Each ride has a more concise collection on their page; grouped by ‘event’ if appropriate: the distance variations, perms, slightly hAAArder ones, etc.
A great Friday night out with friends
A brillantly well run 300 audax with a sureal start riding through Bristol and Bath as the pubs get to last orders. Some helpful group riding at 2am helped to get the miles ticked off, with good weather and good banter. We took a detour to Stonehenge before the Salisbury control (which had an amazing selection of cake).
The ebbs and flows of audaxing came out in this one, with the drizzle and cold affecting me just before dawn. Waiting for a lovely sunrise, all we got was greyness, which made the stretch to Podimore Services on lumpy lanes pretty hard work. Never been so glad to get to a Greggs!
A fun final push along the Strawberry Line provides a welcome distraction, having to keep concentration levels up on the shared use path, so avoiding the tiredness.
A brilliantly well organised night and day on the bike.
Frosty Cheddar
A great route starting out along the cycle path from Warmley, by frozen and iced up railway engines. The route was great and took us on a real mix of lanes and side roads. Mainly rolling hills and lumps to begin with. Well organized controls and cafe stops made all the difference. The 2022 ride was really cold, down to -5 at the start, so I kept stops to a minimum and tried to keep some body heat going. I was ridng solo, so went at my own pace, and it was a great atmosphere among all of the riders, which it invariably is in the depths of winter.
There are a few of “Will’s hills” in the last 30k or so, with Cheddar Gorge as a warm up, then a couple of super sharp but short hills before popping out somewhere near Keynsham, via some beautiful out of the way villages.
There were a few busyish roads in the route, around Wells and towards the very end, but that was probably just in comparison to how quiet the rest of the route was. A great way to spend a January Saturday on the bike.
wind,Wind,WInd,WINd,WIND and then more wind
We rode this it was the 1st Audax I found in the post lock down dawn, England was able to open and start Audaxing (?) before Wales.
The weather wasn’t looking great with rain and wind forecast pretty much all day, but given our enforced lack of rides because of “One thing and Another” we were keen to ride.
Unfortunately “Derek the Weatherman” was right and the rain as a constant, the wind however was something I hadn’t checked and up on Clee Hill the gate was horizontal when we took it off the hinges to pass. Riding around the Trig. point was bracing but it added up to a feeling of a proper adventure for our first Audax in months.
As always Will kept a few hills back for the return leg and we finished with a feeling of deep satisfaction.
Excellent Introduction to Longer Distance Rides
Hailing from over the bridge it was lovely to ride through new countryside.
We rode this as it was one of the few Audax that took place in the summer of 2021 due to “One thing and Another”.
I could see it being a great stepping stone to longer 200km and beyond rides, as well as the friendly but quirky world of Audax.
Scenic Route with some Will’s Hills to Finish
Lovely weather and lovely people made this an excellent if not hot ride.
The views of Stone Henge are lovely as you bypass the tourists.
A few cheeky Will’s Hill’s on the return make sure that the cold drinks at the finish pub garden tasted sweeter.
Excellent Overnighter
I have had my eye on this ride for a while and decided with a slightly curtailed Covid schedule in 2021 to add it to the calendar. I imagine that the enjoyment maybe weather dependant at this time of year, but we were quite lucky for this instalment.
I’m rubbish at remembering the minutiae of rides but the start was fast with the always enjoyable experience of passing hostelries as they kick out while we were just starting our alternative night out.
As the group thinned and we passed through several well stocked controls the night life emerged in the quiet lanes with several owls swooping in to see what was going on.
The sea front section was very enjoyable, with some sand but nothing that would warrant any evasive action and definitely no more “mixed terrain” than your average Audax.
The Sea Scout hut was again staffed by lovely people giving up their time for our niche past time and then back into the night and more black lanes.
With the sunrise came mist and a definite drop in temperature, the Strawberry line is again nothing more that you would expect on the average UK Audax and the Park Runners kept to their left as I kept to mine.
The finish allowed some de briefing with other riders over a lovely Daal served by Will.
Definitely one to recommend, especially if you plan longer rides that will need over night cycling.
As always, well run, well staffed and a well thought out interesting route.
A wild day on Wiltshire!
Great ride out into Wiltshire in high winds and rain. Lots of fun, some beautiful lanes and some hills that were a challenge! A good one if like me you’re not a veteran Audax rider but want a taste of longer distance riding.
An excellent 300k, particularly as your first overnighter.
The 2021 edition was both my first 300km and my first overnighter. The organisation, route and volunteers were incredible: warm and friendly all the way around even in a slightly damp Salisbury at 2am. The breakfast at Poole was a highlight as were the views over Milton Abbey School grounds a short while later.
This audax is highly recommended. You can read my more detailed write up here https://goinglong100.blogspot.com
A brilliant 300k through the night
As we’ve come to expect, a really well organised event with a splendid route and fine controls.
Would definitely recommend
One of the best Audax events in the calendar
Very well organised 300 with good stops at the CP’s, a fast run down to the midway stop at a Scout Hut in Poole which was excellent. After that the lack of sleep starts to bite and with the hills and cold it becomes quite a struggle until you see the sunrise that you’ve been seeking. The final run in to Bristol along converted railway lines is a joy.
A good challenge, a great route, and a fantastic Audax. Highly recommended.
