This will be my first ride over 600km and, while perhaps not the gentlest introduction to rides of this distance, at least using Askrigg as a base provides options if it gets a bit much to cut short or miss a stage. This has been in my calendar for a while and I had expected to have by now a new svelte light bike, swanky groupset and a GPS with mapping so I can see where I'm going. As it is, I will be on my old cycle-to-work scheme bike made of scaffolding tubes forged in Mordor and using a route sheet with a bull dog clip. However it's served me ok for other audaxes..
I'm also taking a sleeping bag liner so I can pretend I'm in a bed rather than on it.