CYCLINGSHORTS
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
Arrivée155Spring2022
New calendar event entry screens…
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We are planning to update the event entry screens on the website shortly, to a new design that is more in line with the rest of the website. It will be applicable for calendar events, perms and Extended Calendar Events (ECEs). There are a few things to be aware of: ● You will be able to add members of your household to an entry, which will avoid the need for each person to log in separately to enter, and you will be able to make just one payment to cover multiple riders from your household. ● Non-members will have to register with Audax UK before entering. They don’t have to pay to register (and won’t get any member benefits), but registering means that we are more likely to get the correct contact details as we can validate their email address, it’s simpler for subsequent entries, and it solves a problem where the completed rides database has a large number of records that have no membership number. If a nonmember subsequently joins AUK we have to reconcile them with their past rides, which is a fiddly process. ● If you have an under-18 in your household and you are their parent/ guardian, you can enter on their behalf, and no longer need to provide them with a signed paper form. ● We have changed the way you accept terms and conditions of entry – we are adding a section in the “membership details” page where you can review and accept the terms. When you enter a ride, the system will check that you have done this, and prevent you entering if you have not. We’ve done this for two reasons – if we change the terms it is more obvious, because you will have to re-confirm (on the existing system it’s not obvious that the terms might have changed since you last entered a ride, so they probably won’t
get reviewed each time) – and the change to allow entry of household members means that we need to know that all entered members have accepted the terms, not just the person making the entry. ● We are supporting two payment methods – Paypal and Debit/Credit card (via Stripe Payments). We’ve added the latter as it allows us to streamline processing of validation and non-member fees. The method used will depend on which organiser’s event you are entering – you will see one or the other, not a choice. ● The website will send you an e-mail confirming your entry (in addition to one from Paypal or Stripe)) ● The postal entry process won’t really change much – although if you log on you will be able to print one form and enter more than one person from your household on it. The standalone paper entry form will be updated to align with the new online forms. ● You will have to enter the calendar event before entering the associated ECE. To make entry as smooth as possible once we’ve swapped over, we’d recommend that you accept the terms and conditions in advance. You can do that now – log in, go to “My Account/ Membership Details”, scroll down to “Accept Audax UK Event Entry Terms” and click the button. You’ll only need to do that once, unless we update the terms, which should be pretty infrequent. The exact release date is subject to some further testing and refinement, we’ll add a news item on the website with more details closer to the date.
Kevin Lake CS
Mysterious meeting with a wheeled ‘wizard’ Patrick Douglas relates a strange encounter with a rider of remarkable memory on a lonely Lowland lane… On London-Edinburgh-London in 2017, riding south about an hour from Edinburgh, we were on some small roads with little motor traffic. After a short, steep climb we started catching a few riders. I rode alongside one rider, and after saying hello to him, he said: “I know you.” I took a good look at him and recognised him from the Three Coasts 600km just a couple of months before. “Oh yes, I recognise you from the Three Coasts,” I replied. “No, I KNOW you,” he insisted. I thought his emphasis on the word “know” was a bit unusual, and wondered what he’d say next. He looked at me with a strange expression for a long, thoughtful moment. “The 1983 National Coal Carrying Championships,” he said. “You came third.” I was dumbfounded. This was a race that I’d indeed ridden – my first ever placing. He thought for a moment, then added: “I can see you – you were wearing green, black and gold, Leeds St Christophers CC.” He’d recognised me from an obscure race some 34 years ago, and not only was he correct with my club at the time, but also with my result. I could hardly believe this guy. It was incredible. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Was he some kind of wizard? ●
Have you had any weird encounters on the road – mysterious or baffling, or just downright bizarre? Let us know. Send your strange tales to: gedlennox@me.com
