Audax Dreams for the New Season

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Some long brevets
PBP Audax 1200
1200 LRM EDIT or 1000 BRM, in Oz
Possibly Deano’s 1000 or the ACME Grand

Some medium brevets
A French SR600 EDIT maybe
Bordeaux-Paris 600 UAF
An AUK 600 BRM

Some short brevets
EDIT Finish off RRtY10 with a January 200 DONE IN 2020
Assorted 200-400 brevets that catch my attention, EDIT possibly some in foreign lands.

Some brevets on trike, tandem, Moulton or fixed, whatever takes my fancy.

My dream list for 2022 looks very familiar. All of this is subject to circumstances, as witnessed by having the exact same audax dreams for the past two years and failing to achieve virtually any of them.

A third year of mostly ‘Not achieved’
PBP Audax - cancelled
1200+ LRM - nope
1000 Oz BRM - done
ACME Grand - not likely
French SR600 - not happening
Bordeaux-Paris 600 UAF - cancelled
AUK 600 - DNF
200-300 brevets variously on bike, trike and fixed

Other than finishing PBP Randonneur next year, I have almost given up on hopes and dreams.

[markcjagar]

Well last season went well, I completed my 2nd RRtY & my 1st SR along with All Points North, my first 1000km (obvs, not an Audax but similar).

So next season I guess I should aim for another RRtY and another SR + LEL, I also have a place on Pan Celtic Race & Hell of the NW - missed out on APN this time unfortunately. Maybe I'll aim for a Randonneur 5000.

Is there a special name for when you do 4x600km for your SR?

So, this season went well. I did another SR then got a late nudge for All Points North and came 15th (33 finished out of 81 starters).

Then I did Pan Celtic Race which was 2500km, I finished 62nd of 88 finishers on the long route, many riders switched from the long to the short

I then finished the season off with LEL which was unfinished business after only making it as far as Edinburgh last time.

I didn't do the Hyper Randonneur, which is something I will contemplate for next season and I dropped my 3rd RRtY because I didn't submit part of Pan Celtic as a DIY and couldn't bring myself to do a DIY 200km in the last weekend of the month.

For next season:
LEL restarts my 3rd RRtY, I will try and grind it through winter with functional DIYs, aim for my 3rd SR series, another Pan Celtic Race & I'm considering applying for TCR.

[Wycombewheeler]

Hyper Randonneur but that is just for fun.

argh, Thought I could relax after LEL, but now I see If I just do one more 600km I can be Hyper.

[Alex B]

Another disappointing year.

La Randonnée Alpine Léman-Adriatique (aka "Raid Dolomites") - DNF after feeling utterly sh*t on Day 1 (turned out to be COVID)
North Cape 4000 - DNS after prep disrupted (see above)
Hereward the Wake 300 - ditto

I did - just - manage Benjamin Allen's Summer Tour (BRM 600), which was pleasing. And a handful of DIY 200s.

I think my "hope and dream" is not to have a 4th year of cycling ruined by COVID. It seems the key is not to enter any nice events.

As for PBP ... in my current jaundiced state I see this and think "Hmmm, go to France and get COVID at a superspreader event!".

Grump.

[JellyLegs]

As a newbie to this, my plan for 2022 is to complete a couple of 200s and then see where things lead from there.  I pushed the button on my first 200 entry yesterday so no turning back now.

My dreams for 2022 may involve a 300 / 400 or two if things go really well but that is just a pipe dream at the moment.

So, six months on and I have a number of 200s, and a 300km under my belt and after a few issues with submitting the GPS track initially, I have just found out my 400km DIY home to Essex from holiday in the SW has been validated.

Well done, it's good to build up the distances and hopefully discover that there's not too much difference between the shorter distances and the longer ones, except a bit more planning. Just one shy of an SR now ...

I found the 400 much easier than I had expected although I wasn’t fast at almost exactly 24 hours for 408km.  A little too much faffing at one stop and route choice issues robbed me of a couple of hours compared to my target time.  The ride through the night on my own was surprisingly painless and as always I took away a few learning points from the ride.  The main one being however many Kilometres it appears to save you on the total distance, never, ever route right through central London. 😀. How many traffic lights can there be in one 50km stretch?

I am running out of available weekends for any 600km attempt so that may have to wait but I think an SR will definitely be on the list for next year as will an Easter Arrow if there is an ACME team looking for a new member.

Hmm this audax lark is a bit addictive isn’t it.  The missing 600km ride and potential SR decided it couldn’t wait.  I took Friday off work to make time and, subject to validation, rode round the Flatliner perm overnight into Saturday.  I found the last 150km hard and felt like I had slowed to a snail’s pace by the end but looking at the GPS track shows it was all in my mind as by average speed for the last 100km was only 200m an hour slower than the first 100km.  This year has now definitely exceeded my dreams at the start of the year.

[psyclist]

Hmm this audax lark is a bit addictive isn’t it.  The missing 600km ride and potential SR decided it couldn’t wait.  I took Friday off work to make time and, subject to validation, rode round the Flatliner perm overnight into Saturday.  I found the last 150km hard and felt like I had slowed to a snail’s pace by the end but looking at the GPS track shows it was all in my mind as by average speed for the last 100km was only 200m an hour slower than the first 100km.  This year has now definitely exceeded my dreams at the start of the year.

Excellent, well done.

You’ll be needing a 1000km next. Got much planned for Thursday?

[JellyLegs]

Hmm this audax lark is a bit addictive isn’t it.  The missing 600km ride and potential SR decided it couldn’t wait.  I took Friday off work to make time and, subject to validation, rode round the Flatliner perm overnight into Saturday.  I found the last 150km hard and felt like I had slowed to a snail’s pace by the end but looking at the GPS track shows it was all in my mind as by average speed for the last 100km was only 200m an hour slower than the first 100km.  This year has now definitely exceeded my dreams at the start of the year.

Excellent, well done.

You’ll be needing a 1000km next. Got much planned for Thursday?

I checked the diary but it doesn’t mention a 1000km recovery ride and I think I can resist the delights of Goole at 2am for a couple of weeks at least.  . The family already think I am bonkers, cycling there twice in a week would just confirm it.

[felstedrider]

Well done JellyLegs.  It’s been great watching your progress since we first had a coffee in Stock on one of the Winter 100s.

I was in Gainsborough yesterday.   It’s not that much better in daylight but has an excellent model train layout if you ever take a non-cycling trip.

[JellyLegs]

Well done JellyLegs.  It’s been great watching your progress since we first had a coffee in Stock on one of the Winter 100s.

I was in Gainsborough yesterday.   It’s not that much better in daylight but has an excellent model train layout if you ever take a non-cycling trip.

Thanks.  It has been a pleasure sharing a few miles with you over the last year and picking up a few very valuable tips along the way.  Same goes for all the other ACME riders, a very friendly and helpful bunch.

Gainsborough- hmmm - it wasn’t high on my list of places to revisit.  I omitted the detail in my ride report.  That was where the house opposite the Jet garage had a loud music blaring party still underway at 5:45am and a young couple having a blazing row on the back steps.  For a few moments I thought I might have to intervene as he looked about ready to thump her one, though I suspect the young lady in question would have given as good as she got and I may have come off worst.

[Wal]

Try and complete a 100k, and attempt an organised event also, rather than DIYs...

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I will do some rides.

Starting with the Poor Student on 1 January, weather and Covid permitting.

Objectives met.  Poor Student, Wells Mells & Broader, Bill's Easton Connection, Dauntsey Dawdle, Brimstone, and Giants Tooth 500.  An eclectic mix.  The only DNF was the Exe Barnstaple Branch, which was due to a mechanical.  Also managed a week in the far western Pyrenees climbing tarmacked sheep tracks and other adventurous little roads and a single outing to Madeira to climb the mighty Pico do Areiro from sea level on the north coast to 1800m in 20 km.

I should probably have a similar objective for 2023, but the PBP carrot is dangling, especially as I sat out 2019 for family reasons (as I did LEL 2022).