Normally I don't drink much in the first 100km of a ride and rarely any in the first 50km. By Ixworth I had emptied one bottle which I refilled and by Halesworth they were both empty again.
Possibly the second hottest Audax I have been on. Temperature was still 21C when I stopped for he night at Newmarket, and 15C restarting at dawn, with 29C recorded by my garmin by the finish.
Hope everyone made it round in time, and if any just missed the cut off due to 10k race marshalls stopping them understanding will be shown.
I've been looking at my brevet times from 2019 and comparing to 2023 and worried that I am not in the form required for PBP, but this ride was the first on wit a direct comparison to 2019, and it seems I am at least as good as I was, so my slower times up to now must be based n harder rides, or heavier equipment.
edit, ride report.
Set of reasonably quickly and the head on crash brought a group of 4 together, but in the rolling hills they were a little too fast for me so ended up solo. got caught again by a group of 6 about 15km before halesworth, and after a brief rest on the back recovered enough to take a turn on the front. But they were all of a mind to have a long rest in Halesworth while I raided spar, ate, drank, refilled bottled loaded snacks and pushed on. Expected to meet some riders at the Ferry and maybe form a group for the ride to wells, but alas no one was there and no one turned up. So pushed on to Acle where I saw one rider leaving co op as I arrived (Flatlander perhaps?) Then as I was leaving a lady arrived, she was a strong rider who left me behind in he rolling hills at the beginning, but she didn't catch me on the road to Wells, arriving just before I was ready to leave again.
Then the long fast section to Barton Mills, road was very busy, but I pressed on, keen to get as much done as possible in the daylight. Didn't feel quite as intolerably hot as earlier. Spent 30 minutes in McDonalds where I was again caught by the same rider just as I was leaving. 21:10 so lights on, even though there was plenty of light to see by.
Stopped at the M&S petrol station in Newmarket for a drink, and for some OJ for the morning, and into the hotel. Hotel room had a fridge so I didn't need to keep my juice cool with a sink full of water.
and a microwave, so regretted not buying food for the morning at M&S
Saw a couple of riders in the square at Saffron walden, and then past 4 bikes outside a cafe in Sible Hedingham(?), then I had a puncture and three of the four went straight past the turning I had taken and on into Great Maplestead, while the fourth trying to catch them up took my turning and also flew past me. The route I and rider 4 were on 0.7km between junctions, while the great maplestead route is 1.6km. After dealing with the puncture with unsatisfactory equipment (always check new stuff at home before setting out on a ride, my learning point for this weekend) I managed to get enough air into the front tyre to ride on it, but not enough to be completely happy. Sure I was one pothole away from a pinch flat I proceeded with caution, luckily the surfaces from here on were mostly good. Shortly after this point I found the 3 riders waiting for the 4th to catch up, I told them she was definitely ahead of me, and pressed on, she had obviously overtaken them on the 1km shorter route, but they were not convinced.
Came across the marshalls setting up for the 10k run and was glad i got through before the run arrived, and also glad I wasn't doing a 10k run in those hills in that heat. Finally caught up missing rider 4 just before Manningtree.
Going by strava flybys it seems that about 75% of the field visited Great Maplestead, and 25% took the shorter Toldish Hall road. Digging further into this, anyone who downloaded A&S full would be on the short track, while anyone using A&S to Arrivee, A&S part 2 or the paper route sheet would visit great maplestead. which explains why people were taking a different routes. Diversion was mentioned in the email, ironically I picked up my puncture just before turning in Toldish Hall Road, I didn't notice the surface being particularly bad.