Arrivée 144 Spring 2019

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2019 summer ring/ •sp

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• UK 144

Our Dave will come… pages 36-39

Audax UK

the long-distance cyclists’ association

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INSIDE ISSUE 144

•1 UK 44

Just a Sec

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In the wake of a Wayfarer

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Why the wheels keep on turning 06

Our Dave will come…

Bon mots from the PBP ‘anciens’

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Ride the Fred Whitton as a permanent

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Golden wonders

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pages 36-39

Audax UK

the long-distance cyclists’

Grit yer teeth… this is Yorkshire 20

association

Front cover Daves heavily outnumbered on this year’s LWL ride…

Picture by Sue Lacey Photography

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An American in Paris 24 Is cycling giving you a flutter? 28 The Baking Biker

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Take two

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Our Dave will come…

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You’re never too old for new wheels

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Moving mountains

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Following in his father’s tyre tracks 46 Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité… 50

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AAA 2018 Rolls of Honour 54 Mick Latimer obituary 56 Calendar of events 58

Welcome to the spring/summer 2019 issue of Arrivée Beyond Leonardo’s wildest dreams It is said that a student of Leonardo Da Vinci came up with a sketch of a machine which was recognisably a bicycle, though, like Leonardo’s helicopter, it doesn’t seem to have been translated into a working model.

But it’s clear that our history is full of imaginative men who were always on the look-out for something that beat walking everywhere… a method of rapid transport which, unlike a horse or donkey, didn’t bite or kick you.

From those original velocipedes to today’s efficient bikes, two-wheeled

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conveyances have come a long way. In Britain at least, the bicycle is credited with providing the working classes with a cheap means of broadening their horizons, and aiding not just actual mobility, but social mobility too.

The advance of motorised vehicles dented the bicycle’s popularity for a while, but the push-bike is undergoing something of a renaissance these days.

This was brought home to me earlier this year. Firstly, I found myself in rainy and cold East Yorkshire on a May day when literally thousands of folk turned up to line the highways and byways to witness a split-second blur of Lycra and sweat whizz

past them. The Tour De Yorkshire is a fascinating phenomenon. Who’d have thought, in stolid old Yorkshire of all places, that words like “peloton” and “drafting” would be such common currency?

A few weeks later I was in Cambridge…a place where the bike is king. Crusty old dons and blue-stockinged girls, on a variety of sit-up-and-beg bone-shakers rule the roads in this ancient city. Pedestrians are best advised to be vigilant at all times. Nowhere is safe.

But we have a long way to go before our love affair with the humble bike matches France. Les bicyclette is a way of life for our Gallic chums.

And for four days in August, thousands of cycling fanatics from across the globe will gather in northern France to take part in one of the toughest challenges known to cycling man… Paris-Brest-Paris. This is 750 miles of muscle-sapping punishment.

It’s a physical and mental challenge unlike anything else in the Audax universe (okay, and LEL, I’ll give you that).

Because it is France, those brave men and women taking part can expect massive support from everyone along the route.

Cafés stay open, beds are provided and encouragement given to all the suffering souls fighting sleep, hunger and exhaustion.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS… Not much news from the membership team this month as we are in that phase of the year when renewals are well and truly behind us, but we have a steady stream of new joiners (and still a few who let their membership lapse and are now re-joining).

Currently we have 7770 members, which is around 500 higher than the same point last year.

Household membership Don’t forget that it only costs £6 per year to sign up a household member, and the only stipulation is that you share an address, so it is open to partners, children, parents, siblings, and even flatmates of existing members. We now have some five member households – well done to the families involved for getting their children out cycling. The Brevet 250 award (5 x 50km rides, DIYs count) is free for under 18s so it’s a good target for the younger age group.

In this edition Rob McIvor talks to veterans of the event, which takes place this year from 18 to 22 August. They give their best advice to those tackling the trial for the first time (page 10). Let’s be honest, it’s not for the faint-hearted, as American rider David Fisk describes on page 24. He took part in the event in 1983, and it’s fair to say his journey is etched indelibly on his heart, mind… and body. What would old Leonardo’s imaginative student draughtsman have made of it?

If you’re taking part in this year’s PBP, let us know how you get on. Send your stories of triumph or disaster to Arrivée – gedlennox@me.com

PHOTOGRAPHER: HANNAH SIMONS

Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), followed by, Hector Saez (Murias), Andy Tennant (Canyon) and Rick Zabel (Katusha Alpecin) power through Hunmanby on their way to Scarborough on Stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire

Tony Lennox Former editor, Birmingham Post, Former editor, Warwickshire Life, 45 years in regional newspapers

If you do want to add a household member then get in touch with me via membership@audax.uk as you can’t do this on line.

LEL 2021 eligibility I am sure all LEL 2021 hopefuls have seen the announcement about entries.

One way to get a guaranteed place is to have been a member of AUK on 12 September 2018 and remain a member right up to 1 Jan 2021. As you were not warned, for 2019 we will take the approach that anyone who renewed before the additional fee became payable (ie paid the £18 main member subscription rather than £23) will be considered to have “remained a member”. However now you have all been warned, for 2020 and 2021 you will need to renew before 31 December to avoid your membership lapsing and retain that guaranteed place. If anyone is unsure whether their membership did start before 12 Sep 2018 or whether they renewed in time, contact me and I can check for you.

Caroline Fenton, Membership Secretary

www.audax.uk

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WORDS BY BRANDON EDGELEY GRAEME PROVAN, General secretary, Audax UK

Just a sec…

With spring finally releasing us from winter’s cold grip, the AUK season rolls on and we are now at the stage where the longer qualifiers for PBP are in full swing. The volunteer hours that go into running these events can sometimes almost go unnoticed. Our organisers seem to make everything look so easy but this stems from experience and planning – the effort remains huge.

While we’re all experiencing our individual struggles in the bitter watches of an overnight ride, spare a moment for the people who are giving up their warm beds to make it all happen. The thought of being able to hand in your brevet card at Arrivée and say “thank you” can even be a bit of extra motivation when things look bleak.

On the subject of PBP, our Chair, Chris Crossland, attended the latest Audax Club Parisien presentation in Paris and was able to report back to the Board on the latest planning for PBP. As has been widely reported around the randonneuring world, it appears that ACP’s repeated warnings about pre-qualification were not overdone.

The extra spaces that ACP released to pre-qualified riders will almost certainly mean that there are no spaces for other entrants.

LEL

Fortunately, we have our own flagship event to loo k forward to in LondonEdinburgh-London and I was pleased to be able to invite the organiser, Danial Webb, to our April Board Meeting. AUK members on 12 September 2018 who continue as members until entry opens will receive priority entry. For the avoidance of doubt that means that if you need to renew your membership that you do so prior to 31 December each year.

Danial provided us with some detail about his new controls and the proposed changes to the route. These, and numerous other details, will be publicised as part of the launch of LEL 2021 worldwide. It is an event that seems to get better and better with each edition and this is down to a small group of dedicated AUK members who are already working incredibly hard more than two years ahead of the event.

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BOARD MEETING

Our latest Board Meeting took place on 10 April this year. We were joined at the meeting by Kevin Lake. Kevin has taken on the role of IT Manager and will lead AUK through Phase 2 (membership) of the IT Refresh Project. Kevin is supported by a Project Board made up of fellow volunteers with relevant industry experience and a number of AUK directors. Following a number of offers of assistance, Kevin has taken the opportunity to add further strength to the Project Board and to the web development team generally.

The next step for the Project Board is to review the detailed quote that has now been received for Phase 2 and report to the Board accordingly.

Apparently, a number of people had asked Kevin why we could not simply purchase an off-the-shelf membership system. Kevin explained to us that there were aspects of our system (such as the requirement for individual organisers to be able to export member information for starting lists) that meant that any off-the-shelf system would require a level of customisation that it made it more cost-efficient to use a bespoke system.

Meanwhile, our financial director, Nigel Armstrong, continues to produce constantly updated cash flow forecasts and budgets to ensure that we are keeping track of current expenditure on the Project and will have adequate reserves for future expenditure. Nigel was able to report that we are slightly ahead of our budgeted income and that his forecasting was well within acceptable variances.

Membership Secretary, Caroline Fenton, reported that our membership was up by 500 on the same period to March 2018.

AUK STRATEGY

We undertook the mid-term review of the AUK Strategy Document after the formal part of our Board Meeting. As AUK continues to grow and develop so the administrative burden on our volunteers increases. A number of objectives in the Strategy Document have already been met but the work continues. As ever, you can look at the board minutes and board reports in the Official section on the website.

In the wake of a Wayfarer One hundred years after a famous ride through blizzards and snow drifts across a forbidding Welsh mountain pass, Brandon Edgeley and Adi Dean joined a colourful throng of riders following in the tyre-tracks of a cycling legend. Brandon takes up the story: THE ROUGHSTUFF FELLOWSHIP is an adventurous band of cyclists who have been seeking out lumpier and less beaten ways for the last 60 years. I joined them a year or so ago but, due to home and Audax commitments, hadn’t actually managed to join any of their rides.

Then I learned that the group was planning a high profile ride over the Nat Rhydwilym Pass in the Berwyn Mountains in March 2019 to celebrate the centenary of the epic crossing in snow by the renowned cycling journalist W.M.Robinson (aka Wayfarer). So I decided to devise my own “Over the Top” Audax.

I made my intention known to the ride leader. My plan was to take my hardtail in the car to the start. Two days before the event I was talking to my good friend Adi Dean who told me that he only had four days to get his monthly 200km Audax in – with nothing currently planned.

“Leave it with me,” I said. In a couple of hours I’d emailed a rough plan and route.

We could leave by 5.30am, ride 70km over Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog to get there for 9am, ride over the pass with the Roughstuff Fellowship and Anfield Bike Club, on to Bala, Corwen, Llandegla, Coedpoeth, Malpas and back to Nantwich for 200km. I would get to ride the pass 100-years to the day, see some RSF riders, and Adi would get his 200km.

It looked like we would probably miss the various groups departing but would likely pass a few on the way up and down.

When we set off, the dawn was breaking and the thermometer was barely above freezing. We rode out to Whitchurch, skirted around Ellesmere and got to Chirk (50km) at about 8.20am, stopping at the trucker’s café for beans on toast and a coffee.

We set of from the café knowing that we would not get to Llanarmon before 9.30am at the earliest, no doubt missing everything – but not to worry. We could only go as fast as we could go as it was now uphill all the way up the delightful Ceriog Valley. When

A CYCLING EVANGELIST Who was Wayfarer? Walter MacGregor Robinson blazed a trail for British cycling, largely thanks to his account of an intrepid crossing of the snow-covered Berwyn Mountains in Wales exactly 100 years ago.

Birkenhead-born Walter, a veteran of the trenches, wrote for Cycling magazine under the pen-name “Wayfarer”. The article on his Berwyn Mountains journey whose heading, “Over the top”, resonated with a generation of shattered men coming home from the war, described an epic bike ride through blizzards and snow drifts in March 1919.

The story, full of optimism and confidence, was greeted with enthusiasm by cyclists and the general public alike, and helped boost the popularity of cycling between the wars.

He remained a passionate champion of cycling throughout his life and helped raise money for the Cyclist Prisoners of War Fund, and was instrumental in the creation of the Cyclists’ War Memorial in Meriden, Warwickshire. arrived at Llanarmon no-one had yet left.

There were about 50 people already gathered. I’d never seen a wider variety of bikes in one place – all standard doublediamond framed bikes but over 100 years between the youngest and oldest machine.

Wheels ranged from 26” to 28” and tyres ranged from 25mm to 75mm. There were drop bars, flat bars, bike-packing luggage, saddlebags, panniers, traditional bikes, vintage bikes, people in vintage costume, people in Lycra, people in baggies.

Adi and I were on regular Audax bikes with mudguards and 28mm tyres, as only 10km of our 200km ride was off road; a lesson I’d learnt the hard way from dragging my 26”-wheeled Surly Long Haul Trucker around TINAT 400km the previous year. We chatted with a few people about their wonderful bikes, and then we were off.

Adi and I set off working our way through the throng of bikes until we could get a bit of space where we could pick our line, which was more important to us than those on wider rubber. The ride to the site of the Wayfarer plaque (a steel marker, celebrating Wayfarer) was challenging but do-able and was everything I’d thought it would be since I first heard of it three years before – very rough most of the way with ruts and puddles deep enough to get your feet wet. When riding you had to keep your eyes on the ground but, when you stopped and looked around, it was truly wonderful to be on a bike climbing up a mountain in such a dramatic setting.

We stopped for photos at the summit at the Wayfarer plaque but didn’t have the chance to hang around. The clock was ticking and the surface and gradient had not helped our average speed – we were the only ones on a timetable.

The descent to Llandrillo was much better than the ascent, but there were gates to open and close. Back on tarmac we pushed on – I had a date with double egg and chips at the greasy spoon in Bala – the

halfway point. Ordering a Coke to wash it down, they only had Pepsi. No problem, I said – they served it in a Coke cup without seeing the irony – it made me chuckle!

Lunch devoured it was out of the door and back to Llandrillo then on to Corwen.

We passed some of the riders we’d seen at the start as they’d stopped for their dinner.

We took the old back road to Carrog where, after a sharp left we found ourselves heading straight uphill. Bottom gear engaged, we winched our way up, marvelling at the delightful countryside.

The day had warmed-up nicely and it was now about 15°C. Eventually we hit the main road and travelled past Llandegla and down to Coedpoeth where we made our last stop (150km). A couple of mini cheesecakes, a chocolate croissant and a bottle of water is what I wanted – so that’s what I had. As we sat for 20 minutes in the sunlight we could feel it getting colder so we put some layers back on before setting off.

Only 50km to go on local roads. I’d not checked this part of the route as I knew roughly where we were going. Fortunately Adi saw the funny side when we took a wrong turn down a bridleway that quickly turned into a mud bath and then into a ford where Adi managed to get his recently dried feet wet again. Oh well it could have been worse, it could have been me!

We hit the familiar grind from Bangoron-Dee to Malpas which we took at our own pace as I told Adi I could only ride at my pace and trying to keep his wheel was not an option. From Malpas it wasn’t long, although it felt it, until we were on the outskirts of Nantwich – back in just over 11.5 hours.

We bade farewell and thanked each other for a truly special day. The conditions had not been anything like the snowy 1919 Wayfarer epic but we had had a truly classic day, 200km with a spectacular tough 10km off road section and over 2,000m of climbing was enough to ensure I would have no problems getting to sleep that night! www.audax.uk

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w h e e h el t y

Colin Bezant, a rider with almost 20 years of Audax experience, tries to answer a question that long distance cyclists so often ask themselves – why am I doing this?

HE VICTORIAN writer Charles Kingsley, in a book called Madam How and Lady Why, explained the ease with which we can describe how things happen and the difficulty of explaining why.

The South Downs, under a full moon, my lights superfluous, every hedge and tree sharply defined to my night vision. It might be the road to Cocking or Old Winchester Hill or Steyning Bostal, all connected in that one memory, places miles and years apart but in that moment one and the same.

The mind drifts to the steady way up Talla Law, mind and legs so fried after five hours of headwinds on the second day of a 1000km Audax that I’ve convinced myself I have a puncture, even when the tyre is as firm as when I set out 30 hours before. That connects itself to Birdlip Hill, at 2am, with the rain starting, my mind good but the tyre going flat, with the prospect of hours of flint strewn lanes with only one inner tube left.

There’s a detachment in such scenarios, between reason and experience. The rational person would not put himself into such a situation.

The rational Audax rider would prepare not to be in such a situation. But 350km into a non-stop 600km, rationality

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WORDS AND PICTURES BY COLIN BEZANT

evaporates and I am left with reality.

One inner tube is enough for now. The intense concentration to avoid potholes and sharp stones in the rain-washed roads keeps me more awake and helps me survive to the reviving dawn.

But sometimes reality is not enough.

A Cambrian Series 300 takes me too long to comfortably fit in a day. If I wait for breakfast I finish after midnight; if I want a shower and a pub supper I need to leave in the early hours. The rational plan was to catch an evening train to Carmarthen and start at 11.30pm, so that I would have a late afternoon finish.

Reality was that I’d had a hard week at work and not enough sleep. I reached the Drovers Arms at the top of the Brecon Beacons with an army exercise in full swing. Flares, officers in the lee of a building on their radios, perhaps wondering if they were hallucinating as

a vision in pink and yellow Lycra loomed up. Shortly afterwards I saw the squaddies crouching in the cover a heather bank, their camouflage picked out by my LED lights, only to resolve themselves into the black and white posts that marked the ditch. Reality had given way to unreality, and later, surrealism as my brain, starved of human company and sleep’s restorative powers, had started to create experiences to sustain me.

Later I came across the two most magical words in the English Language – “café” and “open”. There were four customers – myself and three university students – all restoring ourselves from our respective nights out. Suddenly I was immersed in their world, their horizons, both limited by the artificiality of studying for exams and their inexperience of life, and yet limitless in

the ❝twoI camemostacross magical words in the English Language … “café” and “open”

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their possibilities. Just as mine were, the artificiality of following a route with controls, yet a limitless number of routes I could take, roads to explore on another ride.

I’ve abandoned rides in a train station to nowhere (Stanhope), on a sofa in a room above a café (Hatherleigh), in a B&B in Penzance, and a hotel where teams riding in the Tour of the Reservoir were staying, my steel-framed Roberts incongruous against their aero, deeprimmed Pinarellos. Each time there has been the soul-destroying change from the world of illusion back to the world of reason, the practicalities of getting back home from somewhere I never expected to be. This is lashed with the mental anguish of setting out to do something and failing to achieve it. If we are to be audacious we will have frequent encounters with the twin imposters of

triumph and disaster and if we have not there is still time to be more or less audacious.

That audacity takes us to places beautiful beyond belief; natural scenery enhanced by circumstance and experience into something that cannot be photographed, even words fail to do the memories justice. I think of the Bride Valley in Dorset on the Porkers, or the road from Brockhampton to Winchcombe – not because of their beauty as a destination but because they are forgotten places, hidden from normal view, exposed only because of our requirement to traverse two controls by the shortest possible distance and the organiser’s arcane route finding.

They reach out to our hearts and minds and remain there, a locus for the rest of the memories of that ride.

Each of us will have our own special

places, some incongruous (a T-junction in the flat part of Oxfordshire), and some breathtaking, such as the morning light on Loch Leven. These days, following the route on SatNav, their location can remain mysterious even to us but the sense of those places, in our heads, is indelible.

That’s a dangerous step closer to discovering why we do this. Initially it might be a sense of achievement, a goal, the inspiration of Paris-Brest-Paris. But does it remain that? My memories of my third and most enjoyable one are not crossing the line, but of social engineering a group on the way back from Fougeres to Villaines, of the camaraderie of a small group of new friends on the way to Carhaix and the magic carpet ride to Mortagne working with a strong group of many experienced riders. Races are the www.audax.uk

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WHY THE WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING

Audax, North American style

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opposite – I can tell you exactly the last moments of my two 24-hour time trials and my best ever 100-miler and very little of what happened in between.

Company is sometimes a blessing. I rode around the Brimstone with a group once, people I’d never met before, but their enthusiasm for their first attempt at this classic ride got me round my third attempt in a sound state of mind. At other times it is a curse, a voice interrupting a random train of thought, a wheel to follow that becomes a treadmill, straining the legs and lungs for fear of losing its safety, only to blow up spectacularly when the head and heart cannot continue, having been dragged deep into the red, initiating a regret that lasts for hours if not the rest of the ride. Those are the moments that memory conveniently erases so that I am not too daunted to enter the next event.

The tales are often of hardship; epics are made of broken bikes and broken spirits, overcoming difficulties, finishing with minutes to spare. “I sort of rode round and got to the finish” has no drama, no beginning or end, just a middle. But isn’t that more the point, when an event lasts 10, 20, 40, 70 or even 100 hours - it is mostly about the middle.

Distance and duration strip us down to our basic needs of food, water, and shelter. Often denied these as the wind and rain push us back, all of the paraphernalia of modern life is stripped away. Perversely, when we rise above such things, we are closer to self-actualisation than when our creature comforts are met. The joy of hot coffee and pastries at Acharacle and subsequent all-day breakfast at Onich come to mind. The beginning and end are too far apart to have a connection. But that middle is the satisfying part, full of the vignettes that make up a broader life.

There’s the sight of a drunk trying to get through his front door at 1am in Llanidloes, key and lock failing to conspire in the delirium of his happiness. Two hundred miles, several years, and two seasons away, is a lady returning in her party clothes oblivious to the sub-zero temperatures in a village between Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray. A steep descent into Newcastle Emlyn on a summer’s

The tales are often of ❝ hardship; epics are made of broken bikes and broken spirits, overcoming difficulties, finishing with minutes to spare

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evening, the smell of burgers and beer drawing my stomach from hundreds of yards away. North coasts in morning or evening light, softly and beautifully lit from the high latitude sun. Emerging from the valley mist through trees to the top of a Dorsetshire hill.

Then there are the real triumphs, Bwlch-y-Groes at dawn, that crazy concrete road in the south of Tuscany or the Strade Bianchi the next day, slithering nervously on the white gravel until our confidence built and we raced with courage, just like the impromptu sprint under the East Stratton Village Fete sign on the Rural South, laden with panniers, but going for it just because of the craic.

They aren’t records. They aren’t special achievements. They are just memories, but the memories that make up a life of Audax, different memories from some, memories yet to be experienced by others, memories that defy words and my clumsy attempts to record them, but somehow, I hope, a record of why, rather than how, and I hope even more, an inspiration to go and find your own memories and add them to the ledger of your experience.

www.audax.uk

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WORDS AND BY ROB MCIVOR

At this stage in the four-year Paris-Brest-Paris cycle, it’s usual for excitement and apprehension to build in equal measure among first timers. Talk on the Audax UK forum proves there’s a big demand for advice. Happily, there’s an even larger pool of old PBP troupers willing to help. Rob McIvor speaks to a few…

Bon mots from the PBP ‘anciens’ ThE PBP is the world’s flagship randonnee – and it can be a daunting prospect for riders who’ve never attempted it. I asked some veterans of previous years for their tips, covering every aspect of the ride, from pre-event preparation to the most important thing that you need to do after crossing the finishing line.

Not everyone will agree with every one of these recommendations. Some are very much down to personal preferences – sleeping in hotels or sleeping at the side of the road, for example – but all are rooted in personal experience, so are worth considering.

This is written very much with first time entrants in the 90 hour group in mind. Those opting for an sub-80 hour finish should find themselves hitting the controls well ahead of “the bulge” while for those in the 84-hour group, having to ride through the first night after being awake all day is not a factor.

For most UK riders, this issue of Arrivee will land on the doormat during the period between their final 600km qualifier and packing their bags for Paris.

This is a dangerous period during which it’s all too easy to let your fitness drop.

It’s wise to slot in some more long rides between qualifying and the event,

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to keep your body used to long distances.

Aside from Permanent Events, the AUK calendar has more than a dozen 300600km events in the six weeks after the final cut-off for PBP qualifiers.

Chris Smith, a 2015 finisher, also advises having a focus to your rides ahead of the event. He says: “Learn to manage your sleep. Do some overnight rides in the vacuum between qualification and PBP itself. They really help.”

I agree. I’ve always tried to complete a couple of overnight rides with evening starts in the weeks leading up to the event. Everyone bar the 84-hour group rides through the first night of PBP so it’s useful to practice being up all day, then riding for at least a night and a day before resting.

Almost everyone will warn you not to make any drastic changes to your bike set-up before the event. Peter Mastenko, who was a 2011 finisher but has also experienced the disappointment of failing to finish, goes further: “On such a long ride it’s essential to make sure you have as few issues as possible with contact points, so have a bike-fit or at least a good self-check of your position, especially the saddle.

Everyone bar the ❝ 84-hour group rides through the first night of PBP so it’s useful to practice being up all day, then riding for at least a night and a day before resting Rob McIvor x3-finisher

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Saddle sores, numb hands or back pain are no fun at all. The roads on PBP are generally good with far fewer potholes than in UK, but many have a rough finish, so you have to watch the vibrations over 1200km. Gel mitts and bar tape are both worthwhile additions.

“The qualifying rides should give you an idea if whether you are on the right lines. If you suffer any issues on the 400 or 600, then they will only be worse at PBP, so sort them out before you get there.”

The majority of first-timers will not have ridden an event lasting more than 40 hours before PBP. When and where to sleep, unsurprisingly, is a key concern for many. Unless you’re being followed by a camper van (frowned upon by purists) your options are: finding hotels along the route; using the dormitories at the controls; catnapping in a chair or on the floor at controls; or taking a bivvy bag and sleeping at the side of the road. No matter what your preferred option, it’s worth giving some thought in advance to your sleep strategy, even if, as suggested by six time PBP entrant Ivo Meissen, it’s as simple as “ride until you have to sleep – then sleep”.

You may have heard ominous talk of the “Loudeac bulge”. This control is about

Stay focused at the ❝ controls so that you don’t waste time. If you’re not doing anything useful like eating, sleeping or replenishing supplies, then get back on your bike and get moving again Rob Bullyment x5-finisher

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It’s rural France; people ❝ speak French. It makes sense to brush up and make an effort to do likewise. Take a moment to acknowledge the support at the roadside, even with only a few words Graeme Provan x1-finisher

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Don’t commit to riding the whole way with another person – ❝ unless you’re on a tandem! At some point during the ride your biorhythms will vary. If you then stick together, either one has to ride totally tired or the other has to waste valuable time resting when they don’t need to.

Ivo Meissen x6-finisher

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Expect to ride faster than on your long ❝ qualifiers, but also expect to burn much

more time at controls. The amount of faffing is really enormous. I spent slightly less than 57 hours riding and a total of 30 hours off the bike. Fewer than ten hours were used for sleep. Don’t worry about the Roc’h Trevezel.

While it’s the highest point of the ride, the gradient is really gentle. But do expect the stage between Villaines and Fougères to be the hardest bit of the ride, both ways. At 85km it’s a relatively long stage and the rolling hills are utterly relentless Olaf Storbeck x1-finisher

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www.audax.uk

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BON MOTS FROM THE PBP ‘ANCIENS’

“Consider using music to keep your pace up. In 2015, when I had to make up some lost time, I played some Techno, which is what I had been listening to on my turbo at home, to put me in the state of mind for fast pedalling. Soon I was overtaking all the back markers and worn-out riders and shaking off anyone who tried to stay with me. I made it to the next control with enough time in hand for a snooze on the cafeteria floor.”

JAMIE ANDREWS x2-finisher

… use the hottest part ❝ of the day to sleep, if you need

it, and ride through the night.

You can sleep in a virtually empty dorm during the afternoon and leave when the sun sets, as others are queuing up for beds Phil Whitehurst 2015-finisher

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400km into the ride, so most reach it sometime during the second evening westbound and the third night on the return leg. Dividing the ride into 3 x 400km and sleeping twice at Loudeac makes sense on paper but has been known to result in long queues for beds when everyone else has the same idea.

It’s less of a problem than it used to be as in recent editions the organisers have introduced additional optional controls at which you can eat and sleep, around 60km before and 40km after Loudeac Brest-bound, but it’s still worth considering other options before you start the ride so that you have as much flexibility as possible when you’re on the road. In 2011 and 2015, I cycled straight through to Brest, slept there, and then took only catnaps on the way back. That wouldn’t work for everyone!

Some riders have unusual ideas for how to avoid losing time waiting for beds. Phil Whitehurst, who rode in 2015, says: “If it’s hot during the day use the hottest part to sleep, if you need it, and ride through the night. You can sleep in a virtually empty dorm during the afternoon and leave when the sun sets as others are queuing up for beds.”

Even if you are not held up waiting for a bed, anyone who has ridden PBP will confirm that you can lose a lot of time at the controls. Some, such as Fougeres, are on sprawling sites with the control itself and other facilities some distance apart.

When you arrive at the control, always take everything that you need – bidons, extra clothes, money, etc. – with you, so that you don’t waste time having to return to your bike. And on the subject of money, make sure you have cash for the controls. Don’t assume you’ll be able to pay by card – this is France!

Another useful piece of advice – which I wish I had known first time around – comes from Nick Wilkinson, who also rode in 2015: “Every control has at least two eateries – a café or snack bar for coffee, baguettes and croissants, as well as a restaurant for proper hot meals.

I’ve no idea how to tell them apart, except that in most cases the closest eatery to the actual control position is the café, so you have to work for your hot food.”

If you want to avoid having to queue for your food (and again to pay for it, and sometimes again to get a drink) eating elsewhere along the route is a viable option and some riders use the controls only to have their brevets stamped. But beware complacency. In a few places cafes and bakeries stay open all night during PBP but these are in the minority.

If you call in to a café asking for ❝ lunch at 1.45pm you’ll be met with a curt “non” ❞

The majority of the route is rural and shops and cafes stick to traditional opening hours – which means shops are usually closed from 12noon until 2pm and if you call in to a café asking for lunch at 1.45 you’ll be met with a curt “non”.

Wise riders, therefore, always carry some emergency rations. For those with a sweet tooth, Tom Deakins, riding his fifth PBP this year, made a useful discovery in 2015. He says: “I found sweets called Very Bad Kids, which are the French version of “Sour Patch Kids”. I bought them mainly because the Americans in the sweetie aisle were rolling about at the translation of the name but they were excellent nosebag fodder for the first night.”

Whatever you eat, chances are that at some point your digestive system will remind you that its usual rhythm is being disrupted. Even if you escape this, you’ll still need to pay some attention to your personal hygiene. It is possible to ride PBP without ever coming into contact with soap or toothpaste, but you may find yourself sitting alone at the post-ride meal. John Jackson, who rode in 2015, recommends taking the following items: ● Travel towel – better than the paper towels offered. ● Small container of shower gel. ● Toothbrush (cut down handle) and paste. ● Ibruprofen gel – can make the difference between finishing and abandoning. ● Imodium and indigestion tablets.

To that list, I’d consider adding a packet of wet wipes and a hand sanitizer.

Need I add any further explanation?

So, your fitness assured, sleep planned, food sorted, and personal care pack stocked, there’s just the small matter of a 1200km bike ride to do. I’m not going to join the debate over whether PBP is “hard” or “easy”. Everybody experiences it differently. I doubt that anyone ever regrets entering PBP, even if they don’t finish. But good preparation can make the difference between a memorable disappointment and a highlight of your cycling career.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice, from two-time finisher Marcus Jackson-Baker, is relevant to everyone – even those who, for whatever reason, don’t complete the ride: “Remember that it is *** ace and have a brilliant time!”

FRED WHITTON PERMS ALAN STEELE

Ride the Fred Whitton as a permanent

The Fred Whitton Challenge is one of the most popular sportives in the UK and is famed as being particularly demanding.

Riders rank it alongside European events such as La Marmotte in terms of difficulty. The Challenge is a 175 kilometres ride around the Lake District – starting in Grasmere and taking in the climbs of Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Cold Fell, Hardknott and Wrynose passes and a few lumpy bits between. The first event originally began in Coniston in 1999 and now, 20 years on, it attracts 2,500 riders – a bit crowded and always over-subscribed.

Having ridden the event several times and a number of variations, both directions and with add-ons, I have designed two permanents for those wishing to do it under Audax rules.

The first follows the original course with a start in Coniston and so takes in

Hawkshead Hill. As a Brevet Populaire 175km allows a very generous time of 17 hours with 3,600 metres of climbing and 3.5 AAA points.

The second route is a bit more challenging at 207km with 4,100 metres

of climbing to give 4 AAA points – it has to be completed in 14 hours. Starting at Ings to go over Kirkstone Pass it picks up the Original Fred, after Hawkshead it goes into Ambleside for a second ascent of Kirkstone pass by riding The Struggle.

www.audax.uk

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Coinciding with their 50th wedding anniversary, the International Tandem Rally in Öland, Sweden was the perfect place for Colin and Rosy Grey, joined at the saddle for many years, to put their tandem, and marriage, to the test – and they survived the trials of sun, wind, rain, some dodgy surfaces, and the distraction of Swedish girls!

Rosy Grey takes up the story…

Golden wonders Septuagenarian duo celebrate in Scandi-style 14

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T

HE bridge to the island of Öland, just off the south east corner of Sweden, stretches for 15 windy kilometres – and cyclists aren’t allowed to cross it. So, in order to reach the location of the International Tandem Rally last September we had to take our tandem from the mainland at Kalmar on a passenger ferry.

Colin and I have ridden in the rally in the past, but the small matter of our Golden Wedding Anniversary made this year’s journey more of a problem. My overambitious better half thought we could just make it to Öland in time from Hoek van Holland if we left home immediately after the party. However I objected strongly and this turned out to be not only a sensible option but a very fortuitous arrangement.

On the Tuesday before our party my dear husband, who clearly thinks he is still a teenager, fell off his bike while showing two Dutch visitors how not to ride across a ford. Not only did he have to complete the charity ride, which was part of our anniversary celebration, with a badly swollen arm and five stitches in his elbow but he had to dash back to our GP’s surgery hours before we left home to get a second dose of antibiotics as his arm was still badly swollen.

From Hoek van Holland we drove to Hemmoor, 30 km west of Hamburg and I spent the actual day of our wedding anniversary walking into town to find a doctor to remove Colin’s stitches. Very romantic! At least the doctor was a jolly bloke, a cyclist, and he didn’t charge. We did manage a short ride afterwards and found a lovely transporter bridge just out of town on the cycle route. Colin slightly redeemed himself by cooking me a very nice dinner as there were no restaurants in staggering distance of our apartment.

We set off next morning for two days riding in Germany, crossing the Elbe on the Wishafen to Gluckstadt ferry and then passing north of Hamburg on the way to Lübec and the ferry port at Travemünde.

This ought to have been a doddle with a strong following wind but actually seemed quite hard work. On the first day there were many stupid gates to negotiate and some “Sheep Scheisse Strasse” where avoiding the animal’s excrement can be tricky. It’s a good job I am not allowed to clean the bike. Both days were deadpan flat, which gets my vote, but a lot of day

WORDS AND PICTURES BY ROSY GREY Rosy Grey, who has been married to husband Colin for 50 years, had hardly ridden a bike until the couple bought a tandem on her 50th birthday. Since then Rosy has been well and truly bitten by the bike bug. She’s completed numerous challenging rides on a single bike, including a 6,000km trek on routes around the North Sea. She has also undertaken several 100km Audaxes, often on the tandem.

Copenhagen… described by Rough guide as one of Europe’s most user-friendly and trendy capitals www.audax.uk

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GOLDEN WONDERS two was on unpaved surfaces; unfortunately not to my backside’s liking.

Arrival in Trelleborg, Sweden was interesting. We did 3.5 km round the docks, dicing with huge juggernauts, before finding the sanctuary of a cycle path. We couldn’t even get out of the port because the exit gate was not manned and the sensors did not recognise bikes.

Once out of Trelleborg five days across southern Sweden was a dream with lovely scenery, great cycle paths, wonderful road surfaces, and very little traffic. We even had a following wind. Invariably drivers were very careful and considerate. We rarely had to stop when cycling through towns as there were often underpasses across major intersections and few cyclist traffic lights; not that the locals seemed to take much notice. The traffic from side roads was aware of cyclists and always gave us priority. Maybe the existence of such a superb cycling infrastructure is one possible benefit of a socially-minded and reasonably egalitarian society. All of the Swedes we talked to were very proud of the cycling provision and several

expressed the view that the maintenance and development of this might not continue after the impending General Election, with the extreme right wing expected to make significant gains.

Apart from a tail wind most of the time the weather did not play ball, with some rain on the first day and thunderstorms most of day two. The only real cycling hazard we experienced in Sweden was when the Colin’s inner teenager kicked in, and he spent too much time ogling scantily dressed Swedish girls rather than concentrating on aiming our heavilyloaded tandem.

Our route, planned

on Open Street Map, worked well, with just one short stretch that was, in my opinion, too sandy to ride even though the stubborn “captain” said it was OK. After our ten- millionth marital disagreement he condescended to turn round and take a five kilometre detour. Very magnanimous or what?

As we approached Kalmar to take the ferry to Öland the terrain became flatter and the weather improved. Good omens for the next week, we hoped. Once across the cycle ferry to Färjestaden it was a short ride to Saxnas Camping, the site of the 2018 ITR. Tony Prichard, who was organising his last rally, had made a great choice of campsite – possibly the biggest and best organised site we have ever stayed on. The luxury mobile home (made in England) we shared with Peter and Ros Hallowell was very reasonably priced and the site’s washing machines and

tumble-dryers were included in the rental.

Camping utopia in my humble view. Öland is known as the island of wind and sun – we had plenty of both. Colin had planned some potential routes for the rally; an entirely armchair exercise as for some reason the Tandem Club could not afford to fly him out to Sweden for three weeks to check them out. There were occasions where Open Street Map let him down (well that’s his excuse) and at times I was not too enamoured by some fairly painful gravel roads. However in general his guessing worked well and he did indicate on the rally maps some really nice cafes, which I think we all appreciated. In general the routes were fairly flat; very much to my liking.

Sutures sir… Colin’s stitches are removed by the friendly local doctor

True grit… the gravel roads were demanding

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Neo-Gothic… Helsingborg Town Hall

Sadly the rally was not as well supported as most ITRs. That might be partly due to the distance from UK but maybe because people thought Sweden was expensive. We found that our supermarket spend was about what it would have been in France and generally cafes were very reasonably priced. Only the alcoholics were seriously disadvantaged. However we soon found that Systembolaget, the state-run off-licence, was far cheaper than wine or beer in a hotel or restaurant, so it was self-catering for us.

The rally included all the usual activities, but sadly no cheap bar. The highlight was the last night’s BBQ (or was it a cold buffet?) where we were entertained by a charming young Swedish singer, who really seemed to get her head round tandeming and the Tandem Club.

The local paper and radio station also arrived on the last day for photographs and interviews. Bob Bending got to ride off on his Pino with a very attractive young lady from the radio station, and we are not sure if he has been seen since. My better half, always the optimist, was green with envy; so clearly nothing changes after 50 years!

Our intended departure from Öland could have been a disaster. We planned to leave on Sunday giving us a full day off after the rally; however the cycle ferry to the mainland does not run on a Sunday.

Not a problem, I was informed. We could put the tandem on a bus across the bridge. Unusually for Sweden the buses did not have bike racks but Tony Prichard came up trumps by taking us over the bridge before his departure for UK, saving us a very expensive taxi ride.

Once back in Kalmar we took a more northerly route than on the way out. We had planned to go to Malmo and

take the train across the iconic bridge to Copenhagen. However while it transports single bikes it does not take tandems. In the end we headed for Helisingborg and the ferry to Helsinor north of Copenhagen.

What an amazing ride! Almost entirely through forests with hardly a café stop or even a picnic site anywhere. Traffic volumes were negligible and several times we cycled for 20 km without seeing a single car. At one stage we followed a main road with very little traffic on a brand new wonderfully surfaced cycle path. The main problem was finding accommodation in such sparsely populated areas but a mixture of self-catering bed and breakfasts and cabins on campsites worked well and was generally very reasonably priced, especially as we didn’t have to pay hotel prices for our wine and beer.

The worst bit of Sweden was the last

five kilometres into Helsingborg where in several places the road was being rebuilt and the cycle path disappeared forcing us to take our chance on a busy dual carriageway full of traffic. We had more close passes in two kilometres than the previous 1000 km. Eventually we had to walk for over a kilometre; there was no cycle path and the road was reduced to a very narrow jam-packed single lane. Then we struggled to find the entry to the ferry port as there are no signs for cyclists.

Once in Denmark our route into Copenhagen was not without its problems. All the way from the ferry to the hostel in the south of Copenhagen we had torrential rain so Colin struggled to read either his map or the Garmin. Several times we came across very rough gravel tracks and managed to detour through housing estates until finally we joined Copenhagen’s network of World famous cycling routes. Great if you

Saxnas Camping… possibly the biggest and best organised site we stayed on

www.audax.uk

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RIDERS ON GOLDEN WONDERS THE SWARM

The rally included all the usual activities, but sadly no cheap bar

know where you are going but not for Copenhagen virgins. The locals, many on cargo bikes, push and shove at the many sets of traffic lights showing no respect to a heavily laden tandem, and nobody uses a bell. We were also nearly mowed down by an ambulance, with blue lights flashing, when it swerved into the cycle lane to get round a queue of traffic. The locals all

Much of Scandinavia ❝ and Germany is full of such places and usually very reasonably priced

❞

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pulled their bikes quickly to one side; however not so easy with a loaded tandem.

In Copenhagen we had a day off and became “normal” tourists for a short while.

A boat trip round the canals was pleasant but in general we were underwhelmed by the city, which was not particularly clean, and where everything is hugely overpriced.

(Even a youth hostel was £109 per night, and two coffees £15.) We might give “City Breaks” a miss in future; we found cycling through rural Denmark a far more relaxing and worthwhile experience.

From Copenhagen to Flensburg in Germany we had a following

easterly wind and warm sunshine every day. Frankly that was a saving grace.

Denmark is far more exposed to the prevailing westerly winds than the heavily forested Sweden. I would not have fancied some of the high and long bridge crossings we experienced, especially with a strong side wind. Mostly the cycling was idyllic, with many tiny traffic free lanes graced by the most beautiful traditional Danish thatched roof houses, many of which are over 200 years old. When we followed main roads there was nearly always a good quality cycle track. We had to negotiate a bridge that was being rebuilt at one stage avoiding the only diversion of the whole trip. We also managed to find some very reasonably priced self-catering accommodation, once away from Copenhagen.

We had to take two long (50 minute) ferry crossings in Denmark; necessary to avoid more long bridges where the rail network discriminates against those with a tandem. At least I got a nice rest on the ferries, but it was quite important to be well prepared (well at least Colin was well prepared). If you just miss a ferry the next one is two hours later and that could have meant problems booking into our We were entertained by a charming young reserved accommodation.

Swedish singer/artist The worst bit of Denmark was

the last three kilometres to the border with Germany. Having ridden on wonderful surfaces all day we suddenly turned off on to a rough track full of loose gravel with 20 per cent climbs and descents. How that can qualify as a cycle route I don’t know. We walked most of it as even “headbanger Colin” thought it was dangerous on pretty much anything other than an unloaded mountain bike.

Once in Germany we headed south back towards where we had left our car.

Generally the route worked well following cycle routes along tiny lanes, often superbly surfaced, or on cycle tracks beside busy roads, regrettably often with frequent tree roots pushing up the asphalt. Not nice for my delicate posterior and considerably reducing our average speed. We also came across some sections of narrow concrete strips, which surprisingly were marked on our maps as road, but were often badly broken up and hard going on a tandem.

However the biggest problem was finding a decent café; even the few bakeries we passed only served horrid strong black coffee. Yuk! Fortunately the pastries were good.

We did wonderfully well for accommodation. Our preference is to go for self-catering establishments, partly because Colin is so finicky about what he will eat, and also because if you are away for a long time, eating out adds enormously to one’s budget. Much of Scandinavia and Germany is full of such

places and usually very reasonably priced. In Germany one night our self-contained apartment was only €40; amazing value. On another occasion we had the ultimate in luxury, including two showers, a sauna and most important for the lackey who has to do the domestics every night, a washing machine.

However I was not too impressed when Colin told me that the presence of a washing machine meant I had had a day off, apart from a little gentle pedalling.

The last two days back to Henmmoor emphasised how lucky we had been with the weather. On our penultimate day there was driving rain and a strong headwind.

On the last, relatively short day the rain relented but the wind was stronger. Not even I could get away with less than maximum effort. Finally we crossed the Elbe and followed a series of reasonably sheltered lanes back to the wonderful 110 year old transporter bridge at Osten, just

The wonderful 110-year-old transporter bridge at Osten

five kilometres from our journey’s end.

In conclusion we very much enjoyed cycling in Sweden and Denmark, not areas we visit very often. There is a lot of lovely countryside, invariably good road surfaces (we hardly saw a pothole) and very considerate drivers. We found accommodation very reasonably priced, if we were prepared to be flexible about our route, and in general prices were nowhere near as expensive as they were 20 years ago. www.audax.uk

19

Graeme Holdsworth told himself he was having fun on a North Riding 300… even though it very rarely felt like it.

Here’s his tale of hills, wind, sleet and tired legs at the tail end of winter in England’s unforgiving North Country:

Grit yer teeth… this is Yorkshire DARLINGTON, County Durham, is fondly known to the locals as “Darlo” – and to a growing number of Audaxers as “Darleaux”. It was here that two dozen of us met up for a punishing ride through the North Yorkshire Moors, Yorkshire Wolds and the Vale of York.

Our start time was to be 9pm on a Friday night, at a McDonalds on the outskirts of town, giving us the best part of nine hours to enjoy empty trunk roads. Dean Clementson (Velo Club 167) had crafted a new route which followed “the roads we wouldn’t normally use” on an overnight adventure across some very tough terrain.

I wasn’t sure whether an overnight ride at the end of winter was a good idea, but in the camaraderie of the start line all those inner doubts evaporated.

We rode en-masse to the first control in Guisborough, 31km away, covering the distance in about an hour. There was something rather intimidating about us – a significant mob of cyclists marauding past the airport, through Yarm town centre, and along the dual carriageway into Guisborough. No motorists were harmed in the making of this story, but we certainly had plenty of space from passing taxis.

Ahead lay the North Yorkshire Moors, and the A171.There were 63km between 20

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route sheet instructions and we wouldn’t be passing through any towns. The first climb of the night was Birk Brow, not a difficult or long ascent, but nigh on impassable during the daytime due to the smell of diesel fumes and burnt clutch pads. One group had bounced the Guisborough control, and another group were faffing, so I found myself climbing Brik Brow alone and it felt serene – the sweaty silence of an isolated cyclist on a hill. The sky was clear but not cold. The wind was buffeting against my side, but generally to my advantage. The moors were pitch black and although I was riding alone, I never felt alone: there were a few rear lights ahead of me, and a few headlights behind me.

In the book, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins goes on an adventure much to the disdain of his fellow Hobbits. I know that many of us have reflected on the reactions from friends and family (and from strangers in pubs) that what we’re doing is quite mad. This is not true; we are not mad, we are alive and we’re not afraid. As I rode across the North Yorkshire Moors, I remembered I was on an adventure.

Most long rides involve hairy descents and arduous climbs, and this ride was no different. I loved the drop to bypass Whitby on the bridge over the

WORDS BY GRAEME HOLDSWORTH PICTURES BY DEAN CLEMENTSON

What headwind...? Ben Cox and Cat Smith push on

www.audax.uk

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NORTH RIDING 300 River Esk. This was another place I wouldn’t ride in the daytime but at night it rewarded me with a mesmerizing view of the harbour glowing with a vibrant life.

The descent to Scarborough was similar in length and joy. Once we were out of the North Yorkshire Moors, I think the uninitiated rider would feel ready to relax.

However, the Yorkshire Wolds lay ahead, and they should not be taken lightly.

There were two significant climbs to negotiate – Staxton Brow and Foxholes.

These are not the only hills, but they were the ones the legs would remember.

I was fortunate enough to regroup with friends as I reached Driffield, because it was here that we turned into the wind, and as the sun rose above the horizon the ride changed from dark climbs to daylight headwinds - all the way to York. It was exceptionally hard work, and once we’d left the hills of the Wolds behind the flatlands of York gave no shelter. On a calm summer day these lanes are beautiful, but on a windy winter morning I was longing for the shelter of a hill.

We’d jumped from McDonalds to McDonalds to McDonalds as we’d reached one 24-hour control after another. The McDonalds at York saw us at our weakest: 200km in and knackered.

Another 100km to go and the wind had changed direction, now coming from the northwest and holding us in place as we traipsed back north to Darlington. It was at this point that the sleet began. I saw a couple of riders pack in at this point. I guess the railway at York was too tempting. I was, I recalled, on an adventure. Sometimes you’ve got to laugh, and I told myself this was me having fun. The thing is, even though I’d been unable to keep the wheel of my companions in this wind, I was still having fun. Although I found myself alone with knackered knees, I was still moving forward at a pace above the minimum. I can’t deny it was hard work.

As I plodded my way along the A1 service road northbound, I saw a motorway services sign: “Leeming Bar”. I’d been hoping for “Scotch Corner” but was disappointed. That’s it, I shouted impotently into the wind. “Leeming Bar! Leeming-bloody-bar! Argh! Not Leemingbloody-bar! Noooo!” I stopped for a coffee and two friends were just leaving; we shared some encouragement and my spirits lifted. It was still a long way to Scotch Corner, but, after battling the headwind to get there, I eventually made it. Legs exhausted, energy spent and unable to go on.

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The author, Rev Holdsworth, left, at the start

Sometimes you’ve got to ❝ laugh, and I told myself this was me having fun. ❞ The transformation from exhausted touring cyclist to time trial athlete, or from screaming helplessly into the wind to singing with joy while no-one can hear, or from teeth gritted into the wind into beaming grin – these transformations happen in an instant.

Give me a tailwind and suddenly I’m off like a greyhound. The last 10km were over in a flash of gorgeous Teesside rolling hills and green fields. I think it’s the memory of these transformative experiences that carries us through the dark patches. Knowing that the sleet will turn to sunshine and the wind will not always be into our face; these

knowledges are possibly the strength that keeps the legs turning. I have to admit that I still find it odd that Audaxers find the strength to go on. I guess we’ve all got depths and potential that we don’t realise.

Into Darleaux for the finish where riders gathered together in a local pub, recounting stories of heroism until it came time for train journeys home. Big thanks to Dean for a cracking route and perfect timing. An overnight bike ride around the North Yorkshire Moors in March? Fantastic – five stars and a big thumbs up for anyone toying with riding it next year.

Anne Young, on the unofficial route...

Mike Hemming

Mike Sheldrake

Whitby … was another ❝ place I wouldn’t ride in the daytime but at night it rewarded me with a mesmerizing view of the harbour glowing with a vibrant life

❞

www.audax.uk

23

With the formidable PBP 2019 event looming on the horizon, American rider David Fisk, recalls the summer of 1983 – and his own attempt at conquering 750 strength-sapping miles from the French capital to the Atlantic coast and back.…

An American

and Brest – and Paris again Back in the 1970s I was an OK bike racer. I finished races, but never won anything significant. I eventually found that I preferred non-competitive rides that were a bit slower and longer than most races.

That’s how I found myself among a group of 1,100 riders, including 74 women, several tandems, and even some tricycles, who had started the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris Challenge.

I rode in 1983, with no support vehicle and no organised group, a bit unusual, although many of the 60 Americans rode the same way.

Everything I think I will need for 90 hours, other than food and liquids, is in a handlebar bag, under the seat, or in my pockets. I travel as light as I can. No rain gear, no jacket, no long pants. I hope for dry weather. (I am damned lucky). I choose the 4am start to give myself the full 90 hours to finish.

Ed Sibert at

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the start

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Escorting the 4am starters from the Reuil-Malmaison Stadium, and controlling intersections until daylight, are a multitude of crisp “gendarmes”. But as helpful and efficient as they are, they have little control over non-Francophones. At one crossroads, a well-known American rider mistakes “a droit!” from a whitegloved officer as “Good luck!”, and rides straight through.

As riders string out, a delicate thread of glowing taillights disappears and reappears in the rolling hills. It’s quite beautiful – to a cyclist who enjoys night riding. For hours, the miles-long peloton draws a tunnel of air along with it, like a railroad train.

Arriving in the medieval town of Nogent-leRoi at 6.30a.m, I can’t tell whether a surprised milkman doubts our sanity, or just wonders how many of us will survive to pass through on the return trip in three days. But each village is a little more awake than the last, and soon we are treated to a particularly European phenomenon: genuine fans line the route, smiling, waving, offering water, calling out “Bon courage!”

Children wave homemade signs declaring “Les Bretagnes vous encourage!” For the American cyclists this welcome is an unexpected treat.

My goal the first day is simple: I want to meet and ride with a hero, Lon Haldeman, the well-known American rider, who had twice won the 3,000-mile Race Across America. Then I will deal with the rest of the ride.

It takes a while for the several hundred 4am starters to squeeze from the starting area on to a narrow street, so, being among the later starters, I guess Haldeman is somewhere in front of me. My adrenalin flows. By the time I catch him, outside the little village of Ormoy, Lon’s 18 mph pace is about all I can handle. We ride side-byside and chat. He comments on my bike’s small cogs, not the best for climbing hills.

His bike carries four bottles, panniers, and has a generator dragging on the front wheel, but he seldom uses the small chain ring. He’s on a Sunday ride; I’m on a schedule to set a personal record for a century.

After 95 miles on only a litre of water and little food, I am definitely suffering dehydration and electrolyte

épart

dD Le Gran

WORDS AND PICTURES BY DAVID FISK

in Paris imbalance – the dreaded “bonk”.

Lon fills one of my bottles from his, then drops me on the climb to the first checkpoint, in Belleme. But I can now say Lon was, however briefly, my “domestique”, and I was his. When he made a wrong turn in the dark, I chased him down to get him back on course.

At Belleme, whole families have turned out to see the procession of cyclists. They watch as we have our control cards stamped, fill bottles and pockets, and make our way down the Me narrow streets from the checkpoint back to the main route. It is becoming apparent that competitive cyclists here are more akin to national heroes than just obstacles to motorists. And to come from America to ride through their little town, “c’est bon!”

The official record of PBP 1983 says

at Tinteniac that I am the first rider to reach Belleme. Two other riders, Americans Ed Sibert, with whom I had ridden my qualifying brevets, and Lon Haldeman, arrive ahead of me, but they have ridden so fast that the checkpoint isn’t scheduled to open for a few minutes. I roll in the moment the checkpoint opens, while the two faster riders are still foraging. A fluke of PBP timing has put me in the lead. But the distinction is short-lived. With food and water in me, and back on the road, I slowly recover from the bonk while many riders I had passed earlier now leave me in their wake.

Another problem is that I had never investigated northern France’s topography. I had heard about 1,500-foot climbs at 300 and 450 miles into the ride, but nothing about the almost endless succession of 300 footers. After 150 miles of them I long for the 24-tooth gear on the floor of my dorm back in Paris. My low gear has 21 teeth, generally considered a flat-terrain gear.

Most of the American riders had developed tasty and energy-packed long-distance diets during their qualifying rides in the US. I relied heavily on peanut butter, ham and cheese on

raisin bread. In France we have trouble even locating grocery stores – the French word “Épicerie” doesn’t exactly say “get food here”.

By the second checkpoint, at 150 miles, my sandwiches of runny Camembert on crusty bread are starting to lacerate my mouth. So I take advantage of that checkpoint’s cafeteria set up for riders and spectators, and order what appears to be a national dish – a delicious cheese omelette with a heaping side of green beans. At that point I know that the dried apricots I carry, water, and a candy bar will carry me the 50 miles between checkpoints as long as I eat something substantial at each stop.

At the Fougeres checkpoint I buy some Vichy water. Real water quenches your thirst, replaces lost fluids, and can be swallowed. The highly carbonated Vichy, on the other hand, is sour, goes down like liquid firecrackers and doesn’t replace fluids if you don’t swallow it. It’s probably good for disinfecting cuts. Thereafter, I order my water “sans gaz”.

Robert Lepertel, PBP’s perennial director, designed a route through Fougeres to bring us past the village landmark, an ancient fortress, complete with drawbridge and a properly unappealing gunk-filled moat. This fortress probably hasn’t had so many AngloSaxons at its walls since England’s Henry VI and his army “visited” the place in 1449.

This time, however, we are somewhat more civil.

In the evening, at the Tinteniac checkpoint, a young future randonneur waits with pen and autograph book. I sign somewhere below Haldeman’s name, grab a quick bite, and settle gently on to what had once been a tolerable saddle. Night falls as I struggle the 50 miles to the Loudeac checkpoint. In 21 hours I’ve ridden 285 miles, setting a personal www.audax.uk

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AN AMERICAN IN PARIS century record and fighting the bonk along the way. The goal of a triple century seems to have lost its importance. Food and sleep win the imaginary coin toss. The fact that Loudeac has real beds for riders kind of colours my decision. My plan to sleep as long as six hours surprises the checkpoint’s wake-up crew, but it gets me to daylight and saves me a soaking in the first of PBP’s two downpours. At 7am a voice reminds me why I have come to France. “Oui, merci,” I say.

Anything to make it go away. Five minutes later the voice is back with a more insistent tone, probably because someone else needs the bed. I gather my handlebar-bagful of belongings and step out to the still-wet courtyard of the checkpoint. American Lynn Cox, who has ridden all night, pulls in, but the rain is the least of her concerns.

One of her knees is acting up.

Tomorrow, after riding 535 miles, the pain is so great she can’t turn the cranks. Her decision to drop out of Paris-Brest-Paris is not easy. (On a happier note: in 1991, Lynn again qualified for PBP and completed it.)

Day two: Today my theme is “No theatrics”. Ride steadily, chat a little, do some work at the front, and on to the next group. Many of the riders I pass haven’t slept at all and are not exactly setting the highway on fire. Eventually I find a group of six Frenchmen riding a reasonable pace and join them – for thirteen hours.

They represent a club from the city of Achères, near Paris. They are sharing one support car, which carries their food and spare clothing, so they need to ride the entire 750 miles together. Their average age is about 30 but their voice of experience, Bernard le Strat, is 50.

Brest – 375 miles, and half way, but I am not thrilled. It’s the only checkpoint without a decent cafeteria. Bernard buys me a chocolate protein drink and I use it to wash down the last of my two-day old Camembert sandwiches. Fortunately, Camembert can’t decompose much more than it already has in becoming Camembert; the food goes into the furnace like all the rest, but I wish I had more.

I have just completed 600 kilometres, a distance equal to my longest qualifier, and I am about as tired now as I was then.

Doing it all again is an entirely new concept. I don’t know how easy it is to catch a train from Brest to Paris, so I simply get on the bike and turn around.

But riding through a sunny afternoon with my new friends we talk about anything in our abilities to speak and understand the other’s language. During 26

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supper at the Carhaix-Plouguer checkpoint we are joined by four others looking for night riding company: Canadian Hans Breuker, and three Americans, one from St. Louis (whose name is lost in the fog of sleep deprivation), and Steve Bales and Hubert Hawley, two amiable, if

Bernard

evezel

chel Tr and Mi

uncharacteristically small, Texans. As we roll out of town, the second night of PBP ‘83 engulfs us, and my few remaining interactive brain cells rummage for tricks for staying awake. I reflect on Charles Bowden’s inspiring story of the 1982 Arizona Bicycle Challenge but I’m no longer inspired. I consider, as he did, that my bike’s chain contains 500 parts working in harmony and wish that my mind and body had such harmony.

What ultimately keeps me going is the memory of my stateside send-off party. I sense that all those cycling friends, and Mom and Dad, are all beaming energy across the pond to me. Now I’m riding for them, and for the honour of the “Greasy Gonzos” club jersey I wear.

Here I am, 3,000 miles from Vermont, riding through rural France, in the dark, with ten strangers, devouring caffeine candies, wondering what gear I’m really in. How do you know at night, when you can’t see the slope of the road, you haven’t slept nearly enough, and your sense of speed is screwed? The magnitude of this event hasn’t quite penetrated my skull.

Around midnight we begin an exchange of French and English songs. But fatigue is a powerful adversary. Hans falls

asleep momentarily on his bike and admits when he wakes that it frightened him. It would have frightened me, too, to see a sleeping rider just a foot to my right. There were some unfortunates who rode without company who occasionally veered off course to a prickly awakening in the nettles that lined the roads. Some riders slept in phone booths, doorways, haystacks and barns when the hills and distance took their inevitable toll.

Ten of our group decide to sleep at Loudeac, the place with the beds, still 285 miles from Paris. I calculate that by riding through the night I can finish in less than 60 hours, quite a respectable time, and I wouldn’t have to ride through a third night. Several iterations of the arithmetic support this theory, so when the others head for the sack, I stop only long enough for a meal.

Back in the countryside, I focus on distant taillights and pick up the pace to elevate my heart rate.

Two Frenchmen detect a good draft and fall in behind. I speed up again to catch some more red lights and the Frenchmen wonder what I’m doing, one saying to the other “Capricieux.”

Foolish. And perhaps true.

Approaching the town of Quedillac in the wee hours, the night is suddenly ablaze when the floodlights of the second secret checkpoint switch on. The break destroys my concentration, so I munch half a dozen caffeine candies for motivation. No effect.

Back on the bike, I commit the error of

reviewing my previous calculations, and discover that my 60 hour finish requires a 20 mph average for the remaining 250 miles. This is not good. Demoralised, I coast the two miles down to the Quedillac checkpoint, where mattresses are spread on a gymnasium floor. I ask the monitor not to wake me until 6pm.

He suggests that, perhaps, 6am is more appropriate. “Oui, merci,” I say.

6am is only three hours away.

The wake-up call. But the chef isn’t up yet so omelettes aren’t on the menu.

Nothing else is inviting. I need about 15,000 calories a day for this ride, so I just I toss down something not very memorable.

I’ve been wearing my second and last jersey for 24 hours now but no-one seems to mind. I splash some water on my face and walk stiffly out to my bike. Some eight or nine year old kids ask, “C’est dur?” - Is it hard? I really don’t know if they’re talking about the ride or the saddle. I say, “Oui, c’est dur.” What blows my mind is: “When was a group of American kids ever curious or awake enough to ask at 6am how my ride was going?”

I’m wearing my cycling shorts two at a time now to keep myself as far from the seat as possible. It hurts most during the transition between sitting and standing so I remain in one position as long as possible. But half an hour down the road, as the sun warms the air, I begin to feel better. Next stop, Tinteniac.

Day 3: Bernard and Team Acheres rise early in Loudeac and pass me while I sleep.

They’re ready to leave the Tinteniac checkpoint as I arrive. Bernard surmises what has happened to me and asks with a wry smile why I’m not yet in Paris. I sign another autograph book but this time Haldeman’s name is probably three pages ahead of mine. In Tintiniac’s cafeteria I get steak and green beans. Fuel in the furnace and I’m ready to roll.

I ride with Team Acheres much of the day, but it’s mostly a blur. I get hungry and tell Bernard I’m going to peel off to go grocery shopping. Bernard apparently enjoys my company, and objects. He produces a can of rice pudding from his handlebar bag and hands me a spoon. He holds the can and I eat, riding alongside.

We make it to the next checkpoint and share a meal there.

Riding into the third night I’m still amazed – spectators are hanging out of second storey windows at midnight, cheering. I hear that an American’s shoe fell apart, and a checkpoint official insisted they wake a cobbler to make the repair.

American speedster Ed Sibert’s high school French pays off when he recalls

that the one food that you can get any time, anywhere in France is “croquemonsieur” – a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Ed has no problem locating pastry shops, either. At one point, tired of drinking coke from tiny five ounce bottles, he marches into a bar, sits down and orders a litre. Another patron, not aware that Americans are generally weaned on the stuff, bets him the cost of the bottle he can’t drink it in one sitting. Running on “croque-monsieur,” pastry, and free Coke, Ed will complete PBP in the time of 65 1/2 hours, a top-15 percent finish. Not bad for PBP’s youngest rider, age 17.

It’s 2 a.m. In Belleme we split up – Team Acheres to meet their support car and beds, me to find a meal. In the checkpoint’s bathroom I find the first bar of soap I’ve seen in three days and wash everything decorum allows. In the restaurant, barely able to operate a fork, I

almost fall asleep on a reasonably good steak. I’ve heard that the riders’ lodgings in this town is a cold hayloft, and I succumb to the beckoning of the restaurant’s padded chairs. I stretch out on four of them and sleep soundly for three hours.

I leave Belleme at 7am, again in the company of Team Acheres, who spent an uncomfortable night in the straw. I do much of the pulling; 95 miles left and I can smell the barn.

But Jean-Francois has a painful knee, and for his sake Bernard reins me in. We lower Jean-Francois’s saddle a half inch, which eases the pain, but I’m still champing at the bit. After 83 miles together, the group breaks up on the long climb out of Beynes, which Bernard and I take together. When he slows at the top to wait for the others, I tell him I feel obliged to finish in a sweat.

So I leave them and cover the remaining 17 miles in 50 minutes. I’m pleased but my left achilles tendon is not.

In the uphill kilometre to the finish I pass another American, Jim Rex, who, during the 1956 revolution escaped Hungary on a bike with a fresh bullet hole in his leg. Jim winds up an impressive spin and pulls alongside. One minute later the whole thing is over - 82 hours, 55 minutes.

We’re 38 hours behind the first finisher, and 92 years, 11.5 hours behind Charles Terront who finished the inaugural Paris-Brest-Paris in 71 hours and 22 minutes on his balloon-tyred one-speed.

The magnitude of completing Paris-BrestParis will not hit me for months, but will stay with me for years.

PIERRE’S PAEAN TO PEDAL POWER Paris-Brest-Paris was the 1891 conception of newspaperman and cyclist Pierre Giffard. Concerned that the bicycle might go the way of the self-tipping hat and other wonders of the industrial age, Giffard wanted to demonstrate the bicycle’s ability to increase the distance and speed with which a human can travel on muscle power alone.

He proposed a ten-day tour from Paris to the Atlantic coastal city of Brest and back. But Dunlop and Michelin, makers of the new, and controversial, pneumatic tyre, saw in PBP ten days of free publicity in the sporting newspapers and gave full financial and technical support to their riders. To them it was a race, and an advertising windfall.

The professional Charles Terront finished the inaugural Paris-Brest-Paris in 71 hours and 22 minutes, less than a third of the time Giffard had estimated. Bear in mind that in 1891 a paved road might be a thousand year old cobblestone leftover of Roman France. Likely, many rural roads weren’t even that good. And the single-speed bikes of the era probably weighed three times that of today’s 15-pound “fixies”. Terront’s performance was probably a much greater effort than riding a modern mountain bike 250 miles a day for three days.

PBP’s popularity with cycling fans convinced Giffard that it was worth repeating, but only at ten year intervals. Professionals dominated the race in 1901, 1911 and 1921. In 1931, to offset a decline in professional entries, a new category was added, the “Randonneur”. Sixty of these hard-riding long distance cycle-tourists turned out to test themselves against the new 90 hour time limit. On a fixed gear machine weighing nearly thirty pounds, amateur Jules Tranchant turned in the time of 68.5 hours. Even today that would put him in the top 15 per cent!

Roads, bicycles, and riders improved, and so did the fastest times, but for the majority, the challenge remained simply to beat the time limit and to be listed in the official record of the event as an “Ancien”, a veteran of Paris-Brest-Paris.

PBP’s format is essentially unchanged since 1948: 1,200-kilometers (750 miles), from Paris to Brest and back.

And a 90-hour time limit. In 1971 the interval between events was shortened to four years. www.audax.uk

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DOC+OR DOC+OR HELP ME PLEASE

with Dr Alaina Beacall

You’ve got to be fit to take part in endurance sport – but could it be doing harm to your heart? Our resident cycling medic, Dr Alaina Beacall, talks about heart rhythm problems – and things of which every Audaxer should be aware…

Is cycling giving you a flutter?

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Atrial Fibrillation AF is when the atria behave badly – they start to create their own electrical impulses in an irregular manner. This leads to extra signals being sent down to the ventricles, and some not being sent at all.

The result is a “fibrillating” upper heart, which beats out of time, or sometimes very fast.

right atrium

right ventricle

www.MedicalGraphics.de – license (CC BY-ND 4.0)

REGULAR PHYSICAL EXERCISE is well known to lead to a longer life and to fend off conditions such as diabetes and cancer.

Overall, participants in endurance sports like cycling or running can expect better cardiovascular health, and therefore healthier hearts. There is, however, emerging evidence of a link between endurance exercise and certain heart problems.

In this edition I’ll summarise the results of recent research, hypotheses and recommendations, in the hope of increasing awareness and early detection.

The heart is composed of four chambers: the two atria at the top, and the two ventricles beneath them.

Normally the heart’s pacemaker sends an electrical impulse firstly to the atria, which contract, then this impulse spreads down and causes the ventricles to contract.

With exercise, just like any other muscle, the heart must deal with increased demand. It must push more blood to both the lungs and the body’s muscles as fast as possible: enabling our cells to be continuously fuelled with oxygen, energy, and to remove waste. Over time with a higher volume of work, it adapts and changes to do this job better.

In a small minority of sportspeople and elite athletes, these adaptations may increase the risk of rhythm problems. The commonest of these is called Atrial Fibrillation, although some can very rarely develop in the right ventricle, which are more dangerous but more reversible.

So what causes AF? In the normal population it can develop due to problems normally associated with left atrium unhealthy or sedentary lifestyles, such as high blood pressure and heart disease (due to fatty plaques in the heart’s arteries which may or may not cause symptoms like chest pain or heart attacks). Problems with heart valves, which may be left ventricle inherited, are also a major cause, as are some hormone problems and high alcohol intake.

What’s interesting is that in endurance sportspeople, the type of AF is mostly of a different sort, called “lone AF”: we find it in younger people who don’t exhibit the above causes. It is also more commonly of the “vagal” form, which means symptoms come on when resting, not during activity (one study found this in 70 per cent of sportspeople with lone AF, compared with only 18 per cent of non-active people).

How common is it, and do I have an increased risk?

In the normal population AF increases with age: 0.5 per cent of people between 45 and 54 years, one per cent of 54 to 64 year olds and four per cent of 65 to 74 year olds.

There are no large population studies which specifically include cyclists or endurance athletes, however collections of smaller studies have found a higher risk of developing AF with regular endurance sports participation, including cycling or running regularly for more than two to three hours at a time. Collectively the limited evidence shows up to a five times higher risk of AF, but overall a much lower risk of early death. There is little if no evidence that this increased risk exists in sportswomen.

instance). Over time, areas of the heart which are micro-damaged may heal and adapt in a poor way, leading to small areas of scar tissue or “fibrosis”. Numerous small studies in people who do prolonged bouts of exercise regularly, have found a slightly higher rate of fibrosis compared to those who are inactive – though an animal study found that exercise-induced fibrosis reversed eight weeks after stopping activity.

Dilation – Enlarging of the atria; this may disrupt usual signalling and cell function.

Vagal tone – Prolonged exercise leads to a lower heart rate, this is called increased vagal tone. This perhaps can lead to difficulties with heart rhythm by lengthening the cell rest periods between beats.

How does regular long distance cycling cause AF? No-one is certain about the cause, but there are hypotheses, which involve a combination of a few factors: Fibrosis – Cycling involves an increased heart rate and therefore demand for prolonged periods of time. This is often interspersed with periods of higher efforts (when going uphill or sprinting, for

What symptoms might I experience?

Classically, for sport-related AF, you are more likely to be in your 40s and 50s and have enjoyed regular endurance sports since you were young. You may mainly get AF episodes when resting, after eating or at night time, for instance, and the episodes may only last a few seconds or minutes.

Symptoms include: ● Palpitations – feeling your heart

pounding or racing; ● An irregular pulse or extra/skipped beats – for instance, felt through palpitations or by feeling your own pulse ● A very fast heart rate – when resting anything from 100bpm is abnormal; or during exercise, a heart rate which is more than 200bpm minus your age; ● Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath; ● Fainting – if you’ve fainted during or immediately after exercise you must seek medical advice What’s the outlook, doc?

This intermittent AF could become persistent in some people, leading to regular symptoms like the above, and needing medication to control it. It may also, God-forbid, halt your cycling!

Once AF is found, it can slightly increase the risk of a stroke in the future, which can be reduced with medication.

Having said this, some studies have shown that reducing the duration and intensity of your cycling may reduce or stop the AF. Suggestions of one hour maximum per session, however more research is still needed.

Long-distance cycling will lower the risk of ❝ high blood pressure and heart disease (ironically much bigger risk factors for AF), innumerable other health issues, and increase one’s lifespan.

❞

www.audax.uk

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TA THE DLOKCTO TO

IS CYCLING GIVING YOU A FLUTTER? So, cycling is bad for my heart, and I should stop?

Not at all. Long-distance cycling will lower the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease (ironically much bigger risk factors for AF), innumerable other health issues, and increase one’s lifespan. In a minority of people, through genetics or sheer misfortune, the heart may adapt poorly overtime and slightly increase the risk of an arrhythmia.

Remember to look out for the symptoms explained above, and please visit your friendly local GP if you experience any of them. You should at least expect to get an ECG recording of your heart, perhaps one which records for 24 hours or more, to ensure all is well and rare episodes are captured.

The information in this article is a summary of peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews, and of my own clinical knowledge. I am not a specialist in sports cardiology and recommend you seek further advice from your own doctor or cardiologist if you have any personal concerns.

Keep that heart healthy!

Dr Beaca R ll on any c is happy to advis y c e li ng-r Send yo ur questi elated topic. o (gedlenn ns to the edit or All cores ox@me.com) pondenc e wil in strict confiden l be ce

Hi there, I’ve just been reading the arrivee magazine and the ask the doc feature.I’m coeliac and have just started doing audaxes completing some 200 and 300+km riders. Is there any advice for coeliac endurance riders? The main difficulties i find are – arriving at a stop and not being able to grab something convenient like a sandwich – carrying enough food/ having the right variety of food to not get palette fatigue.

This summer I’ll have an added challenge of the above when abroad as I will be riding 3,400km and following the route of the Tour de France.

Many thanks DS Alaina Beacall wants to share a ride, and a punishing challenge she’s created, with the joint aims of completing it as a DIY 600km Super Randonee, promoting conservation of the Peak District National Park, and to celebrate the increasing wave of powerful female cyclists.

12-14 July, a team of women, who love long-distance cycling, will attempt to climb every major hill in the Peak District, in a single road ride.

12-14 July 2019

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The 375-mile (602km) unsupported route has a formidable 12,000m of climbing, across 28 fearsome hills, most with whacking gradients ranging from 10-25 per cent, with the extra challenge of completion within 48-hours. Details of the route and list of hills will be available after the challenge.

Thank you for your questions, You have an added challenge compared to other endurance riders, but nothing that can’t be overcome with extra tenacity and planning!

Your solution will be similar to those suggested in the vegan nutrition article: for long single rides, taking with you pre-prepared foods (e.g. gluten-free sandwiches) and bars/ fruit/nuts which you normally eat. Alternatively, carrying items which will be harder to find on the road and use control points/resupply stops for the top up snacks.

It’s extra weight, but it’s how I do it – and you feel more in control and waste less time.

Feed pouches help (alpkit do some cheaper and deep versions, Apidura’s are waterproof and hard-wearing). For longer trips the organisation will be heftier. For my arctic-tomed trip, I located in advance supermarkets near a finish or starting point, where I could buy vegan food like sandwich filling or dairy/ egg-free bread, then make my food for the day and carry it with me. If you are stopping in towns en-route you’ll need to use Google to check what shops/cafes they have and see if they have gluten-free options.

I would love to know more about your route and how you manage nutrition-wise in France, please let me know, and best of luck with the trip and your big rides.

Dr A Beacall

The team will be embracing every part of Britain’s first National Park, and wants to support conserving it for the future, by raising funds for the ‘Friends of the Peak District’ charity.

Alaina will be writing about it in her blog: www.alaina.co.uk, and on social media – accessible from the blog. The riders will also be holding some pre- and post-event talks in Manchester and Sheffield, focusing on the incredible distance-exploits of some of these women.

Please consider following and donating to support the challenge and the protection of our magnificent national park (donation page: www.everyclick.com/purepeakgrit).

Thank you for your help and interest!

Order your PBP jersey The Audax UK commemorative jersey for Paris-Brest-Paris 2019 is now available to order, from our supplier, Force GB. The design, which is available in red or blue, features the AUK bird and a small union flag on the front, with discreet symbols for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, together with a special message for our French hosts, on the reverse.

Jerseys are available in both men’s and women’s cuts and in race fit, at £39.00 or touring fit, at £52.50. If you haven’t ordered from Force GB before, please take the time to check the sizing guidelines as each jersey is made to order and cannot be returned if it doesn’t fit.

Orders must be received (from UK addresses) before July 5th to arrive in time to take to Paris, but the jersey will continue to be available for a while after the event as well.

Why not buy two – one to wear on the ride and one to swap with another rider at the end?

Order at https://forcegb.com/club-shops/ audax-paris-brest-paris-2019

www.audax.uk

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The

Baking Biker In the teeth of an icy gale, with cold rain or sleet in your face, and many miles yet to pedal, every Audaxer needs an injection of sugary power – and that’s just what our baking bike rider, Sarah Freeman, has come up with. Here’s her recipe for instant sunshine…

Tropical cupcakes that pack a punch These tasty cakes really give you a sugary hit, but the addition of Brazil nuts, coconut oil and porridge oats means there’s some slow-release energy tucked away too.

Coconut oil is really high in saturated fat and is generally solid at room temperature, but will melt once the weather gets a bit warmer.

Don’t worry if this happens – either pop it into the fridge to firm up or just pour it.

This recipe only makes 4-5 bite size cakes, but I find that too much of the same food on an Audax isn’t always the best option. The recipe scales really well if you want more cakes.

INGREDIENTS ● 10g coconut oil (optional). ● 15ml sunflower oil or 25ml if not using coconut oil. ● 30g chopped up pineapple (I used tinned, well drained, but you could use frozen defrosted and you may want to chop it finer than it comes). ● 40g self-raising flour. ● 35g porridge oats that have been blitzed in the food processor to a fine consistency. ● 2 tablespoons of chopped Brazil nuts. ● 1 overripe banana. ● 50g of brown sugar. ● ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence. ● About 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut for topping.

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METHOD Heat the oven to 200, 180 (fan), gas mark 6.

If using coconut oil, place in a small heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of hot water, add the sunflower oil and mix well. If only using sunflower oil skip this step.

Mash the banana and add the oil mix, vanilla essence, chopped Brazil nuts, pineapple, sugar, flour and porridge oats. Mix well.

Divide the mixture between cake cases, scatter desiccated coconut on the top Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer (or knife) comes out clean.

Cool and wrap well for your ride.

These freeze well, so could be made in advance and then frozen and grabbed out the freezer to defrost while on your ride.

Sarah Freeman is a keen baker and regular Audaxer. She’s completed an RRtY and SR series and is a member of Audax Club Lincolnshire. She’s also an active member of Lincoln WI…so she knows what she’s talking about – though she admits that her jam-making skills have a way to go yet.

www.audax.uk

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Two very different cyclists – Steve Ralphs, 55, an Audax veteran, and Cheryl Reid, 37, who is relatively new to long-distant cycling – take part in this issue’s interview. Peter Davis asks the questions

Taketwo Where do you live?

Steve: East Leake, a village north of Loughborough.

Cheryl: Originally from London but now living in Oxford.

Your job?

Steve: Hydrometry and Telemetry Officer for the Environment Agency.

Cheryl: Data Analyst for British Gas. How long have you been cycling?

Steve: I’ve cycled since I was about three years old, and used to go on short rides alone or with my school mates before joining Loughborough CTC in 1981. I started long distance cycling by riding CTC standard rides and reliability rides organised by local racing clubs.

Cheryl: I’ve been commuting short distances to work for over 10 years in all weathers. But I only really started cycling properly when I joined the Cowley Road Condors cycling club back in July 2014. So five years.

Steve Ralphs

What was your first Audax?

Steve: My first Audax was a Silver (under 108 hours) 1400km Land’s End to John O’Groats permanent in 1983. I rode from home to Land’s End beforehand and home from John O’Groats, clocking up 2,032 miles in a two-week holiday from work. My first calendar event was the 1984 CTC National 400km from Lincoln to Great Yarmouth and back.

Cheryl: The Poor Student 200km as a permanent in August 2017. I’ve since done it as a calendar event in January 2019 which was quite a different experience.

And how did you find out about Audax in the first place?

Steve: The late Paul Castle rode with Loughborough CTC while he was studying at Loughborough University and early in 1983 I told him about my plan to ride LEJOG that summer. He tried to convince me to ride Paris-Brest-Paris instead but I couldn’t see the point of riding to a place in France I’d never heard of and back so I continued with my plan to ride LEJOG. Shortly afterwards, Jeff Morrant from Hinckley CTC suggested that I rode my LEJOG under Audax UK rules and I joined Audax UK and

followed his advice. I’ve been an Audax UK member virtually ever since.

Cheryl: El Jaskowska. I met her through the Condors and after she moved to Bristol, her crazy long Audax rides kept popping up on my Strava feed. I was alarmed by the really long ones but thought I might be able to manage a 200km and took it from there.

Do you take part in other forms of cycling, or have you done so in the past?

Steve: I used to ride regularly with Loughborough CTC and organised many YHA weekends and a few tours. I was a founder member and later secretary of Loughborough Phoenix CC and still ride the occasional time trial. I’ve cycle toured in the UK, France and the Netherlands several times, plus Norway, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Florida, Thailand, Italy and Spain. I like off road cycling and so enjoyed the 2018 TINAT 600km even though I was on my road bike.

Cheryl: I’ve had a go at a few things now: sportives, cyclo-cross, time trials, club hill climbs (always in fancy dress) and one attempt at track which frankly I found quite terrifying. My appreciation for brakes has increased ten-fold.

Where is your favourite place to ride, and why?

Steve: I particularly enjoy cycling in mountainous areas and my favourite place so far is the Dolomites where I rode the Super Randonnée delle Dolomiti 600km in 2018. The climbs were steep and relentless but the views were stunning.

Cheryl: Mallorca is a cycling paradise. Great weather, lovely climbs, well maintained roads, beautiful scenery, lots of welcoming cafes, easy access to the coast. Bliss!

And is there anywhere you’d like to explore in the future?

Steve: I would like to explore the Alps more and visit the Pyrenees. I also fancy touring in New Zealand and the Rocky Mountains.

Cheryl: The world is a big place and there are many fantastic places to go. But I would like to spend some time closer to home, because there are so many great places on my doorstop that I’ve barely explored – Wales, the Peak District, Scotland. The Stelvio Pass and Bealach Na Ba are on my climbs bucket list.

What do you consider your best/most memorable ride ever?

Steve: Mark Rigby’s 2014 “Sore in the Saddle” 1,300km around northwest Scotland’s highlands, glens and islands stands out because of the great route,

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amazing scenery, fellow riders, film crew and exceptionally hot, sunny weather.

The ride was made even more memorable for me as I had finished the Mersey Roads 24 Hour Time Trial with a personal best distance of 403 miles the day before, so my legs were trashed before I started.

Cheryl: I did the Fred Whitton in 2018 and it was easily my hardest day on the bike. I spent months training in the Chilterns and Cotswolds but those hills are nothing compared to the Lake District and I wanted to cry 18km in. But I kept going and single leg squatted my way around at a cadence of 30, completing every climb except Hardknott where I fell off trying!

And your longest ride ever?

Steve: My longest ride was my Gold (under 80 hours) LEJOG 1400km in 1987 because I cycled back to Inverness to have it officially endorsed to the 1,000 miles ride and kept going at randonneur pace until covering over 2000km.

Cheryl: The Dean this year, which ended up being 329km with travel from home. It was notable for severe gusty winds, torrential rain and AAA points. I realise in Audax terms this is a short, jolly day out, but for me it was a real step up and gave me confidence that I am capable of more.

I’ve now got a 400km in the diary which I balked at a few weeks ago. I might, maybe, consider a 600km later in the year for the Super Randonneur award. I feel like interesting doors are opening and I have no idea where this will end up.

How do you fuel yourself on a long ride – what’s your favourite cycling food?

Steve: I’ve been vegetarian for about 28 years and enjoy beans on wholemeal toast for breakfast most days whether cycling or not. I like a veggie breakfast anytime and because I’ve done so many Audax rides requiring receipts, I have adapted to thrive on garage food and supermarket meal deals. Favourites are cheese ploughman’s and egg mayonnaise sandwiches, cheese and onion pasties, chocolate bars and sugary drinks. My favourite drink in the middle of an Audax night is a large Americano with about 20 sugars.

Cheryl: Learning from the Audax masters – proper food. I carry oat bars, sausage rolls, sandwich wraps, biscuits and water.

At controls I’d eat something small and simple like beans on toast. I carry a gel or two in case of emergencies, but I try not to touch them. During the summer I love grazing on bombay mix but it’s currently a logistical nightmare in winter gloves.

Cheryl Reid

What do you think about if you’re riding alone for a long period?

Steve: I mostly like observing the countryside, buildings, animals and people along the route, but sometimes use the time to mull over any problems that need resolving, otherwise I just convert kilometres to miles in my head.

Cheryl: I wish I could say something profound, like the state of the nation, but it’s mostly a stream of self-absorbed banality: “Is that a niggle in my hamstring?

I’m sure there were three biscuits left. Mind that pothole! I must charge my Garmin at the next control”… and so on. To distract myself I love listening to music from all eras and singing along badly.

And how do you keep going when it gets tough?

Steve: I motivate myself by thinking how completing the ride would count towards awards such as Randonneur Round the Year, ACP Randonneur 5000 and 10000, Super Randonneur, Audax UK Brevet 5000, 10000, 25000 and 100000 and maybe Audax Altitude Award. My default is to keep going whenever possible and keep any necessary stops as short as practicable. If it gets tough I draw on my experience as I’ve probably ridden through equally bad or worse conditions in the past.

Cheryl: I usually revert to “well it’s not as bad as The Fred!” – then think about what I can do to improve the situation or failing that, turn up the music to drown out the suffering.

How would you recover in the hours and days after a long ride?

Steve: I like to have a protein bar, protein shake or protein rich meal as soon as possible after finishing. I should really do a

recovery ride the day after a long ride, but I’m usually way too lazy for any recovery or training rides. After multiday rides I aim to get straight back into a normal sleep pattern. I’m usually good to go the next day, but sometimes, like after the 2017 LEL, it takes a little longer.

Cheryl: Long hot baths, eating my body weight in food and then cycling to work!

Doing a little write up for Strava helps me mentally debrief, which for me, is just as important as the physical recovery.

Do any other sports aside from cycling interest you?

Steve: I like running and have run two marathons, but I kept injuring myself so haven’t run much for a while. I occasionally watch athletics and other sports on TV but prefer to go out cycling.

Cheryl: Is yoga a sport? I like yoga. I’ve stopped worrying about not being “good” at certain poses and accepted that I’m stronger in other areas – like riding in awful weather for hours.

What other interests/hobbies do you have?

Steve: I am fairly handy and enjoy DIY projects on my house. I like meals out and going to the theatre and cinema. I enjoy drinking real ale and listening to music, but rarely do either while cycling.

Cheryl: I became president of the Condors over three years ago so that takes up much of my spare time. It gives me great pleasure to be part of such an amazing club and I would really love for us to organise our own Audax calendar event one day. Watch this space!

www.audax.uk

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There were more riders called Dave than women taking part in last year’s London-Wales-London 400km. But, thanks to sterling efforts all round, this year’s event saw the number of female cyclists soar, breaking new records. Peta McSharry reports…

Our Dave will come…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peta McSharry is a keen cyclist, and the author of Road Cycling Made Easy (Velodrome Publishing). She is also the force behind the 2019 Woman for PBP campaign, which aims to get 2,019 women to the starting line of the upcoming Paris-Brest-Paris.

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WORDS BY PETA MCSHARRY AND PICTURES BY SUE LACEY PHOTOGRAPHY

…Temperatures plummeted ❝ to sub-zero overnight ❞ Records tumbled on the 2019 London-Wales-London 400km. I know it’s not a race, but I’m not talking about the fast folk when talking of records. This year the early May Bank holiday weekend broke all weather records as the coldest since records began.

More importantly, this was a breakthrough year for female cyclists, as a record number of women lined up at the start of this challenging ride.

Temperatures plummeted to

sub-zero overnight which impacted on the ride, especially through the night. The Lambourn control saw many riders shivering, unprepared for the cold conditions or pulling into the service station at Henley, a mere 35km from the finish line, severely questioning the sanity of completing the ride.

Sometimes no amount of planning can account for a busy week at work and when you leave a crucial piece of kit behind, it can make or

break a ride. Denise Griffin, new to Audaxing this year and on her first London-Wales-London ride, discovered her leg warmers were still at work.

“I left work at 10pm Friday night,” she said, “then I realised my leg warmers were not in my rucksack.

Thankfully I had brought my merino stripy long johns to sleep in at the community centre the night before. I wore these over my cycling shorts and got lots of flattering comments. They proved to be a good conversational ice www.audax.uk

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LONDON-WALES-LONDON 400km breaker all day.”

Those stripy long johns certainly bought a smile to many riders’ faces.

Competitors faced cold and relentless headwinds all the way to Wales. It certainly played a part in around 23 riders not completing their ride.

A total of 56 women were at the start line, from a total of 164 starters. And this was all down to a comment made by Daniela Harder to the organiser, Liam FitzPatrick on the 2018 LWL. She told him: “There are more people called Dave starting than women”.

This got Fitzpatrick wondering how to get more women into Audax, and led to the decision to keep half the entries open to woman. It proved to a good strategy,

with FitzPatrick claiming: “It’s been a great success. Everyone has been terribly supportive as I know it’s an issue that has bugged people for a while.

“Diversity in Audax has historically been about whether you had a beard or not. But it’s brought a wider mix of people than just a better gender split. My observation is that the field this year seemed younger and had a lot more people who were experimenting with longer distances for the first time.”

The infamous fact that there are more men called John in FTSE100 company boardrooms than women fails to mention that there are also more Daves in these boardrooms, too. Clearly, this is mirrored in previous LWL rides. In last year’s event

Stripy long johns ❝ over her cycling shorts got lots of flattering comments

❞

It was good to ride with ❝ more women. It changes the tone and atmosphere of a ride to be more positive, less scary and competitive

❞

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there was a 7:9 Woman to Dave ratio. The 2019 LWL Dave stats saw more women than Daves start – which is a recordbreaker if ever there was one!

The one thing that makes these events, according to FitzPatrick are the unspoken heroes behind the scenes, a total of 39 volunteers were involved on LWL. He said: “There were Dahl stirrers, route checkers, and card folders as well as the people who turned out to stamp cards, pour tea and make encouraging noises at the controls.

These people are the backbone of our community”.

London-Wales-London has grown under the care of FitzPatrick who rebranded the Severn Across to the slightly Tongue-in-Cheek London-Wales-London.

Paris-Brest-Paris doesn’t start in Paris, so Chalfont St Peter is to LWL as Versailles is to PBP. The rebranding certainly caught the imagination of riders but according to FitzPatrick: “The whole thing was made possible by Pat Hurt who put his hand up right at the very beginning to run a night control”.

It was a very popular control by all accounts and certainly in this cold weather, Griffin (in the long johns) reported the Lambourn control to be her favourite, coming in at 11pm in sub-zero temperatures – “Delicious jacket potato with tuna and melted cheese (my special request) – I was so delighted.”

Undoubtedly there would be an

impact with more woman riding an Audax.

The topic came up on the LWL women’s Facebook page, but was also noted by Harder: “As someone pointed out on FB, there was a queue for the women’s toilets.

It was good to ride with more women. It changes the tone and atmosphere of a ride to be more positive, less scary and competitive.”

As the number of women coming into long distance riding increases, events like LWL offer a great platform for riders looking for a supportive event to get going over the longer distances. While this was the last event FitzPatrick is able to organise due to work commitments, he hopes to see a 50:50 split in future LWL events.

While the price tag is slightly higher than your regular Audax, for that money you’ll be well fed with three controls providing a good feed, from the full English at 11am to the tuna melt potatoes at 11pm. The route provides a good mix of terrain and Yat Rock is a good leg burner. If you choose to take the route avoiding Yat rock, the sweeping valley road, on fresh black tarmac was a welcome relief, until you realised there is just as much climbing but over a slightly longer distance.

A superbly organised event, with great support at the controls and some of the best veggie chili and curry at the finish. Well worth ticking off your Audax bucket list.

www.audax.uk

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BIKE REVIEW VAN NICHOLAS YUKON WITH ROLHOF SPEEDHUB

After many decades in the saddle, Octogenarian Bryan Colbourne decided it was high time he got himself a new bike. Here are his thoughts on a modern classic…

You’re never too old for I was 84 years old in 2017 – and decided I would treat myself to a new bike.

It was clear that the four bikes I already owned were fairly old – and didn’t really meet my needs. I wanted a bike which was fairly light, easy to ride and simple to clean and service.

That’s how I founds myself at Fat Birds Don’t Fly cycle shop in Hunstanton, Norfolk. They gave me a test bike which I took for a good ride...and I liked it. I opted for a few changes from the test machine, but not many.

I chose Van Nicholas because I fancied titanium.

Over the years I’ve had many steel-framed bikes, one aluminium and one carbon, so titanium would complete the set. Also, it is fairly light, doesn’t rust and has no paint to chip. It also has carbon forks. Van Nicholas has several different forks, the pair on the Yukon are Audax. Whether that has any special significance, I don’t know.

The Rohloff Speedhub was a definite must. It is so good and convenient. Rain, dust and grit are not problems and the hub only needs an oil change every 5,000 kilometres or annually (pretty much the same for me now). So that’s about an hour’s service every year instead of lots of cleaning sessions on a mucky derailleur.

The gear range is similar to a triple chainset system. Mine has a range from 18” to 94”.

That wouldn’t suit many riders, but a different drive sprocket will change the ratios. The Speedhub is as efficient as a clean and well set up derailleur (or so the experts say), and anyway, how long does a derailleur stay clean?

It is also more efficient than other gearboxes, although the differences are very small. The weight is not very different from all the bits which make up a derailleur system. They also don’t get bent if you crash or if the bike falls over. Even the cables are out of the way of damage unlike, some hub gears. Some riders have asked about rear wheel punctures. It is no more difficult to remove the wheel than it is with a derailleur, and again, unlike some hub gears, the Rohloff keeps its adjustment when removed and replaced.

So apart from price, I can’t see much downside to the Rohloff.

That was the theory, how did it do in practice? I’m very pleased with the machine; it rides well and is pretty comfortable. The longest ride so far has been just over 88 miles, which was fine. The weight is 23lb with pedals, bottle cages and pump. Not superlight

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but reasonable for an everyday, go-anywhere bike.

The saddle is quite comfortable. The chap at Fat Birds had a machine from Selle Italia which takes all sorts of measurements and selects the most suitable saddle. Some of the parameters are obvious, like hip width and thigh sizes. I still can’t work out why the ability to touch one’s toes has any bearing on saddle fit. Still, it all worked OK, although the saddle chosen was a VNT (Van Nicholas Technologies), not Selle Italia.

Disc brakes seemed unnecessary on what is mainly a road bike. They are heavier and more expensive than callipers which have worked fine for me over many years. The callipers, front hub and bars are VNT, seat post VNT titanium. Cranks Shimano LX. Pedals Shimano double sided, SPD/flat – a bit more weight than just SPD but useful for me as cars are only for when bikes aren’t practical, so riding in non-cycling shoes is fine.

The bottle cages look like Ti and weigh the same but they are steel and considerably cheaper. I included mudguards, although for most of the summer of 2018 they weren’t fitted. I have never thought that being sprayed with mucky water was much fun or very useful, so for most UK weather, guards are an advantage.

The frame comes with the ability to separate seat and chain stays on the drive side so it would be possible to use a belt drive. Not sure that is a good idea. I think a belt is less efficient than a chain.

Also, they are made in a small range of lengths so the choice of gear range is more limited than with a chain drive. The frame also has a gear hanger so it could take a derailleur, or a chain tension pulley. The eccentric bottom bracket on the frame seems a much more convenient way of tensioning the chain (or belt). The frame has braze-ons for two bottle cages, rear brake cable and Rohloff cables. Mudguards and rear carrier have fixing points.

So, what are the disadvantages? Not many. The mudguard clearance is a bit tight (but workable) on 28mm tyres. It would be fine on 25mm though. The front centres are a bit on the short side, so my toes can make contact on a tight turn - this probably wouldn’t affect someone with smaller feet than me, which is nearly everyone. To be nit-picking I could say the Rohloff doesn’t freewheel quite as freely as a cassette but that really is pushing things.

There you are then, that is all the snags I can find.

To sum up, I think it is a great bike and would make an excellent Audax machine.

new wheels

I still can’t work out ❝ why the ability to touch one’s toes has any bearing on saddle fit. This probably wouldn’t affect someone with smaller feet than me… which is nearly everyone

❞

The 14-speed Rolhof hub gear is virtually maintenence-free, with good evidence that it will keep going for more than 300,000km. The gear is immersed in oil, fully sealed againts the elements and only needs an oil change every 8,000km. On the down side they are quite heavy – 1.8kg. This is off-set againts none of the dangling derailleurs, no front changer and a shorter chain. It can easily be used with an even lighter belt drive which lasts much longer. www.audax.uk

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Moving mountains France-based cyclist Paul Harrison ponders the mysteries of peak expansion on a ride through some captivating Corsican scenery. Is he just getting old, or are the hills really getting higher?

H

AVING just ridden through the Massif Central after a gap of some years, I couldn’t help noticing that some cols had increased in height. This is not a subjective observation brought on by advancing age; it’s an actual comparison between earlier claims and the heights currently shown on the summit signs.

The differences are not great: The Pas de Peyrol was 1,582m in 1996 – but grew by six metres to 1,588m in 2017. The Col de Legal was recorded at 1,229m in 1996, and is now two metres higher. Mont Aigoual was 1,565m in

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2001 but has also put on another couple of metres. And the Col de Montjardin has shot up from 1,005m in 2011, to 1,016m today.

Here, I must confess, that I found the compilation of these statistics quite interesting, which I realise may lead you to consider me to be a bit of a saddo. Maybe it’s due to a subtle shifting of the tectonic plates (the height increase, that is, not my becoming a saddo), or that the latest surveying methods are more accurate.

But why should this always result in an increase instead of a decrease in

height? Perhaps some competition is going on between the French départements as to who has the highest cols?

The cols have also got steeper. Now you really could argue that this is a subjective observation brought on by the years. Nevertheless, I am sure that I will not be only one to have noticed that there is a tendency to “improve” mountain roads to allow motorised traffic to proceed more quickly. So what may have originally been a “lacet” (shoelace) would become a “virage en épingle” (hairpin) or just a

WORDS AND PICTURES BY PAUL HARRISON

“virage” (bend), or even dead straight.

Luckily bikes are getting lighter and gears available in lower ratios, thus compensating to some extent for the increasing steepness of the climbs.

One of the charms of Corsica is that there are miles of minor roads which gently climb through the mountains.

The French government is pouring money into the infrastructure and some roads have unfortunately been “improved”. I’m hoping the current nationalist government will get the independence they crave and there will consequently be less investment

before the place is ruined, at least from my point of view.

I am musing on all this as I ride along the coast south from Calvi. This is decidedly a route which has not received any attention. The road surface could be described as somewhat lumpy. By way of compensation, there’s practically no traffic; I met only two cars in 20 miles.

On this December morning, there’s a sky full of ominous clouds, but soon the forecaster’s promise of sunshine is fulfilled. My cycling companion, Janet, and I pass one or two houses by the

Paglia Orba… Corsica’s third highest peak at 2,525m, for the time being at least

www.audax.uk

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MOVING MOUNTAINS

wayside as we meander along, sometimes above small sea inlets, other times climbing over miniscule cols cutting behind a headland.

By a field of interesting-looking sheep, we stop for a picnic, making sure we don’t park our bikes on the thistles, which may look pretty but are equipped with Kevlar-penetrating spikes. Later, a splendid ruin comes into view – a reminder that this route wasn’t always the neglected backwater it now seems.

As we near Galéria, an even more splendid scene reveals itself. Paglia Orba (2,525m) has been called the Corsican Matterhorn and today it equals any Alpine scene with its steep snowy faces gleaming in the bright sunshine.

Soon we turn north to complete the circuit via the Bocca di Marsulinu. This is a prime example of an “improved” col which has been turned into a real grind.

I’m in my emergency bottom gear – you know, the sort where your legs are

Public enemy… the deceptive thistles, are equipped with Kevlar-penetrating spikes

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spinning and you’re doing about five miles an hour (or perhaps you’re fit enough not to know!).

Anyway, I’m in this gear and my legs are not even spinning. I’m beginning to wish I was a bit fitter. Starting near sea level, it seems a lot of work to achieve only 443m at the summit, where the annoyingly fit Janet awaits me, camera at the ready. I almost manage to change my grimace into a smile as the lens looms up.

Then comes the cold descent, north

face, back to Calvi. I often start descents without putting on extra layers, to close the pores and dry off some sweat. I’m particularly hot after that climb, and enjoying the cooling effect. I can see the vast tapering Figarella Valley lying in the sunlight below and imagine I’ll soon be basking in its warmth. It is not to be, and half way down my frozen fingers fumble out the gloves and Gore-Tex. Once in the valley, it’s an easy roll back to Calvi and so ends another fine day on the bike.

Starting near ❝ sea level, it seems a lot of work to achieve only 443m at the summit, where the annoyingly fit Janet awaits me, camera in hand

❞

Enigmatic ruin… evidence of previously prosperous inhabitation

En route… the “annoyingly fit” Janet takes the front

www.audax.uk

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s i h Following in

Red pushes into the setting sun on the edge of the south Cotswold escarpment

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Tobleroad‌ Red checks out the curious ironwork

WORDS AND PICTURES BY WILL POMEROY

Is Will Pomeroy a pushy parent?

Or is seven-year-old son Red doing the pushing?

Bikeability instructor Will, a member of Bristol-based Great Western Randonnées, describes how a love of cycling is at the heart of this father and son relationship…

t e r r a y t c k s ’ s r e h t a f Will and Red on Red’s first solo DIY 50km

ON HIS SECOND BIRTHDAY I introduced my son Red to a secondhand balance bike. Within a few months he was scooting off, with me in pursuit, exploring Bristol and mapping all the features a young boy has an eye for – the shape and design of drain covers, bridges, gates, boats and the like.

He graduated to proper pedals just before his third birthday, and while he was getting the hang of these, we’d go off on adventures together using a FollowMe tandem. Once he mastered the balance there was no looking back.

I taught him the necessary skills of cycling as we went along, and now, still only seven years old, Red is proficient on the road.

As he grew, the quest to expand his inner map led him to want to explore new places, gradually going further and further, each time amazing me

with his resilience and determination. I started making suggestions for longer rides (with cake and Marmite crisp stops), at first with the FollowMe tandem for back-up, though this soon became obsolete.

Since then he’s achieved many “firsts”, including: Becoming the youngest Audax Club Bristol member (before the age of five); completing his first solo DIY 50Km BP just before his fifth birthday; taking part in the Tasty Cheddar 100km BP (on the FollowMe – he became Red the Rocket as he pushed me up Cheddar Gorge, aged five); joining me as ride leader for the East Bristol Kidicalmass; at the age of six, becoming the youngest to claim a Brevet 250; at just six and a half years, completing his first solo DIY 100km BP; completing the Avon Cycleway 130km BP solo before his seventh birthday; finishing a Lands End to John O’Groats

solo at the age of seven; and finally, a Brevet 500 – 3x100s within LEJOG. On day seven of LEJOG we attempted to ride back to Bristol in one hit, to bag Red’s first 150km Brevet Populaire. Well, we fell just short. The prelude had been hills through Cornwall and Devon on preceding days, not to mention the two hour jumpathon on the trampoline before our departure. At about 140km Red said he was really tired (it was close to midnight) so I called it a day and we rode three kilometres more to the main road and waited for Mummy to pick us up. During the wait Red had a second wind and I believe could have easily finished.

Since then Red has regularly asked me when he could try again. So this year, on Saturday 30 March at 8am, we set off. There was a morning mist and it was chilly but you could see it would www.audax.uk

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FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S TYRE TRACKS burn off pretty quickly. In the run up, Red had talked about a ride finishing off with pizza at the White Hart in Cheddar then back up the gorge.

This would have given us a lot of time on the flat which I don’t think is conducive for an easy first longer ride.

Instead I sorted a route with about the same amount of climbing which went straight into the Cotswolds, then enjoyed the rolling, flattish countryside of the top of the Thames Valley before dropping down to the Severn for the final stint; much more opportunity for freewheeling and the wind would be behind us on the first and final leg as it was forecast to swing in the afternoon.

Into the Valley that time forgot…

Near Kingscote in the Cotswolds

BRISTOL TO BLUNSDON

We headed out of the city on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path, forked left and headed north-west to Pucklechurch.

Red knows this route and was easily up Coxgrove Hill and Hinton Hill. The cloudy mist dissipated and we were soon in the sun, though it was still a little chilly.

We devoured sandwiches as we approached Malmesbury. Shortly afterwards we bought more from a shop – Red demolished those as well.

I had my breakfast, then onwards.

Layers were removed as we enjoyed the sun and flashed our club colours.

Another hour and a bit and we were at Swindon and Cricklade Railway’s Blunsdon Station and The Whistlestop Cafe. I took the opportunity to chat with Anne the manager about my upcoming events; I have three that’ll be using the cafe as a control As we ate our grub a steam train trundled by being driven by a member of the public (they do experience days).

Red donated his chips to me as he wanted the cake – Victoria sponge is one of his favourites.

BLUNSDON TO BLACK SHED

We headed back west against a gentle headwind and a slow ascent to the edge of the Cotswolds. It was glorious.

Red kept telling me he was loving it. A friend recently asked if I was pushy. I don’t think I am. I egg him on but would never force him to do something he didn’t want to do or of which I didn’t think him capable. The pushiest bit is getting him out of the door. As soon as he is, everything changes – no matter what the weather, though he did say on the ride he preferred the sunshine.

Who doesn’t?

In the late afternoon we approached what is colloquially known as “The valley that time forgot” – a 48

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Chips and steam trains at Blunsdon Station

Time for a fatherson cuddle at John O’Groats

hidden gem before a short climb up to Kingscote. Then we descended Frocester Hill. Red rode up this on our Forest of Dean and Cotswolds cycle camping trip a year and a half ago.

Going down is a lot easier. A tanker waited patiently behind us, but then again we left it behind on the corners!

Into the Severn Valley. Red was constantly recognising places from other rides, the Jack and Grace which we did in January, and Skirting the Cotswolds back in September shortly after LEJOG; both 100km Brevet Populaires by fellow Audax Club Bristol organisers Paul Rainbow and Pete Rogan respectively.

The final stop was The Black Shed.

This cafe was recently refurbished, and stays open late on a Saturday as a bar.

Curry for me. Sausages and chips for Red – except they gave him chicken nuggets by mistake – but then brought out some sausages too. Extra fuel for the tank!

BLACK SHED TO BED

Just after 7pm we set off on the last 40km. The sun had set quickly and the chill was back in the air. The wind was gentle on our backs and Red was

flying. Then we hit the edge of Thornbury – 143km passed, a new biggest bike ride from Red. He turned to me, had a little wobble and said: “I should be in bed.”

By then it was 8.30pm, not the latest or longest Red has been out cycling, but he rightly pointed out that last time it was summer. I hadn’t factored that in. I asked if he wanted to carry on or get a lift. “No, I’m going to finish it,” he said.

We chatted away, to keep his mind occupied, something to focus on other than the letterbox of light just ahead of us as we left the lights of Thornbury behind to pick up the Old Gloucester Road.

“Can we go for a ride next Saturday?” he asked. I said I had my Bill’s Easton Connection event on.

“Aww. How about Sunday?” OK, I said.

Then he added: “A normal ride though, Daddy –about 60-80km. I’m not the one doing the pushing!

After a little climb there was another wobble. He said: “Sleepy, Daddy. My arm feels all weak.” We’d just passed 150km, the main goal for the day. It wasn’t far now, the glow of Bristol was nearing. I put my hand on

his shoulder to steady him and provide a little extra motive force. We moved like ice skaters gliding around the potholes and rough surfaces. Just five more kilometres before the beginning of the street lights. Red chatted away as I kept an eye on him. There was lots of blinking. I asked if he could still see okay. He said he was fine.

A few minutes later and we were at the edge of Bristol…and street lights.

Red picked up the pace. Almost there.

Red didn’t need my hand anymore and was flying off. Knowing we were near had given him a boost. A quick stop at Tesco for Mother’s Day provisions then a five minute hop to home.

One hundred miles in 13 hours and 40 minutes at seven and a half years old.

A 150km Brevet Populaire badge in the waiting. What a star. I didn’t do my first 100 miles until I was in my thirties!

We never made it out on a ride the following Sunday. Instead we both helped at LVIS’ Barry’s Bristol Ball Buster Doynton control; I stamped, as did Red, as well as clear the tables for the Doynton & Wick WI. He also had two helpings of some wonderful Victoria sponge! You can follow our adventures at www.pedalution.co.uk/blog. www.audax.uk

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WORDS AND PICTURES BY JEREMY CHANDLER

Jeremy Chandler joined an exclusive French club to tackle the cols of Corsica – and, despite a few scrapes, enjoyed the freedom of the road and the friendship of fellow travellers. He also learned a few choice French phrases…

Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité… and lucky noodles

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T

HE CLUB des Cent Cols, as its name suggests, is a French cycling club whose members love the romance of the high peaks. To become a full member you have to have climbed at least 100 mountain passes – they can be anywhere, including in the UK, but at least five must be over 2,000 metres.

It’s taken me the best part of 15 years to reach that target (there aren’t that many mountains close to London), and still, some years later, I hadn’t yet been on a séjour with them, or indeed met any of the other club members.

But would I be able to keep up with those wiry Frenchmen and women, up those 10 per cent slopes? And would I be able to understand a word that was going on? These were my worries as I signed up. But the temptation was too great – the mountains of Corsica beckoned me.

hard (there would be much longer days to come), and perfect cycling weather.

On the plain below, we cycled through groves of olives, vines and orange trees.

On the climbs there was a constant fragrance from the Corsican maquis, with its lavender, sweet-smelling cistus, and in particular the “immortelles”, which gave off a slightly curry-like perfume.

I rode most of the day with a friendly group of about ten, and when they stopped for a snack, and I forlornly admitted I didn’t have any food with me, they showered me with egg, bread, salad, and cheese, so I probably ended up with more than them. (After that first day, we were given a picnic lunch so the problem didn’t recur). There were small groups of us all over the mountains all day, but it was still a surprise to see everyone at the reunion in the evening, and realise how many there were – 210 in total!

Day 1 THE TAGNONE VALLEY I needn’t have worried. This was a wonderful first day of riding. Not too

Day 2 BETWEEN BRAVONE AND VERDE Our second day was just as good as the first, except for one small thing – I had a

fall. It was really silly. On the flat, a moment’s inattention, one hand off the bars, over some gravel, the front wheel skidded away, and down I went. It was one way (not entirely to be recommended) of getting one’s name known, and lots of tender attention from the other club members. Though in some immediate pain, my main concern was for the bike, which for a horrible moment I thought I’d wrecked completely.

Fortunately a small group of centcolists had turned back when they heard me fall, including Thierry, who managed with all his strength to pull back my derailleur, and repair things. I could continue, thank heavens.

Day 3 BAVELLA This was a monster of a day. I just did the “basic” circuit, which was 110 kilometres, with nine cols. Some people did little extras in order to bag even more cols. Gérard, my driver, who I’d named “Monsieur Col” (he got his 4,000-col certificate at the end of the week) did 135k.

The citadel town of Bonifacio, at the far south of the island

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51

LIBERTÉ, EQUALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ… AND LUCKY NOODLES

Day 5 THE CRETES OF THE CORSIGLIESE Gérard and I made a navigational mistake at the start of the day’s ride, which meant that we did the whole circuit in reverse.

But this turned out to be a happy error, as we had some wonderful descents on smooth roads towards the end of the day.

52

Arrivéespring/summer2019

Cen tC

des

Day 4 The “Grand Sud” This was, as anticipated, a superb day, in beautiful weather. I was riding, very happily, with another small group; and the highlight was reaching Bonifacio, right at the south of the island, an amazing citadel town. We rode up into the citadel itself (incidentally also riding over the Col de St. Roch, the most southerly col in “France”) for coffees, and in my case beer, in the lovely old cobbled streets. With the wind behind us on our way home, we could make really good speed. At one point, in the slipstream of our group, I think I went for four or five kilometres on the flat, without pedalling at all. We did 12 cols in the day, but most of them were easy-peasy.

Homeward bound I was sad to leave the next morning, and wave good-bye to so many now familiar faces. But at least I had no more cycling to do. Kind Gérard had offered to drive me, not only down to my bike-shop, but also all the way back up to Bastia, where he had to catch that night’s ferry. On the way, we stopped at the little fishing village of Pinarellu for a coffee, but when I offered to pay, I was waved away and told it was “on the house”. Then I also didn’t have to pay anything for the slight damage I’d done to my hired bike in the fall.

“You’re in luck today,” Gérard told me.

Except he didn’t put it quite like that - his actual phrase was a bit cruder. “Tu as le cul bordé de nouilles”. I think the literal translation is something like: “You’ve got noodles round your bum”!

Well, I felt the noodles ” o ls had been with me all along. It was a marvellous séjour for me – wonderful outings in magnificent scenery, and great friendliness and conviviality from all the centcolists I met.

My French definitely improved – a lot. And I did 50 cols exactly, in my six days – a world record for me. It was a great week. ub

I then cycled with Danièle for the rest of the day – she was a good cyclist, and rode at the same speed as me – and the day improved markedly from then on. The highlight was another enormous descent from the Ospedale, but this time lower down and much warmer, and with wonderful views out over the sea. It was also on a beautiful road surface, so you could really get speed up, swinging round quite gentle bends. Absolutely blissful.

f Cl

❞

sy o

perched impossibly over the valleys

Day 6 La Castagniccia My sixth and last day of cycling. Also one of the best, perhaps because I was really lazy (by centcolist standards) and cut the circuit down from an enormous 120 kilometres to, finally, only 50. I also only did three cols out of a possible nine. But it was a beautiful day, sunny and warm throughout, with amazing landscapes and villages perched impossibly over the valleys. The best bit was after I had rejoined the “official” circuit after Piedicroce, where the road started contouring round the hills, rising very gently all the time, with ever more spectacular views down to the Porta valley, opening up to our right. Just amazingly beautiful.

court e

… It was a beautiful day, with ❝ amazing landscapes, and villages

It also meant of course that, half way round, we met the other centcolists coming in the other direction. I was pleased at how many of them called out to me, “Bonjour Jeremy!” – I had obviously made a slight impression.

Picture

The main climb was over the Col de Bavella, which is one of the most celebrated in Corsica. The climb up was hard enough, but it was the descent which was the real killer. It was fearsomely cold at the top, as we were hit by a strong, icy headwind, with gusts that sent the bike ricocheting across the road. And I had miles and miles of this descent to get through, all on my own by this time. I have rarely ever felt so cold. I met Danièle at the bottom, who was shivering uncontrollably just like me – but together we managed to squeeze into a tiny bar with a real fire and hot coffee.

Aclub gathering, on the Swiss/French border

JOIN THE CCC The Club des Cent Cols is currently looking to increase its membership – all are welcome, particularly younger members, and non-French members. At the moment it has a very small membership in the UK, but the club is keen to attract more Brits to its ranks.

To qualify for full membership you have to have climbed at least 100 recognised mountain passes – but they can be anywhere, in the UK, the rest of Europe, the world.

Many readers of Arrivée will already have achieved this target. But even if you haven’t, the club offers help and encouragement to get there.

It has produced, for example, a series of “grandes randonnées” – long-distance cycling trails, which plot the best cycling routes in mountainous regions, and which include a large number of recognised passes. These are mainly in France, but also in Spain and Switzerland – and their details

are all available to non-members.

The main benefit of club membership is the access it gives riders to unrivalled catalogues of the Cols of the world – the catalogues cover over 60,000 passes in 35 different countries, including a newly revised catalogue for the mountain passes of Great Britain and Ireland. These catalogues come in both paper and electronic form, with good links to Google Earth and other cycling apps. Existing UK members have found the catalogues invaluable in mapping their rides, in planning long-distance tours, and in exploring out-of-the-way regions.

There is also a general wealth of knowledge in the club, which members can tap into through its discussion group, on all cycling matters, navigational aids, the best cycling routes, and places to stay. The club also sends out regular information bulletins, and publishes a very

attractive and informative annual review, with an updated “Tableau d’Honneur” of members’ climbing achievements.

UK members may not be so attracted to the club’s gatherings – understandable, given the difficulties of logistics and language. But even if your French is not very good, they are very welcoming and convivial events. The club organises many regional meetings, as well as two main week-long “séjours” each year, one in the spring and one in the summer – and all in the most scenic of settings.

If you are at all interested in joining the club, Jeremy would be happy to hear from you and answer any queries you may have – he can be contacted at jeremy.chandler@blueyonder.co.uk .

You can also get much more information, and details of how to apply for membership, from the club website on http://www.centcols.org/

A View with a Room… relaxing above Verbier, in the high mountains www.audax.uk

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AUDAX HONOURS – BY IVAN CORNELL

Audax Altitude Award 2018 Rolls of Honour It’s time to congratulate, belatedly, the 2018 AAA Champions Shaun Hargreaves and Mary-Jane Watson.

Astonishingly, all but 15 of Shaun’s 235.5 points where gained riding fixed – it was just an injury (caused indirectly through walking!) that forced

him on to gears for an attempt on the Mille Cymru perm, which he managed to complete despite being in considerable pain. This is the first year that the Fixed Wheel and AAA Trophies have been won by the same person.

Many congratulations also

to all the other riders appearing here. The Rolls of Honour published here, list everyone who achieved a new award in the 2017-18 season, showing their total award count over time. There are now nine riders that have obtained the equivalent of 3x3x3 AAA

awards. Maybe it’s time for a new badge!

Anyone else who has acquired AAA points and believes they are eligible for any of these awards should contact me at aaa@audax.uk to claim them.

Ivan Cornell

The original AAA, Triple AAA and 3x3 AAA For obtaining 20, 60 and 180 AAA points over any period of time Name Stephen Agnew Nephi Alty Roy Ashman Jon Banks Ed Bartlett Robert Bialek Leiv Boyum James Bradbury Chris Breed Sarah Britton Dave Brothers Steven Bryce Steven Butterworth Nigel Calladine Dan Campbell Russell Carson Garga Chamberlain Brian Childs Dean Clementson Paolo Coppo Ivan Cornell Andy Cox Martin Croxford Michael Daly Andie Darlington Tony Davis Emma Dixon Jonathan Dixon Bob Donaldson Peter Fokkinga Mark Gibson Mike Green Barbara Hackworthy Shaun Hargreaves Peter Harper Derek Heine

AAA

3x AAA

5 7 2 11 1 48 12 8 10 2 1 5 6 2 1 6 1 25 8 1 7 7 12 5 1 18 3 3 2 1 2 5 9 24 1 17

1 2

3x3 AAA

3

1

16 4 2 3

5 1 1

1 2

2 8 2 2 2 4 1 6 1 1

2

1

2

1 3 8

1 2

5

1

Name Mark Hudson Richard Iddon Oliver Iles John Jackson Eleanor Jaskowska Pete Johnson Justin Jones Chris Keeling-Roberts Lee Killestein John Lilley Mark Lison Ron Lowe James Ludlow Martin Malins Paul Manasseh Chris March David Mason Jim Mearns James Metcalfe Dave Morrison Geoffrey Mowatt Chris Murkin Robert Norris Leonard O’Rourke Alan Parkinson Sarah Peters Eduardo Petrilli Hugo Pile Nic Pow Andrew Preater Andrew Preston Paul Rainbow Steve Ralphs Dave Randerson Liz Read Paul Renshaw

AAA

3x AAA

4 2 21 3 2 7 28 44 10 3 2 5 6 45 11 3 5 2 2 11 3 3 7 3 11 5 1 7 2 3 21 11 12 14 1 9

1 7 1 2 9 14 3 1 1 2 15 3 1 1

3 1 1 2 1 3 1

3x3 AAA 2

3 4 1

5 1

1

1

2 1 7 3 4 4

2 1 1 1

3

1

Name Paul Revell Simon Roberts Stephen Rogers Mark Rutter Ian Ryall Jonathan Saville Christopher Selby Neil Shand Paul Smedley Graham Spiller Jonathan Stainton-Ellis Alan Steele Kevin Talbot Martin Tallontire Chris Tillapaugh Martin Tillin Tom Towers Richard Turley Andrew Turner Neil Veitch Richard Venes Mark Walsh Jonathan Warner Mary-Jane Watson Colin Weaver Thomas Webb John Wilkie Julian Williams Toby Willis Doug Wilson John Wilton Paul Worthington Robert Wragge-Morley Oliver Wright Adam Young

AAA

3x AAA

3x3 AAA

14 18 18 9 35 16 2 7 8 2 6 7 7 3 7 4 5 1 5 10 7 12 14 23 25 3 7 19 3 3 7 2 5 17 5

4 6 6 3 11 5

1 2 2 1 3 1

2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 4 4 7 8 1 2 6 1 1 2 1 5 1

1 1 1 2 2

2

1

AAASR For completing an SR series of AAA events in one season Name Awards

Name Awards

Name Awards

Step Stephen Agnew Jon Banks Robert Bialek James Bradbury Chris Breed Julian Brown Raymond Cheung Andy Cox Martin Croxford Tony Davis

Peter Fokkinga Shaun Hargreaves Peter Harper Mark Hudson Oliver Iles Eleanor Jaskowska Pete Johnson Justin Jones Lee Killestein John Lilley

James Ludlow James Metcalfe Dave Morrison Geoffrey Mowatt Robert Norris Sarah Peters Nic Pow Andrew Preater Andrew Preston

1 4 14 3 5 4 3 5 7 12

1 9 1 1 6 1 3 16 4 2

1 1 4 1 3 2 2 1 9

AAARTY For completing an AAA event in any 12 consecutive months

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Name RtY

Name RtY

Name RtY

Leiv Boyum James Bradbury Brian Childs Tom Forbes Mike Green Barbara Hackworthy Derek Heine

Oliver Iles Chris Keeling-Roberts Lee Killestein James Ludlow Martin Malins Robert Norris Richard Phipps

Andrew Preston Dave Randerson Richard Venes Mary-Jane Watson John Wilkie

Arrivéespring/summer2019

6 1 8 1 3 5 2

3 11 1 1 13 1 3

5 6 4 8 3

AAA Century For obtaining 25, 50, 100 or 200 AAA points in one season Name

Quart Half Century Double

Roy Ashman Jon Banks Robert Bialek Leiv Boyum James Bradbury Brian Childs Martin Croxford Peter Fokkinga Mike Green Barbara Hackworthy

1 5 9 5 4 5 6 1 3 6

2 9 3

6

4

3

Name

Quart Half Century Double

Shaun Hargreaves Mark Hudson Oliver Iles Eleanor Jaskowska Justin Jones Chris Keeling-Roberts Lee Killestein John Lilley James Ludlow Martin Malins

1 1

3 2 4 1 7 8 2 1 2 7

3

2

1

4

1

1

5 7 2

1 5 1

1 5

1 5

Name

Quart Half Century Double

Paul Manasseh David Mason Dave Morrison Sarah Peters Nic Pow Andrew Preater Andrew Preston Paul Rainbow Steve Ralphs

5 3 5 2 1 2 7 5 3

Tom Green Jonathan Motteram Ben Taylor Tom Towers Ken Woodhouse David Woodsford Paul Anderton Adrian Beare Jeff Ellingham Nigel Laws Wayne Lloyd Ron Lowe Eric Richardson Simon Roberts Chris Asher Pete James Hugh Knudsen Peter Rogan Adam Sherlock Pete Stott Alexander Turner Michael Collins Patrick Douglas Mike Kear Jeremy Milne Tom Orr Roger Payne Adrian Roberts Ken Russell Nick Tickner Dave Vine Dave Cutts Philip Millar Jonathan Steel Kelvin Amos Colin Bezant Richard Chew Jason Clark Andie Darlington Nigel Hood Iain Park Duncan White David Bellini Kevin Firth Chris Jones Rob Jordan Stephen Ogden Richard Tofts Greg Woodford Adrian Dean Phil Nelson Sarah Perkins Sean Quigly Alex Turner Johnatan Williams Garga Chamberlain Peter Hobbs Douglas Kirkham Jacqueline Rees Rob Wood Andrew Beveridge Anthony Hepple Paul Smedley Derek Ahern Ian Lovelock Stephen Sanderson Will Vousden

16.5 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.25 16.25 16.25 16.25 16.25 16.25 16.25 16.25 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.75 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.25 15.25 15.25 15.25 15.25 15.25 15.25 15.25 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14.75 14.75 14.75 14.75 14.75 14.75 14.5 14.5 14.5 14.5 14.5 14.25 14.25 14.25 14 14 14 14

2 2 1

6 2

2

12 Points Roll of Honour For obtaining 12+ points in the 2017-18 season Shaun Hargreaves 235.5 Ian Ryall 162 Philip Toni 149.5 Alan Steele 137.75 Chris Keeling-Roberts 119.5 Lee Killestein 113.75 Mary-Jane Watson 113.75 Robert Bialek 112.5 James Ludlow 105.75 Brian Childs 88.5 Chris Tillapaugh 81 Mark Green 73 Mark Walsh 71 Steve Ralphs 70.25 Graham Steward 68.75 Geoffrey Mowatt 66.25 David Randerson 63 Andrew Turner 63 Robert Norris 60 Jon Banks 58.75 Ian Bird 58 James Lawrence 57.75 David Smethurst 57.25 Ivor Peachey 56.25 Adam Watkins 55.5 Oliver Wright 55.5 John Wilkie 55 David Harris 53.75 Oliver Iles 53.5 Richard Thompson 53.5 Cecil Ilsley 52 Andrew Preston 52 Leiv Boyum 51.5 Nick Gardiner 51.5 Mike Sheldrake 51 Mike Green 50.75 Jack Tyler 50.25 Doug Wilson 50.25 Paul Rainbow 49 Justin Jones 48.25 Will Pomeroy 47.75 Alan Parkinson 46.75 James Bradbury 46.25 Luke Joy-Smith 46.25 Chris Watts 45.25 Alex Frost 45 Jeff Rowell 44.75 David Mason 43.75 Telbert James 43.25 Eleanor Jaskowska 42.75 Colin Mew 42.75 David Sleigh 42.75 John Wilton 41.75 Jimmy Froggatt 40.25 Martin Malins 40 Neil Shand 40 Paul Manasseh 39.75 Robert Wragge-Morley 39.75 Richard Coomer 39.5 Paul Jackman 38.75 Martin Croxford 38.25 Robyn Thomas 38.25 Daryl Hayter 38 Tim Rusbridge 38 Steven Smith 38 Richard Clements 37.5 Dave Morrison 37.25

Peter Fokkinga Sarah Peters Stuart Birnie Kevin Harvey Richard Salisbury David Atkinson Richard O’Sullivan Julian Brown Nic Veloadventures Paul Pritchard Mark Rutter Julian Williams Martin Tallontire John Lilley Jack Peterson Oliver Liney Moritz Schick Leonard O’Rourke Richard Venes Debs Goddard Mark Harding Mark Hudson Chris Phillips Richard Iddon Andrew Jackson Matthew Scholes Michael Fisher Barbara Hackworthy Aidan Hedley Kris Poole Paul Renshaw William Linford Luke Williams Jonathan Saville Roy Ashman Ian Fairweather George Hanna John Holden Robert Waugh Andy Yates Alexander Berry Andy Cox John Forbes Peter Johnson Graham Spiller Emma Dixon Jonathan Dixon Alan Barnard Chris Crookes Andrew Preater John Hamilton Linda Hamilton Mark Smith Richard Barnett James Metcalfe Brad Owen Chris Pugh Ray Robinson Clare Walkeden Kenny Atherton Simon Neatham John Rye Kevin Talbot Jamie Andrews Roly Cockwell Antonia Netherton John Sherlock

36.75 36.25 36 36 35.5 35.25 35.25 34.75 34.5 34.25 34 34 33.75 32.75 32.75 32.25 32 31.75 31.75 31.5 31.5 31.25 31 30.75 30.5 30.5 30.25 30.25 30.25 30.25 29.5 29.25 29.25 28.75 28.5 28.5 28.5 28.5 28.5 28 27.75 27.75 27.75 27.75 27.25 27 27 26.75 26.75 26.75 26.25 26.25 26.25 26 26 26 26 26 26 25.75 25.75 25.75 25.75 25.5 25.5 25.5 25.5

Stephen Agnew Simon Ashby John Barkman David Clegg Dave Elliott Austin Gray Andy Bruce Martin Radford Michael Browne Edwin Hargraves Michael Metcalfe Toby Willis Sarah Dowden Richard Sanderson Ivor Davies Tony Davis Robert Gregg Sheni Jiwa Stephen Rogers Helen Kellar Bob Johnson Gordon Snowball Neil Battison Christopher Breed Raymond Cox Ali Hutton Ian Walker Mike Hughes Sara McOughlin Dale Ramage Colin Weaver Neil Robinson Neil Veitch Paul Beebee Simon Cullen David Fortis Gavin Sims Paolo Coppo Richard Cowan Mike Thompson Brian Gilliver Sian Lambert Ian Llewelyn Iain Robert Paul Alinejad Andy Berne Liam Glen Chris Herbert Richard Parrotte Desmond Winterbone Ricki Goode Peter Harper Kevin Speight Paul Anders Johnson Steven Massey Laura Massey-Pugh Ron Warnock Brandon Edgeley James Gillies Miles Griffiths Mark Lison Duncan MacRegor Peter Simon Ray Stigter Nick Stokell Adrian Wikeley Dean Clementson

25.25 25.25 25.25 25.25 25.25 25.25 25 25 24.75 24.75 24.75 24.75 24.5 24.5 24.25 24.25 24.25 24.25 24.25 24 23.75 23.75 23.5 23.5 23.5 23.5 23.5 23.25 23.25 23.25 23.25 23 23 22.75 22.75 22.75 22.75 22.5 22.5 22.5 22.25 22.25 22.25 22.25 22 22 22 22 22 21.75 21.5 21.5 21.5 21.25 21.25 21.25 21.25 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 20.75

Robert McReady 20.75 Ivan Cornell 20.5 Peter Goodings 20.5 Nick Jackson 20.5 John Lee 20.5 Mike Pain 20.5 Ed Bartlett 20.25 Paul Whitehead 20.25 Denise Booth 20 Daniel Campbell 20 Andy Gregg 20 David Hirons 20 Stephen McRien 20 Neil Milton 20 Iain Wilson 20 Nick Allen 19.75 Carolyn Gaunt 19.75 Simon Westlake 19.75 Steven Butterworth 19.5 Stuart Fahey 19.5 Elfyn Jones 19.5 Christopher Knox 19.5 Gordon Panicca 19.5 Kevin Reed 19.5 Mike Stoaling 19.5 Kevin Presland 19.25 John Williams 19.25 Dave Dodwell 19 Richard Mitchell 19 Mike Tate 19 Bruce Taylor 19 Thomas Webb 19 Nephi Alty 18.75 Peter Boynton 18.75 Russell Carson 18.75 Adrian Bird 18.5 Chris Cullen 18.5 Angus Doig 18.5 Mark Fossard 18.5 Oliver Leach 18.5 Simon Neen 18.5 Heather Perry 18.5 Ralph Presland 18.5 James Rees 18.5 Christopher Selby Smith 18.5 Magnus Wills 18.5 Steven Ferry 18.25 Carl Pegnam 18.25 Stuart Wilson 18.25 Bernard Brown 17.75 Lisa Chichester 17.75 Paul Coleman 17.75 Suzannah Minns 17.75 Phil Richards 17.75 Sean Smith 17.75 Adam Young 17.75 David Bishop 17.5 Andrew Marshall 17.5 Michael Pinkerton 17.5 Mike Plumstead 17.5 Niall Wallace 17.25 Anisa Aubin 17 Steve Orchard 17 Richard Phipps 16.75 Stephen Scott 16.75 Julian Cole 16.5 David Deakins 16.5

Dave Brothers Roy Clarke Paul Dytham Richard Edwards Ian Hennessey Kelly Hillyer Matthew Larkins Nigel Pratt Tania Tucker Angela Walker Paul Alderson Neil Dallaway Guto Evans Peter Graham John Jackson Joseph McOughlin Nicky Shaw Bob Watts Andrew Wheat Mark Charlton Andre Dekerf Toby Hopper Noel Jenkins Martin Ph Laverick Ian MacAb Jim Cope Chris Forrest Andrew Roocroft Paul Sear Nick White Wayne Wright Ken Acland Katie Butler Ian Collins Simon King Yvonne King Tim Pickersgill Simon Reid Andy Rich Amy Sherlock Andy Uttley Daniel Cornwall Peter Cowan Graham Gordon Haydn Griffiths Rob Hyde Dmitry Ilchenko Marcus Lancastle Troy Little Chris March David Pearce Robert Scott Andrew Seager Mike Tattersall Stuart Thorn Richard Etches Richard Goucher Ben Hyett Tom King Gerard McUgh Peter Metelerkamp Liam Morris Sean O’Shah Tom Plowman James Reynolds Martin Tillin James Wyatt

13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.25 13.25 13.25 13.25 13.25 13.25 13 13 13 13 13 13 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.75 12.5 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12.25 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

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55

OBITUARY Simon Jones remembers some great times with his friend – musician, traveller, raspberry-picker and legendary Auxader, Mick Latimer, who died earlier this year. Mick was the Geordie lad who, through his hard work and enthusiasm, did so much to promote longdistance cycling. Here is Simon’s tribute…

Mick Latimer a true free-spirit of the road 56

MICK LATIMER passed away on 26 January in Hobart, Tasmania. He was 83. He was the first elected Chairman of Audax UK, and was subsequently made a Life President of the club. He also instigated the Mick and Jan Latimer Mileater Award. He had had a serious stroke in 2017 but had been making a good recovery.

Mick was widely known across AUK during the 1980s, not least because he was the Geordie with the bearded face who greeted you at Salisbury Youth Hostel when you wanted to know where to stick your bike for the night.

During those ten years Salisbury became, in effect, the spiritual home of AUK. He and others were able to use the hostel as a control or start for AUK events including the Wessex Star 600km.

He also hosted some memorable reunions and chaired the AGM there in the days when the membership was numbered in hundreds. There was always a warm welcome for any cyclist from Mick and his Australian assistant Jan (who was to become his wife), not forgetting his dog, Joedog. Many who experienced Salisbury for the first time became enthusiastic Audax riders and members of AUK. Herbert Michael Latimer was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 23 July, 1935. He had two older sisters but his mother died when he was only two. He became a bit of a tearaway and would turn up on his grandmother’s doorstep in Carlisle having spent his week’s dinner money on the bus fare. It was no surprise that his policeman father couldn’t cope and Mick was packed off to boarding school.

He hated the restrictions. His spirit of adventure and independence needed to be released, but first he had to do his National Service. He attended the Royal Military School of Music in London playing the clarinet and oboe before joining the Central Band of the RAF in Singapore. Music and especially classical music was always part of his life. After serving his two years he spent three years travelling and working in Australia and south-east Asia.

On returning to the UK he became a youth hostel warden in Bridport, Dorset. He’d hostelled on his own from the age of 10 and dreamed of running a youth hostel. He quickly took to the life and got great satisfaction making a hospitable environment for his guests. The job also allowed him to get out on his bike during the day. He first started riding Audax events in 1978 after riding the first Dorset Coast 200km which was then, as now, routed through Bridport. He contacted the event’s first organizer, Keith Matthews, and offered the hostel as a control point, or for anything else Keith wanted to organise. That did not come about until Mick moved to Salisbury Hostel.

Keith recalls: “Suddenly we had both a headquarters and an infinitely flexible control point for so many events.

This allowed the birth of the “Wessex Star” 600km as a three-legged course, starting Saturday at dawn (those Salisbury YHA breakfasts were legendary) and coming back to the hostel after 150km for lunch and after a further 250km in the small hours maybe for a kip. My memory fails on all the different events we ran out of Salisbury with Mick’s involvement and unstinting support. It was the first control for the first ever National 400km, a fabulous help for me struggling to gain credibility with the CTC [CyclingUK]. Mick was running a number of his own events too, notably a 300km which took in the New Forest, and a 400km which crossed to the Isle of Wight. None who were there could forget the annual reunion dinners and the camaraderie of those early days in AUK.” In those days the AGM was part of the annual AUK reunion – with Mick in the Chair. There was always room for some typically unexpected humour to lighten the more

serious business. Mick was one of the Brindisi Seven who, in 1984, had successfully just completed the international diagonal permanent Brindisi-Calais in eight days. We had been on a very tight schedule of 265km a day with even short delays adding up significantly.

To change some more currency one of us had gone into a bank somewhere in Italy to change the travellers’ cheques, which took some time. When he returned we agreed to split the money up as soon as we made our next stop. As happens on such rides we got separated, in this case from he with the money, and we did not manage to see him again for two days. Mick and I were down to our last 50p and had to resort to sneaking into vineyards to pinch grapes.

When we finally met up with “our third man” (no names published to protect the guilty party!) Mick was not best pleased. So when it was AGM time Mick arranged a little surprise for our third man, who was attending.

Halfway through, the meeting was interrupted by a “gentleman from the local constabulary” who’d been asked

by Interpol to make an enquiry about an incident in Italy when some money had gone missing. Mick, poker-faced, invited the uniformed officer forward. As he did so the officer gave the name of our third man as he placed his hand on the shoulder of the guilty party. The blood drained from our friend’s face and it brought the house down!

During those happy Salisbury years Mick broadened his cycling horizons and rode several of the long 1,000km Audax randonnées in France. He would never have said he

was one of the hard riders but he really enjoyed the steady pace that Audax rides allowed and he could ride like that all day. He had acquired a beautiful Curly Hetchins which he enjoyed riding for the rest of his life. He was renowned for his relaxed style of riding randonnées, usually timing his arrival at the final control to the last half hour. He would often mention the tale of the Hare and the Tortoise.

Mick was a great inspiration to a whole generation of cyclists many of whom became AUK members. He was very resourceful and was always looking for a new challenge. He liked to be independent and do things his own way.

It was perhaps inevitable that as the AUK membership and new events rapidly began to expand that it took someone like Mick to suggest that AUK needed an elected committee. The AGM agreed and he was duly elected Chairman as were a Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Secretary and Foreign Events Secretary. The committee then set about drawing up AUK’s first Constitution which the club adopted.

I first met Mick the night before the start of the 1979 PBP but we did not ride together since he more sensibly had opted for the 90 hour limit. He also rode it in 1983. He loved France despite retaining only half a dozen words of the language, not all of which might have been understood by the listener! He tells just such a story in an interview with the FFCT which was translated and published in Arrivée as “A Kangaroo in the land of the Froggies” (issue number 120 spring 2013).

He was a good companion to have on the road, often suggesting new challenges. One such was the BrindisiCalais in 1984, a ride that became indelibly imprinted on my mind. It was an amazing experience. As usual Mick rode his steady pace despite being injured for four days, and he and I reached Calais with 55 minutes to spare.

AUK entered two teams in the 1982 Flèche Vélocio led

by Keith Matthews and Mick. Both teams completed 400km in the 24 hours to Provence before enjoying for the first time the unique atmosphere of a French “concentration” of all the teams in the event, followed by a very generous invitation from the French ACP club to join them for lunch. This lunch, lasting four hours, then involved a friendly if wine-induced challenge to ride up Mt Ventoux that evening. Who could resist such madness?

Mick and Jan got married. But they could see that the days of the independent hostel warden were numbered.

The “men in suits” were proposing to put the staff in uniforms and wear name badges. Mick would not hear of it. So in 1989 he and Jan left, plus his Curly Hetchins, and moved to Tasmania, Jan’s homeland. It seemed like the end of an era. But before they left Mick embarked on another ultra-long permanent, the Trafalgar-Trafalgar which he had devised in 1985 to mark the 10th anniversary of AUK. The

event is also marked as Souvenir Mick Latimer. This was another truly memorable event for the five who rode it: Alan Sturk, Len Gurnett, John Rivers, myself and Mick.

Before going to Australia Mick had begun riding the French Flèches de France and the Relais de France all of which he went on to complete. In doing so he found he kept coming across BCN/BPF controls which he was slowly collecting. He began returning to France almost every year during the cold winters in Tasmania and over the next 21 years he proceeded to collect all 520 controls of the Brevet des Provinces Françaises which is the most prestigious brevet of the FFCT, the French cycle touring federation. To celebrate his 70th year in 2005 he “raided” 117 of these controls in 54 days covering 6,640km. But what gave him the greatest satisfaction in his later years was completing Le Tour de France Cyclotouriste, a 4800km permanent in 40 days in 2009 at the age of 74.

While in Tasmania he made many trips to reacquaint himself with the countries of south-east Asia. He toured Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Several times he rode between Singapore and Bangkok. Laos was one of his favourite places, with its smiling people and the French influence. Jan says he loved the Asian lifestyle. He used to say: “If I don’t come back, phone the Nana,” his favourite hotel in Bangkok.

For all his love of the road and the freedom it gave him he loved his home too, wherever it was, more especially when he had the first home of his own with Jan after they moved to Tasmania. He had many other interests outside cycling. He was always trying new challenges. Apart from being a professional musician for a while, he had run a nightclub in Bridport, and worked as a raspberry farmer in Tasmania. He loved football, dogs, books, politics and cinema. He was a passionate Newcastle United fan, and happily got up at 2am to watch the live telecast of their Premier League matches every week.

Len Gurnett from Minehead recalled many adventures on the road with Mick, including several in France. He says: “I spent many very happy days with Mick. His genius included the ability to find bakers in the very early morning. We could have croissants at 5am on one of his regular Audax events. He was a very complete Audax randonneur and cycle tourist, a true free spirit and, in his own way, a true athlete.” ● The last word goes to Keith Matthews: “We celebrated his marriage to Jan. We were saddened at their departure for Australia, but allowed gladly that he crash out on our floor on his return visits. He left a Fausto Coppi serial-numbered leather saddle with me last time saying: ‘I’ll collect it next time’. I guess you’ll not be wanting it back, Mick. Can I keep it now?”

57

AUK CALENDAR

KEY

1826m Total elevation AAA Audax Altitude Award points A(1) Free/cheap accommodation (1 night) B Very basic – no halls/beds, et c BD Bag drop R Refreshments at start and/or finish S Showers Z Sleeping facilities on route YH Youth hostel at/near start 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/NM Mudguards required/not required X Some very basic controls

(eg service stations) G GPS files provided by the organiser 175 Entries close at 175 riders 14/4 Entries close 14th April 15-30kph Minimum-maximum speeds 600

08 Jun Poynton, S of Stockport A Pair of Kirtons 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 3000m £12.00 A1 F G P R T Z 15-30kph Peak Audax CTC 01457 870 421 PeakAudax@hotmail.co.uk ROA 10000 Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Fm Millcroft Lane Delph Saddleworth OL3 5UX

300 08 Jun West Stafford, Dorchester 3D 300

05:00 Sat BRM 312km 5150m AAA5.25 £7.00 C G L P R T 1525kph Wessex CTC 01305 263 272 pete loakes@yahoo.com ROA 5000 Peter Loakes, 1 Church Cottage West Stafford Dorchester DT2 8AB 100 09 Jun Birdwell Barnsley, Birdwell Community Centre Birdwell Grimper 09:00 Sun BP 107km 2150m AAA2.25 £6.00 LPRT(120) 12-30kph Birdwell Whs woodyauk@btinternet.com John Woodhouse, 10 Ashurst Close, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 4XZ 200 09 Jun Ware, Hertfordshire Herts High Five 08:30 Sun BR 205km 2100m £10.00 GLPRST 15-30kph Herts Wheelers Valdis Belinis, 2 Little Horse Lane, Milton Road, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 0QB 100 09 Jun Ware, Hertfordshire Three Counties 100 10:30 Sun BP 104km 1000m £7.00 GLPRST 15-30kph Hertfordshire Wheelers Valdis Belinis, 2 Little Horse Lane, Milton Road, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 0QB 300 15 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Rural South 06:00 Sat BR 3450m £7.50 L P R T 15-30kph Cycling UK Reading offroad@readingctc.co.uk Ian Doyle, 21 Woodford Close, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 7HN 200 15 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Up the Downs – Alan Furley Memorial Ride 08:00 Sat BR 204km 2250m £7.00 G L P R T 15-30kph Cycling UK Reading nickclark2020@gmail.com Nick Clark, 19 Chilmark Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9DD 100 15 Jun Beech Hill, S of Reading Down the Ups – Alan Furley memorial ride 09:00 Sat BP 105km 1050m £6.60 G L P R T 12-30kph Cycling UK Reading nickclark2020@gmail.com Nick Clark, 19 Chilmark Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9DD 600 15 Jun Exeter The Exe-Buzzard 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 6200m AAA1.5 [1550m] £6.00 G X 1530kph Exeter Whs 01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk ROA 25000 Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street, Honiton EX14 1PU

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600

15 Jun Galashiels Borderlands Explorer 08:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 6000m [5500m] £25.00 L P R T S G 15-25kph Updated Scottish Borders Randonneur 01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com ROA 25000 Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St., Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 1HL 400 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 400A 06:00 Sat BR 406km 7587m AAA7.5 [8103m] £12.50 X C F G NM P 100 (15/5) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 300 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 320A 05:30 Sat BP 320km 8075m [3880m] £12.50 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 8-25kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 300 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 300A 05:45 Sat BR 314km 5780m AAA5.75 [6127m] £10.50 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 300 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 300G 05:45 Sat BR 305km 5521m AAA5.5 [6217m] £10.50 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 200A 08:00 Sat BR 210km 3734m AAA3.75 [3918m] £9.50 X C F G NM P 100 (11/6) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 15 Jun 208km £7.75 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6)) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 160 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 160A 06:00 Sat BP 166km 3880m £9.50 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 9-25kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 110 15 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 100A 09:00 Sat BP 2189m AAA2.25 [2386m] £8.00 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 8.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 600 15 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The 3 Coasts 600 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 607km 5200m £10.00 A(3) L P R S T Z YH 15-30kph West Yorkshire CTC chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 25000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West, Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF 600 15 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The East & West Coasts 600 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 605km 4380m [5380m] £10.00 A(3) L P R S T Z YH 15-30kph West Yorkshire CTC chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 25000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West, Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF

600

15 Jun Raynes Park Wander Wye 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 611km 5700m [6000m] £19.00 A(1) C F G L P R T S Z 75 15-30kph Kingston Wheelers laidbackaroundtheworld@gmail.com Richard Evans, 29 Somerset Avenue, Raynes Park, London SW20 0BJ 200 16 Jun Barmouth This is not a tour 200G 06:00 Sun BR 201km £7.25 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 16 Jun Galashiels No Work for us Today 08:00 Sun BR 2300m [2100m] £10.00 L P R T S G 15-30kph Scottish Borders Randonneur 01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com ROA 25000 Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St., Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 1HL 200 16 Jun Lichfield, The Acorn Inn View of Belvoir 08:00 Sun BR 1850m £5.00 G R P T 15-30kph Roy Bishop 0121 357 2570 bikeway@virginmedia.com Roy Bishop, 88 Millfield Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham B20 1EB 120 16 Jun Lichfield, The Acorn Inn Charnwood Forest 09:00 Sun BP 122km 1150m £5.00 G R P T 12.5-30kph Roy Bishop 0121 357 2570 bikeway@virginmedia.com Roy Bishop, 88 Millfield Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham B20 1EB 53 16 Jun Lichfield, The Acorn Inn Moira Furnace Fifty 09:30 Sun BP 350m £5.00 G R P T 10-25kph Roy Bishop 0121 357 2570 bikeway@virginmedia.com Roy Bishop, 88 Millfield Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham B20 1EB 200 16 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 200C 07:00 Sun BR 206km 3879m AAA4 [3911m] £9.00 X C F G NM P 100 (1/6) 14.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 110 16 Jun Llandrindod This is not a tour 100C 09:00 Sun BP 111km 1896m AAA2 [2092m] £8.00 X C F G NM P 100 (15/5) 8.3-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 16 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The Good Companions 08:30 Sun BRM 2100m £5.00 A(2) L P R T S YH 15-30kph West Yorkshire CTC chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk ROA 25000 Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 1EF 110 19 Jun Middleton in Teesdale North Pennines Wednesday 2 09:00 Wed BP 114km 1650m AAA1.75 [1640m] £3.50 GPRT 14.3-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com – Please enter online 100 19 Jun Witney Rugby Club, Hailey Midweek Tour of the Cotswolds 10:00 Wed BP 106km 1300m [1700m] £6.00 P T R G NM 13-25kph Oxfordshire CTC Andy.Ellis ATE@BTInternet.com Andy Ellis, 8 Burgess Close, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JT 400 22 Jun Anywhere, to York Summer Arrow to York 06:00 Sat BR £15.00 15-30kph Audax UK martinfoley@btinternet.com Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 6TU

200

22 Jun Anywhere, to York Summer Dart to York Sat BR 210km £5.00 15-30kph Audax UK martinfoley@btinternet.com Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 6TU 600 22 Jun Bispham, Lancashire Glasgow 600 21:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 602km 3600m £21.00 F L P R T Z 15-30kph Burnley CC burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive, Ightenhill, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 8AT 600 22 Jun Churchend,, Dunmow Fenland Friends [Flatlands Reversed] 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 1073m £8.00 X M L P R T C G A[1] 15-30kph Audax Club Mid-Essex tom.deakins@btinternet.com Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 2AA 600 22 Jun Kings Cross-St Pancras Willesden’s Last Gasp 07:00 Sat BRM [PBP] 4980m [4893m] £6.00 XGT(80) 15-30kph Updated Willesden CC ianaudax@gmail.com Ian Oliver, 68 St Dunstans Avenue W3 6QJ 50 22 Jun Knavesmire, York Rally 50k 09:30 Sat BP £7.50 15-30kph CTC North Yorks gerry.boswell@hotmail.co.uk Gerald Boswell, 5 Invicta Court, Foxwood Lane, Acomb, York YO24 3NL 100 22 Jun Knavesmire, York Rally 100 09:00 Sat BP £7.50 A(1) C F P R T S 15-25kph 15-25kph CTC North Yorks gerry.boswell@hotmail.co.uk Gerald Boswell, 5 Invicta Court, Foxwood Lane, Acomb, York YO24 3NL 300 22 Jun Monmouth, Car Park by Waitrose The Peregrine Mountain Roads 300km 04:00 Sat BR 6071m AAA6 £10.00 X P GMTR 15-30kph Jennifer Goslin, 46 Bridge Street, Chepstow, Monmouthshire NP16 5EY 600 22 Jun Sleaford Yorkshire via Essex 06:00 Sat BRM [PBP] £6.00 X,G, P,R 15-30kph Audax Club Lincolnshire lincsaudax@gmail.com Richard Parker, 28 High Street, Carlton Le Moorland, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 9HT 200 23 Jun 2 Teviot Crescent, Hawick Debatable Lands 09:00 Sun BR 2368m [1078m] £10.00 A(1) GL NM P R T S 15-30kph Hawick Cycling Club David Killean, 4 Wester Braid Road, Hawick, Roxburghshire TD9 9NA 100 23 Jun 2 Teviot Crescent, Hawick, TD9 9RE Riccarton Line 10:00 Sun BP 1078m £10.00 A G L MN P R T S 15-30kph Hawick Cycling Club David Killean, 4 Wester Braid Road, Hawick, Roxburghshire TD9 9NA 300 23 Jun Bethersden, nr Ashford, Kent Fairies Flattest Possible 300 02:00 Sun BR 311km 1250m £9.00 C F L P R T 15-30kph Updated San Fairy Ann CC bobwatts999@gmail.com Bob Watts, 13 The Grove Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4JB 200 23 Jun Bethersden, nr Ashford, Kent Fairies Half-Flat 200 08:00 Sun BR 201km 800m £8.00 F,G,L,P,R,T 15-30kph San Fairy Ann CC bobwatts999@gmail.com Bob Watts, 13 The Grove Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4JB 150 23 Jun Bethersden, nr Ashford, Kent Fairies Fairly Flat 150 08:30 Sun BP 650m £7.00 F,G,L,P,R,T 15-30kph San Fairy Ann CC bobwatts999@gmail.com Bob Watts, 13 The Grove Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4JB 100 23 Jun Bethersden, nr Ashford, Kent Fairies Flat 100 09:00 Sun BP 250m £6.00 F,G,L,P,R,T 15-30kph San Fairy Ann CC bobwatts999@gmail.com Bob Watts, 13 The Grove Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4JB

50 10:00

100 9.:00

200 08:30

110 10:00

200 08:00

110 09:00

100 09:30

200 08:00

100 09:00

130 09:00

100 09:30

200 08:00

200 07:15

23 Jun Bethersden, nr Ashford, Kent Fairies Easy Peasy 50 Sun BP 200m £5.00 F,G,L,P,R,T 15-30kph San Fairy Ann CC bobwatts999@gmail.com Bob Watts, 13 The Grove Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4JB 23 Jun Bristol, BS1 The Randonnée, Bristol Sun BP 109km 1300m £7.50 g p r 150 20/5 12-30kph Audax Club Bristol Isabel Rennie, 8 Cambridge Street, Redfield, Bristol Somerset BS5 9QH 23 Jun Chelmer CC Club hut, Meteor Way,Chelmsford Windmill Ride (200) Sun BRM 201km 1600m £9.00 F G L P R T 15-30kph Essex CTC s.eichenseher@googlemail.com Stefan Eichenseher, 42a Whitegate Road, Southend-on-sea, Essex SS1 2LQ 23 Jun Chelmer CC Club hut, Meteor Way, Chelmsford Windmill Ride (110) Sun BP 800m £9.00 F G L P R T 12-25kph Essex CTC s.eichenseher@googlemail.com Stefan Eichenseher, 42a Whitegate Road, Southend-on-sea, Essex SS1 2LQ 23 Jun Honeybourne, E of Evesham Neville Chanin Memorial – Over The Severn Sun BR 219km 2850m AAA2.75 [2750m] £7.50 F P R T 15-30kph Evesham & Dist Whs neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7 Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham Worcestershire WR11 4PD 23 Jun Honeybourne, E of Evesham The Rollright Rumble Sun BP 1150m £4.50 F P R T 12-30kph Evesham & Dist Whs neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7 Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham Worcestershire WR11 4PD 26 Jun Hampton Hill, W London London Midweek Sightseer Wed BP 105km 400m £6.00 L P T 10-20kph Hounslow & Dist. Whs 020 82873244 billcarnaby@outlook.com Bill Carnaby, 225 High Street, Hampton Hill, Middlesex TW12 1NP 29 Jun Aldbrough St John, Nr Richmond Hartside 200 Sat BR 203km 2752m AAA3 [3000m] £6.50 F L P R T 14.430kph VC 167 David.atkinson577@talktalk.net David Atkinson, 4 Borrowby Avenue, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 1AL 29 Jun Aldbrough St John, Nr Richmond Northern Dales Summer Outing Sat BP 1550m AAA1.5 £5.50 F L P R T 10-27kph VC 167 David.atkinson577@talktalk.net David Atkinson, 4 Borrowby Avenue, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 1AL 29 Jun Cleve RFC The Hayfields,Mangotsfield, Bristol The Avon Cycleway 130 Sat BP 1300m [1100m] £7.50 T R P F 12.5-25kph Audax Club Bristol rob@audaxclubbristol.co.uk (paypal entry only please) 29 Jun Cromford Wharf, Derbyshire Lead Miners Trail Sat BP 101km 2200m AAA2.25 £6.00 G P R T 12.5-25kph Alfreton CTC davidcatlow1947@gmail.com David Catlow, 31 Cavendish Way, Mickleover, Derby DE3 9BL 29 Jun Nantwich, CW5 6PQ Ruthin 200 Sat BR 2000m AAA2 £7.50 G L P R T (50),(23/6) 15-30kph Crewe Clarion Brandon Edgeley, Mile House Barn, Main Road, Worleston, Cheshire CW5 6DH 29 Jun St Ninians Church Hall, Gourock Argyll Alps 200km Sat BR 3165m AAA3.25 £15.00 F G L P R T 15-30kph Inverclyde Velo robert.mccready11@gmail.com Robert Mccready, 4 Mccallum Crescent, Gourock, Scotland PA19 1PY

67

30 Jun Carharrack, Cornwall Mines and Mineral Railways (ON-road) 10:00 Sun BP [1100m] £5.00 C L P R T 8-28kph Audax Kernow brindisijones@tiscali.co.uk Simon Jones, The Cottage, Pulla Cross, Truro, Cornwall TR4 8SA 66 30 Jun Carharrack, Cornwall Mines and Mineral Railways (OFF-road) 10:00 Sun BP 1100m AAA1 £5.00 C L P R T 8-28kph Audax Kernow brindisijones@tiscali.co.uk Simon Jones, The Cottage, Pulla Cross, Truro, Cornwall TR4 8SA 100 30 Jun Maidenhead, Riverside Gardens Boulters Bash 09:30 Sun BP 950m £5.00 P R T 14.3-30kph Willesden CC ianaudax@gmail.com Ian Oliver, 68 St Dunstans Avenue, London W3 6QJ 50 30 Jun Maidenhead, Riverside Gardens Locked and Boulted 10:00 Sun BP 350m £5.00 P R T 12.5-25kph Updated Willesden CC ianaudax@gmail.com Ian Oliver, 68 St Dunstans Avenue, London W3 6QJ 100 30 Jun Tockwith, York Tockwith Audax 10:00 Sun BP 550m £5.50 L P R T 12-25kph CTC North Yorks 01423358264 Nick Folkard, 208 Prince Rupert Drive, York, North Yorkshire YO26 7PU 60 30 Jun Tockwith, York Tockwith Audax 10:30 Sun BP 300m £5.50 L P R T 10-30kph CTC North Yorks Nick Folkard, 208 Prince Rupert Drive, York North, Yorkshire YO26 7PU 200 30 Jun Tockwith Sports Hall, Tockwith Tocky 200km 08:30 Sun BR 950m £7.50 LPRT 15-30kph CTC North Yorks Nick Folkard, 208 Prince Rupert Drive, York North, Yorkshire YO26 7PU 200 30 Jun Wimbledon Common The London Ditchling Devil 08:00 Sun BR 205km 2400m [2700m] £17.50 F P R T 15-30kph Audax Club DuBois paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens, Chiswick, London W4 3TN 300 05 Jul Churchend,Dunmow, Essex Hereward the Wake 21:00 Fri BRM 301km 1107m £10.00 X M G R T P L C 15-30kph Audax Club Mid-Essex tom.deakins@btinternet.com Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 2AA 1200 05 Jul Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Inverness 1200 08:00 Fri BRM 1206km 10000m [12000m] £57.30 BD C F L R S T Z 100 13.3-30kph Burnley CC burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive, Ightenhill, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 8AT 1000 05 Jul Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire Fort William 1000 08:00 Fri BRM 1002km 8000m [10000m] £57.30 BD C F L R S T Z 100 13.3-30kph Burnley CC burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive, Ightenhill, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 8AT 200 06 Jul Balsall Common, West Midlands BRUM 200, a loop around Birmingham 07:30 Sat BR 211km 2000m £10.00 F G P T (80) 14.5-30kph Paolo Coppo pcoppo@gmail.com Paolo Coppo, For postal entries contact me via e-mail 200 06 Jul Bolsover Rutland and Back 08:00 Sat BR 212km 1532m £6.00 G L P R T (75) (28/06) 15-30kph Audax Club Bolsover 07936099268 audaxbolsover@castlecycles.co.uk Malcolm Smith, 14 Highfield Road, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S44 6TY

www.audax.uk

59

AUK CALENDAR 300

06 Jul Bushley Benjamin Allen PBP warmer 06:00 Sat BR 304km 2150m £9.50 X Cx2 F G NM P 100 (22/6) 15-25kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 100 06 Jul Bushley, Nr.Tewkesbury Teddy Bears’ Picnic 09:00 Sat BP 101km 1300m £6.00 C,G,T,NM,P,100 10-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 06 Jul Bushley, Nr Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick Takes Flight 08:00 Sat BR 208km 1800m [2700m] £7.00 c f p r nm t 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 06 Jul Coryton, N Cardiff Down the British 07:00 Sat BR 201km 3800m [4000m] £8.00 YH G P R T 14.3-25kph CTC Cardiff 07973965930 Hugh.Mackay@open.ac.uk Hugh Mackay, 131 Stanwell Road, Penarth CF64 3LL 300 06 Jul Rowlands Castle, nr Portsmouth Wonderfully Wessex 05:30 Sat BRM 3200m £9.00 f l p t (1/7)(60) 15-30kph Hampshire RC mrpaulwhitehead@yahoo.co.uk Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road, Emsworth, Hampshire PO10 7XR 200 07 Jul Denshaw, Saddleworth Bowland 08:00 Sun BR 3850m AAA3.75 £8.00 P R T G 15-30kph Saddleworth Clarion nephialty@gmail.com Nephi Alty, Heath House View, Ridings Lane, Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD7 4PZ 100 07 Jul Denshaw, Saddleworth Widdop 09:00 Sun BP 2100m AAA2 £8.00 P R T G 10-25kph Saddleworth Clarion nephialty@gmail.com Nephi Alty, Heath House View, Ridings Lane, Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD7 4PZ 200 07 Jul Ponteland The Four Tops 07:30 Sun BR 208km 2790m AAA2.75 [2780m] £8.50 G P R T (100) 15-30kph Updated Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 110 07 Jul Ponteland The Three Valleys 09:00 Sun BP 118km 1363m [1500m] £8.50 G P R T 13.5-25kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 300 13 Jul Alford Crossways The London Orbital Audax 06:00 Sat BR 313km 2600m £23.50 NM YH X Z 15-30kph Updated Audax Club DuBois 07974 670931 paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens, Chiswick, London W4 3TN 200 13 Jul Alford Crossways The SeaShore 200km 08:00 Sat BR 208km 1873m [2600m] £9.00 NM YH X Z 15-30kph Audax Club DuBois 07974 670931 paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens, Chiswick, London W4 3TN 110 13 Jul Alfreton In Memory of Tommy 09:00 Sat BP 116km £5.00 F,T,P R 12.5-30kph Alfreton CTC 01773 833 593 tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk ROA 10000 Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7FP 150 13 Jul Bovey Tracey, Devon Dartmoor Ghost 22:30 Sat BP 154km 2550m AAA2.5 £13.50 FGLRT 12.5-25kph CTC Devon 01626 833 749 ROA 5000 Kevin Presland, Hind Street House, Hind Street, Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ13 9HT

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13 Jul Corwen Barmouth Boulevard 08:00 Sat BR 204km 3400m AAA3.5 £6.00 P R T 50 15-30kph Chester & North Wales CT vickypayne8@hotmail.com Vicky Payne, Bryn Celyn, Penyffordd, Holywell, Flintshire CH8 9HH 100 13 Jul Corwen The Brenig Bach 08:30 Sat BP 107km 1900m AAA2 £6.00 P R T 12.5-25kph Chester & North Wales CT vickypayne8@hotmail.com Vicky Payne, Bryn Celyn, Penyffordd, Holywell, Flintshire CH8 9HH 60 13 Jul Corwen The Bala Parade 09:00 Sat BP 750m £6.00 P R T 12.5-25kph Chester & North Wales CT vickypayne8@hotmail.com Vicky Payne, Bryn Celyn, Penyffordd, Holywell, Flintshire CH8 9HH 300 13 Jul Easton, Bristol Summit ’bout Titterstone Clee 06:00 Sat BR 308km 3550m £12.00 YH G L R T (10/7) 15-30kph Audax Club Bristol will@audaxclubbristol.co.uk Will Pomeroy, 19 Berwick Road, Bristol BS5 6NG 400 13 Jul Ponteland Annan Other Borders Circuit 08:00 Sat BR 407km 3147m [3090m] £16.00 FGPRTZ 15-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 100 13 Jul Usk, Monmouthshire Ridges of Monmouthshire 09:00 Sat BP 103km 1393m £6.00 G NM P R T (06/07) 12.5-25kph Monmouthshire Wheelers bob@littlebrookcottage.co.uk Bob Millar, Little Brook Cottage, Earlswood, Chepstow NP16 6RH 200 14 Jul Kendal, Cumbria Tour du Lakes 08:00 Sun BR 206km 3300m AAA3.25 £6.00 C G P R T S 15-30kph Kent Valley RC 07825 179675 watercrook6@btinternet.com Paul Latham, 6 Watercrook Farm, Natland Cumbria LA9 7QB 100 14 Jul Oddown Sports hall, Bath BA2 2PR Mendip Transmitter 08:30 Sun BP 1650m AAA1.75 £7.00 .P.R.T.X.F 15-30kph Bath CC robertmcmillan@sky.com Robert Mcmillan, 228 Bloomfield Road, Bath BA2 2AX 200 14 Jul The Steyning Centre, Steyning, W Sussex The Devils Punchbowl 200 08:00 Sun BR 206km 2248m £8.00 F P T R (80) 15-30kph Updated ABAudax abaudax@btconnect.com Anton Brown, 19 Northlands Avenue, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3RT 110 14 Jul The Steyning Centre, Steyning, W Sussex The Devils Punchbowl 100 09:00 Sun BP 1200m £8.00 F G P T R (80) 15-30kph Updated ABAudax abaudax@btconnect.com Anton Brown, 19 Northlands Avenue, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3RT 100 17 Jul St Johns Chapel North Pennines Wednesday 3 09:30 Wed BP 102km 1690m AAA1.75 £3.50 GPRT 14.3-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 170 20 Jul Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire The Swanage Swan 08:00 Sat BP 175km 1700m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph Winchester CTC alanandemma@talktalk.net Alan Davies, 7 Queens Close, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 5EG 170 20 Jul Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hindon Hip Hip 08:00 Sat BP 1800m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph Winchester CTC alanandemma@talktalk.net Alan Davies, 7 Queens Close, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 5EG 140 20 Jul Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hungerford Hooray 08:00 Sat BP 1300m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph Winchester CTC alanandemma@talktalk.net Alan Davies, 7 Queens Close, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 5EG

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20 Jul Bath Raglan castle 08:00 Sat BR 203km 2550m £7.00 x p t 15-30kph Bath CC robertmcmillan@sky.com Robert Mcmillan, 228 Bloomfield Road, Bath BA2 2AX 200 20 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire The Kidderminster Killer 08:00 Sat BR 214km 3700m AAA3.75 £9.00 F L P R S T (90) (8/8) 14.6-30kph Beacon RCC 01562731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace, Drayton, Belbroughton, Stourbridge, Worcestershire DY9 0BW 120 20 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire From Clee to Heaven 09:00 Sat BP 125km 2050m AAA2 £9.00 F L P R S T (70) 13.5-25kph Beacon RCC 01562 731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace, Drayton, Belbroughton, Stourbridge DY9 0BW 160 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk 100 miles of Suffolk Lanes 08:45 Sat BP 168km 950m £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph CC Sudbury 01449 741048 pamandrobinw@gmail.com Robin Weaver, 14 Chapel Street, Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7EP 100 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk Bildeston Lanes 09:30 Sat BP 104km 700m £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph CC Sudbury 01449 741048 pamandrobinw@gmail.com Robin Weaver, 14 Chapel Street, Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7EP 200 20 Jul Bildeston, Suffolk Suffolk Lanes Extravaganza 08:30 Sat BR 209km 1200m £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph CC Sudbury 01449 741048 pamandrobinw@gmail.com Robin Weaver, 14 Chapel Street, Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7EP 400 20 Jul Churchend, Dunmow, Essex Kingdom of the East Saxons 11:00 Sat BRM £20.00 M Z F R P L C T 15-30kph Audax Club Mid-Essex tom.deakins@btinternet.com Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 2AA 400 20 Jul Heeley,Sheffield Banbury Cross 18:00 Sat BRM 420km £7.00 G L P R T (80) (15/07) 15-30kph Updated Sheffield District CTC bigT.ridinghigh@gmail.com Tony Gore, 8 Ladysmith Avenue, Nether Edge, Sheffield S7 1SF 600 20 Jul Kirkley Cafe, Ponteland The Border Raid 06:00 Sat BRM 5000m [5500m] £15.00 C G L P T Z(30) 15-30kph VC 167 Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close, Lanchester, Durham DH7 0PX 200 21 Jul Elstead, Surrey The Nearly Stonehenge 200 08:00 Sun BR 208km 2200m £6.00 F L P R T 15-30kph CTC West Surrey 01428 642013 nickandmarion.davison@hotmail.co.uk Nicholas Davison, The Bield Mill, Copse Road, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3D,N 150 21 Jul Elstead, Surrey The Danebury 150 08:30 Sun BP 156km 1550m £6.00 F L P R T 13-30kph CTC West Surrey 01428 642013 nickandmarion.davison@hotmail.co.uk Nicholas Davison, The Bield Mill, Copse Road, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3DN 110 21 Jul Elstead, Surrey The Overton 100 09:00 Sun BP 112km 1250m £6.00 F L P R T 12-25kph CTC West Surrey 01428 642013 nickandmarion.davison@hotmail.co.uk Nicholas Davison, The Bield Mill, Copse Road, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3DN 200 21 Jul Heeley, Sheffield Eager Belvoir 08:00 Sun BR 209km £5.00 G L P R T (80) (15/07) 14.5-30kph Updated Sheffield District CTC bigT.ridinghigh@gmail.com Tony Gore, 8 Ladysmith Avenue, Nether Edge, Sheffield S7 1SF

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21 Jul Heeley, Sheffield Mad, Bad, Great and Good 09:00 Sun BP 114km £5.00 G L P R T (80) (15/07) 13-25kph Updated Sheffield District CTC bigT.ridinghigh@gmail.com Tony Gore, 8 Ladysmith Avenue, Nether Edge, Sheffield S7 1SF 200 21 Jul Newton Abbot, Devon Shore to Moor 200 08:00 Sun BR 2950m AAA3 £8.50 F G L P R T 15-30kph Devon CTC brodie@bikerider.com ROA 5000 Graham Brodie, Homelands, 10 Courtenay Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1HP 100 21 Jul Newton Abbot, Devon Devon Delight 09:00 Sun BP 107km 1150m £9.00 F G L P R T 10-25kph Devon CTC brodie@bikerider.com ROA 5000 Graham Brodie, Homelands, 10 Courtenay Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1HP 200 27 Jul Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 7QX Chiltern Dash 200 08:00 Sat BR 210km 1750m £10.00 A G P X R T (100) 15-30kph Aylesbury CC htjoshua55@gmail.com Jocelyn Chappell, 112 Walton Way, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 7JR 100 27 Jul Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 7QX Chitlern Dash 100 08:30 Sat BP 105km 600m £10.00 A G P X R T (100) 15-30kph Aylesbury CC htjoshua55@gmail.com Jocelyn Chappell, 112 Walton Way, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 7JR 200 27 Jul Matlock Bath, Derbyshire Knockerdown 08:00 Sat BR 211km 4150m AAA4.25 £7.00 G T 14.3-25kph Four Corners Audax Please enter online 100 27 Jul Matlock Bath, Derbyshire Monsal and Manifold 09:00 Sat BP 104km 2160m AAA2.25 £6.50 F G T 12.5-25kph Four Corners Audax Please enter online 300 27 Jul Ponteland Longtown Way Round 07:00 Sat BR 315km 2900m £8.50 GPRT 15-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 100 27 Jul Pontelan Round the Reservoir 08:30 Sat BP 109km 1220m [1741m] £8.00 GPRT 13.5-25kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Please enter online 100 31 Jul Marple Dark Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 106km 2100m AAA2 £7.50 P R T 60 (25/7) 12.5-25kph Updated Peak Audax CTC James Rees, 5 Lyme Grove, Marple SK6 7NW 100 03 Aug Alfreton To the Races 09:00 Sat BP 108km £5.00 L P R T M 100 12-28kph Alfreton CTC Dave Smith, 12 Poplar Road South, Normanton, Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 2EQ 200 03 Aug Bolsover Clumber to Humber (John Kerr Memorial Ride) 08:00 Sat BR 214km 1450m £5.00 L P R T G (100) 15-30kph Bolsover & District CC 01246 825 351 matt.connley@talktalk.net ROA 5000 Matt Connley, 7 Eskdale Close, Bolsover, Chesterfield S44 6RL 200 03 Aug Cardiff Gate, Cardiff Dr. Foster’s Summer Saunter 07:00 Sat BR 201km 1900m £3.00 C P R T 50 15-25kph CTC Cymru oldfield.tout@btinternet.com Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage, Mynyddbach, Monmouthshire NP16 6RT

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03 Aug Marlwood School, Alveston The Rollin’ and Tumblin’ Randonnee 07:30 Sat BR 3100m £7.50 T, P, G 14.4-30kph Audax Club Bristol rob@audaxclubbristol.co.uk (paypal entry only please) 200 03 Aug Witham, Essex Essex R&R 08:00 Sat BR 213km 1400m £8.50 G L P R T X (200) 14.3-30kph Audax Club Mid-Essex grant@huggys.co.uk Grant Huggins, 76 Bryony Close, Witham, Essex CM8 2XF 100 03 Aug Witham, Essex A little Essex R&R 09:00 Sat BP 107km 750m £8.50 G L P R T X (125) 12-30kph Audax Club Mid-Essex grant@huggys.co.uk Grant Huggins, 76 Bryony Close, Witham, Essex CM8 2XF 100 04 Aug Honeyborne, nr Evesham Barnt Green Bash 08:45 Sun BP 103km 950m £5.00 F P R T 12-30kph Evesham & Dist Whs 07977 516574 neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7, Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4PD 200 04 Aug Honeybourne, nr Evesham Tramping The Two Loop 08:00 Sun BR 207km 2050m £8.00 F P R T 15-30kph Evesham & Dist Whs neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7, Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4PD 100 04 Aug Honeybourne, nr Evesham Ride A Bike To Banbury Cross 09:15 Sun BP 1100m [1m] £5.00 F P R T 12-30kph Evesham & Dist Whs neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7, Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4PD 55 04 Aug Honeybourne, E of Evesham The Honeybourne 50 09:30 Sun BP 300m £3.00 F P R T 10-25kph Evesham & Dist Whs neilrob3@gmail.com Neil Robinson, Flat 7, Swans Reach, 45 Swan Lane, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4PD 100 07 Aug Marple, Memorial Park, SK6 Mid Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 109km 2300m AAA2.25 £7.50 L P R T 40 (31/7) 12.5-25kph Peak Audax CTC chris.keelingroberts@ntlworld.com Chris Keeling-Roberts, 17 Lower Strines Road, Marple Cheshire SK6 7DL 400 10 Aug Bushley Rachel Wardle’s PBP warmer 06:00 Sat BR 402km £10.00 X C F G NM P 100 (3/8) 15-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 100 10 Aug Bushley, nr Tewkesbury A Weaver’s Wander 09:00 Sat BP 101km 950m £6.00 c p r t nm 100 12-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 200 11 Aug Padiham, Lancashire Tan Hill 200 08:30 Sun BRM 201km 4000m AAA4 £7.50 L P R T X 15-30kph Burnley CC burnleysportiv@yahoo.com Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive, Ightenhill, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 8AT 100 14 Aug Marple Memorial Park White Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 103km 2150m AAA2.25 £7.50 P R T 60 (8/8) 12.525kph Peak Audax CTC 01457 870421 PeakAudax@hotmail.co.uk ROA 10000 Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph OL3 5UX 200 18 Aug Lennoxtown Riding the Ghost 08:00 Sun BR 205km £10.00 F T P S R 15-30kph Audax Ecosse Steve Grant, 2 Baldoran Drive, Milton Of Campsie, Glasgow G66 8FZ

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18 Aug Shere Village Hall, Guildford Tour of the Hills 09:40 Sun BP 115km 2150m AAA2.25 £8.00 F L P R T 225 15-30kph CTC West Surrey markw48@gmail.com ROA 5000 Mark Waters, 4 Quarry Hil, Godalming GU7 2NW 200 18 Aug Sparsholt, Nr Wantage Old Roads and Drove Roads 07:30 Sun BR 1150m £5.00 P R T NM 15-30kph Change of Date Pat Hurt 07887 87 61 62 iddu.audax@gmail.com Pat Hurt, 10 Newbury Road, Lambourn RG17 7LL 110 21 Aug Maidenhead Riverside to Riverside 10:00 Wed BP 118km 900m £4.00 P R T 15-30kph Willesden CC anemograby@hotmail.com Anne Mograby, 5 Castle Farm, Leigh Square, Windsor, Berks SL4 4PT 100 21 Aug Marple West Peak Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 103km 2200m AAA2.25 £7.50 P R T 60 (16/8) 12.5-25kph Peak Audax CTC davidcatlow1947@gmail.com David Catlow, 31 Cavendish Way, Mickleover, Derby DE3 9BL 300 24 Aug Mildenhall Cycling Festival, West Row Festival Roving 300 05:00 Sat BR 303km 1600m £6.50 CPT (16/08) 15-30kph Suffolk CTC Andy Terry, 70 Queensway, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1EW 200 24 Aug Mildenhall Cycling Festival, West Row Festival Randonnee 200 08:00 Sat BR 203km 1050m £6.50 CPTS (16/8) 15-30kph Suffolk CTC Andy Terry, 70 Queensway, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1EW 160 24 Aug Mildenhall Cycling Festival, West Row Festival Century 160 08:30 Sat BP 163km 850m £6.50 CPTS (16/8) 12.5-25kph Suffolk CTC Andy Terry, 70 Queensway, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1EW 100 24 Aug Mildenhall Cycling Festival, West Row Festival Brevet 100 09:00 Sat BP 104km 750m £6.50 GLPT (25/8) 12.5-25kph Suffolk CTC Andy Terry, 70 Queensway, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1EW 52 24 Aug Mildenhall Cycling Festival, West Row Festival Brief Brevet 50 09:30 Sat BP 300m £3.50 GLPT (25/8) 10-25kph Suffolk CTC Andy Terry, 70 Queensway, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1EW 200 24 Aug Newtonmore Rothes Reccie 08:00 Sat BR 202km 1950m £2.00 C YH L P R T 15-30kph CTC Highland biker carroll@hotmail.com ROA 10000 Steve Carroll, Creag Charrach, Rockfield, Tain, Ross-shire IV20 1RF 100 24 Aug Newtonmore Grantown Gallop 10:00 Sat BP 104km 750m £1.00 XCLPRT 10-25kph CTC Highland biker carroll@hotmail.com ROA 10000 Steve Carroll, Creag Charrach, Rockfield, Tain, Ross-shire IV20 1RF 100 28 Aug Marple Library Car Park, SK6 6BA Staffs Peak Super-Grimpeur 10:00 Wed BP 108km 2650m AAA2.75 [2800m] £7.50 P R T 60 (8/8) 12.5-25kph Peak Audax CTC fireblade4rich@aol.com Richard Cowan, 20 Dairylands Road, Church Lawton, Stoke On Trent, Cheshire ST7 3EU 500 30 Aug Bristol The Giant’s Tooth 21:00 Fri BR 512km 8140m AAA8.25 £9.50 YH X G L (28/8) 14.3-25kph Change of Date Audax Club Bristol will@audaxclubbristol.co.uk Will Pomeroy, 19 Berwick Road, Bristol BS5 6NG 200 31 Aug Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Nearly Autumn (200) Randonee 08:00 Sat BR 213km 1700m £6.00 L P R S T 15-30kph Shaftesbury CC Tim Stout, 31 Eversleigh Gardens, Upminster, Essex RM14 1DP

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31 Aug Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Nearly Autumn (160) Randonee 09:00 Sat BP 161km 1400m £6.00 L P R S T 15-30kph Shaftesbury CC Tim Stout, 31 Eversleigh Gardens, Upminster, Essex RM14 1DP 110 31 Aug Henham, Saffron Walden Shaftesbury CC – Nearly Autumn (110) Randonee 10:00 Sat BP 850m £6.00 L P R S T 15-30kph Shaftesbury CC Tim Stout, 31 Eversleigh Gardens, Upminster, Essex RM14 1DP 100 01 Sep Hampton Hill, SW London London Sightseer 08:30 Sun BP 105km 450m £6.00 L P T NM 10-20kph Hounslow & Dist. Whs 020 8287 3244 billcarnaby@outlook.com Bill Carnaby, 225 High Street, Hampton Hill, Middlesex TW12 1NP 200 01 Sep Moira, W of Ashby-de-la-Zouch East Midlands Forests 200k 08:00 Sun BR 207km 1850m £6.50 C P T R YH G (40) (28/8) 15-30kph CTC East Midlands 01283 223 581 hilly@hillyswad.co.uk Ian Hill, 33 Wren Close, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 7QP 100 01 Sep Moira, W of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Bosworth Battlefield Sightseer 09:30 Sun BP 105km 690m £5.70 P R T C YH G (80) (28/08) 12-24kph CTC Derby & Burton 01283 223 581 hilly@hillyswad.co.uk Ian Hill, 33 Wren Close, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 7QP 200 07 Sep Herne Common, Kent Thanet Platinum 200 08:00 Sat BR 208km 2200m £10.50 C G L NM P R T 100 (2/9) 15-30kph Thanet RC dave@widdersbel.co.uk David Kenning, Little Orchard, Pean Hill, Whitstable CT5 3BQ 160 07 Sep Herne Common, Kent Thanet Platinum Century 08:30 Sat BP 166km 2000m [1747m] £10.50 C G L NM P R T 50 (2/9) 14-28kph Thanet RC dave@widdersbel.co.uk David Kenning, Little Orchard, Pean Hill, Whitstable CT5 3BQ 110 07 Sep Herne Common, Kent Thanet Platinum 110 09:30 Sat BP 111km 1200m [1066m] £10.50 C G L NM P R T 50 (2/9) 12-25kph Thanet RC dave@widdersbel.co.uk David Kenning, Little Orchard, Pean Hill, Whitstable CT5 3BQ 200 07 Sep Llanfallteg Velos’ Indian summer secret 06:00 Sat BR 3750m AAA3.75 £8.00 C F G NM P R T 15-30kph Pembrokeshire Velo Richard Coomer, Cotts Equine Hospital, Robeston, Wathen Narberth, Pembrokeshire SA67 8EY 110 07 Sep Llanfallteg Velos Indian Summer light 07:00 Sat BP 114km 2050m AAA2 £4.00 C F G NM P R T 15-30kph Pembrokeshire Velo Richard Coomer, Cotts Equine Hospital, Robeston, Wathen Narberth, Pembrokeshire SA67 8EY 200 07 Sep Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick goes to Hay in a day 08:00 Sat BR 209km 2000m £7.00 c f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 150 07 Sep Tewkesbury Ed Blackthorn’s Son 08:30 Sat BP 151km 1650m £6.00 C G P T NM 100 12-30kph BlackSheep CC blacksheepaudax@gmail.com ROA 25000 Mark Rigby, The Dwellings, Woodhall Farm Barns, Wichenford, Worcestershire WR6 6YE 100 08 Sep Budleigh Salterton, Devon Utterly Butterleigh 09:00 Sun BP 104km 1500m AAA1.5 £6.00 A C G L NM R T (75) 15-30kph CS Dynamo Steven Medlock, 11 Marpool Hill, Exmouth, Devon EX8 2LJ

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08 Sep Budleigh Salterton, Devon East Devon Escape 10:00 Sun BP 550m £6.00 C G L NM P R T 12.5-30kph CS Dynamo Steven Medlock, 11 Marpool Hill, Exmouth, Devon EX8 2LJ 100 08 Sep Cleve RFC,The Hayfields, Bristol Chalfield Challenge 09:00 Sun BP 1200m £5.50 G NM P R 12.5-25kph Audax Club Bristol Jon.Banks62@gmail.com Jon Banks, 4 Balaclava Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3LJ 200 08 Sep Heeley, Sheffield The Amber Weaver 08:00 Sun BR 206km 3100m AAA3 [3850m] £6.00 L P R T G 14.3-30kph Updated Sheffield District CTC Andy Smith, 1 Durvale Court, Dore, Sheffield S17 3PT 100 08 Sep Heeley, Sheffield An Amber Gambol 09:00 Sun BP 105km 1420m AAA1.5 [1750m] £6.00 L P R T G 12-25kph Updated Sheffield District CTC Andy Smith, 1 Durvale Court, Dore, Sheffield S17 3PT 200 08 Sep Ponteland The Middle Marches 08:00 Sun BR 205km 2132m £12.00 FGPRT 14.3-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Andy Berne, 5 Oakham Avenue, Whickham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear NE16 5YU 140 08 Sep Ponteland Coquetdale Circuit 09:00 Sun BP 1520m [1278m] £10.00 FGPRT 13.5-30kph Tyneside Vagabonds 07875224229 andy@dixonberne.plus.com Andy Berne, 5 Oakham Avenue, Whickham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear NE16 5YU 100 14 Sep Aztec West Bristol Skirting the Cotswolds 09:00 Sat BP 940m [930m] £6.50 P R T 12.5-25kph Audax Club Bristol peter@audaxclubbristol.co.uk Entry on line only 600 14 Sep Chalfont St Peter BBC London 06:00 Sat BR 616km 5350m AAA3 [3000m] £12.00 GPRTX 15-30kph

Audax Club DuBois paudax@gmail.com Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens, Chiswick, London W4 3TN 300 14 Sep Galashiels Alston and Back Take 2-The Twilight Zone 06:00 Sat BR 305km 2700m £5.00 P R T X 15-30kph Scottish Borders Randonneur 01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com ROA 25000 Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St., Galashiels, Scottish Borders TD1 1HL

Rowlands Ramble Sunday 29th September 213km cycling event starting from Surbiton, Greater London. Controls at Hindhead, Rowlands Castle and Wisborough Green, plus two information controls.

A scenic ride out of the smoke and over the hills down to Rowlands Castle (near Portsmouth) and back. Save some energy for a sting in the tail on the way home!

A repeat of KWAC’s original ride. The Kingston Wheelers Audax Chapter invites you to enjoy some final carbo-loading at the start before setting off on a scenic route with climbs such as the Devil’s Punchbowl and Leith Hill and a double crossing of the South Downs. New fully staffed venue for the control at Rowlands Castle. Dinner will be served at the finish with optional malt and hops-based recovery drinks for the needy. kingstonwheelers.co.uk/ride/audax audax@kingstonwheelers.co.uk

National Cycle Museum There is now a display of Audax trophies within the Museum and they wished us to know as an organisation.

They are actively looking for Audax members to support the charity www.cyclemuseum.org.uk/ Support-Us.aspx where you can donate directly and are also looking for riders to nominate them as a charity if they are riding an organised ride.

Anyone who can help please email Freda – curator@cyclemuseum.org.uk

CONTACTS

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 person, regardless of club or other affiliation, who is imbued with the spirit of longdistance cycling. Details in the Handbook.

MEMBERSHIP Enquiries: Caroline Fenton (AUK Membership Secretary), 56 Lockesfield Place, London E14 3AJ membership@audax.uk One and five year membership available – for full details and fees see http://www.aukweb.net/ enroll/

ARRIVÉE Extra Arrivée copies, if available, £3(UK), £4(EEC), £5(non-EEC) from Caroline Fenton (address above) TO ADVERTISE Rates per issue: ¼ page £75, pro rata to £300 per page. Payment in advance. 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, Event Adverts: free.

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

Designed and produced for AUK by: gedesign, Bagpath, Gloucestershire.

Printed by: Gemini, Bristol Distribution data from: Caroline Fenton and the AUK Membership Team.

ISSUE 146 AUTUMN/WINTER EDITION CONTRIBUTIONS

Please send directly to the managing editor by 25 October 2019 gedlennox@me.com

NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS ● Send your text in a word-processed format and your pictures as separate files (i.e. not embedded in the word document). ● Pictures must be as big as possible, anything below 1Mb jpeg is not useable ● It is essential that your photographs are captioned, preferably in a separate document, cross referenced to your images. ● INCLUDE YOUR FULL CONTACT DETAILS – including your AUK number – we cannot publish your story otherwise ● Package your entire content into a single compressed .zip file. ● If it is too large (i.e. more than 10Mb) please use WeTransfer or MailBigFile.

Our web site: www.audax.uk AUDAX UK LONG-DISTANCE CYCLISTS’ ASSOCIATION Company No. 05920055 (England & Wales) Reg Office: Whitelands, Terling Road, Hatfield Peverel, Essex CM3 2AG © Arrivée 2018

Board and delegates Although individual links are included below, experience has shown that direct emails frequently get trapped in spam filters.

Please therefore use the contact us form wherever possible to send questions and comments directly to Audax UK Board members.

CHAIR AND LRM/ACP REPRESENTATIVE Chris Crossland 14 Stanley Street West, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 1EF 01422 832 853 SYSTEMS MANAGERS (www.aukweb.net): Website Delegate: Francis Cooke Systems administrator: Terry Kay IT Refresh Manager: (website development) Richard Jennings IT Refresh Project Board co-opted members: Otto Reinders Dan Smith Web Content Manager: Miranda Smith Web Content Editor Vacancy – see AUKWEB vacancies MILEATER SECRETARY Paul Worthington, 213 Greenhill Road, Liverpool L18 9ST FWC (FIXED WHEEL CHALLENGE) AND SUPER FIXED WHEEL Richard Phipps, 77 West Farm Avenue, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2JZ.

GENERAL SECRETARY Graeme Provan Whitelands, Terling Road, Hatfield Peverel, Essex CM3 2AG Graeme has the following assistants: Registrar: Les Hereward, 20 Webster Close, Oxshott, Surrey, KT22 0SF Annual Reunion Organiser Paul Rainbow, 49 Quarrington Road, Horfield, Bristol, Avon BS7 9PJ ANNUAL AWARDS SECRETARY Situation Vacant – Please contact Graeme Provan for information FINANCE DIRECTOR Nigel Armstrong Falling Leaves, 13 Upper Bank End Road, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 1ES DIRECTOR AND MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Caroline Fenton 56 Lockesfield Place, London, E14 3AJ Caroline has the following Assistants: Mike Wigley (Admin) Peter Davis (Enrolments) Peter Gawthorne (Renewals) Howard Knight (Enrolments) Allan Taylor (Renewals) Findlay Watt (Renewals)

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Rob McIvor 64 Belmont Road, London SE13 5BN Arrivée Managing Editor: Ged Lennox Badge and Medal Shop Secretary: Allan Taylor DIRECTOR AND CALENDAR EVENTS SECRETARY Martin Foley 78 Denholm Road, Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU Regional Events Delegates: Andy Uttley (Scotland & Northern England) Lucy McTaggart (Midlands & Eastern England) Pat Hurt (South East England) Ian Hennessey (South West England & Wales) UAF DELEGATE Dave Minter DIRECTOR AND PERMANENTS SECRETARY John Ward 34 Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9GJ 01590 671205 DIY REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Joe Applegarth (North-East) Andy Clarkson (Yorkshire & East) Julian Dyson (North-West) Martin Foley (Scotland) Tony Hull (South-West England and South Wales) Chris Smith (Midlands, North and Mid-Wales) Paul Stewart (South-East)

OCD DELEGATE Rod Dalitz 136 Muir Wood Road, Edinburgh EH14 5HF EVENT SERVICES DIRECTOR & RECORDER Peter Lewis 82 Pine Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 1JT 07592 018947 BREVET CARD PRODUCTION SECRETARY Oliver Iles 49 Upper Belmont Rd, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 9DG Production of Permanent cards is handled by: John Ward 34 Avenue Road, Lymington, SO41 9GJ VALIDATION SECRETARY Cathy Brown 76 Victoria St, Kirkwall KW15 1DQ RRTY AWARD SECRETARY Grant Huggins 76 Bryony Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 2XF AAA SECRETARY Ivan Cornell aaa@audax.uk AUK FORUM ADMINISTRATOR Martin Foley Assistants: Peter Lewis, Les Hereward (Moderators) DIRECTORS WITHOUT PORTFOLIO John Sabine 107 Victoria Way, London SE7 7NU

www.audax.uk

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‘VAARU has succeeded in creating a bike that’s almost flawless.’

‘The attention to detail and the thought that’s gone into the bike is fantastic and perfect for the type of riders it’s targeted at. Supremely comfortable and incredibly confident descending ability make it a buzz to ride.’

BikesEtc Magazine

AUDAX | SPORTIVE | ULTRA-DISTANCE | COMMUTE | TOURING | BIKEPACKING MPA (miles per annum) endurance road bike and GTA (gravel, terrain adventure) gravel bike are engineered from double-butted 3AL2.5V titanium tubing and feature a tapered head tube and fully-formed stays for maximum comfort. They are fully compatible with both internal Di2 or mechanical cable options and utilise the latest thruaxle and Flat Mount braking system. Tyre clearance is up to 32c on the MPA or 40c on the GTA with an option to use 650 x 47c wheels and tyres. Rear pannier rack mounting points come as standard. All Vaaru frames are hand-finished to your specification in West Sussex and are available as frame only, frameset or custom built with your choice of components. Frame from £1899.

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Arrivéespring/summer2019

e: james@vaarucycles.com | m: 07789 931 124 www.vaarucycles.com/adventure | #vaarucycles