WORDS AND PICTURES TIM HARRISON
Arrivéewinter/spring2020
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When the going gets tough, Tim Harrison gets going… usually home. This year, the self-confessed fatalist and “full value rider”, was determined to set his sights higher and shake off that bottler’s badge of shame, as he headed for the hilly Cotswolds in search of an Audax Altitude Award
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Badges of honour… Tim likes to collect them and wears them with pride – and why not?
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LET’S BE HONEST. I do not possess a In the following years I managed to grim determination. And when I read ride and complete a handful of AAA Arrivée magazine, I am frequently in awe events, including silver and gold of the resolve and fortitude displayed by Grimpeur rides. There were a few failures so many of my fellow riders. In terms of along the way. I was just too slow. Hills, I Audax exploits, I am very much at the discovered, are hard and painful. In many lower end. of these rides I would inevitably be But I love riding my bike. Being part of among the last to finish, and I can’t say the Audax world has inspired me to take any were particularly enjoyable, even in small steps towards realising some of the hindsight. The blurred memories were untapped potential that I must surely just as painful. possess. I also love collecting badges. But if I wanted the award, the only I’ve been on the trail of the Audax way was up, so this year I entered the Altitude Award since 2015. I started with Falling Leaves Audax for the sixth time to a local event, the Winchcombe Falling try to nudge my points tally to within Leaves, run by the Winchcombe Cycling striking distance of the ultimate – the Club. It was classed as a bronze medal Audax Altitude Award. Audax with 1.75 AAA points attributed to My training went a little awry as I’d it. I found it really tough but it started me booked a holiday that would see me on the path towards return to the UK a target of 20 AAA only the day before The Audax world has inspired me the ride. Plus, to points and a new badge for my to take small steps towards realising avoid spoiling my collection. holiday with any some of the untapped potential that I random injuries, I Thankfully there is no time limit on stopped riding a must surely possess. collecting the points. week before I went
In many of these rides I would ❝ inevitably be among the last to finish, and I can’t say any were particularly enjoyable, even in hindsight.
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The warm Scout building maintains expected standards for the Cotswolds
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