers over a few major hills and down a very busy dual carriage way before bailing out of the ride and visiting a friend for tea.

Ah well, that's me told :)

How about the weekend of the 16/17th Jan?

bump....

bumpity bump. If the weather's sorted itself out by then and I get some riding done during the week then I'm in!

Yeah, I'd be interested too.

Sorry, next week-end doesn't work for me. :(

ok sir now its your turn to suggest a date and i shall revert to my default setting of 'indecisive'

:)

• i can do Sat 23rd, Sat 30th, Sun 31st, and pretty much any weekend thereafter.
  

No 23rd.

The w/e of the 23rd is Jenne's and Aram's wedding and therefore less than ideal. Should we pencil in the w/e of the 30th/31st? Saturday or Sunday? (I'd prefer Sunday.)

I'm free any weekend, sundays better than saturdays. the 17th january is supposedly the SMTNRC, if it doesn't get cancelled again.

ok shall we pencil in the 31st?
someone more sensible than me should take responsibility for the route, if i take responsibility for it we may well end up cycling to glasgow.

31st works. I'll have a Garmin with me, but that doesn't mean I know how to use it...

31st seems fine. Is everybody else OK with that?

Not sure the organiser will still accept an entry for it as a permanent, but perhaps he'll be fine with it if I use the on-line entry form.

31st works. I'll have a Garmin with me, but that doesn't mean I know how to use it...

My advice would be to leave it at home and learn how to read a routesheet instead. All you'll need is a reliable computer set-up that gives you accurate kilometrage. The navigation is half the fun. People just strip that out with GPS systems.

This might be a silly question - if we pay the organiser he/she sends us a route sheet right? I think it's time for sleepies..

Yes, but the advice is to enter a permanent at least a month in advance. It depends on whether the organiser is happy with doing it at short notice.

Ah, gotcha.