Summary
Where
Warmley Station
Bristol And Bath Railway Path
Warmley, BS30 5JB
Who
Organiser: Luke Hounsome
What
Series: Audax Club Bristol
Brief
In memory of Jon Banks, a much-loved friend and cycling companion in Audax Club Bristol and across the Audax Community, who died suddenly in 2025. Based on Jon’s classic North Wessex Downs event.
Event Info
£10
BR
Audax Awards
200
200 km
15-30 kph
14h24
Rainbow Flat
2019m
Facilities
Hover for brief, click for full overview.
Overview
In memory of Jon Banks, a much-loved friend and cycling companion in Audax Club Bristol and across the Audax Community, who died suddenly in 2025.
Description
Based on Jon's classic North Wessex Downs event, we roll east from Bristol across the Cotswolds before arriving at the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
White Horses, natural downlands and historic Marlborough all feature on 100km riding through some of the best of our region's countryside. After a village hall stop for tea and cake, we roll west into the setting sun before crossing the Cotswolds once more for a well earned finish.
What others think.
2020
Loverly ride, great views and a fun social time. I’d suggest a control (cafe stop) in Shaftsbury to break up the ride time better.
Response from Pedalution
Thanks for the suggestion however controls are primarily for achieving the distance; which a Shaftesbury one would have no effect on. Always welcome to stop where ever you like; Alfred’s Kitchen & The Salt Cellar are both good there, also a couple of bakeries.
Full Fat Festive Fun
I love doing unusual things so this suites me down to the ground, I have ridden it twice and it has been blessed with good weather on both occasions. The route isn’t silly hilly which is perfect for the time of the year, Woburn park is pretty, Oxford is busy but full of culture. Advice to those thinking of riding, take your good lights and dress for the weather.
Hope this runs again in 2020.
FFF500 2019
What a great ride. A welcome sausage bap at the start and great weather certainly added to this event. An excellent route, with options of to avoid any flooded sections (although I stuck to the main route and went around them.
Very well organised, and excellent communication! Hope to be back in 2020
Chalke and Cheese January 2020
As others have noted this is a very well organised event, with good stops at just the right intervals. Great views. -didn’t see the Needles but I did think I saw Glastonbury Tor in the distance. GPX and written route info was spot on. The description ‘Rainbow flat’ captured the degree of climbing perfectly and the sting in the tail climb was as predicted! Thanks Will!
Nice route but badly timed off-road section and some control issues
Overall, a pleasant ride; a good variety of countryside, low-traffic route, and an overnight start is definitely the more civilised way to do a 300k. However, beware of an overlong, sandy seafront section, a gravel path to the third control, and most frustratingly a long section on a muddy path full of walkers before the penultimate control – really the worst possible time for it. To top it off said control had closed early when I did the ride – apparently a single staff member had opened early and run the cafe all day – hopefully something that will be evened out for future editions. Also note the first control serves only instant coffee (quite a disappointment after the excellent offering at the depart), so you may need to look elsewhere to sustain you through the night.
Response from Pedalution
Thank you for your review and glad you enjoyed it overall. I’m adding the following so when others read they are aware of the points you raised.
Entrants are fully informed of the conditions on both the Boscombe-Bournemouth-Poole Promenade and Strawberry Line prior to the event. By organisation the local council had cleared the promenade as best they could, at that time of year, prior to the event. Both are parts of the NCN and shared paths. The route is advisory and you are free to take an alternative route if desired, which is also mentioned in pre-event communication.
Sometimes sourcing a control that is willing to be used between midnight and the morning may entail some concessions; like an unmetalled access road.
Penultimate control had several members of staff on at their busiest moments. They thoroughly enjoyed it as I popped in later the next week to thank them. They closed after the control time but earlier than they would have normally which is beyond the event’s scope. I note they stamped your card.
Control 1 is actually a checkpoint, sole purpose to stamp cards; everything else is a bonus. But yes 2D coffee just isn’t enough, unless you ask for 2 heaped spoons…
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