Poor Student

[drgannet]

I was one of the Rapha contingent on the Croix De Fer clad in a very grubby cream jacket.  My legs are still feeling the effects of being towed all over the Cotswolds by our graphic designer Ultan in what was my first audax.  We're hoping to qualify for PBP but 200km in January is causing me to reassess how far I think far is...  Our little group consists of Ultan, G our head designer, myself, Anton Blackie and Phil Deeker who's based in Belgium; look forward to seeing some of you again at the Dean perhaps.

Take heart - winter 200s are not easy. You must have been back in under 9 hours? In which case I reckon you don't have too much to worry about - you'll find plenty of training and qualifying advice on the PBP board here.

Hope to see you disappear into the distance on the Dean....(which is a brilliant ride, BTW).

[PAC]

then got on the tail of the fast group of 4 with white tops (Condors, Look & a Croix der Fer)

White Rapha jackets perchance? Could this be anything to do with the Rapha PBP team we heard about the other day?

Definitely Rapha jackets...sounds like it might well have been them....I thought I was struggling to keep up with them, but they offered me shelter from the headwind which I thought would be rude to refuse!

[PAC]

I was one of the Rapha contingent on the Croix De Fer clad in a very grubby cream jacket. 

It was a pleasure to sit in your slipstream to Purton ...I would have kept with you but I thought I'd better stop to say hello to my brother seeing as he was standing on the side of the road waiting for me!

[daveb]

Just a quick reminder to riders:

Don't forget to send your brevet paper and receipts back as soon as possible.

Many thanks,

Dave

[Gem]

Phil Deeker as in 300 cols in a ridiculously short time, Phil Deeker?

That Phil Deeker, he's still running the Cent Cols Challenge and organised the 1910 ride we did last year.  He'll do most of his qualification in Belgium but we'll probably all come together for the 4 & 600 rides.

[LiamFitz]

I was one of the Rapha contingent on the Croix De Fer clad in a very grubby cream jacket.  My legs are still feeling the effects of being towed all over the Cotswolds by our graphic designer Ultan in what was my first audax.  We're hoping to qualify for PBP but 200km in January is causing me to reassess how far I think far is...  Our little group consists of Ultan, G our head designer, myself, Anton Blackie and Phil Deeker who's based in Belgium; look forward to seeing some of you again at the Dean perhaps.

Good luck with it - if you've knocked out a winter 200 as your first Audax then hats off to you.  There will be many people in Paris on the line with far less of a start than that.

Take your time getting around, do a few more 200's and pick the brains of as many old gits as you can find

Liam

[Gem]

Thanks Liam, we're in the process of entering a few more 200s and taking advice from the experienced has got me this far so we'll be sure to take onboard everything people on the road are kind enough to impart.

There's a little report on the Poor Student here if anyone's interested.  The Audax Diaries: The Poor Student | Rapha

[marcusjb]

Thanks Liam, we're in the process of entering a few more 200s and taking advice from the experienced has got me this far so we'll be sure to take onboard everything people on the road are kind enough to impart.

There's a little report on the Poor Student here if anyone's interested.  The Audax Diaries: The Poor Student | Rapha

Nice report. Glad to see the winds got a mention. They were pretty grim for that first 50 or so k.

After that torrential rain first thing, it turned into about as nice a day as possible in January apart from the gustiness.

I guess you boys got round reasonably quickly working as the four together? You certainly passed many of us going up corsham hill like a train!

Look forward to more reports and photos!

[simonp]

Thanks Liam, we're in the process of entering a few more 200s and taking advice from the experienced has got me this far so we'll be sure to take onboard everything people on the road are kind enough to impart.

There's a little report on the Poor Student here if anyone's interested.  The Audax Diaries: The Poor Student | Rapha

Nice write-up, and nice pics.

[mattc]

This worried me:

Hauling my reluctant frame from my London bed at 4.50am

It's just a bike, mate!

[marcusjb]

This worried me:

Hauling my reluctant frame from my London bed at 4.50am

It's just a bike, mate!

You should see what he does with his willing frame......

[LEE]

Thanks Liam, we're in the process of entering a few more 200s and taking advice from the experienced has got me this far so we'll be sure to take onboard everything people on the road are kind enough to impart.

There's a little report on the Poor Student here if anyone's interested.  The Audax Diaries: The Poor Student | Rapha

Nie ride report.  Good to have a roadie's perspective.

[LEE]

This worried me:

Hauling my reluctant frame from my London bed at 4.50am

It's just a bike, mate!

531 is the Audaxer's choice of reluctant frame material.

[mattc]

This worried me:

Hauling my reluctant frame from my London bed at 4.50am

It's just a bike, mate!

531 is the Audaxer's choice of reluctant frame material.

I'm finally beginning to understand the phrase "compliant frame".

[LiamFitz]

This worried me:

Hauling my reluctant frame from my London bed at 4.50am

It's just a bike, mate!

Yes that's taking it too far really - my bike knows it's place.  If you let them sneak into your bed at night it leads to all sorts of problems.  Before you know it they'll be sitting in your favourite chair or trying to eat off your plate at mealtimes.

(But liked the report - maybe see you at the Willy Warmer next week?)

[Bendy Bianchi]

Has anyone on YACF done the Cent Cols - I just looked it up, it looks like the mutts nuts.

Phil Deeker as in 300 cols in a ridiculously short time, Phil Deeker?

That Phil Deeker, he's still running the Cent Cols Challenge and organised the 1910 ride we did last year.  He'll do most of his qualification in Belgium but we'll probably all come together for the 4 & 600 rides.

[steveindenmark]

I was supposed to be riding in my first Audax ride tomorrow but have been put on standby for work and so have to be available.

So instead I will be out of the house on my bike at 5am to take a 50km ride before intercepting the 200km riders and taking some of those photos you are talking about.

Prior to that though, my first stop will be at 6am at our local airbase to wave off 4 of our Danish pilots who are flying their F-16s South towards Libya. There will be a lot of Danish flags down there but I will be flying our Union Jack as the Danes just think the George Cross is a reverse of their Dannabro, they do not really understand it.

If I have any decent photographs after tomorrow I will post them as nobody specified that they had to be of UK Audax riders 

Steve