Arrivee 120

Arrivée

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DAX UK

the Long Distance Cyclists’ Association www.audax.uk.net

Number 120 Spring 2013

HEADING editorial IN HERE

Spring 2013 AUK welcomes Peter Moir to the editorial team. Peter takes over from Maggie Lewis who has retired from editorship of the autumn Arrivée. Our thanks go to Maggie for all the hours she devoted to the magazine's production for the last ten years.

■ AUK is looking for a new Publicity Officer after the resignation of Danial

Contents Events and News ............................................................ 4–5 Just a Minute............................................................................ 5 Becoming a Randonneur 1000 ................................. 6 Riding in the Lone Star State..................................... 8 Tasting the Tees and cake ............................................ 9 My annus horribilis (RRtY failed).......................... 10 Keep pedalling to stay younger............................. 12 The delightful Dales ....................................................... 16 DIY in WA .................................................................................. 17 From the sublime to the ridiculous.................... 18 Getting organised............................................................. 20 The flights of a fledgling audaxer....................... 22 Mad March Exeter excursion 100 ........................ 25 A kangaroo in the land of the Froggies ........ 26 Chasing a bright red patch with the world on it .............................................................................. 37 An excursion to World's End..................................... 32 Keep to the Roads 100 .................................................. 36 London Edinburgh London news........................ 38 16th RRTY completed – and how.......................... 39 Break-a-leg rides olde folks 200........................... 41 The road to LEL – to Hull and back..................... 42 Reviews – New Carradice equipment ............. 44 Reviews – 'Racing Weight', 'Rhine Cycle Route', Lumicycle LED 3XML light ...................... 45 Dorset Coastlet .................................................................. 46 Yr Elenydd 300 ................................................................... 48 Audax Calendar ................................................................. 52 Front cover: Climbing the Coal Road, Delightful Dales 200.

Photo by Geoff Read.

Next edition of Arrivée is in August. Please send your copy to Tim (address on right) by June 17th

John and Tess Laker on Mad Jack's – John Seviour Memorial 100k Grimpeur Photo: Tim Wainwright

PLEASE MENTION ARRIVEE WHEN REPLYING TO OUR ADVERTISERS

Webb to concentrate on finalising preparations for this year's big event – the LondonEdinburgh-London on July 27th. Please see the advert on page five for details of the position. Here's your chance to help advance AUK on the rapidly advancing social media network as well as traditional publishing.

■ Speaking of LEL, what a fantastic response the organisers have had from randonneurs around the world. With 1,100 entries from 35 countries – audaxing has spread its wings worldwide and AUK has been at the forefront with its flagship event.

After riding PBP in 2011, LEL's organiser Danial has taken on board the polished way the French handle massive numbers of riders and is doing his best to emulate them. What we need now is more volunteers to make this happen. We've had a great response so far, with all the controls in place and managers and teams to service them, but more volunteers are needed, especially for Scotland and the start in London. Check out the LEL news and how you can register to help on page 38.

■ After an exceptionally cold, frosty and snow-laden winter which managed to extend through the first month of spring, let's hope the current upturn in the temperatures continues. Memories of last spring's fantastic weather which eventually turned to constant rain for the summer months still lingers in my memory. With our Calendar of rides in full swing we need some decent weather to look forward to.

Tim

Keep your wheels turning.

Arrivée is the free magazine of Audax United Kingdom – the long distance cyclists’ association which represents the Randonneurs Mondiaux in the UK. AUK membership is open to any cyclist, regardless of club or other affiliation, who is imbued with the spirit of long-distance cycling. Full details in the AUK Handbook.

HOW TO CONTACT US Membership Enquiries: Mike Wigley (AUK Membership Secretary), Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph OL3 5UX. Email: mike.wigley@Audax.uk.net Membership Application Form: www.aukweb.net/memform.phb or Ian Hobbs (New Members), 26 Naseby Road, Belper DE56 0ER. Email: ian.hobbs@Audax.uk.net Membership fees: Renewal: £14 or £56 for five years.

New or lapsed members £19 (inc. £5 enrolment fee) or £61 for five years.

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ARRIVEE Extra current Arrivée copies, where available, are £3 (UK), £4 (EEC), £5 (non-EEC). Contact Mike Wigley (address above).

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Non-EEC add £2. Contact Mike Wigley (above).

Contributions – articles, info, cartoons, photos, all welcome. Please read the contributors’ advice in the Handbook.

Views expressed in Arrivée are not necessarily those of the Club.

Produced by AUK: editing, typesetting, layout, design by Tim Wainwright.

Printed and distributed: Headley Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH. Distribution data from AUK membership team.

TO ADVERTISE Advertising Manager: Tim Wainwright, 4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL. E-mail: twain@blueyonder.co.uk Rates per issue: Full page A4 £268. Half-page landscape or portrait £134. Quarter-page £67. One-sixth page £45. One-twelfth page £23. Payment in advance. Businesses must be recommended by a member. We rely on good faith and Arrivée cannot be held responsible for advertisers’ misrepresentations or failure to supply goods or services.

Members’ private sales, wants and events ads: free.

PUBLICATIONS MANAGERS February Editor: Sheila Simpson, 33 Hawk Green Road, Marple SK6 7HR Tel: 0161 449 9309 Fax: 0709 237 4245 E-mail: sheila@aukadia.net May and August Editor: Tim Wainwright, 4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL. Tel: 020 8657 8179 E-mail: twain@blueyonder.co.uk November Editor: Peter Moir, 2 Peel Close, Ducklington, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 7YB. Tel: 01993 704913 E-mail: peter@moir.co.uk margaret@lewismpd.plus.com Audax UK Long Distance Cyclists’ Association (Company Limited by Guarantee).

Reg. Office: Timberly, South Street, Axminster, Devon EX13 5AD. To subscribe to the AUK e-mailing discussion list, send an e-mail to: audax-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Copyright © 2013 Arrivée.

Our WWW site: www.audax.uk.net AUK clothing can be purchased directly on-line at: www.impsport.com and click on Audax UK in the left hand panel.

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events news

Start a Welsh adventure 29th June Croeso I Gymru!

Rhos-on-Sea Cycling Club invites you to join us from a choice of three rides in the stunning North Wales mountains and seashore.

All rides start from the Rhos-on-Sea Golf Club and go round the Great Orme.

Cestyll Cymru 200km – Cycle through the castle towns on good quality roads and cycle tracks and over the Crimea pass though the dramatic slate mining landscape.

(Rhos-on-Sea headwear buffs will be given to all riders.)

The Legend of Gelert 135km – Through Bethgelert (Gelerts Grave) and have your lunch in a converted Welsh Chapel before the climb up Gwynant past Snowdon.

(Welsh slate coasters will be given to all riders.)

HEADING INnews HERE

Hungerford Hurrah 200 and Hungerford Hooray 140 from Awbridge, nr. Romsey, Hampshire Sunday 30th June 2013 With previous organiser Sue Coles now handing over the reigns after many years of great events, the much-loved Winton rides live on. A change of start location means the rides no longer visit Winchester and therefore the events have new names. However, the Winton 200km route is otherwise largely unchanged with the same great summer scenery, flora and fauna! The 140km is a new event, based on the 200km ride and offering a step-up in distance to those riders perhaps aiming to build up to a 200km event, or just wanting to make the most of the long summer days.

Starting from Awbridge Village Hall, both rides set out on quiet lanes via the Avon valley to Amesbury. A traverse of Salisbury Plain follows, before a gently-graded climb to the summit of the beautiful Fairmile Down with magnificent views over the Vale of Pewsey. The routes shadow the Kennett & Avon Canal to Hungerford, before diverging: the 200km route includes a beautiful loop over the Lambourn downs, taking in many of the views from the Ridgeway path, which the route criss-crosses at the crests of the downs. Quiet lanes return the 200km riders to Hungerford for a second stop at the superb Tutti Pole Cafe, where the routes combine once more. Any riders tested by the climb of Walbury Hill will be rewarded with a final 50km which is largely downhill, following the beautiful Test Valley via quiet lanes back to Awbridge Village Hall.

Alan Davies, organiser, on behalf of South Hampshire CTC

Pedersen 100 – 8th June

Glan-y-mor 51km – Take a trip along the seaside on the North Wales cycleway through impressive Llandudno and round the Great Orme then alongside Conwy castle. From here on the cyclepath enjoy the seashore and have a smug look down on traffic on the North Wales Expressway as you cross above and around the headlands.

Have an ice cream from the Pavilion café before turning back. (Welsh slate coasters will be given to all riders.)

St Francis of Assisi Audax, Saturday 14th September St Francis of Assisi Church and Ingleby Barwick Wheelers and Friends are pleased to offer three delicious new audax events in the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire Moors.

Great rail links, easy parking, toilets and showers. Cake, quiche, tea and coffee included in the price.

50km BP Tees and Cake A self-indulgent few hours on your bicycle pootling round gently rolling country lanes, crossing the river Tees and finishing with home-baked cakes. Views of the Pennines and Cleveland hills without having to ride in them.

100km BP Keep to the Roads A tribute to the YACF forum ride, with some extra distance to top up to 100km. Moors and Coast; visit the Lion Inn on top of the North Yorkshire Moors, and drop down to the seaside at Saltburn. A gentle beginning and finish with some scenic climbing in the middle.

200km BR Ralph Cross (2.5AAA) Ralph Cross Audax is designed to give you the flavour of the North Yorkshire Moors while being easy to navigate, and although we offer some strenuous AAA points it is not designed to be as hard as the old North Yorkshire Moors Grimpeur.

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Dursley RC’s Pedersen 100 is a new event over a testing route in the southern Cotswolds. It’s hard, it’s hilly, and there are some dreadful road surfaces. But there are stunning views, pretty villages, lots of traffic-free roads; and it offers a chance to explore some of the lesser-known corners of Gloucestershire.

Starting from Rodborough, just outside Stroud, the route takes you on obscure back lanes across the many valleys to Northleach and the lunchtime control. From there you return to Chalford and the second control by a less hilly and more northerly route. Refreshed and reinvigorated, you will now be ready to tackle the final set of climbs on the loop back to Rodborough. Whilst everyone will have their favourite sections, personal highlights include the traverse of the Golden Valley, through the hamlets clinging to its upper slopes; the descent through Chalford, one of the steepest villages in England; and the Cotswold Edge, with views across the Severn to the Brecon Beacons.

The HQ is less than a kilometre from Stroud station, and the start time has deliberately been set late to allow easy access by rail – or alternatively to cycle out without having to get up ridiculously early.

For those who care about these things, the event merits 2¼ AAA points. For those who don’t, the generous time limits will allow you to sit up and enjoy the scenery without worrying too much about the cut-off. In both cases it will be an enjoyable yet challenging ride.

National Cycle Museum Taking a break or cycle-touring in mid-Wales? Don't forget the National Cycle Museum is in Llandrindod Wells. Many members who went to the AUK annual reunion visited the museum last autumn. www.cyclemuseum.org.uk Tel 01597 825531 www.audax.uk.net

Obituary

Jim Reilly died on Sunday 3rd Feburary 2013 at Drumchapel Hospital, Galsgow. He would have been 84 in June. Jim was a cyclist all his life but only found the joy and challenge of Audax in 2003. He rode a few 200k events but mostly 100k all in Scotland - and qualified for the Brevet 1000 medal in 2005. He will be sorely missed in the senior cycling circles in Glasgow. He is survived by his wife Irene, sons Martin and Steven, daughter-in-law Anne and grandchildren David and Natalie.

I was delighted to see a picture of myself, instantly recognisable by my friends, on the inner front cover of Arrivée 119.

However, I was dismayed to see that another (Michael Loughram) had stolen my face.

Lest there be any doubt, or an attempt at identity theft, I would be grateful if you would note that the photograph is of me in my usual red and black attire and riding my black bike with flat bars.

Thank you for an excellent magazine.

Cecil Ilsley

Apologies from Sheila Simpson and Andy Corless

Jim Reilly crossing Finavon Hill during the Wellbank Braes o’ Angus122k Audax on 12th June 2005.

WANTED

AUK PUBLICITY OFFICER The publicity officer will promote Audax UK and publicise events run under its rules.

The role includes: ■ producing compelling content for the Audax UK website; ■ managing Audax UK's social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and internet forums; ■ commissioning articles and images for publication; ■ negotiating with magazines, newspapers and online media to publish articles about Audax UK and events; and ■ developing Audax UK's presence at shows and events.

The role would suit a creative person with an outgoing personality, who enjoys working with other people. They will need to be familiar with social media and possess basic IT skills. An ability to write interesting press releases and articles would be a considerable advantage, although it would be more important to be able to commission and source articles and images from other people. The role can be fitted easily around other responsibilities, requiring at least a couple of hours of work a week, as well as attending four Audax UK board meetings a year.

Just a Minute Another full complement congregated in the Midlands for the quarterly deliberations. Mike has ordered new mudguard stickers which should have arrived by the time this magazine is delivered. The slew of renewals has largely gone well. Standing Order payments make the process really easy except when the amount is wrong. Those members who have not amended their amount (the last change was agreed in January 2008!) will soon be removed from the membership list. Due to problems believed to be the fault of Royal Mail, many members in the south-west of England have not received their February Arrivée (No.119) and Handbook. Mike will send replacements to anyone contacting him and these have – so far – been more successful.

In view of such problems, the current issue may soon be available to members on-line; Feb 2011 to Aug 2012 are already on the website and more recent ones should be joining them shortly.

Sue and Keith say that validation by organiser, where tried, is popular with everyone and while it is harder work for the organiser on the day, subsequent administration is easier.

Pete Coates has been looking at increasing the Membership Numbers to five digits as we are likely to run out of the current run within the next few months.

New brevet card designs have been approved and will be printed asap to replenish exhausted stocks. The clothing supplier will be changed very soon as the quality of current garments seems to have deteriorated recently.

Work on this year’s National 400 is progressing with most of the controls planned, though more helpers are still needed.

Next year’s version is being organised by Nigel Hall and is likely to be based round the York Rally. More details once arrangements are definite.

LEL managed to sell out its 950 places in less than 12 hours to the surprise and delight of all except those who failed to get a place. Systems and teams coped admirably with the rush. The start list has now been enlarged to ensure, as far as possible, a full field on the day. Various systems are being upgraded and publicity is being focused on the event itself and increasing awareness of the ride in towns hosting controls. Damon will be filming the ride again and a social enterprise group is being sponsored to make a documentary about it. The larger field means a bigger budget, so professional catering will be used at some controls. Although this is more expensive, it does reduce the number of volunteers required. All control handovers will have taken place by now. Financially, the LEL current account has an adequate balance, although PayPal are being unhelpful.

Current projections are for there to be a surplus of some £11,000 to be used for the next LEL. An approach has been received from Ordre des Cols Durs, a club for mountain climbing by bike, to work more closely together, and discussions are at a very early stage, so no changes have yet been agreed.

Keepsake trophies given to winners at the Annual Dinner are under review, and the system to notify all award winners has changed to enable them to attend the Dinner to receive their prize, should they so wish. The AGM beforehand is to be rescheduled to give members more time to cycle round the area and also PayPal will hopefully be a payment option when making the booking.

Once again, best wishes for your cycling to be safe and enjoyable (I don’t need extra work for the annual statistics!).

This hope particularly for imminent Easter Arrow teams as the temperature is currently just above zero and the past weekend has seen fields decimated and events snowed off. Really hard to believe we are close to the biennial clock change into British Summer Time.

As ever, full Minutes will be available from me on receipt of a sae or on the website in due course.

Richard

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

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randonnee

randonnee

Becoming a Randonneur 1000

The Rough Diamond 300: Stephen Rogers crossing the M48 Severn Crossing

Steve Medlock

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s a relative newcomer to the world of audaxing, being only in my third year of membership, I decided that in 2012 I needed a target for my audax riding and decided to try to join the ranks of Randonneur 1000 riders. I had not ridden a 200 or 300 before so I thought that this would be a good challenge for the year ahead.

The next step would be to choose the events. Coming from East Devon the first obvious choice would be Pippa Wheelers’ Mad March Hare to start me off, but due to marshalling commitments in a two-up TT our club, Cycle Sport Dynamo were running on the same day this one was ruled out, also very heavy rain on the day would not of made for a pleasant day's riding.

The next event on my list was Barry’s Bristol Ball Buster, a 215k event organised by the Las Vegas Institute of Sport. An early start was on the cards made even earlier by the clocks going forward that morning. However, I set off on a very cold but sunny morning from just south-west of Bristol. I was soon climbing through Ashton Court where I had the unusual site of Drew Buck riding one of his old steeds pedalling backwards. Heading north out of Bristol I was soon on quiet lanes to the first control where a fantastic array of cakes were available, thanks to

the women of Hill and Rockhampton WI. The terrain to the second control at 88k was very similar and riding with a couple of guys from the local Clevedon CC the kilometres were soon flying by.

After a brief stop here, again excellent food being served by the Doynton and Wick WI, I was about to take on the longest leg of the ride to Glastonbury via the Mendips. Once I had climbed up onto the Mendip Hills the views were spectacular, as was the descent onto the Somerset levels where I made good time to Glastonbury and the final control at Heaphys café. The weather had warmed up nicely and I took full advantage of this and dined alfresco. Twenty minutes later and I was back on the bike heading west out over the levels again towards the M5 at Sedgemoor. I then turned north and generally followed the M5 corridor back to Bristol and the finish at Long Ashton. With my first 200k event finished, I was looking forward to the rest of the challenge.

The next event I had targeted would be one of my 100k rides, called Dustman Dave’s Demon Hilly. This event takes place in the Brendon Hills and Exmoor clocking up 3.25AAA points along the way.

Starting in Bishops Lydeard I headed west into the Brendon Hills, gently climbing at first along quiet country lanes. After about 10k the serious climbing started

'I was soon climbing through Ashton Court where I had the unusual site of Drew Buck riding one of his old steeds pedalling backwards.'

The Torplex 200: Andy Stovell in the foreground and Kevin Presland behind, both climbing towards Postbridge on Dartmoor 6

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as I gained 356m of elevation as I topped out near Raleghs Cross. Crossing the B3224 I quickly descended down a bumpy single track lane appropriately called Galloping Bottom Lane. Back at sea level I could see an approaching squall coming so it was a mad dash along the sea front at Blue Anchor to the control to shelter from the hailstorm outside.

Refreshed with caffeine and cake I set out again on the next leg climbing up onto the top of Exmoor. Heading west towards Dunster and its famous castle I passed through the village towards Luccombe and Horner, a left turn at an info control and I started a ridiculously long, steep and twisting climb that always seemed to end in false flats into a constant headwind with driving rain. Finally as the terrain started to level out with 452m climbed up onto the high moor it was straight down a steep sided valley, over a river and back up a 1-in-3 on the other side. This called for the 34 x 28 gear right away, with a greasy road it was difficult to control the rear wheel and stay onboard but with a good sense of balance I was able to ride below 3kph and not dab.

With this climb conquered I continued to the next control in Exford. A quick stop in the local pub for sugary drinks and salty crisps and I was soon back on the road climbing out of the Exe valley before descending into the next valley and Withypool.

The terrain continued very lumpy until I reached Dulverton. Heading east out of the town I again had another long, steep climb before descending back into the Exe valley and crossing the A396 then climbing out the other side of the valley and pressing on to Wimbleball reservoir for the final control. Here I climbed up to Raleghs Cross for the final time before descending Elworthy Hill and then running back to Bishops Lydeard for the final control and some well-earned refreshments.

My next event was to be The Nutty Nuns 200, but again the weather turned really nasty that weekend so decided to give it a miss.

Unmetalled farm track

My second 100k event would be Coast and Back; running out of Kentisbeare to the north Somerset coast at Blue Anchor and back. The start of this ride soon had us riding down an unmetalled farm track to cross the M5 motorway near Willand www.audax.uk.net

then we had to shoulder our bikes and cross the main railway line to Exeter. The remainder of the ride was generally along quiet, picturesque lanes with plenty of climbing but nothing too steep.

Torplex 200

July 1st saw me set off on the Torplex 200; it’s called this as it passes through the postal code areas of TORquay, PLymouth and EXeter. Setting off from Newton Abbot I followed the River Teign to Teignmouth before turning north following the coast to Exeter.

Going round Exeter to the east the route dropped into the Exe valley for the first control at Stoke Cannon. A quick feed and I was off towards Cullompton and Willand with a good tailwind. Turning due west and into the wind I headed off through some quite rolling lanes to pass just to the north of Crediton before starting a 13k, 200m climb from Yeoford up to Widdon Down on the edge of Dartmoor.

A quick dash to Moretonhampstead saw me clock up 120k and a lunch stop as the next leg was sure to be the toughest. Leaving the café I headed SW into a strong headwind that would be with me for the next 35k as I climbed up onto the high moor past Princetown at 460m, yes it was raining there as always.

Descending past Burrator reservoir and Sheeps Tor took me to Plympton and the South Hams where I followed the A38 corridor west towards Ashburton before heading SE across the Dart valley and back into Newton Abbot for the final control.

Jurassic Rollercoaster

My next 100k event would be The Jurassic Rollercoaster, an event I am closely associated with as a clubmate of mine is the organiser. The event had a new start this year setting out from the Town Hall in Budleigh Salterton on the East Devon Coast. Within 1k of the start

the route had to follow a detour due to flooding of the road that crossed the River Otter estuary. We headed up river to the next bridge and crossed there into Otterton and rejoined the route. This is where the first climb of the day started, up 150m to the top of Peak Hill; a 1-in-5 descent takes you straight down on to Sidmouth seafront, where you ford the River Sid before starting a 1-in-5 climb up to the Norman Lockyer Observatory.

No sooner had you topped this second climb than you were straight back down into Salcombe, up out the other side and then straight back down into Branscombe and straight back up the 16 per cent climb out of the village, hence the rides name ‘Rollercoaster’. About 2k of flat riding followed before yet another descent down into Southleigh before the one-mile climb up onto Farway Common and a long, flat section before dropping into Honiton. Passing straight through the town and out the other side led to the next big climb of the day, Egland Hill, a twisting one-mile climb with several gradient changes, always seeming to get steeper the longer the climb went on. A mobile control awaited the riders at the top of the climb where homemade cakes were supplied.

Now up on the Blackdown Hills the terrain was more forgiving with a long descent off the Hills into Hemyock and rolling lanes to the next control at Uffculme. The final leg started here with pleasant rolling countryside back down to sea level at Exmouth with a ride along the 1.5-mile sandy seafront before a short climb and descent back to the finish at Budleigh and more home-made refreshments.

The final event of the series would be A Rough Diamond, a 300k event starting in Tewkesbury. August 11 saw about 30 riders line up for the 6am start in the centre of Tewkesbury. The weather was already warm with the promise of it getting hotter. The ride out from the

'… as I climbed up onto the high moor past Princetown at 460m, yes it was raining there as always.'

start took us through the historic Tudor heart of the town bedecked in very smart heraldic flags hanging from the shop fronts, a real picture postcard image.

We were quickly out of the town and into the quiet, flat countryside, the only dangers that early in the morning were startled rabbits; there were several close encounters with the group of riders but no collisions occurred. The ride out to the first control was a good pace with a group of about 10 forming. Passing through Worcester we quickly arrived at the first control in Burford where refreshments were taken; 80k done.

Leaving the control the group was down to eight riders and good progress was made.

Usk to the Severn Crossing

A puncture at 110k left me off the group, but a 50k chase eventually got me back to them, good as I didn’t fancy 190k solo riding. Before catching them I had the pleasure of crossing the wooden toll bridge at Whitney-on-Wye, paying the 10p charge, the bridge dates from 1779. The next town on route was Hay with its numerous book shops. Having caught the group just before Talybonton-Usk I was able to ride into the control with them at The White Hart pub and have a hot meal before setting out on the longest section of the ride to the Slimbridge wetland centre. This section took us through Abergavenny and onto Usk before a long climb and descent towards the old Severn Crossing. Once over the bridge, a quick refreshment stop was taken at the motorway services and we continued to Slimbridge before the final push up through Gloucester and onto the finish in Tewkesbury.

Conclusion

'…a mad dash along the sea front at Blue Anchor to the control to shelter from the hailstorm outside.'

Having ridden the series there were times on my first 200 where I spent a lot of time staring at my Garmin, willing the kilometres to go by as quickly as possible and just dreaming of the finish.

However, by my second 200, I actually enjoyed the event as I knew I could easily do the distance. The 300k event was carefully chosen as it was an additional 100k on top of my longest ride to date and I wanted something that would be enjoyable and a challenge without being too tough for a maiden 300. By breaking the event up into shorter rides it seemed easier to cope with the distance mentally as the longest leg was only 100k, I distance I could manage without any problems.

Also, by riding with other competitors this helped me get through the low patches and the shear length of time the ride took. The event turned out to be a corker and has spurred me on to ride a 400. No doubt this will be 2013’s National 400 as it starts very close to home in Tiverton, Devon.

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overseas randonnee

new randonnee route

Riding in the Lone Star State

Tasting the Tees and cake (and chips!)

Judith Swallow

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'… we had a valueadded ­headwind that dogged us for the best part of 1,000km.'

Carol Holdsworth

come across before, hit the spot perfectly.

Having had a fantastic time riding with the group, getting to the arrivée was tinged with a little sadness at having to leave new and old friends and return to non-randonneur world. At the finish, a real Texan reception committee celebrated, wearing ‘ten gallon’ hats, firing cowboy guns (toy ones, happily for the nearby buildings!) and presenting everyone with a finisher’s medal and sheriff’s badge.

Cyclists are always hungry, particularly at the end of a ride, so food was the next priority. Various options were explored, but dial-a-pizza in the end fitted the bill perfectly. The next day, folks drove home in Texas or inter-state, others flew within America or further afield. Plenty of farewell shouts were tagged with ‘see you at PBP!’.

It was the first Texas Rando Stampede.

It was a brilliant and well-run ride, definitely one to put on either the ‘wish list’ or the ‘to do again list’.

For further information on this rando and other Lone Star Randonneur promotions, go to www.lonestarrandon. org/ More photos can be found at www. flickr.com/photos/swift_swallow/ sets/72157626903070283/

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y husband Graeme was in the process of planning three audax calendar events for September and asked if I would test out the 50km route for him; after much prevarication about my level of fitness, a few days of bright sunshine in February finally tempted me to get my bike out of the garage and take to the road.

I chose the cycle route alternative for getting out of Ingleby Barwick (Europe’s largest privately-owned housing estate); like many cyclists I’m not really a fan of cycle paths but I feel that the ones which run from Ingleby Barwick to Preston Park are really quite pleasant and do a good job of tempting local families to get their kids out on bikes. As I was heading out just before 10am on a frosty morning I had the path to myself, it was a glorious day and I swooped over the Tees for the first time and over the heads of rowers practising their skills on its smooth waters. The cycle path section continues on the A135 in the form of small lane at the side of the road, which is definitely a preferable form of cycle provision especially on a busy main road. Turning off onto the country lanes and away from the traffic was a relief and started with a hop back over the Tees again and over the famous Yarm viaduct. The first section of lanes was a delight with a smooth surface undulating gently along the Tees valley overlooking arable fields and the river.

After the village of Aislaby the landscape opens up for a while before

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undulating once again into the cluster of villages all bearing a variation on the name Middleton; none of these villages are particularly attractive consisting mostly of 1970s bungalows and bland modern houses but there was plenty of wildlife to be seen in the fields and abundant hedgerows including skylarks and a nuthatch.

All photos by the author

Evans, the chief organiser, was brilliant.

Although the weather was warm and eventually moved to hot, we had a valueadded headwind that dogged us for the best part of 1,000km. Given the wind, riding in groups was a clear advantage if you wanted to enjoy the ride and make good headway. This included forming echelons Texas style, tucked up tight and up to four riders deep when stonking headwinds turned crosswind. We also ran into some terrific rain storms. George was fantastic, occasionally popping up at just the right moment with iPad in hand so that we could look at the satellite picture of the storm, letting us make the perfect call to stay at a control until a good deal of the storm had passed by, although we did get caught by the big bang tail-end.

For the most part, the terrain was flat or gently rolling with almost all roads constructed of big deteriorated chip-seal with bonus bumps and joints to give a free vibro-massage. The roads were straight and wide, so easily accommodated riding in a group. The Texan motorists, many in their larger than life pick-up-trucks were considerate when passing us. The ride did have some lumpy bits though, known as Texas Hill Country.

Of course, this was where the worst of the storm hit us big time! Descending rapidly in the dark with useless brakes due to the volume of water being dumped by the storm became interesting; particularly as there wasn’t anywhere to take shelter while the storm passed!

The toughest bit was day two, the longest. Debbie Breaud and I formed an illicit two-women breakaway after the penultimate control of the day to get to the Holiday Inn Express sooner rather than later. This gained us about half an hour extra time off the bike. For others, like my good friend ‘Big’ Bill Olsen, getting to the sleep stop wasn’t going to happen and other arrangements had to be made.

Not having seen the well appointed bus shelters that delight AUKs the length and breadth of the UK; I did wonder what USA randos did. Once I caught up with Bill, it turns out that US post offices provide deluxe free 24-hr accommodation, so one to remember for the future.

On our last night section, vollee Cindy Tyler, daughter of Vicki who was riding in ‘the herd’ came up absolute trumps by driving out for a secret control, her car boot full of goodies to cheer up weary riders about 50km from our sleep control.

The chocolate ball cakes, which I hadn’t

Through Middleton One Row

As the route passes through Middleton One Row and Middleton St George it follows a bend in the Tees, turning almost back on itself, although the condition of the roads in this area is generally good there is one short section just past Dinsdale Spa Golf Club which has the potential to shake out any loose fillings!

The village of Neasham boasts a cute bus shelter and one of the few hills on the ride, which was enough to finally warm up my chilled toes. Once out of Neasham the road opens up and I know from past experience that it can be quite challenging when the wind is strong; however, I had calm, sunny weather and it was only my lack of fitness that slowed me down.

Continuing on through Appleton Wiske the road surface becomes a little rough, nothing too significant just enough to create some handlebar ‘buzz’.

Thus far on the ride the only stopping points for refreshments were pubs which I didn’t really fancy as a solo lady rider so I headed onwards to the Roots Farmshop and Café just past East Rounton.

Unfortunately I managed to arrive just in

Church at East Rounton

'… it was a glorious day and I swooped over the Tees for the first time.'

time for the lunchtime rush and as I didn’t want to wait I carried on without my much-anticipated cake stop.

Whilst I was stopped the sun had disappeared into a bank of grey cloud and the temperature noticeably dropped; I put on an extra layer and lamented my choice of summer weight trousers (I don’t wear shorts much since moving to Yorkshire – I’m just not tough enough).

Although I was now very much into my ‘home turf’ and familiar with the scenery I continued to enjoy the views, particularly the Cleveland Hills, in the distance.

The hedgerows were still alive with small birds and at one point a stoat hauling its kill back to its burrow, although the trees and shrubs were still bare plenty of snowdrops could be seen as well as the sleepy heads of daffodils ready to trumpet in the spring next month. In September I know that this route will be resplendent in late summer colours with fields of ripe crops and trees full of leaves, but it was lovely to be out in February looking at the blank canvas and seeing the very first signs of spring.

A vicious climb

All photos by the author

I

love riding my bike full stop. I can’t think of any type of riding I haven’t enjoyed and returned to whenever I’ve had the opportunity. Rocco Richardson introduced me to riding randonnées in 1997 via the Paragon Potter and I was hooked. I’m still hooked and the need to ride in new and exciting places only increases. So the possibility of riding a LRM brevet outside of Europe in 2011, on top of doing both PBP Audax and PBP Randonneur was very enticing.

Having thoroughly enjoyed previous Randonneurs USA rides (Gold Rush Randonnée 2009 and Boston Montreal Boston 2006), exploring a new state at high speed and meeting up with old friends seemed like a chance not to be missed. And the icing on the cake was almost guaranteed Texas sunshine, rather than the hit and more often miss tendencies of May days in the UK. All I had to do was persuade Dave that this was a good idea. So, having employed my magnificent powers of persuasion, our entries to the Texas Rando Stampede 1200 were sent off.

As I’d already discovered, each state in the USA has its very own individual taste and flavour. Texas wasn’t to disappoint in any way, shape or form whilst we were there.

After getting reacquainted with old friends and meeting loads of new fellow randonneurs at the sign-on, we were ready for an early start from the central Texas town of Waxahachie. The course followed a loop, skimming past the well-known cities of Dallas, Austin and Houston (NASA’s Mission Control). The Lone Star Randonneurs tend to ride as a group rather than solo. Knowing their head honcho, Dan Driscoll, via Dave was a big benefit as we rode with his group, known as ‘the herd’ for most of the ride.

The number of women taking part in randonnées in the States is significantly higher than anywhere else in the LRM community and in Texas even more so.

It made a nice change from the usual wall-to-wall bald heads and beards.

There were even two ladies, Peggy Petty and Sarah Kay Carrell on highracer recumbents. Both were successful, as were all of the women on regular solos.

The only lady that DNFed was stoking a mixed tandem that pulled out on day 1.

The ride organisation was excellent.

The combination of commercial controls most of the time and night/sleep manned controls worked a treat. George

www.audax.uk.net

The final section of the ride from Hutton Rudby features a short but vicious climb often frequented by the puncture fairy, but I made it through unscathed and enjoyed the final undulations towards the very visible wind turbines of Seamer.

I finished by taking the road route back into Ingleby Barwick because the cycle path option was blocked by road works, and as I hadn’t managed to fulfil the ‘cake’ element of the ride, I finished by treating myself to a portion of chips.

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randonneur round the year

randonneur round the year

My annus horribilis (RRtY failed) Roger Bolton

It all started with Tim. Many cycling adventures come from his twisted mind such as Snowdon (over 100 miles cycling and a walk up the mountain) or Ireland in 24 hours (drive to night ferry 100-mile cycle, evening ferry back). This time it was RRtY. The problem with Tim is that he is much fitter now and I am not. He transformed from 20 stone to 13 stone by the sneaky use of a Weight Watcher app. Now it is my turn to be the fastest down hill but slower on all other aspects of cycling.

W

e are both based in north-east Wales so the plan was to use a mixture of nearby organised rides and DIY rides. January seemed a good time to start so we entered the Cheadle150 without much thought. The Cheshire rides are as local as we get at this time of year and in past years I have ridden many of Sheila Simpson’s rides in the area so we were looking forward to an easy start to the venture. Our main concern was the weather but little rain and no snow was forecast.

Vicious headwind

The main problem was a vicious headwind for the first 50k and when we lost the shelter of a fast group we were on our own battling against a gale. Also I did not realise the ride was 150k not 100k so we finished in the dark with minimal lighting. We found it difficult to read the route sheet but managed to navigate the suburban streets of urban Cheshire using Tim’s Garmin. It was a new experience for Tim cycling at night and in built-up areas but the plan was activated and there was no going back. Only eleven rides to go.

For the next month we were to have reinforcements in the form of Tom. He does not do time trails, is not a sprinter, does not rush hills but is a good talker and therefore an excellent companion on the bike and elsewhere. He joined us on the 120k ride from Rochdale. Again I have ridden in the area before, doing the Three Coasts ride but was looking forward to this classic early season ride. This was not the case on the day, when we turned up in very heavy rain which lasted for all the morning. The ride consisted of several long climbs going from one town over the moors to the next town.

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'If you have not put it down for things to do before death, put a ride through the Berwyn on your list.'

Unfortunately Tom shared his conversation with other riders and I nearly got lost but made it to the café stop at halfway. Once the rain had stopped the scenery around the café was enjoyable and all three of us stuck together following Tim’s Garmin through Rochdale on the return. Tom survived cycling with a bulge in his back tyre and my slow puncture only speeded up once we had finished. We did not have much time to enjoy the hospitality of the Rochdale lads in the pub as Tim had to get back.

We could not find a suitable calendar event so Tim volunteered to plan a DIY event. The route started in Caerwys, dropped into the Vale of Clwyd and then over Denbigh Moors for a café stop in Pentrefoelas, down to Llanwrst and back via St Asaph. Our contact at Audax UK was a Wealthy Woodland (name changed to protect the innocent) who passed the route and accepted the three entries, mine by route card and the others by GPS. The weather was good for cycling and the ride was superb. Tom and Tim were busy taking photos with their phones which turned out handy as evidence for me at the last check point.

Favourite ride through the Berwyn mountains

Next month it was my turn to organise

a DIY. I tried to keep the route simple and it turned out to be 120+k Ruthin to Vyrnwy and back. Wealthy Woodland was happy with the route and he was happy for me to convert my route cards to the GPs equivalent as I was a proud owner of a Garmin. The route included my favourite climb through the Berwyn mountains from Rhos y Gwaliau, near Bala through Cwm Hirnant to Vyrnwy.

The lane following the river and then up the glaciated valley to the steep headwall and high moorland is classic Welsh cycling. If you have not put it down for things to do before death put a ride through the Berwyn on your list.

After a stop at the café at the far end of the lake it was over to Llangynog, the Tanat Valley and the climb of the Milltir Cerrig. This climb is similar to the Horseshoe in Llangollen without the bends. The scenery is magnificent once at the top. The descent is well graded for the most part but part of the surface needs consideration before the right turn towards Corwen. After cakes and hot chocolate (excellent stuff ) in the café at Corwen Nursery we followed the lanes back to Ruthin. With rides such as this it was beginning to look like Annus Mirabilis.

For May I had agreed to organise a ride in aid of funds towards the running of the National Eisteddfod in the area. The

route was a tour of the Lleyn peninsula starting and finishing at my caravan near Criccieth. As well as Tim and Tom there were several riders from the Prestatyn club and Tim’s friends Nic and Rob. These last two were to join us for most of the rest of the year’s rides. Nic is a regular club cyclist who also is keen on triathlons – similar to Lance without the drugs. For Rob this was his longest ride to date but he has a background in mountain biking and keeps fit with a regular commute to work.

The route followed the south coast to Pwllheli and then to the tip of Lleyn via Rhiw hill. We all climbed to the coastguard lookout for the view of Bardsey island. After Nefyn the climb through Y Eifel resulted in Rob and me holding up the club cyclists but they were very patient with us. The last 40k following quiet country lanes is my favourite part of the peninsula. If you are looking for a short cycling holiday I can recommend the area but avoid main holiday times. There is easy access to central Snowdonia, Merionedd as well as the Lleyn.

Went touring for an extra 8km

The Anglesey 100k was the next calendar event suitable for us. I have ridden several of the Anglesey rides in the past and enjoyed the narrow lanes and village hall stops. This was slightly different with a new organiser and starting from Bangor.

There were several large groups of local club cyclists and at times the pace was too fast for me. It did not help that Tom and I went on an extra 8k thinking that the route followed the usual lanes of the north of the island instead of following the main road.

Climb of the Horseshoe Pass

Another calendar event was very suitable as the Clwyd Gate130k was starting from Ruthin as part of the CTC week’s rides.

This ride includes many of Graham Mills’s roads and both Tom and I ride these regularly so there was no need for a route sheet.

The route starts quite easily following the Vale of Clwyd to Abergele then follows ‘Mills Hills’ to Corwen. After the coach road to Llangollen it is a climb of the Horseshoe before reaching the Clwyd Gate from the Mold (easy) side and the four-mile descent back to Ruthin.

Tim and Nic had sorted out a weekend in Kington to do two calendar events from Gladestry so Tom and I joined them on Saturday night for a few beers and the Gladestry Gallop. The B&B was excellent with a cyclist’s breakfast in good time for the start. This part of mid-Wales is excellent cycling country and the route was well planned in country lanes but with café stops in Clun and Shobdon airport – memories of the Elenith. We kept together for most of the ride as Tim

Tom and Roger taking it easy outside the café in Rhosneigr, Anglesey www.audax.uk.net

and Nick had completed a faster 100k the day before.

For September I broke rank and organised a mid-week DIY to my caravan.

The route was a simple ride from Ruthin, Bala, Dolgellau, Barmouth, Harlech to Criccieth, mainly on quiet main roads.

Wealthy Woodland was happy and so was I as the weather was ideal with little wind and no rain. It was good to text Tim in work at regular stops especially eliciting his final reply while sitting on my decking of ‘You lucky ******, I am still in a meeting’. Tom, Tim and Nick did a fast hilly ride starting near Chester. The old road up to the top of the Horseshoe was not appreciated by Tom after his efforts on the climbs over from the Ceriog Valley.

Six-mile walk to civilisation

'Even though we had done 105+k and been to all the checkpoints, the shortest route to each checkpoint was less that 100k and the route was not accepted.'

We were thinking that this RRyTY was working out quite well and so it proved with the next ride – The Brenig Bach.

Again it was an old Graham Mills route and I did not need a route sheet although the route follows some very wild lanes and climbs in isolated countryside.

Nick had to abandon with a split tyre in Cwmpenanner – not the best place as he had a six-mile walk to civilisation.

For October the weather was good but the lanes were not good and we resembled mountain bikers after some of the roads around Bala and Pentrefoelas.

We had a leisurely stop at the chocolate factory in Pentrefoelas and then it was an ‘undulating’ ride to Llansannan and then up to the Brenig via the Aled lakes. The last section was easy after all the earlier hills and this is where Tom put his foot down to burn off Tim on the A5. When questioned about his uncharacteristic behaviour he said that he wanted to prove a point after struggling on the hills the month before. Rob and I were just glad to get to the café in reasonable time.

Under pressure with two months to go

Only two more months to go and this is when we came across our equivalent of the fire in Windsor. November was a difficult month for both Tim and Tom and we left our rides until the last weekend.

Tom could not ride on the Sunday so he planned a route from Ruthin to Overton which was submitted and I sent my submission a few days later.

In the meantime, Tim had organised a ride in Angelsey which I also entered for the Sunday. Tom’s ride went well with a steady climb over Llandegla moors but a cold descent to the Wrexham area as the temperature never rose above freezing all day.

In Holt we took the Cheshire side of the Dee and had a feed and warm in the café in Overton. The climb back over Llandegla via Minera kept us from freezing and we were home midafternoon having completed 105k.

The next day I joined Tim and several

of his friends for the Angelsey ride. He had planned a route which involved quite a few checkpoints. This included cycling at sea level along the Menai Straits to Penmon Point, inland over a few hills to the west coast and back to the start at Llanfairpwll. One of the girls continued the whole ride although a couple only completed the first half.

Tim was on good form keeping us all together with the comment that we were well in distance and did not need to do the mile out and back to Rhosneigr from Llanfaelog. On the last leg he punctured and gave me instructions to follow the lane and turn left at the main road and not to both with Gaerwen. Again we had finished mid-afternoon, completing 110+k.

Our route was not accepted

It is then that the whole year begins to unfold. Wealthy Woodland had been in touch with Tom to inform him that his route was too short. Even though we had done 105+k and been to all the checkpoints, the shortest route to each checkpoint was less that 100k and the route was not accepted. I felt sorry for Tom but I should be OK as I had completed Tim’s ride. This was not the case. Once again Wealthy Woodland had checked the ride and although we had covered well over the distance we had not gone to Rhosneigr and had missed the centre of Gaerwen by 600 metres.

Although I have completed several SRs, the PBP and LEL it is the first time that I have cheated in an Audax activity and twice in the same weekend to boot.

We had no time to complete another event as November had turned into December. Never mind, Tim organised another DIY this time from Caerwys to Eureka café to Hoylake and back. I did the ride but did not both to enter it with Wealthy Woodland.

Lesson to be learnt

The lesson to be learnt from these adventures is to make sure you get everything correct with DIY entry. It is simple to get correct but my advice is to plan routes with few checkpoints and make sure that a 100k ride is at least 110 on the computer.

I have had a great year with good companions doing organised rides that I would not always have done. Well done to Mike Wigley for the concept and thanks to Wealthy Woodland for putting up with us. All the calendar events were well organised in differing terrain. It’s a pity Tom cannot count and Tim is more of a historian than geographer.

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sports science testing

sports science testing

Keep pedalling to stay younger Brian Matkins

E

ncouraging numbers of AUKs have volunteered as the first guinea pigs in a pioneering research project by Kings College London’s Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences (CHAPS for short) to assess the benefits of regular exercise in retarding the negative effects of ageing. Not just in general terms, but by careful measurements of individuals’ body condition and physical capability.

Plenty of men below normal retirement age have applied, though there are still vacancies for anyone over 70. But there is a serious shortage of females coming forward and the investigators are really keen to recruit more women aged between 55 and 85 who can complete a Brevet Populaire.

'Nae bother to us', as Lucy McTaggart might say.

My own participation in the project began with making contact by sending a brief description of myself (stating age, cycling history and general state of health) to master.cyclists@gmail. com. This sparked off a series of email exchanges with Dr Ross Pollock, sports science expert at CHAPS. First response provided a questionnaire seeking personal details about general health. Evidently my application was approved because I soon received a six page document outlining the project’s objectives and detailing several tests, many commonly applied in general medical trials, such as bone density, body fat, heart and lung condition, handgrip strength, balance and short term memory. Others were more cycling related.

Of course all the test data collected will be analysed and any conclusions drawn will eventually be intended for publication. But it is stressed that participants remain anonymous. Each volunteer is assigned a number code, with the link between that and an individual’s identity known only to members of the small research team.

Additionally it is clearly stated that taking part is entirely voluntary and anyone is free to withdraw at any stage without giving any reason; and in such a case personal details will immediately be destroyed.

Further emails suggested testing over a couple of days (not necessarily consecutive) a few weeks ahead. And I was asked about willingness to undergo a

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muscle biopsy, which itself is an optional extra. Soon Ross confirmed two precise dates, with a body scan arranged for the first morning, and we agreed on the biopsy.

There was also a questionnaire seeking assurance that I regularly cycle to at least the BP standard and stressed that I must complete a minimum of two such events inside the three weeks before my first appointment. With a bit of tinkering, Ross arranged a schedule in which the first day would be quite strenuous and the second more relaxed, with the biopsy at the end of proceedings. That manages to avoid having to make a separate third visit just for the biopsy.

I was sent a detailed map showing CHAPS position within the Guy’s Hospital campus close to London Bridge railway station. This was followed by making sure that I understood the need to arrive for blood sampling on the second day in a fasted state, meaning no food whatever since the evening before and nothing to drink except water. Finally a late check that I hadn’t forgotten to attend in a few days time.

‘Ross shouts encouragement that I can go faster until it becomes obvious that I can’t.’

Brian riding the 2008 Invicta 400

Other people might not get the same testing pattern; the account that follows simply reflects my own experience.

On the morning of Day One I arrive at London Bridge clutching a bag containing trainers, shorts and t-shirt to wear during the cycling tests, plus a towel in case I want a shower at the day’s end, and my cycling credentials.

You don’t have to produce a bunch of recently validated brevet cards: some evidence of similar rides and training diaries are useful substitutes. But you do have to attest that within the previous three weeks you have completed BPs (or BRs) at least twice.

I phone ahead to advise that I’m on my way and follow the excellent map for the five minutes walk to CHAPS HQ. At the door I am greeted by Ross and am delighted to meet a friendly, fairhaired young Scot to replace what has previously been a disembodied email address. I am escorted to the laboratory and Ross begins his patient prelude to every separate test routine. He always explains in detail what he is going to do and how he is going to do it. And asks what becomes his most often repeated question over two days: ‘Is that OK with you?’ or words to the same effect.

Low body fat

We begin with a body scan. That’s actually in Guy’s Hospital just across the road. Inside 20 minutes that is done and we are back in the CHAPS lab. Ross already has the printout (it is uncommon to get results this quick; most test data requires interpretation and blood tests in particular can take weeks, as they are analysed by a special unit at Birmingham University) and makes me happy by confirming good bone density, and ecstatic when he pronounces percentage body fat low enough for a 20-year-old to be content with.

On to the cycling sprint rig. After adjusting saddle height, from a stationary start with cranks vertical, pedal as hard and as fast as you can. Following a 3-2-1 countdown, Ross shouts encouragement that I can go faster until it becomes obvious that I can’t. Rest a few minutes and do the same again, twice. Results show as blips on a computer screen but are meaningless without later analysis.

We prepare for the first muscle function test. Strapped in a chair with a clamp around my ankle connected to a rigid steel rod, I can’t move. The idea www.audax.uk.net

is to use electrical stimulation to assess the potential strength of the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh, and compare this with the force that I can produce through sheer willpower.

Electrodes are positioned close to the muscle ends and a mild electric shock forces a kick against the immovable ankle clamp. Nothing moves, but a spike appears on the computer screen. Now we’ll try that again with a stronger jolt (is that OK with you?) to properly measure the muscle’s potential. Next see how much of that power I can generate and sustain myself. After three goes we get the sort of output Ross is looking for.

Then repeat with electrics during the selfgenerated effort.

After a relaxing interval I am fitted with a nose-and-mouth mask and asked to take a deep breath and exhale as hard and for as long as possible to measure lung capacity. With the face mask remaining in place we move to the cycle ergometer (a posh name for an exercise bike equipped with computerised gizmos). I get wired up for ECG monitoring plus an inflatable cuff round the upper arm and Ross explains that I begin with a five minutes warm-up to settle at a comfortable cadence pedalling against a moderate resistance. Then he is going to hand control to the computer which will gradually increase that resistance. My instantaneous cadence is displayed on the handlebar and I am to try to maintain the same steady rate until I can manage no more, or he calls a halt because I have done enough beyond my anaerobic limit. On the way he will obtain measurements of my maximal oxygen uptake ( VO₂ max) and peak heart rate. At intervals blood pressure is assessed too. Is that OK with you?

‘It becomes seriously hard work, pushing on the pedals, heart racing and fighting for breath.’

Meeting the phlebotomy specialist

While this preparation is going on I meet Lindsey Marjoram, the phlebotomy specialist who will take my blood sample on Day Two. As I get closer to the wattage Ross wants me to attain, she joins him in shouting encouragement to help me carry on a little longer. It becomes seriously hard work, pushing on the pedals, heart racing and fighting for breath. But I get there, Ross cuts the resistance back but insists I keep pedalling for a further five minutes warmdown.

During the warm-down Ross announces my VO₂ max without indicating that it is anything special. But we are both impressed with a peak heart rate of 171 at age 77!

Face mask and ECG wires are detached and rest for 45 minutes is next on the agenda, when I do nothing more strenuous than complete some more questionnaires. They ask about quality of life: one is concerned with sleep patterns, another with feeding and drinking habits.

During this quiet spell I am introduced to Professor Steve Harridge, the project leader who will perform the muscle biopsy at the end of Day Two. Eventually it’s back to the ergometer with mask and wires back in place. No massive efforts this time, just sustained pedalling. A gentle warm-up is to be followed by a sudden jump to the wattage achieved when at 70 per cent of the intensity at which VO₂ max was reached. Of course cadence will suddenly drop, and I am asked to regain the practised rate as quickly as possible and continue steadily for a further few minutes. No problem. I feel I could keep this up for hours, which is probably what I often do.

After a bit more rest we do the same again, but with one major difference.

I must do this in complete silence. No talking and try not to swallow or cough.

Ross explains that this time he wants to concentrate on every single breath as opposed to the average as earlier. Again warm-up, sudden jump and continue as before.

Soon it feels different. In the silence the situation is weird. My legs are pumping, I’m breathing fairly hard, my heart is thumping and I’m occasionally struggling to maintain tempo. But nothing else is happening. I’m not going anywhere, there is no familiar air resistance, no subtle change of scenery, not even any potholes to watch out for.

I’m truly grateful when this episode is finished, not so much for cessation of effort, but more for the release from total boredom.

Never mind. That’s about it for Day One and I can change back into street clothes and go home. But not before a reminder about fasting and to avoid taking aspirin prior to the next visit: either has undesired effects on the blood.

Comes the morning of Day Two, I arrive in a fasted condition clutching the same bag but without trainers which I expect not to need today. Definitely more relaxed, business in the lab begins with a quiet 15 minutes lie down and rest. An inflatable cuff is slipped on my upper arm and a tiny sensing device attached to the tip of my middle finger. A small electric blanket over my hand ensures that it is kept warm enough for the test to function correctly. I do absolutely nothing. The sensor pulses slightly against my finger, settling to synchronise with my heart beat and presumably measuring blood pressure as well. At intervals the arm cuff inflates and I guess this is something to do with restricting blood blow to the lower arm, but I am supposed to lie quietly at rest so I don’t question it.

That done we meet Lindsey again who has come equipped to take my blood samples, calmly, professionally and efficiently with no greater sensation than a mild prick as the needle goes in.

I am surprised at the number of tubes containing my blood that gradually accumulate. But I have signed a consent form agreeing that surplus samples may be used in any future medical research trial.

Testing the nervous system

Blood sampling is followed with tests of the nervous system, in particular how a couple of separate nerves in the lower leg respond to electric stimulus, in other words more mild shocks. One of the target nerves lies rather deeper in the flesh than another, meaning that a slightly more aggressive jolt is needed.

Is that OK with you? Of course it really doesn’t hurt, and anyway I have become accustomed to it by now.

Interaction with Ross during Day One

Three generations of Auks: Brian at right with daughter Pauline, son David and his son Richard after finishing the Hop Garden 100

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sports science testing was rather formal with him explaining what he was going to do and gathering information from me by question and answer as well as physical experiments.

Day Two is more sociable. The dialogue is conversational. I can ask questions too.

I learn about his student days and progression to his current position. I discover that he doesn’t have a car and normally commutes by bicycle, but this morning he chose to run 8½ miles to work. Among other trivia we discuss hobbies and the fact that we both have Group O Rh negative blood, a type which is relatively uncommon but uncommonly valuable for transfusion.

After the nerve activation come some more general physical tests. One is handgrip strength, applying as much pressure as I can by squeezing my fist.

Then there’s the Get up and Go routine. Here’s one you can try at home.

Set up an ordinary dining chair and place a marker object three metres away with clear floor space between. Sit in the chair facing the marker. As quickly as you can, rise from the chair without using your hands, walk (don’t run) round the marker and sit down again. Note the time it takes.

Now memory tests, broadly aimed at investigating recall, short term memory and concentration. I shouldn’t tell you much about these since they are intended to be spontaneous, and if you did rehearsals the test results would not be truly representative.

A test you can try at home

Balance is apparently one factor that markedly deteriorates with advancing age. Here’s another test you can try at home. Stand barefoot on a level floor, feet together and arms folded. Raise one foot and hold that position for 10 seconds.

Not too difficult is it? Now try the same with your eyes closed and you’ll discover it’s not so easy.

No further effort is required from me.

All that’s left is the muscle biopsy. But before that, Ross shows me an ankle strap equipped with a motion sensing device which will record activity minute by minute. Starting at midnight in a couple of day’s time, I am to wear it continuously for seven days and return it in a stamped addressed envelope.

A short walk with Ross takes us from the lab to a small room with a couch where I lie down (again!). Lindsey is already there and soon Steve arrives, dons gown and gloves and prepares a sterile field on and around my thigh.

Lindsey performs an essential safety routine, holding the phial of local anaesthetic before Steve’s eyes for him to check labels showing it has the right contents and is within expiry date. Syringe filled, a few sharp (but not painful) needle jabs deaden my leg enough for the surgeon to dig out bits 14

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barry's bristol ball buster

of muscle. Those bits will be examined for fast and slow twitch fibres and to measure the diameter of the fibres. They have to be rushed to the freezer by Ross who bids farewell and that’s (regrettably) the last I see of him. It’s all over and I can change into street clothes and go home.

There is a mild after effect that I was warned about. As the anaesthetic wears off I experienced the sort of sensation you get as a result of stumbling heavily into the corner of a table. It is most apparent when descending stairs. But it does not interfere with normal walking or cycling, and disappears within a couple of days.

Volunteers come from as far afield as Glasgow

Being a volunteer means you don’t get paid, although there is an offer to reimburse travel and hotel expenses.

That’s important if you come from a good distance away, and some participants have made the effort to come to London from as far afield as Northumberland and Glasgow. The real bonus is getting the most thorough and comprehensive health check you could imagine: a series of physical examinations that would cost more than £1,000 if you had to pay for it.

Better still you get to see the results. Not like the usual doctor’s assessment where he reads a report and tells you you’re fit and well and don’t worry (which is bound to make you start fretting) without revealing any of the figures on the paper in front of him.

From CHAPS you have some results instantly, like bone density, body fat, VO₂ max and peak heart rate. Within a few weeks you get a multi-page printout of a wide selection of personal data.

Already I have been comparing notes with clubmate Henry Bracewell (aged 74).

I hope to swap information with other programme participants who are willing to share their details. In due course, when the CHAPS findings are published, I expect to discover where I stand in relation to the physical condition of a wider group of like-minded cyclists.

The true value of this research will be realised if it becomes a long-term project, inviting the same subjects to come back after an interval of a few years and repeat the same tests again. I enjoyed the experience so much that I can hardly wait to be called back again.

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Barry’s Bristol Ball Buster, organised by the Las Vegas Institute of Sport: Top right: Event empressario Marcus Mumford sends out the first batch of randonneurs.

All hail the ladies of the Hill WI – that is quite a spread!

Photos: Ed Rollason Photography www.audax.uk.net

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randonnee

diy 200

The Delightful Dales 200

DIY in WA

Phil Hodgson

John Oakshott

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for stray tanks. Turning up Swaledale and the route was now living up to its name.

What a delightful valley. The scenery gets wilder as you climb up the spectacular road from Keld before a white knuckle descent into Nateby. Quite a few of the riders had gathered in the Black Bull for sandwiches and a brew. It’s not often I go into a pub and order tea! No one seemed anxious to leave the warm bar but with the afternoon fading we saddled up and headed south by the River Eden to Garsdale Head. The next big climb of the day reared in front of us: the infamous Coalroad. Rising sharply ahead as you pass under the railway viaduct the road gets its name from the many opencast bellpit coalmines dotted along its route.

There was little evidence of them under the blanket of snow which edged the road. Towards the top we were confined to two ribbons of tarmac kindly carved out of the snow by a previous Land Rover.

At the summit we paused to take in the wintry view. Nothing moved, apart from a couple of other, similarly obsessed, cyclists. We made a cautious descent past Dent station before another up and over took us to Ribblehead.

Our headlong dash down Ribblesdale was briefly interrupted by the Three Peaks café in Horton. We got there just before they closed. We craved cycling food. ‘Have you got any beans?’ we pleaded. ‘No, we’ve just washed the pan out,’ the owner told us, ‘but we have got some puddings left.’ Marvellous!

My dairy-free principles went out the window as we tucked into fruit crumble and bread and butter pudding, with lashings of custard. Revitalised, we rode through Settle, pausing only to switch on our lights. I had to ride at the back as Geoff complained that my rear light was searing his eyeballs. A bad move; you can’t see the potholes at the back.

Despite my bone-rattling encounter with a black hole we pressed on. There’s something particularly surreal about riding dark country lanes after dusk. With heightened senses it’s a different world, a hypnotic experience as pulsing lights reveal eerie glimpses of the surrounding landscape. Rathmell, Wigglesworth and Sawley passed by, hardly noticed as we cruised down our own wormhole of illumination.

A final dash down the A59 and we‘d finished. ** hours, 200km and 3,600m of climb. What a ride … and what a delightful way to spend a Sunday.

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Top of the Coal Road

ith the weather at around 34°C and forecast for Christmas day, two days later, at 39°C, a 27°C day looked right for a 200k audax ride in Perth two days before Christmas. I took a break from my in-depth scientific study of Australian beach life and planned a diy gps ride to audax specification to complete with my son. I’d borrow his road bike, he wanted to give it a go on his Cervelo P3 TT bike.

Audax Australia has a few calendar rides organised by Western Australia but the last 200 ride of the year was on 1st December, my son’s wedding day – the reason why we’re here and not really a goer. There are some permanent routes, viewable on Bikely.com, but the rules in Oz are slightly different to those in UK. Because there are no cafés or businesses in the outback at control points where a rider can get a receipt to prove the ride, diy by gps seems usual and because of the ease of getting totally lost here, longdistance and off-road riders routinely use gps. Riders’ diy routes are loaded onto Bikely.com, and appear not to need the turning-point controls required by AUK perhaps because turns may be isolated junctions with no distinguishing points.

Audax WA also doesn’t allow temporary membership for permanents, so our ride had to be done through AUK validation to contribute to my rrty. My thanks here to Paul Stewart, SE rides co-ordinator for his guidance.

Near the top of Park Rash

Top of Park Rash

Thin ozone level

Phil Hodgson and Richard Leonard

Photos: Geoff Read

T

he snow settling on the road as we drove through Todmorden was an ominous forewarning of what might lay ahead. It was 6.30 am on a dismal March morning. The endless winter of 2013 still held sway as Geoff drove Richard and myself to Pendleton village hall, the starting point of our first 200km Audax ride of the year. We shivered on the car park as flurries of snow blew in from the north-east. Andy, the organiser, seemed unperturbed.

‘What do you reckon?’ someone asked him. ‘You’ll be fine,’ he replied, ‘if it gets really bad you can always turn round and cycle back.’ His response summed up the essence of Audax long distance cycling. Self-reliance. A brew at the start and off you go; no signs, no manned checkpoints, no feed stations, no support, no rescue. Just how we like it.

Departing at 7.30am we rode north through the puddles accumulating at the edge of the A59. Sleet turned to snow but the roads stayed clear. On country lanes a fast pace saw us overtaking some of the other 25 riders as we passed through Gargrave and Cracoe. The first and biggest climb of the day started in Kettlewell. The notorious Park Rash.

‘Steep’ fails to describe its relentless gain in height. A beast of a climb; probably the steepest in the Dales at 1-in-3, and made much harder for the last 500m of climb by the snow covering the tarmac.

We slithered on, skinny road tyres spinning alarmingly as they lost traction.

Somehow we managed to ride to the summit cattlegrid. Sheltering from the wind behind a signpost we watched as other riders battled up, some riding, some pushing. We were in a winter wonderland with a good 10cm of snow on the road and whiteout conditions.

‘Where’s the road?’ someone asked. We pootled tentatively down the shallow incline on the other side of the pass, one foot unclipped ready for the sideways slides of backwheels on the odd icy patch. As the road steepened we got off and jogged down, pushing the bikes through the powder. At last, black tarmac showed through, and off we rode again in an exhilarating swoop down Coverdale to our first café stop at Middleham.

Refreshed by tea and bacon butties, and now riding in sunshine, we rode past the artillery range over to Reeth. With red warning flags flapping furiously in the stiff breeze we kept a wary eye out

N www.audax.uk.net

Modifying one of the Bikely routes, I planned for a ride in the coastal plain, total climbing negligible and highest on the bridges over freeways and the Swan River in Perth. The sun is powerful – thin ozone layer – and the air is dry so hydration is a continual concern, but a bigger concern is that nothing marks junctions in the route. The route card would be of the order of: ‘Kwinana cycle route south straight on for 64k, turn left at jarrah tree onto unnamed road, straight on for 36k’. I planned for 200k of this; we finished up taking back-road waterside options and riding 241k.

A difficulty with planning routes in the UK to ride here is that many country roads are red dirt, or partly sealed for some distance, then unsealed further on.

Regularly graded, dirt roads are good to

drive, useless for two narrow tyres, and if not annually graded they build boneshaking corrugations which aren’t much fun for anyone other than 4x4 salesmen.

So planning needs reliably accurate information from maps or internet mapping in order to avoid mistakes.

Dirt road

Once on the dirt road, it can be miles to retrace or push on in the hope of improvement. On the other hand, sealed road surfaces are excellent, there are good networks around towns and they are really enjoyable to ride. Traffic can be heavy on freeways, but seems much lighter on backroads than in the UK, and because bends in the road are more open and occur less frequently than at home in East Anglia, good visibility makes it feel safe to ride. That being said, I’ve seen more roadside shrines to late road users in one drive down the Albany highway than I’d expect to see in a year at home, and enough kangaroad kill to feed the starving millions my dad used to bang on about.

Perth is cycling-friendly. A network of cycle/foot paths, planned with rail and road, made riding to the route’s start through the city a doddle; around 15 minutes to cross the city centre. My hopes for proper cycling provision in the UK are fading, but dual-use paths isolated from the traffic do still bring some problems. I reckon that stress in driving arises in part from varying traffic speeds – some moving at 50 and others at 80mph on the same stretch of road. Something similar seems to apply on dedicated dual use paths and I found I was concentrating hard on a four-foot wide path to avoid runners, dog walkers, sit-up-and-begs and hammer-down riders, particularly when overtaking meant moving into the on-coming stream. Helmets are compulsory here. The other issue is where riders move into traffic from the relatively safe dedicated path. We enter the traffic suddenly at a sharp angle, drivers may not be expecting cyclists to join them and it can generate steam all round.

Starting from Canning Bridge there is a cycle route parallel to the Kwinana Freeway south out of the city for 90k, pothole free and smoothly surfaced – the tar doesn’t melt at 40°+C – all the way, with water taps along the route. Then we were out in the country: open wooded farmland with broom in flower at this

'Once on the dirt road, it can be miles to retrace or push on in the hope of improvement.'

time, some of the more than 700 species of eucalyptus, grass trees, lizards, snakes, rustling in the undergrowth on all sides and shouts of encouragement, I think, from the few professors in mandatory worn out pick-ups.

After the freeway path we headed east on hot, deserted roads to Pinjarra, a former mining town, now the dormitory for the Alcoa bauxite mining operations – of which there are no visible signs to mar the landscape. Turning on to the Old Bunbury Road we headed south-east to the tip of the Peel Inlet, a beautiful shallow saline stretch of water surrounded by speedboats, jet skis and barbies.

We turned up to Mandurah at the bottom end of Peel Inlet through estates of mansions, heading north into the sun. WA is incredibly wealthy from mining, and the rate of sterling exchange crippling; the equivalent of £30 for two club sandwiches and coffee about the average rate for the mid-ride breakette.

Back up the coast with the Fremantle Doctor, southerly force five, helping all the way. The lack of need to follow a route sheet or deviate from ‘straight on’ makes each kilometre seem longer, but we made the route in good time.

Before the last 10k my son said ‘see you at home’ cranking up to 45kph at the end of 230k on his TT bike. I dragged in with the usual aches and pains, my son with no apparent wear and tear, ready for a ‘recreational’ ride this morning. What it is to be 33 years old and living here. Back to the beach study tomorrow.

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randonnee

randonnee

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous – levelling, courtesy of Ian Hennessey

H

ow do we each prepare for an impending ride in to the unknown? I guess some load the GPS and set it on charge, others laminate route cards, for me I like to study the route on a map, and to make this task easier, a GPX file downloaded in to Bike Route Toaster had me sorted. I find a route sheet easy to forget, but a map offers a better overview and allows the general shape of a route to be committed to memory.

On the last occasion that I rode the Glastonbury Miller it was a very cold January, but I trumpeted the virtues of an early season 100-miler as a useful stepping stone out of the mid-winter doldrums. Now in February it serves the same purpose, but an additional hour of daylight, and with a masterstroke of organisation, wall to wall sunshine and blue skies.

Small white lie. As we followed the A30 into the hills, we were enveloped in a morning mist, and so temperature plummeted chilling one's extremities.

The mist developed a warmer glow as we arrived at the community café control at North Curry. A cheery welcome

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'Errors started to kick in after the Polden Hills, a missed turn on the ridge …'

was provided, café packed to bursting by cyclists, for me the apple cake was really rather good, and to top it all the sun had defeated the mist by the time we departed. Dave Prudden and I were tackling this fine adventure together having shared transport to the start, the remaining CTC Torbay contingent of Rod and Steve were riding separately, and were unfortunately plagued by punctures.

The levels beckoned, I had expected extensive horizons of flood water, but mercifully for the folk of the levels the land appears to be drying, whilst very wet, no longer submerged. It was a beautiful morning to be blown along the zigzagging lanes complete with the expansive vistas. Past the mini-Avalon that is Burrow Mump at Burrowbridge, then, there in the near ground, across the culvert, a heron standing but 4m from us, not bothered by our presence. I guess these marvellous rolling miles could best be described as sublime cycling.

Errors started to kick in after the Polden Hills, a missed turn on the ridge quickly rectified, then after a very fast section back on the levels, a wrong turn

Kevin Presland

in Mark. The map in my head nagged that this really was not right, so after 2km checked on the Landranger, and sure enough we had lost count of ‘rights’ and ‘lefts’, so retracing was necessary, then 1km out the other side of Mark, again the map in my head saved the day, and we retraced to the L turn (not T).

All too soon we reached the mayhem of the A38, and a rather unpleasant volume of traffic with some very textured road surface to Axbridge. I had never visited this little town, and a very pleasant centre it was to. A forced stop to provide the answer for the info, but no time alas to bask in the sun, supping the delights from the tavern that we had named on the brevet card.

Main roads followed for a while, then back on to the levels, and the route which I recall limping along on last year’s Avalon 400. Dead straight, no puddles this time, but a keen and unhelpful wind. Ahead the tower looming over our lunch stop in Glastonbury.

The cafés were all busy, but after loitering for a while we got a table for a late breakfast, the plan being that it would sustain us till the finish. With just www.audax.uk.net

65km to go we were set fair to finish in daylight, ideal, what could possibly go wrong?

A short hop along the A39 and we were away from the northern bustle of the route and back in to the lanes.

A section of ridge confusion followed, the SOX would take us in to a field, staggering that we missed the road just off to the right, but took off to the left for an unnecessary detour to a descent of the ridge I had confused with the one that we should have taken.

Confusion continued as we were slightly at odds now as to where exactly we were on the route sheet, and I could not be bothered to verify on the map.

We took a right as the road ahead was signed as a dead end, but after 2km I was confident that something was awry, so out with the map again. Sure enough we should have ignored the dead end according to the GPX download I had studied, so about turn to thread out way back along the flood churned surface.

I had been looking forwards to this little lane, as I had not discovered it before. The road construction was poor, surface bumpy, but not pot-holed, and then the tarmac ran out! Do we retrace along the previously retraced route?

That was an unpalatable prospect, and this was definitely the route after all, so

this forthcoming rough section must therefore be really short. We thereby talked ourselves in to the fate that awaited.

Initially we rode through the deep, muddy puddles along the undulating tyre tracks, but then a great pool came in to view, no way was I going to risk that.

Thankfully the verge was tufted grass so chance to walk and keep feet dry.

Shortly after the field opposite looked attractive, all we had to do was jump over the drainage ditch (with the bike).

All too soon we had to find a jumpable return as the field ran out. Now brambles and hawthorn hung over our tufted track edge, so with bikes dragging axle deep in the dark depths of the rutted track we fought our way through the scratching and grabbing undergrowth, periodically stopping to unbind the caked mud to reduce the resistance sufficiently for wheels to turn. Yes we in the midst of a ridiculous adventure.

Remarkably, humour remained intact, we were now convinced that there was no way that an Audax route could possibly have been intended to pass by this route.

Retracing was not a thought worthy of entertaining, so we plugged away at our lonely battle of wills. Eventually we reached a broken tarmac road leading in the wrong direction, and there we

'…so with bikes dragging axle deep in the dark depths of the rutted track we fought our way through …'

hatched our escape plan. The road was only just that, it was somewhat churned, with deep puddles to navigate, but at least this was just rideable on road bikes. Once we reached Somerton we gave wheels a final clean out to reduce the dragging of the nutritious binding mud and found that the tailwind rapidly brought us back on route. We assessed that the last section of the plains had added an hour to our ride, so heads down to get as far as possible while daylight remained.

The sun set rather quickly as we approached the shadow of the eastern wall of the Blackdown Hills, and so the warmth of the day descended correspondingly. Our ascent took some effort, so it was only at the top that the extra layers and lights went on. We just reached the top in time to see the sun set for the final time for this day. Faster roads and a fabulous descent would have to be paid for, and sure enough the Yarcombe climb beckoned. A good gradient with fine views in the diminishing light brought us to the A303 and the formality of the return to Honiton.

Ian assured us that it must have been a mapping glitch that led to the muddy madness, many had made their way to it, most had the good sense to turn around. Ian said that Dave Prudden and I were not the only ones to have battled our way through, given that he served penance on a few occasions in the form of cleaning the smelly liquid mud of the plains out of his wooden floor.

But how many left the event with memories of the sublime and the ridiculous?

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new organiser, new sr series

new organiser, new sr series

Getting organised

in the way of my planned route. The first version of Hereward the Wake in 2011 went from Ramsey to Newport Pagnell services on the M1, but the proposed 24-hour garage at the new Tesco turned out to be fuel only in the middle of the night, so I had to run a car boot control.

Then, Red Lodge café ceased 24-hour opening and I had a major rethink on my hands for 2012. Going further north to Whittlesey’s garage meant I needed lots of info controls to avoid the major towns, but kept the essentials of the previous year’s route, repeatedly crossing the River Ouse, passing some picturesque stately homes and very un-East Anglian stonebuilt villages. Though X-rated, I was keen to arrange a pre-ride curry at our local pub and restaurant before the 9pm start and provide brunch at the finish.

2011 saw Mark Brooking and Arabella Maude using the ride as preparation for their epic PBP on tandem trike [see pic below]; in 2012 it was Tabitha Rendall’s first through-the-night ride, in preparation for the Mersey Roads 24-hour time-trial, where she finished second Lady. One of the great pleasures of organising is helping others achieve their goals. Over the last few years it’s been great to see first time 100 or 200km riders go on to higher awards. I think the only complaint has been about the weather.

When originator and organiser Herman Ramsey opted to take a back seat with his events and could find no clubmates in Colchester Rovers to take over, I decided to take them on. As well established rides, I only needed to rewrite the route sheets to my preferred format and make adjustments to the start times. As X-rated events I could ride them too. Huggy (Grant Huggins) organised a booking at the ‘Mogul’ in Manningtree for pre-ride curry-loading before the midnight start on the Green and Yellow Fields 300km. As things turned out, the restaurant messed up the booking, but they fitted us in eventually.

The Asparagus and Strawberries 400km had a more conventional start time of 09:00, which enabled breakfast at the Station Café to ‘bookend’ the event, if you scheduled for a 24-hour ride.

Suddenly finding myself with three-

Tom Deakins

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'The lack of hills may be considered an advantage by some, or the opposite to the born grimpeur.'

Tom riding PBP 2011

events, with commercial controls, I got family to help with food and provided breakfast at the church hall and refreshments afterwards. I’ve run it for three years now and this year have also added a 50km event. Our local club, FlitchBikes, in Dunmow is very small.

Based at the bike shop of the same name (and formerly also a gym until the shop grew) it’s a very loose association of diverse cyclists, mostly of a competitive nature. I’ve got a few locals to try Audaxing, but mostly it’s the other way round with me being persuaded to do a bit of time-trialling or MTB racing.

My next step was a 300km event: I wanted to avoid another ride into East Anglia, as that area is already well served with good routes. I’d often gone touring westwards from home, along the Chilterns heading for Wales or the south-west of England and had always been struck by the modest charms of Bedfordshire, not a notable touring destination! It’s quite a built-up area in parts: Luton, Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Royston all seemed to get

Emma and Jonathan Dixon climbing Devil's Dyke on the Ditchling Devil 200

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Mark Brooking and Arabella Maude on PBP

www.audax.uk.net

Photo: Tim Wainwright

Aga! They could see we were in a bad way. After 10 minutes or so and with her gloves well-cooked we were on the road again. The last section back to Dunmow involved a (Roman) B road which after 5pm turned into a bit of a racetrack; not good.

Pondering all this over Christmas, I thought that there was definitely room for improvement. By extending the route further into Suffolk, albeit on some tiny lanes, I could avoid the Ongar leg and head more directly back to the start.

The balance would be about 60km of A and B roads (easy navigation in the dark and treated with salt if below zero), 60km of lanes (after midday so should be largely ice free, with any luck), then about 90km back on similar roads to the first section. The only problem was that the 100km control would be in a small village, Walsham-le-Willows, where the shops and pubs kept odd hours, so obtaining proof of passage could be problematic. We drove around the route, with me juggling maps, draft route sheets and a notebook; my wife Ann driving and No.2 son coming along for the ride. We tried to turn it into a nice day out, but it might have been quicker to ride it. That certainly wasn’t one of our better days out! As the route passes the highwayman Dick Turpin’s cottage in Thaxted and his birthplace, the Bluebell Inn at Hempstead, the title ‘Dick Turpin’s Day Out’ came to mind. Once the route was approved, I designed a logo for the brevet card of Mr Turpin and a pair of crossed pistols, and then sent off for my first batch of cards.

Peter Faulks was my first customer, at the end of October 2009 and kindly provided me with a .gpx track. Deniece and I rode round a couple of days later and I see from my records that there was quite a flurry of riders that winter. It seems to be that it has proved a popular permanent for the winter months of a RRtY, especially as word got around CC Sudbury, who start the ride out their way.

There is quite a hard core of year-round riders in that club, which has a large membership and puts on a number of Audax events every year.

From this humble beginning I started to research possible routes for more permanents. A 200km and a 100km followed in June: Boudicca’s Revenge which I then turned into calendar events the following year. Though ‘shoestring’

Dave Minter in Oz riding the Sydney–Melbourne Alpine 1200

Photos: Tim Wainwright

B

ecoming an organiser happened by accident rather than design and then ‘growed’, as the saying goes, like Topsy.

(Goes off to Google, oh right then…) I’d like to think it was an altruistic desire to ‘give something back’, after a decade or so of happy Audaxing, but the reality is rather more selfish. I’d done a few perms before, notably reversing Simon Ward’s York-Cambridge-York 600, which from my home in Essex made more sense; then I discovered the ‘Mesh’.

Back in the paper age, before the era of DIY by GPS, this was and maybe still is (goes off to check … OK, RIP Mesh Permanents …) the way to a simple, from your front door kind of DIY, with distances between controls already checked and approved, and with the certainty of obtaining proof of passage day or night. I did a 300km up to Norfolk late in the season (I needed one for my SR), then worked out that I could do a neat 200 from home, as I was half-way between two ‘nodes’ (Saffron Walden and Ongar) out to Woolpit in Suffolk via Wally’s Café in Acton, then back to Ongar through Castle Hedingham. As it was mostly on quieter A and B roads, with few lanes, I reckoned it would be an ideal winter ride for my RRtY (Randonneur Round the Year) award.

The first attempt in November went well and only involved a bit of riding in the dark at either end, as the roads made for fast riding. However, the December version showed up the pitfalls. Deniece joined me this time and all went well at first, on a gloriously sunny, but cold day.

We were stopping more than usual to get hot drinks and by nightfall were on the only very laney section from Hedingham, cross country through Felsted and the Rodings to Ongar.

Although the main roads were clear there was still some water on the lanes, which rapidly refroze and made it hard to risk any speed. And then, of course we started to get cold. Controlling in Ongar proved to be a bit of a nightmare, as the Tesco toilets were closed, but we fetched up at the BP garage, where the receipts proved only to have the head office address on them, meaning more faffing to get the attendant to write on the receipts. Up the road Deniece’s hands had no feeling so, in desperation, she pulled in to the first lit house and pleaded with them to let her warm up next to their

quarters of a SR series then set me thinking about a 600km to complete the Super-Randonneur series.… First thoughts were along the lines of going to Wales and back, which is just about possible for a 600 from the Far East, but after reading comments about the toughness of all the calendar 600s, something along the lines of Bernie’s Long Flat One and the Maldon Madness of days gone by, seemed in order. Having joined in Steve Abraham’s ‘group perm’ around East Anglia in September, a late season event would fit in well with the other events and form a good ‘last chance’ for an SR. After the usual playing around with via Michelin the distance came out OK, all that remained was to persuade my other half that checking the route and writing up the route sheet would make the perfect Valentine’s mini-break! The route check went well, but both evenings we were too shattered to stay out late so went for quick, cheap and cheerful options: Wetherspoons and a crowded, noisy, but decent Italian restaurant in Lincoln.

Inevitably, given the amount of Fenland involved (though with a few lumps scattered about) I called it ‘The Flatlands’. However, I worked out some interesting urban routes through Boston and Lincoln to vary things a bit, rather than the usual avoidance of town centres in favour of garages and cafés on the periphery. The lack of hills may be considered an advantage by some, or the opposite to the born ‘grimpeur’, either way, be prepared to deal with exposed and potentially windy terrain and make the most of every hill and bridge to get out of the saddle!

Designing an SR medal was fun: in the end the design wasn’t vastly original, but based on the Essex coat-of-arms and colours. I was recommended MBC by Keith Harrison and found their design and customer service to be excellent.

FlitchBikes put up the money for the medal, which was another big plus. Come the end of the 2013 season I’m hoping there will be plenty of candidates for the Essex Super Randonneur award; we just need a suitably orange TOWIE to present the medals!

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

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randonnee

randonnee

The flights of a fledgling audaxer

Tom and Grant enjoying a curry before the start of the Green and Yellow Fields 300

Steve Rowley (aka Oscar’s dad on yacf.co.uk)

A

pparently Mark Twain thought golf was a good walk ruined. Back in 2007 Mr Twain’s words came to mind when my wife and I did our first audax on Tina the Tandem. We had a nice enough day but the audax element didn’t add much to the experience. So how come I’ve just finished my first audax season? Well, it was inevitable.

Firstly, I’m useless at decision making.

Things take my fancy and rumble about in my head just waiting for the chance to cause chaos. For example, the PBP first pricked my consciousness a few years ago. It ticked quite a few boxes.

It involves cycling. It’s a challenge you can dine out on for years. I like France and love the French. Then some mates did their SR. They told me doing a SR series entitled you to buy a medal. I like medals. Then someone told me that if you can ride a 600 you can probably do the PBP. So, I decided a SR series was a good build up to riding a successful 600.

One decision based on a whole bunch of fanciful notions.

Now, when you’ve got an inadequate decision making ability you need a robust system of checks and balances to keep you out of trouble. The sort of trouble that sees you riding through the night with a bloke you met in a park. My cycling mates, most of whom I’ve either met in parks or on the internet (yacf. co.uk) aren’t that system. They don’t even come close – picture the scene. A motley collection of bicycles rest outside an East

Anglian country pub. Inside, sat round a table covered in pints of locally brewed ale and the occasional pot of tea sit a motley collection of cyclists. The weighty issues of the day are being earnestly debated. Suddenly I interrupt.

‘I’ve had an idea.’

‘Oh no!’

‘We should cycle to California and back one weekend.’

‘Why?’ ‘There’s one in Norfolk. We could take our camping gear.’

‘Why?’ ‘So if someone asks what you’re doing at the weekend you can tell them you’re cycling to California and back. It’ll be funny.’

Now, what my mates should have said was …

‘No Steve, that’s a stupid idea and we want nothing to do with it.’

What they did say was …

‘OK. Whose round is it?’

I should point out it’s not always me coming up with the daft plans, my mates do as well and being easily led you’ll usually find me tagging along.

Sometimes these adventures end in triumph, other times not. Following the conversation in the pub we did ride to California and some of us made it back again; I didn’t. After 25 hours and 175 miles on a loaded bike I ended up with my head down a pub loo kneeling on the knees of a 90-year-old arthritic granny. I got the train home.

So now we know why I decided to

'The bike hit the pothole, I hit the top tube and nearly came off.'

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devote the best part of 12 months to audaxing. But what happened? Did the fledgling fall out of the nest into the waiting jaws of next door’s cat or do we now have a beautiful bird resembling our new AUK logo? Let’s see …

I didn’t realise the audax season starts in November. Once realisation dawned it presented an opportunity to get the 200 done before winter set in. John (bloke met on the internet) and I decided to try Tom Deakins’ (also met on the internet) perm Dick Turpin’s Day Out. I rode the 25km to the start in Great Dunmow and met John in a car park close to Tom’s house. The fog was thick as I approached Dunmow and my front hub had started to make horrible noises. Tom (a prince among men) had me on his doorstep at 8am clutching the offending wheel.

He offered me a spare wheel which I ungraciously declined accepting instead a pair of cone spanners, not a clever move as I have no idea what to do with cone spanners.

We set off, John riding like he had a firework shoved somewhere painful, disappeared into the fog. After a few hours some fellow yacf.co.uk members met us, fed us cake, took our photo, signed our brevets and watched John fix a puncture. I was in bad shape and not having fun. As we penetrated the more distant corners of Suffolk the lanes became slippery with mud from sugar beet harvesting machinery. Lunchtime found us in a small town, I forget its name, which was shut. We pressed on, the lifting fog allowing us to switch off our lights, until we found a Little Chef on the outskirts of Needham Market.

The grub served was expensive and unappetising but must have been sprinkled with fairy dust because afterwards I felt fantastic. At last the lovely John had a riding companion who could keep up. We switched our lights back on as the fog descended with the dusk. My Hope 1 was on a low power setting to preserve the batteries so I didn’t see a pothole on a fast descent. The bike hit the pothole, I hit the top tube and nearly came off. After the obligatory beer stop we made it back on time and in one piece. John climbed into his nice warm car and I rode home through fog so thick I couldn’t see the grass verges. Still, I felt fine when I finally got home after about 250km.

Over the winter I signed up to do www.audax.uk.net

Tom’s Green and Yellow Fields 300 in April. My principle riding companions for the G&YF were Grant (met in a park) and Andy (met on the internet). Like many of the riders we enjoyed a curry in Manningtree before the midnight start. By breakfast time we were on the north Norfolk coast. By mid-morning we were in Greggs in Dereham. Shortly after, I was in the toilets of Dereham’s library, the previous night’s curry was making its presence felt. My afternoon might have been somewhat torrid but Grant was having a rare old time. He maintained a steady pace which saw our mileage build nicely. By the time we got to Needham Market he was positively beside himself telling anyone who would listen about his fantastic battered sausage. It’s perhaps worth pointing out that we were standing outside a chippy at the time. By now we had broken the back of the ride and were keen to get back to Manningtree but Tom had kindly built some hilly bits into the final few kilometres. I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard Grant yell ‘Tom, you’re a *******!!!’ as it all started to get a bit too much! Despite the cold, wet weather and a narrowly missed hailstorm, we finished with time to spare. The Current Mrs R (met on the internet) together with Ellie the 12-year-old, found us in the station bar having a celebratory beer and then whisked us back down the A12 in the team car. I really enjoyed the ride and finished feeling I had another 100km in my legs which inspired confidence for the looming 400.

Remember my rubbish decision making and weakness for fanciful notions? These regrettable personality traits kicked in as I began to plan the 400.

I like hills. In the past I have enjoyed the London to Brighton Friday Night Ride to the Coast. And I had read an article about a route that follows the M25 round London. So I decided to combine all these elements into a 400km DIY. Again Grant made the fatal mistake of deciding to come with me, even though he’s only been cycling for a couple of years. Our other mates concluded we were mad so stayed at home.

The plan was we would set off at 1900hrs on a Friday evening in June, conquer our first obstacle, that being The Mighty North Hill, Little Baddow and then follow a scenic route into London. I can’t imagine many people audax down Oxford Street just before midnight on a Friday. I think we know why – traffic lights, junctions, buses, taxis, pedestrians, drunken pedestrians and rickshaws.

The place where we were going to eat was shut so we refuelled at McDonald’s, Marble Arch. Progress had been slow and didn’t get much quicker once we set off again. More red lights, junctions, buses, taxis, pedestrians both drunk and sober.

My gears were playing up so our progress was punctuated by crashes, clangs and swearing. By 0345hrs we had got to the top of Turners Hill. By 0510hrs we were resting by the abandoned greenhouses at the bottom of Ditchling Beacon.

Twenty minutes later we were enjoying a breather at the top.

'I can’t imagine many people audax down Oxford Street just before midnight on a Friday.'

DIY 400, café at top of Box Hill

After a quick drop into the northern suburbs of Brighton and a walk along a bridleway we were heading back over the Downs. The headwind we had endured all the way west and south hadn’t turned into much of a tailwind. The hills kept on coming and I was starting to nod off on the bike. By 0950hrs we were at the legendary Ryka’s Café at the foot of Box Hill. As we hadn’t really stopped since we set left home in Witham and hadn’t eaten much since McDonald’s at Marble Arch we decided to have an hour off.

Box Hill’s Zig Zag Road wasn’t too hard.

Admittedly we got passed by everyone young and old, male and female, but I doubt many of them had cycled 150 miles through the night to get there. It was also amusing to note that 99 per cent of bike and rider gear combos must have cost at least £1,000, unlike Grant’s and my bargain basement set ups. The views from the top of Box Hill are stunning but we didn’t have time to linger as we were now behind schedule.

A beer was had in Egham and we stopped again at 1500hrs noting with satisfaction that both GPS units said we only had 100km to go – 60 miles, which meant a 2100hrs finish was easily achievable. Thirty minutes later I looked again. The GPS should have said about 90km to go. No, it said 105km; this was not good. The hills didn’t stop, in fact with the exception of the Beacon, the ones we didn’t know about were worse than those we had deliberately built into the route; progress remained slow.

More urban stuff, then it started to rain.

Just before South Mimms Grant bonked, unsurprising really as we hadn’t eaten since Ryka’s. I said I would scout ahead to see what I could find whilst he got on the outside of his wife’s homemade flapjack.

South Mimms is a dump but it does have a Murco Garage with a Costcutter minimart attached – a vision of Heaven on earth. Grant found me sat in a bus stop ramming crap food, chocolate milk, Pro Plus and Nurofen down my throat. Then it was more of the same for the rest of the ride. We got to The Compasses, Littley Green at just gone 2200hrs with about an hour in hand; we’d only had about three hours off the bikes in total. The Current Mrs R, Ellie and the team car were there to meet us for a celebratory beer after which we both fell asleep on the way home. I was so keen to have a shower and get into bed I left the car door open all night. That nice man Martin Malins verified our ride stats as 415km with 4,545m of climbing.

My steed is a fairly standard blue horizontal top tube Ribble audax bike. It was clear that before the final 600 some fettling was required. Worn chain rings and jockey wheels were replaced in an attempt to sort out the transmission problems. Plus new bars were fitted to improve hand comfort. The hub problem

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randonnee

randonnee

experienced on the 200 was diagnosed as being a loose bearing dust cover.

But as both hubs had given long and faithful service so I decided on a new pair of wheels with dynohub from Harry Rowland.

Despite what you might have heard, men can multi-task and while fettling I was busy planning the 600. My mate Chris (friend of a bloke I met on the internet) who like me lives in Witham, Essex mentioned that there were lots of places in Lincolnshire and one in Hull also called Witham. So Chris and I planned a route that was Witham (Essex) to South Witham, North Witham, Witham on the Hill, Witham St Hughes (all in Lincolnshire) and Witham in Hull, then home via Witham Town in Boston. The route also included a double crossing of the Humber Bridge thus satisfying a long held ambition of mine.

On the appointed day, at the appointed hour, that being 0700hrs on a Friday late in September Chris turned

up at my back gate. Whatever happened over the next 40 plus hours we weren’t going to starve thanks to the two kilos of cake kindly baked by my lovely wife. An hour or so after departure we met Iain, more commonly known as Bloomers (met on the internet) in Finchingfield. A few hours later we stopped for food and drink in Cambridge and then a rather shoddy lunch at KFC in Peterborough. During the second 100km leg I was feeling none too clever and the only upside being we started to bag some Withams as we rolled through Lincolnshire, which oddly smelt of onions. Chris had arranged for friends to feed us pizza at their house in Lincoln. Such people either need locking up for their own protection or given an AUK medal. After a hard week at work would you really want three smelly and dirty audaxers invading your house on a Friday evening? No. Particularly when said smelly audaxers eat your food like ravenous wild animals and use your loo to rub embrocations on their nether

'I was even more chuffed given my reason for doing a 600 was to see if I stood a chance of successfully completing the PBP, so barring accidents 2015 will see me in Paris.'

regions before bogging off into the night.

Thankfully the pizza and sit down did me a power of good and I felt just fine, the miles ticked by.

Did you know the Humber Bridge is on wheels? We spotted it in the distance over to our right but struggled to close the gap. The bridge proved to be everything I’d hoped for once we eventually caught it. The only proof we could find of our most northern most goal was Hull’s Witham Tandoori so we took its photo and repaired to the nearby Premier Inn where mercifully the bar was still open. We had hoped to get to Hull by 2330hrs and we were bang on target meaning we could have a six-hour break.

Day one had been a success and the three of us were in reasonable shape as we crossed Hull back towards the bridge; on the way breakfast comestibles were purchased and eaten at a 24-hour Asda. In the grey early morning light the bridge was even more impressive.

With the notable exception of pizza in Lincoln, the food on our outward leg had been rubbish so we were determined to do better. The Lincolnshire Wolds were annoyingly undulating and completely devoid of sit-down breakfast opportunities until we got to a garden centre on the outskirts of Horncastle.

I ate, toileted, topped up on Nurofen and was pleased to note the terrain had flattened out; less welcome was the fresh side wind.

Witham Town in Boston was our final objective so all we had to do now was get back. In true audax style we just got on with it. Some chat, some eating, mostly just riding. Spalding, Wisbech and Newmarket after dark. By now home was just a few hours away and within the time limit. Shortly after our return to Finchingfield we said goodbye to Bloomers whose frequent hedge stops and enduring battles with delicate parts of his anatomy had kept smiles on our faces for nearly 600km. My brain told my legs ‘full gas!’ as the Tour de France riders often say and we damn near sprinted all the way back to Witham.

The relief of getting to the end of our road and seeing my back gate again was enormous. As was the sense of achievement as I didn’t feel too bad at all.

I was even more chuffed given my reason for doing a 600 was to see if I stood a chance of successfully completing the PBP, so barring accidents 2015 will see me in Paris.

The wrap-up

Witham 600 – Steve Rowley with Bloomers on the right 24

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So, let’s wrap this up. During the course of my SR I learnt much about long distance cycling. More importantly I’ve learnt much about myself. I’ve spent time with some superb people seeing places and doing stuff I’ve not done before. And I got my medal! This fledgling has enjoyed his flights of fancy.

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Mad March Exeter Excursion 100 Ribble Blue An event that I make a point of riding each year. It’s one of the early ones in the southwest and the start in Exeter is only 20-odd miles up the A38 from home so not to be missed.

A

bout 10 members of CTC Torbay were there at the start which helped to boost the entry to over 140 which will be crowding the lanes around east Devon today. Moving off at nine in the bunch I join up with Audax members, John Cooper and Rob Legg and other local riders to make up a group of seven, with one on the front with the route on his Garmin and a couple of us using the paper copy we should get round this route without too much trouble. Pippa and Robin Wheeler, the organisers, have turned the route around this year with a new control near Payhembury and climbing up to the Blackdown hills via Hembury hill fort.

After crossing the M5 on the new cycle bridge and over the old A30 we pass the airport and are soon climbing up onto Woodbury Common. This is followed by a downhill off the Common and into Otterton for the first info control before continuing along the valley to Tipton and Ottery St Mary. The first control was at a member’s house near Payhembury which was overflowing with cyclists when we turned up. They stamped my card and I was given some cake and a cuppa in a nice china cup, but I could see there was problems developing. With over 140 cyclists calling in over a period of about an hour somebody was going to be very busy washing up all those cups plus I noticed that there was only one toilet which had a queue forming at its door.

you’re struggling to get up to 10, then you go a bit further along and you’re having to cycle with a lean into the wind.

After 10k of this we turn at the cross roads near Churchinford to get some respite from the conditions to drop down into the Culm valley.

Feet like two stumps

The Culm valley is about 10 miles long, level most of the way except the turn with a short climb coming out of Culmstock which resulted in one of our group dropping his chain through changing too many gears at once and having some problems fixing it back on the rings. At the end of the valley we arrived at the control in Cold Harbour Mill in Uffculme for a welcome soup, a cuppa and a warm-up. One of the riders explained that her feet were like two stumps, ‘they’re so cold I’ve no feeling in my feet whatsoever’. I didn’t like to mention that Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the Antarctic explorer had a similar problem with his fingers after he took one of his gloves off and look what might happen to him.

Kentisbeare, Clyst Hydon and Broadclyst came up as we headed for the outskirts of Exeter and after riding along a number of new roads and over roundabouts which the Council keep building around the city saw us back at the finish just after three.

Thanks Robin and Pippa for the ride.

Interesting set of lanes around east Devon and with the changes in the route from last year we all had to be on our toes to avoid going off route. Hope to see you on next year’s event.

N

900 feet above sea level

From here we started the climb up onto the Blackdown hills. It’s about 900 feet above sea level at the top and someone had mentioned that while it’s cold at the moment you’ll feel warmer at the top. They were right, but now we’re experiencing a crosswind and the temperature’s not expected to get not much above three degrees today, that warmed up feeling didn’t last too long.

Going along Luppit Common and across Smeatharpe airfield the wind is never helpful. You’re either travelling at 25mph with the wind on your back, turn and

All photos by the author

Dick Turpin's Day Out 200 permanent – Steve Rowley with John on the right

Riders at the start of the Mad March 100k Crossing over the new bridge Organisers – Robin & Pippa Wheeler

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cycle touring

cycle touring

A kangaroo in the land of the Froggies

affords is the most economical way of getting accommodation.

Which are the BPF sites you liked best?

Those where I did not have to climb a long drag or mountain looking for a stamp!

What for you are the differences between cycling in France and Australia?

It is the importance given to cyclists on the road. In France, even if it’s not perfect, the experience is positive; motorists and lorry drivers are much more tolerant than in Australia, and there is less traffic on the secondary roads. Australian drivers drive too close to you; they treat you as if you are a danger to them and not as someone who has the same entitlement to the road.

An interview with former AUK Chairman Mick Latimer in the FFCT magazine Cyclotourisme Translation by Simon Jones The BPF, the Brevet des Provinces Françaises, is the grand brevet of the French cycletouring federation, the FFCT. It has 540 control points. To successfully complete it generally takes about 20 years, or sometimes 30 years, or more. But what can you say when the prize goes to a foreigner, and what’s more he comes from Australia?

This, however, is what has happened. Meet Mick.

I

was born in England in 1935. I had a career as a professional musician in the British Army and the RAF Central Band. Then I became a youth hostel warden. The bicycle and travelling have always been part of my life. I have lived most of my life in England, but I followed my Australian wife to her home country in 1989. I live in Tasmania near Hobart. Having taken early retirement at 55, I cultivated raspberries during the summer months for several years, which allowed me to ride my bike in Europe during the Australian winter.

Where did you get this love for the bike?

My first experiences of cycletouring were as a small boy installed in the sidecar of my parents’ tandem. In this way we travelled around the countryside of the north of England and the border country with Scotland, staying in youth hostels.

When I reached adolescence I went off by myself during the school holidays in the same areas. England rapidly became too small for my cycling appetite and, at 21, I made my first trip abroad to Norway.

Since then I have had adventures in many European countries, and my new life in Tasmania has allowed me to discover Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and, of course, Australia.

and I clinched my BPF 21 years later on 30th June 2009 at Monclar in the Lot-etGaronne department.

And France’s part in all this?

Until I was 40 I had only been to France two or three times. But after I joined Audax United Kingdom I rode there much more frequently. Le Club Camus in Boulogne, a very friendly group, got me acquainted with the very long distances of 600km and 1000km. They always gave me a very warm welcome. Then, having successfully completed Paris-Brest-Paris twice in 1979 and 1983 I began to get interested in the Flèches de France and the Relais de France.

But when and how did you get this terrible addiction for chasing the BPF?

To start with, the only reference to the brevets BCN [Brevet de Cyclotourisme National] and BPF was the mention of those initials on the route sheets of various tours, Flèches and Relais which I participated in. I only began to collect the controls in December 1988. Honfleur in the Calvados department was my first,

'Along the route I had "raided" 117 controles, and ridden 6,640km in 54 days in perfect weather conditions.'

Flèche Vélocio 1987 26

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What motivation led you to pursue the BPF when you were living so far from France?

When I left the UK in 1989 I had only collected 23 stamps and I got the others during my trips to France. It was this pursuit of the BPF that gave me this tremendous encouragement to come back to this country that I love so much.

This objective has allowed me to discover each corner of France and leave me with many marvellous memories, as much from its geography as from its patisserie and its gastronomy.

And how do you organise yourself?

I ought to say that these long trips would not be possible without the goodwill of my wife who lets me live my passion. To get the most out of a trip I need to be away for at least two months at a time. I get as much riding in as I can. For example, in 2009 I rode the Tour de France [Randonneur] in 40 days covering 4,800km without support.

In 2005 to celebrate my 70th year I decided to collect the maximum number of BPF controls in one go. I started at Mondoubleau, in the Loir-et-Cher department and I finished at Thionville, in the Moselle department. Along the route I had ‘raided’ 117 controles, and ridden 6,640km in 54 days in perfect weather conditions. A good collection of stamps and real good luck! For my birthday on 23rd July I celebrated at the marvellous FFCT establishment at Aubusson. I have only praise for their welcome: good and copious amounts of food, comfortable beds and the company of other cyclists. I can only but recommend it for camping which in addition to the freedom it www.audax.uk.net

For someone who travels so much in France, I expect that you must speak French quite well.

'With a bike you can go anywhere you like with very little money.'

Well, actually, no. I speak very little French. I can ask for a campsite, a coffee, bread, or a bed with just a few basic words. That gets me by because you cannot imagine how many French people are surprisingly kind and willing to help.

I have particularly appreciated their goodwill each time I have had problems and more particularly when I have lost my tent pegs or my wallet.

Thorn Audax Mk3

What would you say was your definition of cycletouring?

Well, I would say that cycletouring is the pure pleasure of the road ahead of you.

With a bike you can go anywhere you like with very little money; you can enjoy the elements, watch the sunrise and sunset, appreciate when the weather is fine and sometimes when it rains, savour the feeling of well-being the independence gives you, and only be dependent on your own effort. There’s a word for it: freedom.

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The guardian angels

In 2009, during my Tour de France Randonneur, I finished the day at SaintPère-en-Retz south of Saint-Nazaire. It was after 8pm and the campsite was full. I had to find some shelter for the night. After going round the village for a long time my searching led me to the porchway of a school in the main street; the spot seemed quiet, out of sight, and putting a brave face on things, I settled down to sleep. I was tucked up inside my sleeping bag when my sleep was interrupted by a blinding light which dazzled me. It took me several seconds to realise that my 'attackers' were two gendarmes who were asking themselves what kind of vagabond they had just surprised.

It took them a time to realise that I was only a modest Australian cyclist, speaking broken French, before we began a discussion at length in English, which these gallant cops managed with ease. Until 2 o’clock in the morning we sat on the steps of the school talking about facial tumours, the Tasmanian Devil, the merits of French and Australian partnerships, rugby, and, of course, the bike and my journey. Then having wished me a good (if short) night they left me … returning to wake me just before 05:30, the time I had indicated when I wanted to set off, complete with hot coffee and croissants.

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Footnote

The BPF is organised by the FFCT who issue a separate brevet card for each of the 36 provinces. Each province covers between one and ten departments. There are 95 departments in mainland France including Corsica. The sites are designed to be of historical or other interest.

So you really do need some years to complete the collection!

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international super randonneur

international super randonneur

Chasing a bright red patch with the world on it Judith Swallow

#1 Gold Rush Randonnée 6th to 10th July

Organiser: Davis Bike Club, California, USA

I

can’t remember quite how this ride got on my ‘wish list’, but it did. It runs every four years from Davis to the turnaround at Davis Creek. It does what it says on the tin, travelling through gold rush country in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

At 6pm several groups formed up for the dash through 100km of flat lands to Oroville. There the climbing started and didn’t end until the feared Janesville grade some 888km later. Then it was, as they say, ‘downhill all the way to the finish’ and back onto the flat lands where mosquitoes feasted on us. Rice is grown on land irrigated by dykes; hence the charming mosquitoes.

The ride turned out to be a really friendly affair, meeting up with old friends as well as new. I caught up with

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Mary Crawley and Jeff Bauer on their Comotion tandem and Bill Olsen who I’d see again on SMA. New friends made during the ride were many, but one that sticks in my mind is Paul ‘the Octopus’ Rozelle, one of three riders on fixed. The plan to ride with Carol fell by the wayside as she dashed off with the lead group, but over the next 24 hours a posse of Hans, John Evans (on fixed) and I formed and the rapid-fire exchange of banter and jokes made the ride a 1200km full of fun. We rode together until 20km from the arrivée where Hans and I managed to mislay John. He’d stopped for a much needed coffee stop and 40 winks, not headed down the freeway as we’d feared.

The ride organisation was good; the route fantastic with wonderful scenery, the only disappointment was that my ride jersey got lost in the post. Would I ride this again? Yes.

'… never done anything so silly since ­riding tandem with Jon Jennings.'

#2 London Edinburgh London 26th July to 1st August

Organiser Audax United Kingdom This was my second edition of LEL, my first was in 2005 but without a 1200km prologue! The WA group set off at 08:30 attired in our new team jerseys. It could have been something about the nice arrows or stripes on the jerseys, or perhaps our convict/ACP number 511501 that made AUKs wary of talking to us! During the ride, Nick and I hooked up with some great groups including bunches from Seattle International Randonneurs and Audax Italia. During the first day of the ride, Nick and I had the pleasure of riding with Rick Blacker from the US and Sophie Matter from France.

Both had preceded LEL with the Rocky Mountains 1200. Unbeknown to any of us at the time, we’d meet up again at SMA. The weather gods put on a spectacular display of rain and wind, but forgot to include sun in the mix.

Nick and I became ‘the group’ with John Evans popping in and out as he’d had the cunning idea of booking into a Travel Lodge or two rather than using the accommodation provided by the organisation. Despite the challenges of the weather, bunch banter provided enough entertainment for us to complete the ride with plenty of time in hand.

Judith and Jon Jennings on the Mountain Roads of Elenith 300.

The ride organisation was ‘interesting’ but the ride held together under difficult circumstances, so thumbs up. I preferred the 2005 route to this one. Would I ride this again? Perhaps.

#3 Madrid–Gijon–Madrid 18th to 22nd August

Organiser: Audax Iberia This was the second MGM. As with the first edition, it almost coincided with LEL, but this time they had been a bit more kindly and scheduled it two weeks after LEL rather than finishing two days before the start of LEL. I was one of the first three ladies to ride this event, the others being Spain’s Nuria Rodriguez Jurado and Italy’s Rosanna Bandieri. I was also one of a quartet of Brits who’d just completed LEL; the other three being John Barkman, John Evans and Peter Turnbull. John E was at this point, we thought, winning the crazy randonneur prize as he’d sneaked in the Super Brevet Scandinavia 1200 between LEL and MGM. I was unaware that Bill Olsen was on a similar run; his fourth ride was Endless Mountains 1200. However, SMA would prove a bigger obstacle to their attempts to ride six 1200km+ brevets in the same year.

Photo: Cliff Shakespeare

2009 started pretty much like any other year.

The usual winter e-mails were exchanged suggesting overseas rides in the sun. I said yes to John Barkman’s idea of Madrid-GijonMadrid (MGM 1200); then good friend Nick Dale from Western Australia suggested riding London-Edinburgh-London (LEL 1400) with the WA lads, another yes. Gold Rush 1200 in California had been on the wish list for a long time and it let me meet up with Carol Bell, Hans Dusink and his long-suffering wife Linda. The final piece of craziness was seeing Audax Oz’s SydneyMelbourne Alpine (SMA 1200) and another entry went in. It was only when booking flights and leave that I noticed the schedule.

The first three rides (Gold Rush, LEL and MGM) were within seven weeks starting in July. I then had a break of two months before heading out to SMA. I’d set myself up for an International Super Randonneur 1200 series on three continents in under six months. It seemed kind of crazy but also struck me as an exciting adventure, so having never done anything so silly since riding tandem with Jon Jennings, I hopped on a BA flight to ride #1.

www.audax.uk.net

We departed from Algete, a beautiful town about 20km from central Madrid, at 22:00. We were escorted by a combination of motos and mopeds for most of the night, acting as mobile route marshals. For once, Mr Evans had had a light bulb moment and had chosen a bike with gears as opposed to his beloved fixed, which given the amount of climbing we were going to enjoy, was a wise move. However, Pat Hurt hadn’t had the same thought and was riding his fixed Airnimal. Going down long descents in the dark, he looked like a Bugs Bunny cartoon not quite up to speed.

We headed out through a countryside turned the most wonderful shades of terracotta. As John said, we were seeing the visual of Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain. The weather gods seemed to be smiling on us, kindly providing a gorgeous daily 40°C of sun on our backs.

We rode over a 1,240m climb to get us up and over the Picos de Europa, where our world turned from terracotta to green all the way to the turnaround at Gijon, a working port on the Bay of Biscay. However, the weather gods hadn’t ordered 1200km of sun and as we chugged back up the mountain, we rode in a nasty drizzle that had been hassling us for a couple of hours. This didn’t spoil the drama of the narrow road as it twisted and turned through a rocky gorge. However, the drizzle didn’t have our climbing legs and departed a bit before the summit of the climb. After that, thankfully the sunshine reinstalled itself right up to the finish.

The motos were fantastic, constantly making sure we were all OK. They were even cheering and handing out Coca Cola at gone midnight on top of the climb from hell, following the control at Ayllon. Basically, if you could find a metre of smooth surface to ride at any given time, you were doing exceptionally well.

Following the route was a challenge, as the route sheet was in Spanish with no arrows painted on the road, unlike Gold Rush or Mille Miglia. Ray Robinson’s wife had kindly translated the route sheet into English for Ray who was also riding MGM. John and I were lucky enough to be given a copy, but for whatever reason, there was a crucial instruction missing with less than 100km to go to the arrivée. This led to an off-route excursion that added about 90km to the ride while visiting the hilltop town of Guadalarjara. Once John had figured which way the sun was turning (he usually lives in Australia) in relation to my 10-year-old map, we were heading in the right direction again. We pitched up at the arrivée with 1.3 hours to spare. John, Pat, Chris Wilby, Peter Turnbull and I then enjoyed a great festive lunch with most of the Spanish riders.

The ride organisation only provided the basics, but always did it excellently, including their moto team. The event

is very ‘Spanish’ with 85 per cent of the peloton being Spaniards. However, this contributed to the charm and enjoyment of this ride. Would I ride this again? Yes.

#4 Sydney–Melbourne Alpine 29th November to 1st December

Organisation: Audax Australia The idea of a straight-out 1200km ride over the Snowy Mountains captured for me the spirit of adventure and randonneuring. What I and various friends didn’t realise was that our spirit of adventure and enthusiasm for randonneuring was going to be tested 110 per cent.

We rolled out from under the Sydney Harbour Bridge as one big peloton of about 60 riders plus local route finders at 6am, headed for the first night’s stop at Canberra, the nation’s capital. Lots of good friends were in the bunch; Nick Dale, Dave Minter, Bill Olsen, John Evans (on fixie), Sophie Matter and Ricky XXX. The task of getting to Canberra had seemed like a straightforward task and one that promised a good night’s sleep (in randonneur terms at least). However, a full-on headwind installed itself, which remained there for the next 600km with rain thrown in as a special treat. The route and route sheet were both ‘challenging’ which meant that the group that formed after Gunning rolled in just two hours before the control closed. After a bite of food and a hint of sleep, we tackled breaking out of Canberra. My grupetto had the good fortune of Peter Heal on his recumbent as a ride guide before he headed to work after a night helping at the control.

Getting to Cabramurra at 1,400m in the Snowy Mountains, with the boast of being Australia’s highest town, proved the next challenge. At Cooma, having loitered in a control way too long with Stuart XXX, Chris Rogers (ride organiser) gave me a bum steer, telling me that Dave, Bill and John were ahead.

I launched a 110km time trial, unaware that I was chasing Dave not on his bike, but in a car because the three of them had fallen victim to the ride and were already out. However, my time trial saved my ride, as I got into Cabramurra with an hour in hand before the control closed, near midnight.

The subsequent descent and climb had gradients more severe than the Devil’s Staircase in Wales. An added bonus was the darkness and negative temperatures, due to wind chill. Then a crazy, twisty rollercoaster of descending and climbing to the motel control at Corryong and sleep.

I passed through the Bellbridge control, again in Mr Evans’ entertaining company. John, like a lot of the riders sans brevet cards, rode to the Melbourne finish just for the fun of it. With the sun out and the wind at our backs, the riding

Judith riding the Sydney–Melbourne Alpine 1200

'This led to an off-route excursion that added about 90km to the ride while visiting the hilltop town of Guadalarjara.'

was great. Control cutoff times were no longer an issue and those lucky enough to have brevet cards in their jersey pocket really relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

The last day on the road, 200km from Euroa to Melbourne, was brilliant. The weather was warm with a tailwind to gently push you along plus the company of good friends. I rolled into the arrivée with Dave, Bill and John to be greeted by lots of Victorian friends who didn’t ride SMA, but were enjoying a Christmas party that doubled up as the control.

It was the perfect way to complete my second ISR 3C. The ride organisation was excellent, but the route sheet ‘interesting’. This ride suffered one of the greatest DNF rates of all time (virtually 50 per cent), only matched by Endless Mountains 1240km, so a second edition might not be on offer. Would I ride this again?

Don’t know.

Final thoughts

A big ‘thank you’ has to go to all the organisers and volunteers that made riding these brevets possible. The rides not only provided me with fantastic challenges, but the opportunity to meet up withdlong-time international friends, in some cases multiple times and making new friend, who Iave yince had the pleasure of meeting and riding with again Chasingea ISR award (twice now) has encouraged me to travel to new and wonderful countries that I might have not otherwise gone to and filled the memory banks to overflowing; thumbs up.

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photos by tim wainwright

mad jack fuller – john seviour memorial Billy Weir

Bruce Dunbar

Chris Hough

Geoff Ericson

Colin James (right)

permanent

permanent

An excursion to World's End

keep meaning to honour my ancestors by learning Welsh but every time I open the book I can actually feel the blood draining from my face.

Retracing to yet another crossroads pub, The Five Crosses, we turned left onto the road that gives the calendar ride its name: World’s End. I was pretty excited by now because the name is so evocative and I’d never been here before and knew nothing about what to expect. The first mile or so has a pretty stiff gradient and is (to me) reminiscent of riding in the North Yorkshire Moors. The country falls away rapidly to the right and there are fine views of pine plantations in the distance. After the initial effort, we were soon having an easier crossing of the moorland and although John pointed out our route, which was distinctly ‘up’, it was pretty easy going and I was able to enjoy taking in the evidence of the area’s history, with peat diggings and spoil-tips from the lead-mining era.

Peter Bond

Innocent looking ford

View from World's End road

This is the permanent version of John Perrin’s World’s End 200, from Broken Cross near Macclesfield. The calendar event always coincides with my family holiday so I decided on the permanent ride, so that I could complete the set of John’s Broken Cross audax 200s, the others being The Three Loops, Knockerdown and Venetian Nights. On receiving my entry, John offered to ride with me. I accepted this readily; not only is he great company but he would know the way!

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arrived at his house a little later than planned having forged through the early rush-hour on the Manchester ring-road and, after we’d had toast and tea, it was nine o-clock as we rolled onto the Pexhill road and immediately into the country lanes of east Cheshire. We’d chosen the day because it looked as if it would be the last before the weather turned cold, wet and windy and, indeed, I felt the frost nipping at my fingers for the first hour or so, as we ambled out towards Goostrey. We chatted away, enjoying the spectacular autumn colour and speculating on uses for the redundant radio telescope dish at Jodrell Bank (jacuzzi, hanging basket, etc.), until John suggested that we got a move on, otherwise it would be midnight before we finished. He is a good judge.

At Davenham, near (or mercifully far enough) from Northwich, we stopped for our first control. We bought coffee and comestibles at The Terrace sandwich

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shop and enjoyed them at a bench outside the Bull’s Head, a fine coachingtype hostelry that was probably a hive of activity before the by-pass took the traffic away. The courtyard was illuminated by a firework of a beech tree across the way.

After lingering longer than we ought, we pulled out onto the next leg to Waverton, on the outskirts of Chester.

Within minutes, John had us leaving the road and onto one of the by-ways that make his rides so fascinating. This time, we were rolling down a leaf-strewn bridleway through Vale Royal Woods.

As we both stopped frequently to take photographs, it was clear that we were going to break no records on this ride, a realisation that was emphasised every time I stopped to sort out a squeak from my rear wheel. However, if we were going to be out a long time, we had certainly picked the day for it and if the sky wasn’t as bright as it might have been the colour in the trees more than made up for it.

Having got proof of passage in Waverton, we took a diversion along the Shropshire Union Canal to Chester.

The tow-path was in deep shadow, accentuating the colour in the bushes on the other side and the pellucid water.

John snapped a couple of swans as they grazed the bank at our feet. Leaving the canal at Chester, we wove between fine old warehouses to cross the main road before slipping down a side street to The Groves, where we had decided to have a bite to eat at The Blue Moon. This is a fascinating place. It is dedicated to the juke-box era and has framed sheet music

Juke box in Blue Moon pub, Chester

The Groves, Chester

Davenham

on the walls, featuring artists like Alma Cogan, Billy Fury and Ronnie Carroll.

There is a small screen showing grainy black and white music programmes from the era and the pièce de resistance is a garish neon jukebox in working order.

The place is justifiably busy and we ate our food outside at a table on the pavement, overlooking the beautiful blue Dee. This promenade brings back many memories for me as my wife’s aunt lived in a house on it for several years.

I could easily have called it quits here and spent the afternoon exploring, but we tore ourselves away and mosied along the prom, weaving through the people and past the warm red sandstone of which much of old Chester is built. We passed a wonderful old omnibus with an outside staircase, as it took its passengers on a sight-seeing tour, before climbing out of the city and south towards Wales.

Soon we were climbing steadily though rolling countryside that reminded me of the moors above Halifax, with pubs at the cross-roads – and sheep.

We were in Wales now, which truly is The Land Of My Fathers and we passed the sign for Buckley, from where my great-grandfather emigrated to County Durham at the age of 13, with his father, who was a miner. After controlling in Mold there was more rolling country as we made for our next checkpoint at the petrol station in Coedpoeth. Here I was as impressed, as I always am, by a little child of four or so prattling away fluently in Welsh; well, I have to assume so, as I couldn’t understand a word. I www.audax.uk.net

Suddenly, World’s End itself came into view and I stopped for the first of several pictures taken during the compelling passage through the gorge to Llangollen.

Audax riding has afforded me several heart-stopping moments (landscaperelated!) and this was one of them.

As I reached the top of the domed plateau, the mighty crag hove into view ahead and actually slightly below us.

For this we ride bikes. And it just got better, though you have to divide your attention carefully between the beautiful surroundings and the demanding descent. John puts a dire and perfectly justified warning on the routesheet about the drop to the valley floor. The road is narrow, poorly surfaced and at this time of year covered in beautiful but treacherous leaf-chutney. Then, halfway down and on a sharp bend, is an innocent-looking ford, where the stream drops off the mountain and claims right of way. When we got there it was only an inch or so deep but so slimy that great care was needed just wheeling the bikes through it.

Shropshire Union Canal, Waverton

The gorge itself, a magnet for past luminaries such as Wordsworth, is walled by a series of crags every bit as impressive as his native Lake District. They are of limestone but greyer than those in the Yorkshire Dales. They do look forbidding and have great grandeur. It is no wonder that the Offa’s Dyke long-distance path comes this way. As we climbed out of the gorge along a newly re-surfaced lane, the predominant features were farm vehicles and 4 x 4s, which were all negotiated in civilised fashion, against a backdrop of birch trees, whose tear-drop foliage shimmered like gold-leaf against the smoky silver of the trunks.

When we dropped off the mountains into Llangollen, it was clear that they were either expecting us or there had been an ‘incident’. The traffic on the A5 was backed-up in both directions and was being directed by the heddlu.

There were at least three fire engines, inflatables lay next to the parapet and crowds were rubber-necking on both sides of the narrow bridge across the Dee. As we wheeled our bikes through the crowds and up into the town, I ascertained that two children had got stranded in the middle of the river but were safe and being rescued. It did occur to me to wonder why it needed three traffic cars, and three fire-engines in such a confined space but I suppose one would bring the ropes, another a canoe and the third would have the sandwiches.

Whatever, the main thing was that the children were rescued without further mishap. Actually, a mainer thing was that a café closed its doors as John was actually trying to get through them. I told him he should have had a shave.

World's End crags

Local railway enthusiasts

On our way back across the bridge, I heard a familiar hoot and looked down to see a black five and a tank engine masquerading as Thomas below me. The local railway enthusiasts have got an eight-mile route going from Llangollen and it looked very evocative in the failing light. In fact the bridge we were on is one that was built to replace the original 14th century one so that the then-new railway could pass beneath. So, no hot drink but an excellent fillip, nevertheless!

John had mentioned casually, in a message before the ride, that there was a ‘bit of a climb’ out of Llangollen, which doesn’t appear on the calendar ride.

Actually the word he used wasn’t ‘bit’, though it did start with ‘b’. Do you know, he was right. I looked it up on the map the day before to discover that there was a double chevron on offer. It would be a good challenge. Earlier in the year I had put a huge 34t sprocket on the back to enable me to tackle a ride that included Buttertubs and Fleet Moss, both from the hard side. It had worked and I’d just left it on. However, I had become increasingly

Steam railway at Llangollen

John in Vale Royal woods

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permanent

irritated by the jump of 26 to 34 for the lowest two gears and was also anxious not to become dependent on the big sprocket until it was absolutely necessary.

So I’d changed it back to a cassette that went to 30 in measured steps. But the map had me wondering whether I’d been a little previous to change over just at this time.

I needn’t have worried; I can’t pretend the climb was easy, but I managed it without too much difficulty, staying in the saddle for the whole ascent. It would have been more efficient to stand on the pedals from time to time but with so much greasy leaf-litter about I was nervous about spinning the back wheel and having to dab a foot down. It’s a shame that it’s not on the calendar ride because there are beautiful views down to the right, over the Dee valley, and I caught an almost perfect romantic scene of a white house with blue smoke curling from the chimney, halfway down the slope and framed by the russet trees.

John also made the climb in good style and we coasted with some satisfaction down to Penycae, where we had a brief good-natured banter with some kids on the scooters that are all the rage at the moment.

Lighting up time

A couple of miles later, we pulled into Johnstown, with, for me, the realisation that the scenery was over for the day.

Not only had we set off late but our easy riding meant that we would be doing the last 50 miles in the dark. So Johnstown marked lighting-up time when we controlled at the Co-op. We were again unlucky in the matter of hot drinks but were well-served for reduced-price sandwiches and savouries. We didn’t hang about too long and were soon rolling again. With the exception of the alp in Malpas it would be flatland all the way across to the Welsh border and the Cheshire Plain to the finish.

As the night closed in, we approached Bangor-is-y-coed, also known as Bangoron-Dee, where we crossed the c-o-b-bl-e-d bridge into the village, having first committed a bit of cyclocross, lifting our bikes over the safety barriers that separate the main road from the old road 34

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Ford near World's End

John viewing World's End

onto the bridge. The pub and church in the village were both atmospherically lit. It’s the first time I’ve been through in the dark and it was nice to get a different picture. As John wound it up a little, I stayed at the back most of the time. Firstly, he knew the way (I had the routesheet but hadn’t relied on it at all) but mostly I was anxious not to drive him crazy with the noise from my back-wheel, which was slight but shrill. (I never did find out what it was; next day it simply disappeared.)

After stopping in Malpas for a quick bite from our supplies, we pressed on. I came up alongside while we discussed the possible origins of the name NoMans-Heath. We wondered whether it might be the result of some ancient dispute over grazing rights. It occurs to me as I write that it might be a corruption of Norman’s Heath, so I’ll have to research it one dark winter evening. Certainly it’s very flat!

The sky cleared from time to time as we wound our secret way around Nantwich and Sandbach and I was able to ascertain that we were indeed travelling in a generally northern direction by observing the pole star. Another big clue was the false sunset glow of Manchester, or Wen Borealis. True to form, John had a number of nifty short-cuts via cyclepaths to get us round some awkward junctions and I was again impressed by the work that goes into planning a safe and successful ride. However, the system was stymied at one point when a complete road closure meant that John had to draw on his considerable local knowledge to get us back on the route.

After a few moments’ deliberation, a lot of it in Anglo-Saxon, we were back on route towards Holmes Chapel and a last, deliberate, off-road section.

A bridleway of sandy gravel drops down to cross the River Dane before climbing to the village of Swettenham, which looked idyllic in the dark. After a couple more miles of back lanes we were back on the Pexhill road, which we had started on all those hours ago. A final climb brought us out of the dark to the bright lights of Broken Cross and the finish. We had been out for over 14 hours but this is not indicative of a struggle; we had taken it very easy, enjoying the route and each other’s company. Hard riders could expect to do this ride in 11 hours or less and it deserves to attract a big field on the calendar ride. It’s an almost perfect combination of a flat start, a scenic middle section and a flat finish. I was very grateful to John’s wife Elaine for feeding me at the end, which was not expected.

She must have been wondering where John had got to as it was after eleven when we arrived.

Thanks to John for the company and the navigation, Elaine for the victuals and Wales for its weirdness and waviness.

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plotting a route

plotting a route

Keep to the Roads 100 A pre-ride route-check

Graeme Holdsworth

Fryupdale

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set the GPS logger on my mobile phone to record, and set off from All Saints School in Ingleby Barwick for this route checking ride of the ‘Keep to the Roads’ 100km audax. I had plotted out the route from memory and with some help from Google and bikehike but I really wanted to make sure the route instructions made sense and that the distances were correct. Riding the first section with me was my wife, Carol, and my sister, Suzanne.

This ride does not qualify for AAA points, however, it is not an easy ride.

Cyclists will need strength, low gearing and good balance to ride up the 25 per cent climbs. You can’t relax on the descents either; they are twisty, strewn with gravel and occasional roaming sheep. Riding in the North Yorkshire Moors is a good challenge, and this 100km route takes in some really difficult sections.

The route starts off from the centre of the Tees valley and heads south, gently undulating over Seamer hill and through the new windmills. There was a lot of low cloud and a mist of rain coating my arms and chest, the wind turbines themselves were turning gently and facing south east, with the blades disappearing into the cloud base at the top of their cycle.

As we passed Tanton Bridge I saw a fully grown deer in the field next to us, startled and running away from us.

Cloud cover was lifting by the time we arrived at Great Ayton and met up with two CTC riders, Peter Sanderson and Andy Wills. Carol left and headed home, while Suzanne was doing the entire ride with me today. We rolled out of Great Ayton to Easby and started the first long climb of the day up to Kildale. The Captain Cook monument stands on the top of the hill, visible in all directions and in front of us we could see snow etching

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outlines into the sides of the Cleveland Hills. We crossed over the North Yorkshire railway on our way to the crossroads at Crag Bank Wood.

The pace was gentle because we were chatting, and also because I was watching out for difficulties with the route. By the time we reached the cross roads and the turning to Westerdale I realised that the route sheet was gaining cumulative errors, so I have decided to take a leaf out of Nigel Hall’s book and only list the distances between instructions. I have also realised that I need to warn the riders about the twisty, gravel-strewn descents. Care needs to be taken on each descent as riders may have to stop quite abruptly for wandering sheep, and the loose gravel makes this hazardous.

Lavatory bowls festooned with flowers

From the crossroads we dropped down to what is locally known as ‘toilet bank’ due to an arrangement of lavatory bowls festooned with flowers lining the wall of a house. Don’t laugh too hard though, you’ll need all your breath for this first climb which levels out for a cattle grid before climbing further still. Once over the top of this climb there is an excellent view of some of the climbing to come; you can see the next hill and the hill beyond that, with the ribbon of asphalt running in an unyielding line up the side of it.

The next descent is a popular location for sheep to attack unwary cyclists and at the bottom there is a ford. Today it was running at nearly two feet deep and the slippery cobbles hinted that walking over the footbridge was a good idea. The footbridge is slippery too, the wood being slimy and wet. Once off the footbridge the next bicycle skill required is ‘clipping in on a steep climb’; there is

'The next descent is a popular location for sheep to attack unwary cyclists…'

almost no flat to get started on, so riders will need to demonstrate great bike handling or take the walk of shame to the top of this little short sharp climb.

Another descent, long, fairly open, with gravel in the centre of the road; ends with a second ford, which today was not in flood. So I was able to ride straight over it and start to climb for a third time, up to the village of Westerdale. Just to the left as you pass the ford there is a disused bridge, with a circular style crossing and a date stone, very interesting and I wish I captured a photograph, but the gravel on the climb ensured I had to stay seated and keep pedalling. Through Westerdale and straight on to the highest point in the moors at Ralph Cross, 430m above sea level. Between Westerdale and the top though is a demon section of 25 per cent climbing which after climbing so far will take what is left of your energy, and when you reach the brow of the hill … you are not at the top, it keeps climbing and climbing. Along the sides of the road the snow was still deep, and the slushy melt water was streaming across the road.

Eventually we reached Ralph Cross and turned right on the main moors road to blast along to the Lion Inn. I did momentarily stop of get a bicycle-cross related photograph.

A pint of Wainwrights

The Lion Inn is a very popular public house, the food and beer is excellent but there can be a bit of a wait due to the volume of orders they receive. We sat by the open fire and warmed up our cold damp toes, knowing that heading out into the cold was going to be tough.

I enjoyed a pint of Wainwrights, a local brew, followed by jacket potato and chilli-con-carne; a good plateful and very warming. Peter, I noticed, enjoyed the treacle pudding and custard.

After a 50-minute stop, we headed back out into the cold, but this time with the light wind to our backs as we swiftly returned to the turning for Rosedale and Fryupdale. The moors were speckled white with snow on the brown and blackened heather, it was dramatically bleak and you wouldn’t want to be trapped up here without food or shelter.

Ralph Cross

www.audax.uk.net

A left turn at the sign ‘Fryup’ takes us onto a narrow lane. This section undulates downhill and I tend to pick up speed quite easily, but it is important to keep the bicycle under control here because the odd tourist can be driving up towards you and there is not much of a gap to squeeze through. More loose gravel and loose sheep; it is easy to be drawn into a sense of control as you let go of the brakes and gravity accelerates you, but the road has surprises and I will make a note on the route sheets that riders need to keep themselves and their bicycles under control.

The 200km ‘Ralph Cross’ audax turns right here to visit Lealholm, but we get to turn left and ride around Fryupdale to get to Castleton. The road stays fairly high on the side of the valley and gives a lovely view of the dales surrounding you. There is plenty of typical English farmland and associated birdlife swirling overhead. We have a slight climb to negotiate before swooping into Ainthorpe and hitting the main road back to Castleton. There is a gentle climb up the high street to the Castleton Tearooms where we take the left and descend briefly to cross the river and underneath the railway we crossed earlier in the day.

25 per cent climb out of Westerdale

Now we have a tough climb, not a difficult as the 25 per cent out of Westerdale, but on tired legs this is going to ask a lot of riders. The steepest section ends at the bend you can see from the bottom, but the hill continues for a long way after that, in stepped sections much like interval training. If you have had enough after this and want to go home, just take the left turn by the bus shelter and the route goes down to Commondale and back to Kildale, cutting off about half the remaining distance.

In fact, looking left here you can see Roseberry Topping, a distinctive hill with a sharp face where mining works have collapsed. However, for those who can keep going, the North Sea soon comes into view, with a vista that spans all along the coast, from the industrial to the natural.

There is a horrible 200m of A171 which I can’t avoid before we turn onto quieter roads for Lingdale and Skelton.

The route is marked by more downhill than up over the next few kilometres as we drop and eventually reach sea level.

The café on the right, Cat Nab Fish Bar, have agreed to serve riders on the day, and I’m sure they can turn round a fast cup of tea or coffee. Over the bridge is the posh and grumpy café, which advertises ‘illy’ coffee and has sandwiches on offer. But I have always found them grumpy towards grubby cyclists spoiling their perfect image, and at £5 for a couple of toasted teacakes which they couldn’t be bothered to put the butter

on, and expensive coffee too … just stick with Cat Nab Fish Bar, they will see us OK on the day.

A word of warning – don’t fill up on ‘fish ’n chips’ because there is a zig-zagzig to get back up to the cliff tops and the last ‘zig’ is the longest and hardest. If you like the flat hairpins on Alp d’Huez you’ll hate these sharp little devils but if you can fall into them, gravity can make the mistake of sweeping you uphill. Well, at least until gravity notices what it did.

After that I’m afraid it is a bit of a slog to the top. That was the last hard climb of the day, now we are undulating along through Saltburn-by-the-Sea, left at the tennis club, past the golf course, and on to Upleatham. A short section of nasty little busy B-road gets us to Guisborough and we are taken past the front of BikeScene cycle shop.

25 per cent climb

Watch out for vicious sheep

Seamer hill windmills

Once past Guisborough we are into the country lanes below the Cleveland hills.

Ralph Cross was at 430m above sea level, there is only one hill you can see, if you know where to look, that is at 435m.

On this ride you have been to sea level and then up higher than any of the hill surrounding you. Roseberry Topping is much clearer as you ride under its feet, and the slipped front face is clear to see.

In the distance to the right you might be able to make out the Seamer hill windmills, which is where we are heading shortly. We cross another railway line before we reach Great Ayton.

Great Ayton is the last control on the 100km route, and there are some lovely cafés if you have time to stop. We keep the stream to our left and head back retracing roads we rode to get to Great Ayton, over the top of Seamer hill and looking down into the populated and industrial Tees valley My legs are drained, the weather has been good to us today, we had great views of the moors and dales, the sun shone briefly while we were at the seaside and on the way back towards Great Ayton, the wind was light and didn’t bother us. I hope that on the 14th September we have good, long, clear views of the moors and dales too. It is a beautiful place to cycle, it is hard work and requires a lot of cycling skill, but the rewards are breath-taking.

The Lion Inn

Cat Nab Fish Bar

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london edinburgh london

randonneur HEADING round the IN year HERE

LONDON EDINBURGH LONDON

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t’s only a couple of months until the biggest Audax event of the year, London Edinburgh London. Starting at 6am on 28th July from Buckingham Palace and Loughton, Essex, over 1,000 riders will set off for Edinburgh on one of the world’s great cycling adventures.

1,100 riders from 35 countries

We were (literally) overwhelmed by interest in the event when we opened for entries in January. As I write this we have over 1,100 riders from 35 countries on the start list and a waiting list that grows longer every day. This year we are welcoming our first ever riders from India, Taiwan, Brazil and Belarus. It’s a shame we don’t have space for everybody who wants to ride, but we have been able to use the money from the larger than planned field to install lots of extra facilities for those lucky to get a place. These include professional catering at most of the larger controls, higher-quality bike parks, better IT equipment and more beds and blankets at every control.

We’ve published the routesheet

We’ve now published a draft of the routesheet on our website at londonedinburghlondon.com/route. It’s available ready for you to use, or as a spreadsheet for you to adapt to your needs.

You can also download a track for each section to use with gps device.

We’ll publish the confirmed routesheet a few weeks before the event, but unless there are any unplanned roadworks, the route is unlikely to change.

Help make London Edinburgh London a success

So far over 300 people have volunteered to help make London Edinburgh London a success. But we still need more help! Every

LONDRA EDIMBURGO LONDRA

LONDRES EDIMBOURG LONDRES

control needs more volunteers, but we particularly need people who can help at registration in Loughton, and at our Scottish controls at Moffat, Edinburgh and Eskdalemuir.

If you’re not riding, volunteering is the best way to be part of the excitement. We work just as hard as the riders, and we have just as much fun. Some of our controls are set in some of the most beautiful countryside in the United Kingdom, and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it.

We do our best to look after the people who create the fantastic atmosphere at controls. Every volunteer gets: • f ree food and hot and cold drinks (and maybe even the odd beer at some controls); • a commemorative volunteer t-shirt and lanyard; • all reasonable travel expenses; and • use of dedicated volunteer accommodation at many controls. Or, if you want to bring your own tent or campervan, that’s fine too at most controls.

If you’d like to be part of the action this summer, you either register online at londonedinburghlondon.com/volunteer, or send an email to volunteer@londonedinburghlondon.com.

See you in July!

The London Edinburgh London team

Right and above left: The LEL might have a surprise for you.

This is the route near Whittlesey recently.

Photos by Phil Whitehurst

Help make London Edinburgh London a success So far over 300 people have volunteered to help make London Edinburgh London a success.

But we still need more help!

We particularly need people who can help at registration in Loughton, and at our Scottish controls at Moffat, Edinburgh and Eskdalemuir.

If you’d like to be part of the action this summer, you can either register online at londonedinburghlondon.com/volunteer, or send an email to volunteer@londonedinburghlondon.com 38

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www.audax.uk.net

16th RRTY completed – and how Steve Poulton In the minor AUK Challenges, RRTY, to ride a consecutive monthly series of 12 BRM qualifying (>200km) events has become a staple diet for the hardy or adventurous cyclist. There are many who report a failed 12th ride (Lancashire Lad on yacf) and the associated frustration. Just to achieve a first RRTY, as friend Ann Marshall achieved in December 2012, or to achieve an Ultra (10+) like Phil Dyson also in that month, sets us apart from the summer-only sportive rider and enables an appreciation for the combination of experiences and planning that audax rides provide. Many combine RRTY with other targets, same route repeated, special machine, trike, tandem, MTB; perhaps an AAA series. In gaining Ultra RRTY status, Steve has used these variations, with trike, MTB, same route (Thames and Avon 200), AAA and same route (Gospel Pass 200), experiencing the breadth of weathers and mechanicals that could ruin any ride.

Here, he reflects on a typical winter ride, where mechanical rather than weather, could have upset the series.

I

suppose that was a reminder that these rides do not always fall neatly to a formula and you cannot take Audax points for granted. Mark Rigby’s December Knights and Castles 200 from Tewkesbury was easy last year and I loaded that ride’s gps track into my Garmin, as I did not have a routesheet (late entry), when I prepared for an early night. I made the early 0730 start, where most had opted for an 0800. Starting on lights would maximise daylight. Roads were damp but just warm enough to stay wet rather than icy. The day was warming and the sun shining and no wind; it could not have been much better and the Bromyard control stop, drinking tea alongside fellow Ultra RRTY Trevor Wade, reinforced the pleasure of the ride. The road to Tenbury is one of my favourites, either way, and today did not disappoint. The laney route to Ludlow suggested the lanes were mucky. But the rolling route had interest, so bonus. After soup in Ludlow, and pleasure chats with Mary Doyle, Roy Bishop, Steve Abraham and Mike Kelly, the real climbing began with a 190m climb through Mortimer Forest.

And then my world fell apart!

Passing through Elton at 85km, after a nice descent, hissing brought on a rear

flat. Out with the tube and no trace of initiation in the tyre. Uhmm? Off with the tyre and recheck. Tyre OK. Check wheel.

Rim tape showing hole into a spoke slot.

Initiation confirmed by matching big hole in tube, which, unsurprisingly, had not responded to the pump. So, emergency repair with a strip of cardboard and assemble with replacement tube; elapsed time 23 mins. Shortly into the restart, it is flattening. S**t! Repumping discovers valve insert loose; so finger tighten, reinflate and hope for the best.

Minutes later, I sensed a wobbly rear, so I need to find pliers to tighten the valve.

Meanwhile, I just reinflate every five mins/2km or so (or wait for passing rider with pliers?). This inconvenience also coincided with the hilliest climbing and mucky lanes, so my morale was going lower as time was lost to pumping. And then, a road closure turned the section to Lingen into a cyclo-cross as Lingen Bridge, previously a stone-arched ‘olde world’ crossing, had been taken out and all had to carry across the river on a builder's walkway and rough, muddy ground.

Five pump stops later

Eventually, 12kms and about five pump stops later, the Presteigne control seems dead in the afternoon, so no joy. So, I continued on a decent road to Kington, another 10km and four stops. A fellow rider collecting a Kington 112km control ATM slip, lent me some small snips, which seemed to tighten the valve a little.

Leaving Kington, a hardware store had some pliers, which tightened the valve further. That was 27kms covered in 2hr 34mins, so at least an hour lost on tube issues? Hope?

Result! Tyre stayed inflated, so was my decision not to fit the second (last) spare vindicated? I had been 15 mins out of time arriving in Kington and had feared a sad DNF, or at least the need to fit the last spare in Kington. Now, I was motoring again, soon alongside the swollen river Wye. After a dusk stop to don warmer night gear and take a nibble of crisps, banana and flapjack, I was leaving when Steve Abraham came along on his tank of a geared machine; what a relief: a fast pace and gps track sees the 20km to the final control at Wormelow within the hour.

By now, I am on Gospel Pass 200 routing, so feel quite at home through mucky lanes to and beyond Hoarwithy.

In the Marcle Ridge area, I catch up with

'The road to Tenbury is one of my favourites, either way, and today did not disappoint.'

Mary Doyle, stopped on a hill, having fluffed a gear change. I help a restart and share the road back to Tewkesbury with Mary. This reassures Mary, as she is using the routesheet, whereas I have local knowledge plus gps. To me, it was a great relief to be back on a comfortable schedule and I quite enjoyed the chat and relaxed Mary pace. It reminded me of year 2012 when I joined Lou Rigby on her AAA campaign. Also, I was able to share the potential achievement that awaited me within the hour.

I later reflected on the rear wheel, a Campag Vento eight-speed, circa mid90s. I had ridden this wheel on PBP 2011 and this year’s 600, a Dave Lewis special, a diagonal across Wales from Swansea to Warrington, so for the rim tape to fail now made me reflect on what might have been.

What a way to round off Year 16 RRTY …

… and there is more

Coldest day of the year for Man of Kent 200 riders Mark Fairweather and Tom Norris

A week later I completed a RRTY special.

Five years riding double January 2008 to December 2012, which could be described as a five-year Ultra. But that 2nd December ride was not without consequence and the next article describes.

N

Photo: Lise Taylor-Vebel

London Edinburgh London news

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randonneur round the year

randonneur HEADING round the IN year HERE

Steve Poulton describes the desperation of potentially losing his consecutive RRTY sequence as a result of breaking his left leg

D

o you need to be old to deliberately ride a ride as flat as practical? Well, how about a combined age of 200. I certainly will be lucky to be riding, or even alive anywhere near 100.

It so happens that my late parents, born 1912 (October 17th) and 1913 (January 26th), would have a combined age of 200 until next October; so, any ride on or after January 26th could merit as being in memory of my late parents.

But this tangential discussion arose out of desperation to maintain my RRTY programme. A hospital is a great place to relax and think. What am I doing here?

How could I have avoided the muddy lane slip? The sheer stupidity is that while proving a ‘winter’ good road route as a variation to my 2012 Cheltenham Flyer 200 Perm, I chose to take to the lanes after Lacock to Tetbury, rather than the Chippenham, Malmesbury main road.

2003) and Series No.17 (Accident was No.8 of series) I had till January 31st, 2013. I had already lost three days waiting for the operation, which was on December 19th. But this was different; whilst he replaced the steel pin, Mr Murtimer and his theatre team also strapped together the broken femur and replaced the hip cup. That immediately restricted the left leg to light loading for six weeks, ie, end of January.

Back to thoughts

What will be essential is to ride the turbo as soon as possible; also, the trike needs a thorough service, not easy hobbling around my garage. I may need to remove the left crank and pedal and fit a left leg rest. Email to Longstaff Cycles – the trike experts. Their reply identified a free left crank (ordered, £130). Medically, and resulting from the severity of the operation, I needed blood transfusions.

As a result, I resorted to taking an iron tablet every day. The crank arrived on January 24th, was fitted and test ridden five miles at an average 17kph. New chain was jumping, so I fitted a part-worn one, which trialled satisfactorily on Sunday

I have been through this before. In 2000, I fell on black ice and broke the neck to my left femur. The good surgeons replaced my left hip and I had to relearn the walking and cycling experience.

Then, I was walking full load on the left leg immediately, though balance and strength took time. It took me five weeks before I took to the turbo trainer and at ten weeks I rode a lumpy 25 miles on the trike. Audax was definitely on the backburner.

Fast forward 13 years

To retain RRTY consecutive (since July

Thinking aloud

To ride by end January will (more than likely) need 100 per cent effort on the right leg. Bending the knee was hard last time and will not be easier this time, at six weeks. Reassuringly, my final 50kms on the fateful 200km was on one leg and at 10mph on hilly ground. So, if I ride a flat(tish) route on trike and can ensure my right leg is ‘fit’, do I stand a chance?

Let’s ride

Strategy

Steve and Mike on the A38

27th. E-talking to folk and checking weather confirmed Monday January 28th as OF 200-day. Average speed for a local 6km circuit at a comfortable pace was 19.3kph, reassuring!

Which perm?

Invalid kit: trike, free crank, stick

Despite a stack of wonderful 200km routes on my Permanents List, even my flattest is 1,600m of climbing. To be successful, I must minimise climbing and ensure gradients are gentle. Looks like a DIY gps job. Fortunately, I live in Cheltenham, which is at the southern end of the Vale of Evesham. Terrain in the Vale is prone to flooding from the rivers Severn and Avon and Christmas 2012/New Year provided spectacular TV coverage. For me, if the floods recede, then the low, flattish ground could be just right. During my hospitalisation, gps perm organiser Paul Stewart visited me, so I promptly booked a ride. Now to sort it!

Progress

Mike, Steve, Bairdy at Hartpury Control 40

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I declared that I would ride turbo on January 1st (Op+13) after settling back at home and adjusting to this new sedentary life. This was achieved with a few minutes of gentle right leg work and relearning the turbo display and programmes. So, on a daily basis, I rode www.audax.uk.net

Mikey arrived on cue and we were off at dawn at 07.45, into the commuter traffic of Cheltenham and Gloucester. First problem was when, after 13km, I found my free crank dangling free from my left foot.

Obviously, I had not ‘tightened’ the bolt.

Guess what, no spanner. We were passing habitation and saw a parked gasfitter’s van. Within five minutes we were refitted and thought to buy an adjustable.

Stonehouse provided the control and a useful motor spares shop. From here to the A38 was laney and incurred a few bottom gear short climbs. Where we had received partial hedge protection from the south-west blast, the A38, whilst a good road, was more exposed and I tried to find shelter behind Mikey’s thin frame. And so to Thornbury for a Co-op top-up and control. I had perfected a way of strapping my crutch to the frame with bungie cords.

On the return to the A38, we found the previously hindering SW blast was now a bonus, which was to accompany us to Worcester.

Despite the headwind, we had made Thornbury at overall average of 15.4kph, within the audax minimum of 14.3kph and realised that we had to take advantage now. What I found particularly pleasant was to spin up to speed (30kph) and freewheel with the backwind for a few seconds and repeat. Approaching the Slimbridge turn, Mikey went ahead to order my lunch at our 80k point, the popular Black Shed. That was 80k in five hours with pace 15.9kph. That 23-minute break was to be our longest but we left still comfortable with our average pace. The A38 was the right choice and, whilst it was now raining, we were able

to pass through Gloucester with only traffic lights to slow us. At Maisemore, the river Severn had not (yet) flooded, so that suggested our (weather) timing was right. Through Upton-upon-Severn, the river was lapping but still below the road level. With the rain behind us, we continued to Powick and Worcester to join the evening rush hour. The diversion into the city centre was well routed for ATMs and to return us to the cathedral and the A44 London Road. Our pace to Worcester was 16.1kph, pleasing, as we had taken a couple energy/control stops.

I did not expect the slow, grinding hills out of Worcester, made more prominent by the one leg and weighty (40lb) trike.

We were travelling the low hills between rivers Severn and Avon, with the wind now more a disturbing cross, to Pershore and Evesham.

We noticed the high river Avon at Evesham, glistening in the night light, still grateful that the floods were still to come.

By Evesham our pace was 15.7kph, with just 36kms remaining and three hours in hand. Now the ‘killer’ leg to Tewkesbury, straight into the wind and a sting after the easy ride to Worcester. This is where the pace needed to be steady and I had few opportunities to rest the right leg.

We knew we were in time but I found this really drained me mentally. Even Mikey’s frame provided limited windbreak, so I was in for a hard time. Through Tewkesbury, Mikey phoned my wife to say all was well, as I found the last ATM control. Again, passing the abbey, the waters were close to road level. And now the final A38 gentle climb to Coombe Hill and sprint (?) to Cheltenham, where we traced to the bank near home. Our final time for 206.5km and 1,363m of ascent ensured a qualifying ride.

It was quite clear to me that my 26-day daily turbo training was the key to strengthening my right leg; but 200km is not a normal ride for a ‘new’ one-legged cyclist. To maintain my RRTY ambitions, I needed a ride in January and, from my hospital bed, hatched this plan and discussed it with close friends, with mixed reactions. Quote wife Shirley: ‘Absolutely barking mad’. What a relief to have made it work. I am truly grateful to Mikey for helping to make this ‘dream’ come true.

'… slow, grinding hills out of Worcester, made more prominent by the one leg and weighty (40lb) trike.'

Bairdy (iced up!) leads Steve Steve follows Mikey Steve and Mikey in Worcester

(chilly start, warming during day, cool later but hardly any wind and dawn to dusk sun): route (a flattish A38-based and designed to minimise climbing): and company (Mikey and Bairdy gave me shelter and carried my spares bag and suffered my slow onelegger). What would have been better was an active left leg. Trike it had to be (but stripped down to near racing weight!) and we managed a sub-12 hour 200. Thoughts and hopes now looking to March.

That was a hard day but has kept my RRTY alive for another month, despite my broken leg. Thank you Team Bristol Audax.

With their encouragement, I took 10lbs off trike weight and saved over 1½ hours on our January time. Our route was the same, now converted to an SP Perm with more practical controls. But the day was one to savour for all the right reasons. Under the perfect conditions, our pace was never at risk, averaging high teens throughout, though we wanted to maximise the use of daylight with only a lunch break in a sun-trap at Hartpury PO, our 100km point. I had maintained my Turbo 10m TTs, as I still found triking on one leg an awkward experience. It may be late March before I am stable on the left leg, so only time will tell how my RRTY campaign will continue.

N

And so to February

Mikey was keen to help again in February, as was Bristol companion Rob Baird.

The extra wheel would be a pleasure and wanting a late date and with Bairdy away at the ideal weekend of February 16th/17th, the weather forecast suggested Tuesday 19th as feasible.

Immediately after our ride I logged the following on yacf:

All photos by Robert Baird

Break-a-leg rides olde folks 200

the one-mile programme. On January 5th I rode four separate miles with my HR going well into hard effort zone.

From there I rode 5m TTs going through the gears as I warmed and extended the three and five-mile programmes.

By January 20th I worked the 10m TT to build power endurance. On Mum’s 100th I cracked the 10m TT Programme in 29m 31s. Now, it is rest up, watch the tennis (Aussie Men’s Final) and finalise detail with Mikey, my generous ride companion.

Final preparations were to confirm the route Controls and registration. Whilst looking at options north of Cheltenham, the route offering the least climbing suggested the A38 to Thornbury and the rivers Severn and Avon. One aspect of recent weather, ie, rapid thaw from previous weekend snow, could affect river levels, as in several places, we would pass through ‘flood prone’ towns. The chosen day promised high winds, warm and, after a dry start, fairly heavy rain. But the weather until the end of January was looking little better, so Mike Lane and I committed to Monday January 28th.

February ride completed on a day which could not be improved upon for weather

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

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diy randonnee

diy randonnee

The road to LEL – to Hull and back Martin Brice

S

omewhere in those rain-lashed Lincolnshire lanes, something inside of me died. Maybe it was the last shred of humanity, and its loss turned me into a cold-hearted robot, incapable of rational thought. I couldn’t say for sure how or where it happened. But many of you reading this will know the feeling.

The world is stripped of everything except the night, the bike and the road.

There is the occasional interlude for traffic lights and the routesheet. It’s great.

Our complex and fractious lives become nakedly simple, with no frippery.

That state can be very pleasant but this ride had the added complication of exhaustion, gales and rain so torrential that the Met Office had issued an official warning for rain. That we were spending our second night on the bikes, the roads were often under water and we had three punctures was just the icing on the cake.

It had all seemed so simple in the planning stage. But then, it always does.

The monthly Friday Night Ride to the Coast was shifting its start point from London’s Hyde Park Corner north to York Minster and we were riding to the delights of Hull for the obligatory Fat Boy Breakfast before returning home. This meant I would be on the route of next summer’s London-Edinburgh-London event. It seemed sensible to book a hotel room and have an afternoon of sleep before riding 300k along the route of LEL back to London as a DIY by GPS audax.

This would give me a valid ride for my

RRTY in April, a 300k as part of my SR and I’d familiarise myself with the final leg of LEL – the bit I’d really need to know when knackered.

Alas, it was not to be.

However, it all started so well, with 40 of us at York Minster and perfect, empty roads across the flat landscape to Hull. The night was perfect for cycling: cool, with little wind. As often happens on a night ride the usual timetable for living disappeared. It seemed perfectly normal for 40 cyclists to arrive in a tiny Lincolnshire village at 3am and walk into a pub that was open especially for us, where we scoffed as much grub as we could manage while swilling vast quantities of tea before slipping a fiver each on the counter and rushing back into the deserted night and disappearing into the dark landscape.

Sleep of the dead

We arrived in Hull about 8am and after a nice healthy fry-up I checked into the Ibis hotel at noon, where I fell into the sleep of the dead. There had been plans for four of us to ride back but Real Life got in the way and in the end we were only two.

At 9pm we scoffed burger and chips in the hotel and watched the litter in the street outside being blown around in a frenzy by the increasing wind. This meant one thing for sure: so far, the weather forecast was bang on. The only question was when the torrential rain would arrive.

As we left we told the excellent and friendly Ibis staff we were riding to

'At 3am we were wandering round a cemetery by torchlight looking for a tap.'

Floundering around Spalding – we went round the town several times 42

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London but if the weather turned nasty – which we expected – we might be back. Their reaction was: 'You’re riding to London? Now? On a bicycle? Tonight?'

So we were soon riding southwards across the Humber Bridge along the route of LEL. The forecast was for storms. To our left an enormous black thundercloud reared into the sky.

We were lucky to get the first puncture out of the way in the pitch dark and only the beginnings of a gale. At least it wasn’t raining then. The forecast heavy rain arrived at 2am and continued for 12 hours. Any plan to return to the comfort of the hotel was blown away by the wind: it was slightly behind us as we rode, and thus in our faces if we turned.

And the heavy rain was a big help – at least we couldn’t see the potholes under the covering of water across the road.

However, although we seemed to be in a world of water we faced the eternal problem of the night-time audaxer and the Ancient Mariner – water water everywhere nor any drop to drink.

Looking for a tap

We hoped to find a tap, and as we passed through small villages we slowed down as our eyes anxiously scanned houses and their car ports for an outside tap.

At 3am we were wandering round a cemetery by torchlight looking for a tap. Here’s a tip: to do this, you need a headtorch better than a £1.32 one bought on Ebay, post free from China.

At 4am we fell, locust-like, on a newspaper shop in Woodhall Spa that was just opening for business.

We were lucky to have our second puncture just after dawn, so the faint light helped us peer through the torrential rain to see what we were doing.

We could also see across the road into a brightly-lit and no doubt very warm house as the occupants settled down to a nice filling breakfast. At this point the wind was so strong and so cold that we kept our gloves on to change the tube.

This rendered me almost useless as I was wearing winter mountaineering mitts.

The arrival of full light allowed us to survey the watery landscape we were crossing in the relentless rain. At one point we took shelter under a church lych gate and munched our 'Surprise Rolls' the surprise being that all 12 were identical – a stale white roll with a single piece of cheese inside.

Only a fellow audax rider can www.audax.uk.net

understand the true delight of a stale cheese roll eaten in torrential rain at 7am after two nights without sleep.

Flats roads south from Hull

Those contemplating riding LEL will be pleased to hear the route is largely flat south from Hull until Saffron Walden.

Alas, this means when you get the third puncture there is no shelter and as the cold wind rips through your soaking clothing the chilling effect is unforgettable. Oh how we laughed!

But our spirits remained undimmed and I was particularly cheered by relaxing for five minutes lying down on a pavement in Cambridgeshire, much to the consternation of passing car drivers.

We stopped for food and drink at a garage near Stansted airport, which like all airports is distinctly cyclist-unfriendly: fast dual carriageways with heavy traffic and large roundabouts do make for an exciting ride, though.

After Stansted we were tiring fast. The GPS said we’d done the obligatory 300k and there was a danger we’d miss the the last trains home out of London. We were near a railway station: a quick phone call told me we had 20 minutes to get the next train to London. It was going to be close. Our exhausted bodies, shattered minds and damaged muscles were instantly transformed into powerhouses of energy and we stormed through the lanes only to arrive, exhausted, two minutes after the train departure time.

The train was five minutes late and arrived as we walked on to the platform.

It was as if our lives had been taken away and then given back to us.

We arrived at Liverpool Street and rode the 10 minutes to London Bridge.

As I walked on to the last train home and sat down I noticed a fetid stench in the carriage. I was alone in the carriage. It was me.

Alas the ride was not valid: 10.51pm on Saturday night to 9.06pm on Sunday night for 304k: an hour over time. Much of the lost time was spent failing to decipher the routesheet, especially in Spalding where we went round the town several times. So there was to be no RRTY and to do an SR I’d need to ride another 300k.

So was it all for nothing? Many people I know thought I was mad. Two fingers to the lot of them.

Pictures from the Dorset Coast 200 Photos by Simon Jones

Riders on the ferry to Sandbanks.

Approaching Corfe Castle

To sum up

No sleep on Friday night, six hours on Saturday afternoon, and 22 hours in appalling weather trying to navigate with a confusing routesheet, exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, gales torrents, punctures.

Would I do it again? You bet. It was simply awesome and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Audaxing at its best.

N

Mark Brooking on his 34th consecutive Dorset Coast 300 – this must be a record!

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reviews

reviews

Left: The Sport Support with quick release for bags and support struts to prevent sway.

Right: Just the right size for a Barley.

Pictured below: New CarraDry bag supported by a traditional rack.

For a large bag like this, you need the Expedition Support if you don't have a rack.

Bagman2 QR with Sport Support, £43 Carradice's new quick-release support is made from alloy and the supporting struts fit to carrier bosses,solving the problem of fitting saddlebags to saddles without loops.

It creates a rigid mount and most importantly, alleviates stress on the saddle rails, helping to prevent possible rail failure. It does a good job of stopping the bag swaying and keeping the bag from rubbing the back of your thighs while pedalling. If you

don't have bosses on your frame, you can purchase an alloy seatpost collar to attach the two support struts. The support is well made, comes in black and in two different sizes. The Sport, pictured here on my Thorn Raven Sport, is for small bags only, eg Barley or Low-Saddle. If you need to use a larger bag like the Camper or Carradry make sure you order the Expedition model which is wider and has a deeper drop.

CarraDry Bag, 15-18 litres capacity, £50 Carradice's latest saddlebag, the CarraDry, is a quite different design to the standard cotton duck bag, using a roll-top closure. Made from strong, waterproof reinforced PVC with welded seams giving it a shiny grey look, the bag feels quite substantial and when empty, keeps its shape. The PVC finish makes it easy to wipe clean too.

There are three 'pockets', the zipped one inside the bag, running the full width of the rear, is removable with a mesh front so you can see the contents. Ideal for hiding away valuables, documents or passport. Inside the lid is a zipped, clear-view pocket, just the right size to hold maps and paperwork and also somewhere to store the removable shoulder strap. The third pocket is a deep zipped compartment on the top of the lid, making it quick and easy to retrieve small objects like a brevet card, gel, power bar, keys, etc.

If you want to save a bit of weight (350 grams) the whole lid and inner pocket can be easily removed, the roll top closed with poppers and strap and the bag is then cinched down with the quick release straps (see picture above right).

There are six D-rings on the lid for securing additional loads like rainwear or short tent poles. A carry handle, an LED loop and reflective patch complete a well-designed and strong bag. The complete bag weighs 1,050 grams (2lb 8oz) which is substantially heavier than the Camper Longflap 890 grams (1lb 15oz) with considerably less internal space. There is a slot under the bag so you can slide it onto the Bagman support.

Is it waterproof? I filled the bag with clothes and gave it the standard Wainwright shower test: five minutes under my bathroom shower. The PVC was totally waterproof and the outside wiped dry in seconds, unlike cotton duck which, though waterproof, can feel damp after prolonged rain. However, when I removed the contents, there was a small puddle of water in the bottom which had wetted the clothes. This water had seeped in via the leather saddlebag strap holes, but to be fair it was a considerable water pressure and when the bag is fitted to the saddle, the loops would be virtually hidden under the saddle.

After many years of using Carradice bags with similar straps, I would have no hesitation in using this one in very wet weather.

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Bagman Quick Release Adapter, £6

RACING WEIGHT SECOND EDITION Author: Matt Fitzgerald Paperback 296pp 152mm x 230mm Published by VeloPress Available from www.cordee.co.uk £13.95 Edition 2 of this top-seller incorporates the latest research and best practices relating to food for athletes, training and weight management. This book is not about following faddy diets to lose weight, instead the author recommends proven eating habits and lifestyles for athletes along with modern training programmes to get you quickly into shape for your next major event. Primarily aimed at endurance sports such as cycling, running and triathlons, the book is also suitable for rowers, skiers and swimmers too.

This is not a technical book that will blind you with science but a book of practical and easy-to-follow guidelines to get you to your optimal weight for your sport.

Sensibly, the author recognises that all athletes gain weight at various stages of their lives like Christmas and the off-season and is actually in agreement with it.

Two of the most helpful and direct plans in the book are The Training Cycle with a six-step plan which includes: Improve your diet quality, Manage your appetite, Monitor your progress, etc. Then comes The Quick Start. This is a four-week plan if you're less than 10lb overweight to get you to race weight shape. If you're 10-20lb overweight, a six-week Quick Start is recommended. There are only five steps to follow: Moderate calorie deficit (best part is you only have to restrict 300-500 calories per day); Strength training; Increased protein intake; Fasting workout (easier than it sounds); and Power intervals.

Included are 18 daily food diaries from pro athletes reveal how they maintain and athletic diet. Not that you have to copy them and their exact diets, but you can take on board their methods of improvement to suit you. The chapter on strength exercises is tailored for whichever discipline you undertake, and the good thing is that there are only five exercises recommended for each. Get stuck in, work hard for half an hour three times per week and reap the benefits!

Check out this website for further info: http://racingweight.com

Lumicycle LED 3XML

Left: the LED 3XML with glow ring and eyelid.

This is an alternative method to attach a saddlebag to the Bagman Support instead of using the normal saddlebag straps. Basically it's a piece of shaped strong plastic with two heavyweight zip ties which are looped round the inner wooden dowel. It was a strong and secure fitting but I found it a bit of a faff securing the loops when the bag was full – lining up the small holes with the sprung clips took ages, defeating the quick release/fit concept.

If the bag is empty, fitting is not so frustrating as you can see what you are doing and make the alignment fairly easily. If you rarely take your bag off, this adapter is fine, but if you are removing the bag regularly when you visit cafés, controls or B&Bs, I would stick to the standard saddle straps. www.audax.uk.net

Below: my original LED 3SI

All reviews

by Tim Wainwright

THE RHINE CYCLE ROUTE – FROM SOURCE TO SEA Author: Mike Wells.

Published by Cicerone www.cicerone.co.uk Paperback 256pp 115mm x 172mm Another well-researched cycle guide from Cicerone, this time detailing a 1,378k ride following the Rhine its from source in the high Swiss Alps to its mouth on The Netherlands' North Sea coast.

The route traverses six countries in 27 stages of approximately 50k each passing remains of Roman cities, medieval towns, castles and cathedrals, palaces and great European cities. With detailed route maps for each stage and quality photos throughout, a route predominantly downhill, all the info you need for a ready-made tour is in this book.

Fit cyclists could complete the route in two weeks. A list of youth hostels for each stage is listed in the Appendix along with Useful Contacts and Principal Tourist Offices.

The new LED 3XML is considerably brighter than the LED 3SI which I reviewed three years ago. It features a complete internal redesign to house the latest generation of CREE LEDs. The flash setting is now accessible through the ordinary settings by pressing a short down from low mode; return to a constant mode is attained with a short up press. This makes the flash setting more readily selectable by road riders without accidentally plunging you into darkness. The whole unit has been redesigned with a separate back held on with four bolts. The new design improves the cooling efficiency of the lamp unit enabling it to handle the greater power of the new LEDs. The amount of current consumed by the lamp unit when the battery is connected but turned off has been reduced by 70 per cent, the red indicator light turns off after 30 seconds if the light is not used, so now you don't have to unplug the cable from the unit when it is not in use.

Using two batteries, I fitted my original model, the LED3 SI alongside the LED3 XML on my 'bars so I could see the difference when in totally dark lanes. To say I was surprised by the difference is an understatement, it was like chalk and cheese. The new light was so bright and white, filling the road ahead side to side and into the distance while in comparison, the original light was looking rather dull and yellow in comparison. The added bonus was the white glow-ring which allows other road users to see you side-on plus the eyelid which prevented any flare-back. Just using the lamp in low mode gave ample light in dark lanes, with three further brighter modes for fast descents or pot-holed roads.

For all this extra light, the downside of the new XML compared to the SII is the reduced run-time, which is down by about 50 per cent on Flash, Mid and High modes and on the Low mode a drop from 43 hours to 12 hours. So, on the average 600k night ride assuming about 6-8 hours' darkness, there is enough power to get you through.

If you take a couple of hours' sleep in the hours of darkness like many riders do, you should have plenty of reserve in a standard battery, but if you feel you need more runtime, order the Pro battery which comes as either a frame fit or bottle cage fit, that will double the run-time.

Lumicycle have a sale on as I write (mid-April) and the LED 3XML with glow ring and eyelid is £247, without £230.

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

45 AU

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populaire

man of kent 200 – photos by lise taylor-vebel

Dorset Coastlet

Tim Decker

Mike Plumstead

David Parker, Tim Styles, Nic Harrison

Martin Malins

Peter Bell

Mark Green

Tom Jackson

David Wyant

Bob Watts

Ribble Blue

F

Best weather for months

Weymouth seemed to be enjoying one of its better Sundays for some months with the seafront packed with visitors taking in the sunny weather, but that

Top of Steeple Hill east wind which had been blowing all morning on the backs would prove a bit of a handicap on the return leg back to Wareham in the afternoon.

Picking the way out of the town with all its new road junctions built to accommodate the extra visitors for the Sailing Olympics last summer past Radipole lake towards Nottington.

Harbour Hill, just outside the town caught a few out when they turned the corner to be confronted with a short, but very steep climb and still in the large front ring, a lot of crunching of gears to get up the climb. Minor lanes kept the route running west alongside Chesil Beach and on to Abbotsbury Swannery.

The Hardy Monument in memory of Capt. Hardy, who was with Nelson at Trafalgar, can be seen from some distance away, but when you arrive in Abbotsbury you soon realise there’s a very steep hill to climb to get up there. I think the hill got the better of most of us who had to resort to getting off and walking up, except maybe a certain recumbent tandem who managed it all the way to the top.

A long decent into Martinstown and then just a short ride on to Dorchester for the control at the ‘Top o’ Town’ café for a well earned cuppa and jam doughnut. This just left the last bit along the lanes through Tincleton and past Lawrence of Arabia’s cottage at Clouds.

This should only take about an hour to cover but somehow the organiser’s 21k turned out to be over 30k, making me wish I had had a second doughnut with my tea.

Thanks go to Peter Loakes and his team of helpers for putting together an interesting and at times challenging event on a Sunday which enjoyed some of the best weather this year. Hope to see you next year.

N

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Climbing up to the Monument

All photos by the author

or many years this event, along with its 200k Dorset Coast cousin, used to start from Lytchett Matravers but now it’s been moved to Wareham Quay giving riders a much earlier introduction to the climbs in the Purbeck Hills.

A large turnout of over a hundred for the ride this year leaving the harbour area at 0900 to go through Stoborough and almost immediately start the first climb of the event, Steeple Hill. A 120 metre 1-in-6 grind to get up onto Kimmeridge where you are rewarded with splendid views of the coast and the Isle of Portland.

This was followed by a fast descent down Whiteway Hill into East Lulworth then onto the coast at Lulworth Cove.

Unfortunately, most got there too early for the café, as it doesn’t open until ten on a Sunday.

Another climb up to Daggers Gate followed by a descent into Winfrith Newburgh and after crossing the main road enjoyed some picturesque rural lanes taking riders through small, out of the way villages before climbing over Green Hill and the descent into Weymouth.

Criterion Restaurant on the seafront must have wondered how many more cyclists would be coming in for refreshments. Not only was it a control for the Coastlet event but also for the 50 or so riding the 200k event.

John and Sheila Ward climbing up to the Monument

www.audax.uk.net

randonnee

randonnee

Yr Elenydd 300 Pip Magnus

The Elenith is a classic audax event. Starting from the village hall in the hamlet of Upton Magna just to the East of Shrewsbury, the route is out and back mainly via the quiet lanes and roads of the counties of Shropshire in England, and Powys and Ceredigion in Wales.

I

t sounds like an idyllic meander, but, leaving aside presiding weather conditions, this is a circuit with teeth.

It is both a test of the spirit and a balm for the spirit. It offers the rider a physical challenge which is hard to equal in a day’s ride, and thanks to the efforts of the organiser and his team of volunteer helpers, the structure of the event, by which I mean the controls, has a unique friendly atmosphere.

So, a 6am start on a fine, bright morning and a large group of approximately 90 riders head off through the lanes via Atcham, Condover and Leebotwood before picking up the normally busy A49 for six miles towards Church Stretton.

There’s a chill in the air and after weeks of enduring a biting easterly wind, we now do battle with a warmer but nagging southerly. The mighty hill, Caer Caradoc at 459m, guarding Church Stretton’s eastern flank, looms up on the left hand side, snow still visible on the top. To the west, the bulk of the Long Mynd overshadows the skyline.

Soon a right turn, and an enforced stop at the level crossing allows a big group to form. A steady climb, a rattling descent followed by another longer, steeper ascent, thins out the peloton.

Sweet Shropshire villages are passed through in the sunshine. Hopesay, Aston on Clun, Broome and Clungunford precede the bigger road via Leintwardine to Mortimer’s Cross. A love affair with this area began in 1996 on a very wet LeJOG tour. What a pleasure to return once again.

Soon we control at Shobdon airfield.

The staff do a sterling job dealing with the hungry hordes of randonneurs, desperate for their second breakfast. But whilst we are scoffing our food, the sun disappears, to be replaced by a cold and damp mist. I team up with fellow Muswell Hillbilly Julian Cole, who is a veteran of this expedition. There’s some rolling stuff and an encounter with one of the fixers on a smart Bob Jackson, before

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the climb of Warden Road. Hell of the North meets the Elenith. The road disintegrates into a 16 per cent muddy track where it is most difficult to avoid rear wheel spin on my skinny 23s. Good fun though.

A marvellous stretch of road to Builth Well ensued, with panoramic vistas and snow-topped hill lining the route like Nature’s guard of honour.

In the town it was parky, a stiff breeze having developed, together with a persistent drizzle.

On our way again we pedal via the town centre towards Beulah. The right turn to Abergwesyn signals a heightened sense of excitement. Sure, we had already been treated to some wonderful and challenging countryside in which to cycle, but the next section promises an epic struggle set in the backdrop of some of the most remote wilderness of the UK.

‘This is the only ride where you pray for gradients of eight per cent to come along for some respite.’

Heavy rain

The weather was doing all it could to spice up the day. Heavier rain coupled with a strengthening south-easterly promised an interesting passage to Tregaron. However, the start of this road is a benign climb through the trees above a tributary of the Irfon River. The rollercoaster road hits a high point of 332m before plunging down to Abergwesyn and climbing steeply again to follow the upper reaches of the Irfon proper through a magnificent, wide valley flanked by precipitous, rocky and ancient hills.

In the distance the much respected Devil’s Staircase strikes upwards like a ski jump and below it nestles a temporary gazebo populated by several slightly apprehensive looking riders and a gentleman checking our brevet cards fortified against the cold with a thick blanket.

The first two hundred metres of this tarmac ramp is all that is visible, and it is indeed extremely intimidating.

Julian set off and I watched him inch his way up to the hairpin. I set off and immediately, engaged 30/29 bottom gear and top speed of 3.2 kph. I made the first hairpin after registering 25 per cent on the GPS, the next hairpin was gained with 19 per cent, the road swung right and continued to lurch upwards like it had swallowed a packet of Viagra.

'Exhausted, demoralised, beaten, thirsty, hungry but despite this, generally in good spirits.'

Eventually I summited, but couldn’t find the energy to admire the view. A scintillating if somewhat cold descent was the reward for this toil, each valley trying to outdo the previous in grandeur.

What happened next was this: it continued to rain, the wind blew, my GPS registered a series of gruelling gradients of 16-19 per cent. My soul, fed by the majesty of the scenery, grew just as my physical and mental strength waned. The ascents of Cenglau, Gamallt and Esgair Ffwrd, preceded by the Devil’s Staircase is as good an examination as I have ever faced on the bike.

Finally, another speedy and slightly mad descent only pacified by a surprisingly stinky little climb just before Tregaron spat me out at the mercy of the women of the town’s bowling club.

What a gem of a control! All that agony endured on the road was worth it to hear the gently lilting voices of these ladies as they cheerfully dispensed food to the mob of soaking, freezing ‘athletes’.

And so, the first five minutes after departing were spent getting warm. We were now headed for Pontrhydfendigaid and Pontrhydgroes, with the promise of a tailwind. There is a stiff climb out of the former town followed by a cracking road with a stretch of the best tarmac in the world. At Pontrhydgroes there is a climb. You bet there is! The right turn to Hafod is brutal. This is the only ride where you pray for gradients of eight per cent to come along for some respite. That includes the Kiddy Killer.

Exhausted, demoralised, beaten, thirsty, hungry but despite this, generally in good spirits, we passed through Cwmystwyth to tackle the wind tunnel that is known as the Elan Valley. What happened to the promised tailwind?

Onwards we plodded, past slate quarries, through snow drifts, over bridges, climbing ever upwards into the gwynt (Welsh for wind). Heroic landscape, whose finery it would be good to witness in the sunshine. Finally at 488m, we crested the top of the world and plummeted down into Rhyader and the warmth of the Strand tearooms. The staff dealt efficiently with the mass of dripping cyclists.

I ordered a double cappuccino, chicken baguette, Coca-Cola and bacon pasty, £7.20 in total. Very reasonable, it didn’t touch the sides. At this point, if I had the guts I would have packed, but www.audax.uk.net

I’m gutless, so I didn’t. There was a nice bit of banter with other riders and that cheered me up. From Rhyader, I found some form and did some big pulls on the front. It helped enormously that my stomach was half full and that we now had some semblance of a tailwind. It had also warmed up a little. A wonderful tract of road led us towards Knighton. Even though there were some draggy ‘ups’, they went almost unnoticed compared to what had gone before. Negotiating the lanes in the darkness, we came quite swiftly to the wonderful control at Little Brampton. Ushered inside, fed (beef stew!), watered, warmed up, only the mention of the climb over the Long Mynd could put a dampener on our little party.

What a treat for the knackered two-wheel wanderer.

The final stage

So we set off on the final stage, dodging frogs on the road, taking care not to get lost and enjoying the peace and calm of the night. The stony climb up to Wentnor reminded us that it was not over, but when the right turn to Thresholds and the Mynd presented itself, we need not have been fearful, yes, it was steep but not too long and a marvellous descent followed to Dorrington. The final push to Upton Magna was enjoyable, and a most warm welcome awaited us in the village hall.

Yr Elenydd, it is a classic ride and I am so pleased to have finally been a part of it.

Above: Man of Kent 200 start Left: Javier Gonzales Right: Richard Ellis Photos: Lise TaylorVebel

N

A cycling adventure tour covering the best cycle routes around the Kathmandu valley.

Ride in the foothills of the mighty Himalaya and visit medieval towns and sacred sites.

The terrain is hilly in places, and roads are often poorly surfaced, thus a mountain bike is necessary, but the rewards are fantastic!

Maintenance for beginners > Velotech accredited courses > Wheelbuilding > On and off-road cycling skills >

/cycletrainingwales

@cycletraining

Flight from Heathrow and luggage carried.

Good hotels, with many meals included.

For further details: Daryl & Fiona Pollitt - 01457 860593

www.ctctours.co.uk/tours/solo.php?Tour=1371

www.cycletrainingwales.org.uk 029 2039 7283

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

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auk calendar

Calendar key A(1) free/cheap accommodation 1 night

B very basic – no halls/beds, etc BD baggage drop DIY own route and controls, cards by post R free or cheap refreshments at start and/or finish S showers Z sleeping facilities on route 175 entries close at 175 riders YH youth hostel at/near start

auk calendar C camping at or near the start F some free food and/or drink on ride L left luggage facilities at start P free or cheap motor parking at start T toilets at start M mudguards required X some very basic controls (eg service stations) (14/4) entries close 14th April

200 13 Apr Ballachulish The Port Navigation 08:00 Sat BR 2650m £10 YH C F L P T S [4/4] 15-30kph

Audax Ecosse graemewyllie@aol.com

Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD 200 13 Apr Honiton Valley of the Rocks 200 08:00 Sat BRM 205km 3900m AAA4 £7.00 L P R T 40 15-30kph

Exeter Whs ian@ukcyclist.co.uk ROA 10000 Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU 110 13 Apr Reepham, near Lincoln Lincoln Imp 09:30 Sat BP 112km 200m £5.00 P R F L T 10-30kph Lincs. DA

Andrew Townhill, 80 Rudgard Avenue Cherrry Willingham Lincoln LN3 4JG 200 13 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Two Battles 08:00 Sat BR 209km 2300m £5.00 P R T 50 15-30kph 150 13 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Towering Trees 09:00 Sat BP 157km 1630m £5.00 P R T 50 14-30kph 110 13 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH The Essex Bridge 09:30 Sat BP £5.00 P R T 50 15-30kph 50 13 Apr Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Just a Chuffing 50 10:00 Sat BP £3.50 P R T 50 10-20kph

Tamworth CC audaxgeoff@gmail.com

Geoffrey Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth B78 1BY 300 13 Apr Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Yr Elenydd (…There and Back Again) 06:00 Sat BRM 305km 4950m AAA5 £10.00 A(2) C F L P R T (100) 15-25kph

CTC Shropshire undulates@hotmail.co.uk ROA 10000 John Hamilton, 22 Oaks Crescent Wellington Telford TF1 2HF 200 14 Apr Congleton, Cheshire Ironbridge 207 08:00 Sun BR 207km 2130m £5.50 P R T 15-30kph 130 14 Apr Congleton, Cheshire Hawkstone 133 08:30 Sun BP 133km £4.50 P R T 15-30kph

Congleton CC

Rob Waghorn, The Querns Congleton Edge Cheshire CW12 3NB 100 14 Apr Falmouth A Cornish 100 09:00 Sun BP 103km £4.00 F L P R S T 12-25kph 50 14 Apr Falmouth A Bunny Hop 10:00 Sun BP £4.00 F L P R S T 8-20kph Falmouth Whs.

Adrian Hitchman, 39 Mongleath Rd Falmouth Cornwall TR11 4PN 110 14 Apr Maidenhead 10 Thames Bridges 09:00 Sun BP 111km £3.00 P R T 15-30kph 62 14 Apr Maidenhead Kaf to Kaf 10:00 Sun BP £3 PRT 12-25kph

Willesden CC 07763 765 802 mick.hill56@hotmail.co.uk.

Mick Hill, 5 Castle Farm White Horse Road Windsor Berks SL4 4PT 100 14 Apr Polegate, near Hailsham, East Sussex Hell of the Sussex Coastal Hills 09:00 Sun BP 106km 1893m AAA1.75 £6.00 P F T (500) 13-25kph 100 14 Apr Polegate, near Hailsham, East Sussex For those who don't do hills 100 09:00 Sun BP 650m £6.00 F P T (500) 15-30kph

David Hudson ROA 25000 Dave Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6LG 300 20 Apr Cirencester Heart of England 300 06:00 Sat BR 307km 2800m £6.00 A(2) L P R T 100 15-30kph

Corinium CC 01285 659 515 petergholden@btopenworld.com

ROA 5000 Peter Holden, 39 Querns Lane Cirencester Glos GL7 1RL 200 20 Apr Eardisland, near Leominster The Cambrian 08:00 Sat BR 208km 3750m AAA3.75 £7.00 L P R T 15-30kph 140 20 Apr Eardisland Village Hall, near Leominster Cambrian Minor 08:30 Sat BP 2250m AAA2.25 £6.00 L P R T 10-30kph Hereford Wheelers

Nigel Jones, Croft Barns Passa Lane Ryelands Leominster HR6 8QB 300 20 Apr Manningtree, Colchester Green & Yellow Fields 00:01 Sat BR 305km 1500m £4.00 PT X 10/04 15-25kph Change of Date Flitchbikes CC tom.deakins@btinternet.com

Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA 300 20 Apr Musselburgh Merse and Moors 06:00 Sat BR 4200m AAA4.25 £5.00 X P R 15-30kph 50

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Audax Ecosse martinfoley@btinternet.com

Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU 300 20 Apr Poynton, S of Stockport Plains 23:00 Sat BR 310km £5.00 P X 15-30kph

Peak Audax hamhort84@talktalk.net

Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Ave Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ 80 21 Apr Abingdon Freewheeling Spring Ride 10:00 Sun BP £4 T 5/4 13-30kph

Didcot Phoenix CC

Matthew Chambers, 23 Abbey Brook Didcot OX11 7FY 110 21 Apr Bishops Lydeard, NW of Taunton Dustman Dave's Doddle 09:00 Sun BP 114km £4.50 L P R T 10-30kph 64 21 Apr Bishops Lydeard, NW of Taunton Dustman Dave's Diddy Doddle 09:30 Sun BP £3.50 L P R T 10-30kph

Wellington Whs CC 01823 354 477

Dave Sanders, 34 Blackdown Road Taunton Somerset TA2 8EZ 100 21 Apr Box Hill, Surrey Surrey Hillier 09:30 Sun BP 103km 2130m AAA2.25 £6 FLRTP 20/4 (50) 13-30kph Updated 60 21 Apr Box Hill, Surrey Surrey Hills 10:30 Sun BP 1000m AAA1 £6 FLRTP 20/4 (50) 10-25kph

Redhill CC waweirauk@btinternet.com

William Weir, Flat 8 Burlington Court 158 Station Road Redhill Surrey RH1 1JE 110 21 Apr Hebden Bridge Spring into the Dales 09:00 Sun BP 2350m AAA2.25 £4.00 L R T YH 12-24kph 53 21 Apr Hebden Bridge Leap into the Aire 10:00 Sun BP 1325m AAA1.25 £3.50 L R T YH 8-20kph W. Yorks DA 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 10000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF 100 21 Apr Merthyr Tydfil Rhondda Traverse 09:00 Sun BP 109km 2100m AAA2 £4.50 P R T 12-30kph

Merthyr Cycling Club dpjones2010@btinternet.com

David Jones, 2 Brunswick Street Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8SB 200 21 Apr Shenstone, Staffs Castleton Classic Revised 08:00 Sun BR 213km 2963m AAA3 £7.50 F L P R T 15-30kph 160 21 Apr Shenstone, Staffs Derbyshire Dales 08:30 Sun BP 1680m £7.00 F L P R T 15-30kph 100 21 Apr Shenstone, Staffs Staffordshire Lanes 09:00 Sun BP 102km 680m £5.00 L P R T 12.5-25kph

CTC North Birmingham audax@nbctc.co.uk

Terry Dwyer, 5 Damson Grove Solihull B92 9EN 110 24 Apr Maidenhead Riverside to Riverside 10:00 Wed BP 118km £3.00 P R T 15-30kph

Willesden CC 07763 765 802 mick.hill56@hotmail.co.uk.

Mick Hill, 5 Castle Farm, White Horse Road, Windsor, Berks. SL4 4TP 200 27 Apr Droitwich Three Counties Revisited 08:15 Sat BR 207km £4 C P R T M 14.4-25kph

Gavin Greenhow 01905 775 803

ROA 10000 Gavin Greenhow, 44 Newland Road Droitwich WR9 7AG 300 27 Apr Hodsoll Street, near Meopham Oasts and Coasts 300 06:00 Sat BR £6 LPTR 15-30kph

Independent 01474 815 213 tom56jackson@gmail.com

ROA 4000 Tom Jackson, 19 Denesway Meopham Kent DA13 0EA 300 27 Apr Newton Abbot TQ12 1LJ Chris Bennett 300 06:00 Sat BR 4050m AAA4 £8.00 A(2) L P R T S 15-30kph

CTC Devon thfincher@aol.com

Rod Pash, c/o 53 Regent Street Exeter EX2 9EG 200 27 Apr Whaley Thorns, near Mansfield Lincolnshire Cross 08:00 Sat BR 215km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph

Bolsover & District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net ROA 3000 Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close Bolsover Chesterfield S44 6RL 300 27 Apr Whittlesford, near Cambridge Cambridge 300 06:00 Sat BR [1700m] £7.00 LPRTM (60) 15-25kph New Event Cambridge CC Terry.Dickerson@TalkTalk.net

Terry Dickerson, 6 Ley Grove Cottages Whittlesford Road Little Shelford Cambridge CB22 5EX 200 28 Apr Bicknacre village hall, Bicknacre Witham Westerley 08:00 Sun BR 208km £7.00 L P R T 100 15-30kph Updated 160 28 Apr Bicknacre village hall, Bicknacre Witham 150 08:30 Sun BP £6.00 F L P R T 15-30kph Updated 100 28 Apr Bicknacre village hall, Bicknacre Witham Wander 09:00 Sun BP 106km £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph Updated Cycle Club Sudbury 07752 305 476 withamaudax@aol.com

Ed Nevard, 83 London Road Kelvedon Essex CO5 9AU

www.audax.uk.net

200 28 Apr Halifax The Red Rose Ride 08:00 Sun BR 2600m AAA1.5 [1500m] £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph W. Yorks DA dmdodwell@gmail.com

Dave Dodwell, 32 Parkside Avenue Queensbury Bradford BD13 2HQ 200 28 Apr High Ham, SW of Street The Nutty Nuns 08:00 Sun BR 201km £6.50 F L P R T 15-30kph 100 28 Apr High Ham, SW of Street The Merry Monk 09:30 Sun BP 105km £6.00 F L P R T 12.5-25kph

Bristol DA 01823 690 038 lillymark@btinternet.com

Mark Lilly, Applehayes Main Road Middlezoy Bridgwater TA7 0PB 110 28 Apr Northmoor, W of Oxford The Harlequin Hack 09:30 Sun BP 600m £5.50 YH C F L P R S T 100 15-30kph

Harlequins CC jordancottage@sky.com

Ken Knight, Jordan Cottage Picklescott Church Stretton Shropshire SY6 6NR 400 04 May Chepstow Brevet Cymru 06:00 Sat BRM 401km 4900m AAA2.25 [2300m] £9.00 c f l p r t nm z 100 15-30kph

BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net ROA 10000 Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ 150 04 May Forfar, Lochside Leisure Centre Amulree for Tea 09:00 Sat BP £3.00 C P T S 15-30kph Updated 50 04 May Forfar, Lochside Leisure Centre Lintrathen Loop 10:00 Sat BP £2.50 C L T R P 10-25kph Updated Angus CC 01307 466123 d.c.husband@btinternet.com ROA 2000 David Husband , 78 Old Halkerton Road Forfar DD8 1JP 100 04 May Hailsham, East Sussex The Hell Forest 100 09:00 Sat BP 1450m £6.00 P F (500) 15-30kph

David Hudson ROA 25000 Dave Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6LG 110 04 May Parkend, Forest of Dean The Lumpy Scrumpy 100 10:00 Sat BP 1850m AAA1.75 £5.00 YH C P T 75 12-25kph

Royal Dean Forest CC p.steve21@yahoo.co.uk

Steve Price, 7 Allsopp Close Newnham On Severn Glos GL14 1DP 200 05 May Bedford Dassett Dawdle 08:00 Sun BR 213km £6 L P R 15-30kph

CTC Bedfordshire jackie.popland@ntlworld.com

Jackie Popland, 48 Haylands Way Bedford MK41 9BU 200 05 May Forfar Deeside Loop 08:00 Sun BR 2450m AAA2 [2025m] £6.00 C F P R S T 15-30kph Updated Angus CC d.c.husband@btinternet.com ROA 3000 David Husband, 78 Old Halkerton Road Forfar Angus DD8 1JP 100 05 May Forfar Glen Isla 08:30 Sun BP 102km £5.00 C F P R S T 12.5-25kph Updated CTC Tayside 01575 574 082 harrow@macace.net ROA 3000 Ron Harrow, Edgar Cottage 21 Glamis Road Kirriemuir DD8 5BN 100 05 May Grange School Pavilion, Hartford Ron Sant Memorial Ride 9:00 Sun BP 106km £5 P R T S 15-30kph Weaver Valley

Derek Heine, 10 Whitehall Drive Hartford Northwich Cheshire CW8 1SJ 200 05 May Morpeth, near Newcastle Chevy Chase 08:00 Sun BR 201km 3000m AAA3 £7.00 F L P R T 60 27/4 15-30kph 100 05 May Morpeth, near Newcastle Burma Road 09:00 Sun BP 1600m AAA1.5 £5.00 FPRT 12-25kph

Tyneside Vagabonds hedleya167@gmail.com

Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX 400 05 May Poole Porkers 400 14:00 Sun BRM 5900m AAA6 £10 L P R T M (50) (21/4) 15-30kph

Wessex CTC

Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT 100 05 May Ugley The Counties Festival 100 09:30 Sun BP 102km £5 L P R T S 15-30kph 53 05 May Ugley The Counties Festival 50 10:30 Sun BP £5 L P R T S 12-25kph

ECCA 01245 467 683 ROA 5000 Terry Anderson, 1 Claypits Road Boreham Chelmsford Essex CM3 3BZ 100 08 May Hurst, E of Reading Dinton 100 10:00 Wed BP 103km £3.00 L P R T 60 15-30kph

Reading DA emaich7@gmail.com

Mike Hardiman, 7 Somerset Close Woosehill Wokingham RG41 3AJ 300 11 May Alfreton, NW of Nottingham Everybody Rides to Skeggy!

06:00 Sat BR 302km 1141m £7.00 L R P T X 100 15-30kph

Alfreton CTC 01 773 828 737 auk@ishorne.gotadsl.co.uk ROA 2000 Ian Horne, 32 Ashop Road Belper Derbys. DE56 0DP 100 11 May Alveston, N Bristol South Glos 100 09:30 Sat BP 106km £5.00 P R T 150 12.5-25kph

Bristol DA nick.horne1@googlemail.com

Nick Horne, 96 Ryecroft Road Frampton Cotterell Bristol BS36 2HH

400 11 May 06:00 Sat

Chalfont St Peter Severn Across BR 407km 3500m £5.00 YH L P R T 70 15-30kph Willesden CC Liam Fitzpatrick, 13 Heron Close Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 1NF

300 11 May 06:00 Sat

ROA 10000

Honiton BRM 3400m £8.00 LPRT 15-30kph Exeter Whs 01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU

400 11 May 09:00 Sat

Manningtree, Colchester Asparagus & Strawberries BR 416km 2600m £4.00 PT X 01/05 15-25kph Flitchbikes CC tom.deakins@btinternet.com Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA

400 11 May 07:00 Sat

South Queensferry Berwick & Beattock BRM £2 BX 15-30kph Audax Ecosse graemewyllie@aol.com Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD

300 05:00

Wigginton, York BR 302km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph

11 May Sat

Old Roads 300

Wigginton 300

100 11 May 10:00 Sat

Wigginton, York Wiggy 100 BP £2.50 A(1) YH L P R T 12-24kph CTC North Yorks 01904 769 378 dk.benton@virgin.net Keith Benton, 127 Greenshaw Drive Wigginton York YO32 2DB

200 12 May 08:00 Sun Updated

Broken Cross, near Macclesfield BR 210km 2450m AAA2 [1930m] £7.50 F L P R T 14.3-25kph Peak Audax perrin_john@sky.com John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB

100 08:00

Budleigh Salterton, Devon Jurassic Roller Coaster (E. Devon Grimpeur) BP 1750m AAA1.75 £6 P R T NM 12.5-25kph

12 May Sun

50 12 May 09:00 Sun

Budleigh Salterton, Devon BP [1750m] £5 P R T NM 12.5-25kph CS Dynamo Colin Mathison, 29 Chaucer Rise Exmouth Devon EX8 5SY

200 08:00

12 May Sun

Lymington BR 204km £6.00 C L P R T 100 (7/5) 15-30kph

160 08:00

12 May Sun

Lymington BP £6 C L P R T 100 (7/5) 15-30kph

World's End

Otter Spotter

New Forest Excursion New Forest Century

100 12 May 10:00 Sun

ROA 5000

Lymington New Forest Day Out BP 104km [2m] £6.00 C L P R T 100 (3/5) 10-20kph W J Ward 01590 671 205 cyclingnewforest@gmail.com John Ward, 34 Avenue Road Lymington Hants SO41 9GJ

200 08:00

12 May Sun

Meopham, near Gravesend BR 1756m [2400m] £6.00 P R T 15-30kph

Hop Garden 200km

160 08:30

12 May Sun

Meopham, near Gravesend BP 1756m [2200m] £6.00 P R T 15-30kph

Hop Garden Century Ride

100 12 May 09:00 Sun

Meopham, near Gravesend Hop Garden 100km BP £6.00 P R T 10-30kph Gravesend CTC pmcmaster@blueyonder.co.uk Patrick McMaster, 207 Colyer Road Northfleet Kent DA11 8AT

200 12 May 08:00 Sun

Pendleton, Lancashire Dales Delight 200 BRM 203km 3850m AAA3.75 [4100m] £5 L P R T 15-30kph Burnley Sportiv burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT

400 18 May 06:00 Sat

Aldbrough St John, near Darlington The Lincoln BR 411km 1457m £5.00 X L P R T 15-30kph VC 167 01325 374 112 Nigel Hall, Finkle Croft Aldbrough St John Nr. Richmond DL11 7TD

600 18 May 06:00 Sat

Chepstow Bryan Chapman Memorial (Classic) BRM 619km 8300m AAA8.25 £25.00 BD C F L P R S T Z (4/5) 15-30kph Cardiff Byways CC ritchie.t.tout@uk.pwc.com Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage Mynyddbach Monmouthshire NP16 6RT

100 9:00

Dore, Sheffield BP 103km 1584m £5.00 F L P T 12-30kph

18 May Sat

Peaks and Troughs

60 18 May 9:30 Sat Updated

Dore, Sheffield Feeling a Bit Peaky BP £5 F L P T 10-22kph Sheffield District CTC 07792 899501 bigT.ridinghigh@gmail.com Tony Gore, 8 Ladysmith Avenue Sheffield S7 1SF

160 08:00

Meriden, Warwickshire BP 1300m £6.00 C L P R T NM 100 15-30kph 5SY

18 May Sat

100 18 May 09:00 Sat

Cotswold Challenge

Meriden, Warwickshire Warwickshire Wanderer BP 105km 602m [1000m] £6.00 C L P R T NM 100 12-25kph CTC-heartofengland audax2013@ctc-heartofengland.org.uk Jon Porteous, Tumnus Corner Springhill Gdns Webheath Redditch Worcs B97 5SY

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

51 AU

DAX UK

auk calendar 160 08:30

18 May Sat

Messingham, Lincs BP 169km [1097m] £6.00 C P R T 15-30kph

auk calendar A North Lincolnshire Century

110 18 May 09:00 Sat

Messingham, near Scunthorpe Mansgate 100 BP 111km 711m £5 CPRT 15-30kph Ancholme Leisure Centre 01724 345402 stuart1@ntlworld.com Stuart Greenaway, 74 Chiltern Crescent Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN17 1TJ

100 18 May 09:00 Sat

ROA 25000

Washington, W Sussex The Devils Punchbowl 100 BP 1100m [1200m] £6.00 F P (8/5) (500) 15-30kph David Hudson Dave Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6LG

200 08:00

18 May Sat

Willington Hall, E of Chester Seamons CC Tour of the Berwyns BR 208km 3100m AAA3 £5.00 L F P R T 100 (12/5) 15-30kph

130 18 May 08:30 Sat

Willington Hall, E of Chester Seamons Llangollen Panorama BP 131km 1750m AAA1.5 [1500m] £5.00 L F P R T 100 12-25kph Seamons CC cyclistdavid@hotmail.com David Barker, 221 Dane Road Sale Manchester M33 2LZ

160 08:30

19 May Sun

Carnon Downs, S of Truro The Granite and Serpentine Way BP 163km 1670m [1671m] £6.00 C F L P R T 15-30kph

100 09:00

19 May Sun

Carnon Downs, S of Truro BP 104km 1100m [1637m] £5.00 C F L P R T 12.5-28kph

A Lizard Loop

51 19 May 09:30 Sun

Carnon Downs, S of Truro Carns and Killas BP £5.00 C F L P R T 10-28kph CTC Cornwall martyn.aldis@syntagma.co.uk Martyn Aldis, Sundown 25a Kersey Road Flushing Falmouth Cornwall TR11 5TR

200 07:30

19 May Sun

Claughton, N of Preston BR 212km 3290m AAA3.25 £5.50 P R T 15-30kph

150 08:30

19 May Sun

Claughton, N of Preston BP 158km 2280m AAA2.25 £5.50 P R T 100 13-30kph

110 19 May 09:00 Sun

Claughton, N of Preston BP 112km 1540m £5.50 P R T 10-25kph Ribble Valley C & RC Susan Harvey, 15 Kingsley Drive Chorley PR7 2NE

150 08:30

Dorchester BP 2552m [2177m] £9.00 F P R T 150 15-25kph

19 May Sun

Fleet Moss 212 Lunesdale Populaire Pilgrim's Way

Dorset Downs 150

100 19 May 10:00 Sun

Dorchester Dorset Downs 100 BP 102km 1995m AAA1.75 [1630m] £6.00 F P R T 150 12-24kph Justin Oakley 01305 266798 justinoakley@hotmail.co.uk Justin Oakley, 6 Linden Gardens Wollaston Road Dorchester Dorset DT1 1WB

200 08:30

Elstead, Godalming BR 201km 2210m £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph

19 May Sun

The Stonehenge 200

150 19 May 09:00 Sun Updated

Elstead, Godalming BP 152km £5.00 F L P R T 12.5-30kph

110 19 May 09:30 Sun Updated

Elstead, Godalming The Elstead 100 BP 115km £5.00 F L P R T 12.5-30kph West Surrey DA 01428 642013 nickandmarion.davison@hotmail.co.uk Nicholas Davison, The Bield Mill Copse Road Fernhurst West Sussex GU27 3DN

200 07:00

Carlton le Moorland, Lincolnshire BR £6.00 200,RM,P,R,T,NM 15-30kph

25 May Sat

The Danebury 150

Yellowbelly Tour

100 25 May 09:00 Sat

Carlton le Moorland, Lincolnshire The Belvoir Bounce BP 105km £6.00 100,BP,F.L,P,R,T,NM 15-30kph Lincoln Wheelers richard.parker05@gmail.com Richard Parker, 28 High Street Carlton Le Moorland Lincoln Lincolnshire LN5 9HT

100 25 May 10:00 Sat

Crowborough The Reliable BP 1750m AAA1.75 £2 FP 12.5-30kph San Fairy Ann CC 01342 314437 malinseastg(remove this)@tiscali dot co dot uk Martin Malins, 64 Blount Avenue East Grinstead West Sussex RH19 IJW

300 25 May 06:00 Sat

Kirriemuir The Snow Roads BR 4800m AAA4.75 £10.00 A(2) C F L P R T S(80) 15-25kph Angus Bike Chain alexandalli@kirrie.eclipse.co.uk Alex Pattison, 1 Angle Park Crescent Kirriemuir Angus DD8 4TJ

200 08:00

Long Melford, near Sudbury BR 208km 1450m £5.50 L P R T 15-30kph

25 May Sat

100 25 May 09:00 Sat

Edmund's Folk Go Paddling

Long Melford, near Sudbury Edmund's Kingdom BP 105km 705m £5.50 F L P R T 15-30kph CC Sudbury peterwhiteley133@hotmail.co.uk Peter Whiteley, 133 Melford Road Sudbury Suffolk CO10 1JT

400 25 May Poynton, S of Stockport Llanfairpwllgwyngyll gogerychwyrndrobwll llantysiliogogogoch 400 09:00 Sat BRM £8.00 XP 15-30kph

Peak Audax 01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk ROA 10000 Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX

52

Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120 AU

DAX UK

300 25 May Snods Edge near Consett The Mosstrooper 06:00 Sat BRM 4000m AAA4 £6 C P T A 15-30kph

Tyneside Vagabonds hedleya167@gmail.com

Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX 200 26 May Apperley, near Cheltenham Gospel Pass 200 08:00 Sun BR 3075m AAA3 £6 A(1)CPRTL 14.4-30kph 150 26 May Apperley, near Cheltenham YatMon 150 09:00 Sun BP 2230m AAA2.25 £6 A(1)CPRTL 12.5-30kph 100 26 May Apperley, near Cheltenham Hoarwithy 100 (2Severn2Wye) 09:30 Sun BP £5 A(1)CPRTL 12.5-30kph

CTC West stephen.poulton@btinternet.com ROA 4000 Stephen Poulton, Leckhampton Lodge 23 Moorend Park Road Leckhampton Cheltenham GL53 0LA 120 29 May Chapel-en-le-Frith The Old Lead Miners Trail 09:00 Wed BP 2350m AAA2.25 £5.00 P R T S 60 12.5-25kph

Peak Audax davecatlow@PeakAudax.co.uk

David Catlow, 9 Friars Close Rainow Macclesfield SK10 5UQ 200 01 Jun Bitteswell, Leicestershire Heart of the Shires 08:00 Sat BR 206km £6.00 L F P T 15-30kph 100 01 Jun Bitteswell, Leicestershire Heart of the Shires 09:00 Sat BP £5.50 L F P T 12-30kph Leics. & Rutland DA

Tony Davis, 2 The Courtyard Claybrooke Magna Lutterworth Leics LE17 5FH 200 01 Jun Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire near Glasgow A Fyne Cowal 08:00 Sat BR £10.00 L P R T 15-30kph

Glasgow DA graham.hanley@btinternet.com

Graham Hanley, Kelton 59 kilgraston road bridge of weir pa11 3dp 600 01 Jun Exeter Kernow and Southwest 600 06:00 Sat BRM 8200m AAA8.25 £15.00 YH L F R Z 60 15-25kph

Exeter Whs 01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk ROA 10000 Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU 300 01 Jun Meltham, SW of Huddersfield Butty's Brid Trip 06:00 Sat BR 310km 2000m £4.00 X P NM 14.4-30kph

Huddersfield CTC

John Radford, 11 Westfield Avenue Meltham Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 5PY 200 01 Jun Pateley Bridge Dales Grimpeur 200 08:00 Sat BR 215km 4596m AAA4.5 £5.00 L P R S T 15-22.5kph 140 01 Jun Pateley Bridge Pateley Bridge 140 9::00 Sat BP 2000m £5.00 15-30kph

Hambleton Road Club paul.roberts901@tiscali.co.uk

Paul Roberts, 37 The Close Romanby Northallerton DL7 8BL 300 01 Jun Pontardawe Teifi Traveller 05:00 Sat BR 3700m AAA3.5 [3450m] £4.00 P R T 15-25kph

Swansea DA ian.sharpe@live.co.uk

Ian Sharpe, Penhafod Stafford Common Gorseinon Swansea SA4 4HD 100 01 Jun Tewkesbury The Silk Run 09:30 Sat BP 800m £3.50 P, T, 12.5-25kph

BlackSheep CC ybgirkram@talktalk.net ROA 10000 Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ 160 01 Jun Uffculme School, Uffculme Coast to Coast 08:00 Sat BP 1900m [1500m] £6 P R T 14-25kph Updated 100 01 Jun Uffculme School, Uffculme Coast and Back 09:00 Sat BP 1300m [1500m] £6 P R T 12-20kph Updated CTC Devon

Roy Russell, 52 Whitchurch Avenue Exeter EX2 5NT 200 01 Jun Wem, Shropshire Four Rivers Ride 07:30 Sat BR 215km 3150m AAA3.25 £7.00 F L P R T 50 15-30kph

CTC Shropshire sandehargraves@googlemail.com

Edwin Hargraves, 22 Trentham Road Wem North Shropshire SY4 5HN 170 01 Jun Wem, Shropshire Three Rivers Ride 08:30 Sat BP 2200m AAA1.75 [1800m] £7.00 F L P R T 50 15-30kph 130 01 Jun Wem, Shropshire Two Rivers Ride 09:00 Sat BP £7.00 L F P R T 80 12-24kph

Shropshire DA sandehargraves@googlemail.com

Edwin Hargraves, 22 Trentham Road Wem North Shropshire SY4 5HN 600 01 Jun York Station York-Langholm-York (YLY) 07:15 Sat BR 608km 6000m AAA2.5 [2500m] £12 F Z T X 15-30kph

VC 167 hedleya167@gmail.com

Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX 200 02 Jun Congleton, Cheshire The Hills & Plains of Cheshire 08:00 Sun BR 210km 2285m AAA1.5 [1500m] £5.50 P R T 15-30kph 110 02 Jun Congleton, Cheshire Just the Plains of Cheshire 09:30 Sun BP 117km 724m £4.50 P R T 15-30kph 110 02 Jun Congleton, Cheshire Just the Hills of Cheshire 09:00 Sun BP 1700m AAA1.75 £4.50 P R T 12.5-25kph

Congleton CC 01260 271258

Rob Waghorn, The Querns Congleton Edge Cheshire CW12 3NB

www.audax.uk.net

100 02 Jun LLangefni, Anglesey Anglesey Lanes 10:00 Sun BP 104km 1200m £3 L P R T 12-30kph 52 02 Jun LLangefni, Anglesey Anglesey Wandering 10:00 Sun BP £2 L P R T 10-24kph

Holyhead CC j.h.sharp@bangor.ac.uk

Jasmine Sharp, 409A Crafnant Ffriddoedd Road Bangor Gwynedd LL57 2GX 400 08 Jun Alfreton Moors and Wolds 400 10:30 Sat BRM 404km 2425m £8.00 P R T X 15-30kph 50 08 Jun Alfreton Victorian Post Boxes 50 10:30 Sat BP 669m £3 FLPT 10-25kph

Alfreton CTC 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk ROA 5000 Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP 200 08 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Alan Furley's Up the Downs 08:00 Sat BR 2100m £6.50 F L P R T 100 15-30kph 150 08 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Alan Furley's Round the Downs 08:30 Sat BP 153km 1000m £6:50 F L P R T 12.5-30kph 100 08 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Alan Furley's Down the Ups 09:00 Sat BP 107km 1000m £6:00 F L P R T 12.5-30kph

Reading CTC 01189883044 a.adams205@live.co.uk

Allan Adams, 205 Hyde End Road Spencers Wood Reading RG7 1BU 200 08 Jun Corwen The Barmouth Boulevard 08:00 Sat BR 208km 3450m AAA3.5 £5.00 P R T 50 15-30kph 200 08 Jun Corwen Barmouth Boulevard – Vyrnwy Variant 08:00 Sat BR 204km 3650m AAA3.75 £5.00 P R T 20 15-30kph 100 08 Jun Corwen The Brenig Bach 09:00 Sat BP 107km 1920m AAA2 £5.00 P R T 50 12.5-25kph 60 08 Jun Corwen The Bala Parade 10:00 Sat BP 1000m £5.00 P R T 50 12.5-25kph

Chester & N. Wales CTC dmanu@fsmail.net ROA 4000 David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG 300 08 Jun Coryton, NW Cardiff Peacocks and Kites 05:00 Sat BR 301km 3900m AAA3 [3000m] £8.00 YH L P R T 15-30kph

Cardiff Byways CC glharper1973@gmail.com

Georgina Harper, 68 Hazelhurst Road Llandaf North Cardiff Wales CF14 2FX 600 08 Jun Dalmeny The Deeside Lass 06:00 Sat BR 608km 7750m AAA7.75 £10 F L P R T 15-30kph

Audax Ecosse graemewyllie@aol.com

Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD 200 08 Jun Great Dunmow, Essex Flitchbikes 200 08:30 Sat BR 218km £6.00 L P R T M (30/5) 15-30kph 100 08 Jun Great Dunmow, Essex Flitchbikes 100 09:30 Sat BP 107km £6.00 L P R T M (30/5) 12.5-25kph 53 08 Jun Great Dunmow, Essex Flitchbikes 50km 10:00 Sat BP £5.00 NLPRTM(30/5) 8-20kph

Flitchbikes CC tom.deakins@btinternet.com

Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA 600 08 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The 3 Coasts 600 06:00 Sat BRM 607km 5611m AAA1.75 [1631m] £10.00 A(3) L P R T Z YH 15-30kph 600 08 Jun Mytholmroyd The East & West Coasts 600 06:00 Sat BRM 605km 4380m [5380m] £10.00 A(3) L P R T Z YH 15-30kph W. Yorks DA 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 10000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF 600 08 Jun Poole Brimstone 600 06:00 Sat BRM 8150m AAA8.25 £10 L P M (50) (24/5) 15-30kph

Wessex CTC

Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT 100 08 Jun Rodborough, Stroud Pedersen 100 10:15 Sat BP 106km 2150m AAA2.25 £5 L P R S T (60) 12.5-25kph

Dursley RC 01453 762235 james.reynolds@lein-ad.com

James Reynolds, Ambleside The Butts Rodborough Stroud GL5 3UG 400 08 Jun Sevenoaks Weald, Kent West Kent Invicta 400 12:00 Sat BR 417km 3904m £8.50 F L P R T 15-30kph

West Kent DA fixedwheelnut@yahoo.co.uk ROA 5000 Steve Airey, 21 Birchington Close Bexleyheath Kent DA7 5ED 100 08 Jun Swaffham Community Centre The Iceni 100 09:00 Sat BP £5 LPRT 12-30kph

NorfolknGood audax sandk.tandem@btinternet.com ROA 5000 Keith Harrison, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU 100 09 Jun Abergavenny Monmouthshire Meander 09:00 Sun BP 1500m AAA1.5 £4.50 YH F P L T 15-25kph

Abergavenny RC waville@yahoo.com

Jonathan Saville, 9 Trehonddu Llanvihangel Crucorney Abergavenny Monmouthshire NP7 8DG 100 09 Jun Boothferry, Goole Beverley 100 09:00 Sun BP 102km 270m £3.50 P R T 30 15-30kph

Goole Vermuyden CC 01405 761 790 harvey.tripp@btinternet.com

Harvey Tripp, 40 Carter Street Goole DN14 6SN

100 09 Jun 09:00 Sun

ROA 5000

Caton, NE of Lancaster Bowland Forest Populaire BP 1800m AAA1.75 £3.00 P R T 75 12.5-20kph CTC Lancaster 01524 36061 mikehutchinson@fastmail.fm Mike Hutchinson, Heatherdene 9 Whinfell Drive Lancaster LA1 4NY

100 09:00

Coppice House, Crewe BP 101km 502m £10 L P R T NM (150) 12-25kph

09 Jun Sun

Good Stuff

51 09 Jun Coppice House, Crewe Foundation Ride 09:30 Sun BP 189m £10 L P R T NM (100) 10-25kph

Up and Under Foundation audax@upandundergroup.com

Andy Fewtrell, Up and Under Foundation Coppice House Quakers Coppice Crewe CW1 6FA 200 08:00

09 Jun Sun

Launceston, No. 8 Café Tour of the Moors BR 206km 3800m AAA3.75 £5.00 L P R T (50) (5/7) 15-30kph

160 08:30

09 Jun Sun

Launceston, No. 8 Café BP 3300m AAA3.25 [2200m] £5.00 L P R T (50) (7/6) 15-30kph

Dartmoor 8

100 09:00

09 Jun Sun

Launceston, No. 8 Café BP 103km 2200m AAA2.25 £4.00 L P R T (50) (7/6) 15-30kph

Moor & Coast

Launceston, No. 8 Café BP 1100m AAA1 £4.00 L P R T (50) (7/6) 12.5-25kph CTC Cornwall 01822 860261 jim@wilkinet.demon.co.uk Jim Wilkinson, Wellspring Chillaton Lifton Devon PL16 0HS

Tamar Taster

52 09 Jun 09:30 Sun

200 09 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The Good Companions 08:30 Sun BR 2697m AAA1.75 [1631m] £5.00 A(2) L P R T YH 15-30kph W. Yorks DA 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 10000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF 200 09 Jun 08:00 Sun Updated

Ware BR 209km 1634m [1509m] £4.00 L P R S T 15-30kph

Herts High Five

160 09 Jun 09:00 Sun Updated

Ware BP £4.00 L P R S T 15-30kph

Four Counties 150

100 09 Jun 10:30 Sun Updated

Ware BP 108km £4.00 L P R S T 12-25kph

Two Counties 100

51 09 Jun 12:00 Sun Updated

Ware One County 50 BP £3.00 L P R S T 10-20kph Hertfordshire Wheelers 07985 019214 graham.knight5@gmail.com Graham Knight, 25 Lordship Road Cheshunt Waltham Cross Herts EN7 5DR

200 09 Jun 08:00 Sun

Wimbledon Common The Ditchling Devil BR 205km 2400m [2700m] £10 F P R T 15-30kph Willesden Cycling Club paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens Chiswick London W4 3TN

400 15 Jun Tiverton Audax UK National 400 09:00 Sat BRM 407km 3300m £20 F L P R T C Z (200) 15-30kph Exeter Whs

Jamie Andrews, Cemetery Lodge Ashill Road Uffculme Devon EX15 3DP 100 16 Jun 10:30 Sun

Evegate, Ashford Mick Andrews Memorial 100K BP £5.00 L P R T X 100 (2/6) 15-30kph Sugar Loaf Animal Snctry Roger Burchett, 'Haytor' Stone Street Lympne Hythe Kent CT21 4JY

100 10:00

Manor Farm Café, Ruislip BP £5 T P L R 12-28kph

16 Jun Sun

Rocco's Rocket Rides

200 16 Jun 08:00 Sun

Manor Farm Hall, Ruislip Rocco's Rocket Rides BR £6 TPLR 15-30kph Willesden CC Liz Creese, 39 Bridgwater Road South Ruislip HA4 0ED

84 16 Jun

10:00 Sun Updated

Stevenage (Marriotts Sports Centre) Bike Week – Stevenage Circular Cycle BP £5.00 L P R T (8/6) 12-28kph Stevenage (Herts) CTC 07735361343 alison@kopic.net Alison Mills, 13 Wheatlands Stevenage SG2 0JT

400 21 Jun 06:00 Fri

Anywhere Summer Arrow to York BR £12.00 X 15-30kph Huddersfield CTC John Radford, 11 Westfield Avenue Meltham Holmfirth West Yorkshire HD9 5PY

350 22 Jun ::::: Sat

Anywhere Summer Dart to York BR 360km £5 X 14.4-30kph Huddersfield CTC 01484 851 480 John Radford, 11 Westfield Avenue Meltham Huddersfield HD9 5PY

200 :::::

Anywhere (Bovey Tracey) BR 1850m £10 FLRT 14.3-28.6kph

22 Jun Sat

140 22 Jun 22:30 Sat

ROA 3000

Dart-Moor-Ghost-Dart

Bovey Tracey, Devon Dartmoor Ghost BP 145km 1850m £10 FLRT 12.5-28.6kph CTC Devon 01626 833 749 Kevin Presland, Hind Street House Hind Street Bovey Tracey Devon TQ13 9HT

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

53 AU

DAX UK

auk calendar 600 22 Jun Pendleton, Lancashire Pendle 600 06:00 Sat BRM 613km 10150m AAA10 [9000m] £10 F L P R S T Z 15-30kph

Burnley Sportiv burnleysportiv@yahoo.com

Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT 300 22 Jun Portmahomack, IV20 Tongue Twister 06:00 Sat BR £5.00 A(2) C L P R T S (40) 15-30kph 100 22 Jun Portmahomack, IV20 Easter Ross Ramble 10:00 Sat BP £2 A(2) C L P R T S(40) 9-18kph

CTC Highland 01862 871 136 biker_carroll@hotmail.com ROA 5000 Steve Carroll, Creag Charrach Rockfield Village Portmahomack IV20 1RF 200 22 Jun Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's High Summer Meander 08:00 Sat BR 215km 2500m £4.0 c f l p r t nm 100 (12/6) 15-25kph

BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net ROA 10000 Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ 200 23 Jun Hereford, Leisure Centre Hereford Towns 08:00 Sun BR 210km 3200m AAA3.25 £5.00 LPRTS 15-30kph 100 23 Jun Hereford, Leisure Centre Hereford Villages 09:00 Sun BP 108km 1450m £5.00 LPRT 14.3-24kph 53 23 Jun Hereford, Leisure Centre Hereford Hamlets 09:30 Sun BP £5.00 LPRT 14.3-24kph Hereford Wheelers

Maurice Tudor, Apartment 1 Barton West 73 Barton Road Hereford HR4 0AU 200 23 Jun Portmahomack, IV20 Cromarty Cruise 08:00 Sun BR £5 A(2) C L P R T S (40) 15-30kph

CTC Highland 01862 871 136 biker_carroll@hotmail.com ROA 5000 Steve Carroll, Creag Charrach Rockfield Village Portmahomack IV20 1RF 200 23 Jun Wythall, S Birmingham Cotswold Expedition 08:00 Sun BR 212km £8.00 C L P R S T 100 15-30kph 160 23 Jun Wythall, S Birmingham Cotswold Journey 08:30 Sun BP £8.00 C L P R S T 100 15-30kph 100 23 Jun Wythall, S Birmingham Clockwise Cotswold Outing 09:00 Sun BP 108km £8.00 C L P R S T 80 12-25kph 100 23 Jun Wythall, S Birmingham Anticlockwise Cotswold Outing 09:30 Sun BP 108km £8.00 C L P R S T 80 12-25kph

Beacon RCC

Paul Deane, 9 Baccabox Lane Hollywood Birmingham B47 5DD 100 26 Jun Hampton Hill, W London London Midweek Sightseer 09:30 Wed BP £5.00 C L P T 10-20kph

Hounslow & Dist. Whs 020 82873244 billcarnaby@blueyonder.co.uk

Bill Carnaby, 225 High Street Hampton Hill Middlesex TW12 1NP 300 29 Jun Galashiels Alston and Back 06:00 Sat BR 2700m £5.00 PBXDIY(22/6) 15-30kph

Gala CC 01896 758 181 megajoulesexpenditure@btinternet.com ROA 10000 Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL 600 29 Jun Poynton, S of Stockport To Holl and Back 06:00 Sat BRM 3000m £8.00 x 15-30kph

Peak Audax 01457 870 421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk ROA 10000 Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX 200 29 Jun Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy Cestyll Cymru 08:15 Sat BR 203km 2265m AAA1.5 [1500m] £12 L P R T 15-30kph 130 29 Jun Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy The Legend of Gelert 09:15 Sat BP 135km 1400m £8 L P R T 12.5-25kph Updated 51 29 Jun Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy Glan-y-Mor 10:00 Sat BP 750m AAA0.75 £7 L P R T 10-20kph

Rhos-on-Sea Cycle Club cbwilby@gmail.com

Chris Wilby, Gwenallt Henryd Road Gyffin Conwy Conwy LL32 8HN 200 30 Jun Awbridge,Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hungerford Hurrah 08:00 Sun BR 2200m £6.00 L P R T 50 16/6 15-30kph 140 30 Jun Awbridge,Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hungerford Hooray 09:00 Sun BP 1450m £6.00 L P R T 50 16/6 15-30kph

South Hampshire CTC alanandemma@talktalk.net

Alan Davies, 7 Queens Close Romsey Hampshire SO51 5EG 300 30 Jun Bethersden, near Ashford, Kent Fairies Flattest Possible 300 02:00 Sun BR 304km £5.00 C F L P R T 15-30kph 200 30 Jun Bethersden, near Ashford, Kent Fairies Half-Flat 200 08:00 Sun BR 201km 1000m £5 C F L P R T 15-30kph 150 30 Jun Bethersden, near Ashford Fairies Fairly Flat 150k 08:30 Sun BP £5 C F L P R T 15-30kph 100 30 Jun Bethersden, near Ashford Fairies Flat 100k 09:00 Sun BP £5 C F L P R T 15-30kph 50 30 Jun Bethersden, near Ashford Fairies Easy Peasy 50k 10:00 Sun BP £5 C F L P R T 15-30kph

San Fairy Ann CC manofkentaudax@gmail.com

David Winslade, 3 Albany Close Tonbridge Kent TN9 2EY

54

Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120 AU

DAX UK

auk calendar 100 30 Jun 10:00 Sun 51 30 Jun 10:30 Sun

200 30 Jun 08:30 Sun Updated 120 30 Jun 10:00 Sun Updated

200 30 Jun 08:00 Sun 150 30 Jun 08:30 Sun 100 30 Jun 09:00 Sun

200 30 Jun 08:00 Sun 160 30 Jun 09:00 Sun 110 30 Jun 09:00 Sun

200 30 Jun 08:00 Sun 100 30 Jun 09:00 Sun

300 06 Jul 07:00 Sat

200 06 Jul 08:00 Sat

300 06 Jul 06:00 Sat

110 06 Jul 09:30 Sat

200 06 Jul 08:00 Sat 150 06 Jul 08:30 Sat 100 06 Jul 09:00 Sat

200 06 Jul 8.:00 Sat

200 06 Jul 08:00 Sat

ROA 10000 69 07 Jul 10:00 Sun 67 07 Jul 10:00 Sun

100 07 Jul 08:30 Sun

Easingwold, N of York Mother Shipton 100k BP 103km £2.00 L P R T 12-25kph Easingwold, N of York Linton Locks 50k BP £2.00 L P R T 12-25kph North Yorks DA 01904 795 695 gerry.boswell@hotmail.co.uk Gerry Boswell, 5 Invicta Court Acomb York YO24 3NL Galleywood Windmill Ride BR 210km £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph Galleywood Windmill Ride BP £5.00 F L P R T 12-25kph Essex CTC Member Group s.eichenseher@googlemail.com Stefan Eichenseher, 42A Whitegate Road Southend-on-Sea Essex SS1 2LQ Hampton in Arden A Cotswold Adventure BR 207km £6.00 RFPT 15-30kph Hampton in Arden Solihull CC mini Randonnee BP 156km £5.00 RFPT 15-30kph Hampton-in-Arden A Warwickshire Wander!

BP £4.00 F P R T 15-30kph Solihull CC richardlaw377@btinternet.com Richard Law, 16 Vernon Close Leamington Spa CV32 6HH Milton, Abingdon Barbury Bash BR 210km £5 R T P L 24/6 15-30kph Milton, Abingdon Barbury Bash BP £5 R T P L 24/6 15-30kph Milton, Abingdon Barbury Bash BP £5 R T P L 24/6 15-30kph Didcot Phoenix CC Ian Middleton, 4 Isis Close Abingdon OX14 3TA Otley, West Yorkshire Yorkshire Mixture BR 203km 2400m AAA1.75 [1750m] £5.00 L R T S 15-30kph Otley, West Yorkshire The Two M's Ride BP 107km 1050m £4.00 L R T S 12-25kph Otley CC chris.boulton@lineone.net Chris Boulton, 15 Adel Towers Close Leeds LS16 8ES Baldock, Herts Rutland Weekend 300k BR 2554m [1650m] £4.00 XPT 15-30kph Willesden CC ianoli2010-audax@yahoo.co.uk Ian Oliver, 68 St Dunstans Avenue London W3 6QJ Broken Cross, near Macclesfield Knockerdown BR 201km 3150m AAA3.25 £7.50 F L P R T 14.3-25kph Peak Audax perrin_john@sky.com John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB Crosspool, Sheffield You Cannock be Serious BR 310km £7.00 L P R T S 15-30kph Sheffrec CC 07787 502298 henry@henryfoxhall.co.uk Henry Foxhall, Dencot Great Hucklow Buxton Derbyshire SK17 8RG Hulme End, near Hartington Lutudarum BP 114km 1800m AAA1.75 £5.50 C F P T 12.5-25kph Peak Audax perrin_john@sky.com John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB Oundle, Northants Reservoir Triple BR BR 204km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph Oundle, Northants Reservoir Double BP BP 154km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph Oundle, Northants Reservoir Single BP BP 101km £4.50 L P R T 12.5-30kph CTC Northants & M K Richard Daniells, 6 Matson Close Rothwell Northants NN14 6AY Scunthorpe, The Pods Leisure Centre Bluestone 200 BR £6 PPRT 15-30kph Ancholme Leisure Centre 01724 345402 stuart1@ntlworld.com Stuart Greenaway, 74 Chiltern Crescent Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN17 1TJ Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick Takes Flight BR 206km 1800m [2700m] £4.00 c f p r nm t 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ Carharrack, Cornwall Mines and Mineral Railways On-road BP 820m £5.00 C L P R T 8-30kph Carharrack, Cornwall Mines and Mineral Railways Off-road BP 773m £5.00 C L P R T 8-30kph Audax Kernow brindisijones@tiscali.co.uk Simon Jones, The Cottage Pulla Cross Truro Cornwall TR4 8SA Combe Down, Bath Mendip Transmitter BP 1650m AAA1.75 £6 N.P.R.T 15-30kph Bath CC Robert Mcmillan, 228 Bloomfield Road Bath BA2 2AX

www.audax.uk.net

100 07 Jul East Finchley, N2 9ED Suburban Breakout 10:00 Sun BP 102km 755m £5 PRT 15-30kph

Central London CTC nick@centrallondonctc.org.uk

Nick Bloom, 32 Fortis Green Avenue Fortis Green London N2 9NA 200 07 Jul Edenbridge, Kent Around Weald Expedition 08:30 Sun BR 215km 3500m AAA3.5 £6 R T P (80) 6/7 15-30kph 120 07 Jul Edenbridge, Kent Kidds Toys 09:30 Sun BP 123km 2150m AAA2.25 £6 R T P (50) 6/7 12-25kph

Redhill CC waweirauk@btinternet.com

William Weir, Flat 8 Burlington Court 158 Station Road Redhill Surrey RH1 1JE 200 07 Jul Smallworth, Garboldisham, near Diss Garboldisham Groveller 08:00 Sun BR £5.00 C L P R T 100 15-30kph 100 07 Jul Smallworth, Garboldisham, near Diss Garboldisham Grafter 09:00 Sun BP £5.00 C L P R T 100 15-30kph 55 07 Jul Smallworth, Garboldisham, near Diss Garboldisham Grinder 10:00 Sun BP £5.00 C L P R T 100 10-25kph

Diss CTC tomandeileenelkins@hotmail.co.uk

Tom Elkins, 6 Marston Lane Norwich NR4 6LZ 200 10 Jul Wolverhampton, Broadlands (WV10 6TA) Cat & Fiddle 08:00 Wed BR 208km 2350m AAA1.75 [1700m] £5.00 P L R T 15-30kph

YACF 07732 583318 stevegloster@gmx.co.uk

Steve Gloster, 24 Ash Street Bilston Wolverhampton WV14 8UP 300 12 Jul Great Dunmow, Essex Hereward the Wake 21:00 Fri BR 301km £8 X R L P T M (04/06) 15-30kph

Flitchbikes CC tom.deakins@btinternet.com

Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA 200 13 Jul Aldbrough St John, near Darlington The Hartside 08:00 Sat BR 210km 3000m AAA3 £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph 100 13 Jul Aldbrough St John, near Darlington Northern Dales Summer Outing 09:30 Sat BP 1475m £4.50 L P R T 10-30kph

VC 167 david.atkinson577@virgin.net

David Atkinson, 4 Borrowby Avenue Northallerton North Yorkshire DL6 1AL 110 13 Jul Alfreton In Memory of Tommy 09:00 Sat BP 115km 1050m £5.00 L P R T 12-30kph

Alfreton CTC 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk ROA 5000 Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP 200 13 Jul Droitwich Clee and Herefordshire Hills 08:15 Sat BR 207km 3050m AAA3 £4.00 C P R T M 14.4-25kph

Gavin Greenhow 01905 775 803 ROA 10000 Gavin Greenhow, 44 Newland Road Droitwich WR9 7AG 600 13 Jul Leighton Buzzard The Buzzard 07:00 Sat BRM 5600m £5 X 15-30kph

Exeter Whs 01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk ROA 10000 Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU 200 13 Jul Stamford Bridge, York Bridges and Beaches 08:30 Sat BR 225km £3.00 L,P,T,R 15-30kph

Clifton CC 07799023760 greg.melia@cliftoncc.org

Greg Melia, 10 Curzon Terrace York YO23 1HA 160 13 Jul Stamford Bridge, York Three Bridges 09:00 Sat BP 161km £2.50 L,P,T,R 15-30kph

Clifton CC greg.melia@cliftoncc.org

Greg Melia, 10 Curzon Terrace York YO23 1HA 200 14 Jul Denshaw Roun' t' West Ridin' 203 08:00 Sun BR 203km 3650m AAA3.5 £5.00 PRST 40 14.3-30kph 170 14 Jul Denshaw, NE of Oldham Slaidburn 08:30 Sun BP 3550m AAA3.5 [2900m] £5.00 P R S T 40 12.5-25kph 100 14 Jul Denshaw Bretton 103 09:00 Sun BP 2250m AAA2.25 £5.00 PRST 40 10-25kph

Peak Audax 0161 368 5267 black898@btinternet.com

Don Black, 18 Cotton Mills Drive Hyde SK14 4TS 110 14 Jul Earlswood Lakes, Warwickshire Midlander 100 09:00 Sun BP £6.00 P R T 15-30kph MC&AC

Jim Lee, 107 Shustoke Road Solihull West Midlands B91 2QR 110 14 Jul Kennington, near Ashford, Kent The Crown 10:00 Sun BP 111km 1750m AAA1.75 £7 F L P R T NM 40 14-26kph

Ashford Wheelers paul.britton@ashfordwheelers.org.uk

Paul Britton, Glebelands Station Road Pluckley Ashford Kent TN27 0QU 100 14 Jul Musselburgh The Crystal Run 10:00 Sun BP 1600m AAA1.5 £5.00 F L P R 12.5-25kph Change of Date Audax Ecosse martinfoley@btinternet.com

Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU 100 17 Jul Hailey, N of Witney Midweek Tour of the Cotswold 10:00 Wed BP 106km £5.00 L P R S T 70 12-25kph 60 17 Jul Hailey, N of Witney, Oxon Midweek Tour of the Cotswold 10:00 Wed BP £4.50 L P R S T 50 15-30kph

CTC Oxfordshire john.bridgman558@btinternet.com

John Bridgman, 44 Church View Freeland Witney Oxon OX29 8HT

160 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk 100 miles of Suffolk Lanes - Cornfields, Castles,Coast 08:45 Sat BP 168km £5.00 L P R T S 15-30kph 100 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk Bildeston Lanes 09:30 Sat BP 104km £5.00 L P R T S 15-30kph Change of Date 200 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk Suffolk Lanes Extravaganza - Castles and the Coast 08:30 Sat BR 209km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph Change of Date Cycle Club Sudbury 01449 741048 pamandrobinw@gmail.com

Robin Weaver, 14 Chapel Street Bildeston Ipswich Suffolk IP7 7EP 200 21 Jul Fairburn, SE of Leeds Brimham Rocks 200 08:00 Sun BR 203km 2160m AAA1.5 [1500m] £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph Change of Date Huddersfield CTC 01484 851 480 100 21 Jul Fairburn, SE of Leeds Wetherby 100 09:00 Sun BP 518m £4.50 L P R T 50 10-20kph Change of Date Huddersfield CTC 01484 851 480

John Radford, 11 Westfield Avenue Meltham Huddersfield HD9 5PY 200 21 Jul Padiham, Lancashire Tan Hill 200 08:00 Sun BRM 206km 4500m AAA4.5 £5 L P R S T 15-30kph

Burnley Sportiv burnleysportiv@yahoo.com

Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT 100 24 Jul Marple Dark Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 106km 2290m AAA2.25 £5.00 P R T 60 (257) 12.5-25kph

Peak Audax

Derek Heine, 10 Whitehall Drive Hartford Northwich Cheshire CW8 1SJ 100 28 Jul Challock, Kent Forts & Ferries 100km Grimpeur 10:00 Sun BP 1610m AAA1.5 £5.00 FLPRT 14-26kph

Patrick Cherry tracyandpat@tiscali.co.uk

Patrick Cherry, 28 Barton Road Canterbury Kent CT1 1YQ 1400 28 Jul Loughton, Essex London Edinburgh London 08:00 Sun BRM 1415km 11500m AAA2.75 [2750m] £219 C F L P R T S NM Z (750) 12-30kph

LEL 2013 ROA 4000 London Edinburgh London team, 11 Heather Ave Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU 110 31 Jul Alfreton Prison Run 09:00 Wed BP 113km 1000m £4.00 P L R 12-30kph

Alfretonctc 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk ROA 5000 Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP 200 03 Aug Bolsover Clumber to Humber 08:00 Sat BR 211km £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph

Bolsover and District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net ROA 4000 Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close Bolsover Chesterfield S44 6RL 200 04 Aug Wickhamford, SE of Evesham Neville Chanin Memorial – Over The Severn 08:00 Sun BR 213km 3134m AAA3.25 £7.00 F P R T 15-30kph 8DQ 200 04 Aug Wickhamford, SE of Evesham Three Counties – Four Leaf Clover 08:00 Sun BR 202km £6.00 F P R T 15-30kph WR11 8DQ 110 04 Aug Wickhamford, SE of Evesham Three Counties – Two Leaf Clover 09:00 Sun BP 111km £4.00 F P R T 15-30kph 50 04 Aug Wickhamford, SE of Evesham Three Counties – Clover Leaf 09:30 Sun BP £2.00 F P R T 10-25kph

Evesham & Dist. Whs petehutch1959@btinternet.com

Pete Hutchinson, Hazelwood Shinehill Lane South Littleton Evesham Worcestershire WR11 8TP 100 04 Aug Wilton, Salisbury The Blackmoor Tour 10:00 Sun BP 1088m £5.00 YH F L P R T 12.5-30kph 200 04 Aug Wilton, Salisbury West Bay and Back 08:00 Sun BRM 2700m AAA2.25 [2300m] £6.00 YH F L P R T 70 15-30kph AUK

Andy Heyting, 5 St Leonards Terrace Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 7PF 100 07 Aug Marple, Memorial Park, SK6 Mid-Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 109km 2400m AAA2.5 £5.00 L P R T 40 (31/7) 12.5-25kph

Peak Audax chris.keelingroberts@ntlworld.com

Chris Keeling-Roberts, 17 Lower Strines Road Marple Cheshire SK6 7DL 100 10 Aug Aldbrough St John, near Darlington Aldbrough Grimpeur 09:00 Sat BP 105km 2305m AAA2.25 [1837m] £5 L P R T 12.5-25kph 50 10 Aug Aldbrough St John, near of Darlington Cordilleras 11:00 Sat BP 650m £3.50 L P R T 10-20kph

Velo Club 167 01325 374 112

Nigel Hall, Finkle Croft Aldbrough St John Nr. Richmond DL11 7TD 200 10 Aug Bedford Rutland Ramble 07:30 Sat BR 207km £6 L P R 15-30kph

CTC Bedfordshire jackie.popland@ntlworld.com

Jackie Popland, 48 Haylands Way Bedford MK41 9BU 200 10 Aug Cardiff Gate, Cardiff Dr. Foster's Summer Saunter 08:00 Sat BR 201km £6.00 C P R T 50 15-25kph

Cardiff Byways CC tonypember@gmail.com

Tony Pember, 9 Donald Street Nelson Treharris CF46 6EB

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

55 AU

DAX UK

auk calendar

auk calendar

300 10 Aug 06:00 Sat

ROA 10000

Tewkesbury A Rough Diamond BRM 301km 2500m [3450m] £6.50 c f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ

200 10 Aug 08:00 Sat

Trowell, Nottingham The Cheshire Cat BR 206km 3630m AAA3.75 £5.00 L P R T 80 15-30kph Notts DA 0115 932 9978 Mark Chambers, 62 Queens Avenue Hallam Fields Ilkeston Derbyshire DE7 4DJ

100 09:30

Connor Downs, NE of Hayle BP 104km 1350m £4.00 C L P R T 12.5-30kph

11 Aug Sun

The Celtic Coastal

60 11 Aug 10:00 Sun

ROA 4000

Connor Downs, E of Hayle Celtic Canter BP 750m £4.00 C L P R T 8-30kph Audax Kernow peteregon.hansen@btinternet.com Peter Hansen, Corner Cottage 7 Prosper Hill Gwithian Cornwall TR27 5BW

120 08:30

North Petherton, S of Bridgwater BP 125km £8.00 F L P R T 15-30kph

11 Aug Sun

Three Towers and Middle Earth

100 11 Aug 09:00 Sun

North Petherton, Sof Bridgwater The Two Towers BP £7.00 F L P R T 15-30kph Bridgwater Cycling Club ktudball@aol.com Keith Tudball, 9 Winford Close Portishead N Somerset BS20 6YG

110 14 Aug 10:00 Wed

Maidenhead BP £3.00 P R T 15-30kph Willesden CC 07763 765 802 mick.hill56@hotmail.co.uk.

Mick Hill, 5 Castle Farm, Leigh Square Windsor Berks SL4 4PT

Boulters Bash

100 14 Aug Marple Memorial Park White Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 103km 2310m AAA2.25 £5.00 P R T 60 (8/8) 12.5-25kph

Peak Audax 01457 870421 mike@PeakAudax.co.uk ROA 10000 Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Farm Millcroft Lane Delph Oldham Saddleworth OL3 5UX 200 08:00

17 Aug Sat

Belbroughton, North Worcestershire Kidderminster Killer BR 211km 3750m AAA3.75 £7.25 F L P R S T (70) (8/8) 14.3-30kph

120 17 Aug 09:00 Sat

Belbroughton, North Worcestershire From Clee to Heaven BP 1950m AAA2 £7.25 F L P R S T (65) 13-25kph Beacon Roads Cycling Clu 01562 731606 montgomery@beaconrcc.org.uk Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terr Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge DY9 0BW

200 09:00

17 Aug Sat

Girvan The Highwayman Challenge 200km BR 201km 2518m [1496m] £12 L P R T S 15-30kph

100 17 Aug 09:00 Sat

Girvan The Highwayman Challenge 100km BP 101km 1411m [1496m] £12 L P R T S 15-30kph Ayr Roads Cycling Club Christopher Johnson, 129d Welbeck Crescent Troon KA10 6AP

200 08:00

17 Aug Sat

Gladestry, West of Kington Elan & Ystwyth BR 208km 3750m AAA3.75 £5.00 YH C BD P R T 150 5/8 14.3-25kph

100 09:00

17 Aug Sat

Gladestry, West of Kington Radnor Roundabout BP 104km 1826m AAA1.75 £5.00 YH C BD P R T 150 5/8 12.5-25kph

53 17 Aug 10:00 Sat

Gladestry, West of Kington Gladestry Trot BP £5.00 YH C BD P R T 150 5/8 10-20kph CTC Cymru rossjeal@gladestry.com Ross Jeal, Monymusk Meadow Vale Gladestry Kington Powys HR5 3PR

400 05:30

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire BR 406km 6400m AAA6.5 £5.00 C F L P R T 15-30kph

17 Aug Sat

The Old 240

400 17 Aug 05:30 Sat

ROA 10000

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire Not Quite The Spurn Head 400 BR 403km 2450m £5.00 C L P R T 15-30kph CTC West Yorkshire 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF

100 18 Aug 09:00 Sun

Brigg The Summer Knows BP 767m £5 L P R T S NM 15-30kph Ancholme Leisure Centre stuart1@ntlworld.com Stuart Greenaway, 74 Chiltern Crescent Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN17 1TJ

200 08:00

18 Aug Sun

Gladestry, West of Kington Tregaron Dragon BR 209km 4800m AAA4.75 £5.00 YH C BD P R T 150 5/8 14.3-25kph

150 08:30

18 Aug Sun

Gladestry, West of Kington Llandovery Discovery BP 157km 3250m AAA3.25 £5.00 YH C L P R T 150 8/16 12.5-25kph

100 18 Aug 09:00 Sun

Gladestry, Wet of Kington Gladestry Gallop BP 107km 1625m AAA1.75 £5.00 YH C BD P R T 150 5/8 12.5-25kph CTC Cymru rossjeal@gladestry.com Ross Jeal, Monymusk Meadow Vale Gladestry Kington Powys HR5 3PR

110 18 Aug 09:50 Sun

Shere, Guildford Tour of the Hills BP 115km 2300m AAA2.25 £6.50 F L P R T 225 15-30kph West Surrey CTC 01483 810028 dggray7@hotmail.com Don Gray, Greenleas Beech Lane Normandy Surrey GU3 2JH

100 21 Aug 10:00 Wed

Marple West Peak Grimpeur BP 103km 2400m AAA2.5 £5.00 P R T 60 (16/8) 12.5-25kph Peak Audax davecatlow@PeakAudax.co.uk David Catlow, 9 Friars Close Rainow Macclesfield SK10 5UQ

56

Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120 AU

DAX UK

300 24 Aug 04:00 Sat Updated 200 24 Aug 08:00 Sat 100 24 Aug 09:00 Sat 60 24 Aug 10:00 Sat Updated

200 24 Aug 08:00 Sat 100 24 Aug 10:00 Sat

ROA 5000 200 25 Aug 08:00 Sun

100 25 Aug 10:00 Sun

200 25 Aug 08:00 Sun

110 28 Aug 10:00 Wed

200 31 Aug 08:00 Sat

110 31 Aug 09:00 Sat

200 01 Sep 07:45 Sun 150 01 Sep 07:45 Sun 100 01 Sep 10:00 Sun

ROA 5000 200 01 Sep 08:00 Sun 100 01 Sep 09:30 Sun

200 01 Sep 08:00 Sun 100 01 Sep 10:00 Sun

160 07 Sep 08:15 Sat 100 07 Sep 09:00 Sat

600 07 Sep 06:00 Sat

200 07 Sep 08:30 Sat Updated 110 07 Sep 09:00 Sat Updated

Mildenhall Cycling Rally BR 312km £5.00 CPTS (16/08) 15-30kph

Mildenhall Rally Roving 300

Mildenhall Cycling Rally Mildenhall Rally Randonnée BR 206km £5.00 CPTS (16/8) 15-30kph Mildenhall Cycling Rally Mildenhall Rally Brevet BP 105km £5.00 CPTS (16/8) 12-30kph Mildenhall Cycling Rally Mildenhall Rally Brief Brevet BP £5.00 CPTS 16/8 10-30kph CTC Suffolk the.kells@talk21.com Dennis Kell, 9 Pheasant Rise Copdock Ipswich Suffolk IP8 3LF Newtonmore Forres Foray BR 202km £3.00 C YH L P R T 15-30kph Newtonmore Grantown Gallop BP 104km £2.00 C YH L P R T 15-30kph CTC Highland biker_carroll@hotmail.com Steve Carroll, Creag Charrach Rockfield Tain Ross-shire IV20 1RF Larkhall, near Hamilton Four Passes BR 2420m £6 T P R L 15-30kph Royal Albert CC John Robertson, 64 Victoria Street Larkhall S Lanarkshire ML9 2BL Larkhall, near Hamilton Covernantors' Trail BP 103km 1130m £4 T P R L 15-30kph Royal Albert CC John Robertson, 64 Victoria Street Larkhall S Lanarkshire ML9 2BL Shipton, North of York Tan Hill Audax BR 208km 2400m AAA2 [1900m] £4.50 L P R T 15-30kph Clifton CC Steven Roebuck, 18 Riverside Gardens Elvington York YO41 4DT Marple, Memorial Park, SK6 Staffs Peak Super-Grimpeur BP 2800m AAA2.75 £5 P R T 60 10-25kph Peak Audax 0790 442 5590 audax@idnet.com Peter Coates, 43 Fir Road Bramhall Stockport Cheshire SK7 2JJ Bangor, North Wales Sych it and Sea (Gwynedd Traverse) BR 210km 2850m AAA2.75 £5 L P R T 15-30kph Holyhead CC j.h.sharp@bangor.ac.uk Jasmine Sharp, 409A Crafnant Ffriddoedd Road Bangor Gwynedd LL57 2GX Shortstown, Bedford The R101 BP 112km 1059m [1060m] £6.00 P R T 12-30kph iCycle (www.iCycle.cc) iangerrard@fsmail.net Ian Gerrard, 1 Loves Way St Neots Cambridgeshire PE19 6DA Lymington New Forest On and Off Shore BR 202km £17.00 L P R T 100 (3/9) Ferry 15-30kph Lymington New Forest and Isle of Wight Century BP £17.00 L P R T 100 (30/8) Ferry 15-30kph Lymington New Forest and Coast BP 102km £6.00 C L P R T 100 (3/9) 10-20kph John Ward 01590 671 205 cyclingnewforest@gmail.com John Ward, 34 Avenue Road Lymington Hants SO41 9GJ Moira, W of Ashby-de-la-Zouch East Midlands Forests 200k BR 207km £5.40 C P T R YH (40) (28/8) 15-30kph Moira, W of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Bosworth Battlefield Sightseer BP 107km £4.50 P R T C YH (80) (28/08) 12-24kph Mercia HBM CC 01283 223 581 hilly@hillyswad.co.uk Ian Hill, 33 Wren Close Swadlincote Derbyshire DE11 7QP Walton, Wakefield Vineyard, Windmills & Moss 200 BR 2250m £5 PRTF 15-30kph Walton, Wakefield Vineyard & Windmills 100 BP 1830m £5 PRTF 15-30kph Calder Clarion 01924 251488 rich.hanck@tiscali.co.uk Richard Hancock, 51 Manor Crescent. Walton Wakefield West Yorkshire WF2 6PG Dore, Sheffield Amber and Green BP £5 L R T 14.3-30kph Dore, Sheffield An Amber Gambol BP £5 L R T 12-25kph Sheffield District CTC 0114 255 0907 bigT.ridinghigh@gmail.com Tony Gore, 8 Ladysmith Avenue Sheffield S7 1SF Great Dunmow The Flatlands BR 602km £7 N X A(1) C L P T M (50) 15-30kph Flitchbikes CC tom.deakins@btinternet.com Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Wem, we get there BR 208km 1400m £7.00 X P R 50 15-30kph Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH BP 111km 1094m £7.00 P R T 50 12.5-30kph

Charnwood Challenge

www.audax.uk.net

51 07 Sep 09:30 Sat Updated

200 07 Sep 08:00 Sat

ROA 10000 200 08 Sep 08:00 Sun 110 08 Sep 09:00 Sun

200 08 Sep 08:00 Sun 110 08 Sep 09:00 Sun

100 08 Sep 09:00 Sun

110 08 Sep 09:00 Sun 52 08 Sep 10:00 Sun

ROA 4000 200 08 Sep 08:00 Sun

110 08 Sep 09:30 Sun 200 14 Sep 07:00 Sat

ROA 3000 160 14 Sep 08:00 Sat 110 14 Sep 08:30 Sat 53 14 Sep 09:00 Sat

200 14 Sep 07:00 Sat 100 14 Sep 10:30 Sat 50 14 Sep 10:30 Sat

100 15 Sep 09:15 Sun

100 15 Sep 09:00 Sun

ROA 2000 200 15 Sep 08:00 Sun 130 15 Sep 09:00 Sun 50 15 Sep 10:00 Sun

ROA 4000 100 21 Sep 09:00 Sat

ROA 4000

Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH National Forest 50 BP 400m £6.00 P R T 50 10-20kph Tamworth CC audaxgeoff@gmail.com Geoffrey Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth B78 1BY Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick goes to Hay in a day BR 205km 1900m £4.00 c f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ Arnside YH Northern Dales BR 202km 3000m AAA3 £3.00 YH R S T 15-30kph Arnside YH Northern Dales Populaire BP 1675m AAA1.75 £3.00 YH R S T 100 12.5-20kph VC167 julian.dyson2@baesystems.com Julian Dyson, 5 Duke Street Gleaston Ulverston Cumbria LA12 0UA Broken Cross, near Macclesfield The Two Loops BR 213km 1700m £7.50 F L P R T 14.3-25kph Broken Cross, near Macclesfield The 1…

BP 114km £7.50 F L P T 12.5-25kph Peak Audax 01625 614830 perrin_john@sky.com John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB Bynea, Llanelli Wesley May Memorial Super Grimpeur BP 102km 2400m AAA2.5 [2931m] £4.00 F L P R T 30 (11/09) 10-25kph Swansea DA ian.sharpe@live.co.uk Ian Sharpe, Penhafod Stafford Common Gorseinon Swansea SA4 4HD Connor Downs, NE of Hayle Golowjy ha Bal 116 BP 116km 1825m AAA1.75 £4.00 C L P R T 75 12-30kph Connor Downs, NE of Hayle Golowjy ha Bal 52k BP 863m AAA0.75 £4.00 C L P R T 50 8-30kph Audax Kernow peteregon.hansen@btinternet.com Peter Hansen, Corner Cottage 7 Prosper Hill Gwithian Cornwall TR27 5BW Musselburgh The Erit Lass BR 3000m AAA3 £7.00 F L P R T 15-30kph Audax Ecosse martinfoley@btinternet.com Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU Oundle, Northants Rockingham and Rutland BP 114km £4.50 L P R T 12.5-30kph Coryton, NW Cardiff Ferryside Fish Foray BR 225km £8.00 YH L R P T 50 15-30kph Cardiff Byways CC evansrichardd@googlemail.com Richard Evans, 73 Conway Road Cardiff CF11 9NW Husbands Bosworth Welland Wonder 160 BP 1675m £5.00 LPRT 15-30kph Husbands Bosworth Welland Wonder 100 BP 116km 1350m £5.00 LPRT 12-24kph Husbands Bosworth Welland Wonder 50 BP 525m £5.00 LPRT 12-24kph Welland Valley CC 01858545376 Mike Vybiral, Logan Cottage Grange Lane East Langton Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 7TF Ingleby Barwick, Stockton on Tees Ralph Cross BR 209km 2700m AAA2.5 [2550m] £4.5 L P R T S 15-30kph 0XJ Ingleby Barwick, Stockton on Tees Keep to the Roads BP 1350m £4 L P R T S 12-25kph 0XJ Ingleby Barwick, Stockton on Tees Tees and Cake BP 370m £3.5 L P R T S 12-25kph Ingleby Barwick Wheelers Graeme Holdsworth, 10 Strome Close Ingleby Barwick Stockton-on-Tees TS17 0XJ Hampton Hill, SW London London Sightseer BP £4.50 C L P T NM 10-20kph Hounslow & Dist. Whs 020 8287 3244 billcarnaby@blueyonder.co.uk Bill Carnaby, 225 High Street Hampton Hill Middlesex TW12 1NP Merthyr Tydfil Dic Penderyn BP 1900m AAA2 £4.50 P R T 12-30kph Merthyr CC 01685 373 758 adrianmcd2010@talktalk.net Adrian McDonald, 2 Brunswick St Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glam CF47 8SB Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Pistyll Packing Momma BR 209km 3400m AAA3.5 £5.00 P R 50 T L (11/09) 15-30kph Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Mountain Views BP 137km 2000m AAA2 £5.00 P R 50 T L (11/09) 12.5-25kph Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Leafy Lanes BP £5.00 P R 50 T L (11/09) 10-20kph Chester & N Wales CTC dmanu@fsmail.net David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG Bolsover Beast of Bolsover BP 105km 2030m AAA2 £5.00 P R T 12.5-25kph Bolsover & District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close Bolsover Chesterfield S44 6RL

200 21 Sep 07:30 Sat

ROA 5000

Chepstow Castle Border Castles Randonnée BR 3000m AAA3 £2.00 YHXPRT(14/9) 15-30kph Bristol DA Nik Peregrine, 46 Bridge Street Chepstow NP16 5EY

200 08:00

21 Sep Sat

Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC Chris Negus Memorial Rides BR 216km £5.00 L P R S T 15-30kph

170 09:00

21 Sep Sat

Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Chris Negus Memorial Rides BP £5.00 L P R S T 15-30kph

110 10:00

21 Sep Sat

Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Chris Negus Memorial Rides BP 116km £5.00 L P R S T 15-30kph

50 21 Sep 11:00 Sat

Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Chris Negus Memorial Rides BP £5.00 L P R S T 10-30kph Shaftesbury CC 01268765475 mikedodge@blueyonder.co.uk Mick Dodge , 27 Bruce Grove Wickford Essex SS11 8RB

200 08:00

21 Sep Sat

Richmond, North Yorkshire BR 3150m AAA3.25 £5.00 C F L P R T 14.4-30kph

150 08:30

21 Sep Sat

Richmond, N Yorks BP 2500m AAA2.5 £4.50 C F L P R T 12-30kph

100 10:00

21 Sep Sat

Richmond, N Yorks BP £4.50 C F L P R T 10-20kph

Dales Dales Tour Plus Dave's Dales Tour 160km

Lucia's Vale of York Meander 100km

100 21 Sep 09:30 Sat

Richmond, N Yorks Dave's Mini Dales Tour 100km BP 1900m AAA2 £4.50 C F L P R T 10-20kph Swaledale Outdoor Club 07887628513 david.atkinson577@virgin.net David Atkinson, 4 Borrowby Avenue Northallerton North Yorkshire DL6 1AL

160 08:00

Haynes Rd, Leicester, LE5 4AR BP 166km 1500m [1525m] £5.00 L P R T NM 15-30kph

22 Sep Sun

The Leicester Circle

84 22 Sep 08:30 Sun

Haynes Road, Leicester, LE5 4AR BP 1100m [1200m] £5.00 L P R T NM 12.5-30kph Leicester Forest CC Mat Richardson, 18 Clumber Close Loughborough LE11 2UB

Inner Circle

120 22 Sep 08:30 Sun Updated

Lower Whitley, near Warrington The Wizard and the Llamas BP 767m £6.50 L P R T 15-30kph North Cheshire Clarion Matt Ellis, 1 Truro Close Woolston Warrington WA1 4LR

100 28 Sep 09:00 Sat

Sonning Common, near Reading Henley Hilly Hundred BP 1660m AAA1.75 £5 FLPRT 12-30kph CTC Reading DA brianperry_3@hotmail.co.uk Brian Perry, 16 Rowland Close Wallingford Oxon OX10 8LA

100 29 Sep 10:00 Sun

ROA 4000

Bredgar, near Sittingbourne Hengist's Hills BP 103km 1750m AAA1.75 £5.00 RLPT 15-30kph Tim Ford 01622 884 622 timfarmerford@btinternet.com Tim Ford, Glinwood Bexon Lane Bredgar Sittingbourne ME9 8HB

200 29 Sep 07:30 Sun

Denmead, near Portsmouth Wylye and Ebble Valley BR £5-00 L P R T M (19/09) 15-30kph Hampshire R C paul.whitehead@mypostoffice.co.uk Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7XR

160 29 Sep 09:30 Sun

Linlithgow Three Glens Explorer BP 164km 1350m [1850m] £7.50 F L P R T 15-30kph West Lothian Clarion neil.fraser@blueyonder.co.uk Neil Fraser, 14 Maryfield Drive Bo'ness West Lothian EH51 9DG

110 29 Sep 09:30 Sun

Ludford, NE of Lincoln Lincolnshire Wolds BP £5.00 F P R T 15-30kph CTC Lincolnshire woldsauk100@gmail.com Geoff Findon, 11a Trusthorpe Road Sutton On Sea LN12 2LX

200 29 Sep 07:30 Sun

Pendleton, Lancashire Last Chance Dales Dance 200 BRM 3300m AAA3.25 [3000m] £5-00 L P R T 15-30kph Burnley Sportiv burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT

100 05 Oct 09:00 Sat

ROA 4000

Bristol Tasty Cheddar BP 101km £4.00 P YH 12.5-30kph Bristol DA 0117 925 5217 joe.prosser@blueyonder.co.uk Joe Prosser, 8 Portland Court Cumberland Close Bristol BS1 6XB

200 08:10

05 Oct Sat

Chalfont St Peter BR 207km 2400m £6.00 L P R T M 75 15-30kph

200 08:00

05 Oct Sat

Chalfont St Peter BR 207km 2900m AAA3 £6.00 L P R T M 75 15-30kph

The Less Anfractuous The AAAnfractuous

100 05 Oct 08:30 Sat

Chalfont St Peter The Nyctophobic BP 109km 1400m £5.00 L P R T M 75 12.5-30kph Willesden CC paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens Chiswick London W4 3TN

150 05 Oct 08:30 Sat Updated

Darley Abbey, Derby Over the Trent to Dance and Pray BP 152km 1041m £6.00 L P R T 30 15-30kph

www.audax.uk.net Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120

57 AU

DAX UK

auk calendar 100 05 Oct 09:15 Sat Updated

Darley Abbey, Derby Over and Over the Trent BP 109km 637m £6.00 L P R T 60 12.5-30kph Derby and Burton CTC Keith Scholey, 1 Killis Lane Kilburn Belper DE56 0LS

200 19 Oct 07:30 Sat

ROA 10000

Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's Autumnal Outing BR 206km 2350m £4.00 c l p r t nm 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 ybgirkram@talktalk.net Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ

200 08:00 Updated

Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Beyond Shropshire (Severn & Wye) BR 205km 2970m AAA3 £6.00 C F L P R T 50 15-30kph

150 19 Oct 08:15 Sat

Trowell, West of Nottingham An Autumn Day Out BP 153km 1135m £5.00p L P R T(80) 15-30kph Nottinghamshire CTC 0115 932 9978 Mark Chambers, 62 Queens Avenue Hallam Fields Ilkeston Derbys DE7 4DJ

110 26 Oct 09:00 Sat

ROA 4000

Bolsover Colourful Clumber BP 115km £5.00 L P R T (100) 15-30kph Bolsover & District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close Bolsover Chesterfield S44 6RL

100 08:00

27 Oct Sun

Bovey Tracey The Dartmoor Devil @ 8 BP 106km 2500m AAA2.5 £8.00 F P R T 100 (20/10) 12.5-25kph

05 Oct Sat

120 05 Oct Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Discovering Shropshire (Land of Lost Content) 09:00 Sat BP 1650m AAA1.5 [1545m] £6.00 C F L P R T 100 12.5-25kph 80 05 Oct 10:00 Sat

ROA 10000

Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury A Shropshire Lad BP 1030m £5.00 C F L P R T (50) 10-22.5kph CTC Shropshire undulates@hotmail.co.uk John Hamilton, 22 Oaks Crescent Wellington Telford TF1 2HF

110 06 Oct 09:00 Sun

Blaxhall, Suffolk The Suffolk Byways BP 117km 620m £5.00 YH C L P R T (120) 15-30kph CTC Suffolk suffolkcyclist@gmail.com Paul Bass, 21 Thomas Close Ixworth Bury St Edmunds IP31 2UQ

100 27 Oct 09:00 Sun

ROA 3000

Bovey Tracey The Dartmoor Devil @ 9 BP 106km 2500m AAA2.5 £8.00 F P R T 100 (20/10) 12.5-25kph CTC Devon 01626 833 749 Kevin Presland, Hind Street House Hind Street Bovey Tracey Devon TQ13 9HT

100 09:00

Hebden Bridge BP 2555m AAA2.5 £4.00 L R T YH 12-24kph

100 10:00

Stevenage (Fairlands) BP 101km £6 L P R T (19/10; 360) 12.5-28kph

06 Oct Sun

Season of Mists

27 Oct Sun

Emitremmus Desrever

50 06 Oct Hebden Bridge Mellow Fruitfulness 10:00 Sun BP 1200m AAA1.25 £3.50 L R T YH 8-20kph W. Yorks DA 01422 832 853 chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 10000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley St. West Sowerby Bridge W. Yorks HX6 1EF

67 27 Oct 10:30 Sun

ROA 5000

Stevenage (Fairlands) Emitremmus Lite BP £6 L P R T (19/10; 100) 10-20kph Stevenage (Herts) CTC 01438 354 505 jim@stevenagectc.org.uk Jim Brown, 38 Brick Kiln Road Stevenage SG1 2NH

200 12 Oct 08:00 Sat

Broken Cross, near Macclesfield Venetian Nights BR 210km 2750m AAA2.25 [2333m] £8.00 F L P R T 14.3-25kph Peak Audax perrin_john@sky.com John Perrin, 20 Princes Way Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8UB

200 02 Nov 07:30 Sat

Cholsey, E of Didcot Upper Thames BR 212km 1943m £5.00 L P R T M 15-30kph Reading DA 01491 651 284 philipmdyson@btinternet.com Phil Dyson, 25 Papist Way Cholsey Wallingford Oxon OX10 9LL

100 13 Oct 09:00 Sun

Abergavenny Marches Grimpeur BP 1950m AAA2 £4.50 YH F P L T 15-25kph Abergavenny RC waville@yahoo.com Jonathan Saville, 9 Trehonddu Llanvihangel Crucorney Abergavenny Monmouthshire NP7 8DG

100 02 Nov 09:00 Sat

ROA 5000

Hellesdon, near Norwich The Norfolk Nips – 1 BP £5 LPRT(170) 15-30kph NorfolknGood Audax sandk.tandem@btinternet.com Keith Harrison, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU

100 13 Oct 09:00 Sun

Alfreton, NW of Nottingham Beware of the Plague BP 107km 1900m AAA2 £5.00 P R T F 12.5-25kph Alfreton CTC martynleighton@uwclub.net Martyn Leighton, 46 Ashford Rise Belper Derbyshire DE56 1TJ

100 09 Nov 09:00 Sat

Alfreton BP 108km £6.00 L P R T M 100 14-28kph Alfreton CTC Ian Hobbs, 26 Naseby Road Openwoodgate Belper DE56 0ER

200 08:00

Blundeston near Lowestoft, Suffolk BR £5.00 FRTP 15-30kph

200 08:00

Cheadle, Stockport BR 210km 800m £5.00 P R T M 60 15-30kph

13 Oct Sun

The Silly Suffolk

150 13 Oct 09:00 Sun

Blundeston near Lowestoft, Suffolk The Silly Suffolk BP £5.00 FRTP 15-30kph Velo Club Baracchi johntommo6@btinternet.com John Thompson, 136 Dell Road Oulton Broad Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 9NT

170 13 Oct 08:30 Sun

Congleton Rugby Club, Congleton Chirk Aqueduct BP 175km £5.00 P R (60) 15-30kph Congleton CC dhurst085@aol.com Denise Hurst, 10 Firwood Road Biddulph Staffordshire ST8 7ED

100 13 Oct 09:00 Sun

ROA 25000

Hailsham, East Sussex Winchelsea Tea & Cake 100 BP 106km 1100m [1500m] £6.00 F P (2/10) (500) 15-30kph David Hudson David Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6LG

100 13 Oct 10:00 Sun

Hebden Bridge The Hebden Bridge Star BP 106km 2295m AAA2.25 £4 YH F L P T 12-24kph Peak Audax Winston Plowes, P O Box 759 Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire HX7 8WJ

100 13 Oct 9:00 Sun

Kirkintilloch, Sports Centre Ivy's Mid Scotland Meander BP 1311m £7.00 P. R. T. NM. 15-30kph Glasgow Ivy CC richardbarnes776@hotmail.com Richard Barnes, 14 St Columba Drive Kirkintilloch G66 3JN

100 13 Oct 10:00 Sun

Wigginton, N of York Gerry's Autumn Brevet BP 101km £3.00 L P R T 12-25kph North Yorks DA 01904 795 695 gerry.boswell@hotmail.co.uk Gerry Boswell, 5 Invicta Court Acomb York YO24 3NL

100 19 Oct 08:30 Sat

Chailey, East Sussex Mid Sussex Hilly BP 108km 1600m AAA1.5 £5.00 F L P R T 40 (10/10) 12.5-25kph San Fairy Ann CC 01342 314437 malinseastg(remove this)@tiscali dot co dot uk Martin Malins, 64 Blount Avenue East Grinstead West Sussex RH19 1JW

200 08:00

19 Oct Sat

Corwen, N. Wales BR 212km 3200m AAA3.25 [3488m] £5.00 P R T 50 15-30kph

130 08:30

19 Oct Sat

Corwen, N. Wales BP 138km 2250m AAA2.25 £5.00 P R T 50 12.5-25kph

60 19 Oct 09:00 Sat

58 DAX UK

The Clwyd Gate

Corwen, N. Wales The Bala mini-Bash BP £5.00 P R T 50 12.5-25kph Chester & N. Wales CTC 01745 560892 vickypayne8@hotmail.com Vicky Payne, Bryn Celyn Penyffordd Holywell Flintshire CH8 9HH

Arrivée Spring 2013 No. 120 AU

The Clwydian

10 Nov Sun

To the Races

Eureka!

160 10 Nov 08:30 Sun

Cheadle, Stockport Cheshire Safari BP 570m £5.00 P R T M 60 12.5-25kph Peak Audax hamhort84@talktalk.net Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Ave Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ

200 15 Nov ::::: Fri

ROA 25000

Anywhere Dinner Dart BR £5 DIY 14.4-30kph AUK 0161 449 9309 sheila@aukadia.net Sheila Simpson, 33 Hawk Green Road Hawk Green Marple SK6 7HR

200 16 Nov ::::: Sat

ROA 25000

AUK Dinner After Dinner Dart BR £5 DIY 14.4-30kph AUK 0161 449 9309 sheila@aukadia.net Sheila Simpson, 33 Hawk Green Road Hawk Green Marple SK6 7HR

200 08:00

24 Nov Sun

Petworth, West Sussex The Spordax 200 BR 203km 1500m [1000m] £6.00 F P T (14/11)(50) 15-30kph

100 24 Nov 09:00 Sun

ROA 25000

Petworth, West Sussex The Spordax 100 BP 103km 1350m [1000m] £6.00 F P T (14/11) (300) 15-30kph David Hudson David Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6LG

100 07 Dec 09:00 Sat

ROA 5000

Hellesdon, near Norwich The Norfolk Nips – 2 BP £5 LPRT(170) 15-30kph NorfolknGood Audax sandk.tandem@btinternet.com Keith Harrison, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU

200 08:00 Updated

Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH BR 211km 2060m £7.00 P R T 60 15-30kph

07 Dec Sat

Tinsel and Lanes

100 07 Dec 09:00 Sat Updated

Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Flowers to Furnace BP 108km £7.00 P R T 50 12-30kph Tamworth CC 01827 893 664 audaxgeoff@gmail.com Geoff Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth B78 1BY

100 08 Dec 09:00 Sun

ROA 25000

Hailsham, East Sussex The Rye Randonnée 100 BP 103km 1200m [1000m] £6.00 P R (29/11) 500 15-30kph David Hudson David Hudson, 151 Middle Road Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 6LG

100 08 Mar 09:00 Sat

ROA 5000

Alfreton, NW of Nottingham BP 104km 1270m £5.00 L P R T 100 12-30kph AlfretonCTC tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP

Three Fields

www.audax.uk.net

Rider on Mad Jack's – John Seviour Memorial 100k Grimpeur Photo: Tim Wainwright

Delightful Dales 200 at the top of Park Rash Photo: Geoff Read