arrivee_126_2014

Arrivée
Number 126 Autumn 2014
the Long Distance Cyclists’ Association
www.aukweb.net

Ron Lowe & Will Davenhill, on the Golden Road and Standing Stones 300k
Photo: Ian Gilbert

EDITORIAL
Arrivée is the free magazine of Audax United
Kingdom—the long distance cyclists’ association
which represents the Randonneurs Mondiaux in
the UK. AUK membership is open to any cyclist,
regardless of club or other affiliation, who is imbued
with the spirit of long-distance cycling. Full details
in the AUK Handbook.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Membership Enquiries: Mike Wigley (AUK Membership
Secretary), Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph
OL3 5UX. Email: mike.wigley@Audax.uk.net
Membership Application Form: www.aukweb.net/
memform.phb
or Ian Hobbs (New Members), 26 Naseby Road, Belper
DE56 0ER.
Email: ian.hobbs@Audax.uk.net
Membership fees
Renewal: £14 or £56 for five years.
New or lapsed members £19 (inc. £5 enrolment fee) or
£61 for five years.
Household members: £5 or £20 for five years. No
enrolment fee for new household members. Life
member’s Arrivée: £9, or £45 for five years.
Arrivée
Extra current Arrivée copies, where available, are £3
(UK), £4 (EEC), £5 (non-EEC). Contact Mike Wigley
(address above).
Mudguard stickers four for £1. AUK cloth badges
£2 (includes UK post, EEC add £1, non-EEC add £2).
Contact Mike Wigley (above).
Contributions
Articles, info, cartoons, photos, all welcome. Please
read the contributors’ advice in the Handbook.
Views expressed in Arrivée are not necessarily those
of the Club.
Produced by AUK: editing, typesetting, layout, design
by Peter Moir.
Printed and distributed: Headley Brothers Ltd,
Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH.
Distribution data from AUK membership team.
TO ADVERTISE
Advertising Manager: Tim Wainwright
4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead,
South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL
Email: twain@blueyonder.co.uk
Rates per issue: 1/₁₂ page £25, pro-rata to £300 per
full page. Payment in advance. Businesses must be
recommended by a member. We rely on good faith
and Arrivée cannot be held responsible for advertisers’
misrepresentations or failure to supply goods or
services.
Members’ private sales, wants and events
advertising: free.
PUBLICATIONS MANAGERS
February Editor: Sheila Simpson
33 Hawk Green Road, Marple SK6 7HR
Tel: 0161 449 9309 Fax: 0709 237 4245
Email: sheila@aukadia.net
May and August Editor: Tim Wainwright
4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead,
South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL Tel: 020 8657 8179
Email: twain@blueyonder.co.uk
November Editor: Peter Moir
2 Peel Close, Ducklington, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29
7YB Tel: 01993 704913 Email: peter@moir.co.uk
To subscribe to the AUK e-mailing discussion list, send
an Email to audax-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Our WWW site: www.aukweb.net
AUK clothing can be purchased directly on-line at
www.forcegb.cc
Copyright © 2014 Arrivée
I hope this issue of Arrivée arrives as you sit and
reflect on yet another successful Audax season;
a season where you achieved all your goals, had
fun, rode some events new to you; or maybe just
felt good that you went twelve months without
forgetting the combination of your cable lock. I'm
sorry to have to remind you that you also probably
forgot, yet again, to buy some winter gear over the
summer while it was cheaper.
Please remember we are always after articles
and photographs for inclusion in the magazine.
Anything from a single photograph to a multipage
article is always greatly appreciated, and
thanks to all who have taken the time to submit
content for this issue. You have two options to
get articles and pictures to the editors – by email
or via the AUK MediaFire “cloud”. Generally the
latter is appropriate for large numbers of higher
resolution photographs but, as Tim mentioned in
the last issue, please do try and rename your files to
something descriptive to help us out.
While on the subject of the publication of your
articles and news, the editors for the new website
are now in place and familiarising themselves with
the backend content management system. It's
expected that the website will be live by the time
the next Arrivée is with you.
We are still looking for another Arrivée editor to
take on the duties of editing the Summer edition
from Tim – see page 7. You'll also see on that
same page that there are number of other vacant
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14
15
16
17
20
22
24
26
Official News
Devon Delight
Ribble Blue
Round the Atlas Mountains
David Matthews
First Aid for Audaxers
Graeme Holdsworth
San Antonio 100k
Luke Joy-Smith
Cambrian 8A Permanent
Martin Lucas
Míle Fáilte
Damon Peacock
How I Became an Audax Rider
Adrienne Coventry-Brown
Man of Kent
Alex Turner
Mille Cymru
Phil Hodgson
Girls on Tour
Ann Marshall
Death Valley Double Century
Tim Gathercole
Autumn 2014
Contents
positions, so if magazine
publishing is not for you,
then why not have a
think about other ways
you can help AUK by
volunteering.
As 2015 is a Paris–
Brest–Paris year, a
reminder that you can
start riding your qualifying
events from 1 January. The details of the
qualifying periods for each required distance are at
www.aukweb.net/events/pbp/ and in the last edition
of Arrivée. Not all AUK events are “qualifying rides”;
those that are, are marked as BRM [PBP] in the 2015
calendar – online and in the back pages of this
magazine.
All our Christmas present buying dilemmas are
now solved with the launch of the new range of
AUK jerseys, gilets and arm warmers. See page 9
for details.
Finally, don't forget it's membership renewal
time again. This time round, why not take out a
five-year membership, save money, and feel nicely
self-satisfied when you read this same paragraph
when I type it next year?
All the best for the 2015 AUK season!
Peter
Please send all contributions for the next issue of
Arrivée to Sheila by 19 December
The Day I Became a Randonneur
29 Tim Harrison
National 400
30
34
35
38
39
40
44
48
50
53
56
Peter Bond
Momma Trumps Big Bertha
David Matthews
Learning the 3Rs
Dave Morrison
My Weekend in Wales
Cristina Ruiz-Perez
The Two Towers
Ribble Blue
RRtY to Super-Randonneur
Steve Whalley
Lutudarum 120k
Peter Bond
Flattest Possible 300
Malcolm Dancy
Escaping the Floods
Chris Beynon
Flatlands 600
Stuart Blofeld
AUK Calendar
Audax UK Long Distance Cyclists’ Association
(Company Limited by Guarantee)
Reg. Office: Timberly, South Street, Axminster,
Devon EX13 5AD.
Front cover: 2014 AAA points champions Martin Malins &
MaryJane Watson. Photo by Louise Rigby
PLEASE MENTION ARRIVÉE WHEN
REPLYING TO OUR ADVERTISERS
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 3

OFFICIAL NEWS
Just a Second
Paul Stewart
Secretary, Audax UK
It’s been another eventful few months for the AUK Board with
some controversial matters resolved and some new ones arising.
In my last column, we were just about recovered from the EGM in
May which approved the introduction of postal voting. Since then
we have been through the process of publishing resolutions for
review via the AUK forum prior to submission to AGM2014, and received
nominations for election to the AUK Board of Directors.
All of the resolutions submitted for AGM2014 came from the Board,
the major proposal being a change to AUK Company Articles to establish
a new Board ‘constitution’, as the last was rather swept away by the
amendment to Article 9 last year. The new proposal establishes a
regulatory framework by which the Board can define the roles it would
see elected to/represented on the Board as Portfolio/Executive and Non-
Portfolio/Non-Executive Directors, enables extended/overlapping terms
of office for continuity, and for Directors to be appointed by the Board
where appropriate.
For AGM2014, the Board would see Directors ‘elected to role’ as this
reflects the AUK operational model, and Director posts were set for
election on that basis. The shape of the Board has changed though, as
beside introducing Non-Portfolio Director positions, the Publicity and
Publications posts have merged and similarly Validations, Recorder
and Brevet Card Production offices are now represented by an Events
Support Director. So overall the Board will be somewhat smaller than
hitherto, and mostly composed of executive/portfolio Directors with a
direct (sic) role and interest in developing and delivering AUK strategy
and services. This is discussed in greater detail on the AUK forum (see the
AGM2014 Draft Resolutions board), in the minutes and officers reports
from the last Board Meeting (published through the ‘Official’ section of
the AUK website), and the Annual Report and Agenda for AUK2014 (more
on that below). There are other changes to company Articles but they are
mostly housekeeping, tidying up changes initiated at AGM 2013.
Other resolutions relate to the AUK Regulations and Appendices,
mostly to allow for the discontinuation of the AUK handbook. The
major new proposal for AGM2014 is to allow Electrically Assisted Pedal
Cycles (EAPC) to be used on Brevet Populaire events. This was initiated
following an approach by a disabled AUK who feared he would soon no
longer be capable of taking part in AUK events without such assistance.
This seemed a worthy request and in keeping with the BP ethos, as these
events are intended to be ‘popular’ (accessible) rather than ‘audacious’.
Aficionados’ of hilly BPs may disagree with that sentiment but the
AAA secretary is content to support the resolution whilst keeping a
weather eye on the use of EAPC bikes on hilly events. The amendment
also clarifies the insurance position, ensuring that as official entrants,
EAPC riders will be covered by the event insurance. To be clear, this
amendment applies to BP events and awards only, i.e., not Brevet
Randonneur.
Another change arising is that the popular ‘Randonneur Round the
Year’ scheme administered by Peak Audax has been formally adopted by
AUK. The RRTY scheme will continue to be administered by Mike Wigley
(AUK Membership Secretary) as now, the only immediate practical
change being that only Randonneur events recognised by AUK, i.e.,
listed in riders ‘results’, will qualify. I’m sure you will all join the AUK
Board in offering thanks and congratulations to Peak Audax and Mike for
their work in developing this great award scheme.
The most significant change to AUK regulations though is an
amendment to AUK Regulation Appendix 7.1, which relates to ‘riding AUK
events in conjunction with other organised events’, and now references
‘…other events eligible for AUK awards’. For many this is a major change,
as the ACP/FFCT convention is that rides could not/should not count
towards award schemes offered by different bodies.
The amendment was proposed by the Regulations Committee
earlier this year with a view to widening the range of rides and events
which might count towards AUK (BP and BR) awards, and to clarify the
position of such rides being registered as DIY Permanents, there being
no satisfactory definition of what constitutes ‘an organised event’. It
was intended this would progress to AGM2014 along with the other
proposals from the Board but it was not formally adopted until after
the submission deadline. Consequentially, it has been progressed as a
temporary change pending ratification at AGM2015, which means the
amendment will effectively run for a year as a trial. In hindsight this
would seem a sensible approach for a change of this nature.
To be clear, it is expected and required that all Brevets recognised by
AUK conform to AUK standards and regulations, something which in turn
has cast a spotlight on AUK standards and regulations, especially those
regarding self-sufficiency and competition, as the amendment demands
a simple and concise method of defining these concepts. As you might
expect, this has been the subject of some lively discussion. For more
information, see the Notice to Members in published in this edition of
Arrivée and through the News & Notices sections of the AUK Website and
the AUK Forum.
Four immediate beneficiaries of this amendment were a group of
riders who took part in this year’s edition of the Hamburg Berlin Koln
Hamburg 1500km event organised by Audax Club Schleswig Holstein
2000 in Germany. Whilst the event is run to traditional Audax standards
the event is not registered with the ACP/LRM and so in the normal
way is ineligible for AUK awards. As previous editions of the event
had been recognised by AUK, the riders asked for their rides to be
similarly recognised, following the appeal process outlined in the AUK
regulations. After due consideration the appeal was granted, as under
different circumstances the enabling amendment might have been in
place prior to the event. The Board offers their congratulations to the
riders for their participation in one of the longer cycling events in the
international calendar.
As I write, planning for AGM2014 and the Annual Reunion Weekend are
advancing. The full agenda for AGM2014 has been forwarded to Electoral
Reform Services who are managing voting arrangements for the AGM so
they can setup the voting website. The agenda document, or rather the
Annual Report and Annual General Meeting Agenda for 2014 to give it
it’s full name, includes the Directors Annual Reports, Accounts, Special
Resolutions and Director Nominations. All good stuff. The document
will be published through the AUK website and circulated to members
by post and email along with ballot papers and signon details for the
voting website as appropriate. The voting website is scheduled to be live
by Oct 25 and postal voting will end on Wednesday Nov 12 at mid-day.
Thereafter the results will be forwarded to the designated ‘Returning
Officer’ who will hold the results in confidence until they are required.
Having enabled members to vote in absentia, we hope member will
attend the Reunion weekend. As always, members are encouraged to
ride up. Yarnfield is in easy(ish) cycling distance for many but bring
your bike anyway. As we are in Peak Audax country, Mike Wigley has
organised a ‘club ride’ for Saturday morning, complete with Café stop.
The only downside is that he will bring you back in time for the AGM! If
you have not booked already there is time and the booking form is on
the AUK website, but please let Judith Swallow who is handling bookings
know your plans ASAP.
Moving on, Linda Johnston, AUK treasurer is standing down this year,
something which has weighed on the minds of the Board. Linda has
provided a fine service over the last five years, and whilst some AUKs
have expressed interest the reality is that the role of Treasurer/Finance
Director will fall vacant at AGM2014. Whilst aspects of ‘book-keeping’
and organising the management accounts can be ‘outsourced’ we need
somebody to manage these services on behalf of AUK, i.e., a Finance
Director/Finance Delegate. This situation is increasingly urgent so if you
know about money and would like to help AUK manage it’s coffers, we
would be pleased to hear from you!
On the events side, for the riders taking part the National 400
organised by VC167 was a great success. Alas there were not enough of
them, and consequently the event suffered a loss of ~£1100. AUK have
underwritten the event so VC167s costs will be met but this demonstrates
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OFFICIAL NEWS
the need to ensure that where such financial support is offered
that all aspects of the event organisation are covered.
Two other major events this year were the reboot of the
Windsor Chester Windsor 600 and Mark Rigby’s Highlands, Glens
& Western Isles 1300. Both proved very successful though the rider
experience was very different. Whilst WCWers received TLC from
the control teams organised Sue Gatehouse and Keith Harrison,
the HGWI pushed rider self-sufficiency to new limits. One issue
arising was that the nature of the route meant it was impossible
for HGWI riders to stay within the controls time schedule, which
was set using the regular min/max speed formula. It’s not widely
appreciated but LRM regulations allow organisers to adjust the
control timings where necessary, and greater attention will be
given to this aspect of event planning in future.
The last major area of discussion was regarding Publicity and
Publications. The much anticipated new AUK Jerseys and Gilets
are available through the ForceGB website from 1st October, the
cost of a standard jersey being £50 inc. P&P, and Danial Webb
(Publicity Secretary) will move on to look at new designs for
Brevet Cards and Arrivee, along with a special Brevet Card for PBP
qualifier events and an AUK jersey for the event itself. Danial is
also working with Sheila and the newly recruited team of website
editors to progress the magazine website (audax.uk), and the
goal is for that to go live in January 2015.
The Board has also been liaising with Invent Partners (who
developed the LEL website) to develop a specification and
quotation for the new AUK website. Reviewing the quotes
submitted, the Board concluded the quotes were somewhat
incomplete and that, given the cost and complexity of the project
a more detailed and forward looking project brief which might
be used as the basis of a general invitation to tender for the work
was required. As the Board lacks the resources to develop this, it
was decided to invite Invent Partners to submit a quote for this.
Correspondence
Dear Editor
I enjoy reading all the tales of rides in Arrivée but I am
continually frustrated by the lack of DATE and EVENT TITLE
that will enable me to enter the audax next time.
Can this be included please?
Martin Tipping
Martin
As editors we do try and ensure that such information is
included where provided and will, where time permits, often
add extra information when we can. You are correct in that
the publication of ride reports in the magazine is designed to
promote interest in future events, so I will use this opportunity
to encourage contributors to include such key information in
their submissions.
Peter
New Organiser Required
Corwen Rides - Bala Parade 60km, Brenig Bach
100km, Barmouth Boulevard 200km
David Matthews is taking over organisation of the Seamons
CC Tour of the Berwyns from 2015 and, as a result, a new
organiser is required for his Corwen Rides series from 2016
onwards. Rides are already in the calendar for Saturday
July 18 2015 but the date could be moved to suit the new
organiser as from 2016. David will be able to give full support
and training (if needed) to the new organiser through 2015
to 2017.
David can be contacted by email on dmanu@outlook.com
For this year's event report on the Corwen rides, see
page 49.
Notice to Members regarding a change to
AUK Regulation Appendix 7.1
Pending ratification at AGM2015, effective September 24, 2014, Appendix 7.1 is
amended to read:
An AUK event may not be ridden concurrently with any other event
eligible for AUK awards.
Background
From time to time AUK receives enquiries from members wishing to take part
in non-AUK/ACP/RM homologated events which nominally comply with AUK
regulations and standards and to have their rides recognised by AUK and
count towards AUK awards. Whilst the number of such requests is relatively
small, they can be significant to the riders concerned. Similarly, the board
recognises the need to clarify the regulatory status of such rides undertaken in
conjunction with a DIY Permanent brevet.
Brevet Applications
This amendment allows such rides to be registered as an AUK Permanent
event. Where the ride is validated by an organising body and such validation
is deemed acceptable to AUK, such validation might be used as ‘Proof of
Passage’ for the AUK Brevet, otherwise riders will collect such Proofs as allowed
and required by AUK regulations, e.g., receipts, brevet card stamps or GPX
track. Whilst such rides may be registered as regular or DIY Permanents, it is
expected that most will be registered as DIY Permanents, so that each edition
of the event and route will receive due scrutiny for compliance with AUK
regulations.
The event to be ridden in conjunction with the AUK brevet will be named
on the application form and this will represent the rider’s statement and
commitment that the event and the ride undertaken in conjunction with
it complies with AUK regulations and standards. When submitting such
applications, riders should allow reasonable time for AUK to research the event
as might be required.
This approach has been adopted because it allows and ensures such rides are
progressed in accordance with AUK regulations and using established AUK
event management processes and procedures. For the avoidance of doubt,
the prohibition against riding two AUK recognised events concurrently is
unaffected by this amendment, and it is expected and required that all parts of
any ride validated by AUK under this amendment will be fully compliant with
AUK regulations in terms of self-sufficiency, distance, timing, non-competitive
and so on.
Brevet Randonneur Calendar and Permanent events
organised by other ACP affiliates
AUK Regulation Appendix 7.1 previously read ‘An AUK event may not be ridden
concurrently with any other organised event’. Other ACP affiliates generally
include a similar regulation as a local implementation of the ACP regulation
regarding the conduct of Brevet de Randonneur Mondiaux which has been
translated in English as “A brevet… may not be counted as participation in
another event held in conjunction with it”. Accordingly, unless advised to the
contrary by a competent representative of the local ACP affiliate, riders should
assume that Brevet de Randonneur Calendar and Permanent events falling
under the jurisdiction of the local ACP affiliate will not be validated by the local
ACP affiliate when ridden in conjunction with a brevet registered with AUK by
way of this amendment. Similar restrictions may also apply to award schemes
operated by other organisations, i.e., FFCT Diagonales de France.
Governance
The amendment has been progressed under the powers granted to the Board
by AUK Regulation 1.4, ‘The Appendices to the Regulations may be changed
by the board during the course of the year, subject to ratification at the next
general meeting’. The amendment was agreed at the AUK Board Meeting on
Sept 29, 2014. The next AGM to which this amendment can be submitted for
ratification by way of a special resolution is AGM2015. In practice this will allow
the amendment to run for a year as a trial.
For further information see the ‘News and Notices’ sections of the AUK website
and Forum.
Paul Stewart, Secretary, Audax UK
September 30, 2014
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 5

OFFICIAL NEWS
Agenda for the Audax UK Long Distance Cyclists’ Association AGM 2014
To be held at the Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre nr
Stone, Staffordshire on November 15, 2014, commencing at 2:00pm
The full Annual Report including the Directors annual reports, Annual
Accounts and details of special resolutions together with the Agenda
as shown below have been circulated to AUK members by email and by
post as appropriate. The Annual Report and AGM Agenda can also be
downloaded from the AUK website.
1. TO RECORD THE NAMES OF THOSE PRESENT AT THIS MEETING.
2. TO RECORD APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
3. TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE LAST AGM as a true record of that
meeting.
4. (The minutes were published in Arrivée, Winter 2014 Edition123 and
are on the AUK website.)
5. MATTERS ARISING from the last meeting.
6. TO CONSIDER DIRECTORS’ REPORTS.
7. TO CONSIDER THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS AND TREASURER’S
RECOMMENDATIONS.
8. TO CONSIDER SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS
1) Proposal - To amend Articles 1, 5, 9 & 14 of the AUK Articles.
2) Proposal - To amend Article 7.6 of the AUK Articles.
3) Proposal - Sundry amendments to AUK Articles
4) Proposal – To amend AUK Regulations & Appendices to allow
EAPC on Brevet Populaire events
5) Proposal – To amend AUK Regulations & Appendices regarding
Awards and Trophies
6) Proposal - Sundry amendments to AUK Regulations &
Appendices
9. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
10. DATE AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
11. CLOSE OF MEETING
Nominations For Director
CHAIR
Chris Crossland AUK2964: Proposer, Danial Webb AUK5263; Seconder Dave
Atkinson AUK2620
My life with AUK includes five PBP’s; two LEL’s; Ultra Randonneur;
Brevet 25000, and organiser of many events (ROA 25000). My committee
experience includes twenty years chairing trade union branches and
being Chair/Secretary of Joint Trade Unions Committees within NHS
organisations, and similar committee involvement with cycling (Chair /
President /Secretary of two CTC member groups) and local football
league organisations (twelve years as League Secretary). My objectives as
Chair are to: make AUK more focussed, improve governance and widen
participation in decision-making.
SECRETARY
Paul Stewart AUK4488: Proposer, Liam Fitzpatrick AUK7100; Seconder,
Francis Cooke AUK915
I joined AUK in 2004 and began organising Calendar events in 2007
to repay my SFW, R10K and PBP badges. I joined the Board as Secretary
in 2013 with the goal of improving communications between the AUK
Board and Membership, and to help promote Audax as a popular and
accessible form of cycle sport. This year I have overseen the introduction
of the AUK forum and the review by members of resolutions prior to
submission to AGM2014, which for the first time will feature postal voting.
My professional background is in IT and Project Management.
CALENDAR EVENTS DIRECTOR
Martin Foley AUK3207: Proposer, Alex Pattison AUK4344; Seconder, Martyn
Peggie AUK8533
I rode my first AUK event in July 2003. Since then I have ridden 8 SR
series as well as organising calendar events at BP, BR and BRM category
and a number of Permanent rides. I am currently the DIY Perm organiser
for Scotland. I have worked in the dental and bicycle trade and have many
years experience of managing and running my own small business. If
elected I would seek to provide support for organisers of all AUK calendar
events and the development of AUK strategic planning.
Tim Sollesse AUK6069: Proposer, Pat Hurt AUK6700, Seconder, Ian Hennessey
AUK2294
AUK Member and PBP Ancien, AUK & ACP Brevet5000, mentored
by Rocco Richardson, AC Hackney Team Fleche captain, CTC Miglia
Milla champion and organizer of JOGLE rides. I am the organiser of
the ‘Steamride’ AUK events which use manned controls, website and
facebook to attract new AUK members, and am planning Raids &
1000km and London - Land’s End - London (Triple L). As Event Secretary
I would implement AUK strategy and embrace Strava like county/region
Award/Challenge tables. My professional background is in IT (Business
Intelligence) systems with large companies. My goal is for more happy
active members.
PERMANENT EVENTS DIRECTOR
John Ward AUK826: Proposer, Margaret Phillpotts AUK1070, Seconder, Tom
Elkins AUK8230
SR and PBP Ancien, I have organised AUK events from 50km to 1,000km,
including the New Forest Permanent and Calendar Events for 11 years.
As Permanents Secretary since 2005 I have seen a steady increase in the
number of Permanents, the introduction of DIY and ECE events, GPS DIYs
and Virtual Brevets. Lots more still to do with the introduction of new AUK
website and “back-office”. I am also a committee member of CTC Wessex
Cycling and the organiser of the Lymington Tuesday Cycling. Outside
cycling I am the Chair of the New Forest Association.
DIRECTOR AND MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Mike Wigley AUK6480: Proposer, Peter Lewis AUK7916; Seconder, Sheila
Simpson AUK207
I have been an Audax member for 23 years and in that time I’ve ridden
663 events and achieved status as a Randonneur, a Super Randonneur, and
a Randonneur Round the Year. I completed LEL in 2013 and my main focus
is currently on my first (and last!) PBP in 2015. I have organised Calendar
events at 50-600km as well as a series of popular Permanents. I’ve been
Membership Secretary since 2010, and was previously an Enrolments
Delegate 2003-2009.
EVENTS SERVICES DIRECTOR
Peter Lewis AUK7916: Proposer, Keith Harrison AUK263; Seconder, Matthew
Chambers AUK7300
I have been an enthusiastic member of AUK since 2010, helping with
events and completing RRTY(2), SR(3) and LEL. Elected AUK Recorder
in 2013, I have gained insight into the complexities of AUK’s Events
Validation and Recording system and relationship with ACP (I am bilingual
with French as my other language). I hope to use this along with my
professional skills and experience on international standards committees
to serve AUK in the new & wider role of Event Services Director as we move
into what I believe will be one of the busiest years in AUK’s history.
PUBLICITY AND PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR
Danial Web AUK5263: Proposer, Denise Hughes AUK6710; Seconder, Sheila
Simpson AUK207
I have been a member of Audax UK since 2005, and a board member on
and off since 2008. I’ve organised countless hilly events, as well as London
Edinburgh London in 2013. I have really enjoyed my year as publicity
officer and I’m very keen to continue this work. I would like to build on the
work I’ve done to smarten up our image, and apply this work to our new
website. I plan to continue to build the team that will edit both the website
as Arrivée, as well working with other members to publicise what we do.
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OFFICIAL NEWS
Wanted
Membership Team
Delegate
Ian Hobbs is standing down after doing a sterling job of welcoming
new members to Audax UK, after having overseen an increase in
membership to over 6000. We now need an Enrolments Delegate
to send out our “welcome to Audax UK” letters, along with a copy
of the current Arrivée magazine.
You will need access to Broadband, email, and a printer, together
with the capability to receive and store stocks of Arrivée. A friendly
local post office is going to be really useful.
The role operates around the year, although the busiest time of the
year is usually in the spring so shouldn’t encroach onto too much
cycling time. Don’t worry though, we allow you to have the odd
week or so off!
For more information please contact Mike Wigley,
membership@aukweb.net
Wanted
AUK Finance Director and
Treasurer
Linda Johnston, the AUK Treasurer is standing down at AGM2014
after 3 years in post and so we are looking for a new Finance
Director and/or Treasurer designate to help develop new
accounting and ecommerce processes and generally look after ‘the
books’.
For more information please contact Paul Stewart, secretary@
aukweb.net, or Chris Crossland, chair@aukweb.net
Wanted
Brevet Card
Secretary
We are looking for an enthusiastic volunteer to provide this
vital service as part of the Event Services team. You will need
somewhere for a free standing digital photocopier and stocks
of blank cards (all provided by AUK) and a broadband/email
connection. A friendly local post office is a 'must' as there will be
regular despatches to Organisers. Backup is in place for holiday
cover.
Please contact Peter Lewis, AUK Recorder, for further details
Wanted
Arrivée Editor for
Summer Edition
After many years, Tim Wainwright would like to hand the
editorship of the summer Arrivée to a new editor. The position
involves complete production from start to finish of the magazine,
so good knowledge of desktop publishing using Adobe InDesign
(or QuarkXPress) plus Photoshop would be essential, though help
can be given to get you started. Software will be supplied by AUK
Responsibilities of the post include
• preparation and collation of articles and adverts for
publishing
• preparation of digital images from members
• laying out the text and images into a page makeup program
• uploading press ready files to our printer's website
For more information please contact either Sheila Simpson,
sheila@aukadia.net, or Tim Wainwright, twain@blueyonder.
co.uk
The National 400, 2015
The National 400 for 2015 will be hosted by CTC Highland on Saturday
25 July, based from Dingwall Academy with a route taking in spectacular
cycling country in the far north of Scotland. Remote sections,
undulations & twists in the road follow the natural terrain and bring
many new & spectacular views at the top of every rise & turn in the road.
The route takes a circuit to Durness in the far north west of Scotland
then follows the spectacular north coast road for about 80k before
returning south back through the Flow Country of inland Sutherland.
Most of the 400k are on remote single track roads not normally
experienced by cyclists from ‘the south’ which takes to the extreme
the AUK principle of self-reliance, there are not many bike shops on this
route! All controls are in halls (where a bit of mechanical help & advice
may be on hand) and all food will be included in the entry fee (that
means you will be fed 8 times (as much as you can consume), eat your
heart out El Supremo).
There is plenty to do for the family too so make it a long weekend or
longer perhaps and at the end of July it will be a great ride to keep the
fitness going in preparation for PBP.
John Hamilton
map data ©Google 2014
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 7

BREVET POPULAIRE
Terry Dolan and Brian Fisher leaving the start at Newton Abbot
Ben Brodie near Starcross
Steve Main & Martyn Dean on tandem at Cockwood near Starcross
Graham Brodie has been
organising this event together
with its sister, the 200k Torplex,
since 1994. Being the 20th year of
the event Graham was far from
being disappointed with the entry
as over 170 had signed up for the
ride – more than twice that of last
year.
The usual talk at the start
concerning potholes in various
places along the route; sand,
gravel and slippery surfaces to
watch out for; but he omitted to
mention the large holes in the
road just as you leave the start
– hopefully nobody punctured.
Nine o’ clock saw the riders leave,
all trying to get in front down
a narrow cycle path to leave
Newton Abbot and cross the River
Teign to head towards the Haldon
hills.
A large group of what
appeared to be sportive riders
fresh from the recent Dartmoor
Classic worked their way through
the field to get up to the front
and take the lead. But there’s a
difference between Sportives and
Audaxes, the latter do not arrow
the route and it was interesting to
see that they all followed the front
group past the turn for Sandygate
and head for the dual carriageway,
instead of the lanes up to the top
of Haldon. It was a case of ‘see you
later alligator’ and later we did
see them, but it took two or three
miles for them to catch us all up.
Over the top of the hill and a
Devon
Delight
Sunday 20 July
photographs by Graham Brodie
steep descent down to Ashcombe
Church for the first info control.
I'm not sure how many more times
Graham can use the telephone
box in Ashcombe, as he must
be running out of questions he
can use from there. Always very
pleasant to ride along the Dawlish
Water valley with its picturesque
cottages dotted on either side,
and glimpses of the sea as the
route works its way into Dawlish.
The usual flurry of activity at
the check point just before the
Warren, with ‘goodies’ being
handed out to keep us all going
for the next 25k before we got to
the Stoke Canon control. Through
the Warren and alongside the
River Exe to reach the Exeter
bypass before decyphering the
route sheet to get through all the
new roads they keep building
around Exeter – there’s some new
ones every time you do this event.
Free from all the new housing
estates and along quiet lanes –
where the only hold-ups are due
to horse riders who are also out
enjoying the fine weather – finds
us going through Poltimore to get
to Stoke Canon village hall for a
well-earned sit down, cuppa and
a cake.
The next 10k along flat lanes
through Thorverton and onto
Crediton gave no indication as
to what lay ahead. Up to now
with the exception of climbing
over the Haldon hills the route
had been fairly flat, but as Ü
8
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
www.aukweb.net

NEWS
The new Audax UK
jerseys are now
available to order
We've produced two styles of jersey for
you to choose from, a black jersey with
coloured trim, and a plain colour jersey
with black trim. Both jerseys are available
in each of the seven Audax UK colours. In
recognition of our kingdom of nations,
you can also choose from one of four
national flags (or no flag) to wear on your
arm.
We also have a gilet for sale, again
available in the seven colours, plus
armwarmers in either lycra or thermal
roubaix fabric.
The jerseys are just £49.99, and the gilets
are £54.99. This includes free postage to
the United Kingdom. For international
orders, add £3 per item.
The jerseys are made by ForceGB, who
made the jerseys for London–Edinburgh–
London. You can order directly from them
at www.forcegb.cc Delivery time is around
four weeks.
Û Crediton was left behind the
lanes took on a more hilly form
with a particular steep climb to
get into Tedburn St Mary. I had
been joined by a couple of CTC
Devon riders for most of the
route, but after the last climb
their mood seemed to have
changed from being chatty and
all smiles to demanding to know
if there were any more climbs
before the finish and yes there is,
some of the remaining miles are
like a sting in the tail.
Up a couple more steep
ones which saw riders taking
to walking to get to the top but
then a drop into the Teign valley
eased their recovery and with the
exception of the climb just past
the quarry it was a case of just
take it easy for the last few miles
into the finish for a cream tea and
drinks.
Thanks Graham for a very
enjoyable event, and look
forward to next July for the 21st
Devon Delight.
Ribble Blue
BLOWINGSTONE–WHITE HORSE
AUDAX
Sunday 17 May 2015
Uffington, Nr Wantage, Oxon
107 km
New name & revised route this year –
omitting the off-road sections – and with a
flat, fast final 15km
Mark your calendar!
A traditional shop with well equipped
workshop and experienced staff.
For ALL your cycling needs.
8 Shelfhanger Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4EH
01379 650419
www.madgettscycles.com
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 9

ON TOUR
Into the wild – heading west to Tazenakht
Round the Atlas Mountains
A Moroccan Road Trip
David Matthews
Having enjoyed several holidays
riding in the Alps and Pyrenees
after retirement from the
world of work, in March 2014
the time eventually arrived to
fulfill a long-held ambition to visit the Atlas
mountains of Morocco. It is necessary to visit
in early spring or the autumn to avoid the
45/50°C temperatures experienced during the
summer.
My ambition to visit the Atlas was first
stirred during my mountaineering days in
the 60s and 70s when it was apparent that
a number of well known British hill walkers
were moving out to Morocco to find pastures
new, following their extensive exploits in
the UK. Having walked and climbed in most
parts of Britain by the mid-80s, I was looking
to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers.
Then cycling intervened and gave me a whole
new set of geographically more conventional
challenges until I finally revisited my "let’s go
to the Atlas mountains" ideas in 2013.
Rather than plan all the details of my first
visit, it was decided to join one of KE’s sevenday,
fully supported, road cycling trips – ‘The
Tour of Toubkal’. This 700km, 6,500m ascent
route departs from Marrakech to describe a
southerly clockwise road route around Mt
Toubkal, 4167m, the highest mountain in
North Africa.
The following notes give a flavour of the
ride – which I would describe as a great new
experience if not always a traditional holiday.
Comprehensive details of the route and
associated arrangements are available on the
KE website.
The first barrier to the circuit is the high
pass of Tizi n'Tichka 2,260m following an
initial motorised transfer out of Marrakech
to Taddert hamlet at 1,670m. The reason for
this transfer is twofold: firstly to escape the
Marrakech traffic; and secondly to allow time
to get to the first available overnight stop,
103km beyond Taddert at Quarazate.
Throughout this ride there tends to be only
one possible road and one possible location
for the overnight stop – especially beyond
Zagora at the edge of the Sahara desert.
Roads vary from occasionally smooth to
very rough, although the Moroccan people
are gradually improving the worst of them.
Minimum 25 section tyres are recommended.
You will have seen much of Quazarate at
the movies for this is where ‘Lawrence of
Arabia’ and the Spaghetti Westerns were
filmed in the surrounding rugged landscape.
There are still some plastic forts up in the
hills, left over from the scene sets. We stayed
in a beautiful hotel at Quazarate, as we did
at Agdz (day 2) and at Zagora at the
edge of the Sahara desert (day 3).
Summit of Tizi
All ten of us had our photos taken at
n'Test
the famous sign pointing across the
desert indicating ‘Tombouctou 52 days’, which
is the time it takes by dromedary. (There are
no camels in Morocco!)
We returned up the fertile Draa valley to
Agdz in the support van, to enable timely
connection to the road to the small town of
Tazenakht 1,398m for our next overnight stay.
Beyond Agdz the route gets into very remote
Café stop at Ait Saoun on the road to Agdz. A rare experience on this trip!
Mustapha preparing lunch
Start of the Tizi n'Test – 2100m from this junction at 450m. A long climb!
10
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
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ON TOUR
hill country and some very poor roads. Lunch
was the usual tajine, bread, and salad prepared
by our excellent, multilingual guide Mustapha at
the back of the van. No cafés in these parts!
Tazenakht is a transit town on the main inland
highway, some 200k east of the large port at
Agadir (a kind of downmarket M62 service area).
The hotel here was a shocker – dirty and cold.
We were kept awake all night by packs of dogs
fighting in the street outside until dawn – at
which time the Mullahs chimed in with their
calls to prayer.
All of us were tired next morning as we set off
for 120k riding into a block headwind blowing
straight in from the Atlantic at Agadir. We
eventually arrived at Aoulouz feeling shattered,
before one final short climb to a beautiful hotel.
A lovely hotel but no hot water. Still, it was clean
and the food cooked by Mustapha once again
restored our spirits.
The penultimate day’s ride took us over the
Tizi n’Test summit 2100m, back in the direction
of Marrakech. This pass is well graded with a
good road surface and cafés. A very long 1,650m
ascent in beautiful scenery that had more of an
Alpine air than the rest of the trip.
To complement the Alpine atmosphere, after
a long descent from the pass we stayed in a
‘gite’ at Ijoukak, a small village lost in the folds
of Mt Toubkal. Here we followed our established
routine of showering (often tricky due to dodgy
plumbing), eating at 7:30pm, bed at 9:30 (no
alcohol, no internet, no mobile phone signal,
too tired to have a party!). Then up at 05:45,
breakfast (bread, eggs and fruit) at 07:00 to be
on the road at 08:00.
The final day involved some lumpy roads
including a 300m climb to the town of Asni
which is used as the base for trips up Mt Tubkal.
Following Asni, it is all downhill through a few
towns to Marrakech. In one of these towns I
came across the first roundabout of this trip. As
I entered the roundabout a car passed me very
close forcing me into the kerb, then indicated
left just beyond, suddenly slammed his brakes
on and turned right about 1m from my front
wheel and stopped. There is no intent in these
actions – it’s just that Moroccan drivers are not
used to dealing with bikes.
Back in Marrakech we had a hotel room for
the afternoon to get changed and pack the
bikes. A quick trip to the airport and we were
back in Manchester by midnight.
All in all a fascinating trip in observing a
different culture and lifestyle from our own
in the developed West. A great experience
and well worthwhile. With especial thanks to
Mustapha and his two helpers who looked after
us so well during the whole of the trip. ◆
The road up to Tiz
n'Tichka
The famous sign at Zagora
On the Tizi n'Test
climb showing the
Atlas mountains.
This is a major
hanglider sports
area due to the
excellent thermals
rising from the
valley
Pictorial mural
showing most of our
route
Typical Moroccan
road scene---outside
Quarzazate heading
to Agdz
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 11

FIRST AID
First Aid – Just Another Part of
Self-Sufficiency
I haven’t completed an Easter Arrow; mainly I
blame Chris Smith. He and Lindsay (of VC167)
appeared to be bad-weather magnets in 2013,
we abandoned in the snow at Durham Service
station. I know it wasn’t my fault because
that same year, Lindsay and Chris kept the
rain to themselves while we enjoyed the driest
(easiest?) Bryan Chapman Memorial ever. My
next Easter Arrow, in 2014, we abandoned
with only 75km under our belts; Chris whinged
and moaned about breathing difficulties from
Castle Howard to the top of Blakey Ridge,
including the single 16km climb of 360m
from Kirkbymoorside to the Lion Inn. When
he collapsed due to his ‘cardiac event’ (after
getting a round in) we no longer had the heart
(sic) to continue.
I never saw the BBC documentary episode
where they filmed the Air Ambulance crew
caring for Chris while Mark explained that
we were Audaxers; experienced long distance
cyclists enjoying an overnight ride… ‘Snow
Roads?’ Ha. Come and have a go at an Arrow,
Dougie Vipond—you’ll die laughing.
I doubt Dean will ever lead an Arrow
team again; at least not with me in. Unless
memories fade quickly I doubt Steve and Mark
will sign up for another one either. Chris is
limited to flat routes under doctors’ orders.
Anyway, this irreverent prelude opens a
piece I asked St. John Ambulance to write
especially for Arrivée after I explained what
Audax was. Self-sufficiency is one hallmark
of an audaxer; navigating our way across the
country from control to control, no back-up,
no rescue, no sag-wagon or team car. We carry
what we need and often carry something to
help others too. Chris had cycled 35km while
experiencing his ‘cardiac event’ which none
of us recognised, and which none of us was
equipped to deal with. As cyclists we often ride
in temporary alliances, or alone, all day and
sometimes all night. While we can fix most
mechanical issues; I for one wouldn’t know
how to deal with a medical breakdown at all.
I wrote to St John Ambulance to ask for
specific advice for long distance cyclists. They
have a couple of first aid “Apps” (computer
programs for mobile phones); one of which is
newly minted and targeted directly at cyclists.
I’ve downloaded this in the hope that I’ll never
need it. Opposite is the St John Ambulance
guidance for Audaxers.
Graeme Holdsworth
12
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
www.aukweb.net

FIRST AID
The nation’s leading first aid
charity, St John Ambulance,
wants to ensure that the
UK’s cycling community
is equipped with first aid
knowledge so that more
cyclists can help where
circumstances might need
them. Ashley Sweetland,
National Cycle Response
Unit Manager at St John
Ambulance, has been on duty at events across the
country this summer, including the Tour de France,
and helped develop St John Ambulance’s new first
aid mobile phone app specifically designed for
cyclists. Here is Ashley’s advice on the essential first
aid that endurance cyclists ought to know.
Just as you’d always pack a puncture
repair kit on a long ride, you also need to be
prepared for a first
aid emergency as
well. Whether you’re
cycling through a
city or miles from
the nearest house
and whether it’s your
ride partner who’s
had the accident or
you’ve come across
an injured cyclist in
the road, you can be
prepared to make
a difference to the
situation.
Make the scene safe
The first thing to do when treating an injured
cyclist is to make the scene safe – including
yourself. If you’re unable to ensure your own
safety, don’t approach the casualty until expert
help arrives. Even if
it’s a quiet road, you
need to be prepared
for traffic. Ask any
other people on the
scene to help divert
the traffic ensuring
their safety at all
times – this is where
the high visibility
clothing you may be
wearing will come in
useful. If you’re not
with anyone else, try
to divert traffic away
from the casualty
using your bikes as barriers and use bike lights to
light the scene if it’s dark. Finally, wearing your
cycling gloves, take care of any broken materials,
such as bike lights or other sharp objects.
What to remove and what to leave
When you’re helping an injured cyclist,
you can consider removing a bicycle helmet
but don’t remove gloves on injured fingers if
they’re painful – as they may be supporting
broken bones. You can remove a backpack or
clothing from someone with an injured arm to
make them more comfortable but start on the
uninjured side first. If the casualty is unconscious
(and breathing), then you should focus on
getting help and protecting the casualty’s
airway. Place them in the recovery position
until help arrives – ensure that any tight fitting
straps from a helmet
aren’t causing any
obstructions.
Minor injuries
For all minor
injuries, first help the
casualty away from
any traffic. Even if
it’s an isolated road,
move them to the
side – you never
know when another
road user may come
round the corner. If
there’s no first aid kit
available, you can improvise to treat many minor
injuries. Use an inner tube, belt or clothing as a
sling, bandages (to apply pressure) can be made
from bike jackets or any other items of clothing
and clothing can be soaked in water from
your drinking bottle if you don’t have a cold
compress to hand.
Head injuries
Around three quarters of cyclist fatalities are
from major head injuries. For any head injury,
call 999/112 to seek medical advice and request
urgent assistance. If you haven’t got mobile
phone signal, ask a
passer-by to ride to
where they can make
a call with your exact
location – if this isn’t
someone you know,
then ideally you will
ask them to come
back so you know the
call has been made.
Make the scene safe
and keep the casualty
still until they have
been assessed by
the ambulance
crew. Monitor
the casualty’s level of response (airway and
breathing) regularly.
Any cyclist with a head injury should not
return to cycling until they’ve been assessed by
an appropriate healthcare professional - even if
the finish line is just over the hill and they now
think they’re feeling fine, you should strongly
advise that they don’t get back on their bike.
Heart attacks
92,000 people in the UK suffer heart attacks
each year, and a third of those die as a result. If
you’re in an isolated location, it’s vital that you’re
able to recognise four of the key symptoms
so these can be acted on promptly. Spot the
symptoms by remembering the ‘Four Ps’:
Pain (in the chest or jaw)
Pale skin
Pulse (rapid and weak)
Perspiration (or profuse sweating)
If you notice some of these symptoms in
the cyclist you’re treating, then they may be
suffering from a heart attack. Other heart
attack symptoms can include breathlessness or
gasping for air, abdominal discomfort, sudden
collapse, feeling faint or dizzy, or a blue tinge to
the lips. So what do you do next?
Call for help – Call 999/112 for emergency
help and tell ambulance control you suspect a
heart attack. Again, if you haven’t got mobile
phone signal, ask a companion to ride to where
they can make the call.
Sit them down –
Sit them in the ‘W’
position so they’re
sitting up at about 75°
to the ground with
knees bent.
Give an aspirin –
If available and not
allergic, give them a
300mg aspirin tablet
to chew slowly. If they
have any medication
for angina, such as
tablets or a spray,
help them to take it.
Then constantly
monitor and record breathing and pulse
rate until help arrives. If the casualty falls
unconscious, put them in the recovery position:
Kneel beside the casualty. Straighten their
legs.
Place the arm nearest to you at a right angle
to their body, with the elbow bent and palm
facing upwards
Take the casualty’s far arm and place it across
their chest so the back of their hand is against
their cheek nearest you.
Grasp the casualty’s far leg just above their
knee. Pull it up until their foot is flat on the floor
Using the raised knee, roll the casualty
towards you keeping their hand pressed against
their cheek
Adjust the
casualty’s upper leg
so that both hip and
knee are at right
angles
Tilt the head back
to keep airway open
We know the cycling
community looks
out for each other,
which is why we want
to equip as many
cyclists as possible
with the first aid skills
to help when the unexpected happens. The free
First Aid for Cyclists app is available to download
for Android and iPhones from Google Play and
Apple’s App Store – just search “first aid for cyclists”.
St John Ambulance’s free wider first aid app is
also available for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone
users and can be found by searching “St John
Ambulance first aid”.
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 13

BREVET POPULAIRE
San Antonio 100km
-Randonneuring in the US
Luke Joy-Smith
Whilst on a family holiday in Orlando, doing the Disney thing
with my two daughters, the second Saturday of our two-week
holiday marked the ideal opportunity to fit in an audax whilst
away.
When on holiday I always hire a bike and explore the local area for a
day. However, when considering this before we left it was clear that to
see Orlando itself by bike would not be worthwhile (as it’s full of 2–4
lane highways). So I looked on the RUSA website and sent a couple of
US randonneurs emails to find out about suitable perms. My luck was in,
there was the third running on the San Antonio 100km, which required a
70-mile drive to the start. Bizarrely, it’s still a local event for Florida, even
the organiser Paul Rozelle came from the St Petersburgh area approx 50
miles away.
I exchanged a few
emails before I left
the UK and printed off
the route sheet. Paul
guided me to a bike
hire shop in downtown
Orlando and I was
sorted.
As the day arrived,
I was all set to leave
Mickey Mouse behind
for a day.
An 8am prompt
start meant it would
be a sensible time to
leave our apartment and as I drove towards San Antonio I could see why
the route was starting there. Florida is an exceptionally flat state and was
described by Paul as a state with a history marked by the invention of airconditioning.
Yet this route would really cover traditional Florida.
A number of things were similar to a UK- based audax, but some other
things were unique, mainly because of the size of the state (nearly the
size of England). Most riders were all meeting each other for the first time.
Another interesting point to me, was that this was their end of season ride
as they avoid the intense heat of the summer months. Therefore, after this
ride, there wasn’t another until October time.
Some UK-based riders may know Paul Rozelle, as he’s ridden PBP in '07
and '11. It was nice to exchange stories with him about PBP before the ride
started. However, as 8am drew near, the 20 riders gathered for last minute
instructions and then we were off.
I don’t know if I was under prepared or whether other riders were over
prepared, as one guy had a pepper spray in his back pocket! However, we
quickly hit the quiet countryside and had a 30-mile first section to Lake
Lindsay. As the heat started building I found myself at the front, riding
and chatting to a local guy on his first ever audax. However, as the inclines
(lumps) appeared, it became clear that my UK experience of hills shone
through, in fact on the whole route I never came out of the big ring.
Passing state troopers on one road with their speed camera, they
looked well prepared for any trouble, some of these could be well placed
back in the UK with certain drivers I’ve experienced on rides.
Arriving comfortably at Lake Lindsay, it wasn't until I stopped, did I
realise just how hot I was. Standing still made me start to drip with sweat,
even whilst standing in the shade at 35°C.
The second leg was fantastic. A 20-mile section, with 15 miles of it on
a pan-flat cycle trail in Withlacoochee. This was similar to riding through
the New Forest. It was along this trail that you could appreciate US nature;
my first sight was a
vulture cleaning out a
tortoise shell, shortly
followed by more wild
tortoises and lizards.
Also, instead of being
hit by flies, here I
would hit the odd
dragonfly.
Leaving the trail
at Trilby (our last
control), it left a
rolling 15-mile section
(similar to the road
to Monmouth on
BCM, without Llancloudy). By this point I had left my riding partners who
seemed to be taking it easier in the increasing heat and decided to see if
I could catch/pass the last two riders ahead. I hit the arrivée in just over 4
hours – first home (result, although not a race, of course).
Paul was sat in the park, with a much appreciated cold box full of chilled
drinks. I sat around and spoke some more with him and the next couple
of riders to finish, then collected my USA Randonneur medal and headed
back to Orlando to see the family, and prepare myself again for more
Mickey Mouse stuff.
◆
A RAMBLINGS FROM VERA SLOE
The first audax I did was called the rolling rambling roads. I was
warned at the time that audax was addictive. (Un)fortunately I
paid no heed. Thus:
To her love:
Shall I compare thee to some other ride?
Th’art more scenic and do not climbs abjure
Rough flint doth pave the rising road its side
And faerie’s bite I all too oft endure.
Sometimes too hot the eye of heav’n doth shine
And down dry throat is my full bidon washed;
Else soak’d wet through, I loudly curse and whine
When clothes by passing cars are coldly splash’d.
But such be-drenching rainstorm cannot last;
So I again posess that sun-burnt form.
Nor shall I tarry o’er wide landscape vast
Throughout eternal rides in night and gloam.
So long as auks can breathe or pedals turn;
So long ride they, for audax points to earn.
(With apologies to Bill Shakespeare and his sonnet 23)
Now to eat some damsons - like sloes, only different.
Arabella
14
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
www.aukweb.net

PERMANENT
More Contours Than You Can Poke A Stick At
Cambrian 8A Permanent
Martin Lucas
Looking at the permanent lists for
challenging rides, I was reminded of
the Cambrian 8A brevet card that was
lurking in the drawer waiting to be used. A late
August weekend presented an opportunity,
unfortunately potential ride partners were
unavailable (washing their hair perhaps?) and
there were no takers on YACF, so it was to be
a solo ride. As far as I know only Toby Hopper
has ridden the 8A, and he had kindly provided
his tracklog with the actual 835km and Garminrecorded
15,900m of climbing, on which I
planned my route (official contour counted
climb figure is 13,500m). I also based myself
at the Dol Llys campsite that Toby used, on
outskirts of Llanidloes.
The route is a figure-of-eight with 2 x 400-ish
kilometre loops centred on Llanidloes. My plan
was to ride the northern loop, rest at Llanidloes
and decide during the southern loop whether
to try and ride straight through or break the ride
and get full value from the 60 hours available.
So I set off just after 4am on the rollercoaster
road to Staylittle heading to Dinas-Mawddwy for
my first ascent of Bwlch-y-Groes from the most
difficult side. It is reported to be the highest
tarmacked pass in Wales, climbing 385m over
3.6km with extended sections of 1 in 4. With
fresh legs and a 30 x 27 gear it proved to be a
tough but manageable climb and I stopped
at the top in early morning light to admire the
view. Onwards and downwards to Bala. Then the
route headed SE to Montgomery which was new
territory for me after passing Lake Vyrnwy. A
lovely section and a little help from the westerly
wind that was picking up. After turning around
it is NW to Corwen (206km) via the Berwin
Hills for more new territory and, less welcome,
the feel of a headwind that became a familiar
feature during the ride. A series of Ferraris
passed in the opposite direction enjoying the
open road – vrooom. Remote countryside and
lanes on the way to village of Llansannan where
the PO and pub were closed so a letter was
posted to organiser Colin Bezant in order to
control. Heading towards the A470 as it follows
the valley towards Betws-y-Coed, the direct line
goes up and over on a hardcore twisting lane
before joining the A5 and continuing to Capel
Curig. Over Pen-y-Pas heading to Llanberis and
arriving at Pete’s Eats at 5:30pm (288km) for my
first proper sit-down meal of the day. A large
plate of spaghetti bolognaise and two mugs
of tea helped restore the energy levels. Up to
this point I’d been pressing on with quick shop
controls and no faffing or mechanicals to delay
me. Setting off on the return up Pen-y-Pas I was
looking for some help from the wind at last and
it delivered for a while, but I needed to pedal
downhill to Beddgelert, before picking up some
assistance each time the route headed slightly
east on the run back to Machynlleth where I
arrived just before 10pm. There remained the
not so minor matter of the hors-categorie last
leg from Mach’ to Llanidloes. I have a vivid
memory of climbing in the dark with the wind
howling and seeing a pair of lights appear high
above me, my first thought was that it was a
plane, but I then realised it was a car coming
over the mountain road! Arriving at Llanidloes
before midnight (415km) I quickly visited the
cashpoint to control and then headed off to the
campsite for food/shower/rest.
I decided to set off at 7am the next day and
see how things developed rather than having
a firm destination. A bit damp on the way to
Devil’s Bridge but drying on the run up the
Elan Valley to Rhayader. I made a change to not
head via the reservoirs but climb out the end
of the valley and enjoy the descent into town. I
remembered the spinning required whilst riding
this section of the Elenith on fixed. Main roads
now for some easy cycling to Builth Wells where
there was a big show on but traffic was ok and
I’d made good progress arriving at 10:30am
(502km). Next up was a long westerly leg to
Aberaeron on the coast via Devil’s Staircase
and Tregaron – yup, the wind was still there
and it was hard work all the way. I really could
have done with a riding partner to share the
effort. As it was I arrived in Tregaron and found
a solitary audaxer in the square. It was a rider
on the Tregaron Dragon calendar event taking
a breather. We chatted whilst I downed a tin of
spaghetti and pint of milk and stowed another
tin in my seatpack for use later. Great views of
the coast opened up as I approached Aberaeron,
it looks a nice seaside town judging from my
first brief visit. The next 105km via Llandeilo
towards Aberdare was a real rollercoaster
requiring much granny ring action… I reached
Glynneath around 8 pm after 90km (665km)
feeling a bit frazzled and decided to try and find
somewhere to stay for the night. I was directed
to the Lamb & Flag pub which had a nice room
available, would let me keep my bike in the
room and, as I’d be leaving before breakfast
time proper, agreed to prepare a packed lunch
for the following day. A quick trip to the Indian
takeaway up the road and a pint to go in my
room and I was sorted for the night.
A 4am start the next morning for the
anticipated 170km to Llanidloes with 12 hours to
complete looked to give a good safety margin.
So after enjoying the packed “lunch” I let myself
out of the pub back door. It was damp becoming
wet on the way to Aberdare and involved some
big climbs to get out of the Valleys. Then a lovely
long run down to Brecon and Hay-on-Wye to
arrive before 8 am (742km) for a warming pasty
and coffee. Hay to Knighton was as lumpy as
ever but the sun was breaking through by
then. I really enjoyed the ride up the valley to
Newtown but caught the A road to Llanidloes at
a busy time – I used this as motivation to push
on to the finish. It was great to roll into town
feeling in decent shape around midday with a
comfortable 4 hours in hand.
So in summary I used most of the 60 hours
available over 3 days of 415km, 250km and
170km. I had some mixed Welsh weather
with the wind in particular adding to the
challenge. But most of all it was an excellent
adventure awheel! I also have the satisfaction of
completing the Cambrian 6A, 8A and 10A over
a three year period. Someone mentioned a 12A
but it was just a wind up (I think).
The Cambrian 8A is recommended if you wish
to visit some of the less well travelled parts of
Wales and enjoy poking a stick. Worth noting
too that the 8A route combines the 4F and 4G
routes and either of these would be a great long
ride in their own right.
◆
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 15

RANDONNEES
Míle Fáilte 1200
Damon Peacock
Having filmed LEL in 2013, I was
interested in another project for
2014. However I was concerned that
I'd aggravated my sciatica in preparation
for the LEL, mainly from the Pendle 600.
It had also been a bit stressful sorting
out equipment and logistics. But that
equipment was now lying about the house
in a mildly reproachful way.
I had been asked by the organiser of
the Irish 1200k ride,
Míle Fáilte, if I'd like
to film that. But I
was still suffering
from sciatica at the
time. I gradually
recovered from that,
and bore the Míle
Fáilte in mind, also
bearing in mind
that someone else
might be interested
in covering it, so
expressing too
much interest in
something that
might not come
off, might cause
problems. The
information about
the event was
detailed, informative
and amusing.
Which was very
encouraging.
2014 turned out to
have good weather, I didn't throw myself
into Audax. I'm not certain that a detached
retina I'd had in 2012 wasn't related to
untrained exertion. I did do a 600 though,
to keep my hand in, and also to reassure
myself about my own credentials. My legs
and back felt good enough to consider
motorcycling. So I renewed the MOT on
my 30 year old BMW K100. While waiting
for the test to be done, I indulged my
pork pie habit at the local butchers. He
was a motorbiker himself, and we fell
into conversation. His parents were from
County Clare, and he had a farm over there.
Ireland was a great place to ride, he said,
and when I told him about the Míle Fáilte,
he said it sounded great, and asked if I was
getting any younger.
Having contacted John O'Sullivan, the
organiser, I booked a ferry journey from
Liverpool to Dublin. My friend Dave had
filmed the LEL with me, but had now sold
his motorbike. He was clearly interested in
filming the event, but from a car. I could
see the appeal, especially if it rained,
but it's difficult to pass cyclists on minor
roads. I juggled the logistics in my head,
but couldn't get it to work, especially the
journey from Dublin to Midleton near
Cork, with two of us and all our gear. I
also envisaged difficulty managing two
differing sets of misery if the weather was
typical.
The ferry journey was interesting.
Overnight, with a meal in the evening; a
shared cabin with a bloke who insisted
in having his earphones on, until I pulled
the lead out; breakfast, and a 5am arrival
in Dublin. It was fine, but very cold, and
I stopped at the first services on the
motorway to thaw out. The first impression
was that it was much like England, apart
from the towers. There seemed to be
lots of fortifications, especially in Cashel,
when I diverted to get fuel. Where I live
in Lancashire all that sort of thing got
flattened during the Civil War in the 17th
Century. I was interested in the survival of
those buildings, but decided to steer clear
of historical enquiry, as Irish history seems
to be more of a living thing than at home.
Midleton turned out to be the home of
Irish Whiskey, with a tour of the distillery
advertised as 'The Jameson Experience'.
I filed that away with 'The Macbeth
Experience' as a mixed blessing, but I did
make a little foray down there with Julian,
Gordon and Graeme. I'd seen a list of
riders, and many were old friends. I also
knew many of the volunteers from LEL and
from the Mersey Roads 24 Hour ride, which
attracts a lot of interest from Ireland and
indeed Scotland. Hospitality is a reciprocal
duty in the Audax world and I had
something in the bank from trips to supply
LEL and long nights spent on roundabouts
in Shropshire watching 24 hour riders go
round and round.
I wasn't prepared for the magnificence
of the room I got in the Midleton Park
Hotel. The double
bed and a single
seemed a bit of
a waste. I hope
the film conveys
the organisation,
and the nature
of the ride, so I
won't spoil any of
that for you. The
following morning
it took two hours
after the start for
me to realise that
coming alone had
been an error. The
weather was great,
and forecast to
continue that way,
the scenery looked
magnificent, and
the riders looked
somehow 'right'
in the shots I was
taking.
I feared that
I'd be overwhelmed by the job, and start
working to a set formula. I'd go home,
show the footage to Dave, and we'd both
feel that we'd missed an opportunity. So
I phoned him and asked if he'd like to get
on a plane to Cork. He duly did that, ceding
massive Brownie points to his wife Ann. We
then had an amazing three and a half days,
which I hope the film conveys. Others will
doubtless be writing about the event, so
I'll leave that aspect to the riders. Suffice to
say that I'd go back tomorrow if it could be
as near perfection as our experience.
Details of Damon's videos, including the Míle
Fáilte 2014, are available on his website
www.damonpeacock.com
16
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ON TOUR
How I Became an
Audax Rider Adrienne Coventry-Brown
After Niel’s bike was lost by British Airways while on the global
bike race, and my bike with everything I owned on it got stolen
when I turned my back on it in Vietnam in 2012, we wanted to go
somewhere ‘safe’. And I really wanted to cycle across a continent.
Canada is the biggest country in the world behind the USSR
continent. After spending a long time staring at maps and guide
books, and following the blogs of other transcontinental Canadian
cyclists, we decided the most scenic route and the ‘path of least
resistance’ involved crossing into the USA at a few places. All previous
transcontinental cyclists had started or finished in Halifax Nova
Scotia, so that had to be incorporated into the plan. Canada is a
British colony just like our home of New Zealand, so we could travel
there without needing a visa, but we did need a visa for the USA,
and one with multiple entries and exits as we would cross the border
between the US and Canada three times. We knew the wind was
predominately from the west, so our course started in Vancouver,
British Columbia, and headed east to the province of Ontario,
where we then headed south across the border into Minnesota, east
through Wisconsin, Michigan and back into Ontario (which is a very
large province). At the Niagara Falls we crossed back into the US
and through the states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and
Maine. We were supposed to ferry from Maine to Nova Scotia, but
simple plans can go awry and we ended up crossing from Maine into
Canada’s New Brunswick province before heading finally to Nova
Scotia. Approximately 7,500km.
After a day of sightseeing and buying supplies in Vancouver, we
pointed our bikes east and said goodbye to the Pacific coast. Little
did we realize it, but this was going to be a trip of big kilometers each
day. It’s a long way between places in Canada, with not much in
between. Our first day of 143km was a good achievement (especially
with the load we were carrying), but it actually became our average
daily distance, and became easy and nothing to crow about. Allison
Pass on day two was supposed to be steep, unrelenting and a natural
wandering area for black bears. I won’t pretend that I wasn’t worried
about it.
What follows is an account of the trip, taken from selected daily
diary entries.
June
19
2013
I can safely say that Allison Pass
is up there as one of the hardest
passes that I have ever done. 1350
meters from sea level and it climbed
for 60km with just one flat section
in the middle. It was pouring with rain and only
5°C – cold enough to see your breath.
I was doing really well, and no incline was too
much to cope with, when I ‘hit the wall’, and as a
consequence I got hypothermia. I was nauseous
– my stomach was doing somersaults and
gurgling, my judgment was impaired and I was
starting to feel like I was going to faint. When we
got to the ski village of Manning Park, I insisted
on a motel room to recover, warm up and dry
everything.
On reflection though, I think doing that
massive hill in the cold and wet, would’ve been
easier than in the heat.
June
20
2013
Today was even colder than
yesterday – if you can believe it –
only 4°C. The rain was even heavier
than yesterday and we were so cold
that our hands and feet weren’t
working properly. Then Niel remembered that
he had packed overshoes and wooly gloves, so I
wore the overshoes and Niel wore the gloves – it
helped enormously. The road wasn’t downhill;
it climbed back up to the height of Allison
Pass three times before finally descending to
Princeton. It was still lightly raining here, so
we stopped at a café that advertised all day
breakfasts and we had an enormous cooked
breakfast. So warmed up, and with our bellies
full, we carried on to Keremeos. As we got
closer, we could see a patch of blue sky in
that direction. It had stopped raining and the
temperature had risen to 7°C, and we actually
felt warm.
The campground manager here says that
most cross country cyclists give up before
Keremeos, because Allison Pass is so tough.
For the next few days we climbed enormous
passes. First was Anarchist Mountain, then
Bonanza Pass, and then a day of non- stop
hills. This is British Columbia: wet, green,
wild, and scenic; full of wild flowers, rivers,
lakes, mountains, and bears.
June
24
2013
Back to rain again, but guess what?
We saw a grizzly bear cub, only two
to three meters from us. Amazing
– what a huge buzz. I didn’t see it
until it burst out of the bushes on
the side of the ride right beside us, and then it
ran up a rocky bank. Niel saw it straight away
and they stared at each other, and after it ran up
the bank it stopped and stared at us. When we
got to the next village, the café owner told us
there is a mother grizzly bear with three cubs in
the exact spot we told her of our sighting. God,
I’m glad it wasn’t the protective mother bear we
saw or we may not be here to tell the story.
After a day of very remote roads with no
human habitation – so no food or drink stops
anywhere – we finally made it to Revelstoke
and the gateway to the road across the Rocky
Mountains. Apparently all the rain has
produced terrible flooding in Calgary on the
other side, and the powers that be have closed
the road. After a day off, we found out the road
from Revelstoke to Banff is now open, but the
road onwards to Calgary will not be open until
the weekend. We judged that by the time we
cycled there it would be the weekend.
June
27
2013
We made it into the Rockies and
‘Golden’. Rogers Pass is the easiest
pass I have ever cycled. You follow
a railway line the whole way, so
that is an indication of the gradient.
However after the pass the railway line goes
in a different direction and , after initially
descending, the road climbs a lot steeper – we
climbed back to the height of the pass again
before finally descending.
15km out of Revelstoke we saw a bear and
passed our 1000th kilometre. But the best
sighting of all was as we exited an avalanche
tunnel, and there was a black bear right at the
exit. Niel pointed to it, and his action of pointing
meant that four cars screeched to a halt and
people started running towards the bear with
cameras. What do the park rangers say? – “Never
approach a bear!” We got a quick photo and
were off – so was the bear, who didn’t look at all
perturbed by the attention.
So after a long 150km over very scenic roads,
seeing amazing wildlife, and crossing from
Pacific Time to Mountain Time, we made it to
the city of Golden.
Another just as long day with just as
spectacular scenery took us to Lake Louise,
and to an enormous and very full campground
as it is Canada day this weekend
Adi and Niel Coventry-Brown - in the Rockies
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 17

ON TOUR
June
29
2013
I got up early, as I knew it would be
a long day, but not as long as this –
172km. While packing, Niel noticed
his rear carrier was broken. So he
did a patch up job of taping up the
break with the brace of an Allen key tool to get
him and his gear down to the town and to the
bike shop we saw when we came into town last
night. Needless-to-say, we didn’t get away until
almost lunchtime. While Niel was putting on a
new carrier, I went to the visitor’s center to find
out about the road ahead – it had been flooded
last week. Apparently the cycle track has been
washed away and the bikes have to be put on
to a shuttle bus to the next town, for which you
have to pay.
It was hot and we were on the motorway (as
the other route was still impassable), this was
downhill with a tailwind, so we made up time
on our late start. We decided to act like ignorant
foreigners if we were stopped for riding on the
motorway, especially on the part where we
were supposed to be on a shuttle bus. It was
no problem and we weren’t the only cyclists to
use the road as we saw wheel marks in the mud.
Sure, the road showed signs of terrible flooding
and there was debris everywhere, but why do
the powers that be think that cyclists can’t ride
on the road as well as a cycle track?
After passing quickly through Banff (which I
found too artificial and soulless), we finally made
it to Seebe, our destination for the day, but there
was nothing there, and I mean nothing – just
a road sign. There was no option but to go on
for an extra 52km to find human habitation. It
was Indian Reservation land, so there were no
shops and we were definitely running on empty
when we pulled into the next town at 10pm.
We had a quick and nice Chinese meal while
the restaurant was still open, and then tried
to find accommodation. It being Canada Day
tomorrow meant every motel was fully booked.
At 11pm, just as it was getting dark (thank god
for the longest day), we finally found a camping
ground, but it was closed for the night. We
pitched our tent there anyway and, very dirty,
very tired, and very sunburnt we finally got to
sleep at midnight. ”If we can do this, we can do
the Paris–Brest–Paris," I said as our heads hit the
pillow.
We were told before we left home that there
was a big area of nothing we would need
to cross. That "nothing" was the Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba plains. Calling
it "nothing" is insulting. Yes it is flat, and
there are very few trees, but there are things
of interest and the cycling was easy. For the
first time in my life I was riding huge distances
every day, and I couldn’t blame it entirely on
favorable winds. I was finding I could ride all
day and felt good the whole time. One day it
would be 150km, the next 170, then 180 and
then 150 again. I had never felt so competent.
We were flying across the plains. After crossing
into Manitoba and writing in the border
visitors center what we were doing and issuing
a challenge to all other cyclists to ‘catch us if
you can’, we spent the next 4 days clocking up
800km to get just past Winnipeg, the supposed
half way point across Canada.
July
12
2013
180km is my personal record in one
day while touring. I found it easy
and have never felt so fit. I feel like I
can do anything. It rained for most
of the day, which helped to keep
things cool, but the highlight for the day was
catching up with Jessie and Jackie.
Jessie and Jackie are the people who initiated
the web site for cyclists doing the Trans-Canada,
So you can follow others in their blogs to find
out how they are going. Jessie and Jackie have
already been on the road for 100 days. They have
cycled from San Diego in the SW of California,
all the way up to Alaska, across the Rockies to
Jasper, and then across Canada to Labrador.
They are still cheerful and not the least bit sick of
the journey – good on them.
July
13
2013
Manitoba turned on a beautiful day
with lush forest, rocky outcrops, and
scenic lakes everywhere. We passed
the border into Ontario province,
and the scenery continued to be
spectacular, particularly the town of Kenora,
with views of the ‘Lake of the woods’, with
forested islands and boats everywhere. It is a
hot, sunny blue sky day and it is possibly the
most scenic day of the trip.
We left Jessie and Jackie after a lovely lunch
together, as we wanted to go further than
them today. We spent the night in a forest park
campground big enough to be a tent city. And
I feel asleep to the sound of wolves howling in
the distance.
The next day we crossed into the USA –
Minnesota to be exact – at a place called
International Falls. We were heading for the
city of Duluth. Duluth being the western most
edge of Lake Superior. It seemed that Duluth
didn’t want to be found, as we were beset by
delays; a bridge was out due to repairs, and
we had to go in the opposite direction to find
a road we could use; we missed an unseen
fork in the road, and once again went 30km in
the wrong direction before we realized it and
managed to get back on track. Campgrounds
did not exist but only after doing circles of
30km looking for them.
It was very hot, and we had gale force
headwinds to content with. We started to scan
the horizon for the water towers and platforms
that indicated a town coming up for food and
drink stops. It is just as well that we are fit and
used to doing long distance. We eventually
made it to Duluth and the great lakes.
The Michigan Cycle Trail
July
21
2013
It was cool today, which makes
cycling easier than in the heat. The
road was all in the ‘Ottawa National
Park’, so there were trees all day.
However we were both a bit jaded
and homesick.
I’ve been through the roller coaster of
emotions today. This morning I saw a father
teaching his young son to shoot a rifle. That
made me so angry. That boy is being taught that
it’s okay to shoot to kill. His target was a human
figure. Along with the homesickness, I wasn’t
feeling very happy. We got our airline tickets out
and started to talk about going home. Then a
couple of things happened to snap me out of it:
we realised that we only had thirty cycling days
left until we reach Halifax in Nova Scotia; and
then we met some people from Halifax at our
lunch stop, which made us feel like we were on
the home straight.
‘It rained and rained and rained, the
average drop was well maintained, and after
a drought of half an hour, we had a most
refreshing shower.’ This is part of a poem I’ve
seen about the weather on the west coast of
the South Island of New Zealand. Michigan
was very wet. But when we crossed the St Clair
river (which is the border between the US
and Canada) on the ferry, we were back into
Ontario province again.
We passed through several pretty ‘port’
towns. They were busy and thronging with
people. We are not far from the most populated
part of Canada – around Toronto. So many
people throng to to beaches at the ‘ports’ on
the weekends and this weekend had a public
holiday as well. We are amazed to find out
that Canada has a day off every month, even if
there is no particular reason for a holiday.
Aug
4
2013
The road was like Cornwall in
England, dropping down to ‘ports’
and then climbing really steeply
out of them. Pretty as it was, I got
sick of it, and when a direct route
presented itself, I decided to take it. The weather
stayed nice, but with a strong crosswind. About
20km from Dunneville, a group of Harley riders
gave us problems.
They rudely overtook us and immediately
turned right – right on top of us (remember
we are riding on the right of the road). The
leading rider almost took Niel out, and then
the second rider was trying to turn in the 1
meter gap between Niel and me, almost taking
me out. Swear words were exchanged. Then
they all turned around and decided to harass
us, by accelerating up to speed and cutting us
really closely. Actually that is just a normal New
Zealand driver, so it didn’t scare us. But no more
than ten minutes later we saw them stopped
getting petrol. We rode in amongst them and
started pointing and memorizing their number
plates to tell the police and suddenly they
looked frightened and sped off.
Then we found the camping ground and it
was so full that it actually gave me shell shock.
After seven weeks of quiet campgrounds we
get this one, with boy racers and their loud
stereos on one side, a loud drunk family behind
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ON TOUR
us who couldn’t stop laughing, and on the other
side a family with untold kids who thought our
camping spot was their personal playground. Suffice
to say after 3 hours of sort of sleep we left tired and
irritable. We were no longer talking about doing the
Paris–Brest–Paris, basically because we had stopped
talking.
This demonstrates how important food, drink
and adequate sleep are to being able to carry on.
Yes we were fit, but physically, emotionally, and
mentally exhausted. Even seeing the stupendous
Niagara Falls couldn’t get us back to our old selves.
It took many days of forcing ourselves to slow
down enough to ‘smell the daisies’ before we were
talking and smiling again. By now we were in the
Adirondack Mountains in New York State. We
know we are going to make it now. When we tell
people that we are heading for Halifax, not only
do they know where it is, but they all say “oh you
are almost there”. If only things had worked out as
simply as that.
Aug
14
2013
I’ve had the worst thing that can
happen to a cycle-tourist last year,
when my bike (and everything I owned)
got stolen in Vietnam. However today
would take a close second place when
it comes to drama. I believe it’s how you cope with
these dramas that define you as a true adventurer.
After climbing a hill that went on for 15km, I finally
summited and put the brakes on for the downhill,
and ‘boom’ – my back tyre exploded. I’ve had a
‘donk, donk ‘ noise in my rear wheel when I put on
the brake for 10 days now. Niel looked at the rim,
didn’t see anything wrong and reckoned it was oil
on the rim, but it obviously was something far more
dramatic to make my rim rip apart.
I started walking as Niel had sped off enjoying the
downhill. A kind motorist stopped and asked if he
could help. I asked if he could drive on until he saw
a cyclist in white Lycra bike shorts just up ahead,
and tell him to stop and wait for me. When I finally
reached an impatient Niel, sitting on a railing, we
realized my rim was unrepairable.
We were in the middle of nowhere, there wasn’t
even mobile phone coverage, and I had to put out
my thumb try to get a ride to civilization. No one
picked me up. After walking for a few kilometers,
Niel was waiting for me outside a house where the
people ‘looked friendly’. Initially we asked to use
their phone to ring a bike shop in the next town
60km away, but by now the shop was closed for
the day. These lovely people drove me and my bike
30km to the nearest habitation that had a motel.
It is now 30km to the town with the bike shop,
so Niel will ride there first thing in the morning,
get a new wheel and cluster (as I only have 3 gears
left that work), and a chain as well; ride back to me
waiting at the motel, put it all back together, test
ride it, and then ride back to the town together.
Thank god we still have 2 emergency days up our
sleeves.
Then, this evening, we had WiFi at the motel, so
we decided to check on some of the other Trans-
Canada cyclists. One couple found their ferry to
Newfoundland had been cancelled and they didn’t
know what to do, so we decided to check ours as
well. My god, that had been cancelled too. After
frantically looking at maps and searching for a ferry
that still existed, we found one from St John in New
The Atlantic at last
Brunswick (Canada), to Digby in Nova Scotia. But
St John is an extra 300km off our original route. Do
we have enough time to get there? Well we have
decided to do even bigger distances for a few days
to get there. Hopefully nothing else will go wrong.
Aug
18
2013
Everything seems to happen in threes
and the third almost disaster happened
today. Niel’s rear wheel was ‘not feeling
right’, and it was moving a lot from side
to side. He reckoned the bearings were
the problem. Even though we are pressed for time,
we decided to stop in Bangor instead of going on.
There is a bike shop here, where we can get parts, if
we went on; his bike might fall apart in the middle of
nowhere – like mine did. Unfortunately it is Sunday
today and the shop isn’t open until tomorrow. So
we got a motel for the night, so that Niel can take
his hub out of the wheel, it was as wrecked as my
rim had been. Luckily Niel kept the hub and spokes
off my wrecked wheel and he built these into his
good rim, so all he needed to buy was a cluster that
fit that hub and a new chain. There goes our last
emergency day.
We will now have to take a shorter route to St
Stephan’s tomorrow, as we don’t have enough time
to go around the coast.
Aug
19
2013
Niel finished fixing his bike by 10 am
and we didn’t muck around as we were
trying to do 150km today. Not a hope in
hell. The road was non-stop sharp ups
and downs with no shops except what
I would call a ‘roadhouse’ – café / motel / RV Park. I
ran out of energy at 7pm and called it quits at a rest
area that had a private patch of grass hidden from
the road, a public restroom and a river nearby. We
had no dinner just what we had left over from lunch
and we had to drink the black colored river water
as the cooker was playing up. I hope I don’t get sick
from it.
Famous last words – the next day I got food
poisoning, but that misery was counteracted by
finally reaching the Atlantic coastline. Yes – we
had made it at last – I can now call myself a
transcontinental cyclist, and no one can take that
away from me.
We made it to Halifax in time to fly home. And I
have realized that I am pretty good at riding long
distance. This eye opening fact was to change me
and what sort of riding I was to do in the future.
The first thing Niel and I did when we got back
to normal on arriving home was to join UK Audax.
New Zealand doesn’t have a club, although there
is now a Kiwi Randonneuring club. We needed to
learn all about long distance riding and your Arrivée
magazine is our bible on inspiration and learning.
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 19

RANDONNEES
Man of Kent 200
Alex Turner
So this was the third organised
Audax I was undertaking so far
this year. Quite unintentionally
each has been 50 miles further
than the previous ride. Today
was the the turn of the Man of Kent 200km.
The ride set off from Golden Green near
Tunbridge. Just a 40 minute drive from home
with the bike sitting pretty on top of the roof.
The sun was shining, the sky was blue. No
noticeable breeze. It was a bit chilly but only
when waiting around. Things were looking
promising. The forecast was sunshine and
showers.
A small village hall hosted the teas,
coffees and biscuits and a place to collect,
and at the end of the day to return, our
brevet cards. I milled around chatting as
we topped up on hot fluids and biscuits,
checking whatever needed to be checked
and taking the opportunity for any last
minute ablutions.
As the time came up to 8am riders
ambled out to their bikes and the two
organisers went through some advisory
points. We were reminded that course
changes had been made due to poor road
conditions in a couple of places and
that these had been indicated on the
route sheet. I had the sheet printed
out but usually I’m guided by the
mapped route on my Garmin 200.
The first group of 20 or so of us set
of at 8am. People quickly found a
brisk group tempo and the leaders’
pace was set. The section to the first
control was through the back lanes to
Faversham from Tunbridge. I pursued
the leading group keeping them
within reach but staying far enough
back to avoid taking on more than I
could chew.
Although it was early days I
was feeling very pleased with the
tyres I had recently put on the
bike – Compass Barlow Pass Extra
Light (black sidewalls). Their rolling
resistance is very low; and 38mm but
just 325g a piece. They’re clinchers but to
me look like fat tubulars. Very comfortable
too. And they look good! I had been a
devotee of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and
Marathon Tour tyres for a number of years.
Puncture resistance second to none. When,
however, I compare the road comfort and
rolling resistance of the Marathons to the
Compass tyres it does make
me think what have I been
riding on all these years! I
guess at least one answer to
that will become clear when
I get my first puncture.
As we approached a set
of lights all the riders in
this lead group bunched
up bar one who made the
green. A couple of riders
recognized each other from
ride last year and once the
light turned green they
were both off at quite a
speed. The first notable
hill was upon us very shortly after the
lights. Now I happened to think I was a half
decent hill climber what with all the hills
around Medway and north Kent. Not today
it seemed. As the front group dug in, the
distance between us slowly grew. The guy
that had caught the lights was soon caught
himself and as I followed up the rear I saw
him slowly being chewed up and spat out
by the speedsters in pursuit.
It was not yet over though. I got my
head down and ground up the hill. By the
time I reached the brow I could see that
the others had slackened off a bit on a
straight flat ahead to recover their energy.
I was either to catch them now or settle
down and ride at a more modest pace.
Realistically I was not going to keep this
speed up for the whole 200km. It turned
out that my mentality of spend it while you
have it transfers to cycling as well; I picked
up my pace and cut the lead between me
and those in front. At the next junction I
caught them and together we cranked out
the miles all the way to Faversham. I took
the lead a few times to take my turn at the
front and appreciated the opportunity to
do some drafting when I could.
As we arrived in Faversham we
descended down the Mall heading towards
the station on the way to the first control
at a vicarage. Those at the front were not
familiar with the area and took a wrong
turn. It was one of those times when I
could see the blunder but just followed
anyway. They quickly realised and were
turning back before any distance to
correct themselves. I took advantage of an
alleyway that I knew was a shortcut to get
back on track. I headed that way but no
one followed me. That was cool, though,
as I was now about half a minute ahead of
everyone and closing in on the first control.
These events are not races. I am clear about
that. This was completely not in keeping
with the spirit of Audax events but I was
feeling a certain satisfaction about being
the first rider to reach that stage!
I was following the breadcrumb trail of
my GPS and just keeping an eye out for
a vicarage. Did not bother looking at the
cue sheet. Not sure what I was expecting a
vicarage to look like but nothing I passed
measured up to that. After riding out of
Faversham I stopped and turned. I had
clearly ridden straight past the control and
missed it. I headed back in order to have
my brevet card stamped. As I did I saw a
group of four of the other riders who were
leading the way riding their way out of
Faversham. By the time I got to the vicinity
of the vicarage a number of other riders
Detour ahead...
20
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RANDONEES
had passed me going the opposite way all
helpfully pointing out the checkpoint was
‘back there’. My time at the front was over.
Probably for the best really as the pace
may well have killed me; if not on the day
then for the week after.
I rolled my bike round to the back
garden. By now there was a small queue
lining up for hot drinks and bacon rolls
which were all included in the modest £8
entry. Many of these rides cost even less to
enter. This was one of the more expensive I
have done. I spent about ten minutes or so
doing the necessary before wheeling the
bike back out the garden against a stream
of riders just arriving.
Back in the saddle and forward to the
next control at Wingham which was just
another 31km away. I rode out alone but
after about six or seven miles caught up
with another pair of riders pedalling along
at a reasonable pace. I hung on to their
back wheels on and off for pretty much
most of the way and every now and then
taking my turn at the front. At one point I
“the road closed
signs I had carefully
pedalled past 20km
ago should have
been my reminder to
check the cue sheet”
saw them go ahead
whilst my Garmin
told me to turn right.
I called out to them
that I was turning
off and left them to
decide whether to
follow on or not. I
followed the route up
until arriving at a well and truly flooded
road. This must have been one of the route
changes the organiser mentioned was on
the cue sheet. The same cue sheet I had
safely stashed in my pocket and never
looked at since leaving home that morning.
All my faith was in the GPS trail I had on
my Garmin. As it turned out the other two
did turn and follow me and were soon like
me scratching their heads and wondering
whether to ride through the water or go
round. It was not complicated. We just
wheeled our bikes along the side of the
field which the road passed by. Just a short
stretch and nothing I’d have worried about
mapping in a detour for.
We arrived in Wingham together where
perhaps another dozen or so riders were
already sorting themselves out with food
and drink and getting the obligatory stamp
in the brevet cards. I was feeling pretty
fit. I had no worries about making time
limits and was relaxed about the pace I was
keeping. I stopped for around half-an-hour
before setting off again. Next stop 56km
away in New Romney with one info control
on the way.
I set out from Wingham on my own
again. The weather was holding out but
the ground bore signs of the rain that
had passed shortly before I did. There
were ominous storm clouds rolling
forward some distance ahead. I rode for
at least 30km before seeing another rider
ahead of me. That was at the info control
where he called out the answer making
it unnecessary for me to stop. Cheers for
that! I rode with him for a
very short distance before
putting a minute or so
between us. Over the next
20km this distance varied
until we approached New
Romney. The last few miles
before the town was very
open and flat and for the
first time on this ride the
wind became noticeable.
It wasn’t bad but it was
enough to knock the
average speed down a few
clicks. I clearly took this as
a signal to ease up on the effort a bit as
the rider I saw back at the info control was
now right on my back wheel again until we
both rode into the control at New Romney
station together.
This is a great spot for a control. The
station is on the Romney, Hythe and
Dymchurch miniature railway line. Though
I have visited before as a child and with my
own children I still enjoy spending time
around the station to see
the little steam engines
chuffing in, pulling their
open wooden carriages.
I should I have taken
a picture here, I know.
What can I say! I filled
up in good style here. I
polished off a Cornish
pasty with a plate of chips and beans. I
washed that down with a bottle of coke.
Feeling pretty satiated on the food front
I stepped out to get back on the road. On
walking back to my bike I was pleased by
the sight of several other riders eyeing up
my tyres and making approving noises
about their width and tread. None of them
had heard of Compass tyres. Not really that
surprised given that they are American
imports and the Barlow Pass had only very
recently been released.
Looking for the way out I rolled my bike
through a side gate and once again found
myself riding off on my own. I was soon
caught up though by the group of half
dozen or so riders that I was speaking with
about the tyres. They all rode more regular
randonneur bikes than my mudguard-free
fat-tyred crossbike. They certainly looked
more the part in their cycling specific get
up than I did in my three-quarter length
trousers and Aldi soft shell. That all turned
out to be inconsequential though as I
maintained my pace with them for the
next eight or nine miles before they all
slowed down at a junction and I continued
on ahead at the same pace. The stretch
from New Romney to the next control
at Headcorn was 36km. On the way the
weather finally turned as it had been
threatening to do since Wingham. A cold
front swept in and before long hailstones
were bouncing off the road and stinging
my eyes and face. I was not dressed for
this but carried on riding through it. I got
fairly wet but nothing that was not dried
The first control at Faversham vicarage.
by the time I arrived in Headcorn. It was
cold though, and my hands and feet were
feeling it more than I had experienced for
a long time.
A couple of the other riders had caught
up with me shortly before getting to
the control, a garage. A receipt was all
the proof required of passing the point.
Chocolate milk duly purchased and
consumed and you guessed it off I go again
leaving the others to catch up in their own
time. It’s not that I am particularly antisocial
but I do like to ride at my own pace
and find the longer I stop the harder I find
at this point to get going again. We had
ridden 161km and there was still the final
47km to go.
I rode the next 40km on my own. I was a
bit surprised no one caught up with me. I
figured there was not much at the garage
that would incite anyone to prolong their
stay there. It was not until I was within
the final 10km riding happily along that I
saw the group again but coming in from
another direction. I then realised that
the barriers and road closed signs I had
carefully pedalled past about 20km ago
should have, in fact, been my reminder
to check the cue sheet. Another detour I
missed by sticking to the original route. No
wonder I never saw anyone! Still it was nice
riding along with the others for the final
few miles to the end. It was when we were
on the road approaching Golden Green
Village Hall that I discovered why perhaps
it was called Golden Green. It was just
coming up to 5pm and the sun was coming
down. As it did the area was lit by the low
cast of the sun and everything did indeed
look golden. It was lovely. If you happened
to view a property in the area at this time
you’d have been sold. I know I would have
been.
I took the opportunity to make the most
of the baked potato covered in cheese and
beans that was on offer followed up by a
couple of cups of coffee and a chat with a
few other finishers. I have since found out
that the riders I started out with finished at
nearly an hour and a half before I did. I read
that they hardly stopped at all. I am glad I
did. I think it would have turned what was
an enjoyable ride into a challenging ordeal.
Time and a place for everything but for me,
not today.
◆
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 21

RANDONNEES
The Mille Cymru
One Ride to Bind Them All
What are you up to this
weekend?” a friend asked.
“We're doing the Mille
Cymru”, I replied. “The
Mill…?”
Richard and I were getting used to explaining
what the MC1K entailed. “It's a 1000 kilometre
ride round Wales”, Richard explained, “with
16,000 metres of climbing – in three days”.
You could almost hear the whirring cogs as
they struggled to figure out the enormity of
our adventure. “You're mad!” he assured us. We
nodded in agreement. Since we'd done the LEL
last year wed been affectionately referred to
as the Mad Badgers by friends who viewed our
AUK super-randonneuring as “a bit too far for
me”.
Training had not gone quite as planned. Our
Easter Arrow team succumbed to injury and
illness before the event. We'd managed a few
century rides and a 200k early in the year but
had to resort to a DIY 400k and a permanent
300k in the month before our Welsh grand
depart. Were we fit enough for what would
undoubtedly be the toughest event so far in our
short AUK careers? It was with some trepidation
that we set off from Upton Magna at 11am on a
drizzly Friday morning with 93 fellow MC1K'ers.
We had just 75 hours to complete the ride.
The Fellowship of the Wheel
Upton Magna to Llanwtryd Wells
270km / 4250m
Despite our best intentions, “Let's
take it easy at the start, there's a
long way to go”, we got caught
up in the general excitement
and averaged 27kph for the first
40k. Sense then prevailed and
we made more steady progress,
and were lucky that the forecast
for torrential rain and thunder
proved pessimistic. We crossed
the Gospel Pass in a deluge but
by the time we were cruising
down the Wye Valley the sun
was out. Despite the day's major
pitstop being hosted by Kingstone
Brewery we stuck to lasagne and
coke. Darkness encroached as we
rode up the Usk valley and we
were cocooned by our dynamo
lights as we climbed the Mynnydd
Eppynt. On the way down we were
suddenly confronted by a chap in
camouflage gear, barring our way.
“You can't go through just yet”, the
army corporal explained, “there's
an ambush about to take place,
with lots of pyrotechnics”. Despite
the late night chill we didn't argue –
he was cradling a fearsome-looking
assault rifle. Ten minutes later the sky erupted
with flares and rockets and the rat-a-tat-tat of
machine-gun fire sounded much too close for
comfort. Having lost 20 minutes of our precious
time schedule we plunged on down the hill.
Near disaster struck just after midnight as my
rear gear cable snapped. Fortunately no steep
hills lay between us and our “overnight” stop
just 7k away. We were greeted by cups of tea,
wholesome food and a willing bike mechanic.
“You get a few hours sleep and it'll be sorted
when you wake up!”
The Two Coasts
Llantwtryd Wells to Llanwtryd Wells
305km / 4200m
Day two dawned and at 7am, a little later than
we'd planned, we were off towards the seaside,
behind most of the other riders. Today was to be
a tour of the Pembrokeshire coast. No big hills
but an abundance of short steep ones. We rode
in bright sunshine down narrow lanes through
pretty coastal towns and villages. Another major
mechanical hit us just before the very steep
descent down to Pendine. Richard's front brake
and light suddenly
parted company
from the frame, and
the dislodged nut
was nowhere to be
found. Emergency surgery with zip ties held the
bits away from the wheel and he then rode the
next 100km hoping that the obliging mechanic
at Llanwtryd Wells had a spare nut; assuming,
in the meantime, that he didn't end up in a
mangled heap at the bottom of a steep hill. It
was my turn for misfortune next as, coasting
down a dual carraigeway into a rain shower,
I waved for us to slow down in order to put
on waterproofs. I spotted an imminent layby,
but not the small kerb edging it, and suddenly
found myself diving towards the deck as the
kerb whipped my wheels from under me. I
shook myself down and was surprised to see
little damage, to me or to the bike. We joined
a couple of other riders as we time trialled up
the A40 before climbing in the dark back to
Llanwtryd Wells and welcome food and drink
and a couple of hours' sleep. Yet again the
mechanic was a star and when we departed at
5am we both had two fully functioning brakes;
but, after only three hours sleep, only partlyfunctioning
brains.
“the rat-a-tat-tat of machinegun
fire sounded much
too close for comfort”
Return of the Dragon
Llantwtryd Wells to Betws y Coed
300km / 5550m
The initial gentle ride north up a meandering
valley did little to
prepare us for the
steepest hill of the
whole ride. We'd
heard that the Devil's
Staircase was steep but had shrugged it off
with a nonchalant “we've ridden Hardknott”
arrogance. When finally confronted by the
ribbon of tarmac arching above us
like a rearing cobra we admitted
our error. One of the riders had told
us that his strategy was to walk
the steep bits and save his legs.
We didn't take much persuading
to copy his style on the first of the
three “stairs”. Other riders bravely
rode past us. “Their legs will be
trashed at the top” we assured
ourselves. (You can be assured
that we'll be back there soon to
ride the staircase in the manner it
deserves – on our lightest bikes.)
We rode the next two stairs and
enjoyed the swoop down to Devil's
Bridge, but not the gratuitous
descent down a track to the next
checkpoint. The hospitality was
exceptional but the climb back up
to the road was tortuous. The day
became a bit of a blur as we cycled
up the beautiful Elan Valley in the
company of a couple of day riders;
rode the steeply undulating lanes
of central Wales with brief stops at
Co-ops or Spars to refuel on sugary
drinks and pastries; and relished
the oh-so-brief respite from hills as
22
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RANDONNEES
we cruised down the valley and along the coast
to Barmouth and Harlech. The hills returned
in Snowdonia as we meandered through
Beddgelert and Rhyd Ddu. It was after midnight
when we reached Llanberis in the company of
an Elliptigo rider (chapeau!). With clear skies
the temperature had plummeted. The climb up
Pen-y-Pass warmed us up but soon after starting
our descent we passed through the invisible wall
of cold air caused by the temperature inversion.
It felt like plunging into a deep freeze and,
despite the deployment of all available layers,
the wind chill was fierce. It seemed a long, long
“confronted by the ribbon
of tarmac arching above
us like a rearing cobra”
way to our next stop
at Betws-y-Coed. By
the time we reached
the village outskirts
our knees were
knocking together on our bikes. As we shivered
our way into the checkpoint, blankets were
thrown over us and we wolfed down hot food
and tea. Whereas the sleeping arrangements
at Llanwtryd Wells had been meticulously
regimented at this, our last stop, it was sleeping
chaos. The smaller dimensions of the hall
required optimum use of space. Fully clothed
bodies on mattresses were randomly crammed
into every nook and cranny. As one rider was
getting up to depart another collapsed onto the
vacated mattress to grab a brief nap. We joined
the melee and at 4.40am, after one and a half
hours fitful sleep and a quick breakfast of corned
beef hash, we ventured out into the dawn halfan-hour
later than planned.
Home to the Shire
Betws y coed to Upton Magna
140km / 2000m
We were again behind most riders but soon
started gaining ground as we worked hard to
combat the persistent cold. A sunny day was
in prospect as we cycled the narrow lanes over
the Cwm Hafodyredwydd and across the moors
to Bala. Richard was struggling to eat or drink
but there was no prospect of a cafe stop in Bala
as time was getting tight. We ghosted through
the early morning mist off Lake Bala before
starting the steep climb over Bwlch y Groes. By
now Richard was away
with the fairies and our
pace had dropped to a
point where the 75 hour
deadline was looking
tight. “Come on, get some food down you”, I
chided, “here's some dextrosol. We need to dig
in, come on, it's all in the head.” As the sun was
behind us I saw the shadow of the clandestine
V-sign aimed at me from behind my back.
Fortunately revival kicked in before the col and
our pace picked up again. The road plunged
down to the stunning Lake Vyrnwy and, back
on schedule, we enjoyed a relatively leisurely
cooked breakfast at the final checkpoint. On
down the Tanat valley and, as happens on
many long rides, our pace quickened as the
20km to go point was reached. The head rules
the body and, in time trial mode, we raced the
final twisting lanes to the finish back at Upton
Magna. What a great feeling as you finish such
an adventure. We crossed the line comfortably
under the time limit. As we devoured a meal the
adrenaline wore off and we suddenly realised
just how tired we were and felt the excrutiating
aches and pains which had gone unnoticed only
half an hour previously. This was far outweighed
by the elation of finishing the legendary MC1K.
What an epic route. It linked together a
number of revered long Welsh AUK rides and,
it would appear, aimed to do so by the hilliest
route possible and to include many of the classic
steep climbs in Wales. The 16,000 metres of
climbing and the 75 hour deadline introduced
an insidious time pressure which allowed little
respite.
A big thank you to John Hamilton, the
organiser, and his merry band of helpers for
their superb organisation and for looking after
us.
As the lager advert opines this is “probably
the toughest cycle event in the UK”. Both of us
have completed numerous running and cycling
ultra-endurance events, but this was certainly
the toughest physical challenge either of us has
ever undertaken…to date.
What's next Richard???
The Mad Badgers
Phil Hodgson & Richard Leonard
The Moselle Cycle Route
Author: Mike Wells
Published by Cicerone www.Cicerone.co.uk
Softback 115mm x 170mm
ISBN 978-1-85284-721-0 Price £14.95
If you fancy a three-country tour (France, Luxembourg and Germany)
which promises to be downhill all the way, this is the book for you.
Starting in the Vosge mountains in eastern France, you descend over
650m to the Rhine at Koblenz, 512k away.
Following well-surfaced French and German national cycle trails,
the route follows cycle tracks, river banks and canal paths with short
sections of quiet country roads. There is a high standard of waymarking
along the route.
For wine and beer lovers, the German Moselle gorge is a major wine
producing area while the French region of Lorraine produces a wide
variety of beers along with their renowned quiche.
The author, Mike Wells, has researched this route thoroughly and
the book contains maps for all the stages and plenty of historical
and cultural notes and photographs to illustrate the towns you travel
through. The contents include very useful sections on Getting There and
Back, Accommodation and Food and Drink.
A list of tourist offices, youth hostels en route and a short language
glossary are useful info and can save you time with your research. The
book is a very handy size to stash in your luggage for reference along
the way.
If you have used Cicerone’s guides before now, you will appreciate
how much information they include and how well they are produced.
Mike Wells has produced yet another excellent cycling guide to partner
his Rhine Cycle Route.
Tim Wainwright
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 23

ON TOUR
Girls on Tour - in Peak Condition!
Ann Marshall
Back in January Louise Rigby and I decided we'd plan a week's
summer cycling together, and considered it our duty to liberate
MaryJane Watson from the Isle of Man where she's been going
round and round, to prevent her from getting giddy!
Neither Louise nor I had met MaryJane, but we'd been in email contact
for 2-3 years. We could tell that all three of us had a penchant for hills so we
thought we'd get along fine!
We chose The Peaks; planning was meticulous with Louise in charge of
dates and accommodation and me in charge of rides. We timed our visit
to coincide with Mike Wigley's White Peak Grimpeur calendar, part of the
Marple Midweek Grimpeurs which take place on consecutive Wednesdays
through the Summer.
Word got out about Girls on Tour and we were besieged by requests
from others to join! We accepted many (including men) as long as they
were happy to be Honorary Girls and happy to camp!
Finally Monday 11th August arrived and we converged in Marple in the
wake of Hurricane Bertha. We had feared MJ wouldn't be able to make her
SeaCat crossing from IoM but make it she did. On first sight it was much
more like a reunion than meeting for the first time! We felt like old friends,
which of course through Audax we are – in particular thanks to Steve
Snook and his AAA targets without which the world would be a sadder
place!
You'd laugh if you'd seen our bikes, they couldn't have been more
different! There's me with my relatively normal little Specialized, bit
heavier than usual but with a welcome triple and mudguards! Louise
brought her (by now) familiar Airnimal and MJ was on a combination of
her most lightweight bike but specially fitted with triple… what I should
add is that her bike was also fully equipped with racks and panniers (which
of course she could detatch) but the pièce de résistance is the stand! I
swear it weighs as much as the rest of the bike. We laughed and chatted as
we stowed our steeds in the garage of the B&B.
On Tuesday morning we set off on Chris Keeling-Roberts' Dark Peak
perm with our only surviving Honorary Girl Martin Malins; first stop Holme
Moss, riding where winning wheels had recently been! In the South
Pennines they hadn't quite got the hang of painting encouragement on
the tarmac like they do on the Continent but it did the job!
Louise and I realised we were in hallowed company, with MJ the
(almost) Opposite Sex AAA Champion and Martin the (almost) Overall
AAA Champion – not only did they ride like champions, they looked like
champions too!
Next day we pitched up in the Marple car park for Mike Wigley's
Midweek White Peak Grimpeur… Where was everybody? They were all in
Costa (where else)! We had a lovely day, Mike on good form and generous
as ever.
It's strange, even though the South of England has (somewhat
surprisingly) provided the AAA Champions for the last few years, those
hills in the Peaks just seem different! Hard! On the other hand MJ just
breezed up, home from home…
Martin Malins and MaryJane Watson resplendent. Photo: Louise Rigby MaryJane Watson and Ann Marshall. Photo: Martin Malins
24
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ON TOUR
On Thursday we left our salubrious
accommodation at Oakfield Lodge, Marple
(with excellent breakfast, particularly Spencer's
poached eggs) and carted our clobber over to
Castleton YHA, a tasty 50k DIY created by native
Louise which took us over Snake Pass (perfectly
timed half-way heavy shower at Snake Pass Inn)
and Stanedge then dropped down to Ladybower
Reservoir (where they practiced the bouncing
bomb) – just beautiful!
Friday we did Oliver Wright's Grindleford perm,
personally my favourite! It's just so beautiful, the
scenery ever-changing. You never know what
you're going to see next on Grindleford! Includes
a welcome stop at the cheese shop in Hartington
– I can recommend the Hartington Bomber!
For Saturday we squeezed in Dark Peak
backwards, which I think I prefer to forwards!
It's every bit as beautiful and has just as many
surprises up its sleeve, but I think worth every
penny crawling our way up Holme Moss from
the (brutal 15%) Tour side, not least because of
the relentless 50mph headwind! Not always a
headwind mind you – sometimes it got you from
the side too. I've never known anything quite as
hard/aggressive/exhilarating!
A fitting finish to our fantastic Girls on Tour
week in the Peaks! What more can I say…
MaryJane Watson and Louise Rigby. Photo: Martin Malins
Girls on Tour – Holme Moss
Into 2015 with Peak Audax
Mike Wigley
Remembering Don Black
We lost our colleague Don Black in 2014, so
it seems entirely appropriate that we have a
ride in his memory. The Black Magic 100 takes
place on Easter Sunday April 5th 2015 and takes
in some of the more scenic parts of the Peak
Don Black with Chris Crookes
District, using roads that Don will have known
very well indeed.
We start at Wetherspoons in Stalybridge,
where they serve breakfasts from 8am so
there's plenty of time for a full English before
the 10am start. Well, OK, perhaps a full English
might be a bit too much, as there's a lot of
climbing in front of us. However, climbing
isn't the main theme of the day, but just an
unfortunate necessity to get to see some
spectacular scenery. Take your time to savour
views of Glossop from Monks Road, of the
Cheshire Plains from Ludworth Moor, and of
Kinder Scout from various points along the
way.
We stop at the
National Trust café
in Edale and at the
Coffee Tavern in Pott
Shrigley so you'll be
able to grab a brew
and something to eat
along the way. The
finish is at Stalybridge
Station Buffet Bar, a fine
Victorian refreshment
room, now fully restored
and offering a selection
of real ales as well as
pies and sandwiches.
It's a place Don had an
occasional pint, and it
deserves to be much
better known, as you
will be able to testify for yourself.
2015 Calendar
The Black Magic 100 is just one of the
Calendar of rides from Peak Audax. PBP
qualifiers play a big part in our plans
throughout 2015, though hopefully we've got
something for everyone, whether Paris-bound
or not.
We've got our usual winter events so you can
get in some valuable training miles and tick off
the 200 PBP qualifier. You can pick up the rest
of your qualifiers with Peak Audax: the Plains
300 with its 11pm start is good practise for a late
evening start; the Llanfair 400 is a fairly straight
forward trip over to Anglesey from Poynton
(near Stockport); while the Pair of Kirtons 600 is
our version of PBP (but in our case it stands for
Poynton–Boston–Poynton).
It's not all about that French ride, and we
have some challenging Peak District rides,
starting with the Hopey New Year 100, and
including the Monyash 100 from Marple. John
Perrin also offers up some interesting rides
from Macclesfield visiting North Wales and the
Peak District.
See www.PeakAudax.co.uk for full details of
all our Peak Audax 2015 rides.
Llanfair 200 Perms
If 400km sounds a long way for one ride, the
Llanfair 400 is also available as a ride of two
halves, or at least as a pair of 200km Perms. You
could ride the Poynton-Holyhead 200 Perm on
the Saturday, have a night's sleep at the Youth
Hostel, the Travelodge or a B&B, and return
on the Sunday on the Holyhead-Poynton 200
Perm. It won't count towards an SR but you'll
still get 4 AUK points. See www.tinyurl.com/
Poynton-Holyhead200 and www.tinyurl.com/
Holyhead-Poynton200 for details or get in
touch with Mike Wigley to explore this option
further.
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Death Valley Fall
Double-Century
Tim Gathercole
The Death Valley double-century comes
in two flavours – Spring and Fall. Both
rides start from the small community of
Furnace Creek, with the Spring version
going toward Badwater salt flats and the
Fall, or Autumn to us non-colonials, goes
the other way out to the Nevada border.
The Fall version is 197 miles with 10,000 ft
of climbing (that's 317km and 3000 meters
in new money). There is some degree
of support provided by the organisers
as it is required through this kind of
environment, I for one couldn't carry the
gallons of water we'd drink during the
day. This is an expanded telling of last
time I did the ride, a couple of years ago.
I
had been doing double centuries
in California for several years when
I started volunteering at the VA
(Veterans Affairs) facility in Palo Alto,
mainly doing some work as a tandem
captain in their blind rehab program. As I
expect many of you know, the VA run the
hospitals, care facilities and services for
returning and retired American military
personnel and their families. It represents
the closest America has to our NHS.
I'd been
captaining a
tandem for Liz
during the blind
rehab rides for a
while when we
started doing
longer rides
together and
finally progressed
to doing double
centuries. After
having a good
time on the Los Angeles Grand Tour and
the Solvang Double we decided to finish
the season with a trip to Death Valley for
the Fall double century. I should point out
that although visually impaired, Liz was
no slouch on the bike and with one of her
other captains had finished PBP in 2007
(more than I've done). To read her thoughts
on how stokers should be treated by their
captains, see the notes Liz and her buddy
Lisa wrote on captain training at: http://
www.bikeaholics.org/CaptainTraining.html
Liz is also the only person I know who
owns more than one titanium tandem.
For this ride we selected the newer bike,
a Santana Team Ti. We (well, she did most
of the work) had just uprated its back
gearing to 11–36 to cope with some of the
steep hills of the Bay area and Liz wanted
to properly test how well the rear 10 speed
would work over longer distance, with the
Campagnolo shifters that she loves – once
she'd dialled it in, it worked flawlessly,
naturally. My first tip for you today is, if
you can, date a lady who is a qualified bike
mechanic.
We decided to camp rather than pay
the none-too-cheap prices of the hotels
in the area and to be fair the Death Valley
National Park's camp ground's facilities,
while not the best,
aren't too bad.
We got there two
days before the
ride, so we could
explore the area
more and generally
relax. While I had
done the ride
several times in the
past, Liz had never
before visited the
area, even though
she is a California girl. If you've never
visited a desert area, there is a strange
beauty to be found there and as long as
“if you
look at a
map, the
Devil
seems
to own
quite a
bit of
property
in Death
Valley”
one doesn't do anything stupid like going
for a long walk into the dunes at mid-day,
without any water. There's a lot to see and
experience.
The ride goes out in waves – there is
a limit of 300 riders with approximately
200 of those being century riders and the
other 100 were double riders like us. Since
Liz had a buddy who was riding a single
century, we thought we'd go out with the
first wave and pull her for the largely flat
first 50 miles. However, weather and fate
took a hand.
When we woke up that morning, just
before 6am, there was a light rain falling.
Yes, it rains in Death Valley and at certain
times there can even be flash floods!
Muttering to ourselves we added another
layer of clothing and I started to make
breakfast. Liz offered to get the tandem
off the car and found her way over to it.
Here's my second tip, don't let the visuallyimpaired
lady get the bike off the car. The
next thing I heard was a loud bang, she
wasn't used to my Sidewinder rack and
the rain had made the bike slip out of her
hands giving me a nice new dent in my car
door. Not for nothing are tandems known
as divorce machines. Fortunately Liz and I
were tandeming in sin, so we shrugged it
off; although if you listened carefully you
might have been able to hear the sound of
my teeth grinding for the next half an hour.
The mishap put us behind and after
we'd checked the tandem over and got
ourselves together, then ridden the three
miles to the start, we found ourselves in
the last group to leave Furnace Creek – the
waves go out in ten minute intervals. We
wouldn't do more than glimpse Liz's friend,
Deb, again until the control before the final
climb.
The group of fifty-or-so riders waiting
for the off were the usual bunch of keen
and eager sorts you'll see at the start of
any ride, with the added bonus that, since
the ride tends to occur around Halloween,
a percentage of them were in some form
of costume. Indeed, one of the three other
tandem teams were dressed as pirates. It
is one of the last big rides of the season, so
people like to have fun on it. On the other
hand, after having done the ride several
times before I knew wearing extra stuff,
even little bits around your head or legs,
can be something you might regret later
in the day when the temperatures start to
remind you that, yes, this really is Death
Valley.
The morning air after the rain was cool
and the road was in relatively good shape,
bearing in mind the cooking and freezing
it gets on a regular basis. However, we
now had to work our way through about
two hundred other riders, even two strong
riders on a tandem have no chance of
catching the fastest twenty or so – they'll
be Cat Ones, Pros and all sorts of other elite
athletes, mixed in with the rest of us out
there.
The first section, to the Stovepipe Wells
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control, is through
a typical desert
scrubland, full
of gnarly bushes
sticking out of the
gritty grey brown
sand. There is a
constant bump,
bump as you go over
the “road snake” of
expansion cracks
in the highways.
Sometimes it's more pronounced,
sometimes less so, but it's a fact of life that
you have get used to in that area.
We weren't pushing too hard, but taking
our time going through the other riders,
saying hello and admiring the costumes
on the more festive of the Halloween
types – after all Halloween is much bigger
in the States and some people really
go overboard with all sorts of house
decorations, so a few bits of tinsel and
extra lights hardly raised an eyebrow.
As we progressed we picked up a few
“Klingons” and by the time we pulled into
Stovepipe Wells at mile 25, we had a train
of about eight singles and one of the other
tandems behind us.
Stovepipe Wells is less of a town, or even
village, and more a collection of a few
buildings. Obviously the control is more for
the Century riders and being so close to the
start it was pretty busy, therefore I simply
topped up our water bottles while Liz held
the bike and we were on our way, going
back the way we had come and eventually
turning left back onto Highway 190.
The ride continues on the flats and
the wind hadn't yet started to make its
presence felt, however the temperature
was starting to climb and while we were off
the bike we had both removed our extra
layers of morning clothing and stored them
in the tandem's trunk – they wouldn't be
needed again.
After the turn there is a quick water stop
at a park rest area, one we would revisit
in the evening as the stop before the final
climb, but since it is barely ten miles on
from the last control, again it was merely a
case of ensuring
our bottles were
topped up. There
are a couple of
SAG cars driving
the course,
looking for people
in trouble, but it's
foolish to court
problems by
running low on
water, especially
when you know you'll have to face a climb
through a canyon before the third control.
Just as we were leaving the Pirate tandem
pulled in, already looking a little worse for
wear. I knew that false beard was a bad
idea!
The next section on 190 goes past your
first sight of real, honest to goodness, sand
dunes that you normally only encounter
in Hollywood movies. They are dwarfed
by the mountains that are behind them
in the far distance, but the yellow-gold
of those shifting, ephemeral hills is quite
impressive. As a ride went on Liz and I
tended to become more silent, but at the
beginning of a ride we would chat and I
would describe the features around us that
she had difficulty perceiving.
After passing the dunes we then
headed into the Devils Cornfield, more
scrubland, this time filled with strangely
shaped bushes that look somewhat like
ears of corn. They are clumped together in
numbers for several miles and presumably
make good cover for the local wildlife. It's
worth noting that, if you look at a map and
judge by the names, the Devil seems to
own quite a bit of property in Death Valley.
Talking of wildlife, while we had
temporarily dropped all of the singles
from our back wheel – we were trying to
hit the first climb before the sun got too
hot and so were pushing a bit harder –
that didn't mean we were totally without
company. As will sometimes happen
with bikes out there, we found we had
a companion racing alongside us in the
form of a roadrunner. Unlike the cartoons,
they are actually more of a brown, grey
and black colour and only about a foot or
so high. Also I've never heard one make a
beep, beep noise; although to be fair I've
never heard one make any noise, so for
all I know that is the sound they do make!
Our competitor stuck with us for twenty
or thirty feet before either tiring of us or
finding something better to do and ran off
into the bushes.
“there
are
stories
of 100%
DNF
rates on
some
rides”
We entered the long shallow climb of
just under 3,000ft (900m) up to Scotty's
Castle, which is both control three and
control five on the ride. As I recall, the
rather grandiose, at least for its setting,
castle was constructed by “Scotty” to try
and fool people into thinking he was richer
than he was and one has to suspect, get
them to invest in some scheme or other
of his. I can't remember how it ended for
him, but I expect there were tears before
bedtime. I do know the area we were
climbing is known as Grapevine Canyon
and I don't think there are many grapevines
there! One of the pictures shows us at this
point; while my expression doesn't look too
happy, we were feeling pretty good, but
the temperature was starting to get around
100 degrees (38 Celsius in new money),
but remember this is the desert and the
dry heat isn't as sapping to the strength,
at least I never found it so. You might also
note the white things on Liz's arms in the
picture, they are Arm Coolers not warmers,
she claimed did help.
Once again we replenished our water
bottles and this time had a snack and
queued for the rest rooms too. The good
news was the temperature wouldn't get
much higher than 100 Fahrenheit for the
whole ride, the bad news is that it wouldn't
get a lot cooler than that, even after
nightfall. It can get quite cold in the desert
at night, but this wasn't going to be one of
those days.
The next section of the ride, out through
the Nevada boarder on Bonnie Claire Flat
to the crossroads of 267 and Highway 95 is
the boring bit of the ride. Some years I've
been able to ride in a group, but the long
shallow hill climb had bogged us down
and while we pulled a few singles for a bit,
there weren't many riders out there for
us to ride with. The flat scrubland starts
to repeat itself and is more reminiscent of
the Mojave desert that eventually it will
transition into; perhaps there are a few
reading this who have done the Furnace
Creek 508 and will know what I mean.
At least there weren't any of the turbine
windmills that cover Mojave's landscape,
as you ride into LA. After the thousandth
twiggy bush in flat, gravel desert soil you
stop noticing them.
The 30 miles to the crossroads went
pretty fast as it is flat or slightly downhill
and we had a tail wind, by the time we
reached the control we had outstripped
the three singles we had briefly picked
up and chatted with, even though I had
warned them to stick on our wheel. They
didn't really need us going out, but coming
back against that desert headwind would
be a different story.
After the usual snack and water stop we
climbed back on board the tandem and
headed out. I've known the wind on that
stretch to be worse and there are stories of
100% DNF rates on some Death Valley rides
due to the winds – 50mph isn't unknown
– but we still had trouble getting our
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OVERSEAS RANDONNEE
speed above 15mph along the Bonnie Claire Flat
section, before finally entering the canyon and
arriving back at Scotty's Castle.
This time we both grabbed a sandwich and
settled down in a bit of shade for a well-earned
lunch. Liz and I chatted with some of the riders
and even noticed her friend Deb just pulling out
of the car park. At this point we were in pretty
good shape, although not doing as well as the
coyote I noticed prowling around the periphery
of the car park looking for scraps. They are
usually pretty scrawny things – think an ugly
fox – but this one looked like he had just been
combed and might even be developing a weight
problem! Obviously he had a good patch.
Feeling a bit more refreshed – if more then
a little sweaty – we applied an extra coating
of sunscreen and headed down the Canyon at
a refreshing speed. I'm a notoriously cautious
descender and Liz often complained I was the
slowest descender of all the captains she had
ridden with, although I would get my own back
later for that comment of hers. It's a relatively
short trip to the next control at the rim of
Ubehebe Crater, but you have to ride though a
rock environment that amplifies the heat all the
way to the Crater rim. In years past the road to
the rim has been more pothole than road, but
this year we were in luck,
the road had just been
resurfaced and it was
probably the nicest bit
of tarmac on the whole
route. Nevertheless, after
the few hundred feet of
climbing to the rim we
were glad to get to the
control. This control is
just a water stop, but it's
forty miles to the next
control and more lumps
and bumps climbing for
the tandem. We always
preferred the steeper
climbs that you could
work at and get over the
top of, or true rollers you
can use gravity on – you
can't get any rhythm on that kind of terrain.
We rode back down from the rim and then
climbed back to the main road and headed
toward the romantically named Death Valley
National Park Rest Area 32 which is control
number seven. That was a long forty miles.
usually on a long ride everyone will have a bit
of a low point at sometime, but usually it would
The tandem back on the car and ready to leave. These Yakima
Sidewinder tandem racks make it really easy for one person to load the
bike onto the car.
Only glimpsed from the road during
the ride, Liz and I went to visit
Zabriskie Point and hiked through
its canyons, the day after
hit us at different times.
When Liz was having
a low I would take the
strain a bit more while
she sat up a little and
ate, and when it was
my turn to flag she'd
encourage me and feed
me Cliff blocks and
power bars. However,
today we hit our lows at
the same time, I could tell this by Liz's repeated
asking of the question, “How much further to
the control?”, and I think she realised I was in
the same place when I started to reply, “About
a quarter of a mile less than the last time you
asked me”.
We were both very glad to get to the control,
which we did just as the last of the sun's rays
were disappearing over the horizon. Normally
I'd wax lyrical about desert sunsets, but to be
honest I was so low on energy I didn't notice it.
On the bright side we did finally catch up with
Deb at this point and while Liz and she had a
chat I got us a couple of
nice cups of soup. I think
it was a minestrone, but
I'm not sure, however it
was obviously what we
both needed as after
going back for seconds and having a twenty
minute rest we both felt a lot better and headed
for the last climb of the day, up to Hell's Gate.
This is another long steady climb up Mud
Canyon, but it does have a few kicks in it that
can get the attention of tired legs, nothing
that is too bad, but still 6% for 6.5 miles, giving
2,000ft of elevation gain and the heat and
previous effort are taking their toll at this point.
I had set up the bike's
lights before we left
the control, but since
we weren't setting any
speed records in our
climbing I only had the
front light on minimum
power. As we went up
the mountain Liz and I
started to play pedalling
games, to relieve stress
on our legs and keep
our minds active. Her
favourite is pushing
hard with one leg every
fourth stroke and then
repeating it with the
other leg. Some people
like it, others not, but
when a climb goes on
for a while it can help to keep things fresh.
Before we got to the control at the summit
I warned Liz about it, basically it can be a trap,
many people get off the bike and lose a lot of
time drinking and eating, before heading off
again. However, Furnace Creek is only twenty
miles away and a third of that is downhill, so we
quickly filled our water bottles one last time and
then set the lights to maximum, startling a few
people standing in front of us. I use a Dinotte
XML-3 and Light and Motion Seca Endurance
light, together they provide quite a bit of
illumination. We climbed the short distance to
the turn and went into the first few switch-backs
of the descent. At this point, for the first and
only time in the thousands of miles we have
ridden together, I heard Liz complain I was going
too fast on a descent. To be fair, she couldn't
see how well the road was illuminated for me
and I also knew this road pretty well – it quickly
becomes a straight shot down the mountain.
Interestingly, Liz controlled the Santana's
drum brake and I felt her feathering it a couple
of times on the descent, presumably to keep me
in check. About halfway down the mountain
we came across Debs for a second time; she
had left the control about ten minutes ahead
of us with the group she had been riding with.
I lit her up with my headlight so Liz could see
her, being careful not to shine it in her eyes and
slowed down so we could say hi. We rode with
the pack for a short while until the gradient
dipped a little more and then picked up speed,
leaving the singles behind us. On a tandem
gravity either loves you or hates you! Even with
the slowdowns, Liz and I would hold Strava's
KOM for the descent from Hells Gate until quite
recently, if I'd known we were going to do that
I'd have tried harder – we barely exceed 50mph.
On reaching the turn for home at the end of
the descent, I reduced the lights' brightness to
more normal levels and started the final leg.
Now it was full dark the stars were coming out,
providing one of the most beautiful sights you'll
see in Death Valley, its night sky. By the time we
would be riding back to camp the Milky Way
would be fully visible as a silver stream across
the sky, something I can only remember seeing
once or twice as a small child growing up in
South-East England, and never here as an adult.
The last twelve miles or so are largely flat
apart from a few undulations, so we started to
put in a bit more effort in our keenness to get
home. We passed a number of singles, but I
guess the efforts of the day were wearing on
them as none took the invitation to hop on
our back wheel for more than a mile or so. The
Lights in front of the Furnace Creek ranch came
up faster than I expected, in fact we had only
just overtaken another bunch of singles when
they appeared, I wouldn't have bothered if I
knew how close to home we were.
We got off the tandem, grabbed a drink and
a couple of slices of pizza, then settled onto the
grass for a leisurely dinner and to relax, before
heading back to the camp to clean up. Debs
arrived with her group about 15 minutes later.
Recently all sporting events in American
National Parks have been under threat to some
degree, either due to federal budget cuts and/
or bureaucracy, but if you ever get the chance to
do this ride, you'll find it a special experience. ◆
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The day I became a Randonneur
Tim Harrison
Three Counties - Four Leaf Clover
200km, 3 August 2014
When I first found out about Audax five
years ago I never believed it possible
that one day I would actually cycle
200 kilometres – I found driving that far tiring
enough.
The furthest I had ever cycled prior to this
event was on a carefully selected homemade
100 mile course earlier this year. It involved
being dropped off at Broadway Tower (elevation
312 metres) to arrive home (elevation 60
metres) with a few lumps in between
totalling 841 metres. Not bad for someone
living next door to the hilly Cotswolds. As
an achievement it never felt quite right as
effectively 15% of the distance was a gift
and each morning as I shaved I couldn't
bear to look into the mirror – I was no
genuine century cyclist!
I have been riding with the Evesham
Wheelers “Antique Road Show” on
occasional Wednesday mornings and
gradually built things up to where 100k
became a nonstop, morning ride with
nothing more than water to sustain me.
I was told early on by a seasoned Audax
rider that the rule of thumb was whatever
distance you have actually ridden you can
easily double – I'm not entirely convinced
there is much logic to this but it stuck
in my mind and has become a fact which I
continue to spread around.
The Four Leaf Clover is one of four events that
the Evesham Wheelers organise on the same
day (there is a 50k, a 100k and another 200k the
“Neville Chanin Memorial – Over the Severn”,
which involves much more hill work). The Four
Leaf is basically three loops with the start and
finish at Wickhamford Village Hall, which also
doubles as the control point at the end of
loops one and two. Psychologically this can be
quite tough as there is a temptation to retire
each time the control point is reached and a
comfortable car is spotted gently grazing in the
field opposite.
There were twenty one starters (the majority
of riders going for the other events) and I was
first off, setting a pace which everyone seemed
happy to fall in with. In the first few miles I met
Dave riding a Moulton, I soon figured out he was
a serious Audaxer as he revealed multiple PBP
and LEL achievements. However, he dropped
back as today was more of a “social ride”, as he
had a friend visiting from Australia who was a
little further back.
All went well until a few miles in, when
the long climb to Snowshill began and I was
overtaken by pretty much everyone. I figured
that the social aspect of my ride was over and
that the next 190k were going to be lonely, souldestroying
and character building. I knew that
I had to conquer this ride, I wanted the badge,
had built up the expectations of those around
me and I couldn't face having to plan another
200k, i.e. clearing my diary for recovery time!
In addition it was an almost ideal day: not too
hot; no rain forecast; and a decent breeze that
hopefully would reward me at some point.
Behind in the distance I could see a light and a
yellow jacket; the gap didn't change so I slowed
my pace down and hoped that it might be a late
starter on the same event who could provide me
with some company and a little shelter from the
breeze – in turns, of course.
It turned out to be a small wheel trio on
Moultons and I was reintroduced to Dave; then
his friend Pete from Australia; Judith, Dave's
partner, on “Casper”; and solo rider Martin also
looking to complete his first 200k but on big
wheels. I quickly gathered just how hardcore
Dave and his group were and decided to try to
learn whatever tips and tricks they might have.
Did I mention Dave and Judith had completed a
200k event the day before? I was only surprised
that they hadn't ridden down in the morning
from London!
The first loop (Gloucestershire) ended up a
dream, a much faster pace than I would have
considered on my own, jolly banter and a great
tail wind. I ride in this area a lot and use Strava
to track my rides, when I arrived home and
checked my times I was amazed that during
the first loop I had set personal records for
practically every segment – yet I felt good and
wasn't even remotely tempted to retire at the
village hall control.
The second loop (Warwickshire) became a
little tougher and I was interested to understand
how a seasoned Audaxer eats and drinks
during the day. Left to my own devices I would
have opted for a decent lunch time stop but
the Budgens car park in Moreton in the Marsh
witnessed us eating sandwiches and soft drinks
during a 15 minute break – standing up of
course.
By the end of loop number two any jolly
banter that I had was gone but somehow the
end was in sight and I was determined to quash
my demons and be able to look in the mirror
again – besides which my face was sore with too
many shaving cuts.
I picked up a couple of catchphrases and
some good tips during the day: Pete – “are we
having fun yet?”; Judith –“time is miles”; and
Dave – “most people never go through the pain
barrier so don't learn what they are capable of,
once through it, things get easier”. I will enjoy
using these wise words on future rides. Martin,
19 years my senior, just got on with job
with no complaints even when I tried to
sweep him into my world of discontent.
We both acknowledged that we were
being aided around this 200k by a
particularly powerful, generous rider
and team.
The Evesham Wheeler helpers kept
huge quantities of superb, highly
calorific food and drink going all day and
really helped keep my spirits up. I was
glad of the 10 minute break. After all,
time is miles.
During loop three (Worcestershire)
I finally could not keep the pace going
and dropped off the back. I figured I
had had a great run for my money and
would slog out the last 25k on my own.
I was so pleased and surprised when
I found the whole group waiting for
me on a bench at the next information point.
They kindly offered me dried apricots and to
slow the pace down and shield me from the
wind for the next leg. I felt guilty as they owed
me nothing. I hadn't been in their plan and I
certainly hadn't done much leading the way and
any sociability I once had was gone – I was now
just a silent passenger with nothing to offer. So I
declined and wished them well with the last few
kilometres.
As they set off I changed my mind jumped
back on the bike and raced to get in their wind
shadow. I lasted with them until Pershore when
I finally did give up and wave them on their
way. I rested, walked a little and pushed my bike
up the last few hills, finally arriving back at the
control some 11 hours after setting out and well
within the time limit. I found Dave, Judith, Pete
and Martin in the village hall claiming they had
only arrived 10 minutes before me – but I know
they were just being kind.
It does feel good to achieve and I know that
the next few car journeys I will bore all my
passengers as I tell them how far we have driven
and how I have ridden x miles further than that.
It was great to meet new, interesting and kind
people. And as ever I admire the organisers who
spend time planning and preparing a seamlessly
good event and have a village hall full of helpers
for over 14 hours.
202 kilometres and total climbing of 2189
metres, I would never have believed I could get
this far, now I don't know how far I will go! ◆
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THE NATIONAL 400
26 & 27 July 2014
This was a beautifully planned ride,
organised by VC167 on behalf of
Audax UK and taking in a huge
swathe of the North of England
between the east and west coasts.
Starting just south of Stockton-on-Tees, it took
us almost to the Solway Firth before returning
via roads used in such classics as The Old 240
and London–Edinburgh–London. I've ridden the
former and helped on the latter. I've lived near
Rochdale a long time but I was born in Stockton,
and at the western extremity of the route I
would be only a few miles from a town I had
worked in for a couple of years. In between lies
a huge chunk of paradise, spanning the historic
counties of Yorkshire, Westmorland, Cumberland,
Northumberland and Durham. Another huge
incentive was that I was certain to meet so
many friends, because VC167 may be based in
the north-east but its tentacles slither all over
the North and I know many of their riders, who
would be running the controls. I also expected to
meet quite a few riders from around the country,
as I imagined a large turnout for such a flagship
event.
So, all in all, it was with great anticipation that I
went with Brother Trev to the All Saints Academy
base in Ingleby Barwick the evening before the
ride, to encounter the only disappointment of the
whole experience: there were only about sixty
riders slated to start. No doubt others will hold
an inquest, but I can tell you now that those who
missed it missed a real Blue Riband event.
It's always nice to meet friends at the start but
it was especially good to see Chris Smith with
a huge smile on his face, after his recent heart
scare. (He had passed out in a remote Yorkshire
inn after being told the price of a pint.) Nigel Hall
and Andy Clarkson, who had done so much to
stage the event, were on hand to greet people
and sort out the arrangements for those staying
overnight. There soon accrued a great mixture
Garsdale
Peter Bond
of machines, including a Moulton, a Pashley, a
recumbent and a tandem trike. After a couple of
hours chat, Trev and I went to his house for the
night.
The morning brought baking sunshine and
more acquaintances, before we rolled out
along the shady cycle path, which hid the town
of Ingleby Barwick from view. I'd ridden from
here last year on one of Graeme Holdsworth's
excellent rides, when I'd been shocked by the
expansion. When I was a boy, Ingleby had been
about four houses right out in the wilds. Now
it rivals Milton Keynes in both size and soul.
Nevertheless, in just over a mile the cycle path
delivered us abruptly into the countryside and I
felt the ride-proper begin.
This part of North Yorkshire is littered with
classic villages with the greens, beer and warm
nurses of John Major's Merrie Englande. Hutton
Rudby is a good example; East Rounton, too. With
a 10am start, the day was already cooking up
nicely as we rode past field after field of golden
geometry, huge rolls of straw for winter fodder.
The verges were wonderful and full of flowering
hogweed and thistle, blue geranium and ragwort.
I've never heard so many yellowhammers.
It took me a while to work my way to the back
of the field and I still hadn't quite managed it
by the time I reached Northallerton, which is a
town that speaks to me of the great days of coach
travel – even stage coach travel – with its wide
high street and many inns. Before long, Nigel
Laws came up to me; he'd been having some
trouble with his computer and had stopped to
correct it. We chatted briefly before he powered
up the road. We were to meet again later.
South of Northallerton, we took the hallowed
A167, which has the rare distinction of being
named after a cycling club. This is a fast but, at
the weekend, lightly-trafficked road, sandwiched
as it is between the A1(M) and the A19. There are
some unexpected sights on it, such as The Crab
and Lobster, festooned in creels and nets and
about as far from the sea as you can imagine.
Beyond Sandhutton at the crossroads with the
A61, the old inn known as The Busby Stoop is
now an Indian restaurant. I'm all in favour of this
kind of rescue of defunct businesses but I wish
they could have kept the name because of its
attendant legend and the fact that the crossroads
is actually designated as Busby Stoop on the
maps. I won't go into the legend here as I've so
many other irrelevances to wedge in.
After a little dog-leg to Cundall, presumably to
make up distance, we arrived at the first control
in Ripon. This is an ancient place, where they still
blow a curfew horn every evening. The cathedral
is almost bigger than the rest of the town put
together and yet the lumpy, narrow nature of
the streets means that you catch a glimpse of it
then it disappears. Our rendezvous was the Spa
Gardens where there is a grand old Victorian
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swimming baths. Outside the café, riders were
sprawled across the lawn and Keith and Ann
Benton stamped cards and offered cakes and
rolls. I'm sure the priority for all of us was filling
our bottles.
Even after twenty-or-so minutes rest and
chat, I was still well up on my schedule. My
computer won't run to 24 hours so I was relying
on my watch. I only use a computer to help with
distances between turns but there is always the
tendency to check everything else while you're at
it. Not having one was incredibly liberating.
It had been a flat, fast 70 kilometres but
things were to change gradually on leaving
Ripon. Having thus far flirted with the Tees and
skirted the Swale, we would now follow the Ure
for many miles. Essentially, what we did was
ride the main road from Ripon to Sedbergh,
which is on the west of the Pennines. The first
section, to Leyburn, took us
north-west past so many
landmarks that it could be
a heritage trail on its own.
First we passed through
North Stainley, where there
is an old lock-up with a conical roof. Then came
West Tanfield, with its famous Marmion Tower,
sadly not connected to Scott's poem of the same
name. The view from the Ure Bridge is one of
the most English I've ever come across and Rich
and Paul passed me here as I took a picture. Next
was Masham with its warring breweries united
for the Tour de France. On a bend on the road in
Ellington there is a classic soldier's return cottage
with roses round the window. Soon after, the
ruins of Jervaulx Abbey appear on the right-hand
side. In Middleham, once the seat of the Norman
Neville family and in particular of Warwick the
King-maker, there is a pub named after its most
famous resident. The Richard III had the inevitable
bike hoisted on its ivied front and I found myself
saying, “A bike, a bike, my kingdom for a bike!”.
It's ironic that such a keen cyclist should have
been buried under a car-park – in Leicester. If he'd
stayed where he was, Richard would have had no
trouble getting hold of a horse as Middleham has
been training racehorses since before Jervaulx
was dissolved. In fact, it's thought the monks
started it, so no surprises there.
Turning west, and bypassing Leyburn, I came
to Aysgarth. Our route missed the wonderful
falls but not the quaint AA box on the outskirts.
Passing through Bainbridge, another town where
they blow a horn, it was noticeable that the wind
was increasing, though nothing like the howler
Aysgarth AA Box
“…the Sultana
of Smile and the
Countess of Cake…”
that frequently whips through Wensleydale.
The heat continued to rise and I fought my
impatience as I waited ten minutes to be served
with water in the Spar in Hawes. People were
queueing around two aisles – it is always like that
and has been for about twenty years. Ditch the
alcohol and put another till in!
Stocked up, I continued west, finally leaving
the Ure at Garsdale Head, where the river turns
north at The Moorcock to accompany the
Settle–Carlisle line and the Mallerstang Common
road to Kirkby Stephen. After a quick fix of
railway architecture, I was on the last few miles
to Sedbergh, ready for a break but thoroughly
enjoying the isolation of Garsdale, where the
road roller-coasts alongside the beck, passing
only the odd barn, a lonely church and a council
road-mending yard – for use in leap-years only.
Close by to the right loomed the huge pyramids
of Baugh Fell and the
Howgills. I saw my first
harebells just as I came
up to Andy Cox of Cardiff
Byways on the Moulton. His
huge chainwheel (oo-er,
missus) had me musing on the driving wheels of
passenger engines as opposed to freight engines.
I'll leave that one with you as I pull into Sedbergh.
The control in Sedbergh (153k) was through
the town and I missed it. I was halfway up the hill
on Howgill Lane before some kind people put
me right and I rolled back to find the inestimable
Lindsay Clayton and Kat Chandler girling the
control. Lindsay is the Sultana of Smile and Kat
the Countess of Cake, and there was also soup
and a great risotto. Steve Bateman was presiding
and his guide dog had a whale of a time licking
the salt off everyone's legs as they collected
food. Lindsay's children were also delightful and
worked their passage. It's as well I was still feeling
good or I could easily have settled in for a cosy
evening and got the train back!
Fortified (actually, I'm a bit older than that), I
hauled myself back up the hill. As I passed the
garden where the kind people sat, they waved,
laughing as I called out “Howgill Lane, so nice I
climbed it twice!” It was good to be alive. And
it was to get gooder (Otis Redding Dictionary
Of Soul – all stand, please). There are no boring
bits on this ride at all – not one. But this section
to Penrith was my favourite, or goodest. I've
never cycled this road before, which always
adds attraction. It was a hilly, narrow and laney
route north to Penrith, passing through the
Shakespearean town of Tebay (“Tebay, or not
Hawes
Tebay”) and Shap. It is a
geographer's delight: when you are on the tops
you can see the M6 and the West Coast main
line far below you and at one stage I could make
out Red Screes above the Kirkstone Pass. Early in
this passage, Mike Thompson came up on fixed.
Normally, he would have been miles ahead by
now but as he said later, “I've paid me £30, I'm
going to enjoy it!”. He's a great bike-handler and
to see him descending at speed whilst adjusting
his saddlebag was impressive.
Soon I was on my own again. Those of you who
travel up the M6 will have noticed the section
south of Penrith where the carriageways split; for
a short space we rode between them, which was
quirky. Joining the A6, I rode into Shap. This town
featured frequently in news reports of years ago
when the snow stranded motorists most winters.
It was very benign this evening in the sunshine
as I did calculations about food. There were more
controls to come where I could get a meal but
further supplies would be difficult overnight.
I called in at the Co-op in Shap and raided the
banana supply.
I wasn't long underway when two riders from
Alnwick passed. They were riding two-abreast on
a very wide road when a chav passed and blared
his horn at them. There was nothing coming
the other way and loads of room to overtake.
After passing, the driver stuck his arm out of the
Aysgarth
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RANDONNEE
Spa Gardens and Keith and Ann Benton
window to gesture, presumably steering with his
knees as I'm pretty sure what he was doing with
the other hand. This was the only example of
poor driving I saw on the whole ride, perhaps an
indication that we were approaching the scallyalley
of Penrith.
Penrith is an odd town
Lock-up, North Stainley
“These demolitions
give an idea of the
respect demanded
by this short
section of pavé”
with an ancient history but
modern problems. Locals
call it brown town, after the
marijuana, rather than the
red sandstone used in many
of the old buildings. This
material looks magnificent
if it is clean and maintained but in the run-down
streets covered in grime it can be really quite
depressing. It's a shame, because there is some
fine architecture, where it hasn't succumbed
to the slaughter of the road-builders. I missed
my way in the confusion but a fleeing teenager
answered my enquiry on the run and was spot
on. If I hadn't gone wrong, I wouldn't have seen
the old castle ruin but I was still pleased to get
out of town. It was a bit like leaving Dodge City,
though I'm sure that's unfair to people whose
home it is.
It was an eerie experience as I turned off the
A6 towards west Cumberland. I was now on a
road I had last travelled 40 years ago on my way
to teach in Wigton. As soon as you make the turn
there is a sign warning of a steep descent and
subsequent climb ten miles ahead. Such an early
warning must strike fear into many but I was well
aware of this, having only just made it on several
occasions on an old motor-bike and side-car.
More concerning was the arrival of the rain. This
had been forecast but only as showers. What
we got was a downpour which went straight
through my “waterproof” to the skin. My mood
plummeted as I ploughed along the glassy road
in the worsening light.
I had dry clothes with
me but if this were to
continue, without an
effective waterproof,
I was going to suffer
badly on the descent
of Yad Moss. It helped
that Nigel came up at
this point and we rode
on together, both of us
skidding on the 1-in-6 up
from the River Caldew.
Further along this river
is Caldbeck, of John Peel
fame.
Like a couple of shotup
bombers, we limped
to the safety of Rosley Village Hall (237k). Well,
you'd think we had swum the Atlantic judging
from the reception we got from Rob, Denise,
Graeme, Conrad and others. A three-course
meal and a set of dry clothes later, I was ready for
leaving. Not so Rich and Paul, who were going to
wait out the rain. However,
it had slackened appreciably
and my non-waterproof had
dried out in the warmth of
the welcome, so I wanted to
chance it and left in a group
that included Nigel, Bob
Johnson, Tracy and Gordon
from VC167, Chris from Bradford and old friend Ian
Ryall. It was almost 11pm.
We soon lost Ian as he went the right way and
we missed a turn. Nigel successfully predicted a
correction and we had a good blast through the
dark and drizzle towards Brampton, where we
briefly saw Ian again. We had also collected Mark
along the way. My mood was rising all the time:
we were making good speed and as we turned to
follow the South Tyne, near Brampton, we were
finally facing the right way, approaching the great
crossing of County Durham and the astonishing
descent of Teesdale. In what seemed no time at
all and after seeing “lampers” up on the hillside
near Knarsdale, we reached the Slaggyford stop
(290k). Here was more hot food, light and heat
and excellent companionship. Julian, Graeme
McCulloch, Damon and Heather were ministering
to us along with Mike Wigley, Chris Boulton and
several others. Another excellent control. I was
definitely considering having a sleep here, in spite
of it being against my
plan. I could have seen
whether or not I would
find it easy to get going
after a couple of hours
off, so it would still have
been good experience.
However, in the end, I
was too nervous about
getting round in time
so decided to push on.
In some ways, I wish I
had stopped because I
would then have seen
Yad Moss in the daylight,
though it wouldn't have
been as spectacular
as it could have been
because of the clouds.
For a brief time there were tantalising views
of stars and planets as we left Slaggyford
and the temperature had dropped, or had
seemed to after our cosy stop. However, I soon
warmed up on the few miles to Alston, which
is a fascinating place. Vaunted as the highest
market town in England it has many interesting
buildings, including a gothic sort of town hall. Its
population has dwindled to about 1200 from the
6000 who lived there in its heyday as a centre of
lead-mining. But for cyclists the most significant
thing about Alston is the steep cobbled main
street. On the bend halfway up is a market cross
of the enclosure type, such as is found in Kirkby
Lonsdale and Barnard Castle. The current one is
a replacement for one destroyed by a lorry in the
1980s. That in its turn was a replacement for the
original which was also destroyed by a lorry a year
or two earlier. These demolitions give an idea of
the respect demanded by this short section of
pavé. As it turned out, athough the rain had made
things greasy, we made a successful assault and
Sedbergh control
settled in to cross the fabled Yad Moss.
This seemed longer than I remembered, then
I realised that whenever I've done it before I've
come in to Alston off Hartside to the west, when
the town is at the end of a tremendous descent.
This time we'd really started the ascent back near
Brampton, which, as Bob Johnson had pointed
out encouragingly, is pretty much at sea-level.
From the north, Yad Moss isn't an unbroken
climb and there is at least one lovely sweeping
descent with a sharp bend in it. I kept waiting for
the steep rise that marked the completion of the
ascent but it never really happened. I think this
may have been due to the effect of bunch riding
and also the fact that I'd had several good meals
en route, in addition to my “something every
hour” routine.
a field of golden geometry…
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Barnard Castle
For those who don't know Yad Moss, the road
reaches very nearly 2000 feet and there are snow
poles to remind you that in a hard winter this
is an extremely inhospitable place. However,
we had a warm, overcast crossing and after an
abortive attempt to get a group photo at the
Prince Bishops sign on the County Durham
border we hurled ourselves off the top, over the
cattle grid, which was greasy and nearly did for
me. Even in the dark, this is magnificent country.
As the cloud fought
the dawn, the ghostly
white farmhouses and
newly shaved fields
gradually re-modelled
the landscape from the
dark cardboard cutout
that we had climbed through.
Gordon was dropping like a stone and we were
strung out like a skein of red beads down the
hillside. On we flew, through Forest in Teesdale.
The picturesque hamlet of Langdon Beck, with
its church and inn, gave us a rare opportunity for
cornering. Not long after this, the swoosh of our
tyres was swallowed up by the roar of High Force,
the fifty foot high waterfall where the Tees drops
over an exposed section of the Whin Sill bassalt.
Unfortunately we had no moon to reveal the
river glinting below us through the trees. A few
minutes later we were in Middleton-in-Teesdale,
another town which owes its expansion to the
philanthropy of the London Lead Company, a
Spa Gardens
“a Convenience of Power –
absorbs heat on a warm
day and dispenses it during
the night to needy cyclists”
Jervaulx Abbey
Quaker enterprise. In the whole crossing we saw
one car. I remember wondering who would be
crazy enough to be out on this road in the middle
of the night (answers in the audax results table).
At Gordon's suggestion, we took the easterly
route to Barnard Castle, so we kept straight on
down the main street, where I was to make a
happy discovery. Middleton has what I call a
Convenience of Power – a 24-hour public toilet
which absorbs heat on a warm day and dispenses
it free of charge during
the night to needy
cyclists. It hadn't been
a cold night but the
long descent had
chilled my fingers so
it was a happy man
who discovered the electric hand drier. I also
discovered a Slaggyford cheese sandwich in my
pocket, thus avoiding yet another banana.
Our alternative route to Barnard Castle
was straight and true but not without its hills.
(Sages of past LELs talk about it being downhill
all the way to Barnard Castle but they are not
sage, neither know they their onions.) But the
road was grand and deserted as we rode the
switchback into the ancient town, where we took
five minutes break while Chris had an instant
sleep, an ability I wish I had. There were low
mutterings from Nigel about the cobbles up to
the Buttermarket Cross. I don't know what he
was worrying about: we'd all got up at Alston and
Nigel in particular had pulverised the cobbles into
volcanic ash. He needn't have worried because
Gordon took us along a back route which missed
them altogether. I now realise that it missed the
castle, too! I, at least, have seen that massive,
atmospheric ruin many times.
We were soon leaving the town past the
Bowes Museum, a huge edifice in the style of
a French chateau. Built in the 19th century to
house an art collection, it is in Barnard Castle by
accident – it had been intended by John Bowes
and his wife to be built in Calais, but France was
too volatile at the time. Then it was back out into
the countryside for the remaining few miles to
the final checkpoint at Aldbrough St John. On
the way, we crossed the beautiful Tees by the
iron suspension bridge at Whorlton – magical
spot. Climbing away from the noble river, our
route was now along quiet lanes through fields
in which the contractors were already at work so
soon after dawn. The heat was coming back to
the air and I was feeling great. A bike is a weapon
of mass satisfaction and long-distance cycling is
its perfect theatre of operation.
As we pulled into the Aldbrough village hall
(371k), it was apparent that we hadn't been the
only people winging through the night. Steve,
Lindsay and Kat and the rest of the team who had
served us so well at Sedbergh were dishing up
breakfast at Aldbrough, too. After some excellent
meals at the earlier controls, I opted for traditional
beans on toast, which was ready almost before I
had sat down. This level of catering and support
isn't possible on most long rides but I can't
over-emphasise how it enabled me to soak
up the atmosphere of the event and keep my
concentration. On some other long events, I've
lost so much time to poor thinking because of
being light-headed, or from the sheer effort of
collecting and forcing down unappetising bars of
this and that.
While I was enjoying my breakfast and chatting
to the volunteers and other riders, including Rich
and Paul, who'd been leap-frogging me since the
start, Chris had taken another nap. It seemed a
shame to wake him but it felt right for us to ride
together to the finish, after being together since
Rosley.
I'd had my doubts that we could do the last
35 kilometres in an hour and a half but Gordon's
prediction was spot-on. In fact, riding the last
half of the route in a group may have saved me
a couple of hours. I'm used to riding on my own
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RANDONNEE
and don't mind it at all, but the night's riding
had been great fun. We never ran a pace line or
chain-gang because there was no real need to
take turns into the wind, as it was behind us. We
were just an amorphous group, chatting now to
this one, now to that. Apart from a niggle with
Nigel's map-holder towards the end, we didn't
have a single problem with the bikes. The last few
miles felt like a lap of honour. True, there was the
little matter of the chevron climb up Leven Bank
but I was prepared for that. This was another
hill I'd struggled up on a motorbike aeons ago,
but the authorities have softened it by putting
a decent surface on it. It did string us out a bit
but we re-grouped at the top by The Fox Covert
before rolling into Ingleby Barwick with plenty of
time to spare.
At the arriveé, as at Aldbrough, there were
volunteers putting in a second shift. We'd last
seen Denise Noha at Rosley Village Hall, where
she was very kind to drowned rats and here
she was stamping our cards, along with Andy
and Dean. Rich and Paul had finished before
us and over the next hour or so we sat around
with drinks and reminisced. All of us were full of
admiration for the work that goes into making
such an event, from the route-planning, through
organising the halls and volunteers, to the
cooking and serving. There were several people
working in kitchens I didn't get to see and they
did a wonderful job. We riders may have been up
all night and covered 250 miles of rugged territory
but we definitely had the easier time of it. I was
doubly fortunate in that I had ridden across
country I know and love and I was looked after
by people I know and love and with whom I have
often ridden. I hope riders who were “off-comers”
enjoyed their experience as much as I did.
With a level of support that is unusual in
the general run of audaxes, the National is a
special event. As such, people have said that
it is ideal for first-timers at the distance. Whilst
this is undoubtedly true, I don't think I saw this
mentioned in the publicity – or did I just miss
it? A bigger emphasis on this aspect might have
boosted the numbers but there are so many
factors to consider that it probably just comes
down to chance in the end.
On a personal level the ride went very well for
me. Apart from a gloomy spell in the rain, when I
had visions of wind-chill on descents forcing me
out as had happened once before, everything
went according to plan. My determination to
eat something every hour (in addition to the
superb cooked meals) meant that I never felt the
slightest bit under-powered or hungry. These
snacks were either fruit biscuit-type things or
bananas – apologies to anyone who tried to buy
bananas after I'd been through Shap! I definitely
need Lindsay's recipe for cheese scones. I'd had
two schedules roughed out on my routesheet,
and I finished exactly between the two. I'd have
been slower without the group riding but faster
without the extended control stops. But then,
maybe I wouldn't – perhaps the breaks are
important for staying strong? I don't suppose you
ever stop learning.
I'm so impressed by this route that I'm thinking
of turning it into a DIY. The trick will be to
persuade those lovely VC167 people to run the
controls again!
◆
Momma Trumps
Big Bertha
David Matthews
The weather forecast for the “Momma”
rides was truly horrendous yet again this
year, as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha
swept in from the Atlantic.
The weather during the early hours was truly
horrible with pouring rain and strong west
winds. One could only feel for the stalwarts
riding Windsor-Chester-Windsor 600k who
returned from the Chester control during the
night in dreadful conditions (and thanks to
the people from C&NW CTC who stayed at the
control until 03:00 helping to feed and reenergise
the riders).
The car park at Old Ma’s cafe was open from
07:15, ably staffed by Glennys Hammond who
endured a 3 hour soaking ensuring that riders’
cars were tidily parked behind the barn.
The one redeeming feature of the weather
forecast was that it predicted clearance from the
west during the day. So the riders on the 200k
and 130k headed out into a big headwind and
big rain to Chirk where their easterly heading
coincided with better weather from the west.
So after Chirk, where the climbing starts, the
conditions relaxed to reasonable. Once riders
turned for home at Llanarmon-yn-lal, following
the hilly centre sections of the rides, they were
rewarded with dry weather and a tremendous
tailwind.
We use the pub at Llanfynydd as an important
last control and feeding station, prior to the
ascent of Hope Mountain and the last 30k home.
Unfortunately, and without informing your
organiser, the pub was shut at the last minute
due to an electrical fault. This is not much of
a problem on the 130k as the riders are well
fuelled after the control at the Ponderosa cafe.
However it is important for the 200k riders who
last ate at Bala. It is a tribute to the riders that
they were all very understanding and managed
to find some food stops in Hope (geographically
and metaphorically), following their descent
from the mountain.
We had a number of DNS riders due to the
forecast conditions on the 130k and 50k rides
– but as at Corwen recently the 200k riders are
made of stern stuff and most turned up in spite
of the weather forecast. One rider slid off on
high quality Welsh cow sh*t outside a farm early
in the ride and returned to Old Ma’s (with just a
grazed arm to show for it) – otherwise everyone
finished a memorable ride.
In spite of the weather in the morning
everyone seemed to have a good time and we
got lots of good feedback as to the quality of the
routes and scenery at the finish.
Rides to be on Sunday August 9 in 2015. Let’s
hope for better weather next time.
50km group photo
The 100km group
and the 200km…
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AUDAXING
Learning the 3Rs
Reading, Riding and Repairing
Dave Morrison's first year
Audax school report.
The education system has its critics
and, perhaps, education has
helped make itself an easy target
by embracing a flagship slogan
entitled ‘the 3Rs’ which it turns out,
inappropriately, stands for ‘Reading, Writing
and Arithmetic’. In my short career as a teacher
some years back, I subscribed to the view that
learning is, indeed, all about the 3Rs, although
I prescribed - ‘Repetition, Repetition and
Repetition’. In fact repetition with the Rs is in my
blood having repeatedly invested in QPR season
tickets for most of my life. In West London it's
common to hear cries of ‘You Rs’ when QPR fans
greet one another, but never mind ‘You Rs’, 2014
was all about ‘new Rs’ for me.
Yes, I discovered Audax in 2014, well actually
it was the end of 2013, and soon found myself
studying Audax's fundamental 3Rs: ‘Reading,
Riding and Repairing’. As adult education
courses go, this involved a learning curve steep
enough to warrant an AAA medal if you ask me!
Enrolment
It all started in December 2013 when I decided
I'd go and find out what this Audax lark was all
about. To be honest, I liked sportives because
the navigation was easy, Audax did not appeal
to me at all. Getting a Brevet Card completed
seemed a bit of a faff, I'd only ever done it once
before, for the Cingles du Mont Ventoux (all 3
ascents in one day) which involved a pâtissière
in Sault keeping me waiting whilst they hunted
down their rubber stamp. Riding in the dark
during winter didn't exactly have the allure of a
holiday brochure either.
But there was an Audax starting in Hillingdon,
nearly on my doorstep, so I tried it out. I
splashed out on nice front and rear lights,
turned up and rode. The first few miles were
easy, I just followed everyone else, the route
was in my bike computer and somewhere in my
back pocket was a route sheet of odd looking
instructions. Starting in the dark on main roads
in the morning was fine, but I made a pig's
ear of spotting info controls and had to track
back or ask other riders. I soon discovered that
asking Sunday morning churchgoers wasn't very
productive as I was directed all over the place in
search of non-existent war memorials, benches
and post boxes. Perhaps they were punishing
me for using my Sundays for non-religious
purposes? Although some might argue that
Audax is, perhaps, a religion? Notwithstanding,
I absolutely hated the narrow hilly lanes in
the dark near the end. My front light dazzled
oncoming traffic but the beam wasn't wide
enough to properly light the road, or should I
say potholes. I hated the last few miles with a
passion and, on returning home, confidently
informed my wife, in no uncertain terms, that
this was the first and last Audax I'd ever do,
interspersed with some language usually
reserved for bad refereeing decisions.
Being a man of principle, of course I did
another Audax in January. To be fair, the logic
was that I was doing the Tour of Flanders
sportive in early April so was
looking for some hilly rides to train
on and Hailsham had a couple of
AAA friendly (or should that be
unfriendly?) Audaxes in January
and February which looked ideal.
On top of that there was another
Audax in March starting in Ruislip,
where I live, so in character with my
football allegiance I felt duty bound
to support the locals. So that was three Audaxes
already entered since my pledge to boycott
them.
R1
Reading
One of my first challenges was learning
to read routesheets. Initially I thought that
routesheets would baffle even the most talented
of WW2 codebreakers from Bletchley Park but
after a few rides I finally began to
be able to decipher these coded
messages, well some of the time at
least. ‘SOX’, sounded like a baseball
team to me; ‘L$’ seemed like it was
denoting the currency of a toll road;
‘R@Tri’ made me wonder if I needed
to run and swim part of the course;
and ‘1E(SA)RBT’ must be an internet
password surely? Was ‘3rdR’, perhaps
‘arithmetic’; and ‘rhs’ is the Royal
Horticultural Society, right? ‘IMM’
sounded like a financial organisation;
MRAB are probably the letters its
members put after their names; and
‘stgd X’ was something I'd expect to
see at the end of a text or an email telling me to
‘stay good’. As for ‘EFF SO’, that would probably
be my response to someone offering me tickets
for a Chelsea match. FYI, TBH I wasn't finding it
EZ.
My early rides were littered with navigational
errors, although how painful they were usually
correlated to whether or not GPS swiftly alerted
me that I'd gone off route. The one that hurt
most was a (GPS free) Permanent in Italy. I had
gone to Bormio to ride the Gran Fondo Stelvio
and noticed that there was a Permanent Ride
incorporating the traditional Mortirolo ascent
and the Gavia. As the Gran Fondo went up the
new (steeper) Mortirolo ascent used in the 2012
Giro d'Italia I could compare the two if I did this
Audax. The simple bit of the instructions was to
follow the valley from Bormio down to the foot
“SOX”
sounded
like a
baseball
team
to me
of the Mortirolo. Unfortunately, what should
have been a straightforward downhill saunter
ended up with me riding a few unnecessary
ascents, finding myself in a long unlit disused
tunnel without lights and carrying my bike over
rocks where the old road had been demolished
to stop traffic using it. If you've been there,
you'll wonder how this mistake could possibly
be made, but I took one turn too
early and the error got compounded.
It all seemed so simple when I did
the valley again two days later in
the Gran Fondo. After this fiasco
there were the proper climbs, Lance
Armstrong described the Mortirolo
as the hardest climb he'd ever done.
Unlike some other claims he may have
made, here I think he may have a case.
Several feet of snow and a dodgy unfenced road
made the Gavia quite interesting too!
Overall though, my routesheet reading
improved and Permanents, without other riders
to consult or follow, certainly helped force the
learning. Inevitably things went wrong, but the
glitch that frustrated me the most was the shop
whose till had the wrong time setting at the
end of my first Perm. Only when I got home did
I read the till receipt and notice that, according
Mont Ventoux
to what was printed, I'd exceeded the time
limit! Thank goodness for my GPS record, which
proved otherwise. Lesson to be learned: read
the receipts whilst still in the shop! Oh yeah, and
buy something you might actually need, rather
than £1.99 nail clippers from a chemist (which
remain unused), should have gone for some
Deep Heat or some other kind of performance
enhancing potion – what was I thinking?
The trouble is, I only partially learned these
particular lessons, thereafter I looked at the first
and final receipts to check the time limit, but
actually, some of the intermediate ones have
been wrong too. If only I could covert these
to Strava segments, 20km in 5 minutes would
be hard to beat! I also have a load of uneaten
chocolate bars in my fridge that somehow
seem to return home with me from Permanents
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AUDAXING
AAA Milne Perm comfort Stop
despite the plan to munch them en route.
Perhaps I could claim that the nail clippers were
a confectionery wrapper opening tool and
combine them as a gift set for Christmas?
R2
Riding
Being a keen sportive rider, a decent time
was part of the challenge. I've never been
particularly fast, but slowing down to read road
signs and decipher the routesheet was counter
intuitive. I had to accept that navigation, buying
stuff I didn't need solely in order to obtain
receipts, plus the inevitable errors and back
tracking required a change of mentality. During
sportives I only ever stopped to fill water bottles,
and on some never even stopped at all. Sitting
down at a cafe was totally alien to me. But I
A Bad Hand - No Cycling!
finally accepted this on my first 400, the Severn
Across.
I had, inevitably, taken a wrong turn and
on returning to the route found myself riding
alongside Andy Terry, who seemed to have a
lot of good advice to impart and I thank him
immensely as my most influential tutor to date. I
learned that I needed a dynamo and a different
light, I learned to stop and refuel properly and
was in awe of his planning, map reading and
night riding....especially when my GPS conked
out!
He taught me the value of cutting the
routesheet into segments and laminating it.
He also taught me the value of looking at the
route prior to the event. Naturally, this backfired
on me when I looked at the internet the night
before another event only to find out that one
of the controls had, apparently, closed down. I
mentioned this to the organiser who informed
everyone at the start. Of course, everyone
arrived to find the cafe control open for business
much to my embarrassment. It turned out that
the site had two businesses operating on it and
only part had closed down which, to be fair, was
not obvious from the website which implied
that it had all moved elsewhere! Thanks for your
forgiveness Sue and Keith!
In contrast to the generally slower speeds,
I found myself on the back of a fast group
for the Fairies Flattest 300. As we sped down
a single track pothole and gravel mudfest, I
managed to take a high speed tumble in to
Sussex's muddiest puddle and had to visit A&E
the next day with a swollen wrist/hand bigger
than one of those foam PMU hands you see
spectators waving at the roadside of the Tour de
France. It took weeks to heal, and my shiny new
Carradice bag has never looked as nice since. As
much as I like the idea of being likened to Chris
Froome, replicating his injury a week earlier in
the Tour de France was not really a clever way
of going about it. I'm not sure I learned much,
but I probably should have been paying more
attention at the back, something my teachers
used to repeatedly say to me.
Once again though, it lead to one of those
‘community’ moments, as one of my fellow
riders stopped to see if I was hurt, or possibly
just marvel at my mud splattered appearance -
which was worthy of one of those climaxes to a
‘Last of the Summer Wine’ episode where they
all roll down a hill and land somewhere muddy.
As we rode on together I was presented with a
rare opportunity to offer someone else some
advice, as the gentleman had a problem with his
sack swinging too much. Naturally, I suggested
a Carradice Bagman support might help keep
things steady.
R3
Repairing (Vorsprung durch defective)
Unfortunately there were no tools in my
box to repair my hand, but reparations do
feature heavily in my Audax rites of passage.
Advancement through failure - vorsprung durch
defective - learning from mistakes.
I recall reading an article in the Financial
Times back in the 1980s about German built
products. It showed data that, despite the public
perception of German engineering being good
New wheels for audaxing!
quality, German products were in fact amongst
the least reliable in the market place. To equip
my bike for this Audax campaign I'd purchased
some German mudguards which lasted a matter
of weeks, so I bought another set which lasted
about the same time. Luckily, being a plucky
‘Brit’ with resolve, I managed to ‘make do and
mend’ them with a bodge and a bolt. I also
bought a German routesheet holder which had
been badly constructed and kept falling apart
during rides, a bit of surgery was required get
that up to an acceptable British (pothole-proof)
standard. All this would have had Dad's Army's
Captain Mainwaring, chest puffed out, looking
rather smug, so don't tell him (Pike) that my Son
front dynamo and Busch and Muller lights are
excellent products, and the German company
that supplied them were very efficient too.
However, the problem that plagued me most
in 2014 was the loose rivet nuts on my sportive
bike which meant my water bottles, and their
cages, kept coming off. My ‘quick fix’ solution
was to buy an inexpensive, bottom of the range,
replacement frame and hastily rebuild a bike,
which I did, and, unsurprisingly, this resulted in
a heavier bike. No sooner had I done this than
I discovered that I could get a rivet nut tool for
a ‘tenner’ and so I drilled out the loose rivet
nuts on my old frame and put new ones in. My
sportive bike was recommissioned and the nicer
components stuck back on it. I then foraged
around for old components and put them on
the new cheap frame, built a set of wheels and,
hey presto, I had surreptitiously acquired a new
(heavier) Audax bike.....and the extra weight
gives me a great excuse for the slow times. How
splendid is that?
Unfortunately, when building my new
heavyweight Audax bike, I may not have
tightened the crank arm quite enough. Well it
seemed fine for a few weeks but, naturally, when
it did finally decide to come loose I was flying
along the A4 at 1am in the morning between
Newbury and Reading. I was struggling to fix it
back on in the dark with no pavements, and it
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AUDAXING
came off twice more (dangling from my cleat,
still attached), before finally a lit stretch of
pavement on a bridge allowed me to sort it out
properly. I will be forever grateful to Andy Terry
who stopped on all three occasions.
My role was reversed during my first 600, the
excellent Windsor–Chester–Windsor (WCW).
Again, I found myself with an experienced
rider. I shadowed Roger Cortis like I was his
apprentice and readily took his guidance on
sleep patterns etc. Later in the ride, not one,
but both his shifter levers snapped off (what
are the odds on that?) which left him riding a
single speed (on the small rings).....through the
hilly bits of the Cotswolds and Chilterns. Going
from Campagnolo to Campag-no-go was a
game changer. I waited at the
top of each hill and tempered
my speed on the flat in case he
needed any further assistance
and/or moral support. At the last
control, John Sabine came up
with a cunning plan to put Roger
in a more friendly fixed gear, and I marvelled at
the experienced man's toolbox and ingenuity.
There's a lot to be learned from these seasoned
Audax chaps! It all added hours to my time, but
I was losing that sportive mentality – at last!
Roger thanked me publicly on YACF, but really I
owe him thanks. Thanks Roger, you were great
company too!
My GPS had conked out during the
nightriding (again), so I had followed Roger's
bright red rear light for quite a few miles,
especially as the battery on my headtorch was
dying too, making the routesheet hard to follow,
sorry, harder to follow. This was a harsh lesson
and led to more internet research / shopping for
better power and headtorch solutions.
WCW was great, although it didn't bode well
early on. After having ordered a new set of tyres
and paid for express delivery a week before
“Is PBP the
international
baccalaureate?”
Gavia Summit
the event, they didn't show up in time and I
got a puncture in one of my old, worn, tyres on
stage 2. Although the retailers had accepted
their error, the £1.99 postage refund they
promised, somehow seemed
incommensurate as I wondered if
I had packed enough spare inner
tubes for the weekend. Luckily,
I just got the one puncture and
went on to benefit from some
more Audax tutoring along the
route, this time from Andrew Deaner. We had
previously been e-introduced by a mutual friend
but had never actually met, so it was something
of a surprise to meet him unexpectedly at one of
the controls… it's a small world after all!
Coursework marks
Calendar events are a bit like classwork, your
Brevet is collected at the end of the session,
the marks are recorded and it gets returned at
some point. A Permanent Brevet Card is more
like homework - you complete it alone and
need to hand it in on time. Your achievements
will appear on the Audax UK website but I seem
to have been cursed by ‘Glitched Computer
Syndrome Errors’ (GCSEs) and had several
occasions to request that my points were
corrected. Sorting out the glitches served to
reinforce what I already suspected, that if MI5
ever needs to recruit codebreakers, it should
look no further than the Audax community. My
thanks go to Peter Lewis for patiently sorting
out my points total on no less than 3 separate
occasions.
I was delighted to achieve 3As (Grimpeur
Award for 20 AAA points) at about the same
time of year that many A level students were
disappointed to discover that they'd achieved
less than 3As. Martin Malins was extra efficient at
recognising my Grimpeur du Sud award, whilst
Werner Wiethege amused me with his emails
from Bavaria when claiming my 25th ‘Quarter
Century’ AAA point. Humour from Germany
and efficiency in Britain, don't you just love it?
However, it was completing my SR that most
made me feel like I'd graduated.
End of Term Report
I couldn't end the article without mentioning
fellow ‘First Year Audax Student’ Mark Bryan
whom I occasionally see at events. He amassed
far more points than me, and therefore gets
West London's first year school prize. Well done
mate!
Whilst there have been far too many offroute
u-turns for my liking, that initial u-turn of
entering Audaxes after swearing never to do
so again was a good decision. I've met some
fantastic people whilst riding and, moreover,
have learned loads from them. I have learned
from the small setbacks, it feels like progress
despite the slower average speeds I achieve
compared to sportives. Why didn't I enrol for
Audax school earlier in life? It has been worth
(nearly) every minute and I really would like
to thank everyone I've met and all of those
brilliant organisers and volunteers who make
it all possible. ‘Three cheers’ to you guys! I’ll
continue trying to master the 3Rs and am
targeting 3 AAAs next. Is PBP the international
baccalaureate?
◆
The ‘Full Value Squad’ on the
Venetian Nights 200km,
27 September.
L to R: Andy Tolley, Steve Dawson,
Becky Burns, Jamie Macleod
Photo: Peter Bond
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BREVET POPULAIRE
My Weekend in Wales
Cristina Ruiz-Perez
After leaving work on Friday night, I had
a long drive during the night to get to
the campsite in Wales, so a lay-in on
Saturday morning was a pleasure. Eirlys and I
were to spend the weekend in Abergavenny,
South East Wales. There was a 100km hilly audax
to do on Sunday (the Monmouthshire Meander)
and we also planned to ride on Saturday in
search of two more answers to our CTC British
Cycling Quest (BCQ), or that was the plan
anyway. The forecast for the whole weekend
was terrible, heavy rain and very windy (but
it was Wales!). Luckily we still decided to go,
as it turned out to be a lovely, sunny summer
weekend, with only a few showers during the
night.
We weren’t up too early on Saturday morning
and started our ride around 11am. Our first
At the arrivée, Abergavenny
destination was Llanthony, resting in the Vale of
Ewyas, within the Black Mountains area of the
Brecon Beacons National Park. We were on the
quest of this small location, and in particular
of St. David’s church. But what a surprise to
find, by the small church, the amazing ruins
of Llanthony’s Priory. It was an Augustinian
Eirlys by St. John the Evangelist's church, Tretower
priory and dates back to around the year 1100.
It became one of the great medieval buildings
in Wales; it was magnificent. We had one of our
ride stops here as this wonderful hiding place
was worth the time. We headed back
by the same route, a small undulated
road between the mountains with a
river to one side of us. I have never
been in this part of Wales before and
I was very impressed by the beauty
of its countryside. Eventually we
followed another road in search of
our second BCQ of the day, Tretower.
Before we got there we went
through Crickhowell, a small lively
town full of walkers and outdoors
tourists. We decided to have a beer
here on the way back after our second question
was completed and found a lovely
pub. It was only around 40 miles on
Saturday but we had the long day to
do on Sunday.
The Monmouthsire Meander
Audax started only a few miles
from where we were staying so a
pleasant ride to the start was a nice
beginning to the day. At least until
we were there, in the carpark, and
nobody else around. We got the
wrong carpark! Panic. Phone call.
New directions. And eventually we
got there, just when all of the riders were ready
to go, at 9 am. We waited and got our brevets,
so there we go, 10 minutes late but looking
forward to the ride and the new places we were
going to see. When you leave Abergavenny, you
go up, and up and up this hill (amazing views!)
but I remember thinking, “if this is like this all
the way...”, eventually we had some
downhill too. We were heading to
Usk, 20km South East where we had
the first checkpoint. We were still the
last ones in the bunch when we got
to Usk but we still had few minutes
to spare and a few other cyclists were
around. We didn’t want to stop so
we carried on as soon as the brevets
were stamped to get a bit more time
for later on. Our next checkpoint was
Monmouth, with a very quick stop,
and Garway, a control 32km from
Usk. Just after Monmouth we had the company
of two other fellow cyclists. Apparently they had
been following two cyclists and were 5 miles
off the route before they realised those cyclists
weren’t doing the audax, so they turned round
and managed to get back on route. This time,
they decided to try their luck with us. We got to
Garway where we stopped for a little bit, had
some lovely chocolate cupcakes and rolls and
sat on the grass and stretched our legs. Once
again, the views were fantastic. We thanked the
wonderful organiser and off we went again.
Crickhowell
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BREVET POPULAIRE
Not long afterwards we were joined again by
the two lost cyclists. After a few miles they
were forced to stop and fix a puncture. Other
groups were behind us, so they would soon
find company again. So again it is Eirlys and
me, now in Herefordshire for around 20km to
our next info control, and then back into Wales
once more. We have got another 32km to the
arrivée and we started to feel the stress of the
hills in our legs. The sun is still shining and the
lush green scenery of Wales makes this a day
to remember – lovely valleys and rivers, steep
mountains and smooth roads. What a wonderful
ride! The last part of the ride was through the
same lanes we cycled the day before. The ride
always feels easier when you know the way. At
about this time we kept meeting up with a larger
group, including the two guys we rode with
earlier, so we all pretty much cycled together to
the end. We got to the arrivée before 15:30 with
a big smile on our faces. It has been a fantastic
day. What a wonderful weekend in Wales! Until
the next one.
Llanthony Priory
Two Towers 100k Audax
Sunday 10th August
It was raining heavily when I left home in
Torbay at 7am to go up to North Petherton
to start one of the Audaxes being held
that day. The forecast was for heavy showers
during the morning and clearing by the
afternoon. The Met Office had been correct
about the first bit but it was a case of wait
and see how the afternoon turned out as
Hurricane Bertha was due to come across the
Atlantic and likely to cause all sorts of mayhem
with possible flooding, high winds and fallen
trees!
A large number of the entries had obviously
taken notice of the forecast and failed to turn
up, while I always take the view of give it a go,
things can only get better! With less than half
the entry turning up there was a lot more cake
for us at the controls – their loss, my gain.
I'd switched from the 120k Three Towers
event to the easier 100k Two Towers ride which
cuts out the hills around the Alfreds Tower
area plus I'd come up with a friend, Liz, who is
new to this form of cycling so thought this was
not a day to introduce her to a series of steep
climbs.
A small group of us left the start at 9am
and by that time it had stopped raining.
Although looking at the skies ahead, no-one
was prepared to predict what the next hour or
so might bring. An easy pace took us through
the lanes running beside the rivers and canals
of the Somerset Levels to arrive at Langport
before heading to Somerton. Given an option
by the organisers as to where to take the
morning stop, Liz and I chose a small cafe in
Somerton while the rest of the group moved
on to Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford.
With the weather having taken a turn for the
better – no more rain, dry roads and the sun
attempting to make an appearance – I now
think a large number of cyclists wished they
had not stayed at home but turned up at the
start.
We continued past the Motor Museum and
turned on to the B3152 for Castle Cary while
the 120k riders continued their ride on up to
Alfreds Tower and round to Bruton, before
both rides joined up at the control in Ditcheat.
Castle Cary – A delightful old Wessex market
town, where I had not been before. Usually
only seen by passing through on the train on
the way to London or the west country and
of course by those who get off there for the
Glastonbury Music Festival.
Continuing on along quiet lanes to the
control at Ditcheat and joined by a number of
riders who had come through Bruton where
we encounted the only rain shower of the
whole day. We thought it best to hang on
and have a second cup of tea rather than get
wet, the shower only lasted about 10 minutes
anyway, the sun came out and made it a
perfect summer's day.
Enjoying the lanes going past Street where
the Sunday afternoon traffic was coming out
of the Clarkes Shoes shopping centre to join
the A361, we returned to the Somerset Levels
area at Burrowbridge, one of the villages that
made the news earlier in the year with all the
flooding in that area. After about 8 miles on
this road and we turned into the village to
retrace the route back to the finish in North
Petherton.
Thanks must go to Alan Windridge and his
team for organising a very picturesque ride,
but a shame that the number of non-starters
missed a very enjoyable days cycling
Ribble Blue
Somerton
Castle Cary
Castle Cary
River Parrott
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RRtY to Super Randonneur
Steve Whalley
Like all good ideas and many a ride
account, the idea of my first RRtY as
an achievable challenge began after
several pints in a local hostelry with
a couple of fellow riders from my
local cycling group, the Forth Bay Wheelers,
that rides out of Dalgety Bay, Fife, on most
Sunday mornings. An RRtY would be a step up
from my usual Sunday morning cycle with the
Wheelers and requires me to complete a 200k
in each of 12 consecutive months. So how did
the completion of my first RRtY turn into my 1st
Super Randonneur?
I enjoy the 200k format that allows the audax
rider to leave at a reasonable time in the early
hours of the day and be home for teatime,
whilst enjoying café stops along the way, a
good deal of banter with others and yet is still a
reasonable test of endurance and stamina. Since
the finishing of my first audax in September
2010 it has been a slow start for me with the
completion of a handful of events in each of the
subsequent years with my 2013 highlights being
the Port Navigation 200k out of Ballachulish
and the Snow Roads 300k out of Kirriemuir. All
events have been enjoyable days out but I was
looking for an achievable challenge into 2014
that wouldn't overtake the rest of my life and the
completion of an RRtY appealed to me.
DIY September 2013: The Mercian at Tayport (Photo by Steve Whalley)
DIY to the rescue
Straight after deciding to do an RRtY I then
promptly failed to find a free weekend in the
first month of the challenge, August 2013, and I
also couldn't do the planned extended calendar
event that the other Wheelers had scheduled
for the following month in September.
However, a DIY entry came to my rescue and I
successfully completed my first solo circularroute
around Fife and Perthshire in September
2013 experiencing dry and sunny but windy
conditions and completing in 10.5 hours. My
RRtY was now up and running.
The selected DIY route was devised by my
fellow Wheelers, Gavster and Dave_C, which
was refined to start in Dalgety Bay and keep to
a clockwise route around Fife taking in Perth
& Kinross. Using the Dunfermline–Alloa cycle
path, a section of the former Dunfermline to
Alloa railway, made for an easy start for the first
27k before heading north through Dollar and
up through Glendevon to a second breakfast
in Auchterarder at 70k. Then heading east into
Newburgh at 100k, through Tayport and into St.
Andrews at 140k for a good feed before heading
west to Falkland, Lochgelly, Cowdenbeath and
returning to Dalgety Bay. Clockwise became
the heading of choice for the route as the wind
direction continued to be consistently coming
from the West. This ensured a tailwind on the
longest section that headed east between
Auchterarder and Tayport. The route gave
me a total riding length of 215k to achieve the
minimum required distance of 200k. It was the
last 15k that was always the most difficult to
complete both physically and mentally!
The second riding of my DIY route saw
me tie up with Gavster and Dave_C again to
successfully complete month no.2 of the RRtY
in dry and sunny weather. So far so good! The
following month in November marked the start
of the difficult winter riding for me. Keeping an
eye out on the deteriorating weather forecast as
the month progressed and attempting to tie up
with my fellow Wheelers meant that we settled
on riding on the last day of the month. Darkness
began to fall after the 160k point beyond
Falkland I struggled to barely turn the pedals
on even the most benign of hills, eventually
managing to finish and awakening the following
morning with a serious dose of “manflu” – those
most serious of ailments detrimental to cycling
I'm sure you'll agree!
As we moved into December the weather
worsened and it was left to Dave_C and me to
again head out on the 30th day, which turned
out to be the wettest and windiest day of the
month. I prepared for a day of rain and set out
into a dreich morning fully prepared, including
wearing my heavyweight commuter rainjacket
and overtrousers. I don't think I've ever had the
need to wear overtrousers on the bike before,
but on this day I wore them all day and was
glad of them! My outstanding memories were
pushing a big gear to Newburgh whilst being
tracked by a trio of deer running alongside
in a neighbouring field and later pushing a
granny gear slowly up the minor road between
the West and East Lomond hills that rises to
almost 500m above Falkland in the pitch black
through the trees with just the beam of my front
light and bats for company. Achieving the top
marked the end of the hill-climbing for the day.
As somebody once said, “it's all downhill from
here except for the uphill bits”. It rained and
was windy for 10 hours and then just windy for
2 hours. Although the weather conditions were
atrocious I experienced a strong day on the bike
and actually enjoyed the challenge.
New Year optimism
My January 2014 ride was completed without
company in substantially less rain than the
previous month and I started to actually enjoy
the route. Obviously with the coming of the
New Year comes a period of optimism. As I ride
through Glendevon and pass Castlehill Reservoir
near the bottom of the climb, which supplies
Fife with its water supply, I leave the villages of
Perthshire behind and start thinking about my
second breakfast in Auchterarder that consisted
of the usual full Scottish fry-up. I don't believe
much in energy gels and snacks, the body needs
fortification from a decent meal on a long ride.
Luckily, it was the middle of the afternoon
when I came across a stark reminder of
Scotland's dark period in history when people
were persecuted for withcraft and sorcery. Just
outside Dunning on the B8062 I stopped for a
breather by the roadside at a tall cross, which
looks out of place in the quiet countryside of
Perthshire, and has some large words scrawled
in white on the supporting cairn that reads:
Maggie Wall, burnt here, 1657, as a Witch. I
found out that this is a monument to Maggie
Wall, who was perhaps one of the 1500 women
who were executed as witches in Scotland for
over a century until 1722. Whist stopping to
pay my respect I was glad that the sun was still
making an appearance to enlighten the barren
countryside. My early optimism dimmed with
the onset of darkness and the switching on
of lights as soon as I left the warm café in St.
Andrews after my mid-afternoon feed consisting
of meatballs and pasta. I head west down the
long straight and monotonous road that is the
B939 to Ceres heading for Falkland to suffer
from the same headwind that I earlier benefited
from whilst travelling east and it soon leaves
me feeling tired and thinking that this ride is
at least 70k too long. I arrived in Falkland in
yet more persistent rain and went to view my
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SUPER RANDONNEUR
DIY January 2014 – Maggie Wall monument (Photo by Steve Whalley)
Garmin only to hear a slight fizz followed by a
blank screen. No panic though as the problem
was solved by replacing the batteries with a dry
set and the Garmin was working again. I avoided
the climb over the top of the Lomonds and
although this is the shortest route from Falkland
I followed the tried and tested Sanny Road that
skirted Strathmiglo and remained consistently,
although longer, the most leg friendly return
from Falkland. The Sanny Road gets its name
from the soil that runs off the surrounding fields
that coat the road with a fine silt or sand and
hence the colloquial "sanny" road. There always
seems to be a headwind to successfully sap
your strength that whips around the Lomond
hills running alongside the road. The constant
hum of the wind turbine positioned close to
the top of the sanny road is an audible beacon,
which slowly draws you to it. Eventually arriving
at home I reflected on the real challenge of
the RRtY that was to keep going long after
your body clock tells you that you should
DIY February 2014 – The author in Glendevon (Photo by Gavster)
have finished your ride before dark, especially
following a 7am morning start.
In February I have the company of Gavster
again on the coldest ride so far. It takes a
long time to warm up after the first café stop
in Auchterarder necessitating an extra café
stop in Newburgh where we bump into the
cycling legends that are George Berwick and
Phil Jurczyk. We swap stories – some of them
probably true – drink tea, eat cake and head
off again before going our separate ways into
the cold air. We stop briefly on the outskirts of
Falkland village for a snack and ignore the many
interesting old buildings that the village has to
offer and crack on with our route. We complete
in what was to be my longest time taken for a
200k to date – just over 13 hours, less than 30
minutes before the lime limit, which we put
down to the very cold conditions.
Winter miles count as double
March marked the completion of my last DIY
ride before taking advantage of the planned
Scottish calendar events through the warmer
months. At the beginning of April I started
the second running of Russell Carson's 200k
event, “More Passes than Mastermind” starting
in Symington, Borders, which is badged as a
dramatic ride through the Crawick, Mennock,
and Dalveen passes, and a visit to Scotland's
highest village, before heading north past the
Devil's Beef Tub. It was good to catch up with
some of the Audax Ecosse guys and gauging
their different levels of fitness depending on
whether they'd kept their riding going through
the winter months. Although for some, lack
of time on the bike didn't seem to slow them
down, (thinking of you, Neil Fraser!). I'm sure
that the views are grand but we experienced
mostly cloudy, wet and windy conditions. A
strong climb up the Devils Beeftub along the
A701 outside Moffat ensured I completed in 10.5
hours. Perhaps winter miles do indeed count as
double as I finished in good shape.
The month of May had me entered in the
“Deeside Loop” 200k starting from Forfar and I
rode it with Gavster. This is when I experienced
my first “mechanical”. Having had an easy ride
from the start I approached the half way mark
with a slow puncture in good weather. I stopped
in a convenient lay-by and instructed Gavster
to continue down the road whilst I fixed my
puncture with the intention of catching him
up before the next control in Braemar about
20km away. I removed my rear tyre and found a
bald patch that I'd failed to notice the last time I
checked the tyre. No worries, I made a tyre boot
out of the old innertube that I'd just removed
and placed the tyre on the rim, complete with
newly fashioned boot, ready to take the new
tube. Meanwhile, I'd happily waved past the last
of the several back markers that had shouted
at me to check that I was ok. At this point I
attempted to inflate my tyre with no success.
After scratching my head whilst staring at my
pump for a few minutes I removed the new tube
to have a closer inspection and noticed that the
valve was hanging on by a small piece of rubber.
This was my last tube so I began to botch up
the valve with patch on patch from my repair
kit wondering whether I was going to make it
to the next control. It then started raining and
I was thinking whether to attempt to phone
a taxi to collect me and return me to Braemar
anticipating a DNF. At this point, Gavster
returned having turned back after enquiring
with the back markers who had confirmed that
they'd seen me attending to my tyre at the side
of the road. Gavster had come to my rescue and
produced a spare tube that I fitted, complete
with boot, and we were on our way after about
an hour's delay. I picked up another puncture at
192k, which I repaired in the pouring rain in less
than 10 minutes using Gavster's remaining spare
tube before completing in 13 hours. My lesson
was learned on packing at least 3 spare tubes for
my next audax!
My entry into Alex Patterson's “Snow Roads”
300k starting from Kirriemuir in June had
been made several months previously prior to
the closing of entries due to the high level of
demand for definitely one of the best audaxes
in Scotland, if not the UK. I had completed
this event last year without too much incident
experiencing mainly excellent weather and
knew that it was unlikely that the weather gods
would be kind to me for two years in a row.
“More Passes than Mastermind” April 2014: Riders just before the off
(Photo by Russell Carson)
I was not wrong! I travelled up on the Friday
night to make use of the offer of village hall floor
accommodation and banter ready for a good
night's sleep to be up bright and early for the
6am start the following morning. We duly set
off from the Northmuir Hall after only grabbing
a few hours sleep in a rather too hot hall but
we made excellent progress over the Cairn o'
Mount arriving at control 2 and the café in Oyne
having cycled with Russell Carson in record
time averaging over 25kph for 110k. Gavster was
taking it easier and he arrived at the café just as
we were finishing so that made up my mind to
have extra cake and coffee and let Russell push
on whilst I waited for Gavster. Suitably sustained
we made steady progress to Dufftown at 150k
and another café stop but made our first mistake
of not taking the short detour into Tomintoul at
around 180k to replenish our supplies of water
and food. Let's push on over the Lecht I shouted
as I was certain that there was another café or
shop on route close by, but I wasn't exactly sure
where it was. So, we ignored the Tomintoul
detour and made the turn west to immediately
experience headwind and our moving speed
dramatically dropped! The day began to get
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SUPER RANDONNEUR
serious as we both ran out of water by the
top of the Lecht after the 20% climbs into the
headwind and when we finally arrived at the
tea stop at the other side of the Lecht it had
closed half an hour before our arrival. We
then made our second mistake and decided
not to stop at a hotel that we passed shortly
afterwards but instead pushed on. Then Gavster
began to struggle over the not insubstantial
climbs during the 50k or so that we still had to
complete before our next control in Braemar. In
fact, he was looking for opportunities to pack to
avoid the second significant unnamed hill that
we were about to ascend after the Lecht when I
shoved a half pack of jelly babies into his hands
to be gratefully consumed and he continued
on. It was only when we arrived in Braemar at
240k to be greeted by an excellent reception
from the volunteers from the Angus Bike Chain
that we realised just how hard the last section
from Dufftown had been. However, after a good
rest, consumption of cheesy beans on toast
and with the donning of extra cold weather
gear our spirits were up as we left the control
to head out into the increasingly worsening
weather to climb the Cairnwell. We climbed
in steady rain up to the Glenshee Ski Centre,
rested briefly under its cover and sped down
the other side in poor visibility with darkening
skies. I don't remember much but struggling to
hold Gavster's wheel as we sped along for the
last two hours of the route in the rain before we
arrived at the arrivée just before midnight and
an end to our 18 hour day. On reflection we'd
completed a truly classic Scottish route with
superb scenery in epic conditions.
RRtY 2 SR
It was only at this point of my RRtY with
9 x 200k's behind me, a 300k (AAA 4.75) and
two months to go that I realised that a Super
Randonneur was achievable. Following all
that, much of it completed in darkness and in
poor weather, I'd felt that I'd broken the back
of the RRtY challenge and now felt confident
that I could step up to an SR. I wanted to take
advantage of my hard won fitness from the
winter miles as I moved into the summer
months. On looking at the audax calendar there
were two Scottish events out of Galashiels run
by Lucy McTaggart that I decided would fit my
agenda nicely. I duly entered the “Borderlands
Roc Trevezal” 600k event for July that was
badged as a tour of both sides of the Scottish
Borders, an event with reasonable challenge
but shouldn't have you pushing the time limit.
So it was basically flat then? Wrong! This would
also mean the doubling of distance for me over
what I'd ever before completed on an audax
bike. However, my confidence was brimming
after lasting 18 hours completing the “hilly”
Snow Roads the previous month with many
of my other rides completed in the cold, dark
and rain. Surely, the long events in the summer
months will not feel as hard, can they? I was
about to find out.
I had about an hour and a quarter's drive to
the start of the Borderlands Roc event starting
point. I set off in the morning of the event, this
time without any Wheeler companions, in my
trusty Citroen Berlingo prepared with the back
seats removed with mat and sleeping bag laid
out ready for sleeping on return to Galashiels
at 420k if I needed it. I decided to keep my
sleeping plan flexible as I had no idea what
condition I would be in or when I would need to
sleep. I knew from Lucy's advice that the control
at Johnstonebridge services would be a good
opportunity for a sleep stop as they had the
option of taking advantage of the restaurant
chairs or there is a hotel for those riders
wishing to secure a little more luxury. My plan
was to see how I felt and to go with the flow
depending on who I happened to be cycling
with and what my fellow riders were doing at
the time.
The rolling border hills made for good
steady riding and I kept my eating strategy
restricted to snacks in the morning, sandwich
by the roadside at lunch and my main café meal
being at 200k at around 4.30pm in Barnard
Castle. This marked the completion of the long
southern section before turning north and
heading back over Yad Moss for the return leg
to Galashiels. The climb over Yad Moss was
done in good weather and I caught up with
the main group at Alston at 250k for another
roadside stop. My hydration strategy meant
that I drank a pint of milk at each stop and
I felt as though this gave me an advantage
over the usual water, fizzy or sports drinks. I
completed the next 90k being pulled along by
the peleton, eyeballs out, and was glad of the
tow as we made it to Johnstonebridge services
in 3.5 hours arriving before midnight as the rain
started falling. I didn't really fancy sleeping
here because the restaurant chairs didn't look
that appealing, I was feeling good and my fully
prepared Berlingo was waiting for me just 80k
away in Galashiels. Along with two other riders
we decided to have a bite to eat and head out
into the rain once again to make for Galashiels.
It was fast riding in moonlight and occasional
showers when we came to an abrupt halt when
two eyes lit by our front lights stared back at us.
It was a badger in the middle of the road that
didn't expect to see three cyclists riding around
in the middle of the night. It quickly came
to its senses and scuttled off under a hedge
and we were quickly on our way again finally
arriving back to the Berlingo in the approaching
daylight at 4.30am after 420k to settle down
for a 3 hour sleep. With hindsight I think if I did
this route again I would take the hotel option
to assure longer, better quality sleep and a
change of kit, and blow the one-off hotel cost.
After breakfast and the usual faffing I was away
again at 10am for the remaining 190k which
looked like a flattish route to Berwick and back.
However, it certainly wasn't flat but was made
up of a lot of ups and downs that didn't look
much on the profile but was felt very much by
“Over the Hill and Back” August 2014 – Peleton entering England (Photo by Russell Carson)
“Over the Hill and Back” August 2014. Up the cobbles from Alston (Photo by Russell Carson)
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tired legs. In fact, I took my time completing
this route along with two other riders who were
in no mood to rush. We even had time for a
pint or two in Morebattle at 570k. It was then
a continuation of the ups and downs which
finished us off by the arrivee at Galashiels in a
total time of 37.5 hours.
Epic!
“Just a 400k to complete and then I have
my SR”, I thought – simple then? I'd entered
the ”Over the Hill and Back” 400k event from
Galashiels that retraced much of the route from
the previous month's 600k and was an out and
back to Barnard Castle. I would be riding with
my fellow Wheeler, Gavster. Lucy, the organiser
informed us that the start time had been moved
forward to 7am to ensure that all riders would
pass through before the road closures into
Galashiels planned later the following morning.
Luckily, Russell Carson very kindly offered us
accommodation in his house the night before
the event. An offer that was too good to refuse
to save us the 1.5 hour car journey before the
event. Suffice to say that we kept the alcohol
consumption down to a reasonable level but I
rose in the morning having felt that I could have
done with more sleep and less red wine the
night before. Indeed, we were a few minutes
late arriving at the start and the 20 or so riders
departed to leave me and Gavster playing
catch-up until the first control at Samye Ling's
when we caught up with Russell and the others.
The first time I visited Samye Ling's I thought
that it was odd to find a Tibetan monastery
located in the Scottish Borders. It makes for
a great commercial control in the remote
Eskdalemuir. I found out that the original
building became the Samye Ling Monastery
and Tibetan Centre after it was purchased by a
visionary Tibetan, Akong Rinpoche, in 1967. It
was established as the first Buddhist monastery
in Europe, frequented in the early years by
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, David Bowie and
Leonard Cohen during the hippie era. As well as
a spiritual centre, it is now a tourist destination,
a place of education and healing and a
fundraising centre for humanitarian projects
worldwide. We finished our coffee and pastries
and continued as a group of six riders heading
for the next control at Alston at 150k.
We were zipping along nicely as we headed
into England and Russell felt relaxed enough to
take photo's from the back of our peleton under
blue skies and warm weather. All was well until
about 20k before Alston and Gavster's front
wheel went ping as a spoke failed. After a bit of
deliberation and some thought he trued it up as
best he could and we continued to Alston with
the hope of finding a bike shop after a tip off
that there was a bike shop not too far from our
route. We all agreed that the wheel would need
a repair from somebody who knew what they
were doing if Gavster was going to successfully
complete the full ride. Alston is a nice place
to stop with several cafés to choose from but
we opted for a snack at the side of the road
and I grabbed food and the now customary
pint of milk before googling for bike shops to
find out whether such a thing existed in these
parts. Google confirmed that North Pennine
Cycles was located 2 miles away in Nenthead
and a quick phone call found that the owner
was happy to help. We made our way off route
over to the small village of Nenthead and found
that it is England's highest village at 1500 feet,
which was not really the detour we needed on
a 400k ride! The bike shop is well located as
it's on England's most popular long distance
cycle route, the C2C, which passes through the
village. After 45 minutes we said our goodbyes
and following inspection of my paper map
pages that I carry as a back-up in case my GPS
dies, we headed straight up the 25% hill out
of the village, that is England's second highest
road, before descending to meet the lower
slopes of Yad Moss. Although I rely on GPS
navigation from a Garmin Etrex I also have a
spiral bound A5 map book of Scotland that
allows me to easily tear out the relevant map
pages and mark up routes in pencil noting the
controls to carry as a back-up. These pages are
then re-used for future events making sure that
I erase the old route before marking the new
route. I've found that this allows me to better
understand the route, comes to my aid should
I need to go off route and gives me something
to read should I be eating by myself in a café
somewhere.
We were now on catch-up mode and made
our way to the half-way point at Barnard Castle
arriving after 5pm just as all the cafes were
closing and before the pubs were serving food.
A quick fish and chips was consumed before
heading back over Yad Moss in good weather.
We made it back to Alston without incident
but on the road to Johnstonebridge at around
midnight Gavster's front wheel made a familiar
ping as another spoke failed. Using headtorches
we spotted the offending spoke that was
fortunately different to the spoke that had been
replaced 120k earlier, but which still left us with
the same problem. We made a fix and rolled 20k
to the control at Johnstonebridge services for
2am as the rain was falling. It was obvious that it
was unwise for Gavster to attempt to continue
with a weakened wheel in deteriorating
weather along what we knew would be rougher
surfaced roads in the dark. 340k marked the
end of Gavster's ride as he booked the last
remaining room in the adjoining hotel at
Johnstonebridge services. I had an all too brief
rest before continuing with Russell and three
other riders who had waited for me whilst
the rain, which had deluged for the last hour,
slackened its downpour. It was lightly raining
when we finally headed away at 3.30am and
the next 3.5 hours to the arrivee was beset by
heavy downpours to arrive in Galashiels at 7am.
I decided that it was best to collect a receipt
for this final control before closing my eyes for
45 minutes in the Berlingo parked in Tesco's
car park to recharge my batteries before the
drive home. If I had any energy left I could have
reflected on having achieved my first RRtY and
my first Super Randonneur series. But for now it
was quickly home for another longer sleep.
Reflections
On reflection, there were several learnings
from my experiences:
••
The DIY route should provide a reliable
ride in all weather conditions that allows
straightforward completion as RRtY is
challenging enough without adding
complexity;
••
Flexibility on dates to complete the monthly
rides is essential to success as timing is critical
by planning a ride early in the month to allow
the possibility of completing a later ride if
required;
••
Assume that most, if not all, of the DIY rides
would be completed without company as it
proves increasingly difficult to synchronise
the diaries of fellow riders as the months go
on;
••
Don't underestimate the power of jelly babies
••
Don't tell “normal” people too many details
about what you're doing because they just
won't understand;
••
Take advantage of available formal
accommodation such as hotels to maximise
the chance of a decent night's sleep and blow
the cost;
••
Eat real food, often and early, and don't rush
around too much.
Generally, I found my RRtY a lot harder to
achieve than my SR. My RRtY required good
planning and a willingness to venture into the
outdoors in all weathers knowing that much of
the winter rides would be done in deteriorating
weather and failing light. The SR “just” required
three longer rides in the summer, which were
all calendar events meaning that there was
valuable support of other riders and a good
base fitness following the RRtY miles. Next
season my objective will be another SR as I
target an Ultra Super Randonneur! ◆
DIY February 2014 – Looking up Glendevon (Photo by Steve Whalley)
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This is one of John Perrin's fine
portfolio of rides – the Broken
Cross Audaxes – named after John's
home “village” near Macclesfield.
The name is a Latin reference to
the lead mining which went on here in Roman
times. Lutudarum is the odd-one-out: being the
middle section of the Knockerdown 200, with
which it runs concurrently, it starts at Hulme
End on the River Manifold. Having done the
inaugural 200, I have opted for the shorter ride
on the last two occasions. The Knockerdown
is a great ride but the Lutudarum gives me the
opportunity to help John with the controlling
and refreshments on
both rides
Peter
Bond
and still have a ride to boot. My intention each
time was to get round reasonably quickly so
that I could help John at the finish, which was
just a few kilometres further down the Manifold
Trail. This would also be a control for the longer
route, so I wanted to get back as quickly as was
compatible with taking pictures, age and, above
all, having fun!
The Peak District is what it says and our
way would be rather like riding along a river
bed at the bottom of a sinuous ravine, as we
passed from riverside trail to converted railway
tracks, breaking out from time to time for a
moorland crossing with views of some of the
oddest shaped hills you will see anywhere. And
everywhere we would see the reminders of the
phenomenal human energy that has wrought
this landscape, for rock, road and railway. It's a
wonderfully well thought out route and fiftyfive
of the one hundred and twenty kilometres
would be on well-surfaced trails.
Having seen the Knockerdown riders off from
Broken Cross, Mike Roberts and I loaded our bikes
onto the famous red camper van and John drove
us down to Hulme End, where we found thirty or so
riders waiting to collect their accreditation. Among
them was Ian Ryall, taking a rare short ride before the
rigours of the 1000k Mille Cymru a couple of weeks
later. Also there were Andrew Lees and his son Isaac
from Sheffield. I suspect some riders might have
looked a little askance at Isaac, who is probably
only about eight years old. I had no such
misgivings, having last seen him climbing
the killer 1-in-5s on one of Chris Crossland's
rides, with one hand off the bars pointing at a
wrecked car in the ravine below.
Duty done, Mike and I set off about five
minutes after the pack and bowled along
the Manifold Trail. This is a ride full of landmarks
and immediately I looked for the gaping mouth
of Thor's Cave, a reputedly neolithic dwelling
high up on the right of the ravine. Two years
ago, we'd had bad weather (for months) and the
trail was wet and strewn with branches. The last
two editions have been beautiful, with hardly a
whisper of wind. Taking in the lush fields with
brown beasts lazing on blankets of buttercups
and clover it was a little odd to be thinking
how foreign was this quintessentially English
scenery. I could imagine I was on the Rhine and
the Lorelei were singing down from the cave. In
fact, the Manifold Trail follows the line of one of
the Peak District's newest railways, the Leek and
Manifold Valley Light Railway. This was a narrowgauge
line built to carry milk from farms to
Swainsley Tunnel
market as well as passengers. It only lasted from
about 1900 until the 1930s but we certainly reap
the benefit today. It was laid by an engineer who
had built lines in India, which seems appropriate
for the gorges we were riding through.
Swainsley Tunnel, the first of the day (this ride
could easily be called Tracks and Tunnels) is a
pretty modest affair, though I don't suppose
it felt like that to the navvies. For thirteen
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kilometres I rolled along the traffic-free trail,
crossing dry creeks that two years ago had been
toffee-coloured torrents with the butterbur
leaves floating like lily pads on the surface. Half a
mile on the A-road to Ashbourne brought us to a
left turn onto a side road and our first stiff climb.
We caught the main group at a short level bit
where I'm sure I heard someone exclaim, “What
– up there?” I should point out that it's to John's
great credit that he has devised a 120k route that
collects 1.75 AAA points, without encountering a
single chevron against, though there are several
“with the flow”.
The climb levels out just before Throwley Hall
Farm – where I neglected to take a picture of
the derelict old hall – before plunging down the
exhilerating descent to Musden Grange, which is
by a very sharp left-hand bend. I'd been looking
forward to seeing the spectacular red chestnut
flowers but they had gone over. Instead, there
were the first of scores of Duke Of Edinburgh's
Award Scheme hikers we were to encounter on
the way round. I'd been working quite hard, on
my mission, so it was sobering to catch Andrew
and Isaac on this stretch: 17 kilometres to catch
an 8 year-old for five minutes…. In Ilam, there is
the fine recently restored monument. Turning
left for Thorpe, I soon passed the entrance to
beautiful Dove Dale and Thorpe Cloud loomed
like a sentinel on my left as I got stuck into the
climb over the grassy rise to the village itself.
Just beyond Thorpe the route joins the
Tissington trail for another couple of kilometres
of dappled shade. This short section ends
near the excellent snack-bar and there were
many cyclists taking a break there, including a
beaming Ian Ryall. I didn't need a stop this early
but I can recommend the hot vegetarian pasties
from previous experience. A little further on is
a ford, which in the wet year had been so deep
that people were fishing in it. This time, the
cobbles were clearly visible below the surface
but I took no chances and used the footbridge.
A gentle climb to Bradbourne, followed by
a more determined one past Netherton Hall
brought me to the Ashbourne to Matlock
road, with the Knockerdown pub just down
the hill to the left. A little wiggle right and
left put me on the descent to the Carsington
Water reservoir. This is, as far as I can work out,
a storage reservoir, rather than a catchment
one, as most of the water in it is pumped from
miles away. It is a glorious sight and was very
busy on this sunny summer Saturday. It is a
real tourist trap and a very large chunk of the
bait is the excellent pedestrian and cycle path
which circumnavigates the lake. This trail is not
completely flat but any rises are gentle and the
surface was very good, thanks in part to the
dry spell, and for ten kilometres I meandered
through copses of trees and fields of wildflowers,
weaving my way through the many
walkers and cyclists who were taking advantage
of this wonderful facility.
In the obviously rich and well-kept village of
Hopton, the route returns to road opposite an
idyllic scene with a beautiful garden by a house
with a curious rounded gable end. Hopton Hall
itself was built for the Gell family who have
been gentry there since the 12th century. It is
this family which gives a prosaic explanation
for the track known as
the Via Gellia. It's easy
to imagine it is Roman
in origin but in fact it
was built by the Gells
to serve their industrial
interests. Even more
prosaic is the trade
name Viyella which
developed from it! We
don't actually reach
the hall on this route
but take a sharp right
turn just before to enter
a magical woodland,
where the road is hewn
out of the rocky slope
and the climb is not so
steep that you can't
appreciate the dappled
shade before you break
out onto the moor
above.
Leaving the wood,
I enjoyed the drop to
the crossroads, where
we took to the tracks
again, this time on the
High Peak Trail, an old
mineral line between
Cromford and Buxton.
Turning left off the
newly made connecting
track, riders are
immediately faced with
the infamous Hopton
Incline, down which
laden trucks would
occasionally plummet
to disaster. On the longer Knockerdown ride,
you have just climbed the gruelling mile out of
Cromford to reach the trail and are then almost
immediately onto the incline, which can seem
a bit gratuitous. However, after only forty-odd
kilometres (and no Cromford) it didn't seem like
anything much. In its heyday it was the steepest
railway gradient in the British Isles.
Although at this visit we are only on the trail
for four or five kilometres, there is plenty to
catch the eye. The remains of a windmill stand
defiantly in Carsington Pasture to the left of the
trail, though this year the view has been spoilt
by the construction of three (so far) windturbines;
they may be a traditional use of the
space but they have ruined the atmosphere.
There are modern day works to left and right
and Harboro Rocks on the right are a magnet
for picnickers and walkers. In the north you are
never far from evidence of industry and I always
pay silent tribute to the ghosts whose lives of
toil enabled me to glide (relatively) effortlessly
through the scenes of their endeavour. I left the
trail at Longcliffe picnic area, which has some
interesting artwork based on the history of the
line.
After negotiating a very narrow gap in a
wall I was back on the road and heading north
towards Elton. This is a very pretty village and
has its own special interest:one of the cottages
was the home of Alfred Gregory, photographer
on the expedition to Everest in 1953. It rather put
Hopton Incline
the day's puny climbing efforts into perspective,
though of course, we were managing without
sherpas or oxygen. Alfred himself was a
renowned climber and carried supplies to
28,000 feet to establish a camp for the summit
attempt. He saw out his days in Australia, where
he died at the age of 98. Sir John Hunt, who led
the expedition, was one of the prime movers
in setting up the Duke of Edinburgh's Award
scheme whose aspirants were such a feature of
the ride, so it is all of a piece. Appropriate, too,
that the next climb should be of the lovely Cliff
Lane. I like this climb; it's pretty short but has
a right-angle bend in it to add to the interest
and today it had a magnificant bunch of blue
geraniums marking the turn.
Three or four miles of fast main road brought
me to Bakewell, where I was caught by the first
riders on the 200. Bakewell is a very popular
Lime kilns on the Monsal Trail
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place and today was no exception. As I wormed
my way through, a young woman beckoned from
the window of her car and naturally I acceded to
her demands. She wondered, having seen my
well-worn Harry Hall bike, if I knew where the
base for the Eroica Britannia event was. This is an
English version of the classic Italian ride for classic
road bikes, which must fulfill certain age-criteria.
I regretted that I could not help. I also suspected
that it was not the sight of my machine but
its ancient rider, that made me a target of the
enquiry. I shrugged it off and climbed up to the
next off-road section.
The Monsal Trail has only
been open in its present
form for a couple of years.
The many tunnels, which
had been blocked off since
the railway (from Bakewell
to Buxton) closed, were reopened
in 2011. These help
to provide a wonderfully
atmospheric ride, as well as some blissfully cool
air on a hot day. Fourteen kilometres of very well
surfaced trail (the tunnels are tarmaced) also
take you across viaducts which soar over the
dales beneath. In one instance, at Monsal Head, I
think, there are always parties of abseilers taking
the direct route. Some of the old platforms and
station buildings are still to be seen along the
trail and some have their own peculiar history.
Hassop Station, which has a café that was doing
great business with walkers and cyclists, was
built by one stuck-up aristocrat because he
didn't want to share a station with the stuck-up
aristocrat next door. At Millers Dale viaduct (so
good they built it twice), we rode over the older
bridge while the newer one rusted picturesquely
Organiser John Perrin with AN Other and Chris Crookes
under its counterpane
of wildflowers. It was
here that I stopped to
tighten the rear wheel
skewer, having finally
remembered what
the clunking that had
“The river was a
motionless slab of
glass… butterbur
leaves covered the
bank with green
leathery scales”
Hopton
Harboro Rocks
annoyed me for the last dozen kilometres had
meant last time!
The Georgian-style mill at Cressbrook is quite
a surprising sight so far below and Litton Tunnel
recalls the notorious Litton Mill, which was the
scene of such abuse and childslavery
that it hastened reforms
in working conditions. It seems
perverse to think of these things
in such beautiful surroundings
but our memories may be the
only acknowledgement some
of the victims will ever have. It
has to be said, too, that there is
a hideous, though fascinating
construction on the trail which wouldn't look out
of place in a town centre car park or a communistera
Moscow apartment block. Apparently it
is a lime kiln, but whether or not the concrete
buttresses are later additions to prevent it falling
into the track I don't know. Fascinating all the
same.
Just after Rusher Cutting tunnel, the route
leaves the trail, though walkers can continue
along the old line. After an extremely circumspect
off-road descent of thirty yards or so, I found the
answer to an information question at Blackwell
Cycle Hire, which, like everywhere else on this
glorious day, was doing a roaring trade. I rode on
along the trail by the river Wye, which was still
and low, in marked contrast to the first year when
it had threatened to flood the path. The river
was a motionless slab of glass and
alongside the huge butterbur leaves
covered the bank with green leathery
scales.
After such a country idyll, it's
almost a shock to be presented with
a spell on the A6 but I was actually
relishing the steady climb and
the opportunity to get out of the
saddle. The ride up Topley Pike is not
particularly demanding but it was
nice to stand and have a different
riding position for a few turns. A
cautious turn off the busy road
towards Chelmorton brings more
climbing and also a view
over to the right of what
I think may be the older
part of the Topley Pike
quarries. A left turn took
me to Chelmorton itself,
which looks like another
fairly wealthy village
built pretty much as a
strip along a kilometre
or so of road. On the
way out I snapped the
perfect summer scene
of beasts browsing in
a field of buttercups. I
was still pinching myself
to believe that such a
lovely spell of weather
was actually happening.
A quick right and left
across the Ashbourne
road and I was plunging
down the stony track
to join the High Peak
Trail again. It had recently been re-charged
with large chippings and I just survived the
descent. The High Peak Trail is much less gothic
than the Monsal Trail and has the feel of a
forest track rather than a thoroughfare. It is
also much narrower, which lends it a particular
enchantment. The first few kilometres of this
section had a riot of wildflowers in the verge,
especially bird's foot trefoil and clover. Every now
and then the trail passes through a cutting with
walls of limestone looming on either side. Last
year on this section, I came up to a group who
had an interesting mixture of bikes, including one
which had a sort of bogie on the front, by which
means a man was able to pedal his disabled wife
along the trail. We chatted about our different
types of cycling for a couple of hundred yards. It
was a marvellous day for seeing so many cyclists
and walkers out enjoying a fabulous area.
I've been along this track in both directions
several times now, so it had been a surprise to
come across a new, though ancient-looking
building as I approached the Parsley Hay visitor
centre. A stone round-house with a conical roof,
it is apparently a gift from the people of Croatia
on their joining the European Union. I'm not quite
sure what I think about it in that particular spot,
which is rich in its own heritage, but it is certainly
a singular structure.
I filled up my bottles at the tap outside the café
and rode on to where the trail splits; the right fork
takes you down the Tissington Trail, through an
impressive, gloomy cutting, but our way was to
the left, where the track got even narrower. After
Cathy and Ashley Brown
46
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another five kilometres, making a total of thirteen
or so for this section, I reached the car park at
Minninglow. Minninglow itself is an ancient burial
mound. I'm not sure whether I saw it from the
car park or earlier on the ride from another angle
but it is very striking with a stand of tall trees
surrounded by a fringe of lower-growing trees or
shrubs.
Leaving the car park in the direction of Parwich,
I soon noticed a rather fine but dilapidated pair
of farm buildings on a down on the right of the
road. I don't know if they are all that remains of a
farm, or if they were outbuildings but they have
very striking stonework and are crying out to be
restored. Not long after this I turned right down
what the route-sheet describes as a “mucky
lane”. It was good to have the warning because
although the surface is tarmaced it is covered in
loose stones, manure, soil and twigs. However,
it was also great fun to descend to the village
of Parwich. This has one of those impressive
churches that make you wonder why on earth
they are there. I imagine that when people
were more tied to the land before agricultural
crises and the industrial revolution depopulated
the countryside, then such a church might be
justified, although the one at Parwich looks a
little later to me than that and possibly belongs to
the great Victorian church building era (look it up,
Bond, look it up!). Whatever, it is a fine building in
a fine setting.
I turned right in Parwich and rode on through
Alsop en le Dale, so-called because it isn't in a
dale, although almost every depression between
two lumps is called a dale in this part of the world.
The village may have been named by a medieval
estate agent. Another crossing of the Ashbourne
road brought me to Milldale which is at the
northern end of Dovedale. In fact, the route took
a sharp right hand turn in the village, where to go
straight on would have been to enter the fabled
Dove Dale itself. A little further on there is a left
turn outside the Watts Russell Arms. The pub is
very picturesque, with ivy covered walls and a
fine sign. Watts Russell himself was the man who
pretty much demolished Ilam in order to re-build
it like somewhere he'd seen in Switzerland.
The left turn delivers the last series of
undulations of the day and a fine view of
what I think is Soles Hill, one of the many
characteristically-shaped hills of the unique Peak
District. Before long I was through Wetton with
only a mile or so to the finish, and wondering
whether or not I was early enough to be of much
use to John at the arrivée. But there were still
sights to come on the left of the road. Last year
there had been a magnificent scene of haymaking
which had a sort of green geometry
about it. Then there was a view of Thor's cave
looming over the thickly wooded valley in
which John would be waiting with the “Van of
Delights”.
The final descent to the finish at Wetton Mill
is fast and twisty and overhung with trees, but I
managed to avoid the two large pot-holes I'd hit
last year before pulling up at John's van, where
he appeared to be surrounded by huge bales of
some kind of material. These turned out to be the
enormous rucksacks on a group of diminutive
girls who had got lost on their Duke of Edinburgh
hike. While John added to their confusion, I
sorted out a cup of tea and some delightful
comestible or other from the V of D and prepared
to help register and feed the subsequent
finishers. There were also the riders on the 200k
to refresh as our finish was a control on their way
back to Broken Cross.
Over the next two or three hours, I had a
fascinating time helping with the admin and the
refreshments and generally chatting to riders.
Most were accounted for by the time we set off
back to Broken Cross to help John's wife, Elaine,
catering for the long ride finishers. As it turned
out, most had already gone by the time we
arrived and Elaine had done a marvellous job
holding the fort on her own.
I'm sure all will have been impressed by the
wonderful hospitality. I was particularly pleased
for John when some of the Lutudarum riders,
who'd obviously found it a tough day out, praised
him for his route and his refreshments. I hope
they'll try some of his other rides. This particular
one is a gem: a perfect summer's day out, one
that will live long in the memory. ◆
Golden Road and Standing Stones 300km (photos Ian Gilbert)
Paul Manasseh
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RANDONNEE
Flattest Possible 300
Malcolm Dancy
I
did the San Fairy Ann CC Flattest Possible
300 on Sunday 13 July 2014, an event that is
part of the so-called Fairies Flat Five.
Before I rolled up I knew nothing about
the San Fairy Ann Cycling Club, other than
the neat multi-lingual pun in its title and the
alliterative marketing brilliance of the audax
events it organises. Being a relative newcomer
to audax, I arrived as I usually do, with very little
in the way of expectation and an open mind.
In the comfort of my own home, sitting in
front of the computer, the idea of starting an
event at stupid o'clock in the morning and riding
100 km before breakfast and then completing a
further 200 km was really quite compelling. The
evening before, as my wife was getting ready
to go to bed, the idea of willingly going out into
the night and forsaking much-needed hours of
rest was very much less appealing. To be brutally
honest I didn't want to turn up at all.
To make things worse, I was in danger of
falling asleep whilst driving along the near
empty motorway towards Ashford for the start.
The only reason I didn't pull out – aside
from the shame of posting a DNS – was
that I desperately needed the miles (I mean
kilometres) in my legs. In a moment of madness
some months previously I had committed myself
to 1300km of riding in the Scottish Highlands at
the end of July.
Once the satnav had delivered me to the right
postcode, a friendly volunteer waving a bicycle
light showed me where the HQ was. The car park
was already filling up and another volunteer
guided me to my spot. Reassuring organisation
in the darkness.
I removed the bike from the bike rack, and
transformed myself from motorist to cyclist,
which mostly entailed a change of footwear. I
went inside to sign in and then make a beeline
for the tea and Jaffa cakes.
There were about 30 of us riding the 300k
event, and we set off in one group. I seem to
turn up to audax events unprepared; this time I
hadn't ridden more than 50 km since early March
and I was feeling a definite need to preserve my
energies. I therefore wanted to ride at a sensible
pace. On the other hand, sitting on the back of a
bunch of fast boys was a good way of eating up
the miles (sorry, I do mean kilometres) without
too much pain. I adopted the rather selfish
policy of staying near the front of the group, but
not near enough there was any danger of me
actually being there to do my share of the work.
To my fellow riders, I apologise.
Good organisation went well beyond
management of car park and the ample
provision of tea and Jaffa cakes. The route had
us riding in the early hours of the morning
along wide main roads with excellent surfaces
while they were free of traffic. The same roads
you would avoid like the plague during the day
as they would be terrorised by fast cars and
polluted by their exhaust.
For most of these hours I had no real idea
where I was or in what direction I was headed,
but there were plenty of fellow riders who had
ridden the routes before, and each junction was
accompanied by a round of little beeps from
GPS units. There were signposts for Hastings,
I remember. We stopped by a Martello Tower
at around 50 km for the first control, at which
point I noticed there were only a dozen of us
present from the 30 who had started. I quickly
realised that although tea was on offer, if I
chose to drink it some of my fellow riders
would be gone before I finished. From here we
rode along the coast road beside the sea wall.
A while later there was an information stop,
so more knowledgeable riders than myself
informed me, and I made a mental note of the
maximum height of a vehicle that could pass
under a particular bridge. An hour or so later
when we approached the town of Rye, and for
a few minutes I knew where I was. None of us
remembered to check the information stop here
but we latterly picked up the idea that 2.2 m was
relevant.
Derek Jarman's house on Dungeness
My policy of staying near the front now
had to me with the first six riders in the event.
Uncharted territory for me. But I was feeling
quite surprisingly strong, and went to the front
finally to do my share. Things were going well.
Breakfast was bacon butties and croissants.
I don't eat bacon so I made up for it with the
croissants. The breakfast stop at 100 km was
back at the original headquarters so I could
leave my longsleeved jersey and my leggings
behind. And my lights.
Setting off, I was full of optimism. I'd done
the first hundred in less than four hours, and at
this rate would be finished by 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. Audax is not about winning, but if
it were, I was at the front. I felt fantastic. the
sense of my own raw power rushed through my
bloodstream.
Unfortunately, once I was back in the saddle
after breakfast, I found I wasn't quite in the
same groove. The same fast riders I had been
cycling with were still fast and I no longer
was. I normally climb better than most people
because I'm skeletally thin, but these guys were
dropping me going uphill.
Ah, yes. Uphill. I was quickly gaining an
appreciation of the very subtle difference
between Flattest Possible and Flat. While there
was a minimum level of climbing in the event,
climbing there was. Kent is known for being
rolling, rather than hilly, but rolling is not flat.
The rolling downs imply the rolling ups. Soon I
found myself in a group of one, moving at my
own pace. A pace that was very much slower.
And quieter.
The first thing to do in such a situation is stay
calm and not get lost. I didn't panic, but neither
did I fail to get myself lost.
I stopped for a few minutes to get my
bearings (Google Maps) and dig the route sheet
out of my back pocket. And off again.
For the daylight hours, the route was much
more scenic, with narrow grass-strewn lanes
working their way across the very much rolling
countryside. I enjoyed the next 50 km at a more
leisurely pace, taking in my surroundings. I
reached the halfway checkpoint (150 km) just as
my former co-riders were leaving, and I knew
better than to roll on and stay with them. Now
that I was in a place with tea and cake I would
wait for the next riders on the road.
And wait I did, through several cups of very
welcome tea and possibly more cake than was
strictly necessary. I met lots of people who were
doing the 150k ride for whom this was their first
checkpoint. Everybody seemed to be having a
good time.
Finally I had three or four companions, and we
set off together in the warm spring sunshine.
We were heading towards Romney Marsh
and Dungeness. My companions were local to
the area and knew the roads, and they were
grumbling about the road ahead of us. The
wind, and the worst road surface in England. I
had never been to Dungeness but I had read
about it in a colour supplement and was looking
forward to it.
Romney Marsh is 100 square miles of flat,
low-lying wetland sheltered from the sea by
the low head land of Dungeness. It is almost
uninhabited, which makes it an ideal sanctuary
for birds and an ideal site for a nuclear power
station. Being flat, and next to the sea, the wind
was merciless and we had to grind away along
the lonely road towards Dungeness.
I had expected the wind, and preferring fat
tyres on my bikes I never worry about rough
roads. Except… there is something special
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GOLDEN ROAD AND STANDING STONES - PHOTOS BY IAN GILBERT
about the road to Dungeness, which is made
of concrete, without significant numbers of
potholes, but has ridges going across the road
which seem to be designed to create the most
irritating vibrations possible. Quite memorably
unpleasant.
But Dungeness is an amazing place, especially
in bright sunshine under a blue sky. We were
heading for the lighthouse and the power
station which were prominent on the horizon,
and to reach them we passed the scattering of
wooden shacks that make up the village, the
most impressive of which is film director Derek
Jarman's, with its famous garden.
The control was at the railway station cafe,
the railway in question being the 13 mile narrow
gauge Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
Fabulous.
After an extended cafe stop, there were
thankfully some kilometres of wind-assisted flat
riding. Unfortunately, to return to the start/finish
it was necessary to tackle some of the sharp
gradients of the Weald. Again the difference
between flat, and flattest possible, a difference
made more striking by fatigue.
Soon enough however, we had negotiated
our way around the narrow lanes and attractive
countryside to the event HQ where I made a
serious effort to replace lost calories. A final
event: I drove home with the windows open
and the radio very loud to avoid sleepiness,
reflecting on a day very well spent. ◆
Once More Into the Breach, Dear Riders
Corwen Audax rides, July 2014
David Matthews
The first thing to say is that there was an
appalling weather forecast for the whole
day of these rides: drenching rain in
abundance.
The effect on the ratio of entrants to starters
is very interesting. The hard men on the 200k
mostly turned up as did the geriatrics on the
60k. The field for the classic and popular 100k
Brenig Bach was heavily reduced with only one
third of entrants turning up.
Barmouth Boulevard
204km; 3650m ascent
13 from 19 entries turned up and set off
bravely into the rain. As you can see from the
comments posted on YACF, copied below, the
riders had a great day out. 11 finishers as one
rider packed and another suffered a broken
derailleur.
“Had I been on my own I probably wouldn't
have started as I hate setting off in the rain and the
forecast was dreadful. But I had gone with a friend
(his first 200 audax) so I didn't bottle it. Bounced the
first control as it was still raining and had a good
run to Harlech, which is a place I love, chatting
with jamesb on the run in. The waterproofs came
off shortly after and stayed off, contrary to the
forecast. This ride is full of beautiful valleys and the
scenery is stunning, even in poor weather. And the
hills just keep giving and giving!
It was very humid as I got to Bwlch y Groes and the
sweat was streaming off my face but the sun came
out shortly after and it was a lovely evening.
Good to have a chat with other finishers at the pub.
Many many thanks to Dave M for putting on this
ride, there were 13 starters and it deserves a lot
more, a great combination of lanes, scenery, sea
views and hills."
“Agree, this was a wonderful day out and a
great day out. I might not have started without
the encouragement from James at about 7am,
but was really pleased I did. Shame about the
small numbers, but this was obviously a very select
group. Enjoyed the company of Andy, Ian and Mark
on the road, and most of the others at the cafe
stops. Everyone helped me get round.
I really love this part of Wales, having spent nearly
six months working near Barmouth between
school and university (summer of 69 - 45 years
ago!!) Much of it hasn't really changed.
Thanks again, David, for organising it. See you
again soon.”
The Brenig Bach
107km; 1920m ascent
As stated previously there was a good entry
of 40 riders for this event. However in the face
of the early morning deluge only 15 riders took
the start.
There was a crash involving 3 riders on a
downhill section near Bala, fortunately without
injury, but causing them to pack. 2 other riders
packed at Pentrefoelas. Congratulations to the
10 riders who successfully completed this hilly
ride.
The Bala Parade
60km; 700m ascent
A low entry of 10 for this ride. 6 riders of
pensionable age and beyond started and all
finished. The rain stopped by 11:30, we had dried
out by lunch time at the Llanuwchllyn control
south of Lake Bala. All enjoyed a short day out in
glorious, if damp, Welsh scenery.
All 3 rides back on next year on Saturday
July 18. Start times return to original schedule
of 08:00; 08:30 and 09:00. Let’s hope for some
good weather to enhance riders’ enjoyment of
glorious North Wales.
◆
Golden Road and Standing Stones 300km (photo Ian Gilbert)
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OVERSEAS
Escaping the Floods
View down from the Coll de Jou to Sant Lloerenç de Morunys.
Early 2014. Rain, rain, rain. Water, water
everywhere. Even roads at the top of
hills were flooded… It seemed a good
time to escape for a weekend to Spain.
So very early one Friday morning
I met Andy Seviour at Gatwick to check in for
a flight to Barcelona. Our return flight was late
Sunday, with a planned route heading north
towards the Pyrenees. So we had three days of
sun to look forward to – hopefully!
After checking in our bags and bikes we
settled into the BA Lounge for breakfast. No, we
weren't travelling business class – in fact we had
got quite cheap tickets – but this
was one perk of me having spent far
too many hours recently in BA's fleet
of 747s and 777s – and the other perk
was that both our bikes travelled
free of charge.
Friday – Barcelona to Cardona
Despite landing a bit early, by
the time the bikes appeared, and
we'd reassembled them, and then
found the left luggage office to drop
off the bike packing, it was around
midday. But as seasoned AUKs, and
with only 132km to go, what was
there to worry about?
Well, the first thing to worry about was that
the road leaving the terminal had “No Bicycles”
signs. I'd spent some time with Google Maps
trying to find a way out of Terminal 1 other than
using the dual carriageway, without success – it
was the only road. It was only a few hundred
metres to escape to the various service roads
north of the terminal, so we ignored the signs
and pressed on. The second thing was that those
few hundred metres heading north-west were
hard work. The reason was very obvious when
several minutes later the service road briefly
Andy riding through Rocafort.
Chris
Beynon
headed south east, and we were overtaken at
speed by an empty box, blown along by the
strong wind. The third thing was that it was a bit
cloudy, with the threat of some rain later.
The route, plotted into the Garmin, initially
took us on the minor BV-2411 to Vilafranca del
Penedès, but first we stopped in Gavà at a
garage for lunch (part 1), eaten standing outside
in true AUK fashion. The road climbed gently but
steadily, but the strong headwind meant that at
times we were down to 10kph. This was going to
be a long day…
However, after a while the road levelled out,
and trees gave protection from the wind. Some
way ahead we could see a local roadie, and
we gradually closed the gap. On catching him,
he didn't look very local, and turned out to be
a Brit who had attended a big mobile phone
conference in Barcelona, and had taken his bike
with him to get some miles in before his flight
home that evening. We rode with him to the
N-340 junction, where he turned back, but we
had barely started our day.
At Vilafranca we stopped in a bar-cumrestaurant
for lunch part 2 – a chicken
something or other picked slightly at random
off the menu (did I mention, neither of us speaks
any usable Spanish – or more relevant here,
any Catalan – at all). Several kilometres north
of Vilafranca we hit our next problem – the
minor C-244 on my 10 year old map had been
upgraded to the C-15. It was still a two lane road
(i.e. not dual-carriageway), and wasn't especially
busy, but a familiar sign said “No Bicycles”. Andy
spotted a “cycle route” sign on a parallel minor
road to the next village, but on
arriving at that village it appeared
to be a choice of the C-15 or the C-15.
There wasn't a “No Bicycles” sign
though, so we carried on to the next
junction – where the no cycling
signs were back, but a farm road
appeared to be heading the right
way so we took that. However after
about 1km it finished in a field, so we
followed a well-worn track that led
to a gap in the roadside fence, and
continued on the C-15. At the next
junction we could escape the C-15
and still get to our next destination,
Igualada, but that added several
extra kilometres and a significant gratuitous
climb in the process. (After studying Google
satellite images on our return there do seem to
be minor roads we could have used to avoid the
C15, but they were not in OpenStreetMap on my
Garmin, and are not in Google Maps.) At least it
was now sunny, and the wind had dropped a bit.
A gentle drag into Òdena left Andy well
behind – the chicken whatever-it-was had
clearly run out. While he was catching up, I
scouted around the village and thankfully found
a small shop open, and we got some more food.
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OVERSEAS
We also took stock of the situation – we clearly
weren't going to get to the hotel by 7pm as I
had told them, so I emailed them to say we were
on our way and would be there around 9pm.
Suitably refreshed, we continued on the old
C-241 to Manresa – helpfully left intact after the
new C-37 had been built. This was a great road,
with almost no traffic. At one point the surface
was damp, so clearly we had escaped a shower
(the only hint of rain all weekend – hooray!). Not
long after we stopped to watch a strong red
sunset, and then continued in the dark.
The traffic returned in the large town of
Manresa, where we headed onto the C-55 to
our destination for the night, Cardona. This was
the only road that was unpleasantly busy all
weekend – a mix of late rush-hour traffic and
lots of locals with skis on the roof, heading up
to the mountains for the weekend. It was also
relentlessly uphill, and progress was slow, but
we finally got to the hotel around 9.30pm. Being
Spain, that was perfect timing for dinner!
In the end we did 139km, with 1800m of climb,
and combined with a very early start in the UK,
and a late night, it meant that there was little
enthusiasm Saturday morning for my planned
150km or 163km options for the day. Instead over
breakfast we picked a route to the 1480m Coll de
Jou that we estimated would be around 100km.
We would be staying in the same excellent little
hotel (La Premsa) again the second night, so we
could leave most of our kit behind and travel
light.
Saturday – To the Coll de Jou
It was sunny but cold as we started off on the
C-55 again – thankfully now almost deserted of
traffic. Before turning off onto the minor LV-4241
towards the col we stopped for two rounds of
coffee and cakes in a nice café in Solsona. Sun
and climbing soon had us down to shorts (a
first for the year!). An hour or so later a false
summit led to a short fast descent, followed by
continued climbing up to the col, with patches
of snow at the side of the road. The obligatory
photos were taken at the col sign, and just after
that there was snow all around, it was cold,
Tunnel en-route to the Llosa del Cavall reservoir
and we quickly put all our layers on for the fast
descent to Sant Lloerenç de Morunys for a latish
lunch. We sat down at an empty table in the first
restaurant we found, only to be told 5 minutes
later that the table was reserved, and they
had no space. Ummm. Anyway we found a bar
serving food, and had a large plate of chicken,
chips and salad each. It hit the spot perfectly,
helping thaw us after the descent.
After Sant Lloerenç we headed back south on
the C-462 which went round the Llosa del Cavall
reservoir. There were several short tunnels, then
a longer one that popped out at the dam, which
we spent some time peering over – it was a long
way down! It was straight into another tunnel as
we left the dam, which descended quickly to the
river valley below the dam.
A bit later we got to the C-26 and then a minor
unclassified road back to the C-55 via the dam
over the Sant Ponç reservoir. However at the
turn off the C-26 the only signage was for a long
distance footpath, and the road soon got very
narrow and potholed. I began to doubt that it
was a through road, especially as the roads so
far had near perfect tarmac (although, while
potholed, this road would still attract admiring
glances from anyone used to the South Bucks
Chris at the Coll de Jou
Andy riding to the Coll de Jou
roads where I live!). So it was a great relief when
we dropped down to the dam and there was a
public road across it – which continued up the
other side of the valley on a steady climb to the
C-55. By the time we got back to Cardona we'd
done 106km with 1900m climb. It had been an
excellent day's riding.
Sunday – Return to Barcelona
On Sunday we had a 132km route planned
which dropped into Barcelona before returning
to the airport. With a 19:55 flight we needed to
be at the airport by 5pm at the latest to have
time to pack the bikes, so with plenty of hills
scheduled we went for an early(ish) start. It was
another sunny but cold morning and with the
empty C-55 being mainly downhill, we kept
several layers on for a while.
We stopped in Manresa for a coffee and to
photograph the old bridge, before climbing
steeply out of the town and onto the BV-1125
and then BV-1124. This road was quite narrow,
and climbed steadily through woodland to the
old village of Rocafort, which we left on a steep
single track descent. A bit later, and with the
sun now strong, we stripped off excess layers
as we climbed up through Mura to the BV-1221.
Late lunch at Sant Lloerenç de Morunys
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OVERSEAS
This road had excellent scenery, going through
the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt, with
a steady climb to the 870m summit at the Coll
d'Estenalles. On the final part of the climb I
couldn't resist overtaking a local roadie – on my
touring bike, with panniers. Sorry.
It was then a big descent down to Terrassa
where we stopped for lunch. The GPS then came
into its own, allowing us to take a quiet route
through the built-up area between the Terrassa
and Rubi, before escaping back into the woods
for the final climb up the BP-1417 which left us
with a panoramic view over Barcelona. A fast
plummet into the city was followed by more
GPS aided navigation to Gaudi's Sagrada Família
basilica, which not surprisingly was swarming
with tourists.
The final section of riding took as through
the quiet (on a Sunday afternoon) Zona Franca
and into the airport. Getting close to the
inevitable “No Bicycles” dual carriageway back
to Terminal 1, I spotted a cycle route sign. There
was no clue as to where it went to, but it was in
the right direction, so we followed it alongside
and then under the dual carriageway, popping
out from an unlabeled underpass into the back
of one of the long term car parks. There wasn't
a sign in sight on the airport side! It was around
4:30pm, we'd ridden 132km as planned, with
1610m climb, and we'd had another excellent
day in the saddle.
After sorting the bikes and checking in we
headed to the lounge. I was looking forward to
a shower, but was disappointed to be told that
rental of a towel was 15 euros. Even allowing
for inflation, that's around 20 times more than
I once paid for a hotel – although admittedly
that single room dungeon in Himachal Pradesh
didn't come with a towel, or a shower, or for
Andy in the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt.
that matter any running water apart from the
mucky stream (= open sewer?) that you had to
remember to jump over as you left the room.
Despite being a rip-off, the shower was good,
and I probably made up for the cost of the
shower in food and drinks consumed!
Some time later we landed at Gatwick in
torrential driving rain. Home sweet home… ◆
Golden Road and Standing Stones 300km (photos Ian Gilbert)
Ian Anderson
Ricky Wells
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RANDONNEE
Flatlands 600km
ElliptiGO ride
13 September 2014 Stuart Blofeld
Myself and fellow ElliptiGOers
Idai, Alan and Carl were
taking on the Audax
Flatlands 600, from Great
Dunmow in Essex to Goole in
Lincolnshire (possibly Yorkshire!) and back. It
was so far North I didn’t even know where we
were heading. And with so little planning and
preparation for this ride (the others included)
it literally was a case of turn up at the start,
point ourselves in the right direction and GO!
And that’s pretty much what happened. We
all stayed near the start location at St Mary’s
Church the previous night for the 6am start.
Breakfast was served at 5am which consisted
of pain au chocolate, grain bars, flapjack,
muffins and bananas so not very Paleo! I
think I may have ODed on pain au chocolate!
At 6am on the dot, Alan and I were on the
start line but there was no sign of Idai or Carl!
One hundred quite or so cyclists had set off
and there was Alan and me left waiting there!
They were still fuelling up but this allowed
me time to set up my Garmin Etrex with the
maps for the rides. That didn’t go well! It
seemed the GPX map files I had got from
one of the other riders exchanged online
weren’t compatible with my Garmin. Damn.
This was a bit of a blow as it now meant we
had to resort to navigating 600km of English
country roads following a turn-by-turn route
description. Not the best start to the ride
but you deal with these things and just get
on with it. There were 9 stages - the longest
stage being 90km and shortest 49km. But to
be honest the stage distances were pretty
irrelevant as the controls were all unmanned
so we just had to pass through the relevant
town and get evidence as proof of passage
such as an ATM or shop receipt.
Carl and Idai finally emerged, stomachs full,
at 6:15am. We took the opportunity for a start
line photo before we set off into the morning
mist and the start of our adventure!
The plan was to stay together as a group
for the entire ride so the first section (61km)
to Red Lodge for second breakfast was all
about finding a sustainable pace that suited
everyone. We had no plan regarding who
would lead out so we just took it in turns
in these early stages to establish who was
most comfortable at the front and didn’t kill
those behind with an unsustainable pace.
Idai voiced some concern that we were going
too fast and I guess I may have still been in
Thruxton mode! However, slowly but surely
we got into our groove and before long
we had arrived at Control 1 - Red Lodge for
‘proper’ breakfast. Fry-ups all round for the
crew and we were fuelled and ready for the
day ahead and the real work to begin.
I think because we all spent so little time
At the start
thinking, preparing or planning for this ride
this actually helped in that we were all very
relaxed and just GOing with the flow. The
route north would cut right through the Fens
crossing the Rivers Cam, Ouse and Nene. It
was unbelievably flat but because of this
there was also the inevitable wind factor. So
on the one hand you benefitted but when
there was no shelter from the elements it
Red Lodge Control for second breakfast
could get pretty tough. For me the ‘real’ work
started earlier than the others and came as
a bit of a shock. Of course I wasn’t sure how
much the Thruxton 100 had taken out of me
but I soon found out. Between 50 and 100
miles I was really out of sorts and finding
it rough. It wasn’t the pace or wind or any
other external factor that caused this but the
simple fact that I was spent and already felt
like I was ‘running on empty’. And we hadn’t
even reached 100 miles of a near as damn it
400 mile ride!! The thought that I felt like this
already and had the best part of 300 miles
still to ride was not one that filled me with
glee.
We pulled into a garage where I told the
others that my legs felt trashed already. Idai
was genuinely concerned but at the same
time there was nothing that anyone or I could
do about it. This was a continuous point to
point and back ride with no Plan B or escape
route We were all here for the long-haul no
matter what happened and I just had to suck
it up, quit feeling sorry for myself and get
on with it. Stopping for just 20 minutes can
make all the difference to mind and body.
And there was only one answer - ice cream!
It worked a treat on Mille Cymru when I was
at my lowest ebb and it worked here too.
We chilled out in the garage forecourt ate,
drank and reset for the next section. And
that’s exactly how we would roll through this
ride for the next day and a half. It was simple
really. We rode from stop to stop refuelling
and recharging ourselves like we were on
a conveyor belt that would stop until we
reached the end. And even the landscape and
the long flat straight roads resembled exactly
this. There was no getting off, checking out
or throwing in the towel. The others didn’t
appear to be unduly affected by the distance
and soon I was back in the groove too, as if
my earlier melt down had never happened.
Isn’t it strange that the body can feel like
that... Like it couldn’t GO on for another mile
let alone 300 and now I’m ‘normal’. We arrived
at Control 2 (130km) in Whittlesey in time for
lunch. We found a nice pub and a place to
park the ElliptiGOs. Once again time off your
feet makes all the difference. We gorged
ourselves on pub grub (burgers and chips)
and I even had a cheeky pint of ale. Why not I
thought to myself and it really helps to break
up the enormity of the challenge by doing
‘normal’ things like enjoying a pint.
Stomachs once again full and we were
headed for Boston which was a shorter
57km stage. We rode through the afternoon
sunshine with the winds still battling against
us. At times the whole group would just ride
in comfortable silence as we went about
our business and at other times we would
chat, laugh and bond with our shared goal
to reach the end. As far as our pacing was
concerned this was now taking care of itself
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RANDONNEE
with whoever felt like leading the bunch
taking up the front spot and pushing on as we
carved a path through the endless Fens. By
Boston (Control 3 - 187km) there was just one
thing on our minds - coffee! But it was getting
on for 5:30pm and the town centre seemed
to be closing for business. We bumped into
two other cyclists who had spent the last 3hrs
at the bike shop get a broken gear shifter
replaced. Ouch! They joined us for coffee at
a nearby Cafe Nero (Result!!) and it was once
again feet up, relax, and refuel. I’m sure you
are getting the picture by now on the routine.
And this is how we rolled deep into the night
and through to the next day.
The night section was tough. And I can’t
overstate just how much so. Clearly fatigue
is starting to set in by now and tiredness
is inevitable. As a group we hadn’t really
discussed the subject of sleep. We didn’t have
anywhere booked so if we did have time to
sleep it would be outside or in a late-night
services. I think we all knew in reality that we
wouldn’t be sleeping but no one was really
Gainsborough for pain au chocolat
prepared to say it. It was 1am when we rolled
into the delightful Scarborough and saw the
Golden Arches in the distance. This was the
only thing open at this hour but it presented
the opportunity to take an extended period
of time to rest and eat. I’m not fussy when it
comes to fuelling on long rides and I polished
off a McTasty meal. The others weren’t so
thrilled with the food on offer but it’s calories
that count and at 800+ it’s a no-brainer with a
long night of riding ahead.
As we all sat in the restaurant we were
definitely all at our lowest ebb. This was
crunch time. We were all tired but with a
complete lack of real alternatives we faced
only two options. Carry on through the night
or waste time here (which we didn’t have). We
agreed we’d spend 1 hour here and then head
on to Goole (327km) and the turn around
point.
The stage to the half way Control at Goole
was the toughest in the whole ride. It wasn’t
tough physically (the legs were still working
well) .... this was purely mental and it was
changing my perspective on the ride. The
three others would pull away and I would
try to catch them but mentally didn’t have
the motivation to try, which resulted in a
gap that grew and grew. I could always see
them but the red tail lights grew smaller and
fainter, and as the roads wound through the
countryside I lost sight of them. I expected
them to slow and allow me to catch and
perhaps they did but I wasn’t pushing by this
point. The gap was only a minute in reality
but because of the general fatigue and my
mental awareness dipping it may as well have
been an hour.
Outside of Goole the guys stopped and
I caught up. Apparently we had come into
Goole on a different route which I was
completely unaware of. Audax rules require
you to visit each of the official Controls (and
collect evidence such as an ATM or till receipt
as proof of passage) but the route you take
in between is somewhat flexible. We had
no plan to go off route but it seems that our
desire to visit McDs in Scarborough brought
us into Goole from a different direction. We
didn’t stay long (gratefully!) and we would
have been even quicker if it wasn’t for the
interest being shown in the ElliptiGOs by the
local late night (early morning!) revellers.
We left Goole after 3am and headed back
South. It felt great to be heading home and
despite only being half way into the ride it
felt like we had reached a real turning point.
I was once again feeling a lot more positive
about things. Alan lead out and we filed in
formation and pushed on through to dawn.
We were now thinking about the next fuel
stop and breakfast! For me this is where all
the remaining towns, garage forecourts,
causeways and scenery is a bit of a blur. I was
in the moment but clearly after having ridden
for over 24 hours you don’t tend to hang onto
every memory. For the reader this probably
comes as a relief!
The memories I do have of the second
day is one of a very enjoyable day riding
with friends, interspersed with some hellish
sections with wicked head winds. But we were
getting nearer and nearer to our destination
so it felt ok under the circumstances. There
was just the small challenge of navigating
our way in and out of Cambridge. The
highlight of Cambridge was getting on to
the Guided Bus Way which had a dedicated
eight mile footpath and cycle way that carved
out a traffic-free path. Once in Cambridge,
however, we still had to negotiate the ring
road and get off that and take the correct
road south. No Garmin assistance, and the
route notes were very vague. We eventually
got out but it did feel like a very long time
and far more than we had anticipated. By this
point we were all doing the maths on our
required pace to finish under the 40 hour cutoff.
In fact we had been doing the maths most
of the night and into the day. There was never
a moment where I didn’t think we would
complete it in under the 40 hour cut-off, but I
had hoped we’d be a good few hours under it.
As we exited Cambridge however this didn’t
look like being the case.
We pressed on and reached the final
Control at Chatteris (525km covered). From
here we had 80km to go and 6 hours to do it.
Judging by our pace it looked like we would
in fact push into the final hour and finish after
9pm.
The final section was the hilliest section
of the entire ride. I’m not complaining, and
the change in terrain kept it interesting but it
also slowed us down further. The worst part
however was in the final few hours riding in
A nice cuppa at Chatteris Control
the dark along a twisty country road where
we witnessed some insane driving. Why
drivers take such extreme and dangerous
risks when overtaking defies belief. I was
pacing at this point when a car came over
the brow of the hill and at the same time
a car behind me started to overtake us.
There was room but the overtaking car was
completely on the opposite side of the road
and cause the oncoming car to swerve. I was
fully expecting a collision - not with us, but
between the two cars. Somehow, and I don’t
know how, but they missed each other by
what must have been fractions of an inch. The
guys behind saw more than me and knew it
was a close shave.
After this we were just counting down the
miles back to Great Dunmow. The entire ride
was meant to be 606k but we had already
done 615k and were still GOing! It can’t be
far now surely? In fact all of the 9 stages
were like this as we would approach the
destination town. You would spot a sign
with the distance and miles later you saw
another sign and you were no closer! Finally
though after over 39 hours of riding we were
back in Great Dunmow. All that remained
was to find the actual Control. Erm.... Does
anyone know where we are going!? Nope it
appeared not. We overshot the turn we were
suppose to take and rode into town only to
have to retrace back and finally make it to
the Control - the Pub! Haha, the best Control
of the race. It was a mix of relief that the ride
was over, understated celebration that we’d
54
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
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GOLDEN ROAD AND STANDING STONES - PHOTOS BY IAN GILBERT
made it under the cut off and quiet satisfaction at a job well done.
We all worked so well as a team which isn’t as easy as it sounds on
an ElliptiGO. To all ride together for that length of time and distance
and find that our pace matched one another and that everyone
contributed to the effort was the most pleasing aspect of the whole
ride. Hats off to Idai, Alan and especially Carl, who was taking on his
first multi day event and who hadn’t ridden further than 180 miles
before! In total we had covered 386 continuous miles. It was my
longest ride also by a considerable margin.
We toasted success with a drink, and took some time to reflect.
Richard Smith & Kevin Rae
Toasting our success! (L to R) Stuart Blofeld, Idai Makaya, Carl Nanton,
Alan McDonogh
However it was late and we all had homes to get back to. The
challenge in fact hadn’t ended as getting home raised some
questions with the lack of sleep. I decided I would drive but had a
good slap up mixed kebab first (the only place open on the high
street) but boy was it good! I made it home safely but on reflection
would allow myself a sleep next time.
◆
Alan Fox & Campbell Crombie
Jamie Macleod & Andrew Tolley
Mary Jane Watson, John Clemens & Steve Parker
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 55

AUK CALENDAR
Calendar key
A(1)
B
BD
DIY
R
free/cheap accommodation 1 night
very basic – no halls/beds, etc
baggage drop
own route and controls, cards by post
free or cheap refreshments at start
and/or finish
showers
sleeping facilities on route
S
Z
175 entries close at 175 riders
YH
youth hostel at/near start
200 01 Nov Cholsey, E of Didcot Upper Thames
07:30 Sat BR 212km 1900m [1943m] £6.00 L P R T M 15-30kph
Thames Valley Audax 01491 651 284 philipmdyson@btinternet.com
Phil Dyson, 25 Papist Way Cholsey Wallingford Oxon OX10 9LL
200 01 Nov Coryton, NW Cardiff Transporter 200
07:00 Sat BR 202km £8.00 YH L P R T 50 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC 02920 341768 evansrichardd@googlemail.com
ROA 5000
Richard Evans, 73 Conway Road Cardiff CF11 9NW
110 08 Nov Alfreton Prison Run
09:00 Sat BP 113km 1000m £5.00 P L R 12-30kph
Updated Alfreton CTC bandj.smith@sky.com
Brian Smith, 10 The Crescent Clay Cross Chesterfield S45 9EH
200 08 Nov Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's Cymraeg Cyrch
07:00 Sat BR 209km 2200m £4.00 c p r t nm 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
100 09 Nov Carlton Colville, nr Lowestoft, Suffolk The Waveney Wander
09:00 Sun BP £5.00 LPRT 15-30kph
VC Baracchi
johntommo6@btinternet.com
John Thompson, 136 Dell Road Oulton Broad Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 9NT
200 09 Nov Cheadle, Stockport Eureka!
08:00 Sun BR 210km 800m £6.00 P R T M 60 15-30kph
Peak Audax
hamhort84@talktalk.net
160 09 Nov Cheadle, Stockport Cheshire Safari
08:30 Sun BP 570m £6.00 P R T M 60 12.5-25kph
Peak Audax
hamhort84@talktalk.net
Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Avenue Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ
100 09 Nov Petworth, W Sussex The Spordax 100
08:30 Sun BP 103km 1350m £7.50 F P T 15-30kph
David Hudson
ROA 25000
David Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6LG
200 14 Nov Anywhere, to AUK Annual Dinner Dinner Dart
::::: Fri BR £5 DIY 14.3-30kph
Updated Audax UK 0161 449 9309
200 15 Nov AUK Annual Dinner, Yarnfield, nr Stone, Staffs After Dinner Dart
::::: Sat BR £5 DIY 14.3-30kph
Updated Audax UK 0161 449 9309
ROA 25000
Sheila Simpson, 33 Hawk Green Road Hawk Green Marple SK6 7HR
100 22 Nov Swaffham Community Centre, Norfolk The Swaffham Scorpion
09:00 Sat BP £5 LPRT 15-30kph
NorfolknGood
sandk.tandem@btinternet.com
ROA 10000
Keith Harrison, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU
100 29 Nov Catherington, near Portsmouth Whitchurch Winter Wind-down 100
09:00 Sat BP 106km 1600m AAA1.5 £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Hantspol CC
jondse@ntlworld.com
Jonathan Ellis, 42 Wessex Road Waterlooville Hampshire PO8 0HS
200 06 Dec Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 2SE
The South of Bucks Winter Warmer
08:00 Sat BR 206km 1100m [1290m] £5.00 YH A1 L P T X 100 15-30kph
Terry Lister
lister4cycling@btinternet.com
Terry Lister, 4 Abbey Walk Great Missenden Bucks HP16 0AY
200 06 Dec Coryton, NW Cardiff Monmouthshire Meander
07:30 Sat BR 204km £8.00 YH L P R T 50 15-25kph
Updated Cardiff Byways tonypember@gmail.com
Tony Pember, 9 Donald Street Nelson Treharris CF46 6EB
200 06 Dec Galashiels The Long Dark Teatime of The Soul
08:00 Sat BR 2000m £5.00 P,R,T 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 10000
Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
C
F
L
P
T
M
X
camping at or near the start
some free food and/or drink on ride
left luggage facilities at start
free or cheap motor parking at start
toilets at start
mudguards required
some very basic controls (eg service
stations)
(14/4) entries close 14th April
BRM [PBP] Paris-Brest-Paris qualifying ride
200 06 Dec Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Tinsel and Lanes
08:00 Sat BR 211km 2060m £7.00 P R T 60 15-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
Geoffrey Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth Staffordshire B78 1BY
100 06 Dec Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Flowers to Furnace
09:00 Sat BP 104km 940m £7 P R T 50 12-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
Geoff Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth B78 1BY
200 06 Dec Tewkesbury Kings, Castles, Priests & Churches.
07:00 Sat BR 202km 2550m AAA1.75 [1800m] £4.00 f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
50 07 Dec Carharrack, Cornwall Ed's Mince Pie & Mulled Wine 50
10:00 Sun BP £3.50 F L P R T (85) 10-25kph
Audax Kernow
01326 373421 angells@talktalk.net
Eddie Angell, 14 Belhay Penryn Cornwall TR10 8DF
100 07 Dec Hailsham leisure centre, E Sussex Bob Mchardys Memorial Meander
09:00 Sun BP 992m £6.00 P R (29/11) 500 15-30kph
Mark Fairweather
markfairweather11@hotmail.com
Mark Fairweather, 310 Coast Road Pevensey Bay East Sussex BN24 6NU
200 13 Dec Prees Heath, nr Whitchurch A Brevet upon St Lucy\'s Day
08:00 Sat BR 208km £3.00 X P R T 14.3-25kph
Peak Audax CTC
perrin_john@sky.com
John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB
110 13 Dec Swaffham, Norfolk Swaffham CX1
09:00 Sat BP 111km £5.00 L P R S T 15-30kph
Updated
CC Breckland
Jonathan Reed, Braemar Houghton Lane Northpickenham Swaffham PE37 8LF
200 21 Dec Bredbury, Stockport Winter Solstice
08:30 Sun BR 202km 700m £5.00 P R T 60 15-30kph
Peak Audax
01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX
200 21 Dec Great Bromley, nr Colchester Santa Special
08:00 Sun BR 202km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
CTC Suffolk 07922772001
Andy Terry, The Nook Colchester Road Great Bromley Essex CO7 7TN
100 03 Jan Bradwell, nr Hope, Peak District Hopey New Year
09:00 Sat BP 104km 1750m AAA1.75 £5.00 YH C P R T 100 10-30kph
David Darricott
01433 621 531 ddarricott@aol.com
David Darricott, 9 Gore Lane Bradwell Hope Valley Derbyshire S33 9HT
200 03 Jan Oxford The Poor Student
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 206km 1800m £6.00 YH P X 15-30kph
Pat Hurt
07887 87 61 62 iddu.audax@gmail.com
Pat Hurt, 10 Newbury Road Lambourn RG17 7LL
200 03 Jan Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's January Sale
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 206km 1800m [2700m] £1.00 c f p r nm t 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
100 11 Jan Kings Worthy, Winchester Watership Down
09:30 Sun BP 108km 1235m £6.00 L F P R T M 140 14-28kph
Winchester CTC
coles.sue@gmail.com
ROA 5000
Sue Coles, 7 Ruffield Close Winchester SO22 5JL
200 17 Jan Chalfont St Peter The Willy Warmer
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 213km £7.00 L P R T M 75 G 15-30kph
Willesden CC
paudax@gmail.com
Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens Chiswick London W4 3TN
100 24 Jan Aztec West, Bristol Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial 100km
09:00 Sat BP 104km £5.00 P R T 15-30kph
Audax Club Bristol
info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
Paul Rainbow, 49 Quarrington Road Horfield Bristol Avon BS7 9PJ
200 24 Jan Cardiff Gate Dr. Foster's Winter Warmer
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 201km £6.00 YH L P R T 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC
tonypember@gmail.com
Tony Pember, 9 Donald Street Nelson Treharris CF46 6EB
100 24 Jan Hailsham Hills and Mills
09:00 Sat BP 102km 1850m AAA1.75 £6.00 R F P 85 14-25kph
Andy Seviour
Andy Seviour, 13 Blacksmiths Copse Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3XB
200 25 Jan Cheadle, Stockport A Mere Two Hundred
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 201km 800m £7.00 P R T 80 15-30kph
Peak Audax
56
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
www.aukweb.net

AUK CALENDAR
150 25 Jan Cheadle, Stockport A Mere Century
08:30 Sun BP 155km 600m £6.00 P R T 60 15-25kph
Peak Audax
David Colley, 5 Huncoat Avenue Heaton Chapel Stockport SK4 5HN
150 01 Feb Ashton Keynes, Cirencester Windrush Winter Warm Down
08:00 Sun BP 155km [650m] £5.00 L F P R T 15-30kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
100 01 Feb Ashton Keynes, Cirencester Windrush Winter Warm-up
09:00 Sun BP 108km 650m £5.00 L F P R T 14-25kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
ROA 5000
Peter Holden, 39 Querns Lane Cirencester GL7 1RL
200 01 Feb Denmead, nr Portsmouth a winter wind up to wantage
07:30 Sun BRM [PBP] 206km £6.00 P R T (21/01) 15-30kph
Hampshire RC
mrpaulwhitehead@yahoo.co.uk
Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7XR
200 07 Feb Alfreton Straight on at Rosie's
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 1190m £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC
tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 5000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
100 07 Feb Dial Post, West Sussex Worthing Winter Warmer
09:00 Sat BP 104km £5 FPRT 15-30kph
Worthing Excelsior CC 01903 240 280
Mick Irons, 36 Phrosso Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 5SL
200 07 Feb Tewkesbury Sam Weller's day trip to Wochma
07:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 203km 2300m [2700m] £4.00 c p r nm t 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
100 08 Feb Chippenham Flapjack
09:00 Sun BP 102km £6.50 F P R T M 150 15-24kph
Chip. & Dist. Whs. 01225 708449
Eric Fletcher, 174 Littleworth Lane Whitley Melksham Wiltshire SN12 8RE
100 08 Feb Leicester Rutland and Beyond
08:30 Sun BP 102km 1290m £4.00 F L P R S T 100 12-30kph
Leic. Forest CC
kimbo44@hotmail.com
ROA 1000
Kim Suffolk, 73 Colby Road Thurmaston Leicester LE4 8LG
200 14 Feb Cardiff Gate Malmesbury Mash
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 1000m £3.00 YH L P R T 15-30kph
Newport Velo
ritchie.t.tout@uk.pwc.com
Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage Mynyddbach Monmouthshire NP16 6RT
200 18 Feb Gravesend Cyclopark Wye Wednesday
07:30 Wed BRM [PBP] £5.00 PRT 15-30kph
Gravesend CTC 01474 815 213 tom56jackson@gmail.com
ROA 5000
Tom Jackson, 19 Denesway Meopham Kent DA13 0EA
120 21 Feb Hailsham Mad Jack's- John Seviour Memorial
09:00 Sat BP 125km 2450m AAA2.5 £6.00 R F P 100 14-25kph
Andy Seviour
Andy Seviour, 13 Blacksmiths Copse Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3XB
200 21 Feb Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland Kirkley Gallop
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £5.00 L P T 15-30kph
VC 167
northern.audax@gmail.com
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
200 21 Feb Rochdale North-West Passage
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 2100m £6.00 R T P 15-30kph
W. Pennine RC 01706 372 447
120 21 Feb Rochdale mini-North-West Passage
09:00 Sat BP 1450m £6.00 R T P 10-20kph
W. Pennine RC 01706 372 447
ROA 5000
Noel Healey, 95 Shore Mount Littleborough Lancs OL15 8EW
120 21 Feb Whitlenge, Hartlebury, S of Kidderminster Sunrise Express
08:30 Sat BP 121km £6.75 P R T 100 15-30kph
Beacon Roads Cycling Clu 01562 731606 montgomery@beaconrcc.org.uk
120 21 Feb Whitlenge, Hartlebury, S of Kidderminster Snowdrop Express
09:00 Sat BP £6.75 P R T 100 15-30kph
Beacon Roads Cycling Clu 01562 731606 montgomery@beaconrcc.org.uk
Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge DY9 0BW
200 22 Feb Cheadle, Stockport Newport
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 201km 750m £6.00 P R T 80 15-30kph
Peak Audax
tim@mothy.org.uk
150 22 Feb Cheadle, Stockport Radway
08:30 Sun BP 153km 450m £6.00 P R T 50 15-25kph
Peak Audax
tim@mothy.org.uk
Tim Hughes, 5 Peterhouse Road Sutton Macclesfield SK11 0EN
100 22 Feb Corscombe, near Beaminster The Primrose Path
09:00 Sun BP 102km 1955m AAA2 £7.00 P L R T 55 12.5-25kph
Arthur Vince 01935 863 429 arthur.vince@btinternet.com
Arthur Vince, 3 Back Lane East Coker Yeovil BA22 9JN
100 22 Feb Henham, S of Saffron Walden Victoria C. C. - Brazier's Run
09:00 Sun BP 106km £10.00 A(1) L P R S T 15-30kph
Victoria CC
kieronyates@mac.com
50 22 Feb Henham, S of Saffron Walden Victoria C. C. - Brazier's Run
09:00 Sun BP £9.00 A(1) L P R S T 10-25kph
Victoria CC
kieronyates@mac.com
ROA 2000
Kieron Yates, 6 Aberdeen Terrace London SE3 0QX
100 22 Feb Old Town Hall, Musselburgh Musselburgh RCC 24th Tour of East Lothian
10:00 Sun BP 106km £10.00 L P R T NM (10/02) 12.5-30kph
Musselburgh RCC 07852105204
Alistair Mackintosh, 5 Durham Road South Edinburgh EH15 3PD
150 28 Feb Droitwich Over the Malverns
08:30 Sat BP 159km 1500m £3.00 C P R T M 60 12.5-25kph
Gavin Greenhow 01905 775 803
ROA 25000
Gavin Greenhow, 44 Newland Road Droitwich WR9 7AG
100 01 Mar Bynea, Llanelli Carmarthenshire Stopper
08:30 Sun BP 102km 1720m AAA1.75 £4.50 C L F P R T 50 12-25kph
Swansea DA
01792391492 jb@reynoldston.com
John Bastiani, The Brambles Reynoldston Swansea SA3 1AA
200 01 Mar Exeter Mad March Coasts and Quantocks
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 201km 2725m AAA2 [1500m] £7.00 YH F P R T X 15-30kph
Exeter Whs 01404 841553 robinwheeler571@btinternet.com
100 01 Mar Exeter Mad March Exeter Excursion
09:00 Sun BP £7.00 YH F P R T 12-25kph
Exeter Whs 01404 841553 robinwheeler571@btinternet.com
Pippa Wheeler, Rull Barn Payhembury Honiton Devon EX14 3JQ
200 01 Mar Pendleton, Lancashire Delightful Dales
07:30 Sun BRM [PBP] 208km 3300m AAA3.25 [3600m] £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 07 Mar Aldbrough St John, nr Darlington Yorkshire Gallop
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 1480m £5.00 X P R T 14.3-30kph
VC 167
01325 374 112 nigel.hall@finklecroft.me.uk
100 07 Mar Aldbrough St John, nr Darlington Ripon Canter
10:00 Sat BP 572m £5.00 X L P R T 12-25kph
VC 167
01325 374 112 nigel.hall@finklecroft.me.uk
Nigel Hall, Finkle Croft Aldbrough St John Nr. Richmond DL11 7TD
200 07 Mar Cardiff Gate, NW Cardiff Making Hay
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 203km 2450m £5.50 YH L P R T 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC 02920 341768 evansrichardd@googlemail.com
ROA 5000
Richard Evans, 73 Conway Road Cardiff CF11 9NW
200 07 Mar Churchend, Dunmow The Horsepower 200
07:30 Sat BRM [PBP] £8.00 A [1] C L P T R M 22/02 15-30kph
Flitchbikes CC
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
200 07 Mar Grazeley, S of Reading The Kennet Valley Run
07:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 207km 1763m £7.50 L P R T 15-30kph
Reading CTC
mes84uk@gmail.com
100 07 Mar Grazeley, S of Reading The Kennet Valley 100
09:00 Sat BP 895m £6.00 L P R T 12-30kph
Reading CTC
mes84uk@gmail.com
Mick Simmons, 84 Kidmore Road Caversham Reading RG4 7NA
200 07 Mar Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's March Madness
07:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 209km 2600m AAA1.75 [1700m] £4.00 c f p r nm t 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
200 08 Mar Dalmeny Forth and Tay
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 208km 2500m £7.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 57

AUK CALENDAR
100 08 Mar North Petherton, S of Bridgwater Dunkery Dash
09:00 Sun BP 102km 1600m AAA1.5 £8.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Bridgwater CC
ktudball@aol.com
Keith Tudball, 9 Winford Close Portishead N Somerset BS20 6YG
100 08 Mar Otford, Sevenoaks Kent Invicta Grimpeur 100
09:30 Sun BP 1890m AAA2 £8.00 F L P R T NM 12-25kph
West Kent CTC
pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk
50 08 Mar Otford, Sevenoaks Kent Invicta Hilly 50
10:00 Sun BP 945m AAA1 £7.00 F L P R T NM 12-25kph
West Kent CTC
pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk
Patrick McMaster, 207 Colyer Road Northfleet Kent DA11 8AT
100 14 Mar Alfreton Three Fields
09:00 Sat BP 104km 1270m £5.00 L P R T 100 12-30kph
Alfreton CTC
tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 5000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
200 14 Mar Andoversford, Nr Cheltenham Cheltenham New Flyer
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £6 LPRT 15-30kph
CTC West
stephen.poulton@btinternet.com
ROA 5000
Stephen Poulton, Leckhampton Lodge 23 Moorend Park Road Leckhampton
Cheltenham GL53 0LA
200 14 Mar Carlton le Moorland, Lincolnshire Yellowbelly Tour
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £6.00 200,RM,P,R,T,NM 15-30kph
Lincoln Whs
richard.parker05@gmail.com
Richard Parker, 28 High Street Carlton Le Moorland Lincoln Lincolnshire LN5 9HT
100 14 Mar Catherington, near Portsmouth Lasham Loop
09:00 Sat BP 105km 1500m AAA1.5 £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Hantspol CC
jondse@ntlworld.com
Jonathan Ellis, 42 Wessex Road Waterlooville Hampshire PO8 0HS
200 15 Mar Halifax The Red Rose Ride
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 2600m AAA1.5 [1500m] £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
dmdodwell@gmail.com
Dave Dodwell, 32 Parkside Avenue Queensbury Bradford BD13 2HQ
200 15 Mar London, Ruislip Lido, Woody Bay (beach) Station
Steam Ride:London-Oxford-London (LOL) TheGhan
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 2128m £7.00 L P R T YH 15-30kph
Audax Club Hackney
info@steamride.co.uk
110 15 Mar London, Ruislip Lido, Woody Bay 'beach' Station
Steam Ride:Quainton Express
08:30 Sun BP 117km £6.00 L P R T YH 14.3-30kph
AC Hackney
info@steamride.co.uk
Tim Sollesse, 59 Lynwood Rd Ealing London W5 1JG
100 15 Mar Seaham Seaham Sircular
09:00 Sun BP 1700m AAA1.75 £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Dave Sharpe
david-sharpe@lineone.net
Dave Sharpe, 3 Elizabeth Street Seaham County Durham SR7 7TP
200 21 Mar Alfreton Roses to Wrags
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 212km 1391m £6.00 F P R T 150 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC
tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 5000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
100 21 Mar Copdock, Nr. Ipswich The Copdock Circuit - Spring in South Suffolk
09:00 Sat BP £5.00 L P R T M 12-30kph
Suffolk CTC
the.kells@talk21.com
Dennis Kell, 9 Pheasant Rise Copdock Ipswich Suffolk IP8 3LF
200 21 Mar Leominster The Cambrian
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 210km 3750m AAA3.75 £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Hereford Wheelers
cambrianaudax@gmail.com
140 21 Mar Leominster The Cambrian - Minor
08:00 Sat BP 148km 2250m AAA2.25 £5.00 L P R T 12.5-30kph
Hereford & Dist. Whs
cambrianaudax@gmail.com
Daryl Stickings, 22 Frome Court Bartestree Hereford HR1 4DX
200 21 Mar Ugley The Springtime 200
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 203km £5.00 A(2) L P R T S NM 15-30kph
Shaftesbury CC 01245 467 683
160 21 Mar Ugley The Springtime 150
09:00 Sat BP 162km £5.00 A(2) L P R T S NM 15-30kph
Shaftesbury CC 01245 467 683
110 21 Mar Ugley The Springtime 100
10:00 Sat BP 112km £5.00 a(2) L P R T S NM 15-30kph
Shaftesbury CC 01245 467 683
ROA 5000
Terry Anderson, 1 Claypits Road Boreham Chelmsford Essex CM3 3BZ
200 22 Mar Golden Green,Tonbridge Man of Kent 200
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 203km 1526m [1425m] £7.00 F L P R T (120) 15-30kph
San Fairy Ann CC
manofkentaudax@gmail.com
David Winslade, 3 Albany Close Tonbridge Kent TN9 2EY
300 28 Mar Oxford The Dean 07:30 Start Time
07:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 307km 4000m AAA4 £4.00 YH B P X 15-30kph
Norton Whs
a_rodgers8@hotmail.com
300 28 Mar Oxford The Dean 06:00 Start Time
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 307km 4000m AAA4 £4.00 YH B P X 15-30kph
Norton Whs
a_rodgers8@hotmail.com
Andrew Rodgers, 99 Rivelin Street Sheffield South Yorkshire S6 5DL
300 28 Mar Poole hard boiled 300
02:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4400m AAA4.5 £10.00 L P M (50) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
200 28 Mar Symington, Biggar More Passes than Mastermind
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 2600m AAA1.75 [1760m] £7.00 F L P R 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse 01750 20838
Russell Carson, 21 Ladylands Terrace Selkirk TD7 4BB
200 28 Mar Wormingford, Near Colchester Wormingford Dragon
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 211km £7.00 R L P T 15-30kph
CC Sudbury
auk@lythgo.me.uk
100 28 Mar Wormingford, Near Colchester Wormingford Wyrm
09:00 Sat BP 105km £5.00 R L P T 15-30kph
CC Sudbury
auk@lythgo.me.uk
Viv Marsh, Lythgo Chapel Lane West Bergholt Colchester Essex CO6 3EF
200 29 Mar Lichfield Vale of Belvoir
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 211km 1498m [1329m] £5.00 P R T L 15-30kph
Updated CTC North Birmingham bikeway@virginmedia.com
Roy Bishop, 88 Millfield Road Handsworth Wood Birmingham B20 1EB
120 29 Mar Lichfield Charnwood Forest
09:00 Sun BP 1055m £5.00 P R T L 12.5-30kph
Updated
CTC North Birmingham 01213572570 bikeway@virginmedia.com
ROY BISHOP, 88 Millfield Road Handsworth Wood Birmingham B20 1EB
200 29 Mar Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Ball Buster
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 214km 2000m £7.00 F L P R T NM (200) 15-30kph
Updated Las Vegas Inst of Sport info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
110 29 Mar Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Blast
10:30 Sun BP 116km £7.00 F L P R T NM (200) 12.5-30kph
Updated Las Vegas Inst of Sport info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
110 29 Mar Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Bash
09:30 Sun BP 116km 1100m £7.00 F L P R T NM (250) 12.5-30kph
Updated Las Vegas Inst of Sport info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
Paul Rainbow, 49 Quarrington Road Horfield Bristol Avon BS7 9PJ
200 29 Mar Poynton, S of Stockport Chirk
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] £6.00 F P 15-30kph
Peak Audax
daz@delph45.fsnet.co.uk
Darryl Nolan, 5 Grasmere Road Royton Oldham OL2 6SR
200 29 Mar Stevenage Stevenage Start of Summertime Specials
08:15 Sun BRM [PBP] 210km 1240m £6.00 P R T 200 15-30kph
Updated CTC Hertfordshire luke.peters@live.com
110 29 Mar Stevenage Stevenage Start of Summertime Specials
10:30 Sun BP 890m £5.00 P R T 200 12.5-25kph
Updated Stevenage & North Herts luke.peters@live.com
60 29 Mar Stevenage Stevenage Start of Summertime Specials
11:00 Sun BP 520m £4.00 P R T 200 12.5-25kph
Stevenage & North Herts 07414 596877 luke.peters@live.com
Luke Peters, 86 Skipton Close Stevenage Hertfordshire SG2 8TW
200 29 Mar Wareham Dorset Coast
07:45 Sun BRM [PBP] 207km 2850m AAA2.75 £11.00 C L F R P T M 1/4 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
01305 263 272 pete_loakes@yahoo.com
ROA 5000
Peter Loakes, 1 Church Cottage West Stafford Dorchester DT2 8AB
400 03 Apr Anywhere, to York Easter Fleches to York
::::: Fri BRM £12.00 Fee per Team. 4th also 15-30kph
Audax UK
dk.benton@virgin.net
Keith Benton, 127 Greenshaw Drive Wigginton York YO32 2DB
300 03 Apr Rowlands castle, nr portsmouth wonderfull wessex
06:00 Fri BRM [PBP] £8.00 f l p r 15-30kph
Hampshire RC
mrpaulwhitehead@yahoo.co.uk
Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7XR
58
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
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AUK CALENDAR
300 04 Apr Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9QX 3Down
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 2497m [3100m] £8.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Willesden CC
ianoli2010-audax@yahoo.co.uk
Ian Oliver, 68 St Dunstans Avenue London W3 6QJ
200 04 Apr Honiton Valley of the Rocks 200
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 205km 3900m AAA4 £7.00 L P R T 40 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 10000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
200 04 Apr Huntingdon Double Dutch
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £4.00 X 15-30kph
West Sussex CTC 01342 314 437 malinseastg@tiscali.co.uk
Martin Malins, 64 Blount Avenue East Grinstead West Sussex RH19 IJW
300 04 Apr Tewkesbury Helfa Cymraeg Benjamin Allen ar.
05:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 302km £6.50 100, C,F,L,P,R,T,S,NM. 15-30kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
300 05 Apr Penzance Many Rivers to Cross
06:30 Sun BRM [PBP] 307km 4940m AAA5 £3.00 BXYHC 14.3-30kph
Audax Kernow
martyn.aldis@syntagma.co.uk
200 05 Apr Penzance Four Hundreds 200
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 207km 3760m AAA3.75 £3.00 BYHXC 14.3-30kph
Audax Kernow
martyn.aldis@syntagma.co.uk
Martyn Aldis, Sundown 25a Kersey Road Flushing Falmouth Cornwall TR11 5TR
100 05 Apr Stalybridge Black Magic
10:00 Sun BP 105km 2375m AAA2.25 £4.00 PRT60 3/4 12.5-30kph
Peak Audax CTC 01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX
100 06 Apr Kilburn, N.of Derby National Arboretum
09:00 Mon BP 103km £5 P R T 12-30kph
Alfreton CTC 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 5000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
200 11 Apr Bynea, Llanelli Carmarthenshire Snapper
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 202km 2200m £8.00 C L F P R T 50 15-30kph
Swansea & W Wales CTC
jb@reynoldston.com
John Bastiani, The Brambles Reynoldston Swansea West Glamorgan SA3 1AA
300 11 Apr Cirencester Heart of England 300
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 307km 2800m £6.00 A(2) L P R T 100 15-30kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
ROA 5000
Peter Holden, 39 Querns Lane Cirencester Glos GL7 1RL
300 11 Apr Manningtree, Colchester Green & Yellow Fields
00:01 Sat BRM [PBP] 305km 1500m £4.00 XCTM 15-25kph
Flitchbikes CC
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
110 11 Apr Reepham, nr Lincoln Lincoln Imp
09:30 Sat BP 112km 200m £5.00 P R F L T 10-30kph
Lincolnshire CTC
Andrew Townhill, 80 Rudgard Avenue Cherrry Willingham Lincoln LN3 4JG
200 11 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Two Battles
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 209km 2300m £7.00 P R T 50 15-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
150 11 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Towering Trees
09:00 Sat BP 157km 1630m £7.00 P R T 50 14-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
110 11 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH The Essex Bridge
09:30 Sat BP £7.00 P R T 50 15-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
50 11 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Just a Chuffing 50
10:00 Sat BP £6 P R T 50 10-20kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
Geoffrey Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth Staffordshire B78 1BY
300 11 Apr Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Yr Elenydd @ 7
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 305km 4950m AAA5 £10.00 A(2) C F L P R T (100) 15-25kph
CTC Shropshire
undulates@hotmail.co.uk
300 11 Apr Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Yr Elenydd @ 6
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 305km 4950m AAA5 £10.00 A(2) C F L P R T (100) 15-25kph
CTC Shropshire
undulates@hotmail.co.uk
ROA 10000
John Hamilton, 22 Oaks Crescent Wellington Telford TF1 2HF
110 12 Apr Mytholmroyd Spring into the Dales
09:00 Sun BP 115km 2350m AAA2.25 £4.50 L R T YH 12-24kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
57 12 Apr Mytholmroyd Leap into the Aire
10:00 Sun BP 1325m AAA1.25 £4.00 L R T YH 8-20kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF
110 12 Apr Northmoor, W of Oxford The Harlequin Hack
09:30 Sun BP 600m £6.00 YH C F L P R S T 100 15-30kph
Harlequins CC
jordancottage@sky.com
Ken Knight, Jordan Cottage Picklescott Church Stretton Shropshire SY6 6NR
200 12 Apr Pendleton, Lancashire Dales Delight 200
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 203km 3600m AAA3.5 [4100m] £5 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
300 18 Apr Alfreton Everybody Rides to Skeggy!
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 302km 1141m £7.00 L R P T X 100 15-30kph
Updated Alfreton CTC tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
400 18 Apr Coryton, NW Cardiff Buckingham Blinder
05:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £10.00 X 15-30kph
Change of Date Cardiff Byways CC
Robyn Thomas, 44 Cosmeston Street Cardiff CF24 4LR
300 18 Apr Musselburgh Merse and Moors
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4200m AAA4.25 £7.00 X P L R (50) 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
300 18 Apr Poynton, S of Stockport Plains
23:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 310km £5.00 P X 15-30kph
Peak Audax
hamhort84@talktalk.net
Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Avenue Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ
300 18 Apr West Stafford, Dorchester 3D 300
05:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 312km 5150m AAA5.25 £6.00 A(2) C F L P R T 30 15-25kph
Wessex CTC
01305 263 272 pete_loakes@yahoo.com
ROA 5000
Peter Loakes, 1 Church Cottage West Stafford Dorchester DT2 8AB
110 19 Apr Droitwich Spa Saracen Spring Century
09:00 Sun BP 114km 775m £8.00 F,L,P,R.T 15-30kph
Saracen Road Club
saracenroadclub@gmail.com
Sean Barker, 16 Leahouse Road Stirchley Birmingham B30 2DD
200 19 Apr Earlswood, nr Solihull MC&AC 125th Anniversary
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 203km £7.00 P R T 15-30kph
MC & AC
Jim Lee, 107 Shustoke Road Solihull West Midlands B91 2QR
200 25 Apr Droitwich Three Counties Revisited
08:15 Sat BRM [PBP] 207km £4.00 C P R T M 15-30kph
Gavin Greenhow 01905 775 803
ROA 25000
Gavin Greenhow, 44 Newland Road Droitwich WR9 7AG
200 25 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Eureka Excursion
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 215km £6.00 R L P T 70 15-30kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
130 25 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Tea in Prospect
08:30 Sat BP 135km £6.00 L P R T 70 12.5-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
68 25 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Two Mills Twirl
09:00 Sat BP £6.00 R L P T 50 10-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
200 25 Apr Galashiels Moffat Toffee The Tenth Anniversary
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 204km 2500m [2300m] £10.00 P,L,R,T,S 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 10000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
300 25 Apr Meopham Oasts and Coasts 300Km
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 3178m £6.00 L P T R 15-30kph
Tom Jackson 01474 815 213 tom56jackson@gmail.com
ROA 5000
Tom Jackson, 19 Denesway Meopham Kent DA13 0EA
400 25 Apr Newton Abbot TQ12 1LJ Turf n Surf 400
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5400m AAA5.5 £15.00 A(2) L P R T S 15-30kph
Devon CTC 07762257917 turfnsurfaudax@gmail.com
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 59

AUK CALENDAR
300 25 Apr Newton Abbot TQ12 1LJ Turf n Surf 300
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4050m AAA4 £12.00 A(2) L P R T S 15-30kph
Devon CTC 01626 873562 turfnsurfaudax@gmail.com
Rod Pash, c/o 53 Regent Street Exeter EX2 9EG
400 25 Apr Preston, Lancashire Heartbeat 400
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 404km 4000m AAA4 £7.50 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
100 25 Apr Trowell, Nottingham Charnwood in the Spring
09:00 Sat BP 105km 950m £6.00 L P R T 150 12.5-30kph
Updated
Nottinghamshire CTC
Terry Scott, 21 Winterbourne Drive Stapleford Nottingham Notts NG9 8NH
200 25 Apr Wigginton Wiggy 200
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 1400m £3.00 A(1) L P T (15/4) 15-30kph
CTC North Yorks 01904 769 378 dk.benton@virgin.net
Keith Benton, 127 Greenshaw Drive Wigginton York YO32 2DB
100 26 Apr Galashiels Broughton and Back
09:00 Sun BP 1380m £7.00 P,L,R,T,S 12-30kph
Audax Ecosse
01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 10000
Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
100 26 Apr Newton Abbot TQ12 1LJ Turf n Surf 100
09:00 Sun BP 1500m AAA1.5 £7.50 A(2) L P R T S 12-25kph
Devon CTC 07762257917 turfnsurfaudax@gmail.com
Rod Pash, c/o 53 Regent Street Exeter EX2 9EG
400 02 May Chepstow Brevet Cymru
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 401km 4900m AAA2.25 [2300m] £9.00 c f l p r t nm z 100 15-30kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
400 02 May Poole Porkers 400
14:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5900m AAA6 £10.00 L P R T M (50) (20/4) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
200 02 May Whaley Thorns, N of Mansfield Lincolnshire Cross
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 211km £6.00 L P R T (100) 15-30kph
Bolsover & District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net
ROA 5000
Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close Bolsover Chesterfield S44 6RL
200 04 May Bredbury, Stockport May-as-well Solstice
08:00 Mon BRM [PBP] 202km 700m £5.00 P R T 60 (05/03) 15-30kph
Peak Audax
01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX
110 04 May High Easter, Nr Chelmsford The Counties Festival 100
10:00 Mon BP £5 L P R T (70) 15-30kph
ECCA 01245 467 683
53 04 May High Easter, Nr Chelmsford The Counties Festival 50
11:00 Mon BP £5 L P R T (70) 12-25kph
ECCA 01245 467 683
ROA 10000
Terry Anderson, 1 Claypits Road Boreham Chelmsford Essex CM3 3BZ
400 08 May Corstorphine, Edinburgh The Auld Alliance
21:00 Fri BRM [PBP] 3324m £12.50 X F L T 15-25kph
New Event Audax Ecosse millealba@hotmail.co.uk
Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD
400 09 May Chalfont St Peter, Bucks Severn Across
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 407km 3500m £7.50 YH L P R T 70 15-30kph
Willesden CC
Liam FitzPatrick, 13 Heron Close Rickmansworth Herts WD3 1NF
300 09 May Honiton Old Roads 300
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 3400m £8.00 LPRT 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 10000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
200 09 May Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland Chevy Chase
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 201km 3000m AAA3 £12.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
northern.audax@gmail.com
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
200 09 May Lodge Moor, Sheffield The Sheffrec Full Monty
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 202km 4000m AAA4 £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Sheffrec CC
henry@henryfoxhall.co.uk
100 09 May Lodge Moor, Sheffield The Sheffrec Mini Monty
09:00 Sat BP 109km 2100m AAA2 £5.00 L P R T 10-25kph
Sheffrec CC
henry@henryfoxhall.co.uk
Henry Foxhall, West View Grindlow Great Hucklow Buxton Derbyshire SK17 8RJ
400 09 May Manningtree, Colchester Asparagus & Strawberries
09:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 414km 2600m £4.00 XCTM 15-25kph
Flitchbikes CC
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
400 09 May Poynton, S of Stockport
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll gogerychwyrndrobwll llantysiliogogogoch 400
09:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 2600m £9.50 XP 15-30kph
Peak Audax
01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX
300 09 May Wigginton, York Wigginton 300
05:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 302km 2305m £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Change of Date CTC North Yorks 01904 769 378 dk.benton@virgin.net
Keith Benton, 127 Greenshaw Drive Wigginton York YO32 2DB
200 09 May Willington Hall, E of Chester Seamons CC Tour of the Berwyns
08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 205km 3100m AAA3 £6.00 L P R T 75 (05/05) 15-30kph
SEAMONS CC
dmanu@outlook.com
130 09 May Willington Hall, E of Chester Seamons CC Llangollen Panorama
08:30 Sat BP 138km 1750m AAA1.5 [1500m] £6.00 L P R T 75 (05/05) 12.5-25kph
Seamons CC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
110 10 May Evesham Every time a bell rings.....
09:00 Sun BP 112km 885m £6.00 C P R T 15-30kph
Jim Lee
55 10 May Evesham The clapper
10:00 Sun BP 375m £5.00 C P R T 10-20kph
Jim Lee
Jim Lee, 107 Shustoke Road Solihull West Midlands B91 2QR
100 10 May Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland Burma Road
09:00 Sun BP 1600m AAA1.5 £6.00 FPRT 12-25kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
northern.audax@gmail.com
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
200 10 May Meopham, nr Gravesend Hop Garden 200km
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] [1800m] £8.00 F L P R T NM 15-30kph
Gravesend CTC
pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk
160 10 May Meopham, nr Gravesend Hop Garden Century Ride
08:30 Sun BP [1550m] £8.00 F L P R T NM 15-30kph
Gravesend CTC
pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk
100 10 May Meopham, nr Gravesend Hop Garden 100km
09:00 Sun BP 975m £8.00 F L P R T NM 10-30kph
Gravesend CTC
pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk
Patrick McMaster, 207 Colyer Road Northfleet Kent DA11 8AT
300 10 May Pendleton, Lancashire Blanchland Blinder
06:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 302km 4600m AAA4.5 £6.50 P R T X 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 10 May Shenstone, Staffs Castleton Classic
08:00 Sun BRM [PBP] 213km 2963m AAA3 £7.50 F L P R T 15-30kph
CTC North Birmingham
audax@nbctc.co.uk
160 10 May Shenstone, Staffs Derbyshire Dales
08:30 Sun BP 1680m £7.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
CTC North Birmingham
audax@nbctc.co.uk
100 10 May Shenstone, Staffs Staffordshire Lanes
09:00 Sun BP 102km 680m £5.50 L P R T 12.5-25kph
CTC North Birmingham
audax@nbctc.co.uk
54 10 May Shenstone, Staffs Rosliston Roller
10:00 Sun BP £4.00 F,P,R,T 10-25kph
CTC North Birmingham
audax@nbctc.co.uk
Terry Dwyer, 5 Damson Grove Solihull B92 9EN
400 16 May Alfreton Moors and Wolds 400
10:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 404km 2425m £8.00 P R T X 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC
nigel.randell8664@gmail.com
50 16 May Alfreton Victorian Post Boxes 50
10:30 Sat BP 669m £3.00 FLPT 10-25kph
Alfreton CTC
nigel.randell8664@gmail.com
Nigel Randell, 15 Hammer Leys South Normanton Derbyshire DE55 3AX
400 16 May Musselburgh The Southern Uplands
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5000m AAA5 £2.00 X P T 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
60
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
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AUK CALENDAR
300 16 May Troutbeck Bridge, Cumbria The Westmorland Spartans
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4000m AAA4 £6.00 A(2) P YH L R T S (60) 15-30kph
Lakes School Windermere
paul@revells.com
Paul Revell, Kirklands, Brow Edge, Backbarrow Ulverston Cumbria LA12 8QL
200 16 May Troutbeck Bridge, Cumbria The Cumbrian 200
08:00 Sat BR 203km 3900m AAA4 £6.00 YH L P R T S A(2) (60) 15-30kph
Lakes School Windermere
paul@revells.com
Paul Revell, Kirklands Brow Edge Backbarrow Cumbria LA12 8QL
100 16 May Troutbeck Bridge, Cumbria La'al Lakeland 100
10:00 Sat BP 107km 2350m AAA2.25 £5.00 YH L P R T S (60) 12.5-30kph
Lakes School Windermere
paul@revells.com
Paul Revell, Kirklands, Brow Edge, Backbarrow Ulverston Cumbria LA12 8QL
100 17 May Uffington, near Wantage Blowingstone-White Horse
09:30 Sun BP 107km 1162m [1346m] £5.00 P T R 15-30kph
Oxfordshire CTC
Nick Dunton, 44a High Street Sutton Courtenay Abingdon Oxon OX14 4AP
600 23 May Chepstow Bryan Chapman Memorial (Classic)
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 619km 8300m AAA8.25 £30.00 BD C F L P R S T Z (4/5) 15-30kph
Newport Velo
ritchie.t.tout@uk.pwc.com
Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage Mynyddbach NP16 6RT
600 23 May Churchend, Dunmow The Flatlands
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 606km £6.00 X A(1) C L P R TM (16/05) 15-30kph
Flitchbikes CC
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
300 23 May Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland The Mosstrooper
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4100m AAA4 £12.00 F P T A(1) 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
northern.audax@gmail.com
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
400 23 May Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire The Old 240
05:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 407km 6400m AAA6.5 £8.00 A L P R T S YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
400 23 May Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire Not Quite The Spurn Head 400
05:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 403km 2450m £8.00 A L P R T S YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF
600 23 May Poole Brimstone 600
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 7600m AAA7.5 £10.00 L P M (50) (24/5) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
600 23 May Waltham Abbey Beast from the East
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] [2388m] £20.00 F P T Z 15-30kph
Updated
Willesden CC
Mark Brooking, 48 Howard Close Waltham Abbey Essex EN9 1XA
100 24 May Canterbury The Blackhouse Hill Revival
10:00 Sun BP 107km 1675m AAA1.75 £5.00 FLPRT 14-26kph
Patrick Cherry
licencetoclimb@gmail.com
Patrick Cherry, 28 Barton Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1YQ
400 29 May Wem, Shropshire Snowdon & Coast
22:00 Fri BRM [PBP] 410km £14.00 A(1) F L P R T 15-25kph
CTC Shropshire
sandehargraves@gmail.com
Edwin Hargraves, 22 Trentham Road Wem North Shropshire SY4 5HN
600 30 May Exeter Kernow and Southwest 600
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 8200m AAA8.25 £17.00 YH L F R Z 60 15-25kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 10000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
600 30 May Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland The Border Raid
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5500m £10.00 A(2) F L P T 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
northern.audax@gmail.com
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
600 30 May Windsor Windsor Chester Windsor
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5537m £30.00 A(1) F L P R T S Z (100) 15-30kph
LEL 2013
auk@danialwebb.com
ROA 5000
Danial Webb, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU
400 05 Jun Clayhidon, near Taunton Avalon Sunrise 400
22:30 Fri BRM [PBP] 407km 3300m £15.00 flprtc 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
Jamie Andrews, Cemetery Lodge Ashill Road Uffculme Devon EX15 3DP
600 06 Jun Alfreton 9 Counties 600k
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £10.00 X,F,L,T,P 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
600 06 Jun Ballachulish Mull of Kintyre
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 7677m AAA6.5 [6705m] £25.00 YH C F L P R T S 15-24kph
Audax Ecosse
millealba@hotmail.co.uk
Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD
600 06 Jun Poynton, S of Stockport A Pair of Kirtons
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 3000m £10.00 x 15-30kph
Peak Audax
01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX
200 07 Jun Wimbledon Common The London Ditchling Devil
08:00 Sun BR 205km 2400m [2700m] £15.00 F P R T 15-30kph
Willesden CC
paudax@gmail.com
Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens Chiswick London W4 3TN
600 13 Jun Bushley, Tewkesbury
Mae Mr Pickwick yn mynd i chwilio am ddreigiau a chwedlau.
05:30 Sat BRM [PBP] 601km 9500m AAA9.5 £17.50 C F L P R T S Z NM 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
600 13 Jun Bushley, Tewkesbury
Mae Mr Pickwick yn mynd i chwilio am ddreigiau a chwedlau. (clasurol).
05:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 601km 9500m AAA9.5 £17.50 C F L P R T S Z NM 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
600 13 Jun Pendleton, Lancashire Pendle 600
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 613km 10150m AAA10 [9000m] £10.00 BD F L P R S T Z 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 14 Jun Woodrush RFC, Wythall, S Birmingham Cotswold Expedition
08:00 Sun BR 212km £9.00 C L P R S T 100 15-30kph
Updated Beacon RCC pete@petemarshall.me
160 14 Jun Woodrush RFC, Wythall, S Birmingham Cotswold Journey
08:30 Sun BP £9.00 C L P R S T 100 15-30kph
New Event Beacon RCC pete@petemarshall.me
100 14 Jun Woodrush RFC, Wythall, S Birmingham Anticlockwise Cotswold Outing
09:30 Sun BP 108km £9.00 C L P R S T 80 12-25kph
New Event Beacon RCC pete@petemarshall.me
100 14 Jun Woodrush RFC, Wythall, S Birmingham Clockwise Cotswold Outing
09:00 Sun BP 108km £9.00 C L P R S T 80 12-25kph
New Event Beacon RCC pete@petemarshall.me
Pete Marshall, 45 Butler Road Solihull West Midlands B92 7QL
600 20 Jun Leighton Buzzard The Buzzard
07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 5600m £5 X 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 10000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
600 20 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The 3 Coasts 600
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 607km 5611m AAA1.75 [1631m] £10.00 A(3) L P R T Z YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
600 20 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The East & West Coasts 600
06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 605km 4380m [5380m] £10.00 A(3) L P R T Z YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
200 21 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The Good Companions
08:30 Sun BR 2697m AAA1.75 [1631m] £5.00 A(2) L P R T YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF
300 27 Jun Stornoway, Isle of Lewis Golden Road and Standing Stones
06:00 Sat BR 3850m [3200m] £12.00 50 L P R T F C 15-30kph
Hebridean CC
ian_d_gilbert@yahoo.co.uk
110 27 Jun Stornoway, Isle of Lewis Hebridean Hundred
10:00 Sat BP 113km 1068m £6.00 50 L P R T F C 12.5-30kph
Hebridean CC
ian_d_gilbert@yahoo.co.uk
Ian Gilbert, 19 Churchill Drive Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2NP
400 04 Jul Stonehaven Old Military Roads
07:00 Sat BRM 6000m AAA6 £6.00 X P L R T (25) 15-30kph
Stephen Reed
Stephen Reed, CAIRNBANNO 34 Dunnottar Avenue STONEHAVEN AB39 2JJ
100 05 Jul Combe Down, Bath Mendip Transmitter
08:30 Sun BP 1650m AAA1.75 £7 N.P.R.T 15-30kph
Bath CC
Robert Mcmillan, 228 Bloomfield Road Bath BA2 2AX
200 05 Jul Denshaw, Saddleworth Bowland
08:00 Sun BR 3500m AAA3.5 [4400m] £5.00 P R T 14.3-30kph
Saddleworth Clarion 07850 208 977 nephialty@gmail.com
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 61

CALENDAR
170 05 Jul Denshaw, Saddleworth Slaidburn
08:30 Sun BP 3000m AAA3 £5.00 P R T 12.5-25kph
Saddleworth Clarion
nephialty@gmail.com
100 05 Jul Denshaw, Saddleworth Widdop
09:00 Sun BP 2100m AAA2 £5.00 P R T 10-25kph
Saddleworth Clarion 07850 208 977 nephialty@gmail.com
Nephi Alty, Heath House View Ridings Lane Golcar Huddersfield
West Yorkshire HD7 4PZ
300 10 Jul Great Dunmow, Essex Hereward the Wake
21:00 Fri BRM 301km £9.00 X C R L P T M (03/07) 15-30kph
Flitchbikes CC
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
400 11 Jul Carlton le Moorland, Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Poacher
06:00 Sat BRM £8.00 X A1, C, L, P, R, T 15-30kph
Lincoln Whs
richard.parker05@gmail.com
Richard Parker, 28 High Street Carlton Le Moorland Lincoln Lincolnshire LN5 9HT
300 11 Jul Tewkesbury A Rough Diamond
06:00 Sat BRM 301km 2500m [3450m] £6.50 c f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
200 18 Jul Corwen Barmouth Boulevard
08:00 Sat BR 204km 3650m AAA3.75 £5.50 P R T 50 15-30kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
100 18 Jul Corwen The Brenig Bach
08:30 Sat BP 107km 1920m AAA2 £5.50 P R T 50 12.5-25kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
60 18 Jul Corwen The Bala Parade
09:00 Sat BP 700m [1000m] £5.50 P R T 50 10-25kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
200 19 Jul Steyning, W Sussex The Devils Punchbowl 200
08:00 Sun BR 205km 2248m £6.00 F P T 15-30kph
David Hudson
ROA 25000
Dave Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6LG
100 19 Jul Steyning, W Sussex The Devils Punchbowl 100
09:00 Sun BP 108km 1200m £6.00 F P T 15-30kph
David Hudson
ROA 25000
Dave Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6LG
200 25 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire Kidderminster Killer
08:00 Sat BR 214km 3750m AAA3.75 £7.75 F L P R S T (70) (8/8) 14.3-30kph
Beacon RCC 01562731606 montgomery@beaconrcc.org.uk
Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace, Drayton, Belbroughton, Stourbridge
Worcestershire DY9 0BW
120 25 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire From Clee to Heaven
09:00 Sat BP 1950m AAA2 £7.25 F L P R S T (65) 13-25kph
Beacon RCC 01562 731606 montgomery@beaconrcc.org.uk
Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge DY9 0BW
200 09 Aug Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Pistyll Packing Momma
08:00 Sun BR 209km 3400m AAA3.5 £5.50 P R 50 T L 15-30kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
130 09 Aug Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Mountain Views
08:30 Sun BP 137km 2000m AAA2 £5.50 P R 50 T L 12.5-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
50 09 Aug Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Leafy Lanes
09:00 Sun BP £5.50 P R 50 T L 10-20kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 5000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
200 09 Aug Padiham, Lancashire Tan Hill 200
08:00 Sun BRM 206km 4500m AAA4.5 £5 P X 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
100 23 Aug Droitwich Saracen Century Audax
09:00 Sun BP 106km 1600m AAA1.5 [1500m] £8 L P R T 12.5-25kph
Saracen RC
saracenroadclub@gmail.com
Sean Barker, 16 Leahouse Road Stirchley Birmingham B30 2DD
200 27 Sep Denmead, Nr Portsmouth WYLYE AND EBBLE VALLEY
07:30 Sun BR £6.00 L P R T M 15-30kph
Hampshire RC
mrpaulwhitehead@yahoo.co.uk
Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7XR
200 27 Sep Pendleton, Lancashire Last Chance Dales Dance 200
07:30 Sun BRM 3300m AAA3.25 [3000m] £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley Sportiv
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
New Season 2016
200 04 Oct Galashiels Etal-u-Can
08:00 Sun BR 204km 2379m £5.00 BPX 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 10000
Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
100 11 Oct Hailsham, E Sussex The Autumn Tints 100
09:00 Sun BP 103km 1200m [1100m] £6.00 F P 15-30kph
David Hudson
ROA 25000
David Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6LG
100 25 Oct Galashiels Ride of the Valkyries
10:00 Sun BP 106km 1200m [1517m] £5.00 B,P,X 12-30kph
Audax Ecosse
01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
200 31 Oct Galashiels The Long Dark Teatime of The Soul
08:00 Sat BR 2000m £5.00 P,R,T 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 10000
Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
62
Arrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126
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WINDSOR–CHESTER–WINDSOR 600, PHOTOS BY PETER MOIR
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2014 No. 126 63