Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: Kev Sp8 on 16 December, 2018, 06:58:54 pm
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With the seemingly recent advent of longer distance winter calendar events, such as the FFF500 and Moonrakers and Sunseekers 300 and their popularity, I started to wonder if there's always been a hardy band with an appetite for this type of ride in the colder months.
So, what's your longest (in terms of distance) winter ride? For the record, in March I did a lumpy, solo DIY 300km raid into South Wales from my front door and in November, a pal and I took on the excellent Tour Des Neuf Chevaux Blancs 300km permanent. I entered the Moonrakers and Sunseekers, but had a crap week leading up to it and opted for the sofa instead!
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265 miles in Dec. Doubt I’ll be doing a 500km.
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So far? 196km yesterday. Freezing rain, black ice, head winds. 3 crashes.
Next ride is 240km next week...
For ultimate in winter crazy cycling there's always the Iditarod invertational...
J
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last year on christmas eve to kick-start (and finish) the festive 500 - a ride from london to wales and back, 504km in under 24hr. it was windy and sometimes drizzly, but mild temperatures of around 10 degrees.
i'm not repeating it this year.
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Well I can't count Moonrakers and Sunseekers as that was prior to Dec 21st, so with Winter not actually having started yet I have to go back to 10th March this year when I did my first solo 250km.
My then new bike arrived the day before so I was eager to get on it and so decided to take it out on its maiden voyage. :thumbsup:
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A 1000km BRM mid-winter 1995. OK, it was in Oz, so winter was the main distance riding season as summer is just too hot. That said, we were far enough inland that the folk who rode through the first night had their bidons freeze.
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Well I can't count Moonrakers and Sunseekers as that was prior to Dec 21st, so with Winter not actually having started yet I have to go back to 10th March this year when I did my first solo 250km.
My then new bike arrived the day before so I was eager to get on it and so decided to take it out on its maiden voyage. :thumbsup:
The "meteorological" year has winter Dec 1st to last day of Feb (which IMHO is quite sensible). But sadly our Moonraker 300 is still in Autumn!
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Around 100miles in the day with an extended audax involving riding to/from railway stations.
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For anyone wanting a more modest 200km ride, there is the Winter Solstice this Sunday. The event has a fine pedigree, and has been run every year since 1999 as a Calendar event, originally from Marple but now from nearby Woodley. We've had good years with 80 participants, and not so good years when there was just the one finisher (and it took him months to get warm again afterwards having recorded -20 Celcius at Tern Hill).
The idea of this event goes back to the earliest days of Audax UK when Sheila Simpson and Francis Cooke (and perhaps one other) rode from Mersey to Hull, and hence over the Pennines, on or about the Solstice.
The current route has a much more benign route. Woodley to Market Drayton, Bruera and back to Woodley is about as flat as we can make it in Cheshire, but that's not to say it doesn't get a bit lumpy around Malpas. The worst climb is within one mile of the finish on a busy but narrow main road, but at least there is now an off-road cycle path which we are encouraged to use.
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I'm having a bad patch.
Cracked off this December on the 3rd with a DIY by GPS 200 from Macclesfield but packed at Middlewich soaked and freezing.
St Lucy's 200km on the 8th. Knocked off by careless driver about 1.5 km into the ride. Bike knackered.
On the 14th, bike fixed, second attempt at earlier DIY. Got to Wrexham (70km) and realised my garmin was still set to 'Do not record'.
3rd attempt now planned for Wednesday. What could possibly go wrong?
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I'm having a bad patch.
Cracked off this December on the 3rd with a DIY by GPS 200 from Macclesfield but packed at Middlewich soaked and freezing.
St Lucy's 200km on the 8th. Knocked off by careless driver about 1.5 km into the ride. Bike knackered.
On the 14th, bike fixed, second attempt at earlier DIY. Got to Wrexham (70km) and realised my garmin was still set to 'Do not record'.
3rd attempt now planned for Monday. What could possibly go wrong?
Ruddy hell JayP, hope you're ok.
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Well I can't count Moonrakers and Sunseekers as that was prior to Dec 21st, so with Winter not actually having started yet I have to go back to 10th March this year when I did my first solo 250km.
My then new bike arrived the day before so I was eager to get on it and so decided to take it out on its maiden voyage. :thumbsup:
The "meteorological" year has winter Dec 1st to last day of Feb (which IMHO is quite sensible). But sadly our Moonraker 300 is still in Autumn!
Well as this doesn't relate to the weather (not directly at least) I use the astronomical calendar which runs from solstice to solstice. :P
It's only sensible in the meteorological world as it allows them to neatly organise statistical information into equal length periods of 3 months.
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... solstice to solstice. :P
Solstice to equinox you mean :P ;)
Any way, I must stop looking at my unused Cambrian 10A card.... Now is not the time, or is it? :o
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200km (13,5h) in December temperature varied between -13 to -21 Celsius. 290km (20h) in other December when it was only -2 to -4C.
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Any way, I must stop looking at my unused Cambrian 10A card.... Now is not the time, or is it? :o
There is a simple answer to that. It ends in "idiot", and starts with "Don't be a f......"
ALTHOUGH ... I'm pretty sure iddu (who is too modest to mention this himself) did attempt a Mille Cymru route-check around New Year time. Totally hat-stand.
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Only two of us started The Winter Solstice from Bredbury on 19.12.2010, myself & Andrew Southworth, Andy packed at Winsford because of the frozen snow & cold, the lanes were blocked so I had to go to near Chester then south to Market Drayton, the Police stopped me at Tern Hill & advised I didn't continue, their Range Rover dashboard was reading -12, at the Helicopter base it had been -16 earlier in the day, I finished in time but did about 140 miles, driving back to Wakefield I couldn't get warm & went straight to work at 2AM I Drove my articulated Truck to Cardiff for a 8AM delivery, I had mild frostbite in my big toe for 3 months & it's never been the same, I have permanent nerve damage, in 50 years of cycling it is my hardest ride!
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... their Range Rover dashboard was reading -12, at the Helicopter base it had been -16 earlier in the day
Oh, only -16. I'd remembered it as -20, which would have been quite ridiculous.
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The Boekelo 300k in feburary and the Boekelo 400 in march.
For proper winter events, the Pine 24 years ago, a 24 hour speedskating event on an open air ice rink in the Italian Alps. I did do about 360km then.
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It was -20 at 3AM in Shropshire, but I don't know where in Shropshire it was recorded, but I didn't start riding until after that time, a Truck Driver at the Raven said it was -20 at 6AM, so maybe I did ride at -20, all I remember was pouring hot coffee on my rear mech & cassette as it had frozen solid, crazy days!
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Seems my longest in winter conditions is a paltry Solo 186km at the Puffer in 2014
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Not that long at just under 200km, but one I wrote up after getting a bit of nerve damage also: A bit cold (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=65865).
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A 300km group DIY in January to Clee Hill in Shropshire from Bristol. The first time we got serious snow over the Cotswolds and ended up getting home at about 2:00 AM. Second time we were plagued by punctures and ended up getting back at a similar time. So both went full value because of conditions, would consider a 300km in winter again but would think carefully about route and conditions.
The idea and the route was Will Pom's ... seeing a pattern here ::-)
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It's only sensible in the meteorological world as it allows them to neatly organise statistical information into equal length periods of 3 months.
They’re not equal - summer is two days longer than winter by this method.
Anyway, for the purposes of this thread, surely ‘winter’ is defined by conditions rather than fixed dates? When it’s getting dark before 5pm and temperatures are in single figures, that’s wintry enough for me.
But in any case, I’ve never done anything longer than a 200 in winter. The kind of ride QG describes upthread has no appeal to me whatsoever.
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I've ridden several 600s in winter (whatever we're deciding that is here).
I enjoy the challenge ... and riding in the dark. Just as well really !
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It's only sensible in the meteorological world as it allows them to neatly organise statistical information into equal length periods of 3 months.
They’re not equal - summer is two days longer than winter by this method.
Anyway, for the purposes of this thread, surely ‘winter’ is defined by conditions rather than fixed dates? When it’s getting dark before 5pm and temperatures are in single figures, that’s wintry enough for me.
But in any case, I’ve never done anything longer than a 200 in winter. The kind of ride QG describes upthread has no appeal to me whatsoever.
Aye, I've also had a 90km spin round the tay when temperatures were around -2 and the Strava title of the route was "F---ing Brrrrrrr" but that was on the 20th of November a couple of years back so clearly Autumnal.
Think the coldest I've recorded was -12 at Loch Garten, everything was frozen, the trails were running fast an I was feeling great; the following weekend was a horrible mudfest and I had my worst performance at a Puffer ever (or so it felt) and I went to bed twice in the night and haven't been back since.
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A 300km group DIY in January to Clee Hill in Shropshire from Bristol. The first time we got serious snow over the Cotswolds and ended up getting home at about 2:00 AM. Second time we were plagued by punctures and ended up getting back at a similar time. So both went full value because of conditions, would consider a 300km in winter again but would think carefully about route and conditions.
The idea and the route was Will Pom's ... seeing a pattern here ::-)
The first one was invigorating! JonB doesn't mention that it wasn't just to Clee Hill, It was to the trig point on the top :demon:
https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/ (https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/)
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Not me, but Iddu's 1000 'hilly' solo perm - the first completed Dragon (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=27713.0) still boggles my mind.
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A 300km group DIY in January to Clee Hill in Shropshire from Bristol. The first time we got serious snow over the Cotswolds and ended up getting home at about 2:00 AM. Second time we were plagued by punctures and ended up getting back at a similar time. So both went full value because of conditions, would consider a 300km in winter again but would think carefully about route and conditions.
The idea and the route was Will Pom's ... seeing a pattern here ::-)
The first one was invigorating! JonB doesn't mention that it wasn't just to Clee Hill, It was to the trig point on the top :demon:
https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/ (https://www.facebook.com/AudaxBristol/videos/871576846217281/)
was you declared insane for that !!! I have been up there on a decent day and can be bleak !!
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I finished in time but did about 140 miles, driving back to Wakefield I couldn't get warm & went straight to work at 2AM I Drove my articulated Truck to Cardiff for a 8AM delivery
WTF ? There are so many issues here: you were up most of the day, rode 140 miles, were knackered and then stayed up to drive an (up to) 44 tonne truck to Cardiff from Wakefield...................
WTF ?
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I finished in time but did about 140 miles, driving back to Wakefield I couldn't get warm & went straight to work at 2AM I Drove my articulated Truck to Cardiff for a 8AM delivery
WTF ? There are so many issues here: you were up most of the day, rode 140 miles, were knackered and then stayed up to drive an (up to) 44 tonne truck to Cardiff from Wakefield...................
yeah but he got 2 audax points :thumbsup:
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was you declared insane for that !!! I have been up there on a decent day and can be bleak !!
Have you seen https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/ (https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/)?
I just like a bit of an added challenge to my adventures, apparently quite a few others do too ;D
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And that is why I love this sport/activity and fell in love with Audax after a few weeks !! Nor for my extreme one on Sunday it appears !
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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In astronomical or meteorological winter my longest ride has been the Kennett Valley Run (x5) riding from home, which makes about 240km, but my longest ride in 'winter' conditions was a Dinner Dart from Basingstoke to York via Horncastle and the Humber Bridge, which totalled 436km in 24 hours and included 3 spills on black ice and a 5km section walked because the road was a sheet of ice and I didn't want to come off again. A couple of years later, I had another go at a Dinner Dart, got 190km to Market Harborough by which time the temperature dropped to -3C and I didn't want a repeat. I managed a further 200km to York the following day to get my Dinner Dart and then rode back 2 days later from York to Stafford for an After Dinner Dart, where the temperature started at -8C, stayed below freezing all day, and, by the time I could no longer see my cycle computer, somewhere near Uttoxeter, the temperature had gone back to -7C. Struggled with dehydration because of frozen water bottles. After being out of action for a month through bursitis in the hip thanks to black ice, I've given up such antics.
Although the coldest riding conditions I've had were in meterological spring this March, riding from The Hague to Zandvoort and back, in bone dry marrow chilling conditions of -8C and a tasty 30kph headwind all the way to Zandvoort.
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You raise an interesting point, CET - dehydration due to water bottles freezing. I've had that on winter rides and have had to stuff a bidon up my jersey to keep it warm. It's not very comfortable but it does the job.
Another issue is eating enough whilst riding in winter. Wearing thick gloves means you can't get at your food very easily. Does anyone have any solutions to that ?
Slightly off thread I know, but while we're on the subject of long winter rides ...
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Unfortunately when I reached Cardiff the Artic was overloaded by 2 tons at 46 tons, I had to go over my driving hours by I hour so did a 16 hour day instead of 15, I slept in the truck till Friday, it's called the real world, some people have a harder life than others, I went to the college of hard knocks.
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You raise an interesting point, CET - dehydration due to water bottles freezing. I've had that on winter rides and have had to stuff a bidon up my jersey to keep it warm. It's not very comfortable but it does the job.
This was the problem with the first FF(FF)F500 - waterbottles were frozen solid by Malmesbury!
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Another issue is eating enough whilst riding in winter. Wearing thick gloves means you can't get at your food very easily. Does anyone have any solutions to that ?
I remember winter climbing in Glencoe with Mick Hardwick (sadly deceased). His solution was rice pudding in a plastic bag carried in the inside chest pocket of his climbing jacket. Body heat kept it from freezing and when he got hungry he would bite of the corner of the bag and squeeze the contents into his mouth. Not for everyone maybe but it works.
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In astronomical or meteorological winter my longest ride has been the Kennett Valley Run (x5) riding from home, which makes about 240km, but my longest ride in 'winter' conditions was a Dinner Dart from Basingstoke to York via Horncastle and the Humber Bridge, which totalled 436km in 24 hours and included 3 spills on black ice and a 5km section walked because the road was a sheet of ice and I didn't want to come off again. A couple of years later, I had another go at a Dinner Dart, got 190km to Market Harborough by which time the temperature dropped to -3C and I didn't want a repeat. I managed a further 200km to York the following day to get my Dinner Dart and then rode back 2 days later from York to Stafford for an After Dinner Dart, where the temperature started at -8C, stayed below freezing all day, and, by the time I could no longer see my cycle computer, somewhere near Uttoxeter, the temperature had gone back to -7C. Struggled with dehydration because of frozen water bottles. After being out of action for a month through bursitis in the hip thanks to black ice, I've given up such antics.
Although the coldest riding conditions I've had were in meterological spring this March, riding from The Hague to Zandvoort and back, in bone dry marrow chilling conditions of -8C and a tasty 30kph headwind all the way to Zandvoort.
What an enjoyable read.
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Never forget this lot:
https://twitter.com/jannelkala/status/947449088924180481