Audax rides

Well done TSK. Inspiring.

I haven't even got my first brevet back. Have you?

They take a while, it's all done by volunteers so don't expect fast turnarounds, I've had some take 4 months. My LEL Brevet card arrived late January (6 months after the ride).

Good work TSK! I'm gutted I can't do the Bryan Chapman again this year, it's a great ride, irrespective of the weather you can sometimes get (a hot sunny day could even be worse than the usual Welsh drizzle!)

Good work TSK. Ive got my first 400 this weekend, attempting Brevet Cymru. I went to the peak district this weekend and got some climbing in my legs in preparation. Hopefully it will all go well and Ill see you on the start line for BCM in just over a fortnight.

My climbing legs aren't brilliant. I'm just planning on being sensible on the climbs and pushing it on the descents again. Hopefully the weather won't be the same as it was this week. I would rather it be a bit cold and damp and remain hydrated rather than cook off and stay dry. I also need to eat a bit better. My food consumption wasn't quite right this time so I may take to grazing as well as proper food stops.

Good work, everyone. I still haven't done a single Audax this year owing to injury and I'm in dreadful shape. I'm starting to ride again next week-end, wish me luck!

Oliver, wanna join me on the hop garden one in Meopham?
Got my brevet card back today for the shaftesbury one. Now I wanna do the next one!

Pascal, I'd love to but I haven't even looked at the calendar yet--I'd meant to when I got injured and I really need to get on with it.

It's on the 9th. 100km. I won't be very fast ... come on, you know you want it.

It's on the 9th. 100km. I won't be very fast ... come on, you know you want it.

Oooh, a 100 ... I don't really do those any more. ;) No, I'll have a look at it. It's a bit close now, though, I'll have to take a BP if they're available.

BP? As in Brevet Populaire?

Yes.

It is a bit late. Need to email the organiser once again ... seems to be a pattern emerging.

[EDIT] Just sent an email if it's too late to enter [/EDIT]

Entering won't be a problem--hey, there's a 200, too. Fancy doing that? However, it starts at 8am, and the trains are shit--there's only the 7:24 from Victoria, which gets there at 8:07am. (From London Bridge, it only picks up that train via two changes, and one change from Cannon Street.)

The 100 starts at 8:30am--hmmm, maybe that'll be the decider. There's a massive train gap between close to midnight and that time.

Scratch that--it's a mile century. Didn't expect that. It looks nice. Is that the one you were thinking of?

The 100km starts at 9:00, and that's the one I wanted to go for.

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/calsolo.php?Ride=10-205
http://www.gravesendctc.org.uk/hopgardenaudax.html

But you're right, the trains suck that day. Maybe another station close by and then ride?

200 will follow later this year.

Hmm. Meopham is 46km from home. I might be able to make it into a 200km Extended-Calendar-Event if I can find a middle control to make it 50km each way to/from the start.

I could give the PowerTap a blast round an Audax too, or do it fixed.

goes off to check with my Events Secretary

Ah, I missed the 100 entirely. Too tired to read properly. Let's do the 100, then. I'd be up for the 160, too, but it's your call. It'll be fun anyroadup. I'll put in an entry.

Shall we take that train that gets there at 8:07? I might ride to Bromley to get a few more miles in before the ride. Were you planning to take the train from there?

Yes, sounds like a plan. Do the 100 and get the train that gets there at 8:07 ... So that's Bromley around 7:40? Deal! You wanna collect me in SE15?

Bromley South at 7:43am, yes. Sure, let's meet up somewhere. I don't know South London that well, so please pick a good place on the way to Bromley South. (I'll be coming from the Greenwich Foot Tunnel if that's open again, or through the Rotherhithe Tunnel if it's not.)

Cool, I'll check the map. In the meantime filling in the form and all that. organizer said it ain't too late :)

think i'm in for the 9th may one.....
tags have me laughing!

sem, which one? The 100? Wanna meet us in south London as well?

Completed Brevet Cymru 400. It wasnt straight forward but its in the bag.

I fell around 10k trying to avoid a huge pot hole. I landed on my knee and elbow, I carried on riding and the elbow pain subsided but I had knee pain for the remaining 390k.

Weather was good up until around 150k then I got caught in a hail storm down a decent. Not pleasant into the face at high speed. It was so heavy, and the hail so big, that on one of the quiet roads it had settled and was completely white, it looked like it could have been mid january.

From that point it was raining a fair amount of the way. The most torrential of which was through the night. I was drenched for a good 13/14 hours. Riding through the night became more difficult when my dynamo decided not to work so I was left with just my back up cat eye light. Luckily it saw me through.

I got into a good group with two guys over from ireland which helped. We really worked hard and got to the 350k mark before 00:30. We ended up over indulging in the heat and hospitality of the community centre, then got a bit lost and added on some unnecessary miles and didnt finish until 5ish. I was so wet for so long, the final few hours were horrible in truth. My legs were shaking uncontrollably it was so cold on the descents. Some saddle friction was also causing me great discomfort as well to top things off.

I was initially a little dissapointed with finishing outside of 22hrs, but now I think about the conditions and problems I had I cant sniff at being inside the top 20 finishers (Regardless of how much before me some of them may have finished).

I feel ok today, apart from my bruised knee and horrific saddle sores. I did look pretty ridiculous dawdling along at snails pace from paddington whincing and grimicing as I went. Hopefully I will recover quickly, I hate having time off my bike.

3/4 of the way to the SR, if I manage to complete BCM in two weeks it will be 3 months since riding my first audax.

Wow Akin,

admirable and inspiring. Thanks for sharing! Reading other rider's audaxes makes me feel better. Especially when hearing that I am not the only one to suffer with saddles. I recently noticed that my San Marco and my body don't get along after just 6 hours of riding. Going for a Brooks B17 (very) soon.

Akin, this is an epic story. Big respect for finishing that.