Audax Heaven or Hell

[freeflow]

It's 00:40. I'm 100km into a solo 300km sat in a McDonalds on the A5/A146 junction trying to defrost . At least I things that purport to be  coffee and apple pie. Only 50km to Beaconsfield services.


So.... Heaven or Hell

[hellymedic]

Heaven. Get yourself a big hot chocolate and glide through the silent, deserted roads. Enjoy the dawn chorus and the scent of springtime flowers.
Appreciate McDonald's as an oasis in the desert.
Ride on...

[freeflow]

Ooops. That should be Cherwell Valley Services. Fortunately  I didn't designate it as a control.

[freeflow]

At Cherwell by 4am. Bang on schedule only to find breakfast isn't served until 5am. So tuna sandwiches from smithies it is then. Beggars can't be choosers. At least it's nice and warm. Already looking forward to second breakfast at Bourton on the water.

[Bikeabilityman]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

[Banjo]

A decent full English  is the best fuel available IMHO.

Bourton on the Water is closer to my idea of heaven than a motorway services.

Good luck Freeflow. 

[Banjo]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

Why not do a perm 300 with paper receipts. I have only done one 300 perm which was Mark Rigbys Rough Diamond . Navigation was quite straight forward You could just fire up the GPS when/if you needed it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Bourton on the Water was not my idea of heaven when IanN and I were there on a DIY a couple of weeks ago. Too crowded! We did have a nice pasty and cake though and the lanes in and out were heavenly.

[Manotea]

One of my Audax high points was a stop over at Macdonalds at Thame, on the way back from a solo Epsom-Lincoln-Epsom perm, having just put in ~200km into a hurricane force headwind cum storm.

As I was faffing to leave a staffer arrive with a mop and bucket to clear up where I had been sitting... Still, at least it had stopped raining...

But its all Heaven, isn't it?

[mmmmartin]

One of my Audax high points was

..... five minutes lying on a wet pavement at 4am in the rain in Slough, on the Severn Across.

[Ben T]

It's 00:40. I'm 100km into a solo 300km sat in a McDonalds on the A5/A146 junction trying to defrost . At least I things that purport to be  coffee and apple pie. Only 50km to Beaconsfield services.


So.... Heaven or Hell

Heaven and hell are exactly the same - apart from that in heaven, all the minor things go right, whereas in hell, all the little things go slightly wrong.
So in hell, there is no barbecue sauce or sugar or napkins where there should be. Chavs keep opening the door and letting the cold in. A cleaning woman is fussing around mopping and sighing at you.
In heaven, the coffee and apple pie would be hot. Your feet would warm up after a bit. The staff are smiling.

[mattc]

It's 00:40. I'm 100km into a solo 300km sat in a McDonalds on the A5/A146 junction trying to defrost . At least I things that purport to be  coffee and apple pie. Only 50km to Beaconsfield services.


So.... Heaven or Hell

Heaven and hell are exactly the same - apart from that in heaven, all the minor things go right, whereas in hell, all the little things go slightly wrong.
So in hell, there is no barbecue sauce or sugar or napkins where there should be. Chavs keep opening the door and letting the cold in. A cleaning woman is fussing around mopping and sighing at you.
In heaven, the coffee and apple pie would be hot. Your feet would warm up after a bit. The staff are smiling.

.. but not McD scorching hot.

(That is very well put Ben! And sums up many situations in life. )

[Phil W]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

You can do a 300 as a single track' just reduce the track points below 10,000

[Phil W]

If the McDonalds has the heating on, the door isn't being opened every 2 mins to let cold air in, the staff are friendly and bring your order to your table. Heaven. None of those things, Hell.

[tonyh]

Often, surprisingly irrespective of all apparent evidence and circumstances:

A "this is going ok" feeling...       Heaven.

A "this is not going ok" feeling... not Heaven at all.

[DrMekon]

If the McDonalds has the heating on, the door isn't being opened every 2 mins to let cold air in, the staff are friendly and bring your order to your table. Heaven. None of those things, Hell.

Hell is getting to a "24hr" McD in pouring rain at gone midnight to find it's drive through only and they won't let you in

[Si S]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

You can do a 300 as a single track' just reduce the track points below 10,000

I think bikeabilityman means he'd end up recording two tracks.

I'd check with your org if it's an issue, I know of one org who doesn't mind receiving a track that has been 'stitched' together, at least he never said anything  and one of them was a mandatory route. I did keep the 'raw' files JIC though.

[freeflow]

Bourton on the water: Bakery by the water absolute heaven. Two Danish patties and egg and bacon on toast. To make up for bonking so badly on the climb to Stow that I was unable to focus !! ( Double vision the works. Now sitting in Cirencester enjoying Darjeeling an chocolate caramel shortbread. Have to gird my loins for the off road section down Fosse way starting in 20km time. It felt a bit audacious at the time.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I had breakfast in Bakery on the Water last August on my way up to Rutland for a forum camping jolly. I'd been camping at a site on top of the hill, came down the hill and it was the first place I found. Good find!

[Bikeabilityman]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

Why not do a perm 300 with paper receipts. I have only done one 300 perm which was Mark Rigbys Rough Diamond . Navigation was quite straight forward You could just fire up the GPS when/if you needed it.

I've got from 2013, To Holl and Back 600, 3 Coasts 600, and a 3peaker 200 to do, if not expired (I keep forgetting about them), and a Tomsk 200 perm. It would make a nice challenge to devise a 300 DIY starting from home, that's all. I've done a few Rigby calendar events, so I'll bear that in mind.

[Bikeabilityman]

There's a lot to be said for a good breakfast. I did 140 miles on a 'spoons breakfast and three flapjack/muesli bars. The end is in sight, freeflow.

I need to step up to a 300 diy, but my Garmin 500 doesn't last that long without a recharge, and then it's two tracks.

You can do a 300 as a single track' just reduce the track points below 10,000

I think bikeabilityman means he'd end up recording two tracks.

I'd check with your org if it's an issue, I know of one org who doesn't mind receiving a track that has been 'stitched' together, at least he never said anything  and one of them was a mandatory route. I did keep the 'raw' files JIC though.

Correct! I haven't checked with Chris S on sending two files yet, but I've bought the discounted 520 now, so my wife can track me (is that a good thing?) as I sometimes forget to text at controls, and she worries (especially when riding to/from events alone at night).

[Bikeabilityman]

Bourton on the water: Bakery by the water absolute heaven. Two Danish patties and egg and bacon on toast. To make up for bonking so badly on the climb to Stow that I was unable to focus !! ( Double vision the works. Now sitting in Cirencester enjoying Darjeeling an chocolate caramel shortbread. Have to gird my loins for the off road section down Fosse way starting in 20km time. It felt a bit audacious at the time.

Sorry freeflow, I didn't mean to divert attention from your ride. I love the Cotswolds, but I think Fosse Way was very busy the last time I rode it. Keep safe!

[Ivan]

Hell was getting to Scunthorpe after midnight on Monday to find the 24h McDonald's closed for refurbishment.

[vorsprung]

It's 00:40. I'm 100km into a solo 300km...

Some might say, why start a 300 at 8pm when you could start at first light (5:30am)  and be riding in the light for 15 hours with out any need for 24h services?

[Wycombewheeler]

If the McDonalds has the heating on, the door isn't being opened every 2 mins to let cold air in, the staff are friendly and bring your order to your table. Heaven. None of those things, Hell.

Hell is getting to a "24hr" McD in pouring rain at gone midnight to find it's drive through only and they won't let you in

and they won't serve you at the drive through without a car as it is not sade to mix cycles and cars in the drive through lane. Only on national speed limit roads.
There should be a law that either are open to all or they are closed. having a car should not be a pre requisite for obtaining food.