22nd May 2010

[simonp]

I'm not sure I'm ready for 600 yet, even if it is the closest.

I found after my first 400k that I took about a week to get back to normal.  My first attempt at a 600k, two weeks after the 400k IIRC, was a failure.  The main issues were to do with not having had enough sleep in the week leading up to it.  I rode 400k of the event, inside BR time, despite having given up at 320k.  What I noticed was that I recovered much faster the second time.

You have 4 weeks before the 22nd if you don't feel ready yet, which gives you more time to train (whatever that means to you).  In the end I completed my first 600k 4 weeks after my first 400k.  I the day after I declared myself not ready for a 1200, and the day after that, I entered PBP. 

[MSeries]

I'm not sure I'm ready for 600 yet, even if it is the closest.

You've just done Severn Across, you'll manage a 600.

I'm still undecided about Spurn Head and The Lincoln. The latter will be sociable with some club mates and if I am unemployed I'll have time to ride there on the Friday, if I have a job I'll be able to afford a train. I'll ride home after, maybe ECE it to 500km. However Spurn Head start is 20 miles away and on my patch, goes within 2km from home)  it'll be even easier to get to and from. (Most of The Lincoln is on my patch too)

[Tomsk]

    I've entered the Midhurst. Driving down horribly early, rather than sleeping [probably badly] locally.
    boab, doing an SR in the logical order never made any difference to me; once beyond 200kms all distances seem equally hard! When I'm into short troosers I think about riding a bit faster when I'm out during the week - this probably helps with the longer rides once the basic stamina is there.
    Of the possibles on your list, I've only done the Teifi Traveller [400km version, a couple of years ago]: wonderful scenery, lovely quiet roads, that fantastic cafe half-way up the Black Mountain etc. I think Welsh rides are the ones to justify long journeys to get to. [Possible bias here, Dad's family came from Radnorshire.]

[Deano]

Does Deano's offer of accomodation extend to The World? I think it's probably still too far to go...

Not quite THE WORLD - only the bits of it cheeky enough to ask  

...But, I think two sweaty randonneurs would pretty much fill this place.  I can offer a tent, and some advice on handy fields in which to pitch it...

More seriously, if the Lincoln wasn't on, I'd either be riding the Old 240 or Spurn Head, which both look like interesting rides.  And I'm sure I recall Chris C saying that there was accommodation available in the hall at Mytholmroyd on the Friday night.   I dunno how you feel about sharing a community centre with a dozen or so snoring blokes, but it's an option.

[MSeries]

More seriously, if the Lincoln wasn't on, I'd either be riding the Old 240 or Spurn Head, which both look like interesting rides.  And I'm sure I recall Chris C saying that there was accommodation available in the hall at Mytholmroyd on the Friday night.   I dunno how you feel about sharing a community centre with a dozen or so snoring blokes, but it's an option.

Yes i think the calendar page says A(2). The community centre is quite large, if they use the lounge then there is carpet too. If I do SH or TO240 I'll stay over on the Friday evening, stayed there before.

[Chris S]

I haven't joined this thread until now as I'm not sure what I'm doing that weekend.

But I have a rather fine DIY 300 that needs an airing.

100km Flat -> 100km HILLY! -> 100km Flat

Starts - here. I'm looking to ride it in May - could possibly be persuaded to ride it that weekend - but I may also make an ECE 600 out of the Raid Essex 200 a week later, so might be taking it easy.

I'll keep you posted....

[simonp]

Talking of DIYs, I still want to ride Cambridge - Builth Wells - Cambridge as a DIY 600k.  But not on the 22nd/23rd.

[Deano]

I'm not sure I'm ready for 600 yet, even if it is the closest.

I found after my first 400k that I took about a week to get back to normal.  My first attempt at a 600k, two weeks after the 400k IIRC, was a failure.  The main issues were to do with not having had enough sleep in the week leading up to it.  I rode 400k of the event, inside BR time, despite having given up at 320k.  What I noticed was that I recovered much faster the second time.

You have 4 weeks before the 22nd if you don't feel ready yet, which gives you more time to train (whatever that means to you).  In the end I completed my first 600k 4 weeks after my first 400k.  I the day after I declared myself not ready for a 1200, and the day after that, I entered PBP.  

I rode my first 600 a week after my first 400, which was 2 or three weeks after my first 300.  We're all different.

I was well shepherded around the 400 and 600, mind.  And the 600 was the Border Raid, which was a blast.  Highly recommended ride.

[MSeries]

Full Circle. My first 400 was Spurn Head, my first 600 was 5 weeks later, The Three Coasts, five weeks after that I did LEL. I did 2 300s in April/May that year too.

[Climberruss]

The Lincoln:210 miles drive to ride 400k
Spurn Head: 182 miles drive to ride 400k
Gospel Pass: 176 miles drive to ride 200k
Midhurst: 156 miles drive to ride 600k
Teifi Traveller: 283 miles drive to ride 300k
4 Rivers: 175 miles to ride 200k

Trains from BSE are a(n expensive) joke.

Does Deano's offer of accomodation extend to The World? I think it's probably still too far to go...

I'm not sure I'm ready for 600 yet, even if it is the closest.

Interesting distances. Personally, I try and limit the distance I drive to shorter events ( no more than 50 miles to a 100km, no more than 100 miles to a 200km), but beyond that, I chooose which events I want to do and take the driving on the chin. For me, part of the enjoyment of Audax is getting to ride in parts of the country that otherwise you would never ride in.

[L CC]

Interesting distances. Personally, I try and limit the distance I drive to shorter events ( no more than 50 miles to a 100km, no more than 100 miles to a 200km), but beyond that, I chooose which events I want to do and take the driving on the chin. For me, part of the enjoyment of Audax is getting to ride in parts of the country that otherwise you would never ride in.

There is definitely that.
I could go the whole rest of the year never seeing Finchingfield or Thaxted again, having overdosed on them in March/April, and I'm very dubious about doing a DIY solo from home as I think I'd be bored.

I dunno how you feel about sharing a community centre with a dozen or so snoring blokes, but it's an option.

Very ambivalent. I'm not sure I would've packed Heart of England if I'd had a decent night's sleep the night before, however ****ing irritating the skipping gears were, it was magnified 100 fold by a night among the snoring randonneurs.

But I have a rather fine DIY 300 that needs an airing.

100km Flat -> 100km HILLY! -> 100km Flat

Starts - here. I'm looking to ride it in May - could possibly be persuaded to ride it that weekend - but I may also make an ECE 600 out of the Raid Essex 200 a week later, so might be taking it easy.

I'll keep you posted....

I take it that means goes West??
Keep me posted 

[Greenbank]

The Lincoln:210 miles drive to ride 400k
Spurn Head: 182 miles drive to ride 400k
Gospel Pass: 176 miles drive to ride 200k
Midhurst: 156 miles drive to ride 600k
Teifi Traveller: 283 miles drive to ride 300k
4 Rivers: 175 miles to ride 200k

Trains from BSE are a(n expensive) joke.

Does Deano's offer of accomodation extend to The World? I think it's probably still too far to go...

I'm not sure I'm ready for 600 yet, even if it is the closest.

Interesting distances. Personally, I try and limit the distance I drive to shorter events ( no more than 50 miles to a 100km, no more than 100 miles to a 200km), but beyond that, I chooose which events I want to do and take the driving on the chin. For me, part of the enjoyment of Audax is getting to ride in parts of the country that otherwise you would never ride in.

I'm lucky that I can plan in advance (or at least could plan in advance until baby GB arrived) and stay away extra nights in cheap accommodation (Travelodge/B&B). Booking train tickets 90-odd days in advance can mean picking up some very cheap advance fares. I tend to only pick rides where this is possible.

I did 6 calendar events last year along with LEL, the other rides were all DIY rides.

Willy Warmer I was going to cycle to the start (and home again) but a friend entered and he drove so I got a lift with him.

3 day DIY 300+200+200 up to Edinburgh to survey LEL route. Train home on 4th day, £47.50 (but it was 1st class).

The Dean was a Friday night train after work (£4 advance ticket from London to Oxford). Travelodge. Ride. Travelodge. Train home (£4 advance ticket). Back home Sunday 1pm-ish.

Elenith was a Friday night train after work (£5.50 advance ticket from London to Kidderminster). Travelodge. Ride. Travelodge. Train home (£5.50 advance ticket again). Back home Sunday 2pm-ish.

Bryan Chapman was a Friday night train after work (£10 advance ticket London to Bristol Parkway). Travelodge Fri. Ride. Travelodge Sunday. Train Monday morning straight to work (£10 advance ticket). At work by midday.

Midlander Super Grimpeur was a Friday night train after work (£7 advance ticket London to Birmingham). Travelodge Fri. Ride. Travelodge Sat. Train home Sunday morning (£7 advance ticket). Back home 1pm-ish.

Travelodge rooms were all under £30 a night, some as cheap as £19 and some shared to split the costs.

For the upcoming Snowdon And Coast 400 I've booked the relative luxury of a Travelodge room on the Friday night (the cheaper option is to kip in the hall the night before the ride but I'm willing to pay for a proper night's sleep away from the snore-a-thon). Trains on the 'slow' direct route are £10 advance fares each way. I'll be finished by 10am on Sunday, easily enough time to catch the 11.30am train home. Back home by 4pm.

[αdαmsκι]

Spurn Head and The Old 240 are also on the calendar in August I believe.

Oo, aye so they are - 21^st Aug. The Old 240 and Spurn Head 400.

[Weirdy Biker]

Ho hum.  Definitely in for the Gospel Pass on 23/5 with the Cotswold Corker as a perm on the 22/5.  Entry winging it's way to squadron leader's base.

That rides totalling 4.75 AAA counts as an "easy weekend" in my current mindset/schedule is probably telling.

Will need to let elS know that my 600 raffle ticket won't be handed in...

[L CC]

I'm going to go for The Lincoln.

I've booked a cosy B&B near A St J and the nice lady didn't bat an eyelid when I explained I'd be returning tired and sweaty early Sunday morning looking for a huge breakfast, a quick shower and Zds.

I'll visit me old mates in The North after.

And I'll be driving, as the cheapest train is £93 !!

[Deano]

Excellent! See you there

Nigel usually puts on a good spread, so you mightn't need to much grub back at the B&B - there was some gorgeous homemade tomato soup and cherry pie after last year's Border Raid.

[L CC]

mmMMmm Pie