novice audaxer seeking advice

[nadir]

novice audaxer, just joined audax uk, in fact ive still to send the payment to them, am keen cyclist mainly touring stuff, done a few fully loaded 200km round the hillier side of scotland, but mostly just about 80-90 miles a day in tours of wales (including gospel pass, devils staircase near abergwesyn and brecon) and regular tours of britanny and normandy.
trying to plan my route to attempting a PBP in 2015 after being inspired by the cyclists i served coffee and crepes to on the PBP 2011
at the moment am just trying to build up my fitness for long distance rides
i have thought about just trying to do regular (possibly monthly for a rrty) 200km audaxes next year starting with the poor student in january but am open to sugestions of any audaxes coming up sooner.

[nadir]

oops forgot to say i am living in milton keynes

[Manotea]

Welcome, Nadir.

Don't worry, there is plenty of time to train for PBP2011. SE Audaxes to January?

October: End of Summertime 100km from Stevenage, a great social event with >200 riders on the road.

November: Upper Thames 200km from Cholsey

December: South Bucks Winter Warmer 200km from Great Kingshill

January 2012: The Willy Warmer 200km, from Chalfont St Peter.

I'm planning on riding them all, one way or another, winter permitting, along of course, with The Poor Student.

[mmmmartin]

oops forgot to say i am living in milton keynes

• Listen very carefully to everything Teethgrinder says.
• Follow his advice to the letter.

[Nuncio]

Are you of Scottish origin?  If so, you were at Paul Thingy’s booth in Thingy weren’t you?  We chatted briefly while I looked through the postcards, noting the Welsh one in the ‘Angleterre’ column and one from Hampshire which I correctly guessed as being from Salvatore.

Which reminds me – must send a postcard.

Welcome and bon route.

[Manotea]

oops forgot to say i am living in milton keynes

• Listen very carefully to everything Teethgrinder says.
• Follow his advice to the letter.

Yes, as a new AUK living in MK, you are about to acquire a new Best Friend!

[Karla]

Despite being called "Teethgrinder", Mr A is really not that scary.  Well I don't think so anyway. 

On another note, 4 years is a long time to build up to one ride, psychologically if nothing else.  I did my first 300 and 400 in 2009, after which I volunteered at LEL and caught the ultra-distance bug.  2 years was more than enough time to have PBP looming though, by the end my thoughts were something along the lines of "Sack it, let's get this done and move onto something else,"  so you may do better by initially concentrating on London-Edinburgh-London which is in two years time.  That'll give you a goal that doesn't take four years to realise, so you should be able to keep up your interest in the meantime.

[LiamFitz]

January's Poor Student is worth a look - I've only ever struggled when the weather has played up on that one.

It's quite social - the entrants tend to be a hard core of Audaxers who are wiling to work off the Christmas lard so there's a fair chance you'll make some useful contacts/pick up some helpful advice. And as a crepe wallah on PBP you already have some street cred!  There's a lumpy bit in the middle (which is repaid with some great views) and there a bit of night riding at the end to give you a taste of what's in store. 

Have you thought about setting yourself an SR as a target in 2012?  It's quite do-able if you pick a few early season 200's to warm up on.

Welcome

[RichForrest]

Another MK rider here, welcome to AUK 
The rides Manotea has mentioned are all great rides and there will be a lot of riders doing them.
I did the Upper Thames as my first 200 a few years ago and have done it every year since.
I may be getting out a few times over the winter on DIY rides to keep the miles up, you are welcome to join me when I do.
Of course if you decide to do an SR in your first season they will no doubt be an MK 600 again next Sept'.
Whereabouts are you in MK, Steve is over on Two mile Ash and I'm at Springfield.

Rich

[Charlie Boy]

Are you of Scottish origin?  If so, you were at Paul Thingy’s booth in Thingy weren’t you?  We chatted briefly while I looked through the postcards, noting the Welsh one in the ‘Angleterre’ column and one from Hampshire which I correctly guessed as being from Salvatore.

Which reminds me – must send a postcard.

Welcome and bon route.

Yes I remember you too if so. Bienvenue.

Plenty of time to get ready for 2015, I came from an identical background to you and did my first SR and PBP this year and spent January February and March doing as many 200s as possible before doing longer rides. Seemed to work OK.

[vorsprung]

January's Poor Student is worth a look - I've only ever struggled when the weather has played up on that one.

Er, it's January...what do you expect?
I did that ride once and concluded it would be very nice in the summer.  Haven't got around to doing it in the summer as yet.

[Manotea]

January's Poor Student is worth a look - I've only ever struggled when the weather has played up on that one.

Er, it's January...what do you expect?
I did that ride once and concluded it would be very nice in the summer.  Haven't got around to doing it in the summer as yet.

Strangely, I found it better, faster at least, in January. It's too cold to dawdle in January; you just have to get on with it.

[LiamFitz]

January's Poor Student is worth a look - I've only ever struggled when the weather has played up on that one.

Er, it's January...what do you expect?
I did that ride once and concluded it would be very nice in the summer.  Haven't got around to doing it in the summer as yet.

Strangely, I found it better, faster at least, in January. It's too cold to dawdle in January; you just have to get on with it.

Er...when I did it with you lat you got lost a zillion times and then dawdled in the controls for hours.  Even Martin Malins dumped you for being too slow

[border-rider]

Er...when I did it with you lat you got lost a zillion times and then dawdled in the controls for hours.

That's entirely usual for Mr O'Tea

[Manotea]

Er...when I did it with you lat you got lost a zillion times and then dawdled in the controls for hours.

That's entirely usual for Mr O'Tea

Er...when I did it with you lat you got lost a zillion times and then dawdled in the controls for hours.

That's entirely usual for Mr O'Tea

I had a 'mare last year. I was dawdling home with Willesden Legend Ray Kelly, Els & co when I had a snakebite puncture sometime after Leafield, my second visitation of the day. I fitted my remaining tube then discovered that it didn't have a valve (!) and had to hang around in the cold and beg a tube off the next rider along, who was the lantern rouge. When I got home I discovered the valve embedded in the valve cap! I throw the valve caps away nowadays.