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
Paris ride in tribute to a biking buddy When Rob Maslen’s friend Alan Roblou was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Rob agreed, with some reluctance, to undertake a last, long ride with him. Sadly Alan died before their planned Paris-Brest-Paris assault – so Rob rode solo, in memory of his pal. It was in 2016 that my close friend Alan Roblou, a long time Audaxer, was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer. With the clock ticking in front of him, he twisted my arm into undertaking to ride, either the Camino de Santiago or Paris-Brest-Paris in 2019. I’d never been an Audax rider, having moved from marathon running to triathlons and then cyclo-sportives since I retired. Neither am I a mountain bike rider so I opted for the PBP rather than the Camino de Santiago, knowing it was three years away, and thinking everyone would have forgotten about it by then. Alan passed away a year or so later but my commitment hung heavily on me. I rode a 200/300/400km in pre-qualifying in 2018 but found the last one, a ride through the moonless night, very hard. I duly pre-registered for the PBP, far from sure that I’d be capable of completing it. So I rode the qualifying distances in the south of France, where I have a summer place, with a group of cyclists from
Montpellier. It wasn’t until we rode the Aix-en-Provence 600km, which was split into two loops with an overnight stop if desired, that I realised I’d be able to do it. I’m no fan of night riding, so I entered the 84 hour group with a 5am start, planning on riding mainly in daylight. I’d asked Alan’s widow Sue and my wife to provide moral support, so I booked Airbnbs along the route for us to stay. Day one went well and I found myself riding in a big group of French, German and Austrian cyclists averaging an easy 25kph. I’d booked lodgings at Tintiniac so called a halt at 8pm, still feeling strong. I left my group to carry on to Loudeac, a more logical overnight stop. On the following day I rode with a big group of Americans to Brest and back. There were 75 cyclists from a San Francisco club in the event. We chatted a lot and divided along Democratic and Republican lines. On day three I cycled with a group of Bulgarians, Serbs and other East Europeans. They were very friendly and kept extolling the state of the roads in their countries – unlike the pitiful state of ours, I thought. I was slowing up a bit and arrived at the control point of Villaines-La-Juhel at 11pm,
Truly epic Welsh ride Pauline Porter recalls the creation of a ride which stretches the length of Wales, from Chepstow to Anglesey. It was thrilling to discover recently that the Lonely Planet’s “Epic Bike Rides of the World” had devoted four pages to the Bryan Chapman Memorial ride. I got hooked on Audax rides in the early 1980s, and set about promoting the full series on behalf of the CTC Bristol. It wasn’t long before more members became interested in Audax rides. After a holiday visit to Tony Oliver and his family, who were living on the Isle of Anglesey at the time, I had the idea of a 600km event from Chepstow to the Menai Bridge using the Oliver’s abode as the outward control.
I talked to Bryan Chapman about the idea, and he was most enthusiastic, so we drove the provisional route we’d mapped out. It soon became obvious that the route went well over 600km as Tony lived at the north end of the island, so l began searching for a convenient control point nearer the Menai Bridge and eventually we secured St Mary’s church hall. Dolgellau Youth Hostel would serve as a dual control and enable riders to sleep and be fed. Helpers at this control were always stretched to the limits, being on call for 30 hours or more. It was easier to ride the event than help out. Elizabeth Chapman drove up to the very exposed Felindre to set up a control for the riders providing a
cooked breakfast and also a temporary toilet. Another convenient control in the early days was the home of Ted King’s daughter at Dilwyn in Herefordshire. The finish was held at the home of the late Nik Peregrine in Chepstow. As the event became more popular these controls became less practical and other establishments were used. I am so pleased the event is still a firm annual fixture in the Audax calendar with other organisers taking on the hosting. The route has varied over the years but still traverses the length of Wales from Chepstow through to the Menai Bridge, passing through some superb scenery.
Pauline Porter CS
Arrivée152Summer2021
Left to Right Bryan Chapman, Sheila King, Pauline’s son David, Ted King, Pauline Porter, Ray Haswell, Bridget Boon, Heather King, Ian Boon – taken at Dilwyn, Herefordshire, in 1984
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