Audax rides

Another for the Ditchling Devil. I love cycling down far enough to see the sea.

Started late (8.30am) as I was handing out cards from 7am and waiting for any stragglers. Finished at 8.30pm after a stop for a dirty pizza in Kingston (legs had entered survival mode from 150km and knew I'd miss the food at the finish pub).

Awesome organisation. Food included at each of the controls (except the finish). Upper Beeding control in the Brighton Excelsior CC's chairman's house is just awesome.

It's certainly easier with miles in the legs, I'll try and remember that for next time and actually get on my bike beforehand.

Thoroughly enjoyed the D Devil. Some surreal touches with the "garden party" and the W.I cake competition controls. Had intended to take it slow after the last 2 weekends of back to back 600's but the red mist descended as soon as the club trains went past, so went hard and fast.

I think my favourite thing about doing some audaxes this year is how its shortened distances in my mind. A few weeks ago I stayed with my cousin in Slough, and decided to cycle home to Manchester in a day, about 180 miles, it wasn't a problem. Now I am travelling up to Scotland for a climbing trip this week and thinking why waste money on the train? Going to take a day at the start and a day at the end to ride up and back, about 180/200 miles each way, will be a bit harder with changes of clothes and some climbing gear in my panniers, but I'm not worried about it. Just 6 months ago I wouldn't have considered it.

Great day at the Ditchling Devil yesterday. Did it as a DIY last year and I can see that my strength, speed and fitness has really come a long way. Felt pretty done in at the end last year with lots of aches and pains and was really struggling to get the pedals round towards the end. This year I was cruising and aside from Ditchling and Coombe Lane wondered where the hills were. Stayed in the big ring aside from those two. Felt pretty fresh after my ride home.

Organisation was amazing. With that many entrants and pretty much zero queuing. This gave you the option of a quick stop if you wanted that. I hate info controls but even that was taken care of and there were only two exactly where they should be - at the top of a climb. Did an extra stop in Cobham on the final leg to break up the 50km into two. Had a civilised coffee and cake at a Strada restaurant. I was thinking supermarket but my riding companion insisted we had a sit down. The owner made us ice coffees even though they weren't on the menu.

As for RRtY, I'm halfway there. Six done, six to go.

Cake porn.

Leading up to this control we were fantasising about cake. Dream come true.

Wow, that's the stuff cycling daydreams are made of!
Well done on getting halfway to your RRtY.

Great ride. Those Victoria sponges were amazing - I've paid several pounds in cafes for smaller slices of far worse cake.

@mustardbeak on the way to Upper Beeding:

That was a festival of cake. Awesome control, as were the others...

Really enjoyed Ditchling Devil this year, felt like I was really taking my time as it was my mates first 200, but I finished about an hour and a half quicker than last year and we were spending a lot of time at controls.

My mate did brilliantly, it was his longest and hilliest ride by someway, but he dug in and got round in really respectable time.

Great atmosphere on the ride, spent a fair bit of time riding with @ad441 (great pictures I need to make more effort taking photos of rides) and rode to the start with @arup who I didn't see again until the finish!

Next big ride, I think I am going to have a go at Dunwich and back this year. Otherwise mostly doing 100k Audaxes in June and July with my wife to help her train for Ride London 100 in August.

I'm down to do Mr Pickwick at the weekend, having failed at Flatlands with a broken seatpost. I've just come back from Texas so have an awful lot of belly to haul up hills.

I wish I could ride faster. These long rides just take too bloody long :-)

Audax Club Hackney present the 2nd edition of 'Straight Outta Hackney' 200K ride 01-Aug-2015. Totally fixed friendly fast 200K from the Salisbury Hotel on Harringay Green Lanes to Cambridge and back with gratis barbecue and keg beers by the 5-Points Brewery and the mighty Beavertown - check AUK web for full details and sign-up while stocks last

On the cog! Now here.

Mr Pickwick this weekend. With Welsh Weather. And hills. Wish me luck.

Next Saturday I got the faires flatties 300km and it is the first audax I am nervous on doing.
I done a few audax this year and last and I have just used my Garmin touring and never had a issue.
This one I have going to use a route sheet for the first time.
Any tips on reading from one?
Any particular holder better than other ones?
Ta x

Good luck matey!
You will smash it!

Audax Club Hackney present the 2nd edition of 'Straight Outta Hackney' 200K ride 01-Aug-2015. Totally fixed friendly fast 200K from the Salisbury Hotel on Harringay Green Lanes to Cambridge and back with gratis barbecue and keg beers by the 5-Points Brewery and the mighty Beavertown - check AUK web for full details and sign-up while stocks last

Woohooo

with great photography from;
instagram.com/dvnder
dvnder.tumblr.com/
-worth looking at the Festive500 pics.

Her pictures of the BCM are just stunning...
Obviously a liberal amount of fiddling in photoshop etc after, but nonetheless stunning

So I entered the Mr Pickwick goes in Search of Dragons and Legends this weekend.

Dear god it was hard. I have never done anything as physically hard. Bonked badly early at 200km (in common with a bunch of other people) . Sat in a cafe shaking and trying to sort my stupid self out.
Got on with it, some really lovely views, most of which were completely invisible on Saturday due to mist/rain.
In retrospect really enjoyed it and was quite pleased with my legs. Organisers were absolutely bloody spot on
If anyone ever suggests to me that I do another audax with AAA points though, I shall punch them squarely in the face.
WOULD DO AGAIN

Haha fuck yeah, good work!

Signed up yesterday for the AAA Milne starting from nr Lewes in just under three weeks. My first audax.

Chapeau, looks like a fun route. Mark's rides are good for many many reasons.

That you sorted for PBP then?

Yes, I would like to ride some of his shorter rides now.

I guess that I am now in a position to enter PBP, I have 200,300, 400 and 600 under my belt....The question is do I want to? I love the riding and I would love to experience the crowds. I also (whisper) have the opportunity to have some support for PBP if I choose, but I hate the sleep deprivation. I'm a bit unsure therefore about whether PBP is for me.

There's only one way to find out.

It's not as hard as back to back hilly 600s as it chops up nicely into a series of smaller day rides (albeit the first one is a through the night day-ride). 400km, 300km, 300km, 200km. Sort of.

I should be up for going back for more in 2019, off the back of a minimal SR, as MiniGB will be 9 and a few days holiday a belle France will be great for her and Mrs GB.

Ride faster = sleep more

This looks interesting. It could contribute to the RRtY that I'll forget all about come October.. oh wait.. PBP would count for that I guess.