What's your next Audax?

[Ming the Merciless]

I have a front light. I had a back light but I don't know if it fell off or someone stole it because it's not there anymore. It seems quite hilly-do you think that too? I'll try start on time this time and not be late like last time. I'll give myself 6 hours, so there should be light by then still

Overall average 1%. I’d say that is fairly typical of much of the home countries. It’ll seem hilly if you live in the fens else fairly typical. Undulating is the term I’d use.

Even on the time limit you’ll be just ahead of sunset. But always worth having lights this time of year and presume you’ll need them for your ride home.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Submitted my DIY 400 route, now I’ve seen latest forecast. Weather forecast stable at moment. Dry, will be cold overnight, and moderate winds decreasing overnight. Far better than the weather on my 300.

 

[matticus]

I have a front light. I had a back light but I don't know if it fell off or someone stole it because it's not there anymore. It seems quite hilly-do you think that too? I'll try start on time this time and not be late like last time. I'll give myself 6 hours, so there should be light by then still

It's October. You're a cyclist.

Get a rear light!

In fact get two; they're absurdly cheap/small/light these days. Oh, and make sure they both fit your bike

 

[oreo_muncher]

It's October. You're a cyclist.

Get a rear light!

In fact get two; they're absurdly cheap/small/light these days. Oh, and make sure they both fit your bike

I had one and it got lost or stolen..

 

[oreo_muncher]

Overall average 1%. I’d say that is fairly typical of much of the home countries. It’ll seem hilly if you live in the fens else fairly typical. Undulating is the term I’d use.

Even on the time limit you’ll be just ahead of sunset. But always worth having lights this time of year and presume you’ll need them for your ride home.

This time around I'm taking the tube to get to the event so I won't be tired by the time I get there like last time with my 50km ride!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Didn’t complete the 400. Some problems with night time punctures. But problem that ended audax was all three sets of my GPS AA batteries discharging incredibly early. With the 10pm curfew even garages that would normally be open are closed. So no way to get fresh batteries. So had to navigate home following signs to places I know. Had my customary sleep in a church porch for 1.5 hours before final leg home. Photo of me is about 30 mins before getting back home. Will go for a recovery ride tomorrow but on my Brompton or road bike instead of recumbent.

Still a good ride and a bit of an adventure which is what it’s all about. Audax points a bonus,

 

[oreo_muncher]

Didn’t complete the 400. Some problems with night time punctures. But problem that ended audax was all three sets of my GPS AA batteries discharging incredibly early. With the 10pm curfew even garages that would normally be open are closed. So no way to get fresh batteries. So had to navigate home following signs to places I know. Had my customary sleep in a church porch for 1.5 hours before final leg home. Photo of me is about 30 mins before getting back home. Will go for a recovery ride tomorrow but on my Brompton or road bike instead of recumbent.

Still a good ride and a bit of an adventure which is what it’s all about. Audax points a bonus,

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Well done on trying How many km did you end up completing? So are you going to get a new GPS system or will you just bring more batteries for next time? What is classed as a recovery ride? The following signs to get home is a method I have used myself before .

 

[Ajax Bay]

Cracked a 400 DIY Permanent on Friday (and a bit of Saturday) 9/10 Oct from Weymouth - this [edited]: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34388920?beta=false
Controls: Dorchester, Studland ferry, Beaulieu, Westbury, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Castle Cary
Areas of Natural Beauty/Landscapes: Isle of Purbeck, Poole Harbour, Bournemouth and Boscombe promenade, New Forest, Wylye valley, Mendips, Weston beach, Somerset levels, Cerne valley

Passed the cider makers 'Thatchers:

Pleased, by design, to keep the climb to a minimum (3000m on RwGPS, 3300+ on Garmin).
Started at 05:02. Finished at 03:43. Misty and cool before dawn. Hours of sunshine on and off throughout the day. The forecast shower came though around midday. Was hard and cold in the wee hours. Bottom (30") gear up all the hills, even gentle ones, after midnight. Resented the climbing a bit, not least because going downhill at speed was really 'cold'. Garmin suggested it never went below 4o, though.
Doubting I can do a 600 (which I 'need' to complete a 2019/20 super randonneur), but know that these doubts will pass once the memory of how my legs felt at the end wears off. I need a two day weather window in the next fortnight ('deadline' is to complete by end October).

 

[matticus]

Cracked a 400 on Friday (and a bit of Saturday) 9/10 Oct) from Weymouth - this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/57477028?beta=false
Controls: Dorchester, Studland ferry, Beaulieu, Westbury, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Castle Cary
Areas of Natural Beuaty/Landscapes: Isle of Purbeck, Poole Harbour, Bournemouth and Boscombe promenade, New Forest, Wylye valley, Mendips, Weston beach, Somerset levels, Cerne valley

Private ridewithgps page?

Started at 05:02. Finished at 03:43. Misty and cool before dawn.

Ugh - I'd hate. Close to the worst possible timing for me,! 4am alarm would be 'orrible, and I'm generally useless after 2am on any long ride.
But you probably had contstraints - ferry times?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Well done on trying How many km did you end up completing? So are you going to get a new GPS system or will you just bring more batteries for next time? What is classed as a recovery ride? The following signs to get home is a method I have used myself before .

I rode 375km bar a few metres, it’s on the map screen print.

I was thinking the rechargeable AA were just this year but having thought about it, they are 2019. So I guess they are reaching the end of the number of cycles they can be recharged. As to the new pair, well just bad luck. So I’ll just be a case of new rechargeables. I might record when started using them though so have an idea on life. When new, a single set will cover 600km, so a shock to have them discharge so quick.

Recovery ride is less than an hour, staying in Z1 heart rate, and as flat a ride as you can make it. So HR no higher than 100 or so. Consider it pedaling as though your cranks are made of crystal and will break under the slightest pressure.

Any other time, outside a pandemic and 10pm curfews I would have found plenty of places open to get replacement batteries.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cracked a 400 on Friday (and a bit of Saturday) 9/10 Oct) from Weymouth - this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/57477028?beta=false
Controls: Dorchester, Studland ferry, Beaulieu, Westbury, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Castle Cary
Areas of Natural Beuaty/Landscapes: Isle of Purbeck, Poole Harbour, Bournemouth and Boscombe promenade, New Forest, Wylye valley, Mendips, Weston beach, Somerset levels, Cerne valley
Passed the cider makers 'Thatchers:
View attachment 551927
Pleased, by design, to keep the climb to a minimum (3000m on RwGPS, 3300+ on Garmin).
Started at 05:02. Finished at 03:43. Misty and cool before dawn. Hours of sunshine on and off throughout the day. The forecast shower came though around midday. Was hard and cold in the wee hours. Bottom (30") gear up all the hills, even gentle ones, after midnight. Resented the climbing a bit, not least because going downhill at speed was really 'cold'. Garmin suggested it never went below 4o, though.
Doubting I can do a 600 (which I 'need' to complete a 2019/20 super randonneur), but know that these doubts will pass once the memory of how my legs felt at the end wears off. I need a two day weather window in the next fortnight ('deadline' is to complete by end October).

Nicely done. Always feels like you can’t do the extra distance of the next one when you finish the current one. But you find you can, it’s just having the target distance in your head when you start, rather than adding it on after.

I am contemplating an non audax 600km since my SR attempt is blown. So it’s still be a 600km ride but with a full nights sleep between first and second day. With no time limits but nominally 48 hours. A 2 day long mini tour. It’d also solve the nothing open overnight challenge as I’d be in bed at that point.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Maybe a note to self to have a pair of Duracells taped together down in the depths of one of your bags just in case.

Yes, I need more drumming bunnies (that go on and on) for my GPS that keep their charge for years if not used. I did have my small battery packs with me to keep my mini speaker charged up for the night. Alas the usb cable was micro not the mini connector I’d need to run the GPS off them.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Private ridewithgps page?



Ugh - I'd hate. Close to the worst possible timing for me,! 4am alarm would be 'orrible, and I'm generally useless after 2am on any long ride.
But you probably had contstraints - ferry times?

I started my 400 at 9am after breakfast. I find it works quite well. You get back for breakfast , have a light one with tea, shower, sleep then awake again Sunday afternoon. I plan to ride through on 400s with the option of a doze if you get the dozies. Which is what I did at weekend, sleeping between 4.00am till 5.30am.

 

[Ajax Bay]

By the way just wanted to tell you I signed up for this audax: https://audax.uk/event-details?eventId=8130

I am keen that you enjoy yourself this weekend, after all the questions and answers (some read).
Prepare well. Look at the route in detail beforehand and consult the routesheet - it has useful info thereon (Tim S has put a lot of effort into it but don't print Page 5). Set your cyclocomputer (or whatever) to kilometres. In particular look at where you might miss a turn (L or R) where carrying on would result in a detour. If you find yourself 'lost' how are you going to navigate back to the route? Depending on how you navigate, take care 13.3km after the start.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34399692?beta=false
https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf...er+London+[Town]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf
and look at the villages (names) you're riding through.
Dress for the temperature/conditions. Ride with any others who seem to want to go at a bit slower than the speed with which you're comfortable. Take some savoury food (eg salted cashews) as well as stuff with more sugar in like your home made flapjacks. Drink regularly while riding, but absolutely avoid excess. It would be reasonable to finish both bottles by half way. At Quainton (the turn-around stop), make sure you take your bottle in to fill up, or buy water to top it up, or blag a top up on the road - people are very kind. Don't faff.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Private ridewithgps page?

Sorry: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34388920?beta=false