Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: Deano on 07 January, 2020, 11:09:00 pm
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Right, you lot - this is for you. A couple of people commented that roughstuff 100s and 150s weren't worth travelling for, so here's a 400.
https://audaxdarleaux.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/steele-roads-woolly-hills-400/
Entries at: http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/20-589/
I have entries for all my other rides, but weirdly not for this one :)
There'll be a fair amount of looking-after on the route, with an overnight stop and probably a roadside control if there are enough entries, and overall it's worth the trip to Darlo.
This ride now starts on Saturday 17th July 2021, entries at: https://audax.uk/event-details?eventId=8900
amended route at: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29657320
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Goodness me.
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Well, quite.
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You say I can avoid most of the off-road, but can I use dual carriageways instead?
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Yeah, when you enter I'll send you the secret all-dual-carriageway route...
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fuck it I'm in. As soon as I can find someone to write me a £15 cheque, I haven't owned a chequebook since I was about 14.
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I'd love to have done this, but unfortunately it clashes with an SBR event
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fuck it I'm in. As soon as I can find someone to write me a £15 cheque, I haven't owned a chequebook since I was about 14.
Ah bugger, I must've forgotten to set up PayPal. Wish you could do it globally!
It should be set up now...
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Top banana, I'll register shortly and you can ignore my email about bank cheques 8)
I think this is something I might actually be best off 'training' for! :o
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Deano - do you have a link to the RWGPS data? I would like to look at the route in a little more detail before deciding whether to enter; looks like an excellent ride. Thanks.
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The RWGPS I've just used to make my decision is at https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29657320
Really wished I hadn't just looked again...
Think I'll also try and raise money for the London Cycling Campaign too. If nothing else it will spur me on to be as ready for it as possible.
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This looks bizarrely tempting. Unfortunately the transport-friendly start time isn't quite transport-friendly enough for me, as the earliest train gets in 15 minutes after it starts. So I'll just have to give it a miss. What a pity.
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Hope I haven't broken the self-sufficiency code by posting the date of this .... :-\
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You have another entry...
I was vaccillating between this and 600.
Yep, all I need to do not pack on Yad Moss and ride a 300 and a 600 from your series. Out of my mind.
Mike
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haha thank ye gods I have retired from this crazy Audax game....... (tempted!)
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The trouble with retiring is that it's much much harder work to change your mind.
It is my plan to be helper on this, so there will be goodly foodstuffs for you all.
And I may try and ride it the weekend before.
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haha thank ye gods I have retired from this crazy Audax game....... (tempted!)
Oh give it up - just enter and make Deano happy
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I always like to do something long on the Solstice, so this is very tempting!
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Looks interesting. I hope you've ridden it on Fixed Deano?
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You have another entry...
I was vaccillating between this and 600.
Yep, all I need to do not pack on Yad Moss and ride a 300 and a 600 from your series. Out of my mind.
Mike
Some folk will do owt to save a fiver ;D
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Deano - do you have a link to the RWGPS data? I would like to look at the route in a little more detail before deciding whether to enter; looks like an excellent ride. Thanks.
You should have it now (it's a bit buried in the blogpage, but hey, there are plenty of rides where you won't get that much detail).
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Looks interesting. I hope you've ridden it on Fixed Deano?
Ahahaha.
Some of it, of course. In fact, quite a lot of it, but I have more sense than to try this all at once on fixed. You could be the first, trumpet :)
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Right, I've changed the date - this will now go ahead on Saturday 17th July 2021. Entries at: https://audax.uk/event-details?eventId=8900
I've jibbled the start/finish, and the route, the updated route is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29657320
For those paying close attention, it's now on-road from Darlo to Bainbridge to pick up Cam High Road, and there's no longer a manned overnight stop at Greystoke, instead there's a control at Southwaite Services. You've lost Hope and Crackpot, but the other offroad sections are as advertised.
(Yes, I know, I need to update the blog as well, one thing at a time)
Have a couple more enticing photos, though.
Action shot on Steele Road:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51128032677_499669b9fd_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kU1wQM)
Cam High Road:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51128047449_0155af8663_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kU1Bet)
Chilly ride up Coldberry End (I'm sure July will be warmer than March):
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51078722402_760ab4e194_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kPDNBC)
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Drool....
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That's my sister, Peter >:(
;D
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I was waiting for that - well done!
Edit: Her bike looks useful. What kind of Ribble is it? And don't say, "Orange," because I WILL find you!
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What an epic route!
<looks for bigger tyres that will still clear the 45mm mudguards on the Elan>
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Deano’s blog page says something along the lines of ‘suitable for tourers on 28mm tyres and you can bring your 23mm shod Pinarello at a pinch (flat)’.*
I’m beginning to wonder if something bigger than the 30mm file treads currently mounted would make sense. Might even revert to 650b x 47.
To say I’m looking forward to this would be disingenuous. I’m equally terrified and excited and wondering where to sleep.
Thanks for the extra training weeks - very much appreciated!
Mike
*I may have invented the latter half of this;)
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I don't want to be too prescriptive about tyre choice - it's about 90% on road, if not more (I'll try and work it out, though it will almost certainly take more than 10% of your riding time), so fast rolling tyres and walking the off-road bits wouldn't be a suicidal tactic. But some sort of compromise is what I'll be going for (probably my Giant with 38 mm tyres that can cope off-road).
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In truth - my bike is perfect for this ride: A Spa Elan 725 with 32mm Supreme's, and I even have a set of 35mm sitting in the cupboard I could fit tomorrow.
It's me that isn't ready for a 400km this year, alas.
But I raise a chapeau to the route and those taking part. It's an event I want to get to next year with a bit more miles in the legs, and experience in the head.
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Oh, I’m not ready either - not even for a 200 - just get come along and enjoy it, slowly:)
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Yeah, I'm expecting some riders to finish out of time (including me), but as I've a 600 on the same day I'll be around until they finish.
Obviously no validation for riders who are out of time, but I'll still feed you and welcome you back.
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I was waiting for that - well done!
Edit: Her bike looks useful. What kind of Ribble is it? And don't say, "Orange," because I WILL find you!
Not a clue. I hate Ribble bikes, can't be doing with helping them out, though she's happy enough with it.
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I've never ridden one - just thought it looked nice and chunky (though I don't like orange - unless it's on an orange). Prefer a x-type bike for those conditons but my hands are no longer strong enough to fight determined wheel wander. I think you may have witnessed this - the pic. may still be on here (just type "bastard photographer" in the search bar!).
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Oh, I’m not ready either - not even for a 200 - just get come along and enjoy it, slowly:)
And that’s an excellent attitude. Try and complete in time, or failing that, complete the circuit. Validation might be the original motivator but it’s far from the end of the world (if it doesn’t happen) if you’ve had a good outing.
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And this is still going ahead on the 17th of July.
Still some space if anyone fancies it. Yes, I do have some entries, you cheeky sods.
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Nine riders away (well, eight and one faffer).
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Bloody hell, someone's back already!
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The faffer?
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No, he was next.
And the chap on the 70s Dawes Galaxy is back too (only a little proud of himself).
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Cheers Deano, what a fantastic route. I watched the sun set over Thirlmere, saw the stars above Great Dodd and watched the sunrise from somewhere above Allenheads.
Did I mention the sun? It was a bit on the warm side!
A few pics:
Cam Road:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322124361_ba03284008_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcaix8)Cam Road (https://flic.kr/p/2mcaix8) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Descent to Gearstones:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322124436_3b2f16dab4_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcaiyq)Gearstone Road (https://flic.kr/p/2mcaiyq) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Garnett Bridge:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51321387682_bd80b94936_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mc6wxL)Control (https://flic.kr/p/2mc6wxL) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Borrowdale:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51321387717_d57443d14d_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mc6wyn)Borrowdale (https://flic.kr/p/2mc6wyn) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Thirlmere:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51323126345_93a399c640_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcfroH)Thirlmere Sunset (https://flic.kr/p/2mcfroH) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Sunrise:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322130056_3781ac579c_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcakej)Hexham Sunrise (https://flic.kr/p/2mcakej) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Weardale:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322130001_26b75fe40b_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcakdn)Weardale Arch (https://flic.kr/p/2mcakdn) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
Coldberry End:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322331093_6d68f6cd3e_w.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcbmZt)Coldberry End (https://flic.kr/p/2mcbmZt) by Al (https://www.flickr.com/photos/highy/), on Flickr
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Great photos, Al!
Of the 9 starters, 2 packed relatively early on (the heat didn't help), and one carried on to finish well out of time, but good on him for riding through.
Star of the show was the chap on the original (including brakes) 1970s Dawes Galaxy. I think the Holdsworth bottle might have been from the eighties, mind.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322691678_de8ef720a5_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mcddbs)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51322491256_d99d5df9f7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2mccbAU)
It was a bit of a mess by the end, with a couple of broken spokes and a bent rear rim. But everyone survived, I'll look for space in next year's calendar for a re-run.
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Star of the show was the chap on the original (including brakes) 1970s Dawes Galaxy. I think the Holdsworth bottle might have been from the eighties, mind.
Aye, he had a bottle of squash in his saddlebag and he was navigating from pages ripped out of a road map too!
We rode together for a few miles during the night, a top bloke.
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Fabulous stuff. When Musk gets to Mars, he has to give Dean (sand John Perrin) first dibs at planning an Audax.
Lump in my throat looking at Thirlmere: we've had to cancel two successive holidays there now.
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Looks very hot. Looks very hard. Looks very beautiful.
Part 1 https://youtu.be/flKd1vj25Uk (https://youtu.be/flKd1vj25Uk)
Part 2 https://youtu.be/oqFIUBxaljU (https://youtu.be/oqFIUBxaljU)