Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: bludger on 20 February, 2020, 10:27:01 am
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Came across this on Zuckerberg's botnet the other day. Starting on the leap year weekend (they recommend the Friday at 8pm for the 24 hour version) from a location of your choosing on a route of your own.
https://www.facebook.com/events/556398621613750/
Basically start at point X and get as far out as-the-crow-flies as you can, then turn around and get back within a time limit. Either 8, 12, or 24 hours.
My thinking is to use the Trafalgar Way audax route starting from London ( https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27705953 ), on an out-and back basis, aiming to get about 350-400 km on the computer. I will stop for bad weather since 24 hours is a long time to be cold and wet. If you can be bothered you can do it as a DIY but for me I'm just going to do it without any of that carry on, on my own.
Not technically an audax but a bit of fun.
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I am glad I have to work on the 29th, so I don't have to bother with yet more nonsense long distance cycling in stormy winter weather.
Is it just me that thinks that the number of bonkers challenges has ballooned over the past few years? ::-)
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I think the proliferation of GPS units (and frankly just mobile phones with GPS too) has really helped. No need for complicated marshals and so on when every bugger has a computer that can render stuff like this no problems.
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See also here for a 12 hour version: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=6613
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You want to be looking at routes where you can take advantage of long straightish A or B roads through the night. There's some long empty A roads in Suffolk that head north and you could use to get yourself started. I know that if you go north through the fens you can rack up 300km in about 11-12 hours, even without storm winds, and reach the Humber bridge but return will likely be somewhat slower. So maybe aim for Lincoln, as a turn around point, and a total of 500km for the 24 hours.
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I think the proliferation of GPS units (and frankly just mobile phones with GPS too) has really helped. No need for complicated marshals and so on when every bugger has a computer that can render stuff like this no problems.
What I mean is that long distance cycling used to be a season beginning in late March and finishing in late September, with the winter months doing BP and the odd BR 200 for the hardy souls.
Now there seems to be a proliferation of crazy distance challenges over the cold months, not necessarily Audax, but appealing to that kind of cyclist.
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Maybe people preparing for the 'main season' races? TBH a 24 hour ride isn't that 'crazy' relative to the sorts of people who will be racing RATN etc as hard as they can.
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Is it just me that thinks that the number of bonkers challenges has ballooned over the past few years? ::-)
What a terrible thing.
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We will be travelling to collect our shiny new tandem on sat 29.2, definitely a better use of our time.
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You want to be looking at routes where you can take advantage of long straightish A or B roads through the night. There's some long empty A roads in Suffolk that head north and you could use to get yourself started. I know that if you go north through the fens you can rack up 300km in about 11-12 hours, even without storm winds, and reach the Humber bridge but return will likely be somewhat slower. So maybe aim for Lincoln, as a turn around point, and a total of 500km for the 24 hours.
For a 24hr, I'd start at somewhere on the NE Norfolk Coast, such as Cromer, and set off at around 7pm to go SW.
The wind will most likely be lightest then and you'll be riding into it. Turn around at 7am and you should get a tailwind to the seaside. Finish at 7pm for fish and chips, beer then bed.
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See also here for a 12 hour version: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=6613
£70 for a solo ride!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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See also here for a 12 hour version: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=6613
£70 for a solo ride!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A bit steep, even with all the food...
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£70 for a solo ride!
and a jersey! ;)
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£70 for a solo ride!
and a jersey! ;)
...and a tracker.
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Tracker hire cost is negligible for a day, unless that £70 includes a deposit.
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I think the proliferation of GPS units (and frankly just mobile phones with GPS too) has really helped. No need for complicated marshals and so on when every bugger has a computer that can render stuff like this no problems.
What I mean is that long distance cycling used to be a season beginning in late March and finishing in late September, with the winter months doing BP and the odd BR 200 for the hardy souls.
Now there seems to be a proliferation of crazy distance challenges over the cold months, not necessarily Audax, but appealing to that kind of cyclist.
In recent years the late Autumn and Winter months before the turn of the year have been pretty mild. I think this has happened so often it is a real trend so maybe our thoughts around "the audax season" need to change. Full Fat Festive 500 was positively balmy - would have been happy with that weather/temperature for an April or October ride.
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Since this thread has been bumped I should fess up that I didn't do it. The weather was crap and I couldn't be arsed, so I arranged to buy a 2nd hand frame off someone the Saturday instead.
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Indeed the winters of the 70,80s were far colder than the 90, 0, 10s. Met Office has published something on this somewhere. In recent years I’ve cycle commuted to work in shorts in mid January it’s been so mild. This year even traditional cold February hasn’t turned up.