Audax rides

The long distance swimmer counts his tiles and the teacher writes a book.

jsabine - If you think you can manage a 200k audax then January isn't a bad time to get started on it.

Cheers ... Done that sort of distance before though never in Jan, never actually an audax, and not for some years. Ho hum.

Mind out at the bottom of dips though. The Cotswolds can harbour some cold traps and you may occasionally find icy patches even though the weather seems warm enough to melt it elsewhere.

Cheers for the warning. Forecast for the weekend looks reasonable enough that this shouldn't be too much of a problem though - I hope.

tricitybendix - You may benefit from doing some shorter rides, 200-300k, on a Saturday and then getting up and pushing yourself out for a short ride, 30k+ on Sunday morning. This should help build your recovery capacity along with the usual abuse of high GI foods and hydration fluids.

Also helps to ride a fraction slower than you normally would.

There's a couple of Audax coming up in Norfolk which I'm thinking about going along to.

Went last year and really enjoyed it, they put on a lovely spread too!

Hoping to turn up to the Nips 100, bit late with entry though.

After January, some localish rides you guys may be interested in as well, I'm entered in on the burford bumble and the dean, but may do some others as well.

-Feb...............Burford Bumble 200k (starts in Bedford)

-Mar...............The Kennet Valley Run 200k (starts in Reading, ~1700m climbing so nice and easy, famous last words...)
......................Up the Uts 200k (starting in Essex)

            ......................[The Dean](http://aukweb.net/events/detail/13-504/) 300k      (Starts Oxford)

-April.............3Down 300km (another from chalfont st peter, may do it if i'm feeling good after the dean...)

-July..............The Buzzard 600k (A new local 600k ride starting in Leighton Buzzard, 2013 will be it's first year, looks interesting!)

Hi people who like riding for long distances in the dark. Is there anything that can be done about temporary blindness caused by oncoming traffic not dipping its headlights? I just nearly took myself out by riding into a kerb I couldn't see.

The only thing i found to work was pulling a cycling cap down as far as you can and looking at your front wheel until it's goes past.

Good tip, will try. Thanks!

Best thing I've found is closing one eye as the vehicle approaches, then switching eyes once it's gone past. Works pretty well.

Also a good tip. Though I may ride into the kerb anyway if I try both simultaneously.

Hi people who like riding for long distances in the dark. Is there anything that can be done about temporary blindness caused by oncoming traffic not dipping its headlights? I just nearly took myself out by riding into a kerb I couldn't see.

The only thing i found to work was pulling a cycling cap down as far as you can and looking at your front wheel until it's goes past.

That's what I do, as well. You can normally anticipate them coming as they just light up the road so much. Dip your head before the lights hit you.

Best thing I've found is closing one eye as the vehicle approaches, then switching eyes once it's gone past. Works pretty well.

I've tried that but it doesn't work for me. The time between the lights appearing and disappearing is too great. My one open eye becomes completely blind in just a moment and if I opened my other eye when that happens I'd see nothing.

Also a good tip. Though I may ride into the kerb anyway if I try both simultaneously.

It works for occasional traffic. If you have a constant stream of cars the cap thing is probably better.

Although busier roads will most likely have street lights anyway, so temporary blindness becomes less of an issue.

After January, some localish rides you guys may be interested in as well, I'm entered in on the burford bumble and the dean, but may do some others as well.

-Feb...............Burford Bumble 200k (starts in Bedford)

-Mar...............[The Dean 300k (Starts Oxford)

-April.............3Down 300k (another from chalfont st peter, may do it if i'm feeling good after the dean...)

-July..............The Buzzard 600k (A new local 600k ride starting in Leighton Buzzard, 2013 will be it's first year, looks interesting!)

Those I'm definitely doing, although doing a 600k 2 weeks before a 1400k might be pushing it.

Hi people who like riding for long distances in the dark. Is there anything that can be done about temporary blindness caused by oncoming traffic not dipping its headlights? I just nearly took myself out by riding into a kerb I couldn't see.

My solution, in addition to avoiding looking at the oncoming lights is a really powerful front light of my own. I have used both Lupine and Exposure, with what seems like silly brightness. I run them on the lowest setting, until confronted by oncoming lights, when I switch to max power and look at the pool of light on the road. Drivers dip their lights too, but most importantly you can see that kerb!

Those I'm definitely doing, although doing a 600k 2 weeks before a 1400k might be pushing it.

Awesome!
And I'll see you next sat for the willy warmer? (~100 people doing it!)

Yeah you'd have to be feeling pretty leggy to do the 600 that soon before LEL.
I've not done over a ~250km in a day before myself, so a 600 is still a fair way off for me (letalone 1400 for LEL :p ) and especially a 600 that's pretty much "no mod cons", no controls etc...
But it's tempting as it starts relatively close to London :)

The Seldom Killer said that the 600km will be easier than a 400km due to being able to sleep so that should make such ride doable.

I'll be in for the Willy Warmer too, just need to reherse the route.

I should point out that while this is a fairly commonly espoused opinion in audax circles, it is by no means unique. I know of some riders that find it easier to push themselves through a 400 than take a sleep break on a 600.

Mind you, you could be one of those people that find it possible to run through a 600 without sleep but those are few and far between.

For those that have their eyes on LEL, I would advise finding out what kind of rider you are as soon as possible. First step I'd recommend in that is to make sure that on the day after any audax you do, get up fairly early and push yourself out the door again for a recovery ride.

After January, some localish rides you guys may be interested in as well, I'm entered in on the burford bumble and the dean, but may do some others as well.

-Feb...............Burford Bumble 200k (starts in Bedford)

-Mar...............The Kennet Valley Run 200k (starts in Reading, ~1700m climbing so nice and easy, famous last words...)
......................Up the Uts 200k (starting in Essex)

            ......................[The Dean](http://aukweb.net/events/detail/13-504/) 300k      (Starts Oxford)

-April.............3Down 300km (another from chalfont st peter, may do it if i'm feeling good after the dean...)

-July..............The Buzzard 600k (A new local 600k ride starting in Leighton Buzzard, 2013 will be it's first year, looks interesting!)

Ah nice one. Keeping your eye on what's coming up is a good habit to get into. I fancy the Kennet Valley one fixed....

Would be good to see you and nigel :)

In other news, I am #70 on the LEL waiting list, really optimistic...

In other news, I am #70 on the LEL waiting list, really optimistic...

Reckon you're probably good for that, with 5 to 10% attrition.
Looking at the list of completing riders from 2009, there's no where near 600, which is what they sold in terms of tickets. I think the "wiggo-factor" will have lead some to get a little over-excited and enter when theyre really not up to it. Probably/possibly myself included, (though I prefer to think of a Sanchez factor, or maybe a T. Pinot factor).

I know the weather is poop atm, but I feel like I need to start getting some serious miles down, soon. The hardest day I've ever ridden is well short of 200 miles (probably 100 miles in the Tuscan hills, but I was chasing climbing rather than distance).

Thinking about organising something like:

1. Ride(s) on the permanent brevets in the SE. These seem to require at least a month's notice to organise with the keepers of the brevet cards.
   
2. A 300 Mile + weekender. Ride out Sat, B&B at a pub with a few beers and a lumpy mattress, Ride back sunday. Possibly Bristol or Cardiff or similar. Could be organised as a 2x DIY or just done for the sake of it.
   
   

I know that base kms dont need a completion card, but long rides are prone to bed wetting without some sort of incentive to drive them. Especially if a few folk are involved.

Mostly I need to get things in the diary before my missus fills it up with trips to see her mum / baby showers, etc.

Anyone got interest or some similar ideas in the pipes?

Permanents shouldn't require more than 2 weeks notice at the absolute most. Many of them will be a matter of send out the entry form and payment and as soon as it comes back you just notify the organiser by email or phone of the day you wish to ride. That last bit is just for insurance purposes and can be right up until you start the ride with some organisers.
My permanent at the start of Jan was texted in as I was stood in the queue to pay for food that would give me a receipt at the starting control.

The speed of getting your brevet card is usually dependent on whether you use 1st class or 2nd class stamps.

Xander - myself and the guys I have been riding Audax events with will be riding a few 'perms' over the next few weeks/ months - before the big calandered events start in Spring - I think the next we are planning is the Around Weald 200km on the 23rd Fed - its a way off now but if people are interested then I'm sure we'd be keen to have a bigger group of us!

I am planning a ride down to Devon and back over a weekend probably in March - 180 miles down on a Saturday, stay at my parents', 180 miles back on the Sunday. If anyone wants to either join or ride down separately (I am slow) but grab a bed at my parents' for the night you'd be welcome. Will confirm details closer to the time.

Also have a couple like Bristol there and back in the pipeline but I'm not doing anything till the weather starts behaving itself.

Just starting to build up some miles with a view to LEL, so will keep an eye on here - happy to do stuff with or without a brevet, but company is always fun.

Managed to get round the Poor Student OK a week ago, then spent Sat on the first and last stages of LEL (Loughton to St Ives and back) with a group from YACF. Riding up to Loughton and back made it 285km I reckon - quite a long day, and was surprisingly lumpy through the Essex lanes, especially in the dark and cold ...

...or maybe a T. Pinot factor).

one of the best part of the tour for sure :D

I know that base kms dont need a completion card, but long rides are prone to bed wetting without some sort of incentive to drive them. Especially if a few folk are involved.

I know what you mean, I also tend to tell say my housemates that i'm doing it, more motivation to not give up if the weather's bad etc.

And for the London-brighton-london perm, I've messaged the organiser (paul stewart) ~1 week before and just scanned in my receipts when I returned and he was happy with it. (it's nice to have the brevet card after though :p )