My next Audax Challenge - SR?

[MercuryKev]

At the start of this year I set myself the challenge of getting my Randonneur 1000 and, with my completion of the Snow Roads on Saturday, my goal has been achieved.  So now I am thinking about my next challenge and the prospect of an SR comes to mind. 

I must admit that at the end of the snow roads I was not that knackered and I think that another 5 or 6 hours of cycling was doable, meaning that I reckon a 400km is within my reaches.  Many of you more experienced audaxers tell me that a 400 is harder than a 600 so that would mean that a 600 could be within my reaches.  I also took some hope from the fact that many hardened riders expressed the opinion that the Snow Roads on Saturday was a particularly hard ride.

So, I need a Scottish 400 & 600 to do before the end of summer but I don't think i'm able to do the 2 rides out of Gala.  I'm thinking perms and I'm thinking yacf riders getting their SRs together.  Who thinks that his could be a plan? Which rides are available - Kingdom come, twighlight etc?

[eck]

Which rides are available - Kingdom come, twighlight etc?

We're from Angus, and we're here to help.
(signed) eck, and, in his absence,  Noodley. 

[innesh]

What about Mr Shannon's 2 Firths 400km? 

It's hardly exciting, but starts from Dalmeny and (compared to the Snow Roads) is billiard table flat - if you like that sort of thing     It's very do-able, wind permitting.  The other good thing about it is, it passes my house 

I may reconnoitre it for you this very weekend!

I know The Cormorant (Cyclops's pal, who rode the Twilight 600 with him) is also looking for a 400.

[Noodley]

So, I need a Scottish 400 & 600...Kingdom Come?

I was thinking you may be giving consideration to a SR when you asked "have you done a 400 and 600 this year yet?" whilst we were riding the Snow Roads 

I had no intention of riding either, but could be persuaded - I have a card for KC 

[Captain Zep]

I'm very keen to do a 400 and 600 too again this year.  Keep me posted, a yACF 400 & 600 will be right up my street.

Kev - after your show on the Snow Roads, you'll manage an SR no problem. 

[eck]

a yACF 400 & 600 will be right up my street.

You won't get me riding round the streets of Larbert for 24 hours at a time. No sir. No way. 

... oh, wait a minute. 

[MercuryKev]

RJMcB, thank you for the encouragement; although, I haven't been able to keep up with you since you got that shiny new bike ;-)

Noodley, I think you need another SR in your life and I think that you need to got one where you don't get soaked for 24 hours. I'll have a look in the AUK site to see if there are any 600s with 4 or more AAA points, cos I know how much you live climbing - especially if you get a head wind.

Well, my wife signed up for the Dublin marathon today, so I am now officially up for some SR fun - WHO'S WITH ME!

[Noodley]

Noodley, I think you need another SR in your life and I think that you need to got one where you don't get soaked for 24 hours. I'll have a look in the AUK site to see if there are any 600s with 4 or more AAA points...

Err, no thanks 
But I do have a card for the Northern Pennines Grimpeur 400.    you are welcome to it

[MercuryKev]

John, i've found the rides for you. They would be a 400 and a 600 based on riding from Dufftown to Crathie, vie the 2 un-named hills.  The 400 would require 7 legs, 9700m of climbing and you'd get 11.7 AAA points.  The 600, and this is a beauty, 10 legs, 13,800 climbing and 17.25AAA points.  I've called the routes 'Noodley Hell 400 & 600".  can you imagine riding up and down the Dufftown road 10 times - F***ing amazing!  If I was you, i'd keep the 600 until late October.

Here's the route http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Noodley-Hell

[Pingu]

...The 400 would require 7 legs...[/url]

I could've done with 7 legs on the Snow Roads 

[LEE]

I have just completed my first SR (including my first 400 and my first 600).

I did the 600 first and the 400 a month later.

IN MY OPINION the 600 was harder.  It was harder because, amazingly, it was 200km longer, requiring approximately 11 hours more pedalling and sitting on a, by that time, pretty uncomfortable bike for another 11 hours.

I didn't have any issues pedalling for so long, I mean I never thought "I can't pedal another kilometre", my problem was (and always will be it seems) a recurring shoulder cramp.  I took it slow and steady and eventually got to the end.  If someone had offered me £1000 to cycle another 200km at 15km/hr then I probably could have kept plodding along (of course your mind gets fixated on finishing in a specific distance so you tend to JUST be able to get to the end whether it's 200, 300, 400 or 600).  You may feel knackered at the end of a 200 but during a 600 you find that 200km comes and goes as if it were 50km, lots of this is mind-games.

So, depending on how hilly the rides you choose will be, I reckon that if you can keep pedalling around a 300 then you can do an SR.  Just expect to be drained on the final 100km (I didn't sleep on either 400 or 600) and make sure you save any sprinting and honking up steep hills for the final 10km rather than the first 10km (ie.  save your energy, you may need it later)

Go for it, what's the worst that can happen?

(Someone will now come up with a list of the worst things that have happened I expect)

[eck]

(of course your mind gets fixated on finishing in a specific distance so you tend to JUST be able to get to the end whether it's 200, 300, 400 or 600).  You may feel knackered at the end of a 200 but during a 600 you find that 200km comes and goes as if it were 50km, lots of this is mind-games.

That's a really important point, extremely well made. 

[Greenbank]

Sleep is the usual reason why a 400 is considered harder than a 600.

If you make good progress on a 600 then you can have a 4 or 5 hour kip some point past half way, or so I've been told (having DNFed my only attempt at 600). If you don't make good progress and don't manage any sleep on a 600 then there's no surprise that you'll find it harder than a 400.

If all goes well, I'm hoping to get to the half-way point on my DIY600 at about 9pm which gives me 5 hours rest/sleep before I can start the 2nd half (because it's a calendar event with a 2am start).

[Julian]

I'm not fast, and I find 600s immeasurably harder than 400s, even with a sleep on a 600.

I am quite good at not sleeping, though, so I don't have a problem riding a 400 without sleep.  Which is good, really, cos a snooze would usually put me out of time!

[y lee g]

Wot applebag said.

Two Firths is a perfect first 400, you dont need to faff about too much to get to the start and the controls are open all night so you dont need to carry much more than emergency rations and theres no shivering in doorways.   

On the basis that most of my weekends are spoken for until the end of August, I'm in the "unlikely" category.

talk is cheap, but if you got round the snow roads in time on Saturday, I'm sure you'll manage Mark's 400 no bother.   

[frere yacker]

Everything depends on how you feel on that particular ride.  400s and 600s feel equally hard to me.  I've seen riders breeze around a 600 but fall to pieces on a 400 (generally because they don't build up a big enough time buffer and so overly worry about time limits).  And vice versa.

I've done Kingdom Come.  An OK ride with relatively straightforward navigation.  But you need to time the controls carefully as some towns don't have a wide variety of control options (the one past Cowdenbeath) and sleep options are very limited.

[damerell]

Gosh, I hadn't appreciated how few and far between the long calendar events are. On the plus side that stops the voice of mentalism saying "well, you rode 382km in one go and didn't actually DIE, a 400 must be easy".

Good luck if you do go for it.

[the cormorant]

"I know The Cormorant (Cyclops's pal, who rode the Twilight 600 with him) is also looking for a 400. "

Applebag was right about me looking for alternative 400s but in a moment of weakness I sent off a form for Lucy's Nae Bother to US event instead.