Distance between controls?

[eck]

Is there any rule, or recommendation,  that stipulates what the maximum distance between controls should be? I thought I'd seen something, perhaps just a recommendation, that they shouldn't be more than 80km apart.
I've had a quick look on here and the AUK website, but can't see reference to it. 

[Weirdy Biker]

Hmmm. Didn't it used to be in the organisers handbook?

[DanialW]

50-80km, but it's only a recommendation.

[Weirdy Biker]

Checking my old copy of the org handbook, the recommendation (not requirement) was "50km for events up to 300km, approx 80km for longer events"

[eck]

Thanks Danial. I thought there was "something" along these lines. And, yes, FY, what you quote sounds familiar. The only reference I can now see is in the AUK Organisers' Guide, which suggests looking for controls about 50km apart. (Section 4. Route design).

[Greenbank]

Several Calendar rides ignore it too. The Severn Across has a 100km stretch between Chepstow and Membury as Malmesbury (which you pass through and where most people stop at the co-op) isn't an official control (i.e. you don't need to get proof-of-passage there).

LEL's first leg was 160km between controls (the Gamlingay stop was optional on the way North, I didn't even go inside the control).

[Scoosh]

What are you up to now, Eck ?   

[mattc]

Several Calendar rides ignore it too. The Severn Across has a 100km stretch between Chepstow and Membury as Malmesbury (which you pass through and where most people stop at the co-op) isn't an official control (i.e. you don't need to get proof-of-passage there).

LEL's first leg was 160km between controls (the Gamlingay stop was optional on the way North, I didn't even go inside the control).

Yup. Both those examples have multiple feed options in between (i.e. a sensible exemption).

(The more extreme example is Menai->Dolgellau, 100k with barely a street-light, let alone vittals.)

[vorsprung]

(The more extreme example is Menai->Dolgellau, 100k with barely a street-light, let alone vittals.)

Oh, come on.  It does pass a disused nuclear power station.

[dasmoth]

Oh, come on.  It does pass a disused nuclear power station.

Which reminds me, I really must do that ride one of these years.

(Me?  Nuke-geek?  never!)

[Weirdy Biker]

At the other end of the spectrum, rides in the South East (particularly those sniffing around for AAA points) tend to have more tightly bunched controls than in, say, Wales or the Pennines/Peak where hills are more abundant.  Less than 20km apart is not unknown.  Horses for courses, as the saying goes.

[valkyrie]

If it was up to me I'd have as few controls as possible - just the minimum required to make the distance. Routes like the Daylight have controls in places like Crianlarich which are actually impossible to avoid. PBP and HBKH both featured stretches of up to 160km between controls and I don't think it did anyone any harm.

[Redlight]

I'd abolish them completely and trust people. After all, it's not a competition.... 

[simonp]

If it was up to me I'd have as few controls as possible - just the minimum required to make the distance. Routes like the Daylight have controls in places like Crianlarich which are actually impossible to avoid. PBP and HBKH both featured stretches of up to 160km between controls and I don't think it did anyone any harm.

I think your PBP entrant has different expectations than someone out on their first 200k.

Longest stage I've done between stops is 135km between Galashiels and the finish on the Border Raid 600 in its original form.  That's rather different to a stage with no actual control, but a food stop.  The shop in Kielder was closed, too, so there was nothing once you left Melrose.  Well, there was a pub.

[CommuteTooFar]

Different rides need controls to different degrees.  It is nice to stop at controls when you need a break.  On a hilly ride I like to have a control more often than a flat one.  On Peter Lee's Transporter 200 (bridge repaired again)  there are only two full controls at Usk and Defynnog, no one worries that they do not stop again until the finish.  On my Ride 'Round Rhondda ride there are far too many info controls, to keep riders honest. It has three proper sit down controls but the third does not do food and some riders are starving by this point. Despite this they enjoy the ride and have something else to complain about by the time they finish. 

[sub55]

Several Calendar rides ignore it too. The Severn Across has a 100km stretch between Chepstow and Membury as Malmesbury (which you pass through and where most people stop at the co-op) isn't an official control (i.e. you don't need to get proof-of-passage there).

LEL's first leg was 160km between controls (the Gamlingay stop was optional on the way North, I didn't even go inside the control).

Yup. Both those examples have multiple feed options in between (i.e. a sensible exemption).

(The more extreme example is Menai->Dolgellau, 100k with barely a street-light, let alone vittals.)

Ah thats nothing, if you ride this event to quickly,you end up with an info control at weobley, because the shop dont open until what ever it is.  which in turn gives you about 148k between controls.

[recumbentim]

What are you up to now, Eck ?   

Maybe its that old chestnut  "The snow roads 600"

[mattc]

Several Calendar rides ignore it too. The Severn Across has a 100km stretch between Chepstow and Membury as Malmesbury (which you pass through and where most people stop at the co-op) isn't an official control (i.e. you don't need to get proof-of-passage there).

LEL's first leg was 160km between controls (the Gamlingay stop was optional on the way North, I didn't even go inside the control).

Yup. Both those examples have multiple feed options in between (i.e. a sensible exemption).

(The more extreme example is Menai->Dolgellau, 100k with barely a street-light, let alone vittals.)

Ah thats nothing, if you ride this event to quickly,you end up with an info control at weobley, because the shop dont open until what ever it is.  which in turn gives you about 148k between controls.

You poor thing.                               

[Weirdy Biker]

What are you up to now, Eck ?  

Maybe its that old chestnut  "The snow roads 600"

Has Santa come early?  Snow Roads + Tayside Transgression = dream 600

please please please please please please please