2011-03-05 Saturday, 100k Audax, nr Saffron Walden

The Shaftesbury Spring 100

Henham 100 km

A figure of 8 route taking in the picturesque centre and the hilly north of Essex.£3.00 for 18's and under. Starting from: Henham, Saffron Walden
Date: Saturday 5th March 2011
Time: 10:00 Distance: 100 km
Sunrise is at about 06:39 Sunset is at about 17:44 GMT **Metcheck weather
**AAA: 0 Total Climb: ** 940m**
Ev No: 11-702 Category: BP Facilities: L P R S T Fee: £5.00 Speeds: 15-30 kph

• Parking free or reasonably priced, at start
  
• Toilets at the start
  
• Left luggage secure(ish) at the start
  
• Refreshments free or reasonably priced, at start and/or finish
  
• Showers
  
  

Body: Shaftesbury CC Organiser: Richard ParrotteROA:** 4000** Address: 23 Mayfield Road Writtle Chelmsford CM1 3EJ Phone: 01245 421 088 Email: r.parrotte@btinternet.com r.parrotte[at]btinternet.com**

Shaftesbury C.C. website entry for this event

**The following extra information has been provided by the event organiser:

  For your own security, always virus-check any file you download before opening it.
  To download a file, right-click on it and use 'Save' or 'Save Target'. Website: **[questronics.org.uk/Shaftesbury/index.html](http://questronics.org.uk/Shaftesbury/index.html)**   **Event entry** should be via snail mail to **Richard Parrotte** using a standard **[Event Entry Form](http://www.aukweb.net/forms/entryform9.php?Ride=11-702)** or the organiser's own entry form, enclosing £5.00 payable to Richard Parrotte (ie **not** AUK), and two stamped addressed envelopes.  Entries should arrive at least 2 weeks before the event.

Easily accessible by train from Liverpool Street. Shouldn't be at all hilly, and therefore eminently 'fixable'.

I have not done this event before, but Shaftesbury C.C. is a well-established, reputable club so it should at a more than acceptable standard.

No idea what Audax is? Worried that you will have to grow a beard, and fit mudguards? Think that a Brevet is mountain dwelling furry animal?

Check the ACF Audax FAQ:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1201.0

What's an Audax (from Mal Volio over at YACF)

It's a bike ride run under the auspices of Audax UK (AUK) (Ok or a foreign/international audax/randonneur organisation)

The idea is that it is non-competitive, so no times are published, no official placings are given. However there are time limits: the idea is not to ride too slow or too fast. There are maximum as well as minimum speeds and to keep you within these you check into controls around the route. On a 100 or 200 km audax you'd probably get 3 or 4 controls on the route.

Some controls are cafe or village hall stops with food and acontroller to stamp your card; sometimes they are petrol stations and you grab a till reciept as proof of passage. Sometimes you use an ATM. There's a range of luxury, from fully-catered with beds (on an overnight event) to totally shoestring where you are pretty-much on your own. They're all different.

You tend to get out of them what you put in: it's usually possible to find a group going at about your pace to go around with, if you choose, but there's a very strong self-sufficiency ethos. if you puncture they'll check you can cope and most likely leave you to it. If it's a more serious mechanical you'll get lots of help.

Unless you know the riders before hand and/or have agreed to ride together they may not slow down if you get dropped - it's not unfriendliness, it is a recognition that people chose to ride at their own pace and often deliberately drop out of a group if they fancy a slight rest. People have variable paces over a long day: sometimes you'll be flying off the front, other times hanging on the back. You'll all meet up down the road.

If you chat to people, audaxs can be pretty sociable. You may meet some of the more reticent members of the cycling community tho' Wink, and sometimes you have to persevere. I remember the first time I met a leading light of Audax UK. I was younger and quite fit then, and I rolled into the penultimate control of the Elenith (a classic early season hilly 300) in chatty mode. To be cut dead as he turned away and blanked me. I had him down as a miserable old gimp until i got to know him better: he's a great bloke, but just then he was completely shattered and in no mood for my inane idiocy.

Then there's Permanents, Darts, Arrows, SR Series...

The first three are a bit arcane, but it's probably worth describing an SR series. This is, if you like, the goal of AUK: to get people to ride SR Series. The Series consists of a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km audax in the same audax year (currently 1 Nov - 31 October). An SR Series is also the qualification for PBP.

In the early years AUK existed entirely to get UK riders to PBP; these days the vast majority of its 4000 members ride 200 k events or shorter. Only a few hundred each year do an SR Series, and a handful do several.

More info at www.audax.uk.net including the online events calendar. There's an AUK mailing list for the truely hardcore; though it is quite low-traffic it has good info and a pretty good signal-to noise ratio.

Good work, Bill. I reckon I'll do this one. And hopefully make the final checkpoint in time...

One Audax at a time Bill.

But I'm in.

My folks live close by - beautiful countryside, rolling hills but not too viscious...

Viscous? Sticky?

Enter now, and worry about it later. That's my new motto.

You know what I meant, pal!

I get pretty stuck on hills. You know what I meant.

@bill yeah I think two more 100s and I might be ready for a 200 ... Might.

Oooooh, Shaftesbury hut. Posh.

Things can get Ugley around there though.

Isn't there a ride called Ugley Twat or something?

Yeah, your mum.

Jjjjjjajjajajajajaaaa
/rrrrrrrik

I get pretty stuck on hills. You know what I meant.

@bill yeah I think two more 100s and I might be ready for a 200 ... Might.

There's a good one in May - Hop Garden 200. But all in good time...

And you should probably join AUK if you're going to do 3 or more Audaxes. Saves money on entries, and you get the fantastic Arrivee mag posted to you every couple of months.

Time to get this form filled out.

The google map links at the top is actually the location of a pub in Maida Vale called the Warrington. A clerical error Bill?

The google map links at the top is actually the location of a pub in Maida Vale called the Warrington. A clerical error Bill?

Dunno. Not mine, if it is.

Yeah, your mum.
ha! repped.

If you look in the search term box that it brings, you can see the following text: "GR 527294 or see club website"

Ok, I have deleted that part of the OP, and replaced it with the Shaftesbury C.C. page on the event.

So I'm finally able to do one of these rides. Question is, will people not ride with me if I come on a recumbent? Bill's already made it clear he does not approve. Bastard. Seems like the perfect chance to try the one out I've been offered to borrow (still need to pick it up though)!

(although it'd be nice to take the road bike out).

why don't you dgo on the tandem??

That would be pretty awesome too, actually. It needs some work, but I'll ask Adrienne if she's up for it.

ha! repped.

Joe you spaz, how's the collarbone?

So I'm finally able to do one of these rides. Question is, will people not ride with me if I come on a recumbent? Bill's already made it clear he does not approve.

Two reasons for you not to ride the recumbent:

1. You're far too young.
   
2. Recumbents are stupid.