Audax rides

So you can do Bangor Chepstow in around 16h which will leave you with a bit of very lanes and then traffic in the evening. Then on to have a kip in Builth Wells or Rhyadar. And back to Bangor on day two. I'd definitely cheat and do the A470 both ways.

It's not so much about picking the weather (I'm expecting rain whenever I go...), the date for the calendar event clashes with a 300 in the Lakes that I want to ride and it's a lot easier for me to get there, or to Bangor than Chepstow...

So not this weekend but next year? Son I am disappointed.

Should work, mind you I arrived in Chepstow in the evening as well so no difference really. Out of Chepstow again around pub closing hours I don't know.

Can't see why not. Which way round are you thinking of doing it?

I'd probably do the Newtown bit on the way to Chepstow first and then look to sleep somewhere around Rhayader (B&B maybe with late arrival) on the way back but I haven't looked at the distances properly. I'll grab the perm routesheet and have a nose.

Either way I'd be looking at where ~400km puts me (assuming a 6am start like the calendar event) and see if there's a way to fit a sleep stop in there. Otherwise I'd just push through and nap somewhere just before sunrise.

I can imagine it's a tough perm (I've only done the calendar event) given the lack of 24 hour facilities en route, but it is a lovely route.

I was planning on riding it the same direction as the calendar event, basically doing the 2nd half then the 1st...

I had a skim through the map and seem to remember Rhayader falls around 400k, figured it was a good place to look for a ditch and a little snooze. Will probably aim for a similar start time although I need to see how the night-riding compares and where it puts me for breakfast...

Any potential food stops will be well marked as my experience of weekend opening hours in Wales hasn't be fantastic... Expect it to be hard but good practice for a longer and hillier event I somewhat-optimistically entered after a few large glasses of port!

Sorry :(

Currently thinking end of May/early June, fast running out of weekends...!

As a suggestion, if you're starting in North Wales would be to do it starting from Dolgellau. Get there early on Friday, knock out the northern loop, get a kip and then do the bigger southern loop on the Saturday. Does mean that you might be a bit nervy hauling up Cross Foxes or Cader Idris close to the time limit, but you do get a lovely flowing descent to the finish.

Any lightweights like me coming on the Bob Whatsit 100 on the 29th? S'been ages since I done one.

@KC / Katie coo is 100% committed to doing it and she thinks she's a lightweight. Get yer man Wig involved?

@pastry_bot Have asked ... You doing gears or fixed?

I'm not sure yet, although I'd quite like to do it fixed...

oooh goody.

Is anyone doing the Winter Solstice up in Cheshire just before Xmas? It'll be my first audax not in the south east, fact fans.

Hopefully!

Wicked stuff. It's going past the end of my sister's road (the house my grandparents lived in) and almost past my dad's house. Past the end of another road I used to live on and past my best mate's parents' house.

Weird.

I've ridden the May version the year before last maybe, don't really remember anything about it other than getting a bit lost after stopping at the Morrisons in Market Drayton...

Anyone doing the South of Bucks Winter Warmer tomorrow? Haven't been riding much through November so going to get the train to the start from Marylebone to Beaconsfield. Unless I ride a perm I think this will be my last one for 2015.

Rear tyre has a small gash and is generally very worn but for some reason I can't figure out I'm feeling very stingy about replacing it. I even have a brand new one sitting on the shelf.

No SoBWW for me this year, had hoped to but can't. Will do it one year as I've only ever got as far as Godalming the one time I rode it.

Rear tyre has a small gash and is generally very worn but for some reason I can't figure out I'm feeling very stingy about replacing it. I even have a brand new one sitting on the shelf.

New tyre on front wheel. Old front tyre moves to rear wheel. Old rear tyre thrown away.

I'll be there, at the moment planning on doing it fixed but I may change my mind...

^also my standard rear tyre change manoeuvre. Except find old random tyre from parts box until both are buggered :)

The new tyres are 25mm and the existing ones are 23mm so I just went ahead and swapped them both. Good things my bars were lowered during the last fitting as it's going to be windy according to the forecast.

I will be there!
Leaving oval around 5am to cycle to the start.
Look like a very good day for December.
Hoping for a tailwind along the a40 stretch home

Home now. RRtY month 11 done.

Good to see you again. Tailwind awesome, headwind, um...

Blimey, you were home 4 hours ago! I only got home about half an hour ago.

Well done on getting month 11. As for me that was month 12, so now I have to see about claiming it.

Props!