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Has anyone made a useful checklist yet? I want a list but I'm too lazy to make one.

All I have so far is:

1. eyeliner
   
2. sunblock
   
3. two house bricks (useful for propping up the bike and for sorting out bent cranks, wheels or track-ends)
   

I used 67" for the Bryan Chapman 600 but that has some proper Welsh hills (Snowdonia for example), not this pan flat essex/suffolk shite.

I think I'll go back up to 71", possibly even 74" for it (nothing higher as I am starting in Dorking with a climb of Box Hill and the Epsom Downs).

Looks like a tailwind going out (which will probably die at night) but a small headwind coming back, otherwise perfect.

I'll be on this: http://www.greenbank.org/bikes/tempo/tempo7.jpg should be easy to spot. Red "Republic of Anaerobia" jersey.

An alternative to mine, with a bit more of a climb, is to go via Elmdon.

So turn R at the T-Junction onto the B1039, then first left. Climb up Essex Hill into Elmdon. Right at the top of the climb (I think there's a pub there) probably signposted Ickleton.

Then drop down the hill, straight on over a crossroads. Over the M11 and first left shortly afterwards. You then come into Duxford from the South but continue on the road (i.e. don't turn off) which drags you to the right of a grass triangle in the road where the other route joins up.

My usual route (I've done it 20 times or so):-

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/71351

Up the A10, continue straight onto the A1010 at Bruce Grove. There's no real nice way of getting out of London, the A10 and A1010 are fine to cycle along and get the job done quickly.

If it's early enough in the morning then you can cut through the shopping are at Waltham Cross, otherwise go round to the right and then left at the next roundabout to avoid it. Continue north onto the B176 at the roundabout, last exit, signposted Turnford or Wormley.

Straight on on the B176 all the way to the edge of Hoddesdon, at the big roundabout where the main road goes left you go right (Essex Road Industrial Estate) but, within 30 yards, nip up onto the pavement and across the bit of pathway and right onto Stortford Road. Left at the end of that road through some bollards and then right onto Rye Road. Over the couple of bridges (railway and river/canal) and down towards the Nature Reserve over the speed bumps. Through the barriers across the road at the water works (don't worry, it's all ok to do this) and up the hill. Left at the top, over the A414 and first right (Kitten Lane) just as you start to drop down the hill (easy to miss). Right at the T-junction at the end of Kitten Lane (not very good visibility) and you're on the B180.

Continue north on this road for ages. At Widford you'll come to a T-junction where you want to continue North (right) on the B1004. Through Much Hadham and straight on (North) where the B1004 turns off to the right towards Bishop's Stortford.

Through the other Hadhams and Right, imm Left and the A120 crossroads (traffic lights may take ages).

Straight on (keeping right at the fork for Furneaux Pelham) and turn left at the remains of the burnt down pub in Stocking Pelham (they may have rebuilt it by now, or razed it to the ground).

You'll then come to a grass triangle at the B1038, left here and up the hill where there's often a git of a headwind too.

Straight on in Brent Pelham (B1038 turns off to the left). Right at the next grass triangle in the road towards Langley. Left at T junction then right at The Bull pub and up towards Langley.

Left at the village green (by the bus shelter). Marvel at the cricket square on your left and the fact that the cricket pitch extends over the road you're on. Up out of Langley and the S bends to the right then left.

Through Duddenhoe End and Pond St following the road straight (i.e. without turning off). Left at the T-junction onto the lovely surfaced B1039. First right in 2km or so and climb up into Chrishall. Right at T in village by grass triangle in road and continue North.

Keep going North as it flattens out and right hand turn (unsignposted) called Grange Road. It's the right turn about 500m after the left hand turn that is signposted Cambridge (oddly). This takes you round the back of Duxford Imperial War Museum and over the M11 into Duxford village. Straight on at cross roads at the end of this road and follow the road round to the left.

Cross the big nasty A505 by using the pedestrian island in the middle, there are some blue cyclepath signs that'll show the way. It's reasonably obvious what to do. Continue going North.

Once straight over the A505 go up the little climb (on the path) and rejoin the road. Past the turning for the station and through Wittlesford to Shelford. Follow the road straight on, there's a sharp right turn in the road just as you come into Shelford, follow it to the right.

Past the church in Shelford and keep to the left where the road forks. Up to the junction with the A1301 with a Lloyds bank on your left. Left at this junction onto the A1301 and shortly turn right onto Granham's Road at the bottom of the humpbacked bridge.

Over the level crossing and, straight away, left onto the path. There's a useful cycle path along the side of the railway and through the fields to the back of Addenbrookes. Much nicer than either road option.

Follow this cycle path all the way to Addenbrookes and turn right onto the hospital ring road. Follow the ring road round to the main roundabout at the entrance, right (3rd exit) there, then left (first exit) at the big roundabout on Hills Road. Straight on at the traffic lights at the Hills Road/Long Road junction. Keep going that way and you'll be in centre ville.

Midland Super Grimpeur 300.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/317461

Sutton Coldfield
Ashbourne
Edale
Holmfirth
Pym Chair (near Kettleshulme)
Longnor
Uttoxeter
Sutton Coldfield

316km. 5390m climbing. Miller's Dale, Mam Tor, Mam Nick, Jenkins Chapel, Goyt Valley, Axe Edge moor, Strines Moor, Holme Moss.

Took gears and finished with just 10 minutes to spare (21 hour time limit). The leg from Holmfirth to Longnor was utterly bonkers. Well recommended. It's going to be an Audax classic, all it needs is lots more people to do it.

Hardest ride I've done. Even harder than doing the Elenith 300 and Bryan Chapman 600 on fixed.

Oh, and we get a trip on the Woolwich ferry, I assume bikes are allowed on the ferry.

Yep, push you way right to the front of the queue of traffic and go to the far end of the deck on the left. You'll also be first off when it gets to the other side.

Don't bother going on as a pedestrian as you have to carry your bike downstairs and then back upstairs at the end of the journey.

Obviously might be trickier with 20 of you, they might ask you all to go downstairs as peds but I doubt it.

Why bother backtracking for the Greenwich foot tunnel? Just carry on to the Woolwich ferry and, if you've just missed it and can't be arsed to wait for it to come back, then go through the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich_foot_tunnel right next to the ferry terminal (don't think it's been closed yet).

There and other way back:

1. Wibble (road bike)
   
   

There and coach back:
1.stompy (fixed) 57x17. Front brake.

1. broker (fixed)
   
2. clefty (road bike)
   
3. Soul (road bike)
   
   

There and back:

1. hillbilly (road bike)
   
2. object (road bike)
   
3. Oliver Schick (road bike)
   
4. Scott not Scot (fixed)
   
5. Tricity bendix (fixed)
   
6. Greenbank (fixed)
   

Tika, you ever been to La Bombanera then? Me and a few mates are planning a trip there next year, wanna try and go to a derby, v River Plate! :-)

Football fans are bonkers out there. Mrs G and I had 2 months in Argentina and Chile last year (Nov and Dec). Didn't get to go to La Bombanera but did get to go see River Plate vs Huracan at El Monumental, and then got back to BA just before Christmas and blagged tickets for the final play-off game (the play-offs were between 3 teams) between Tigre and Boca at Avellaneda (Tigre won on the night but Boca took the Apertura on aggregate).

In a fit of madness, I have decided to enter the South Then North 600k ut of Derby. Now I just need to decide how to go about it.

Ride to 1st control. Eat beans on toast and cake.
Ride to next control. Eat more food and more cake.
Ride to next control. Eat more food and more cake.
...
Have some cake. Have a few hours nap on a village hall floor. Have some breakast.
Ride to next control. Eat more food and more cake.
...
Ride to finish. Hand in Brevet card. Plan on giving bike away to next person you see.
Get home, find that 2 more ministers have resigned and that Real Madrid have bought Eto'o, Henry, Rooney, Torres and Drogba.
Wait for the Audax MIB to come round and erase the bad memories.
Bask in the glory of an SR.

600s are easier than 400s. Allegedly.

Right, the date's been confirmed - Sun 26th July. CHECK THE O.P

No can do, doing my own tour of football and rugby grounds starting that day (Cheshunt to Dalkeith Rugby Club and back).

Otherwise I'd be there. I'd planned a similar ride with a friend of mine ages ago. Swapping the Daggers for Barnet (too much Norf Lunnon for me otherwise):-

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=368761

This makes perfect sense to me and by my estimate comes in at around 50 miles. How about a swift half in each teams favourite pre football pub on the way?

They don't serve halves in the pub nearest Milwall.

How did it go then?

Long rides in the rain are fun aren't they?

Has anyone done the Denmead 600? Just wondering what the route was like and where the controls lie.

Never done it, but there's a bit of a write up here: http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6023.msg110448#msg110448

Can't find any routes on bikely or anything else.

Green bank, do you think your rules work the same for drunkenness? I probably only do 50 or so drunken miles a week let alone in one go... I think I'm going to need to up my training...

If you don't have time to put in some proper drunken miles then some interval training or 2x20 on Tenants Super might work.

Arse, if I'd known in advance I would have happily joined him. I missed out on my planned 250 mile ride down to Cornwall last week and this could have been a suitable replacement.

Got other plans for the weekend now.

but I bet you'd feel different as you came back into London after the first 120-mile loop and had to set off again...

That's not too bad. It's starting the 3rd 120 mile loop of a ride that's the hard bit. And next month's ride is a little bit longer than that one. :)

hmmm. not being rude but why don't you organize your own separate event. it really, really pisses me off that people hijack CM with their own political agendas.

+1

I voted with my feet and just don't bother going any more. I drop by the start (I work on Southbank) and occasionally have a pint or two with some familiar faces but then I disappear before it heads off.

More recently I've been getting trains to various Audaxes on the Friday night and unable to even do the above.

But the Isle of Man is not a part of the UK, it's a Crown Dependency, that's why my passport says "British Islands, Isle of Man" PLATINITRUFAX

Cav also has full British Citizenship.

Best (dead) UK cyclist? How aobut Tommy Godwin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Godwin_(cyclist_born_1912)

Holds the record for the most miles covered in a year: 75,065 miles.

Yes. 75065 miles. That's an average of 205 miles a day, every day for a year.

Not happy with that, he carried on to get the record for the fastest 100,000 miles by continuing on until May 1940. Then what did he do?

"
Godwin dismounted and spent weeks learning how to walk before going to war in the RAF.
"

That's proper HTFU.

But the Isle of Man is not a part of the UK, it's a Crown Dependency, that's why my passport says "British Islands, Isle of Man" PLATINITRUFAX

Cav also has full British Citizenship.

Best (dead) UK cyclist? How aobut Tommy Godwin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Godwin_(cyclist_born_1912)

Holds the record for the most miles covered in a year: 75,065 miles.

Yes. 75065 miles. That's an average of 205 miles a day, every day for a year.

Not happy with that, he carried on to get the record for the fastest 100,000 miles by continuing on until May 1940. Then what did he do?

"
Godwin dismounted and spent weeks learning how to walk before going to war in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF.
"

That's proper HTFU.

Also need to look for some "sensible" handlebars - 55miles on 33cm risers wasn't the most comfortable ride

My long distance setup: http://www.greenbank.org/bikes/tempo/tempo7.jpg

Profile Century ZB Aero-bars on 44cm Profile T2 Wing base bar bullhorns. MarSAS Audax padding under the bar tape.

Bullhorns for wrestling the bike up the big hills (nothing on the Dun Run compares to various Welsh hills) and the aero-bars for plodding along with the weight off my hands.

Comfy as a comfy thing on the recent 620km ride however I'm still lacking complete feeling in my left hand little finger (it's been a bit on/off since the 750km ride up to Edinburgh back in March) but this is due to being lazy and riding along holding the elbow rests.

(apart from guaging when to eat - any tips on this?)

Eat little and often. Really sugary stuff (i.e. jelly babies) should be for emergency use only.

Something like flapjack, malt loaf, a banana or three, sandwiches, etc. Ideally something that can be eaten whilst on the move.

I carry 3 or 4 McVities Chocolate covered flapjack in a little tri-bag that sits behind the stem. At a cafe stop I'll have beans on toast or a bacon/sausage sandwich. Ginsters "meat and fat wrapped in plastic" (a.k.a. cornish pasty, steak slice, sausage rolls) work a treat too and I usually carry one for mid-ride snack in the rackpack.

If, any point, you feel hungry then you've not eaten enough early enough, eat and take it easy until your body starts to digest it all.

Golden rule: The more miles you have in your legs the more physically prepared for it you'll be and the less you'll have to make up for with grim determination and mental strength (i.e. not giving up).

The "double distance" rule of thumb says that for a ride of X miles you should have done at least one (recent-ish) ride of X/2 miles.

Another rule of thumb says that for a one-off ride of X miles you should be doing X miles of training/commuting/leisure rides a week. Ideally for 4 weeks before the ride itself. (This works up until a point. There's no way I can do 600km a week for 4 weeks before a 600km Audax at the weekend. Nor 1400km a week in the run up to LEL.)

My regular week is commuting 4 days out of 5. = 100km.
One 3 lapper of Richmond Park = 40km (including ride to/from the park)
10km of pootling (down to 5-a-side and back, plus other weekly jaunts). = 10km

This is a pretty regulary 150km a week that is enough to get me round Audaxes once a month (usually 200km or 300km but once or twice a year a 400km or 600km).

More is better, but avoid doing too much as over-training is a serious problem and will leave you bolloxed for the day itself. Ideally you should have 3 or 4 days rest from any big/fast rides before the day itself. Maybe a gentle spin, but no going for a Richmond park 3 lap record or fastest commute.

180km one way.
360km riding back to London Fields (saves you the hassle of getting the train).

I'll be getting the train out to Leatherhead to start at about 6pm, going through to Dunwich, turn around and come back along the same route. I'll then be carrying on through London Fields to Putney to make it up to 400km.

What to do depends on what you're comfortable with. My first 200km ride almost killed me. There's no way I could have considered doing another 200km straight after it. Now it's a relative walk in the park (physically) but it'll never be anything but mentally challenging.

My first long fixed ride was 162km. My second long fixed ride was 315km several months later. Both were fine given that I'd done plenty of 200km rides in between.

Consdiser the "double distance" rule of thumb. If you're planning to do a ride of X miles then you need to have done at least one of X/2 miles. Follow this and you should finish, you might be fucked at the end of it, but you should finish unless you're a big jessie. So 50-60 miles so far and you'll get through the 100 mile DD. Mind you, plenty of people ignore this and are fine. I know someone who's first ride over 100 miles was a very hilly 385 mile Audax.

180km from London Fields to Dunwich. So 200km assuming you need to travel to the start and from Dunwich to a nearby station to get home.

200km =~ 125 miles.

To make it up to 400km (for making it into a 400km Audax) I'm going to have to get the train out to Leatherhead and start there, plus finish near home in Putney.

There's a separate thread for the Dunwich Dynamo...probably best to use that for talking about it rather than this Audax thread...

Sleep? Luxury! I got two 15 minute powernaps on the Bryan Chapman, but then I deal with no sleep quite well. I would have loved 4 hours sleep but I just didn't have the time.

Next ride is the insanely hilly Midland Super Grimpeur (5390m climbing in 300km) on the 27th June. Will be packing gears for that one.
Then, back on fixed and a week after, the Dun Run being made into a DIY 400 cycling there and back.
That leaves 3 weeks to chill and keep the legs spinning over on the commute before LEL.

After that I've got a perm card for the Cheddar Gorge 300. I then need another couple of 200s in September and October to make it up to 50 points for the year. :)