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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
Audax + sportives 2015
(298 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Dave Crampton has tweeted btw. I told him the forum was expecting a report but probably sound asleep now!
Not sure about Cyclops, and Dr Afternoon.
Posted 8 years ago # -
David Crampton @DaveCrampton 1h1 hour ago
@LaidBackBikes I'm well and in great spirits, but have very patchy internet so will post more when I get back.Posted 8 years ago # -
Hello!
On the hotel interweb now.
The start was good. No collywobbles and I felt excited at the start line.
Flew out of Paris on a wave of cyclists, with no wind and flat riding most of the way. Stopped for 5 mins before 1st Ctrl for drink and sandwich in a town end route. Most towns had at the very least ppl on the route sitting in deck chairs clapping as we passed. Lots had drink and food either for a small donation or for free. Great support from the locals.
Rode through the night and morning stopping briefly for a nap for an hour at one control but carried on through the heat until Carhaix. Bed at 1am & up at 4am. Over that 350m hill outside Brest as it grew light, then down into Brest passing the new bridge! Looks wonderful. Bounced Brest and fed at McD's. By this time (40 hours in) dry baguettes with cheap ham and emenental cheese was more than I could take!Out of Brest past Carhaix and more food for dinner at Loudeac before the last dash to Tinteniac and a rough night on the cafe floor. All beds taken. Then a big push yesterday (weds) through Rougeres and as far as Ctrl before Dreux. Here I booked a twin in Dreux Campanile and then rode to Dreux in 3 hours! In Dreux we had a lovely shower and 5 hour sleep before a nice 3 hour ride to the Velodrome in the increasing rain.
On the whole the support was great, food was pants! but as someone pointed out its intentionally bland to appeal to the masses, but we binned Ctrl food after Carhaix on the way out finding local stuff from Intermarche and local shops etc. I carried energy bars but only broke them out on my TT to Dreux as I'd skipped dinner at the Ctrl before when my riding partner had been told the hotel checking closed at 11pm and I had ~80km to go in less than 4 hours. Made it with an hour to spare.
Slept some today and caught up with sleep, hence posting here. Eurostar and Virgin East Coast home tomorrow.
Its brief and I'll filling names etc tomorrow.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Good stuff.
Re-posted on
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15326&replies=1#post-196468Bit late but thought we should have a thread for this event as it's only every four years and involves more than the average daily bike use...
Posted 8 years ago # -
cyclingmollie and I took advantage of the relatively clement end of August weather to sneak in a 200km DIY audax before the end of the audax year. This beaut of route was designed by cyclingmollie and has been named "Mersing About".
We started from Eskbank making for the infernal old coach road in the excellent company of earthowned, who accompanied us down to just beyond Clovenfords and then dashed back via Innerleithen.
We then took a fairly direct line to Denholm - that was a testing roller coaster of a section and we got poured on in the latter stages. Denholm is a lovely village with a great cafe overlooking the green. After stuffing ourselves there the rain stopped for good and we made our along quiet roads next to the River Teviot, passing the lovely villages of Nisbet and Roxburgh, the site of the old town of Roxburgh with its huge castle to the fine town of Kelso. From there we followed the Tweed, crossing it again at the castle dominated village of Norham to enter England and then on for more food - this time on the top deck of a double decker at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm. Over the bridge we made our way north into the Lammermuirs, passing the outskirts of the hilltop village of Chirnside. To make up the 200km, we passed through Garvald and onto East Linton. Then we took a direct route back with the westerly fortunately slacking as we made progress.
This route is very much recommended. If you want to avoid the hills and distance, then you could use the new railway to Tweedbank.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@amir and @cyclingmollie
That looks a great route - like the Merse and Moors but different. I do like the cafe in Denholm - perfect for second breakfast.
I was up in Newtonmore with Mrs Panyagua and some local friends of ours to do the Grantown Gallop. 2nd 100km for Mrs P and the first for our friends. Quite an easy route with very little climbing, so ideal for audax novices - the opposite to last year's Crystal Run!
Hoping to ride the DIY 400 I need for my SR this Friday - last chance after bad weather/illness have scuppered my previous attempts.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@panyagua good luck for Friday. What route do you have in mind?
Posted 8 years ago # -
One more local calendar event for this year - the Erit Lass.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@amir
It's basically the Kingdom Come perm but starting from Dalgety Bay and validating by GPS. Auchterarder, Stanley, Montrose, Stonehaven, Braemar, Perth, home.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I'll be on the Erit Lass in a few weeks. I have entered the 150 from Gala but family means I can't actually make that date anymore.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@panyagua sounds good. How will you cope with charging the GPS? Any sleep stops or straight through?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@DaveC - see you at the Erit Lass. Are you doing autographs?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@amir
Re GPS - I'm taking a big USB battery pack that will charge my phone and my Garmin Edge 500 multiple times. With phone on plane mode it will record GPS trace for a good 12 hours, and the Garmin will last about 250 km. So I'm hoping one recharge of each device will give me a full trace + backup.
Not planning on having any sleep stops - experience on the 600km tells me that I can ride 360km without getting the dozies, so I'm hoping I can get through the extra 50km...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I did something similar on the National 400. Actually the Garmin charges from an external battery pretty quickly (much quicker than the phone) so I was keeping it topped up at the controls.
Re-sleeping - there's always the hedge!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Pondering the Erit Lass, but the start time is going to mean cycling across to the start from Glasgow, which is a bit more mileage than I was looking for.
Hmm.
May enter and then review the forecast the night before!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Panyagua "Re GPS - I'm taking a big USB battery pack that will charge my phone and my Garmin Edge 500 multiple times. With phone on plane mode it will record GPS trace for a good 12 hours, and the Garmin will last about 250 km. So I'm hoping one recharge of each device will give me a full trace + backup."
This from the chap who bought a dynahub front wheel which is easily capable of charging all his devices....
A load of riders on PBP charged their GPS and Phones from their dynamo hubs. I recon the weight you think you are saving by leaving the dynamohub at home, you loose by taking all those heavier lights and battery recharging packs.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Darkerside, Do you not have the use of a car?
There is always the train the night before, and a B&B locally. Does Gala not have a travellodge?
Posted 8 years ago # -
"There is always the train the night before, and a B&B locally. Does Gala not have a travellodge?"
Starts in M'burgh!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Posted 8 years ago #
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Car/B&B increases the complexity of domestic approval. Plus I drive so infrequently these days I don't really fancy doing so while tired after a day on the bike!
Posted 8 years ago # -
@DaveC
I hear what you're saying but it's more a case of I can't be bothered/don't have time to sort out an alternative before Friday. If I start making a habit of 400km+ rides (this will only be my second!) then I'll look at sorting out a better/lighter/more convenient rig. Would ideally get a lighter dyno-wheel built up using the same rim as the existing wheels - after all it's got to *look* right too :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
What is your existing rim (on the Dynamo hub) and what is your ideal rim?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Re: charging stuff, I wrote about that a few months back:
http://www.darkerside.org/2015/05/charging-usb-things-by-bicycle/
In summary, I've massively gone off the idea of tying my lights into the additional complications that charging USB devices entails.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@DaveC
OK, I caved in and fitted the dynamo wheel and light to my Audax bike last night, mainly so I don't have to fiddle about changing batteries. I put a GP4000 tyre on, which compensates to some extent for the heavier rim. Hope I don't puncture, as the tyre's a pig to get on and off that rim.
Will report back after the ride...
Posted 8 years ago # -
... which went very well, as it turned out. Gav and I left Dalgety Bay at 07.10 with a familiar spin up to Auchterarder for a hearty second breakfast, followed by pleasant rolling countryside through Perthshire and Angus to the coast at Montrose. The forecast strong NW breeze failed to materialise and we made it to the 200km mark at Stonehaven in about 9 hours.
After tea, scones *and* cake, we headed on over to Banchory, into more of a headwind now, and were promptly drenched in a heavy shower. It passed over quickly but further showers came and went as we plodded on up the Dee to Ballater, where substantial pub food and a hydrating pint of Trade Winds awaited.
The remaining 100 miles or so were all ridden in darkness - the Cairnwell was a slightly eerie experience, and a tad unnerving on the descent. But the long journey south was eased by a tailwind and the almost total lack of traffic. We found a 24-hour garage in Perth with a coffee machine and high-density calories (pork pies) which kept us going all the way back; once we reached Milnathort it was familiar territory all the way home.
Arrived back at exactly 04.30: 21 hours 20 min in total. Oh and the dynamo lighting performed perfectly, so I was glad I took the trouble to rig it up. And no p*******s.
Now just waiting for verification and hoping I've not made any procedural errors...
Posted 8 years ago # -
It's the Erit Lass this Sunday, the last bit of audax-based masochism until the new season (on 3 October - Etal-u-can).
Posted 8 years ago # -
@amir, entered ages ago, but not going to make it this year. Just way too busy. One needs to be relatively time rich to pursue audax enthusiasms. Next season I'm going to hopefully do a lot more riding... ;-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Cross-fingers on that @crowriver. Time is an under-rated resource
Posted 8 years ago # -
I would have liked to have ridden the Erit Lass, but it's my mum's 90th birthday celebration this weekend. I may not be riding, but I will be getting cake.
Good luck @amir and all other riders.
Posted 8 years ago #
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