Author Topic: AAA Round the Year  (Read 24661 times)

Steve Snook

AAA Round the Year
« on: 11 January, 2010, 05:56:51 pm »
Given the present exceptional weather conditions, and the likelihood that they will continue for the next week or so, at least that's what the Met Office says, a correspondingly exceptional relaxation of the rules regarding these two awards has been made.
 
January 2010 has become a 59-day month. The requirement to undertake a ride during January 2010 has been relaxed, and you now have until the end of February 2010 to complete both your January and February rides.  This applies to both the Randonneur Round the Year and the AAA Round the Year awards.

We don't wish to encourage cycling in the present conditions. But don't expect us to be this lenient during a more normal winter!
 
A similar note is being published in the next Arrivee, but please feel free to pass the information on to anyone you think might be interested.
 

Steve Snook and Mike Wigley.
 

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #1 on: 11 January, 2010, 07:56:43 pm »
 :thumbsup:

Chris S

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #2 on: 11 January, 2010, 08:15:54 pm »
my view, linked to here for completeness.

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #3 on: 11 January, 2010, 08:30:52 pm »
Given the present exceptional weather conditions, and the likelihood that they will continue for the next week or so, at least that's what the Met Office says, a correspondingly exceptional relaxation of the rules regarding these two awards has been made.
 
January 2010 has become a 59-day month. The requirement to undertake a ride during January 2010 has been relaxed, and you now have until the end of February 2010 to complete both your January and February rides.  This applies to both the Randonneur Round the Year and the AAA Round the Year awards.

We don't wish to encourage cycling in the present conditions. But don't expect us to be this lenient during a more normal winter!
 
A similar note is being published in the next Arrivee, but please feel free to pass the information on to anyone you think might be interested.
 

Steve Snook and Mike Wigley.
 


How does this play with those parts of the UK which are more routinely afflicted by this type of weather - do they get a seasonal ticket pass each year.
I'm thinking of our friends N of Hadrain's Wall

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #4 on: 11 January, 2010, 08:46:49 pm »
This is not a seasonal response, nor is it a routine situation.

The UK has been exceptionally icy, aside from a few patches of Shropshire. It's been this way for weeks now, relentlessly. It's one thing to endure/dodge lousy weather, quite another to be unable to escape it.

All these awards are in place to encourage cycling. They are not competitions. If Steve and Mike think the ice is cramping their style, they're perfectly at liberty to amend or suspend the rules. I applaud their decision, which I think is entirely appropriate and proportionate.

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #5 on: 11 January, 2010, 10:33:57 pm »
Having slid/ridden/walked/scooted/... my way around the Hopey New Year, I have to say that I agree Danial.

A very good decision!

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #6 on: 11 January, 2010, 10:54:48 pm »
Implicit in audaxing, and I'm as guilty as anyone in this, is a belief that cycling in bad weather is a brave thing to do. If we're talking about wind or rain, then I understand completely. However there is nothing brave about cycling on ice. It is stupid and dangerous. Anyone who encourages people to do so is acting recklessly.

Implicit within this thread is the idea that this extension has made RRTY less 'hard'. Perhaps it has. It has also made RRTY less dangerous, which to me is much more important than retaining the integrity of what is, essentially, a bit of fun.

There is every chance the roads will remain icy for the rest of the month. AUK is happy for organisers to cancel events when there is ice on the roads on the day in question. As we've had nearly a month of back-to-back severe weather warnings, all of which concern either ice or snow, I agree that Mike and Steve have made the right decision.

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #7 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:00:24 pm »
They are not saying that a ride done in January will not count so I really don't see why anyone should have issue with this. It's a personal challenge not a competition. If you've already done a January rando. well done, it still counts.

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #8 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:04:09 pm »
Quite.

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #9 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:07:24 pm »
OK I'm back in my box  :-X

Chris S

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #10 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:14:57 pm »
Nobody is encouraging anyone to do anything dangerous.

There have been, perhaps, three days in the last month when the entire country was ice or snow bound. There are now large tracts of landscape (mostly near the south coast - but there's plenty even here in East Anglia) that are snow and ice free, or at least, have completely clear A and B roads. Aren't we supposed to be resourceful? We're happy to duct-tape our bikes together in order to complete a ride, but not prepared to get on a train and go somewhere where it's safe to ride?

It is quite possible to ride a safe, A/B road 200, right now.

So at best, this move is premature - after all, we're not even half way through the month. Personally, I think it's completely unnecessary, and somewhat counter to the nature of audax. I see nothing "audacious" about staying at home, when there are (safe) alternatives.

Right, I too am back in my box.

Edit: However.... I'm mindful of the fact that I've posted this in the AAA Round The Year thread. I could be persuaded that ARRTY might be currently inadvisable on account of the state of upland roads, and their remoteness. But the same doesn't go for RRTY.

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #11 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:35:48 pm »
Peer pressure encourages people to exercise bad judgement. "Like the boys in the back of the corsa we egged each other on. " Talking about ones achievements is encouraging.

Chris S

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #12 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:37:06 pm »
Peer pressure encourages people to exercise bad judgement. "Like the boys in the back of the corsa we egged each other on. " Talking about ones achievements is encouraging.

I thought you said it wasn't competitive?  :demon:

*runs away and hides*

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #13 on: 11 January, 2010, 11:39:44 pm »
I thought you'd gone back into your box !!

There was a discussion a year or two ago, might have been in the other place when someone tried to suggest that perms done overseas in the winter months were not in the spirit of the challenge. Like if it wasn't hard it wasn't worth it. Hell, people will be handicapping themselves by using only one gear or something next, just to show how tough they are. What is the world coming too.  ;) It's just a bike ride.

JayP

  • You must be joking
Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #14 on: 12 January, 2010, 12:19:18 am »

The UK has been exceptionally icy, aside from a few patches of Shropshire.

Jeepers wish I'd known about them  ;D

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #15 on: 12 January, 2010, 09:09:47 am »
Yipppppeeeeeeeee.   I can de-stress a little bit more now.  Thanks for this relaxation.  If the roads become safe in the near future, I may still manage to squeeze in a January ride.

Thanks to Mike and Steve for their due consideration.
Organiser of Droitwich Cycling Club audaxes.  https://www.droitwichcyclingclub.co.uk/audax/

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #16 on: 12 January, 2010, 09:55:33 am »
Well said, Martin.

Justin(e)

  • On my way out of here
Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #17 on: 12 January, 2010, 12:12:36 pm »
my view, linked to here for completeness.

mine too

Summary: There will need to be an asterix against RRTY entries in next year's handbook. Shame (he says from Geelong where they had the hottest day since 1903 yesterday).

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #18 on: 12 January, 2010, 12:24:47 pm »
It's just a bike ride.

It's just an award.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #19 on: 12 January, 2010, 01:23:39 pm »
my view, linked to here for completeness.

mine too

Summary: There will need to be an asterix against RRTY entries in next year's handbook.

Why ?

DanialW

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #20 on: 12 January, 2010, 01:24:12 pm »

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #21 on: 12 January, 2010, 01:24:33 pm »
I wasn't going to comment on this, as I missed December so am off the RRTY anyway, but:

Implicit in audaxing, and I'm as guilty as anyone in this, is a belief that cycling in bad weather is a brave thing to do. If we're talking about wind or rain, then I understand completely. However there is nothing brave about cycling on ice. It is stupid and dangerous. Anyone who encourages people to do so is acting recklessly.

Clearly someone has never heard of studded tyres... or are all the people who routinely cycle in countries where this weather would be considered mild, "stupid and dangerous"? Are the shops doing a roaring trade in winter tyres "acting recklessly"?

Fundamentally, longer audaxes (along with things like 24h TTs) positively encourage people to use the public road system in a state of extreme exhaustion that we would find totally deplorable in a motoring event. You can't tell me that "encouraging" peopel to ride a 200 when it's cold, is as bad as encouraging them to ride for (potentially) 40 hours without a break?

Perhaps the real losers are those who take the care and effort to fit in a ride in January, whose achievement has been devalued by the fact that a couple of 200's at the end of February will count for the same thing.

Besides, Edinburgh and the lothians are now almost completely thawed - and it's only the 12th.  ::-)

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #22 on: 12 January, 2010, 01:42:26 pm »
my view, linked to here for completeness.

mine too

Summary: There will need to be an asterix against RRTY entries in next year's handbook.

Why ?

To differentiate them from people who did manage to put in a 200 (or longer) in January proper.

I don't think the RTTY encourages people to go out in bad weather any more than any other awards, individuals make the choice themselves.

I know I've been out in some god awful weather in October to do a 200 near the end of the month (and near the end of the season to ensure my R5000). 40mph gusting winds that, on several occasions, blew me a yard sideways (luckily not whilst a car was trying to overtake), but it was my choice to ride on that day knowing what the weather would be like.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #23 on: 12 January, 2010, 01:44:26 pm »
why do you want to differentiate it ? The listings just list names and a number of RRTYs. It'll be a right old mess if I did Jan 09-Dec 09 then Feb 10 - Jan 11. The actual months are not represented at all. RRTY does not run with the Audax year. None of mine have been Nov-Oct.


mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: AAA Round the Year
« Reply #24 on: 12 January, 2010, 02:38:51 pm »
I don't think the RTTY encourages people to go out in bad weather any more than any other awards, individuals make the choice themselves.
"bad" weather is rarely dangerous (just wear more clothes!) - icy roads ARE.

Clear A/B roads is a misleading message. I rode yesterday on a B-road that motorists were treating as 'clear'; but there was enough slush around to cause a 2-wheeler an accident, and there is plenty of ice on junctions etc that motorists don't care about.[and remember we have to remove the No Cycling sections of A-road from our planning]. I would be very wary setting off, say, tomorrow morning to ride 200km anywhere in the UK.

Unless the Met Office / CTC / AA start issuing a cycling road conditions bulletin.
Has never ridden RAAM
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No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles