Madcap Projects List

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I carelessly let slip that I had a madcap projects list in another thread (thanks Arabella for spotting).  So, for entertainment, and possible inspiration, I thought I would share it.  These are things that caught my imagination and I started to work on logistics, timings, plans, would they actually be possible, without (in most cases but with a few exceptions) getting around to entering them.  I'm sure there's loads more that I've investigated at some point, but these are the ones I can remember.  Feel free to add other (possible but probably impractical suggestions)

1)  Diagonal of Europe from Cape St Vincent Portugal to Vardo Norway, 5600km

2)  21 x 21km circuits of Faccombe for 10,000m ascent in 24 hours, hopefully finishing before closing time at the Jack Russell

3)  4 100km Cambrian series permanents on the same day (the C1A, C1B, C1C all start finish from Llandrindod Wells and the C1H from Hundred House, 12km away

4)  An SR series in a week, using 4 perms in Corsica based out of Porto Vecchio

5)  The Mille de Sud, Maniac Grimpeur, Cambrian 10A, Crackpot, etc

6) Riding from Oslo to North Cape in late June early July paying no attention to clocks as there’s effectively 24 hours of daylight

7)  Ditto a 1400km circuit of Iceland (yes I know this has been done before, but I haven't done it).  It would be on my Airnimal with the suitcase and a clean set of clothes in left luggage

An Airnimal trip to the Canary Islands using ferries (at night as much as possible) to do climbs /circuits of Tenerife, Gomera, Hierro, Las Palmas and Gran Canaria in a week.  Drove my brain to distraction trying to work out ferry timetable combinations.

9)  A 1300km DIY perm to all 11 Whitchurches in the UK.  This actually makes a very practical route and I’ve got as far as entering this without getting close to actually doing it.

10)  4 Cambrian Perms in a week from Knighton, staying in a hotel.  The 2E and 2H can be dispatched in a day each, followed by a lie in, starting the 4E or 4F at lunchtime on day 3 and finishing at lunchtime on day 4, a good rest up and then starting the 3C in the evening of day 5 to finish at lunchtime on day 6.  The brave would notice the chance to add in the 1B (with an additional control stop at Knighton) on the afternoon of day 4 or the morning of day 5.

11) Leaving The Hague after work when there's a stonking SW wind, ride overnight (270km) to Groningen and get the first train back in the morning before the bike curfew starts, have a quick shower and go back to work.

[Greenbank]

Had a similar list elsewhere not just limited to Audax (unless you consider the origins of Audax). Just a list of ultra/endurance stuff.

Measured in both 'interest' and 'likelihood'.

1) Stupid long/hilly Audaxes.
* PBP and LEL both done - may repeat them in the future
* MGM, HKBH, BMB, Gold Rush, etc. Interest 5/10, Likelihood 3/10 (Audax is losing its interest for me)
* ECE 200km either side of the BCM to bring it up to a 1000 was another idea that was floated around a few years ago.
* Solo LEJOG (probably JOGLE) in Audax time (5 days as a single BR) is about the only thing I'm likely to do

2) Ultracycling events
* TCR, TABR, TAW, etc.
* Interest 5/10, Likelihood 1/10 (Just does not fit with family life)

3) Club cinglés du Mont-Ventoux
* Interest 9/10, Likelihood 8/10 (Only takes a day and can be part of a separate French holiday, will wait until daughter is older.)

4) Cycle the entire TdF route in one ride
* including cycling the transfers
* 4000km in ~3 weeks (min 200km a day)
* Interest 4/10, likelihood 1/10 (pesky family)

5) Cycle to the Alps for a ski trip
* Send family and luggage by plane
* ~1100km so ~4 days at Audax pace.
* Interest 5/10, likelihood 3/10

and now moving to other activities...

6) Ironman
* Got close once (a week away from Ironman Wales) but prevented by a sinus infection
* Back into training again and will probably do a half Ironman in 2019 then full in 2020.
* Interest 8/10, likelihood 8/10
* May morph into multiple-Iron distances knowing my brain...

7) Ultramarathon
* Having done a marathon and not hated it I'd like to push further.
* Need to do a sub 4h marathon first (aiming for that in London in 2019).
* Interest 8/10, likelihood 7/10

8) Channel swim
* I'm originally a swimmer and this has always been a fascination.
* Put off by stories of jellyfish though. Ugh.
* Interest 6/10, likelihood 2/10
* More likely to do stuff like the 6.5km Swim around Brownsea Island

9) 600km+ 24h TT (unsupported)
* Interest 5/10, likelihood 5/10
* Definitely possible if I bothered to train this time.

[grams]

One that came up on a thread a few months pack was RRTY in the fastest possible time, which (ignoring time zone dickery)  requires starting at 23:59 on January or August 31st and starting the final ride at 0:00 on December or July 1st.

(I’m possibly going to attempt it this August, but I need to work out whether it’ll be broken by having done a ride in July. Unless I keep two going simultaneously...)

[tippers_kiwi]

the SR in a week is one that I have been thinking about and like the thought of trying to do. I suspect mine is likely to be closer to home at a time when the children are a little older.

[Greenbank]

Added the "200km ECE either side of the BCM" to my list. It seems to work well both in terms of route and directness from SW15 and for getting a few hours of sleep at various points before/after thanks to the reduced avg speed requirements (which wouldn't apply to the BCM itself).

Ah yes, here it is: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=97939.msg2039924#msg2039924

Also will add "Do a 500km Audax" to my list as that seems equally horrid in terms of time pressure and lack of sleep as a 400km Audax (for us lot who are nearer the back of the field...)

[Ivan]

Highly recommend the 1400km around Iceland, happy to share our strategy for this if it helps.

I've been mulling over a lap of the Mediterranean for 30 years now, I thought when Libya was 'liberated' that would my chance only for it all to kick off in Syria.

As Mrs Ivan is away this weekend, I'm attempting a slightly mad 700: London - Dover after work tomorrow, 2am ferry to Calais, 450km loop of Normandy then back to London on Sunday in time for dinner with her.

[mattc]

Highly recommend the 1400km around Iceland, happy to share our strategy for this if it helps.

Yes please - but for god's sake please put it in a new thread so that I have some chance of finding it in the winter! 

(I believe Mr Blacksheep concocted a route, but I'm not sure it ever became public, let alone an official perm/event.)

[Salvatore]

6) Riding from Oslo to North Cape in late June early July paying no attention to clocks as there’s effectively 24 hours of daylight

I believe the standard Norwegian end to end starts at Lindesnes lighthouse. I met a Norwegian doing it N-> S. You're right about the clocks except (a) shop opening times and (b) it can get very cold at night.

[dave d]

I would like to ride a Saturday 200km Audax that passes reasonably near a parkrun at 9:00am, stop to do the run and then complete the ride.  There do seem to be some possibilities around, but I've not yet managed it.  (Closest I've managed so far is a parkrun before starting a 400km later the same morning).

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Ken Bonner has run a marathon race at the halfway distance of a 1200 brevet.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Ken Bonner has run a marathon race at the halfway distance of a 1200 brevet.

I've a few madcap running projects too (nothing that impressive, but madcap enough for me).

1) Chesil Beach
2) The Manhood Peninsula (Selsey and Wittering)
3) From home to my caravan in Selsey, but taking the Itchenor Ferry so having a mandatory sit down at 40 miles, with 8 to go

But I did do Dartmoor end to end this winter, which was brilliant

[slugbait]

[...]
6) Riding from Oslo to North Cape in late June early July paying no attention to clocks as there’s effectively 24 hours of daylight

[...]

11) Leaving The Hague after work when there's a stonking SW wind, ride overnight (270km) to Groningen and get the first train back in the morning before the bike curfew starts, have a quick shower and go back to work.

I might do (6) next year if I can get a month off from work in May/June, but starting in Kristiansand is easier in terms of logistics.

(11) is not feasible. The first train out of Groningen is at 5:08, which means you'll only reach Lelystad before bike curfew starts. If I were you, I would wait for a strong NE wind and do the ride in the other direction.

My own madcap plan (if I can't get a month off from work) is Routes des Grandes Alpes and then back via the Fleche de France (Nice-Paris and Paris-Lille). That should be a nice two/three week ride.

[rob]

PACTour transcontinental.   Had it on the backburner for years.

Still highly unlikely unless I can get extended leave or take a career break.

[arabella]

You're welcome.

Mine is very short
1/ actually finish an 800 - I got 'meh, cba' early on day 2 the time I tried, HQ < 20 miles back ..., I think an out&back would have averted this!
2/ SR in a week, istr reading about one a few years back in arrivee, in the Balkans, I think it included Varna-S(omewhere)-Varna as the 600.  After all, 1500km is only 100km longer than LEL and you have a whole week 
3/errm, that's it, otoh younger little dear leaving school imminently and no longer requiring tlc

[The Family Cyclist]

LEL 2021 so lots of time and lots of training needed.

Something more local the Essex way on foot in sub 24 hours. It's about 80 miles from Epping to Harwich. Would have to start running again mind.

[GPS]

The WessexSR in a week.

[Thing2]

The Pony Express

[Ivan]

Highly recommend the 1400km around Iceland, happy to share our strategy for this if it helps.

Yes please - but for god's sake please put it in a new thread so that I have some chance of finding it in the winter! 

(I believe Mr Blacksheep concocted a route, but I'm not sure it ever became public, let alone an official perm/event.)

Not sure I can cope with a whole thread, but here's my aborted* attempt at creating a perm out of our route:
http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/iceland/Iceland_Perm_Draft.pdf

*due to laziness on my part really

[BeMoreMike]

Something I've been planning / pondering / procrastinating for a while..."Every significant point of Mainland GB"

End-2-End (LEJOG)
4 Cardinal Points (Lizard / Lowestoft / Ardnamurchan / Dunnet.
Lowest (Holme Fen)
Furthest from the sea (Coton in the Elms)
Highest (Ben Nevis)*

Approx 2,350km 25,500m

*Edit: obviously the top of Ben Nevis would be a cleat free rest day hike !!

[mattc]

Highly recommend the 1400km around Iceland, happy to share our strategy for this if it helps.

Yes please - but for god's sake please put it in a new thread so that I have some chance of finding it in the winter! 

(I believe Mr Blacksheep concocted a route, but I'm not sure it ever became public, let alone an official perm/event.)

Not sure I can cope with a whole thread, but here's my aborted* attempt at creating a perm out of our route:
http://audaxclubhackney.co.uk/iceland/Iceland_Perm_Draft.pdf

*due to laziness on my part really

[Wycombewheeler]

I was just thinking SR in a week sounds really cool, but then remembered my statement of last weekend, "I'll only ever ride one more 400km audax, when I have to for PBP qualification" I don't think I've ever enjoyed the last 100km of a 400, it always just seems to be about getting it finished. I don't think i've felt that way about a 300 or 600.

Seems to me there are two approaches.
1) choose a base and ride 4 loops of the required length
2) plan a 1500km point to point route, and break it into the required stages. Perhaps having to carry everything on all rides makes this too hard. but packing light and carefully planning a flattish route could make this achievable.

[vorsprung]

I was just thinking SR in a week sounds really cool, but then remembered my statement of last weekend, "I'll only ever ride one more 400km audax, when I have to for PBP qualification" I don't think I've ever enjoyed the last 100km of a 400, it always just seems to be about getting it finished. I don't think i've felt that way about a 300 or 600.

I used to feel that way about the 400km distance

You just need to do the right 400

For example the Avalon Sunrise 400.  It starts at 10:30 as near midsummer as possible (except in PBP years).  So the early hours of the morning phase are as short as possible, due to the time of year.  Also, this bit is easier as you are fresh.
The following day, sure you may have a bad patch but you should be done before you feel really hammered.  Most people are in by 9pm

I also found that the Irish Mail 400 was good too, although that is a tough ride.  The tough bit is the ride out to Holyhead.  The outbound goes straight over a load of mountains.  The end bit of the Irish Mail - basically most of the ride back from Bangor to Shrewsbury is on the A5.  The A5 is a coach road, so the gradients are bike friendly.  As the return section is at night the A5 is quiet, very little traffic

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

[...]
6) Riding from Oslo to North Cape in late June early July paying no attention to clocks as there’s effectively 24 hours of daylight

[...]

11) Leaving The Hague after work when there's a stonking SW wind, ride overnight (270km) to Groningen and get the first train back in the morning before the bike curfew starts, have a quick shower and go back to work.

I looked into this and you're right, so plan B is to leave early and make Leeuwarden for the last train back in the evening.  The challenge is working out how long the 207km will take to leave as late as possible but not miss the 22:16

I might do (6) next year if I can get a month off from work in May/June, but starting in Kristiansand is easier in terms of logistics.

(11) is not feasible. The first train out of Groningen is at 5:08, which means you'll only reach Lelystad before bike curfew starts. If I were you, I would wait for a strong NE wind and do the ride in the other direction.

My own madcap plan (if I can't get a month off from work) is Routes des Grandes Alpes and then back via the Fleche de France (Nice-Paris and Paris-Lille). That should be a nice two/three week ride.