England : Gloucestershire A Rough Diamond - 300km - Tewkesbury - 10 Aug

[Chutzpah]

Any other Cycle Chat members riding this on the 10th? It'll be my first 300km, having completed a few 100km audaxes and a 200km audax.

 

[adamwatkins]

Yes I've entered my second 300, and only half the climbing of the first. Can't wait!

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Yep, it looks like a nice event

 

[Chutzpah]

Fantastic. I'll probably be in a Somer Valley CC jersey. I'm also camping nearby as my wife wasn't keen on me driving home afterwards :-)

The route has less climbing than Barry's Bristol Ball Buster 200km, which fills me with plenty of confidence!

 

[goody]

Not done an Audax only sportives, is a gpx file of the route normally available? They look interesting a much cheaper (better value?) than the sportives I've done. How many entrants would you expect at a typical Audax?

 

[Chutzpah]

Most offer GPX routes, although the primary navigation method is usually a routesheet that is sent out in advance of the ride. Personally, I navigate off the routesheet using my GPS as a backup (no reason other than that I find I get a better idea of where I am and where I'm headed).

Field sizes can vary - I've done an audax with a hundred entrants, whereas some of the longer ones get a much smaller field.

Unlike a sportive, you'll find participants of all sizes, speeds and bike types. Some will go around relatively quickly, others will be more like the tortoise that pace themselves and get in just within the time cut off - there's no competitiveness, you're only really "racing" against yourself.

 

[goody]

Cheers I wouldn't be able to do this one anyway I'm working. The one from Mildenhall on the 24th is a possibility but there's no mention of GPX files.

 

[Chutzpah]

I've only done one where a GPX file wasn't available - you can always email the organiser in advance before entering.

On the one where there wasn't one available I spent half an hour drawing out the route based on the route sheet.

 

[Chutzpah]

Well, I said to my wife originally "if I get in around 9pm I'll be dead chuffed". In the end arrived back in Apperley at 6:40pm! An extremely quick route coupled with my legs feeling good made my first 300km a breeze. I really enjoyed this one.

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Mark's route and event was fantastic. As 300's go, it is an excellent one start on. Fairly easy, with only a couple of horrendous climbs; the first on Clifton Bank out the Theme Valley and the other climbing over the ridge between Usk and Chepstow.

It is certainly an event that I shall enter next year. Though I may keep to the south side of the Usk Valley in order to avoid the A40 and Abergavenny - though only busy sections of an otherwise rural and tranquil ride.