Rowlands RAAAmble

[Laid Back Rich]

Following recent routesheet checks, riders are just about to receive an update from me - so check your junk folders!

Weather forecast looking just about perfect, with tailwind push home 

[JamieD]

Now I feel I should go into work tomorrow and print out the route sheet so I can try out my new route sheet holder after you've put so much effort into it.

Previously I've relied on having it as a PDF on my phone and following my GPS.

http://imgur.com/a/fbZMP

[Laid Back Rich]

we have been notified of a few DNS's, and I imagine there will be some not notified, so there will be some places available for EOL entries

[Neil C]

Thanks for that. I've been kicking myself since I failed to get an entry in before they filled up.

Looks like a lovely ride on a lovely day. Hope my knees hold out.

[Laid Back Rich]

any EOLs, please email me and by return I will send you the routesheet and GPX track etc.

[Laid Back Rich]

Surbiton Tennis Club did us all a fabulous breakfast including pastries and porridge, and there are 86 riders out on the road in pretty much perfect conditions.

Have a nice day 

[Manotea]

Excellent planning, dodging yesterdays weather bullet!

[JamieD]

What was the final casualty count?

I saw a few people who'd come off and at least one person who I understand broke their collarbone.

Didn't stop it being an excellent ride for me and thanks to all who worked on this.

[blueskies]

Thanks Rich and all the KW crew for putting on such an excellent inaugural event. Perfect weather, fantastic route, efficient controls all made for a great day out.

Yesterday's rain made some of the descents a little sketchy, there was one broken collarbone back at the arrivee and reports of one or two other minor spills. I guess that's the downside of using such quite lanes, hardly saw a car all day. I recorded over 2700m of climbing, some steep stuff on the way out, mainly gentle rollers on the way back before the testing double of Leith Hill and then Leech Lane / Tot Hill to finish. Good to catch up with the SWRC boys on the way out, what happened to you after the first control?

All in all, a really fine day out and a welcome addition to the calendar.

[Martin]

Excellent ride thanks Rich; despite starting in Suburbiton it got very rural very quickly; and the suburban bits on the return were all fine too;

a few firsts for me; first time UP Devil's Punchbowl, definitely the first time up the new cyclepath and stonking views from the top. First time DOWN Coldharbour which I've been struggling up all year. And first time up the gentle climb to Headley;

lanes around Cocking were a bit chossy but hey that's the rain catchment of the S Downs and completely to be expected, a twig attempted to destroy my front mudguard but they are SKS innit so an easy bend back

excellent controls too although I mostly grazed on other stuff including the M/S petrol station at Hindhead which was closing down for 3 weeks so was selling everything off for 50p/£1!

Thanks also to your other helpers Hummers and Gavin (nice to put a face to an ECE name!) and for the very welcome pasta at the finish

[Laid Back Rich]

What was the final casualty count?

Just the one crash with serious outcome, we wish David Michael a speedy recovery from his broken collar bone incident. Other minor spills and bike damage reported but thankfully most riders got round unscathed. 86 started - 9DNFs = 77 finished. Thanks for supporting our inaugural event. And special thanks to the 27 riders who bought my book at the end 
Our next event will be our training night session on 23rd September in Wimbledon, hope to see some of you there!

[Rumps]

 Not bad for a first effort.....
though I know many of the roads well , you managed to find a fair chunk which I did not know at all. Top route and a great day out.
And Beer AND Pasta at the end, what more can an audaxer want after a sunny day? ( in my case better company perhaps but there  you go)
Excellent!!

[thesloth]

Good to catch up with the SWRC boys on the way out, what happened to you after the first control?

We (well I) had a puncture storm. In a spectacular display of self sufficiency I didn't just bring spare tubes, I brought spare riders carrying spare tubes (thanks chaps).
We also got slowed up by multiple cake and coffee incidents.

Nice route. I thought I knew all the roads, but there were a few surprises.
Many thanks Richard, Dominic, Pete & all the K Wheelers who laid this on. Not forgetting Mr Hummers working out at the far end. The breakfast at the start has certainly raised the bar.

A few photos

...maximum respect to the Kiwi TCC rider who tackled that ford like a boss. He went, we all followed on the bridge.

[Laid Back Rich]

fantastic set of photos Matt thanks! 

[JamieD]

...maximum respect to the Kiwi TCC rider who tackled that ford like a boss. He went, we all followed on the bridge.

The amount of people who looked at me and my club mate as if we were complete idiots for not noticing the bridge was a touch embarrassing. Especially as we were both a bit cautious and took it at a speed which meant getting both feet wet.

[Neil C]

Thanks to Richard and all his merry men for a great ride. Having all the controls manned certainly helped to keep things easier for the riders. Lots of quiet roads and every time we hit a busy one it just helped to remind me how much I prefer the quiet ones.

A few photos

Great photos especially the first photo from Richmond (on the way to the start)..... but the last one of the sunset from the same spot must have been taken while I was still struggling to get up Leith Hill!

More speed and less faffing planned for next year.

[Wycombewheeler]

Lovely ride today after the comedy off road section*. The skies cleared the views were great. Shame to miss the punch bowl at the beginning.

Great stamps too, nice touch from the Kingston wheelers.
* I'm sure it should be a road but I couldn't see tarmac between the mud and the standing water. Perhaps it was a protest by a farmer who got wind of the event "these are local roads for local people." I would have taken a photo but I literally couldn't see a dry place to put my foot down.

If the organiser tells you many long sections have a poor surface, don't bring your bling racer. Saw a lovely colnago concept which I would have carried for at least 20km of the course if it was mine.

[Martin]

yes a top notch event to close my 2017 season, They've certainly had some rain along those roads recently! my very non-bling bike now needs a good Karchering

thanks Gavin et al

[spearmint wino]

My first audax and I really enjoyed it (even the last 30km that I crawled my way through).

Met some nice people who were happy to share their experience and knowledge, only got lost once, and learned loads for the next one.

The farm lanes in the shadow of the South Downs were the perfect terrain for testing out my new(ish) bike and it performed faultlessly. I was under the illusion I was a reasonably fit rider but was left in the wake of several quicker groups who appeared to be merely 'ticking over'. More incentive to keep the training up.

The organisation was great and the route was excellent - varied, great scenery, really quite challenging but not unflinchingly abusive.

Hope to ride it again next year.

[Laid Back Rich]

Hope to ride it again next year.

we may not run it again for a couple of years...but we do have other plans...

http://www.kingstonwheelers.com/ride/audax

[Neil C]

Thanks to Gavin and all his helpers for another grand day out, especially Chris and Dominic who managed to be at the start, the Hindhead control, the Wisborough Green control and still show up at the finish.

The route is excellent and the weather behaved most of the way round until I got a quick soaking after Headley.

A few photos

Great photos especially the first photo from Richmond (on the way to the start)..... but the last one of the sunset from the same spot must have been taken while I was still struggling to get up Leith Hill!

More speed and less faffing planned for next year.

I managed to get back in daylight - only 30 minutes faster on the road but an hour less time stationary. It was a real hare and tortoise ride - dozens of people passed me three times!

All the dates for next year in the diary. It would be rude not to.

[Wycombewheeler]

Hope to ride it again next year.

we may not run it again for a couple of years...but we do have other plans...

http://www.kingstonwheelers.com/ride/audax

Shame, I thought it would be a lovely ride in the summer.