Cycling shorts

CYCLING SHORTS Cycling Shorts is your platform for news, call-outs, views and opinions on anything cycling-related. We’re keen to hear your biking tales, old or new. Drop us an email with the details. We’re looking for all types of short stories from Audax riders, with a picture of yourself too if possible. Send to: gedlennox@me.com

Here comes the future…

E-Brevet is a smartphone app that aims to replace a paper Brevet card, writes Dave Allison. It’s not a navigation tool, simply a recording one. It knows the location and distance of all the controls on a ride and uses the phone’s GPS service to check when you’ve arrived. It’s simple to use – you arrive at the control, click the control button, and your progress is logged. At the end of the ride, you upload the results to the web, and the organiser can check and validate the ride. It’s simpler for organisers to process than a GPS track, and, particularly with the current pandemic situation, avoiding the need to collect receipts is helpful on the ride. Once you’ve downloaded the Brevet details, you don’t need a phone or wi-fi signal to use the app, and battery usage is minimal, because it doesn’t track the whole ride. The app is free to use for AUK members. It’s only available for Android phones at the moment, but an iPhone version will be added later. It is permitted only for selected Permanent rides (where the organiser has agreed to its use). This list of approved rides is short at the moment, but will grow, and use may be extended to Calendar events in due course. For instructions on the app, and how to identify E-Brevet approved events, look on the Audax UK website at

https://audax.uk/news/e-brevet/

Thank you to the riders and organisers who have helped with testing, and for their comments and suggestions, many of which have been incorporated into the design. Dave Allison CS

Endless Perfect Circles: Lessons from the little-known world of ultradistance cycling by Ian Walker Wheels within wheels…

How did a middle-aged man who hated sport as a child, turn himself into an internationally-renowned ultradistance cyclist? We review a page-turner which astounds and inspires in equal measure. Endurance cycling is as much about the mind as the body. Dr Ian Walker, an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath, is an example to all those who fear that sporting achievement is beyond them. In Endless Perfect Circles, he vividly describes an astonishing personal journey from flabby forty-something couch potato to a champion sportsman… and his belief that this path to self-improvement is available to all. On one level the book is a lurid portrayal of the painful, gruelling, muddy struggles of a cyclist attempting to break a world record; cycling from the Arctic down to the far south of Spain – a distance of 6,367km, unsupported and in just 17 days. But it’s more than just a tale of sporting endeavour. His keen focus is on the mental battles we all face, regardless of the task. Ian Walker’s narrative is honest and conversational, and digs beneath the surface of the glamour of success. His is a different perspective – on why, and how, to achieve such feats. As he guides us through every puncture and wrong turn, Ian links his professional work as a psychologist into his way of tackling the monumental task ahead of him. He applies an almost meditative perspective to his riding, harnessing his emotion, delight, anger and fear, to drive him onwards, and take the reader with him.

His easy-flowing writing style, interspersed with travelogue notes on each place and problem encountered on the route, highlights the strategies for finishing a journey of this scale in one piece while still maintaining a poetic reverence for the heart of the sport, the stunning beauty of the scenery, and the exhilaration of movement.

Throughout the book, Ian repeats a doctrine of dedication, passion, and love for the journey as much as the finish line. His humorous take on recordthreatening problems encountered along the way makes it clear that with commitment, stubbornness and pragmatism, truly incredible achievements are possible. Endless Perfect Circles delivers valuable lessons which any cyclist would profit from reading. Ian’s assurance – that it is about how you think as much as what you do – is an oft-repeated mantra and one which will resonate with any aspiring sportsperson, amateur or professional. A highly recommended Christmas read. • Endless Perfect Circles: Lessons from the

little-known world of ultradistance cycling, is available from major bookshops in paperback at £9.16, or in Kindle edition at £4.29

Megan Pelta

My husband and I… the Bentons at 80

The first time I met Ann and Keith was outside to balance distance riding with family commitments Versailles Palace before PBP in 2003. I was fairly new and a career HMRC. He started Audax riding in the late to audax back then and had no idea I was mixing with 80s and has an AUK number below 100. He rode his audax royalty. Since then, Ann and Keith have become first PBP in 1987 at the age of 47 and since then has good friends and I’ve stayed at chez Benton before finished four more and was one of the select group of Keith’s Wiggy 300 event on several occasions and been riders for the first LEL in 1989. He’s ridden it three or treated to a wonderful pre-ride meal. four times since then and run a control with Ann in Several PBPs, LELs and Wiggy 300s later, Dave Hovingham in 2005. His advice for doing the ride… Atkinson and I met up with Ann and Keith outside Spa “Don’t leave it until you’re 47 to do your first PBP”. Gardens cafe in Ripon to mark their joint 80th AUK treasurer for many years in the 1990s, Keith went birthdays with a DIY 200 – with sadly restricted on to become chairman for several years after that, numbers, appropriate social distancing and staying then vice-chair of Les Randonneurs Mondiale in 2011 outside of course – but at least the rain held off until and then chairman in 2014. In parallel he was in the afternoon. chairman of VC167 for about 11 years. Keith, a lifelong cyclist, active member of York CTC and Keith is a stickler for following the rules and woe the North Yorkshire DA since the 1970s, has managed betide anyone who turned up for an event without the

HEADS-UP

AN APPEAL FROM DR. ALAINA BEACALL … I opened my eyes and looked, blurrily, down the hospital bed. I was still wearing my cycling shoes. Next to them lay a neck brace and the ruins of my helmet, which had a large crack running straight through it. More than two months later, my injured brain rules my daily life. My story, tragically, is not a rare occurrence. Here is where you can help: If you have suffered – a minor knock, whiplash, loss of consciousness or a brain bleed – please send me your story so we can inform and educate fellow cyclists about the serious and underappreciated nature of head injuries.

Contact me via the editor: gedlennox@me.com and look out for my full report in the next issue of Arrivée

– Spring 2021 (issue 151). Alaina Beacall CS

Life saver… Alaina’s shattered helmet

It’s a big thumbs up from team Thompson

I would like to record my gratitude to the team at the Tribute Audax for a wonderful introduction to audaxing. I only completed a Brevet Populaire with some friends but we were mightily impressed by the people we met, the route we took and the stunning scenery. Even though the tail end of a named storm caused some extra adventures – pedalling along a road with both feet submerged under water, dodging some falling branches and a 15 per cent hill with so much mud the wheels were just spinning – but the samosas at the end were great. I’ll be back next year and I may even try the series and a 100km Brevet but first I think I’ll order some waterproof socks.

Still smiling… Simon and team

Simon Thompson CS then requisite mudguards. He once disqualified Gordon Panicca from one of his events. With all this exposure it’s not surprising that Ann caught the audax bug and rode several long-distance events with Keith including at least four PBPs. Unfortunately, while tackling a torrent of water at Loudeac in 2007 she ended up in A&E with a broken arm. Keith was given an extra six hours but went on to finish the event and was still within the 90-hour cut off. Ann, who lectured in catering at the local college, is well-known for providing fabulous cakes at the end of events. In addition to audax rides, we’ve spent many happy holidays riding around sunny Mallorca and Semaine Federale in France – something we could only dream of this year – but there’s always next summer…

London Edinburgh London 2021 UPDATE

Regrettably, the organisation team have made membership continuously since 12 September the decision to postpone London Edinburgh 2018. However, you will now need to keep your London until 2022. Even with the development of membership running until 1 January 2022 to an effective vaccine, the team cannot confidntly keep your entitlement. predict that the pandemic will have abated sufficiently to allow us to run the event safely. LEL attracts riders from around the globe and as such it requires the pandemic to have declined We are sorry to bring such bad news, but we will update you later in the year once we are totally confident the new date can be confirmed. worldwide in order to operate securely. Most importantly, many volunteers have told us they would be unwilling to take part until they were confident about their protection.

The event will now start on 7 August 2022.

As an Audax UK member you will still be entitled

Danial Webb – organiser, London Edinburgh London

CS

to a guaranteed place if you have held your

Anne Young and Dave Atkinson CS

CYCLING SHORTS 2

There’s no place like home

How can you get your fix of adventure and travel when coronavirus has caused us to adjust or even ditch our plans? All my races were cancelled this year, including the Mallorca 312 sportive. I had time on my hands – and nothing much to do.

That’s when my old friend Mike Hickman agreed to join me on a hastily-planned biking adventure on home soil. Mike rides for Clapham Cycle Club, while my club is Beckenham Rugby Cyclists. We’re good friends who always end up doing silly adventures together. With the refund from flights and accommodation from the cancelled Majorca trip, we devised a multi-day cycle ride from my house in London – to Lands End. This would be the tenth anniversary of our John O’Groats to Lands End ride – and it would also mark my 49th birthday. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. The ride was broken in to five days – the first day was spent battling our way out of London and heading into the countryside. We then hugged the coast all the way to Lands End. We were blessed with sunshine for four of the days. Having had to self-isolate a number of times this year, the ride made me realise that an indoor turbo is no substitute for getting out on the road. It was surprising how many ferries we had to get, though we could have ridden around, adding many more miles to the route. I’d forgotten how beautiful the south coast of the UK was for riding – stunning views and climbs that were meaty enough to give you all the buzz needed for a good day in the saddle. Each night we bedded down in a budget hotel, washed and dried our kit and ate locally. You really don’t need a huge amount of kit to get around – I felt I’d overpacked! It rained heavily on day four. Wet throughout, we stopped to eat – and this was where I began to feel sick. I’d eaten something that didn’t agree with me and I was rather “unwell” all over my bike and clothing as we pushed to catch up on time. Sometimes you have to be sensible and admit defeat. We’d slowed considerably, I’d lost all energy and the rain was taking its toll on our riding. We cut our losses and jumped on the train to our final destination. After washing and warming up in the hotel I was feeling more human and felt confident I could finish the ride. The final day was filled with fabulous views and it was also my birthday – what was there not to like? Feeling re-energised we rode with purpose and admired the views along the way. Marazion Beach was my favourite – worth visiting if you can. It was here Mike had the bright idea of checking into the hotel and dumping our bags then riding on to Lands End to finish the ride without baggage. As we began the final few miles, memories of our ride ten years ago came flooding back. It was what got me into cycling. It was a pleasure to be back again, taking in the sights of Lands End, making me realise there are so many amazing rides in the UK if you just pack a bag and get out there. What I learned was the bike I used 10 years ago was just as good as any modern one. Pack minimal, factor in the bad days and accept they may happen. If you were like me and trying to figure out what to do with cancelled plans, don’t forget – adventure is on your doorstep here in the UK, and it will give you an amazing experience… and restore some normality in these insane times.

Tom Quirke

Phil Whitehurst

There’s life in our senior members

Membership secretary, Caroline Fenton shares some of the feedback from AUK’s life members:

At the end of last year I wrote to some of our life members to ask them to confirm whether they wanted to remain part of Audax UK, having been concerned that for a long time our communication with them had been very much one way and there was a strong chance we did not actually have correct addresses for them. Were we just posting their December Arrivée magazines into the ether? As well as brief confirmations I received many lovely letters and emails, generally expressing their appreciation of AUK and some great reminisces of their riding time. It also became obvious how many were still out on their bikes and having fun despite advancing years. Here are some excerpts… True, my Audax participation is very limited now but for 20 years Paris-Brest-Paris was the reason I rode a bike. However a series of health issues has sadly intervened. My wife is also a life member and we do still cycle but not the distances of previous years. She was once Helper of the Year too. We would both like to remain members and read the exploits of current members, Hi, I know that I no longer subscribe to or enter any Audax events but I do “promote” the idea of people both joining and entering Audax UK. At cafe stops etc, I’m often answering questions on Audax and telling of the great times I had, including riding/finishing PBP 1999. I stopped riding Audax a few years ago. One knee replaced, and other ailments. Once I stopped doing them doing after the op, it was difficult to motivate myself for more than a couple of hours. I still ride. I also stamp cards on some of the Peak Audax August series and intend to carry on. I always espouse Audax when I hear people talking about sportives, etc. They seem truly amazed, especially when I tell them how relatively inexpensive it is. Not sure about the selfsufficiency aspect though!

The latest Arrivée to reach me has Stephen Poulton on the front cover. Stephen caught me on a ridiculously wet early morning, the second day of a 600k qualifier ride for PBP in 1999. He was “caped up” in a see-through cape and I could clearly see his RAF jersey. I suggested he carry on but he said we should try to ride together – and we did, all day! especially on PBP years in Arrivée. I have enjoyed receiving Arrivée for the past few years, and would like it to continue. Although I am not riding these days, I still assist at our events, appreciating maintaining the contacts. Please continue my life I confirm that I still have an interest in AUK and would like to receive a December copy every year. I am 89 now so participation in active sport is just a memory, PBP included. Keep up the good work! In quite nice sunshine and with just 10 miles to go, I suggested that I treat him to a coffee and ice cream (at the top of a hill). A young rider joined our table but suddenly jumped up, saying: “Got to go or I’ll be passed by Jack Eason”. Happy memories but I’m still very active, riding with Frome CTC and Frome and District Wheelers. Two of us celebrated our 81st with an 81+ mile group ride. Membership. While 89, I am still riding regularly and competing in TTs. I haven’t ridden an Audax in years and certainly wouldn’t manage the mileage without an awful lot of training! Pleased to see the organisation is going from strength to strength and long may it do so. I have some great memories of rides, even the suffering, especially on my first Dorset Coast 200 into a howling westerly. I am still interested in Audax – have had a few health issues but now hope to resume riding events. As an 81 year old, the training has been harder this year with the bad weather. Thank goodness for turbo trainers. I am now 86 years old and still doing rides of 30-50 miles on my Cube Electric mountain bike.