400k audax

[Dogtrousers]

I thought I could call www.londonwaleslondon.com London on the same basis that Paris Roubaix and Paris Brest Paris claim to start in Paris! Hope the tongue in cheek playing with geography doesn't put you off!

Unortunately the closeness of the date to my wife's birthday rules me out. Good luck with it. I like the website.

 

[jefmcg]

I thought I could call www.londonwaleslondon.com London on the same basis that Paris Roubaix and Paris Brest Paris claim to start in Paris! Hope the tongue in cheek playing with geography doesn't put you off!

I think everyone is being playful. I certainly was. While LWL isn't precise geographically, it really describes how it feels. The start is an easy cycle from the M25. However, as i proved last year, the arrivée (finish, same place) is a long way from london.

View: https://www.strava.com/activities/301702021/embed/a3e0b4f7904803d9b7d9c989dc04e1c83f509d54

(30 km home took me nearly 3 hours and as you can see, I chose a rather indirect route)

 

[redfalo]

when possible, I do prefer calendar events. being on the RRtY treadmill means doing a fair bit of DIY rides, and the benefits of having company on the road as well as getting to know other parts of the country for me outweighs the organisational faff and higher costs of calendar rides.

AsI find 400s by far the toughest distance, I don't fancy doing them on my own. Group DIY surely is an alternative.

LWL does sound pretty good but date won't work for me either. Plan is to do the Strawberry and Asparagus again. Logistically it's easier than LWL (at least from North London, due to later start), and the route is relatively flat. 2015 edition was still the hardest ride so far for me. I completely blew up on last 70km and crawled back to Manningtree.

 

[Ajax Bay]

the Brevet Cymru has the major disadvantage that it's too far from London. Logistically it would be very difficult indeed. I don't think it would be sensible to add extra miles by riding to the start.

As far as logistics are concerned, as I said, pretty sure that one year some of the London audaxers travelled down by train (to Bristol Parkway) that Friday evening, cycled across to Chepstow (25km), kipped that night (after a curry), and were there rested and ready for the 6am start. The optional late night early morning control/stop was near Crickhowell at 360km (looks like it might be Bwlch (350km) next year - RT takeover/rebrand to "Bryan Chapman's Wales Warm-Up"). Some rode straight through: I chose to try to get a few hours (and failed, quality-wise) but left at 4:15 to catch a lovely dawn climbing over the ridge back from Usk to Chepstow. For you an hour or two rest at the Bulwark Community Centre (or much longer if you rode 400 straight) and then a pootle back across the Severn Bridge to Bristol Parkway.
Having said all that, next year it is on the 'day that must be avoided' (by the OP).

 

[PpPete]

Damn - now it's BR the permitted time is 20 minutes shorter ! (As BRM Brevet Cymru it was 27 hours and needed all of that a couple of years ago when the weather was & resulting in )

 

[Dogtrousers]

Damn - now it's BR the permitted time is 20 minutes shorter ! (As BRM Brevet Cymru it was 27 hours and needed all of that a couple of years ago when the weather was & resulting in )

There's something that's endearing, fascinating and annoying all at the same time about Audaxing and its endless acronyms.
I've just been off to the FAQ.
A BRM is a Brevet de Randonneurs Mondiaux and a BR is Brevet de Randonneurs So what's the difference? Well, the FAQ tells us: Whilst not dissimilar in conduct to BRM events the speed limits are subtly different. Ah. (Nods sagely). Not dissimilar eh? Right, I see. (Fails to keep straight face and bursts out in hysterical laughter).

By the way, having given it quite a bit of thought, and looked at the routes and logistics, it's almost certain that if I do attempt 400k next year, (and there's no guarantee that I will), I'll use the "roll out of bed and start right outside my front door" method, rather than doing an organised event.

 

[Rustybucket]

I'm tempted by this, are places still available?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm tempted by this, are places still available?

If by 'this' you mean "Bryan Chapman's Wales Warm-Up" on 29 April, just go to the link and enter. Over 100 rode last year (iirc), in benign conditions. But a 400 is probably best preceded by a 200, a little earlier in the season. Have a browse of the calendar.

 

[mcshroom]

There's something that's endearing, fascinating and annoying all at the same time about Audaxing and its endless acronyms.
I've just been off to the FAQ.
A BRM is a Brevet de Randonneurs Mondiaux and a BR is Brevet de Randonneurs So what's the difference? Well, the FAQ tells us: Whilst not dissimilar in conduct to BRM events the speed limits are subtly different. Ah. (Nods sagely). Not dissimilar eh? Right, I see. (Fails to keep straight face and bursts out in hysterical laughter).

By the way, having given it quite a bit of thought, and looked at the routes and logistics, it's almost certain that if I do attempt 400k next year, (and there's no guarantee that I will), I'll use the "roll out of bed and start right outside my front door" method, rather than doing an organised event.

BR - UK event sticking just to AUK rules
BRM - International event which uses some (marginally stricter in most cases) rules set by the world organisation in France.

The biggest difference tends to be that in BR events you get 15km/h for every km of the ride, whereas for BRMs any distance over the 200/300/400 etc. gets no extra time. It's a bit like the difference between a British Cycling event and a UCI one.

On the Brevet Cymru, I'm surprised it's got shorter when switching to BR from BRM. I've never seen that happen before.

 

[Rustybucket]

If by 'this' you mean "Bryan Chapman's Wales Warm-Up" on 29 April, just go to the link and enter. Over 100 rode last year (iirc), in benign conditions. But a 400 is probably best preceded by a 200, a little earlier in the season. Have a browse of the calendar.

Thanks!

Just looked on the London Wales London website. Looks a good ride.
Im going to enter today - once Ive confirmed with work that I can have the Monday off to recover.

Do people tend to do 400km in one go, or try and have a sleep in-between? The longest ride ive done so far is about 270km

 

[PpPete]

Thanks!
Do people tend to do 400km in one go, or try and have a sleep in-between? The longest ride ive done so far is about 270km

All tactics are equally valid. I usually ride through on a 400, but absolutely have to have a sleep on a 600, there's some that will ride 600 without sleep, others feel they would be unsafe without sleep over the last 50km of a 400 so have to stop & sleep at the penultimate control (Bwlch).

 

[Ajax Bay]

Do people tend to do 400km in one go, or try and have a sleep in-between? The longest ride ive done so far is about 270km

LWL should be good. Supporting what @PpPete said, but it also depends on your speed. These 400s normally start at 6am so you have till 9am (following) to reach the 'arrivee'. The speedier merchants will bang the first 350 out in 15-16 hours (say) so it makes sense to crack on. Middle of the road people will make the 350 (say) control (the last one on the Brevet Cymru) after midnight and a few hours rest then allows departure at dawn (say). The 'full value' element will not have much time to sleep as they'll need to push on after some food (breakfast?) and an hours rest. A rider's inclination to ride through the dark hours will also be a factor, as will the weather at the time or forecast.

 

[Rustybucket]

Thanks for the advice!

To make things more interesting ill probably have to ride from home to the start and back again - so thats an extra 70ish Km on top. Ill probably aim to have a sleep, as it sounds like there are spaces available at the controls to do this?

 

[PpPete]

Thanks for the advice!

To make things more interesting ill probably have to ride from home to the start and back again - so thats an extra 70ish Km on top. Ill probably aim to have a sleep, as it sounds like there are spaces available at the controls to do this?

You'll see a few people catching forty winks in the armchairs at the cafe in Llandovery, but there's nowhere to lie down.
There was certainly floor space when the last control was at Llangattock, but it's a different location(?) this time and certainly a different organiser. However IME he is very solicitous of the needs of his riders. Just don't take the p**s.

 

[jefmcg]

Thanks for the advice!

To make things more interesting ill probably have to ride from home to the start and back again - so thats an extra 70ish Km on top. Ill probably aim to have a sleep, as it sounds like there are spaces available at the controls to do this?

LWL? No, assuming it isn't changing fundamentally from Severn Across, it's old name. Most** of the controls are "commercial" That means you stop in a town and get a receipt with the time on it. The last control - the one you might nap in - is around the 300km mark, and is Membury Services on the M4. You can stop at the petrol station for a chocolate bar, or go right inside with your bike. Unfortunately they have opened a Starbucks downstairs, so the rest of the services is looked up. So all you have are toilets and a Starbucks. That being said, after failing to drink the awful coffee, I folded my arms and got 1/2 hour or so sleep at a table, which was enough to get me home with 10 minutes to spare!

There is a room available for people to sleep the night before, just bring a sleeping bag. So you can get some kip there at the end of the ride, assuming you are not a full value rider. They lock up the place after the last rider gets in so if you take the full allotted time you will get a coffee and some food, but no sleep.

You can see upthread my wobble home on no sleep just upthread a little.

**Edit: just checked 2015's route sheet. All the controls were commercial. The first one was manned, the rest you looked after yourself. However, it 2015 it was £7.50, now it's £23 (still cheap). Liam is an honest man, so I expect you will be getting more for your money so there may be more formal controls. I wouldn't expect mattresses at any of them on a 400.