Audax - night riding/sleep deprivation/tiredness and possible calamity

[Wycombewheeler]

I think 400s are the most difficult distance wrt to sleep deprivation...

6am start  -> loss of sleep the night before the event  ->  by sleepy time you're close enough to the finish to make a sleep stop pointless  -> at the finish too early to check into a hotel room. On the event itself the dark section is ridden when riders are already tired from 18 hours of the ride.

9am start -> wake at normal time before the event, at 300km it's late enough and there's still enough ride left to make stopping viable. noon finish means the last 100km can be ridden after sunrise. if you want to stay over before driving home you can often check into a hotel not long after 12:00

noon start -> even better

[Von Broad]

just adding couple of things to wind up.......

to be clear, I've driven to and from lots of Audax events in the past, and if I continue cycling, I will do so in the future.

Hitherto, I've always been able to turn the Astra Estate into a luxurious audax hotel and it's invariably worked just fine. Clear everything out, put a slab of foam in the back, with bedding and sleep perfectly fine both before and after an event. I can think of numerous rides where I've done just that - Heart of England x 6, BCM x 2, Elenith x 5, Flatlands x 4 and many others etc. It's never ever been a question of not sleeping after longer events. I just have too. Period.
The problem here was the delusion of a shorter distance being 'safer', it's only a few miles from home, it will be fine. Well it didn't turn out like that, did it?

Mate of mine took me over to Langley this morning to collect the contents of the car, namely my bike, a heap of dust sheets and loads of decorating bits. At least the bike would have been unaffected by all this, it had plenty of room in the boot [with passenger seats removed] to move about and take the impact, no problem, right? Well...again, that was wishful thinking....[gulp!].
 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MEJYxMBSU3NVfnWd9

I couldn't believe the state of those front forks. So we collected the contents, said goodbye to the car, and as we drove away I became aware more than ever before that I've been extremely fortunate to walk away alive from this accident. As a mate of mine said, 'yes, I think you pushed it to the absolute limit with luck". Exaggeration? Maybe, but he's not far from the truth.

We drove back past the exact spot where it happened, and there is not a scratch on the concrete post/wall, totally untouched......all the momentum energy went back into the car.

Thanks for the messages. As i said, I was happy to accept whatever the tone of the responses. It's not a problem.

Keep riding and keep safe as best you can.
cheers

[Wycombewheeler]

I'd be strongly considering writing off that frame. The forks are obviously bent, but you don't know what stresses were imposed on the head tube, and if the head tube joints or the top of the down tube has also suffered. Although I suppose since replacing the forks to match might not be simple, that might be on the cards anyway.

Also bar end plugs are good. it stops the handlebar taking a sample core from your leg in a crash.

[arabella]

Glad you are OK(-ish).  and agree about not using that frame again, it can join the gas pipe special I'm afraid (Ipswich tip does a good line in, ahem, used frames 

I'm interested in your comment about possible glucose crash, but don't know aught about them.  Interested if anyone else can add anything - I have heard of someone on an audax blacking out (at least a decade ago) but never being quite sure why.

[Diesel]

I'll add my thanks to Von Broad for sharing. Firstly, I'm glad you aren't too bad.

It is good for us to hear that and for all of us who drive to and from events - a salutary reminder. I try and avoid it but sometimes, it's difficult not to.

What I find interesting is that it happened so quickly, both in terms of not long after leaving the arrivee and without warning of 'the dozies'.

I will reevaluate driving to/from again, especially any events involving an all-nighter. With any safety risk it's good to reassess on a regular basis. I suppose driving is one of the more dangerous things most of us do.

[Philip D]

I can relate. I rode the Moors and Wolds 400 on Saturday and I suspect I was last man back. I had a 10 mile drive to get home...and it was hard to stay awake. In the car park packing up I didn't feel that sleepy, but I think there is something about actually being in the car driving that makes one sleepier. Opening the window and putting on some music might help a bit. A bit.

Anyway, on the strength of your post I just booked a room for the Sunday after the Llanfair 400. No way am I going to risk driving back over twisty Peak District roads.

[Sergeant Pluck]

The scariest thing was that I felt absolutely wide awake and alert.

It is indeed the scary bit.

I hope you recover quickly, Von Broad, and I think it is a good thing that you shared it.

<Boring story removed>

[andrew531]

Garry, have a speedy recovery. I think we chatted in the first 100 or so kms of LWL about falling asleep after a long ride? Didn't you mention something about the Dean a few years ago? Glad to hear you got back, you didn't look too bad when I saw you again at Lambourn. I had to bail as I was completely dehydrated, partly the weather but mainly a virus which laid me low for the last week. I'd felt fine before starting LWL but like the dozies these things can happen out of the blue.
Organisers have a hard job here. Liam's instructions are well worded. I had a good hours sleep before driving home but will seriously consider the hotel and train option from now on.

[Jurek]

I've only ever dozed off once.
That was whilst driving an artic.
Thankfully, no one came to any harm.
It isn't an experience I'd care to repeat.
Thanks for sharing and heal swiftly, Garry.

[Jethro]

In 2019 I was able to visit Rambouillet for the PBP and helped out a bit too.  I was also able to ride from Rambouillet to Dreux and back and followed some of the PBP riders for a while.  This of course was the last part of the ride and suddenly a rider in front of me just went from one side of the road to the other and almost fell from his bike.  I knew straight away that he had momentarily fell asleep while cycling.  He then stopped at the side of the road even though it was probably less than 30k from the finish.

I too have driven home after a long event and thankfully made it home without any incident but that was a good few years ago.  I also had a job with a courier firm and did a job each week from Birmingham to Paris and back, a distance of 750 miles.  The quickest I ever did it was in about 16 hours and the slowest took over 24 hours.  We were paid by the mile and I know of some younger drivers that were doing that distance and more every day of the week.  As I was getting older I eventually decided that I could no longer do these long distances anymore and quit the job.  Thankfully I completed the journey everytime without any problems but was I just lucky or crazy.  Maybe both.  Many lessons have been learned but it is still something many cyclists and/or drivers will still do sadly.

[rogerzilla]

I've never driven after a night ride (well, not until I've had some sleep) but I have been driven, or sat on a train, after most of them.  I concur that the usual effect is to suddenly drop off to sleep without feeling particularly drowsy.