300km event for a mere £159

[Wobbly]

It cheeses me off that, in the absence of a proper AUK National series, there are events like this:  https://www.london-revolution.com 

I'm betting they'll have hundreds of entries too.

Oh, and the £159 price doesn't include optional "add ons":

Add-ons available upon registration: camping, dinner, breakfast, massage & hot showers.

[whosatthewheel]

50p per km is a bit above average, typically sportives charge around 30p per km. They normally have control points with food, so they could be compared with a semi-TLC audax.
The latter would probably be in the 20-30 quid bracket, so 7-10p per km

[grams]

It's £109 ride-only, £159 with camping (including tent) and £199 with camping and food and massage and "free buff".

It's a very different event though - it's all marshalled and supported.

[gibbo]

It's £109 ride-only, £159 with camping (including tent) and £199 with camping and food and massage and "free buff".

It's a very different event though - it's all marshalled and supported.

Plus it's a charity ride. I allowed myself to get talked into it via a friend who works for Dulux (the sponsor) and we're doing The Ultra i.e. the whole lot in one go. Haven't done a 300km for a couple of years so am currently in training...

[whosatthewheel]

It's £109 ride-only, £159 with camping (including tent) and £199 with camping and food and massage and "free buff".

It's a very different event though - it's all marshalled and supported.

True, however, many events hire marshals as volunteers. For instance if you volunteer at the Fred Whitton Challenge, then you get a guaranteed entry the following year, but still need to pay the entry fee, so marshals can be had at zero cost.
If this event has a charity attached, you can be sure volunteers don't get a penny.
Radio support in area with no phonereception is different (Raynet) and needs to be paid for

[Clemo]

If they can charge that and people will pay, then good luck to them. 

[Paul H]

I can't see the comparison, commercial events go ahead because there's money to be made, I can't imagine anyone decides whether or not to organise an Audax for the same reason.
This isn't my sort of event, but if it was the entry fee wouldn't put me off, it looks well run and £159 looks like reasonable value for what's on offer. 

[Smeth]

Looking at the long term many of our new riders seem to have worked out that "razamatazz" and adventure are different, sometimes opposing things. Chapeau to riders who complete this. Welcome all, and look forward to chatting on the road when you discover Audax.

[thing1]

Would you be more or less cheesed off to know some people would chose to spend the same sort of money  on 17 miles of car driving?
https://www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk/five-supercar-blast-plus-high-speed-passenger-ride-and-photo-for-1-sp1

[Laid Back Rich]

blimey...£159 to help them advertise paint!

[Wobbly]

It's £109 ride-only, £159 with camping (including tent) and £199 with camping and food and massage and "free buff".

No. The 300km Audax-equivalent ("The Ultra") is £159. The "ride-only" option is 300km split over two days. Likewise for the other cheaper options.

[Socks]

And you get free condoms from the sponsor - or have I made a spelling mistake there?

[nigeld]

I allowed myself to get talked into it via a friend who works for Dulux (the sponsor) and we're doing The Ultra i.e. the whole lot in one go. Haven't done a 300km for a couple of years so am currently in training...

I've done several 300s (and longer) and was tempted by the Ultra ("Ride the stunning 300km route, in just 1 day.") - until I realised that they required a minimum speed of 15mph. That's miles per hour. Much, much faster than any Audax.

[Deano]

I allowed myself to get talked into it via a friend who works for Dulux (the sponsor) and we're doing The Ultra i.e. the whole lot in one go. Haven't done a 300km for a couple of years so am currently in training...

I've done several 300s (and longer) and was tempted by the Ultra ("Ride the stunning 300km route, in just 1 day.") - until I realised that they required a minimum speed of 15mph. That's miles per hour. Much, much faster than any Audax.

There's a 200-miler sportive round Yorkshire that has a similar speed requirement - I assume they couldn't get insurance for riding at night.

(Can't remember the price, soz)

[Jamesha]

I rode about six years ago over two days. I did the ride only option as I stayed with my brother who lived in London (and who suggested taking part).

It was ok'ish but the first day's route to the north of London was pretty dull and the feed stations were manic. The second day was more interesting with a climb up Box Hill and a few laps of Herne Hill velodrome then through central London and across Tower Bridge.

The ride finished near City Airport and I was not allowed to take my bike on the DLR so faced a trip back through London to Mortlake whilst pretty tired (poor planning on my part - should have got a lift).

What really put me off was that there were quite a few riders who had little idea of how ride safely in a group and I had a few near collisions with people cutting across me without looking. One guy did this to me three times in the same number of miles whilst chatting to a group of female riders. I felt guilty for at least two seconds when they missed a signed turning and proceeded happily off the route 

[Bianchi Boy]

You must finish the 300km event by 7:30pm. Starting at 6am that is quite fast for a 300km ride and you will have some traffic to contend with. That is no pushover and there will be plenty of people outside the time limit. My fastest times for 300km events are about 12 hours and that was years ago.

BB

[gibbo]

You must finish the 300km event by 7:30pm. Starting at 6am that is quite fast for a 300km ride and you will have some traffic to contend with. That is no pushover and there will be plenty of people outside the time limit. My fastest times for 300km events are about 12 hours and that was years ago.

BB

In the blurb I got originally it said you need to average 15mph, the more recent stuff through says it's now 16mph.  I'd like to know what happens if you don't make the cut-off time.

[GPS]

It makes no mention of bus shelters or 24 hour garages.

Disgraceful.

[Jamesha]

You must finish the 300km event by 7:30pm. Starting at 6am that is quite fast for a 300km ride and you will have some traffic to contend with. That is no pushover and there will be plenty of people outside the time limit. My fastest times for 300km events are about 12 hours and that was years ago.

BB

In the blurb I got originally it said you need to average 15mph, the more recent stuff through says it's now 16mph.  I'd like to know what happens if you don't make the cut-off time.

I think they have broom wagons - I guess you either get in one and get taken to the finish or you just carry one and get there as they are disassembling everything and get no welcome - there was an inflatable finishing arch when I did it (over two days) and I did get some applause which was actually quite nice 

[hillbilly]

massage and "free buff".

Presumably such services make this an X rated event?

[whosatthewheel]

You must finish the 300km event by 7:30pm. Starting at 6am that is quite fast for a 300km ride and you will have some traffic to contend with. That is no pushover and there will be plenty of people outside the time limit. My fastest times for 300km events are about 12 hours and that was years ago.

BB

It's going to be peloton style riding... you get sucked by the bunch at 40 km/h without even realising it. I know plenty of folks who have done the Ride London 100 (miles) in well under 5 hours and none of them is a seasoned racer.

It's not one for the Moulton and the Carradice bag. It's going to be a heavily carbon-loaded, gel-fuelled affair

[Martin]

Is it an Audax? if not can it be made into a DIY? if not I don't see why it's even been posted here. We all know what good value real Audax rides are without having to keep learning about commercial events of the same distance

[grams]

It's going to be peloton style riding... you get sucked by the bunch at 40 km/h without even realising it. I know plenty of folks who have done the Ride London 100 (miles) in well under 5 hours and none of them is a seasoned racer.

On open roads with traffic and junctions? And with far fewer riders on the road?

This is the first year they've done the Ultra. It's possible they've overestimated the number of riders who can sustain 16 mph for 300 km.

[whosatthewheel]

It's going to be peloton style riding... you get sucked by the bunch at 40 km/h without even realising it. I know plenty of folks who have done the Ride London 100 (miles) in well under 5 hours and none of them is a seasoned racer.

On open roads with traffic and junctions? And with far fewer riders on the road?

This is the first year they've done the Ultra. It's possible they've overestimated the number of riders who can sustain 16 mph for 300 km.

Well, maybe not the same peloton size as in RL100, but it will be "group riding" at a fast pace. There is group riding in virtually any sportive, including the very hilly ones like FWC and Etape du Dales. When riding in a group, the average goes naturally up by 1-2 mph, especially in flattish/rolling terrain, so I suspect most folks will be able to cope with that.

Besides, they always say that to scare beginners off, but on the day the lowest allowed average is always a lot lower than the claimed one. I suspect anything over 12 mph will do

[Veloman]

Is it an Audax? if not can it be made into a DIY? if not I don't see why it's even been posted here. We all know what good value real Audax rides are without having to keep learning about commercial events of the same distance

Indeed. Should be move to Cyclosportives and commercial or charity rides.

After all, any event over 50km could be considered an audax.

Don't forget the cost of Velo Birmingham last year (160km) did not put off a significant number of folk taking part. Supply and demand economics.