New Audaxes in the Northeast (of England)

[shyumu]

I'm working on three new audax events in the northeast for September this year.  They will all run on the 14th September 2013 and I'm plotting out; 50km, 100km and 200km events.  I spoke to the PCC at my church and the church is covering the costs of the venue for me, as well as baking some cakes for the riders.  I'm really looking forward to this.

The 50km "Tees and Cake" is a 12-25kph BP looping back and forth around the Tees.  These are some of my favourite quiet lanes we regularly ride on near Ingleby Barwick.  I'm thinking of using the cycle facilities (which are okay) to get out of the urban areas and make the ride accessible to families.

The 100km "KttR Audax" starts out by following Deano's Keep to the Roads yacf ride; it is a tribute to yacf and the group rides organised in the area.  After Westerdale and the Lion Inn (as a control), the route extends the original KttR out to Saltburn and a quick trip to the beach.

Both the 50km and 100km events will start at 10:30am, this allows trains from London and Edinburgh to get riders to any of three nearby railway stations, Darlington, Yarm or Thornaby.  I'm hoping that (in addition to keen audaxers) some of our yacf non-audaxing community will pop up to the northeast for some hospitality and a chance to ride the classic KttR.  (Or maybe I should call it the "KttR+")

The 200km event isn't as tough as the old NYM Grimpeur.  I think we'll call it "Ralph Cross".  I've worked to overlap bits of the 100 and the 50 with the 200 to see if riders might meet up for sections of each other's journeys.

The 200km will start at 7am, so I was thinking of talking to the "Sporting Lodge" about a preferential rate for audaxers.  In the past I've just got up early to get to an audax, how many riders would stay overnight for a 200?  I'm not sure what to expect there.  I could always ask Sporting Lodge and see what they say.

Next thing to do is ride the routes with camera in hand and see if I can get a write up or two in Arrivee.

(This is all very exciting!)

[Tomsk]

shyumu this is great news - especially that they will be in September - late season events seem quite thin on the ground.

Riders travel from far and wide to events for a variety of reasons. I know several have come to ride my Flitchbikes 200 from hillier parts for their first 200 [& stayed overnight], only to find that Essex isn't necessarily all flat, though I once met some Dutch riders on an East Anglian randonnee, who had come over on the Harwich ferry to 'ride some hills' in preparation for PBP!

The lure of good food is always a plus!

Good luck with your events.

[Deano]

Do they start in Ingleby Barwick, shyumu? That's quite easy to get to by train on a Saturday - trains from Darlington and York stop at Thornaby, which is about a ten minute ride away.

[Socks]

Sounds good - the date is in my calendar, it's close enough that I could travel there on the day, even for the 200k.

Always nice to see another event in the North East - as Tomsk says there aren't that many later on in the season.

[shyumu]

Hi, yes, they start in Ingleby Barwick.  The church has agreed with the school to provide facilities free of charge to me, so I should be able to have somewhere nice to come back to with tea/coffee and homebaked cakes.  Perhaps some quiche too.

I had help in choosing the date, it doesn't clash with anything.  The are local Sportives and the Darlo "Hell of the North" on different weekends.  It seemed as though the 14th September was an ideal date to choose.

The 50km and 100km start times will be 10:30am, giving plenty of time for the excellent train connections.  You could even make it up from London in time for the beginning of these; although if you are travelling that far I'd heartily recommend the KttR 100km Audax.

I have sent an email to the Sporting Lodge nearby to see if I can get an "Audax Special" rate for anyone wanting to stay over for the start of the 200km.  I'll let you know what I hear back.

I have had a great deal of help getting ready for this, and I'm just beginning to advertise that it will happen.  I'm so please the church PCC agreed to support me and save all the venue costs.  I have a lot of work to do between now and the April deadline to get the event fully detailed in the AUK calendar and details on supporting websites.

This is so much fun.

[shyumu]

Shameless bump!



I'm working hard to promote these three new audax events and now I've created some flyers and posters to use around Teesside in the shop windows and for distribution at the Stockton Cycling Festival which is running on the 6th/7th July.

There is a lot of work required to create an Audax isn't there!  So far I have spent the equivalent of two weeks bringing this together, and I still have the baking and on-the-day administration to finish.

Threads for each ride:

200km Ralph Cross
100km Keep to the Roads! (a tribute to the Deano / yacf ride of the same name)
50km Tees and Cake

[sojournermike]

I'll endeavour to do one. If Mrs S will join me I suspect the 50 or 100, otherwise I'd like to ride a 200 this year.

Thanks for organising

Mike

[shyumu]

I'm sure you'll enjoy this Mike and especially if you get to ride it with your wife.  Will you be travelling from far, or are you a Teesside couple?

If anyone is travelling from London or Edinburgh there is the Grand Central service which stops at Eaglescliffe, near Yarm.  There are loads of rail links to get here.

[Peter]

Yarm also dead easy from Huddersfield and therefore Manchester, though I'm not sure how early the trains start.  Pretty early, I would have thought as it's a service from Manchester airport.

G, as I've said, I'm hopng to do one of these.  As I'll be staying at my brother's and am hoping to persuade him to ride, it's probably going to be the 50 - strictly work bikes and flat bars and real clothes!  Then maybe help out with the other rides after we finish?

Good luck

Peter

[phantasmagoriana]

I'll probably do the 100. Or the 50.

[shyumu]

Yarm also dead easy from Huddersfield and therefore Manchester, though I'm not sure how early the trains start.  Pretty early, I would have thought as it's a service from Manchester airport.

G, as I've said, I'm hopng to do one of these.  As I'll be staying at my brother's and am hoping to persuade him to ride, it's probably going to be the 50 - strictly work bikes and flat bars and real clothes!  Then maybe help out with the other rides after we finish?

Good luck

Peter

Riding AND helping!  Thank you Peter, you're a star.  I too hope that you can make it.
 

[shyumu]

I'll probably do the 100. Or the 50.

Your 100km-kung fu is well documented!

[sojournermike]

I'm sure you'll enjoy this Mike and especially if you get to ride it with your wife.  Will you be travelling from far, or are you a Teesside couple?

If anyone is travelling from London or Edinburgh there is the Grand Central service which stops at Eaglescliffe, near Yarm.  There are loads of rail links to get here.

We're only coming from Harrogate, so not far. I'm aiming to finish Sue's bike this weekend, which will be quite exciting. Pictures soon.

Doing the 100k together sounds like the best day out.

Mike

[Trull]

Curmudgeonly peeve: the subject is missing two words.... "of England"

Looks like a nice selection for you Southerners though

[Ray 6701]

Interested in the 200k, especially after reading about it.

Will it be possible to get to the start in time on the day from York?  Or any news on the chance of overnight accommodation the night before? 

Edit: Any cheap local campsites?

Cheers 

[MAC]

Interested in the 200. Will keep eyes peeled 

[shyumu]

Curmudgeonly peeve: the subject is missing two words.... "of England"

Looks like a nice selection for you Southerners though

 

[shyumu]

Interested in the 200k, especially after reading about it.

Will it be possible to get to the start in time on the day from York?  Or any news on the chance of overnight accommodation the night before? 

Edit: Any cheap local campsites?

Cheers 

I'll look into the campsite situation.  The 200km starts at 7am but finishes in time for the last trains from local stations, such as Yarm - so getting back to York should be easy.

Edit:  Just remembered the excellent facilities at Kildale that many of this parish have used.  There is a camping barn and a small campsite that featured in the "Tiny Campsites" book.  Inexpensive.  Park Farm

Route from camping barn to Ingleby Barwick

If I find more I'll post them.

[CrinklyLion]

Premier Inn (Stockton West) has served a (non-audax) purpose for me for not much money in that next of the woods before. £35 quid rooms on the Friday at the moment.  Somehow, that one often seems to have cheap advances at weekends.  I can't imagine why - surely a night in amongst all the car dealerships is everyone's idea of a perfect jollyday?  All ground floor rooms, recent refurb, don't know the managements view on bikes.  Very handy for Toytown.

[Ray 6701]

Thanks Shyumu & Crinkles 

I'll see what I can sort out, looks like a cracking ride though.