Oasts & Coasts 300km 270413

[jsabine]

Sorry to hear about your troubles jsabine.

Thank you.

This is what I didn't ride home on:


Ah well, it'll force me to build up the frame I've got in the loft.

There were a good few doing their first 300k - a group of club riders (one of whom's doing the Tour de Force later this year) of whom only one was a regular audaxer, a couple of guys stepping up the distance (one with a view to PBP next year), and another couple of guys of whom one had ridden a good chunk of LEL and the other was again stepping up - he looked in decent shape at the halfway point but sounded like the thought of the rest of the distance was a bit intimidating. Easy bail-out points all the way round though, as I said to him, and then proved myself ...

I was with the club group when I crashed (so they'd got to Birchington at least) and I'd spoken to the PBP hopeful and friend at the previous shop control (190km).

[chrisonabike]

Interesting fork and wheel alignment - is it UCI compliant? Seriously though sorry to read about that - one thing at least it doesnt look like the frame took any of the impact.

That really was a ride of contrasts - heavy rain and steep hills  to start (Pyrenees), a flat bit (Flanders), some more steep but hot bits (Alp Duez) etc. My favourite bits I think were around Dymchurch and also the Margate/Herne Bay/Whitstable bit. But it was pretty much all good.

[jsabine]

Interesting fork and wheel alignment - is it UCI compliant? Seriously though sorry to read about that - one thing at least it doesnt look like the frame took any of the impact.

That really was a ride of contrasts - heavy rain and steep hills  to start (Pyrenees), a flat bit (Flanders), some more steep but hot bits (Alp Duez) etc. My favourite bits I think were around Dymchurch and also the Margate/Herne Bay/Whitstable bit. But it was pretty much all good.

Headtube's furkled. I *think* that top and down tubes *may* have escaped, but it needs to be looked at by someone who knows. (And sod the UCI - the front wheel doesn't go round ...)

I enjoyed it all¹ to be honest, with the possible exception of some of the early descents where rain on my glasses meant I couldn't see the road surface more than about six feet in front of me. Robbed me of confidence, that did. The lanes before Hythe were lovely.



1: All the riding that is. Not the crashing, or the getting a slow train home.

[JohnOnABike]

This was my first ever Audax (& my first post on this forum  )
Was great fun (apart from the torrential rain for the 1st few hours).
The route around Folkestone / Deal / Herne Bay was spectacular.
Hoping to do some more of these very soon 

[marcusjb]

Ouch!

You did a proper job on that.  Sorry to hear of your woes.

This does sound a lovely ride - I will have to look out for it next year. 

[Spike]

jsabine...I think its me your talking about who thought rest of the ride looked intimidating..we did pack it in at Hollingbourne, my decision, I think I was eating the wrong food essentially, I felt dog rough all the way round...learnt a lesson, eat what you know. Maybe next year...

[jsabine]

Gah - sounds horrid. Not nice riding when you're feeling rough. But Hollingbourne - blimey, you were nearly back by then. How was the time looking?

[Spike]

11.30 ish....yep I know..reckon we could have crawled on and finished...but hey....decisions....