arrivee_134_2016

Arrivée
Number 134 Autumn 2016
the Long Distance Cyclists’ Association
www.aukweb.net

Nigel Deakin before the event
Rob Bullyment leading off the riders
Samuel Thompson on the best bike of the day
David Tassell on his first 200k audax
Daniel Glassey

EDITORIAL
Arrivée is the free magazine of Audax United
Kingdom—the long distance cyclists’ association
which represents the Randonneurs Mondiaux in
the UK. AUK membership is open to any cyclist,
regardless of club or other affiliation, who is imbued
with the spirit of long-distance cycling. Full details
in the AUK Handbook.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Membership Enquiries: Mike Wigley (AUK Membership
Secretary), Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph
OL3 5UX. Email: membership@audax.uk
Membership Application Form: www.aukweb.net/
enroll
Membership fees
Renewal: £14 or £56 for five years.
New or lapsed members £19 (inc. £5 enrolment fee) or
£61 for five years.
Household members: £5 or £20 for five years. No
enrolment fee for new household members. Life
member’s Arrivée: £9, or £45 for five years.
Arrivée
Extra current Arrivée copies, where available, are £3
(UK), £4 (EEC), £5 (non-EEC). Contact Mike Wigley
(address above).
Mudguard stickers four for £1. AUK cloth badges
£2 (includes UK post, EEC add £1, non-EEC add £2).
Contact Mike Wigley (above).
Contributions
Articles, info, cartoons, photos, all welcome. Please
read the contributors’ advice in the Handbook.
Views expressed in Arrivée are not necessarily those
of the Club.
Produced by AUK: editing, typesetting, layout, design
by Peter Moir.
Printed and distributed: Headley Brothers Ltd,
Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH.
Distribution data from AUK membership team.
TO ADVERTISE
Advertising Manager: Tim Wainwright
4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead,
South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL
Email: twain@blueyonder.co.uk
Rates per issue: 1/₁₂ page £25, pro-rata to £300 per
full page. Payment in advance. Businesses must be
recommended by a member. We rely on good faith
and Arrivée cannot be held responsible for advertisers’
misrepresentations or failure to supply goods or
services.
Members’ private sales, wants and events
advertising: free.
PUBLICATIONS MANAGERS
February Editor: Sheila Simpson
33 Hawk Green Road, Marple SK6 7HR
Tel: 0161 449 9309 Fax: 0709 237 4245
Email: sheila@aukadia.net
May Editor: Tim Wainwright
4a Brambledown Road, Sanderstead,
South Croydon, Surrey CR2 0BL Tel: 020 8657 8179
Email: twain@blueyonder.co.uk
August Editor: David Kenning
Little Orchard, Pean Hill, Whitstable CT5 3BQ
Tel: 07734 815133 / 01227 471448
Email: dave@widdersbel.co.uk
November Editor: Peter Moir
2 Peel Close, Ducklington, Witney, Oxfordshire
OX29 7YB Tel: 01993 704913
Email: peter@moir.co.uk
To subscribe to the AUK e-mailing discussion list, send
an Email to audax-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Our WWW site: www.aukweb.net
AUK clothing can be purchased directly on-line at
www.forcegb.com
Copyright © 2016 Arrivée
Audax UK Long Distance Cyclists’ Association
Company No. 05920055 (England & Wales)
Registered Office: 25 Bluewater Drive, Elborough,
Weston-Super-Mare BS24 8PF
Welcome to the autumn edition of Arrivée
at the close of Audax UK's fortieth season.
Thanks to everyone who took time out to
provide articles and photographs for this
issue. Please do keep them coming — even
one or two photographs from an event, or
any other rides of audacious interest, make
such a difference to the magazine. If you're
getting your smartphone out to check Twitter
or Facebook while you're out on a ride, use
the opportunity to snap some of your fellow
riders! I hope the articles included in this issue
inspire you to get searching in the calendar
for new and interesting events on which to
ride.
Congratulations to Steve Abraham, who in
September broke the HAM'R highest monthly
mileage record, at a distance of 7104.3 miles.
Steve beat the previous monthly record of
6679.8 miles, set by André Goeritz from the
USA earlier this year.
Don't forget, the Audax membership
year runs from 1 January each year. This is
especially important this time round if you
intend to use your priority entry for LEL
next year — make sure you don't allow your
8 Obituary
Rough Diamond
6 James Bradbury
Free “MOTs”!
7 John Plant
Cycling the Path of Hope
Nick Elverston
Neroche 100
Ribble Blue
LeJog Charity Ride
Ian Lomas
Utterly Butterleigh
Ribble Blue
A Texas Winter Weekend
Bob Damper
Book Reviews
10
11
12
17
18
20
22
30
33
An A-Z of the WAWA
Peter Marshall
A Grand National
Alison Smedley
To The Pyrenees
Rosy Gray
Contents
Front cover: Nigel Pratt & Stephen Longman on the Hills
& Mills Grimpeur, January 2016
Photo: Tim Wainwright
Opposite: Cambridge Autumnal 200
Photos: Nick Wilkinson
Autumn 2016
membership to lapse
on 31 December. If
you're not a member
come 1 January you'll
have to forego your
preferential entry on 6
January and wait until
general entry opens
on the 20th.
The next issue of
Arrivée is due with
you in February 2017, so
please send any articles or photographs to
Sheila in plenty of time. The contact details
are in the panel at the left.
Have a good 2017 audax season and
hopefully see some of you out on the road!
Peter
Foundation Rides
36 Lorna Fewtrell
Route 66 - The Kicks Return
37 Peter Bond
The Redemption Ride
40
42
45
46
48
51 LEL
52
56
62
Tim Harrison
Essex Rivers & Reservoirs
John Thompson
Bocca Vitullu
Paul Harrison
Peak Performance: National 400
Peter Bond
Daylight DIY SR Series
Colin Gray
Official News
AUK Calendar
Event & Mileater
Entry Forms
PLEASE MENTION ARRIVÉE WHEN
REPLYING TO OUR ADVERTISERS
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 3

MERCHANDISE
Clothing
Official Audax UK clothing, made in Yorkshire by ForceGB,
is available to buy now from the Audax UK website.
The club jersey uses the latest in wicking sports fabrics and
includes features such as under-arm mesh for ventilation,
reflective piping, grippers to keep everything in place and
three rear pockets plus a built-in zipped pocket.
The range includes:
• Long & short sleeve jersey
• Winter weight jersey
• Softshell jacket
• Gilet • Arm warmers
• Special edition PBP jersey
All in a range of colours, and
men's & women's sizes
You can order AUK club jerseys via www.aukweb.net/members/clothing or direct from the
ForceGB website at www.forcegb.com/club-shops/audax-uk (or call 01924 409290)
Badges and Medals
A wide range of membership badges, frame stickers, car window stickers and other
medals and badges are available for members to purchase, including a special
commemorative badge to mark Audax UK's 40th Anniversary.
For full details of the range, plus prices and how to order your badges and medals,
see: www.aukweb.net/results/medalsbadges
4
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
www.aukweb.net

THIS & THAT
VACANCY for
AAA Secretary
Applications are invited for the post of Audax Altitude Awards
Secretary, to succeed Steve Snook, the current Secretary, when he
retires from the post at the end of 2016.
Duties will include:
••
Running the Audax Altitude Awards scheme.
••
Working out climbing and AAA points for calendar and permanent
events, including DIY by GPS Perms.
••
Processing claims for AAA awards.
••
Maintaining the AAA pages of the AUK website.
••
Keeping Rolls of Honour for each AAA award on the website.
••
Selling the AAA medals and badges (not Grimpeur medals).
••
Promoting and developing the AAA, and consulting with AAA riders
and organisers as appropriate.
••
Answering queries about AAA from members and organisers.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate a comprehensive
knowledge of methods of calculating altitude gain, whether by
GPS, computer and website mapping, barometric methods etc.,
and experience of their application, as well as the other skills and
experience needed for the rest of the duties.
Applications, stating relevant knowledge and experience should be
addressed to Permanents Secretary John Ward, who will be pleased
to deal with any enquiries.
34 Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9GJ
Tel: 01590 671205
Email: permanents@audax.uk
CORRESPONDENCE
Dear Editor,
The term “free control” amuses me.
While I accept it is harmless it is arguably misleading because in one
sense it could hardly be a more blatant contradiction. “Free” controls
are the ones where you do have to spend money to get a receipt. I’m
guessing the thinking is that you are “free” to choose a suitable place for
a control. If so, would not “independent” be more appropriate or “pick
your own”?
I appreciate it might be felt there are more important matters to debate
and I am writing this partly for fun but is there something of a serious
point? While it didn’t take me long to grasp it – I do have something
that stirs up top! – when a newcomer to audax the term did puzzle me
initially,
I will leave it at that. Just to confirm I am not considering an AGM
motion!!!
Yours sincerely,
John Thompson
Paul Whitehead & George Hanna on the Wild Atlantic Way. Photo courtesy of Eamon Nealon
AUK Buffs
An ideal stocking-filler, AUK Buffs are available to buy now from
http://buffs.paudax.com.
These are custom adult sized buffs from Buff® in the original
microfibre material. Two designs are available: “Silver Flock” and
“MultiChain”, as shown below.
Available for delivery to the UK and overseas, visit http://buffs.
paudax.com, or contact buffs@paudax.com for further details.
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 5

RANDONNEE
The Rough Diamond
Rough Statistics
James Bradbury
Mark Rigby's Rough Diamond is
described as a "fast 300" on good
roads and, being in July, the weather
is usually better than 300s in the spring. Ideal
for those attempting this distance for the first
time, like my wife Erica, so we did the ride
together on the tandem. It's a great ride and I'd
recommend it to anyone doing this distance for
the first time.
Many cyclists, myself included, track their
rides on GPS analysis sites such as Strava. After
the ride you can pore over the statistics to find
out how your speed varied and, with additional
sensors, where your power output dipped,
your heart rate shot up or your cadence was
sub-optimal. Besides a thorough approach to
training, I think there's a lot to be said for using
these sites for nostalgic reliving or sharing
rides, adding photos or planning future routes.
It can be motivational too. Trying to beat my
personal records on Strava was what got me
back into cycling properly some five years ago.
But, liking gadgets as I do, I know I'm at risk of
being sucked into obsessing over performance
data. Erica teases me about uploading my rides
before I've even had a shower. So whenever
I'm on an audax I defiantly tell myself I'm "out
for a good time, not a fast time", taking in the
scenery, chatting to people I meet on the way
and enjoying the adventure.
Those at the very front or back of the field
may have more reason to scrutinise their
average speeds. Indeed, it's prudent even for
those of us normally in the bulgy bit of the bell
curve to keep one eye on the clock as I know
from my failure to complete PBP last year. But,
for many audaxers, the additional data is not of
much interest and might even be considered a
distraction from the enjoyment of the ride.
I enjoy looking at visual data, like that
presented in the book Information Is Beautiful.
So I produced a graph tracking what I thought
was interesting on the ride. Everyone will have
their own opinions about what makes a great
ride; the variables I've described with the graph
are the ones which Erica and I thought were
important. They're also not very precise because
we tried to reconstruct them later. I guess we
could've carefully noted each one every fifteen
minutes to get accurate results, but we didn't
want any distractions from navigation, chatting
and looking at the view. Besides, that would
probably be more annoying than constantly
checking our cadence. Maybe one day someone
will make sensors to measure some of this
directly!
The only variable I've taken from the GPS track. It
helps to work out where we are on the route and you
can see how the climbs and descents affected the
other lines. It includes the short ride to and from our
accommodation.
ELEVATION PROFILE
You're never alone on a tandem, but we still
enjoyed chatting with other riders, or just cruising
along with them on the flatter sections.
SOCIAL INTERACTION
This was affected not only by the morning's
rain but by riding up hill a bit too quickly without
shedding layers.
CLOTHING DAMPNESS
HUNGER
A rough average between myself and Erica as we
seemed to get hungry at about the same time on
this ride.
SCENERY
Plenty of interest along the route, but some
definite highlights including lakes, rivers and
architecture.
MORALE / CONFIDENCE
Again an average between the two of us. This
was greatly affected by everything else we tracked
and some particular events which I've marked on
the graph.
6
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
www.aukweb.net

THIS & THAT
Free “MOTs” for older
members!
We have been contacted by the
National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC)
at The Royal Free Hospital, London.
A research team at the NAC is carrying out a
medical study into one form of the disease
Amyloidosis. This is regarded as a rare disease,
one that has many forms, but all of which
involve the deposition of amyloid protein in
parts of the body. It can be genetic or occur
spontaneously. It is a disease that is notoriously
A DPD scan showing ATTR
cardiac amyloid. The arrow
points to the uptake of DPD
in the heart.
difficult to diagnose. The NAC is a world leader
in the development of diagnostic methods
and treatments. One form of the disease
known as ATTR Amyloidosis was, as you will
see from the information sent by the NAC,
believed to be very rare. The research team
is hoping to recruit healthy and active male
volunteers who are aged over 80 in order to
identify if the disease is more prevelent than
current data suggests. Cyclists are well known
A fused CT/SPECT image
also showing DPD uptake
by amyloid deposits in
the heart. (from Updates
in Cardiac Amyloidosis: A
Review; Banypersad S et al; J
Am Heart Assoc 2012)
for their levels of health and fitness in old age
and are potentially an excellent group from
which to recruit volunteers. If any member,
or any of their friends, meets the criteria and
is interested in supporting a valuable piece
of medical research in one of the foremost
centres of its kind, they are invited to make
contact with the the NAC using the details
provided below.
John Plant
DPD Scanner
National Amyloidosis Centre
Royal Free Hospital
Pond Street
London
NW3 2QG
Tel: 020 7794 0500
Are you male, over 80 years old, and interested in taking part in medical research?
We would like to invite men aged over 80, with no known heart disease to take part in our research study at the National
Amyloidosis Centre in the Royal Free Hospital, London.
What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study is to scan the hearts of healthy men aged over 80, to look for abnormal protein deposits that occur in
a condition called ATTR amyloidosis. This condition mainly affects men after age 70 and until recently it was believed to be very
rare, diagnosed in only about 100 people in the UK each year. But post mortem studies have found ATTR amyloid deposits in the
hearts of 10-20% of deceased elderly men and evidence from echocardiography studies suggests that ATTR amyloid deposition
in the heart may be much more common than was previously believed.
This study aims to investigate the true prevalence and potential health consequences of ATTR amyloid deposition in the hearts
of elderly men.
What does the study involve?
All study participants will undergo a specialist heart scan at the National Amyloidosis Centre and some participants will undergo
a few additional tests. The scan is safe, painless and non-invasive, apart from receiving a single injection into the vein. Detailed
information and explanation of the proposed scan will be provided to enable fully informed consent. The doctors at the NAC
will notify your GP of any abnormal results and give advice on further management.
You will receive £50 compensation for your time and effort in taking part in the study and travel costs to and from the National
Amyloidosis Centre at the Royal Free Hospital will be refunded.
For more information, please contact the researchers:
Ms Thirusha Lane t.lane@ucl.ac.uk 020 7433 2759
Dr Julian Gillmore j.gillmore@ucl.ac.uk 020 7433 2726
The study is being sponsored by University College London, and has been approved by NRES Committee South Central – Hampshire B
ethics committee (REC ref. no. 13/SC/0643). All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 7

OBITUARY
Peter Luxton
13 Sept 1933 – 1 July 2016
Pete Luxton must have been known to almost everybody who reads Arrivée.
Over the years he had ridden, organised and helped in countless events for the
CTC and for the Exeter Wheelers Cycling Club. Pete passed away in the Exeter
Hospice on 1st July having been ill for some time and having suffered a recent
setback.
Pete was born in 1933 in Egypt, where his father was stationed in the RAF. A very
capable engineer, many of us will have seen or known of the bikes which he built
up over the years, both with his association with Sid West at Exmouth (Westland
Cycles) and some up the frames he built under his own name.
For some years he ran a lawnmower business in Exeter, and it was a great shock
to him when just after his retirement in 1999 his wife Eugenie was killed when she
was struck by a moped rider near Cullompton. Pete continued to run the popular
Audax events which she had always organised so well, and the ever popular coffee
pot rides.
Pete spent the last few years living at Stoke Canon with Jean Brierly, who
also cared for him during his illness. I recall riding many miles on longer Audax
events in Pete’s company and he always had many tales and memories to keep us
occupied in the small hours.
At Pete’s funeral in Exeter the chapel was packed with many of the faces of the
cycling world in the Devon and Somerset area. It was good to see them all, and
was a fitting tribute to Pete.
Several EWCC and CTC members held up an arch of wheels as the coffin,
accompanied by a floral tribute, passed through the chapel entrance as Pete
headed down to the shed for the final time leaving us all with many fond
memories.
Graham Brodie
Pete with friend on the Devon Delight Audax
Controlling on The Devon Delight
With Neville Chanin
8
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
www.aukweb.net

BOOK REVIEW
Laid Back Around the
World in 180 Days
Diary of a long bike ride
By Richard Evans
Illustrated by Dominic Trevett
In a footnote to his article
describing part of his epic sixmonth
journey round the world
by bike (Arrivée 128, Spring 2015),
Richard Evans stated "The book
will be published… one day". That
day turned out to be in July 2016,
when Richard published Laid Back
Around the World in 180 Days:
Diary of a long bike ride. That
“long bike ride” started at BikeFix
in London on 5 April 2014 and
took Richard across 18 countries
and four continents, for a total
riding distance of 23,000km. This
book chronicles not only the daily
progress through each country, but
the meticulous preparation and the
inevitable battles with beauracracy
— even the discovery that having
an actual helpful Member of
Parliament was not sufficient to
propel him over the mountain built
on Chinese red tape.
Richard has been an Audax UK
member since 2003, riding his first
event in February that year — a
200k ride from a desolate trading
estate in Ruislip. From a less than
fully-enjoyable first experience —
puncture, clipless moment, bent
rear mech, completing bang on
the time limit, etc — he went on to
complete an SR series that year in
order to qualify for his first PBP (the
first of his four). Gaining his ultrarandonneur
status in 2012, Richard
states that without that wealth of
experience and confidence gained
due to audaxing it's difficult to see
how he would ever have been able
to contemplate such a round-theworld
endeavour
In September 2013 Richard
started planning the route in detail
following a visit to a central London
bookshop, returning with panniers
stuffed with maps. A few months
later the resultant route plan
consisted of over 140 GPX files to
guide him on his epic journey.
Richard's bike of choice was
an American Bacchetta Giro
recumbent from BikeFix, the
laid-back bike specialist in central
London. Proving ultra-reliable, the
only mechanical concern was a rear
wheel rebuild early on in the ride,
in Berlin. Only four punctures in a
ride around the world surely should
attract the attention marketing
guys from Schwalbe.
Following the finer details of the
preparation for the trip — route
planning, visa rejections, route
replanning, training — the book
takes the format of a six-month
daily diary. Details of a varied range
of audax hotels (across the full
range of star ratings) are included
and, as in all the best travelogues,
and in any story that calls itself a
long distance cycling story… Food!
Remember that nagging doubt
that you had about whether the
filling station you recall as being
just round this next corner will
still be open at this time of night?
Multiply that nagging doubt by
half-a-dozen meal stops a day for
180 days and you get (some of) the
picture…
If I lived in Australia and my
brother cycled half-way round the
world for my birthday I'd be pretty
impressed. I'm generally pretty
amazed by the appearance of a
birthday card.
The book conveys not only the
extraordinary challenges faced
by someone undertaking such
a gargantuan feat, but also the
levels of spontaneous generosity
bestowed on Richard by complete
strangers. Heartwarming is
genuinely the word. To those who
feel the world is a terrible place,
outside their own parochial little
bubble, I say, "read this book", and
then, "get out more!".
If I was thinking about
undertaking a journey such as
this I have learned, amongst many
other things, that vitally important
to your success, in addition to a
formidable tenacity and cycling
ability will be
• www.warmshowers.org
• an easily-deployable dog
deterrent device
• a “magic letter”
Illustrations and graphics in the
book are by LEL and PBP rider, and
Richard's fellow Kingston Wheeler,
Dominic Trevett.
Training Centre for
2 and 5 Day General Maintenance
3 Day Wheelbuilding
Richard's book is available for
Kindle and in paperback from
Amazon, www.amazon.co.uk.
All royalites from the book go
to Roadpeace, the charity looking
after those bereaved and injured
as a result of road crashes and
campaigning for safer streets.
Peter Moir
Rohloff upgrades & servicing
Custom Building INVICTA
FRAMES and complete bikes
Frame Building Courses
Standard 5 day and Advanced 10 Day
Build your own fillet brazed or lugged frame
julie@downlandcycles.co.uk | 01227 709706
www.downlandcycles.co.uk | Canterbury Kent CT4 6EG
martin@campagservice.co.uk | www.campagservice.co.uk
www.aukweb.net Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 9

RANDONNEE
Cycling the
Path of Hope
Nick Elverston
2016 was the inaugural Audax year for my
brother William and me. We were drawn to
Audax by its non-competitive nature. Having
previously done a reasonable amount of touring,
cycling long distances, unsupported, within
a pre-defined time limit, where completion is
success, really strikes a chord.
We have now cycled a variety of wonderfully
named routes (including the Willy Warmer, the
Dean, the Ditchling Devil and Straight Outta
Hackney). We have also joined a somewhat
virtual, but very welcoming, group of like
minded souls — the Audax Club Hackney.
In the light of recent rise in Hate crime,
we decided to combine an Audax with
fundraising for HOPE not hate and its
new #MoreInCommon campaign. 400km around
the landing sites and battlefields of Normandy
seemed a suitable, silent, elegy to what can
happen when the politics of hate are allowed to
take over.
The rules of the event required a finish within
27 hours. A 5am start on Saturday morning
dictated a finish by 8am on Sunday morning.
As someone who is generally not a morning
person, neither time filled me with deep joy.
Cycling significantly further in one go than I
have done before was also the cause of some
trepidation.
The event was organised by the wonderfully
named Cyclo-club Montebourg - Saint-Germainde-Tournebut.
We were greeted at their club
house (formally the local firemen’s garage) by
the “gentil organisateur” Stéphane Gibon and
his father, both wearing club shirts sponsored
by the local bovine podiatrist and both bearing
cups of coffee. Friendly greetings with the other
30 riders and we were off.
William Elverston at Portbail information control 298km
Reminders of June 1944
The early stages of a ride, in the dark with
red tail-lights snaking through the countryside,
always have something magical about them.
We soon came upon the first reminder of the
terrible days of June 1944, in the shape of the
16 gun emplacements and bunkers of Crisbecq.
These were followed by many other sites of
historical significance: Utah beach, Omaha
beach, Gold beach, Pegasus Bridge and too
many “martyr” villages, which were razed to the
ground (often by the Allied bombardment).
The contrast between the beautiful, peaceful,
landscapes of Normandy and the echoes of the
horrors that so many people suffered, including
the local civilian population, was marked.
Our suffering was minimal by comparison,
but long rides require constant food and water,
failing which the body just stalls or, possibly
worse, given the temperatures of over 33
degrees on the day, develops heat exhaustion.
Fortunately, the countryside towns and
villages of Normandy are well provided for,
with boulangeries
for restocking on the
go… Around five
other riders, however,
succumbed to the
rigours of the day and
did not finish.
One feature of
Audax rides tends to
be running into fellow,
slightly mad, riders
— we were playing
catch-up and leapfrog,
with a group of wiry,
athletic, retirees and
David, a lone biker
on a mountain bike
Nick Elverston on Utah Beach
(who left us for dust over the last 100km). The
other feature is the need to just keep going,
something I find particularly hard when tempted
to stop and take in the view (or possibly a glass
of rosé…).
However, keep going we did, managing to
finish within 20 hours and thus being able to
treat ourselves to a beer, a bowl of rice pudding,
and an inflatable mattress in the club house/
garage — sleep punctuated by the arrival of
fellow travellers, including four other riders from
the UK, throughout the night.
Major emotions
For me the day came with two major
emotions. First, a real sense of achievement at
having gone further than I have done before
(without major physical issues, other than a
nasty spot of sunburn, where I missed applying
sun cream). And second, a huge sense of
sadness engendered by the history I was cycling
through. Two resolutions: to keep cycling, and to
stay engaged.
Nick Elverston - Barfleur 372km.
10
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
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BREVET POPULAIRE
Neroche 100
This event first appeared in the calendar
three or four years ago. I think I took part
in the event in 2013, but then it didn’t
appear again until this year, still running with
much the same route but with a different start
venue.
I had mistakenly thought the event started
at nine so arrived a bit early only to find it was
down for nine thirty – well that gave me time
for an extra cup of tea, to check the bike over,
and prepare for the first hill straight out from
the start.
I joined a small group to take on the first
long hill up to the Castle Neroche area. Castle
Neroche is an ancient Iron Age hillfort on the
top of a hill with commanding views over the
whole area. You can understand why it was built
there, and also why the route is taking us up
there to use up some of those 1500 metres which
we all have to climb today. The route flattens
out for a while before going through a series of
ups and downs in the Blackdown hills, through
Bishopswood and Churchingford to drop down
into the Culm valley.
Through the scenic villages of Hemyock
and Culmstock beside the river Culm reaching
Uffculme to climb over Chapel Hill for arrival at
the first control at the Old Well Garden Centre.
I think I and others got the next bit a little
wrong. The route sheet told us to return to
Uffculme but I ended up on the wrong side
of the village which meant things were not
falling into place. Up and down the road a few
times before I spotted the signpost showing
‘Smithincott’ which got me back on track. I was
joined at this point by Richard Miles and his wife
on their tandem; Richard being the organiser of
the Exmoor Spring and Autumn Colours events,
I thought it advisable to string along with them
for a while to save any more going off route.
A nice easy section along quiet lanes through
Feniton and into Ottery St Mary. This kind
of prepared you for what lay ahead — the
infamous Chineway Hill. It’s about a mile out of
Ottery and starts off with a series of short climbs
before you see the ridge ahead of you and the
road snaking up into the woods. The Tour of
Britain went up there a week or two beforehand,
and while they may not have had any trouble
climbing it, I did. It must be about a mile long in
total and steps up to about 1 in 5 in places which
results in me getting off and walking the steep
bits.
Eventually you come out through the woods
at the top and are rewarded with a gentle
downhill to cross a main road, followed by some
fast, smooth lanes taking you past Blackbury
Camp to enjoy the views over the East Devon
Coast. Descending down towards Beer to go
down its picturesque main street, full of visitors
enjoying the autumn sunshine, to reach the
beach for the second control at Duckys café.
After a short stop it’s up through Beer main
street again and over the hill into Seaton. There
then followed a series of villages to pass through
with short climbs and, to keep you on your toes,
a lot of junctions to be negotiated. A group of
Yeovil CC members kept coming up and going
past me only to appear behind me and overtake
again. I think the last time it happened there
was the comment that this Garmin may not have
been his best buy — I was managing quite well
with the paper route sheet the organiser had
supplied.
After going round Axminster there started a
series of climbs going on for about 8 miles. Not
altogether steep but enough for you to change
down a number of gears and put a lot of extra
effort in. Never seemed to be any sign of the
top of the hill, it climbed from about 20 metres
to over 240 over the distance with a few short
downhills along the way.
Coming to a T-junction and joining a main
road things got easier, followed by a series of
downhills which took you back into Horton and
the finish at the Village Hall .
The organisers must be congratulated on a
very scenic and at times testing route. The up
side was that fabulous section after Chineway
Hill. The down side was the 20% road sign at the
bottom of Chineway Hill…
Ribble Blue
Event Neroche 100
Date 18 September 2016
Distance
Organiser
Start
100km
Mark Hughes
Broadway,
Ilminster
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TOURING
LeJog
29th March
to
9th April
2016
A Charity Ride
from
Land’s End
to
John O’Groats
There was no hesitation in saying
“Yes”, when asked if I wanted to join
a team of cyclists doing LeJog for
Charity. I have done several long
touring rides but none in the UK and
LeJog has always been on my list.
The ride was to enable Access Community
Trust to buy a minibus to move people around
their various sites in Lowestoft, to and from
hospital, on trips out, etc. The Trust works with
disadvantaged communities in Suffolk and
Norfolk providing support with housing, health,
wellbeing, education and employment. Their
ethos of “supporting individuals to achieve their
potential” is at the heart of everything they do
as they strive to be there for people in their time
of need. Our aim was to raise £5,000 and in the
end we managed over £7,500; a superb effort,
and the minibus is now in use.
We had a trial ride to a campsite in Norfolk
and all agreed that we had pushed it a bit too
hard and would have to back off on the ride,
but we all survived and settled down to some
serious training. The bikes and camping gear all
held up well and the weather on the second day
back to Lowestoft gave us a taste of what was to
come — rain!
The full LeJog ride started on Tuesday 29
March, finishing on Saturday 9 April, a distance
Ian Lomas
of 975 miles over 12 days, with 77 hours and 9
minutes in the saddle! Rather than a traditional
diary, which I did keep, I have written up my
thoughts and experiences from the ride under a
series of headings.
The Team
The team comprised the riders and the
support crew. The riders were Barry, the
Operations Director of the Trust; Gary, the
Manager of one of the hostels; Rik, who had
worked for the Trust in the past; and Steve, a
friend of mine and Rik's. Unfortunately, Rik had
caught a severe dose of flu just before the start
and despite his best efforts could not start with
us. He joined us later but then suffered very
serious back pains and had to abandon the ride,
which was a great shame, and a poor reward for
all his hard training.
We had a support crew of three: Bob, the
maintenance man, who could fix anything;
Rhianna, who always had a smile; and Jed who
would do anything for anybody. They were
absolutely superb and without them we would
not have made it.
We soon started having time problems due
to the relatively short days and discovered
that putting up tents by flashlight is not a
good experience. The support crew came to
our rescue and after the first couple of fraught
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TOURING
days they expertly took our tents down in the
morning and put them up in the evening. This
was an enormous help and indicative of how
much they did to help us achieve the ride.
The Route
The route we followed was one called ‘A
Safer Way’ by Royston Wood. This avoids main
roads wherever possible with much of the route
on side roads, canal towpaths and old railway
tracks. It is a lovely, picturesque route and I can
thoroughly recommend it, with the slight caveat
that the route is planned over 18 days but ours
had been cut to 12 and we were doing it in late
April / early May, and camping. This made it
quite a bit harder than Royston Wood planned
(note the subtle understatement!). Actually, we
did have one night in a Travelodge near Preston
and the support crew had a minibus.
The Weather
We had many wet, cold days, including frost
on the tents on one morning in Cornwall, more
frost in Scotland, and sleet in Scotland on two
days. We did not actually cycle through real
snow, but there was plenty on the mountains in
Scotland.
Towards the north of Scotland I was wearing
six layers on my upper body and various items
of warm clothing and sleeping equipment were
bought during the ride. Barry ended up sleeping
in thermals, a bivvy bag, his sleeping bag and
Rik’s sleeping bag as a duvet. My tent was the
smallest and I think that helped a lot at night,
as there was a much smaller volume to try and
keep warm.
We did also have some lovely days, mainly
in the middle part of the ride. The ride through
Cheddar was particularly nice, with sun and
great views, although none of us ever ventured
into shorts and short-sleeved tops.
The Hills
I ride quite a lot in the Pyrenees and like the
long, steady hills where I can get into a rhythm
and stick with it for a couple of hours or so. I
did NOT enjoy Cornwall and Devon, where the
hills are short and steep with no chance to get
a rhythm going and no time to recover on the
downhills. I had been told by several riders that
Cornwall and Devon was the hardest section
and, for me, they were right. It did not help that
for the first two days my inner chain ring would
not always engage. However, there was a most
enjoyable interlude when we rode across an old
airfield on the way to Tiverton and rediscovered
the sensation of speed.
Shap Fell, near Penrith, was more to my liking,
except that the weather was foul and I became
‘tail-end Charlie’. I understand that there are
good views on the climb, but will have to do it
again to find out. We stopped in a MacDonald’s
in Penrith to celebrate conquering Shap Fell and
I stupidly had an iced smoothie and promptly
got very, very cold. Despite a cup of hot coffee
to follow, I needed an anorak and the heater
on full in the minibus to recover — a big lesson
learned.
The Scottish hills were generally better for
me, except on the last day when we had three
horrible hills in bad weather and it became a
real slog, with Barry sheltering in a bus stop at
one time. The minibus provided a relay service
allowing us to warm up and eat at increasingly
short intervals.
The Camp Sites
We experienced the full range of camp sites,
from a superb one at Pillaton Hall Farm where
the facilities were excellent, chickens were
strutting round the tents, and a peacock acted
as an alarm call; to a very poor one with a single,
awful shower that we had to pay for and which
only gave only a few minutes of tepid water.
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TOURING
At one site, Gary had the interesting
experience of waking up to find a slug sharing
his pillow in the morning, possibly attracted by
his snoring.
Overall the camp sites were adequate
although nowhere near the standard of those in
Iceland where I did my last big cycle tour.
Navigation
This was one of our major problem areas. A
full set of Google maps with the route marked
on had been printed and laminated and were
intended to be the main navigation aid, with
two Garmins, one of them mine, providing
a back-up. However the Google maps were
almost useless and we rarely used them due to
a lack of detail. As an additional problem the
two Garmins did not agree on the route, which
resulted in me becoming chief navigator. I had
only got the Garmin shortly before the ride
and had only used it on a handful of short club
rides beforehand. In addition, because we had
shortened the number of days, the route days
did not tie up with our actual days.
Because I was one of the slower riders I had to
bellow directions at the top of my voice at times,
and even then we missed several turnings,
leading to some ‘interesting’ alternatives,
including one up a very steep track into the
garden of an isolated house near Pitlochry.
The wonders of modern technology allowed
Bob, in the minibus, to track us on his iPhone.
Apparently when we were trying to get through
Edinburgh (not following the route) we partly
circled it and took three ‘bites’ at getting to
the centre. Small wonder that we did nine
unplanned miles that day!
From previous experience I had bought a UK
road mapbook and tore out the pages each day
and had them in my handlebar bag. Although
the route was not marked on them, they proved
very valuable on several occasions.
Canal Towpaths & Old
Railway Lines
These were some of the highlights of
the ride with the huge advantage of being
(mostly) flat and, in general, very quiet. The
ability to cycle along enjoying the scenery is
wonderful. However, in April/May many are
very, very muddy and even on gravel or tarmac
paths progress can be slow to very slow. Our
bikes looked like they had just completed a
cyclo-cross race most evenings and the brakes
felt like they had sandpaper brake blocks. The
ramps on canal towpaths by locks can be very
steep and pushing my bike up them gave me
my only injuries of the ride, fairly bad cuts on
the front of both ankles that needed regular
treatment and bandaging.
Some of the trails have evocative names
such as The Camel Trail, near Bodmin, and The
Strawberry Line, near Sandford, although there
were neither camels nor strawberries present in
April.
Food
As any long distance tourer knows, getting
adequate good food on a regular basis is
essential, the aim is NOT to lose weight on a ride
but to complete it with energy to spare!
We ate a huge variety of food in a range of
eating establishments; pubs being our favourite
evening meal establishments and Subways and
garages being our preferred lunch stops. I had
discovered Subway in America and find their
range and quality to be excellent, and plentiful.
Our evening meals ranged from pizza through
burgers, take-away fish and chips, mixed grill to
steak and kidney pudding.
By far, our most memorable meal was in
Dornoch on the last night. We were too late for
food in the local pub and the only food available
was a take-away Chinese. However the landlady
at the pub allowed us to sit in the corner of
the bar eating our take-aways and drinking
McEwans. A memorable night.
A good breakfast is critical and I have a
wonderful device called a JetBoil which makes
excellent coffee to go with my wife’s muesli
bars. The most unusual breakfast was Rik’s who
feasted on steaming porridge mixed with a cutup
Mars bar — it did not catch on.
Drink
Most of us used supplements in our drink
bottles and none of us suffered from cramp
or other muscular problems. My normal
configuration was two bottles of weak Vimto
cordial, one with a High Five Zero tablet in it.
Equally important was rehydration in the
evening, alternatively known as beer / lager. We
made it a challenge to drink as many real ales as
we could on the journey and managed a very
good selection. We started with HSD from St
Austell Brewery at Senen Cove near Land's End,
and finished with McEwans in Dornoch .
The highpoint for me was
drinking Cheddar Valley cider at
The Railway Inn next to Thatchers
Brewery in Sandford. This was
brewed with the apple skins and, at
6%, was quite a drink.
The most bizarre occurred in
Lancashire. I live in Southwold
where Adnams is brewed and
was not expecting to see it in two
Lancashire pubs on consecutive
nights. Although I really like Adnams
I stayed with the local brews.
Energy Bars
The trend over the past few years in cycling
has been to eat more and more sophisticated
energy bars on long rides. Well, these are
nothing compared to my wife’s speciality. Mary’s
Fruity, Nutty, Spicy, Cherry flapjack is the world’s
best cycling bar and has been proven around
the world to get cyclists up the most horrendous
climbs and see them through the most torrential
downpours. Its composition is, of course, a
closely guarded secret. Mary’s fruitcake and
chocolate cookies are equally valuable post-ride
recovery aids.
Needless to say, the team made full use of
her supplies, which, due to excellent planning
on Mary’s part, lasted the full ride with some to
spare!
Café Stops
In addition to meals we made very good use
of the cafés that we came across, sometimes
needing food and/or drink, sometimes needing
warmth, sometimes somewhere to dry out.
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The latter probably explains why we were once
asked to put plastic bags on the chairs before we
sat down. All I will say is that all the cafés were
very welcoming to four bedraggled cyclists and
the food was excellent.
The most appropriately named was the Snail’s
Pace Café at Wenfordbridge where they served
humungous bacon and sausage rolls.
The most interesting was Church Street Stores
in Morchand Bishop in Devon. It is run by Claire,
is the best village shop in the South West, and
is packed with fascinating trinkets and goodies.
Their tea is excellent and their teapot cosies are
most amusing.
However, by far the best café stop was in
Wick, about 17 miles from John O’Groats. We
were wet, cold and knackered and all of us
were flagging. Then we found Fridayz Café
and had the best Chip Butties I have ever had
with gallons of tomato ketchup. Chip Butty
adrenaline powered us over the last 17 mile
to the finish line – and even put smiles on our
faces.
Truckers' Stops
Scotland is a big place with big open spaces
and not many towns, meaning that cafés, pubs
and restaurants are pretty infrequent. It was
in Scotland that we discovered Truckers' Stops
which are lifesavers for cyclists. They are always
welcoming, warm, have very good showers
and serve enormous quantities of good, freshly
cooked, cheap food.
The first one we discovered was the
Heatherghyll Café Bar which served an
enormous plateful of excellent fish and chips
and very good Belhaven beer. When we went
back in the morning for breakfast, I could only
manage the mini truckers-breakfast (at £4.90);
the full version would have kept me going for
several days.
Falls
Rik managed to fall off in the first two miles
when he joined us, which must be some sort of
record.
Barry fell off at a T-junction when cars were
coming in both directions. Given most of our
route, a busy road must have been quite a shock
to him.
I had, by far, the most spectacular fall. I am
studying astrophysics at the Open University
so when the route unexpectedly went by
Jodrell Bank I was so keen to get a photo that
I screeched to a (almost) stop, tried to get my
camera out of my handlebar bag and promptly
fell over – which made a great story to tell to the
support crew!
Our one (slight) accident was near Perth when
we were cycling on a path through a park. Two
ladies were cycling towards us with a small dog
which suddenly veered across the path behind
me and caused a pile-up with two of us and the
two of them. Luckily no one was hurt, although
as one of the ladies was a nurse we could have
received instant attention.
Mechanicals
However good and thorough the preparation
is, there is always the risk of mechanical
problems, especially riding on towpaths and old
railway tracks as we did. Our major problem was
the amount of mud and grit that accumulated
on the bikes. However hard we tried we
could not get them clean and stop the brakes
sounding like sandpaper.
However, overall we did remarkably well. We
had three punctures, one on Gary’s bike on a
canal towpath and two to my puncture-proof
tyres. Steve had to adjust his headset, sort out a
leaking tyre valve and replace his brake blocks
twice. Barry had to have his cassette replaced,
had problems with his mudguards and had a
few days with his disc brakes sticking before Rik
fixed them.
Bike Shops
Two bike shops stand out in my mind. The first
is the Fish Face Cycles in Wombourne where,
after initially saying that they were too busy and
had no time to spare, spent a long time trying to
sort out Barry’s brakes.
The second is the Escape Route Bike Shop and
Café in Pitlochry who have the best equipped
bike workshop that I have seen in a long time –
and also serve super coffee and sandwiches.
People
We met a lot of people along the way and,
without exception, everyone was helpful and
interested in what we were doing. The people
that remain in my mind are four:
Noreen was a lovely lady who we met at
the Stoke Café in Stoke. We almost caused a
problem because one of us sat in her regular
daily seat but when we had that sorted we had a
great chat with her.
Cedric was a CTC cyclist and railway
enthusiast who we chatted to in Down’s Bakery
in Severn Beach. He now travels everywhere by
train and is a walking train timetable.
Dot was the night/early morning receptionist
at the Travelodge and, despite having to stay on
longer because the morning receptionist was
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TOURING
delayed was very friendly and cheerful. She does
charity walks for Great Ormond Street so we had
something in common. One of her Bears joined
our ride – see later!
Allison was a mountain biker who we met in
a park in Preston when my Garmin could not
indicate which of three paths we should take.
She was initially from Glasgow and still had a
slight accent. She supported the Preston on
Wheels charity and put us on the right path with
a cheery wave.
Lancashire
I was born and grew up in Lancashire, with
my teenage years spent near Preston. I cycled to
school every day and also around the area but
could hardly remember the roads when we got
near Preston. But, what I did remember very well
was the Lamb and Packet pub, a Thwaites pub in
Friargate, near the town centre. I did not know
that the route went past the pub but got quite
excited as we got nearer and nearer. The pub
holds many memories of drinking sessions with
friends when we were, early on, not officially old
enough to be there, but they were great times. It
was just as I remember it from many, many years
ago and I am sure the mild would have tasted
just the same. But it was not time for beer so
after some photos we cycled on.
Desolation
The appalling weather did not help, but the
sense of increasing desolation on the ride up
the East Coast of Scotland, in particular the last
day up to John O’Groats was very strong. The
landscape is very open, bare and windswept.
The few houses that are occupied look in poor
condition and there are many abandoned ones
that are slowly crumbling. It is a pity that the
ride ended with such feelings, it does not lend
itself to a feeling of great accomplishment and
joy at the end; more a feeling of satisfaction at
having completed the ride, let’s now get back
to somewhere more inspiring, dry and warm.
But as I said the weather did not help and my
feelings could have been totally different if the
stretch had been in warm, sunny weather.
The Bears
Our previous house was called Ursaden
(Latin for Bear’s Den) and contained many Bears
who took part in various activities. There are a
number of cycling bears and there was quite a
queue to ride LeJog. The two who came along,
and claimed to push up the hills, were Cousin
Ted from ‘Stralia (who has cycled across America
amongst other epic rides) and MediTed who is a
qualified DocTed.
They rode in my handlebar bag and despite
having fur, insisted on being protected from the
rain and sleet. They also enjoyed plenty of food
and drink on the ride in addition to their private
supplies of Honey.
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Dot, the receptionist at the Travelodge, was
looking after several Great Ormond Street Bears
and one of them just had to join us, LeJ’Ours
KinderBär was a welcome addition to the team
and found a very comfortable home in the back
of the minibus.
My Most Embarrassing
Moment
To keep the ‘sit-on’ parts of the body healthy
most cyclists use some type of cream on long
rides. I was in the toilets at one camp site,
shorts round my ankles, back facing the door,
slathering cream liberally over my bottom when
Gary walked in. What a sight to behold!
Memorable Moments
There were many, many memorable
moments, a few of the best being:
• Gorgeous scenic views in lovely countryside
from quiet roads,
• Seeing large raptors (known as Weagles in our
family) soaring over the hillsides
• Enormous, excellent meals with good real ale
• Cycling in cloud in Scotland
• Slogging up a hill, soaking wet with toes
squelching inside cycling shoes
• Putting on cold damp clothes at 6:00 in the
morning inside a small one-man tent listening
to the steady hiss of raindrops outside
• Gary achieving his first 80 mile day, and then
in Scotland achieving a 104.3 mile day
• A very old Land Rover taking a short cut across
a boggy bit of Bodmin moor to overtake us,
churning up the ground and sliding around
like a snake
• A lovely red sunrise in Clevedon
Utterly Butterleigh 105k
I
rode this event last year with my friend Rob
who complained that the hills, and one in
particular ‘destroyed his legs’. He was not
on the entry list this year! I was having another
go, and being joined by my cycling friend, Liz,
and four other members from CTC Torbay:
Stella, Kevin, Dave and his wife Chris. I had
mentioned a few weeks previously that I’d put
an entry in and perhaps they might like to join
us. Liz and I didn’t say too much about the two
steep hills you’ve got to climb; one in the first
and the other in the second half.
All were there in Budleigh Salterton for
the start at nine along with about 40 others.
After a talk by the organiser, Steven Medlock,
explaining that even after overnight rain all the
roads were open, no flooding anywhere, and
wishes us all the ‘best of luck’.
After a mile or two around some of the back
lanes to get out of the town you are faced
with the first challenge, a particularly evil little
climb to get up onto East Budleigh Common
and over to Woodbury. Liz found that two or
three layers of clothing were making her a bit
too warm after the hill like that and chose to
stop and rearrange things which left the both
of us at the back of the group. Past Woodbury
and down to Clyst St George for the first info
control then followed by rural lanes to go
round the new Sky Business Park and onto
Broadclyst. Parts of Graham Brodie’s Devon
Delight route around here so no trouble
finding the way.
We join the old A38 for a short distance
to turn past Killerton Park and into Silverton
for the start of the first long climb. The climb
starts off alright; nice and gentle and you’ve
got three cogs to spare on the back. This
soon changes as one-by-one you’re forced
to change down as the hill gets into a 1-in-6
mode. It levels out and you think ‘that’s it’. Not
a chance — it starts climbing again for another
100 metres.
On the plus side it starts to go down a long,
long way into Butterleigh and then you go
up again, I can see where the 1300 metres
of climbing on this event is coming from.
Finally coming over the top with a long, steep
downhill into the Canal Centre at Tiverton for
the first control we're running a bit close to the
control closing time so chose to ride on after
getting the card stamped.
On leaving the control there’s a short climb
which soon flattens out, but after a short
distance a road sign reads ’25%’ — and it’s
not going down. Fortunately it’s only for a
short distance, as just when your legs are
shouting ’enough’ you turn off along a series
of delightful lanes through Ash Thomas to
Cullompton. Along this section unfortunately I
picked up an impact puncture which resulted
in a slight delay while I changed the tube. This
little incident was to cause me problems for
the rest of the ride. After about 15 minutes the
rear tyre started to go a bit soft so I pumped
it up again only for the same thing to happen
again. This continued for the rest of the day,
stopping every 15 to 20 minutes and putting
more air in the tyre — I later worked out it was
a faulty valve.
Along the A373 out from Cullompton to
turn into Broadhembury, that village where
nothing much has changed for the last 50
years. No yellow lines or TV aerials, and most
of the properties still have thatched roofs. I
believe the village is still privately owned by
the Drewe family — they had connections with
Home and Colonial stores which had a shop in
most high streets in the 60s. The other thing
about Broadhembury is that there’s a long and
very steep hill leading up onto the Dunkeswell
airfield area which we have to climb. I rode
the first third, walked the second third and
managed to stay on my bike for the last bit.
Along the lanes over to Shelvins Cross,
the second info control, to be followed by a
Event
Utterly Butterleigh
Date 4 September 2016
Distance
Organiser
Start
100km (106km)
Steven Medlock
Budleigh Salterton
Devon
series of narrow rural lanes into Honiton and
the Boston Tea Party café. Still having to pump
this tyre up from time to time so little chance
for a stop before going through the town to
look for the lanes leading to Gittisham. Very
picturesque village, a bit off the beaten track
but well worth a visit.
Along the old A30 to Fairmile to turn and
follow the river Otter, now famous for its
population of Beavers. Through Tipton St John
to follow familiar lanes through Otterton into
Budleigh Salterton and the finish .
Thanks must go to Steven and his team for a
well run event, certainly taking in some of the
best scenery in the area while climbing those
hills. I hope you run the event again next year.
Ribble Blue
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ORDRE DES COL DURS
A Texas Winter Weekend
Bob Damper
The little Texas town of Driftwood,elevation 1043 feet, home to the famous Salt Lick BBQ
Before I retired in 2014, one of the
perks of my job as a university
professor was that every now and
again I got study leave away from
teaching to spend some concerted
time on research. Although the main focus of
these periods of study leave obviously had to
be work, they were also a good time to get
some cycling done in new country and I always
chose the location for my leave with this partly
in mind. The winter of 2009/10 was spent at the
University of Texas in Austin, the US’s biggest
university in its biggest state. Austin was
certainly a good place to be. One of the cleanest
Onion Creek on a cold and frosty winter morning in central Texas.
and safest cities in the USA, renowned for its
shops, restaurants and live music venues, Austin
is pleasantly situated on the Columbia River and
with the scenic Texas Hill Country stretching to
the south and east. Having a large proportion
of students, university staff and professional
people in the population, cycling is a popular
means of travel within the city with the local
motorists used to cyclists and respectful of their
place on the road. I had with me my cheap and
cheerful Dawes Galaxy, which I used both for
commuting to the University and for weekend
trips into the Hill Country. Replacing the Dawes’
original rather flimsy wheels with more robust
better-quality wheels has given me a bike
equally suitable for
commuting and heavy
touring.
Generally, Central
Texas enjoys a
beautiful climate in
autumn and winter, not
dissimilar to the best
of summer in the south
of England, although
I would not have
wanted to be in Austin
in summer when, as a
friend of mine put it, it
is as “hot as the hinges
of hell”. As my period
of leave was coming to
an end, and I had to be
back to start teaching
in Southampton at the
beginning of February,
I decided that
the weekend
of 9/10 January
2010 should be
dedicated to
a longish trip
across the Hill
Country to San
Antonio, about
70 miles south
west of Austin.
Perhaps not
a great distance by Audax standards, but far
enough for a fully-loaded weekend with the
focus on relaxation. I had always wanted to see
San Antonio’s famous landmark, the Alamo, for
real, having watched the 1960 John Wayne film
of the same name countless times as a nipper,
and this was pretty much my last opportunity
to do so.
Until this point, my stay in Texas had been
marked by weather perfect for cycling. However,
things changed dramatically in the week
preceding my trip as temperatures fell to a level
almost unheard of in those parts. Several days of
severely sub-zero temperatures prompted me
to revise my plan and go for a slightly shorter
excursion to New Braunfels. This also had the
advantage of avoiding a potentially trafficky ride
through metropolitan San Antonio to the Alamo
in the heart of the city.
Back in 2010, OCD CycloClimbing had still to
join forces with AUK and accumulating claims
formed no part of my thinking or ambitions.
However, looking back over my consolidated
claims record as I write this article, I see that five
18
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ORDRE DES COL DURS
Hill Country ranch near Buda.
are in Texas during my time in Austin. As the Hill
Country is not especially lofty, none is very high,
but all five ascents were memorable. This last
weekend trip accounted for two claims, both on
the Sunday on my way back to Austin.
The quirky Faust Hotel and Brewery in New Braunfels
Saturday 9 January 2010 dawned bright and
frosty — very frosty. It was -10°C at 0800 and I
was starting to think that even New Braunfels
could be off the agenda. However, a long period
without rain meant that everything was dry,
with little chance of encountering ice, and by
0900 it had reached a “warm” -8°C, so off I set,
well-wrapped up and with hat on head. It is
The Blanco River at Wimberley
quite unusual for me
to wear a hat; I only
do so when it’s really
cold. This hat was
my much loved 80s
vintage Campitello,
given a new lease
of life by replacing
the peak (which had
disintegrated) with a
stiffer one cut from
an ice cream cartoon.
Not being much of a
seamstress myself, this
repair was effected
for me by clubmate
Wendy Etheridge.
Thanks, Wendy!
I took my (by now)
well-worn route out
of the city via South
1st Street and Old San
Antonio Road. There was just one localised
piece of ice, on the short bridge across Onion
Creek, and this was easily avoided. Although
cold, the sun was shining brightly
and there was not a cloud in the sky,
which made for very good cycling.
Just before 1100, I reached Buda
and stopped for elevenses at the
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q. As on previous
visits to this very welcoming eatery,
this degenerated into a second
breakfast. I ordered a ham and
fried egg roll with coffee, and very
nice it was too. Then I continued
on FM2770 (FM stands for “Farm to
Market” road) through Mountain
City, where the temperature had
risen to a respectable 5°C, and
on to Kyle. Here, I picked up Old
Stagecoach Road, after a few miles
hitting the Blanco River (so called
because of its limestone bed where
dinosaur footprints have been
found) and following it for a while to turn onto
Post Road, which crossed the river and took me
to San Marcos.
San Marcos is a very attractive university town
(home of Texas State
University), with lots of
nice cafés and coffee
shops. I selected one of
these for lunch, which
consisted of excellent
clam and sweetcorn
soup with bread roll
and coffee. With the
sun still shining, I left
the town on FM2439
heading south west.
This road was mostly
traffic free as well as
having a more than
adequate shoulder
serving as a cycle track
alongside, except for
a short section where
it became a slip road
for Interstate 35. At
this point, the traffic
Leaving San Marcos after lunch on Saturday.
increased dramatically, the road narrowed and
the cycle track disappeared. Why is it that you
always seem to get cycle facilities where they are
not needed, and as soon as you need them, they
disappear? Anyway, normal service was resumed
after a half-mile or so and I was back on a quiet,
undulating road speeding me to New Braunfels,
where I arrived at about 1500. Mileage for the
day was 50.1, with the sun still shining and the
temperature having soared to a balmy 7°C.
I had booked myself into the quaint and
historic (also relatively cheap and reputedly
haunted) Faust Hotel, attracted by their claim to
brew their own beer. However, they were sadly
“between brewers” at the time. Fortunately, they
still had a fine selection and on arrival I chose
the very good Alamo Golden Ale, weighing in
at a respectable 5.1%. A couple of pints of this
set me up for a shower, change of clothes and
a night of revelry out on the town. Well, not
quite. New Braunfels in the dead of winter was
not exactly hopping, but after a freezing cold
walk of a couple of blocks, I did find a pretty
authentic German restaurant, replete with
oompah band in lederhosen. I felt a little selfconscious
in the restaurant by virtue of the book
I had brought with me to read. It was about
Herman Göring, and attracted several quizzical
glances from the waiting staff. Dinner consisted
of Bavarian smoked sausage with Spaten
Optimator beer (not to be trifled with at 7.5%)
followed by an early night, as there was nothing
on television except the stupid adverts in which
the USA specialise.
Reports of the hotel being haunted proved
exaggerated and my sleep was uninterrupted
by spectral interventions. Sunday morning
was another bright and sunny offering, with a
chilling temperature of -3°C as I left the hotel at
0845 after a very acceptable buffet breakfast. I
headed north out of New Braunfels on FM306
towards Canyon City climbing through typical
Hill Country. After some 12 miles, I turned right
onto Purgatory Road. The next few miles were
perhaps the nicest of the weekend in the early
morning sun, so there was not much purgatorial
that I could see about this road. It is supposed
to be haunted by the ghost of a blood stained
motorist who died here in the 1930’s, but if true
this ghost works no harder than his colleague
in the Faust Hotel and obviously takes Sunday
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 19

ORDRE DES COL DURS
Spotted at Bear Creek
mornings off. Purgatory Road ran for 8 or
so miles, taking in my first OCD claim of the
weekend at the 370 metre summit, before
ending at Ranch Road 32 where I turned right.
This was a nice fast road, with excellent surface
and a slight tail wind. At the junction with Ranch
Road 12, I turned left and sped down for 4 miles
on the exhilarating descent, accompanied by
beautiful views across the Hill Country, into the
Blanco River valley at Wimberley.
Arriving at exactly 1100 at the superb
Wimberley café, I partook of yet another second
breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash
browns. This fine café is rightly
popular on a Sunday morning with
first class food and fast service. By
1130 the temperature was up to 5°C,
and I was back on RR12 heading
north. The climb out of the Blanco
valley in the bright sunshine up to
the day’s second OCD claim at 395m
warmed me up to the extent that
I was able to remove my beloved
Campitello hat for the rest of the
day. At the Driftwood winery, I
turned right on the hilly Elder Hill
Road. At one point, crossing a
branch of Gattlin Creek, I found
myself using my 22-inch bottom
gear for the first time for many a
week on the ultra-steep climb out of
the creek, arriving at the little town of Driftwood
at midday.
Driftwood is home to the world famous Salt
Lick BBQ restaurant but having already had two
breakfasts, I dispensed with lunch in favour of a
short roadside stop and some nuts and raisins
washed down with water just up the road.
Back on the bike, there was unfortunately no
alternative for the next few miles to the narrow,
hilly and very busy FM1826 to Bear Creek. Having
got that out of the way, I returned to Austin
on the surreal State Highway 45 and Loop 1, an
apparently well over-engineered multi-lane
highway almost entirely devoid of traffic. On
this last leg of the journey, I was overtaken by
Lance Armstrong, who gave me a cheery wave
and “howdy”. Well, it certainly looked like Lance
Armstrong and he did steam past at a speed I
estimated to be in excess of 30 miles an hour! He
was out of sight within a few seconds.
By way of Slaughter Lane and Manchaca Road,
downtown Austin was reached at 1515, with
65.8 very enjoyable miles completed from New
Braunfels. The temperature had by now hit a
pleasant 10°, which had seemed unthinkable as
recently as that very morning. In the preceding
months, I had developed the habit of ending
rides at Jo’s Cafe on 2nd Street, just around the
corner from my apartment, where I invariably
ordered a glass of the excellent Lagunitas IPA
(6.2%) and some peanuts. As my time in Austin
was sadly coming to an end, I saw no good
reason to forego this little pleasure while it was
still on offer. So ended a very fine Texas winter
weekend of cycling. I wonder if and when I will
get the chance of another. ◆
CYCLING THE END TO END CYCLE ROUTE
CYCLING IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
MOUNTAIN BIKING IN WEST AND NORTH WEST SCOTLAND
MOUNTAIN BIKING IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SCOTLAND
Published by Cicerone Press, www.cicerone.co.uk
Cicerone have released four new cycle touring and mountain biking
guides. Following Cicerone’s usual format, each guide is 173mm by 116mm,
taking up little space in your luggage and with the added bonus for both
mountain biking guides having gloss-laminated PVC sleeves.
The End-to-End guide is an updated 2016 version of the previous 2012
version with the route starting at Land’s End and following a 1,000-mile
route to the northern-most point of mainland Scotland. Cyclists come
from around the world to ride End-to-End and is a must for many cyclist’s
bucket list. There are step-by-step route descriptions with maps and
stage profiles and links to GPX mapping for your GPS. With multiple
accommodation listings and bike shops for the whole route, listed stageby-stage,
and with the route taking you through England, Wales and
Scotland, this is an indispensible guide to a major ride in your cycling
career.
Cycling in the Lake District guide covers five-day and single-day rides
in challenging and very scenic Cumbria with detailed routes and maps
and also comes with links to GPX mapping for your GPS. The appendices
contain accommodation, useful contacts and what to take.
Mountain Biking in West and North-West Scotland takes you around the
Scottish Highlands, the highest concentration of mountains in the UK, with
25 routes varying from 20k to 73k in length, and graded from moderate
to very hard. There is turn-by-turn route descriptions and 1:50,000 OS
mapping with gradient profiles. The appendices contain accommodation
details, a guide to the Gaelic language, bike shops and emergency units.
Mountain Biking in Southern and Central Scotland contains 21 routes
with access from Glasgow and Edinburgh ranging from16k to 66k
from centres including Greenock, Peebles and Milngavie. Turn-by-turn
directions and route profiles are included along with 1:50,000 OS maps
and a list of bike shops and repairers and emergency centres in the
appendices.
Tim Wainwright
20
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BOOK REVIEW
Cols and Passes of the
British Isles
By Graham Robb
Published by Particular Books
ISBN 9781846148736
I am sure that those of you who enjoyed Graham Robb’s ‘The
Discovery of France’ (reviewed in Arrivée February 2015), will welcome
this, his latest publication. The press release describes it as the first ever
comprehensive catalogue of the 2002 cols and 105 passes of the British
Isles and as being of particular interest to keen cyclists, walkers and
climbers, fans of unusual maps and topography, and lovers of strange
atlases. It continues ‘it is eccentric, obsessive, practical and beguiling…’;
a description that I would not disagree with. It is dedicated to the first
person to cross all 2002 cols of the British Isles (a serious challenge to
the hardier OCD types.?).
The col of ‘Sydenham Rise’, at 77m, is a touch lower than those that would normally appear in an OCD
claim, but gives an interesting glimpse of the book’s contents:
‘An enormous, overstuffed walrus – a creature
unknown to the Victorian taxidermist, who
assumed it to have had a taut, unwrinkled hide
– is one of many unique objects of the natural
world displayed in the Horniman Museum in
south London. The museum’s rarest treasure,
however, lies on its very doorstep, unnamed and
unrecognized – until now.
London has many hills but only one col. It
cuts through the Norwood Ridge, one mile to
the north of the Crystal Palace Transmitter. For
a long time, the gap in the Norwood Ridge was
not particularly useful. London grew up around
a crossing of the Thames and expanded along
its tributaries. The city’s main arteries followed
valleys and unbroken ridges. But eventually,
the burgeoning suburbs developed their own
arterial system and it became possible to orbit
the city without passing through its centre. The
road which crosses the col now forms part of
the South Circular. It was already a busy route in
1868, when Frederick Horniman, a tea merchant
and collector, bought a house and gardens with
distant views of central London and began to
organise his collection of curiosities, which he left
to the people of London in 1901.
Natural features can be hard to find in a city.
In that part of south London, there are signs to
everything except the col, which reveals its classic
shape – two elegantly intersecting encolures –
only at the very top. Streams which flowed from
the watershed have been sent underground, and
the place has to be imagined without its buildings
and roads (a soothing mental exercise for anyone
who has reached the col after shooting the rapids
of the worst cycling black spots in London). It can
be seen as it was in quieter days on the right of
Camille Pissarro’s ‘Lordship Lane Station’, where
it appears as a grassy cleft dotted with suburban
villas. This is the only British col to be painted by a
French Impressionist, and the first to be crossed
on a bicycle by a major French novelist. During
the Dreyfus Affair, Émile Zola lived in a hotel on
the Norwood Ridge, velocipeding all over the
place with his camera and admiring the lacy
bloomers of English lady cyclists.
Though it stands in one of the most densely
populated parts of Britain, this is perhaps the
loneliest of British cols. Its nearest col-neighbour
lies more than twenty miles to the south-west,
and no col lies further to the east. It makes up
for loneliness with sociability. No other col has a
pedestrian crossing at its summit, no col is served
by more bus-lines and none has more cycle traffic.
On a chilly February afternoon, I counted half a
dozen cyclists in as many minutes. Photographing
them as they crossed the col entubed in dark
clothing, I wondered whether Émile Zola would
have bothered to record the scene.
By far the commonest human powered vehicle
making use of the col has four wheels and is
piloted almost exclusively by women. At certain
times of day, London’s only col is congested with
pushchairs. The bloated walrus, the disembodied
dogs’ heads, the aquarium, the park and the
infant-friendly staff are a powerful attraction for
the under-fives of Sydenham and Dulwich, who
regularly have themselves wheeled up to the col.
If col-baggers are allowed to count the same col
more than once, some of those juvenile museumgoers
already have more col-crossings to their
credit than the most experienced fell-walker or
cyclist.
I have attached the name ‘Sydenham Rise’
to the anonymous col because this is one of the
streets which form the sides of the col-cradle…’
‘…The unwrinkled behemoth, originally from
Canada, was purchased by Mr Horniman and
brought up to the col from Kensington in 1901.
Two years ago, it descended on the other side
when it was moved to Margate for an exhibition
and thus, unbeknownst to everyone, became,
probably, the first walrus to cross a col.’
Paul Harrison
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 21

WAWA
to
Peter Marshall
At the finish of the inaugural Wild
Atlantic Way Audax (WAWA) — 2,100km
of hills, rain, and wind on the scenic
west coast of Ireland, to be covered in 7
days and 7 hours — I struggled to sum
up my experience to Eamon Nealon, the
organiser. I’ll remember this ride as long
as I live (I told him), which may not be
very long if I do many events as hard as
this…
So here’s my A-Z of the WAWA.
I hope it’ll give you a flavour of the
longest and most memorable ride of my
randonneuring career.
Adventures
The WAWA brought several adventures for
Catherine and me.
Day 2: We’re within a few kilometres of
Ballyheigue and bed. The route seems to
be travelling in circles on tiny, pitch-dark
lanes. Squalls of rain and wind are buffeting
us from unexpected directions.
Through the rain on my glasses,
I’m concentrating on following
the black line on my GPS when it
abruptly vanishes. Ah… Turn it off
and back on again. Nope, no luck.
Turn the track display off and back
on again. Nope, no luck. Panic.
Nope, no luck.
After a few minutes of random
prodding, the GPS deigns to display
the track again. We heave a sigh of
relief and set off.
A couple of kilometres pass
without incident. On a particularly
pitchy lane my headlight suddenly
goes black and rejects all attempts
at resuscitation. I have to share
Catherine’s dynamo light for the remaining 13km
to the control, calling the bends and turns from
the GPS.
Day 6: It’s dark, and we’re descending the last
of the big hills after Killybegs, plunging towards
the coast. I’m in front, but moderating my speed
at Catherine’s request. We pass a cottage. I
glimpse black and white to my left, then there’s
growling and a crash. A sheepdog has rushed at
Catherine, causing her to fall. She’s remarkably
calm, and quickly checks the bike. It seems okay.
Day 7: Breakfast. Catherine mentions that she
seems to have damaged a brake lever in the fall.
I take a look. The pivot of the left lever — front
brake — is an ex-pivot. It has ceased to be. It
has joined the choir invisible (I wonder how she
made it over the many coastal lumps after the
big descent). She needs a replacement lever if
she’s to complete the ride safely.
Eamon to the rescue… Catherine gets a
lift to and from a local bike shop, and returns
eventually with a shiny new functioning lever.
Mismatched, but you can’t have everything.
We set off late for the final day’s ride. There’s
still plenty of time. Nothing can go wrong now,
can it?
Audax ireland
Lovely people. To a man, hard as nails and
mad as a parcel of amphibians. Suffer from
hill-blindness.
Beards
George was the official beard of the WAWA.
That is all you need to know.
Beer
My body was a—ruined—temple for the
duration of the WAWA. I promised myself
beer at the finish, but confined myself to
casting longing glances at pubs en route.
Beer might dissolve my motivation. As it
slipped refreshingly down my throat. Stop it,
imagination!
George, on the other hand, was
more sensible. He equipped himself
in Kinsale with a leaflet on the
breweries of the Wild Atlantic Way
and visited several along the road.
Mind you, I’m reasonably sure that
the start was the only time George
has ever entered a Temperance Hall.
I was half-expecting alarms to go off
as he crossed the threshold.
Bike
What to ride on the longest event
I’d ever attempted? I used my Mason
Definition on rides up to 400km,
then rode a 600 on the carbon bike
Day 1 - Looking towards the Sheep’s Head peninsula.
22
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WAWA
I’d used for London-Edinburgh-London. The
rough chipseal roads and potholed lanes on the
600 left me feeling battered. The comfy carbon
frame couldn’t compensate for the hard ride
resulting from skinny tyres, and my arms and
shoulders ached from the effort of hauling on
the rim brakes. There would be rough roads and
tricky descents galore on the WAWA. The Mason
it was, then. It worked brilliantly.
Burren
The WAWA was a ride of extraordinary
landscapes, and the Burren was the weirdest of
the lot. Low rolling hills paved with limestone,
but with lush vegetation bursting from cracks in
the rock. Like riding across an alien planet.
Camper van
The camper van control was always a
welcome sight.
The camper van’s first appearance was in
sun-drenched Baltimore on Day 1. As riders
spotted the van and homed in on tea and cake,
Annette issued stern
instructions to ride the
loop round the village
before stopping at the
control. We did as we
were told!
Day 2: The camper
van was in raindrenched
Portmagee.
Day 3: It wasn’t at the
Cliffs of Moher. Oh
no! Day 4: Normal
service resumed in
Connemara. Day 5:
The camper van was
at Keel. There was no
tea. We promised to
say no more about
it. Day 6: The van’s
farewell appearance was by the roadside in
Bundoran. Henceforth Bundoran shall be known
as Cakedoran.
Cap
A cyclist is improperly dressed without a
traditional cotton cap, I feel. And the only
appropriate response to a baseball cap in the
bunch is harrumphing and goggle-eyed outrage
in the style of an H.M. Bateman cartoon.
I wouldn’t want you think I’m unreasonable
when it comes to caps. You’re perfectly free to
wear your peak up or down. But only a poseur or
idiot wears his cap back to front.
Inishowen, the last night: Catherine and I
are in the grip of the dozies and are looking
for somewhere for a snooze. She spots a picnic
table by the roadside. That’ll do.
It’s raining steadily, so I opt against stretching
out on the wet bench, instead resting my arms
and head on the table. Rain is dripping down my
neck, so I flip my cap round to divert the drops.
The finish at the Peace Bridge in Derry: I’m
feeling happy but slightly spaced. Eamon
presents the WAWA medal and trophy. I say
Gubbeen. Cameras click. Afterwards I reach for
the peak of my cap to take it off, but it isn’t there.
I’m still wearing the cap back to front. Doh!
With Catherine at the Iona Inn after the finish
Catherine
At the foot of the Conor Pass descent on Day
2 I encountered the rider who had twiddled past
me on the climb. She asked to ride along to the
Before the madness…a handy route reminder
control with me, as we’d be riding into the dark.
This was Catherine, and we ended up riding
together for most of the rest of the WAWA.
We had an informal division of labour. I
tracked the route on GPS and provided snippets
of local knowledge derived from past tours in
Ireland. Catherine double-checked against the
route sheet. We talked nonsense—well, that was
mostly me—or rode in companiable silence,
according to whim.
As well as her wide variety of rainproofs,
Catherine carried enough food secreted in
various pouches, pockets, and bags to stock
a decent-sized corner shop. Certainly more
stock than the shop in Castlemaine… She even
conjured up cold potatoes in the middle of the
night on Inishowen.
Towards the end of the ride, we each
contributed our shrivelled rando half-brain to
decisionmaking, ensuring that one full brain was
available at all times. Mostly.
We had several adventures. She was a calm
and competent presence. It was a privilege to
ride—and finish—with her.
Catherine on Achill Island
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WAWA
Day 4 gets a bit much for Richard
Chainring
I had a single 36-tooth elliptical chainring and
an 11-36 11-speed block. This setup worked very
well. The lack of really high gears prevented me
from pushing too hard at the beginning when
suffering from testosterone poisoning, and
the lack of really low gears deterred me from
making my knees go ping on the stupidly steep
stuff. Decision making was simple: Just one
shifter. Even my addled rando half-brain could
cope with that. The SRAM shifter also required
smaller hand movements than Shimano. These
small things count over 2,100km.
Cliffs of Moher
For some reason—wishful thinking,
probably—I was sure the camper van, and its
essential supplies of tea, cake, and sympathy,
would be at the Cliffs of Moher on Day 3. After
a vigorous tussle with the Hill of Moher while
the Wind of Moher tried to blow me back the
way I’d come, I reached the sign for the car park
and visitor centre. Through the raindrops on my
glasses I could vaguely make out camper vans
in the car park. Was one of them “our” camper
van? I headed over to the ticket office and asked
the attendant if one of the vans was dispensing
tea and sympathy to bedraggled cyclists. She
looked blank. Drat! No cake. Proof of passage
would have to be a photo of the car park sign.
Rather blurry, since the Wind of Moher was
trying to blow me off
my feet at the time.
Abruptly, the
weather cleared. The
lack of cake suddenly
seemed less disturbing.
After all, I still had my
Clif Bar (of Moher). And
the road was downhill.
And soon I would
come to the Burren
(whatever that was).
Conor Pass
Having manfully
spurned the cafés,
bars, and assorted
fleshpots of Dingle on
Day 2, I paused at the
foot of the climb to
engulf some calories,
dripping in the murk.
(I halted in front of a
microbrewery, as it
turned out. Cue more
manful spurning…) A
couple were heading
into town and asked
where I was going.
“Over the pass and
on to Ballyheigue,”
I said. “Fair play to
you. It’s a long way
to Ballyheigue.” Ah…
Good…
As I ground up the
pass, the weather
closed in again. No
views. I was climbing in cloud. A rider clad in
many varieties of waterproof garment greeted
me as she went spinning past into the mist. This
was Catherine, it turned out.
The ascent was wide, so it came as a surprise
to crest the pass and find myself on a narrow
shelf of tarmac glued to a cliff. Nothing but a low
parapet stood between me and the void to my
left. A gusty crosswind added to the fun. But the
weather was clear on this side. And it was a long
descent. And I had disc brakes. Bwahahahaha!
Conversations
Random rando topics of conversation
included: Food; Donald Trump; McNasty
stashing food by the roadside; New Mexico;
food; LEL; Irish weather; food; Georgia O’Keefe;
Myles na gCopaleen and his bookhandling
service; Marfa, Texas, and the Chinati
Foundation; food; drugs; Brexit; the current
hill; the upcoming hills; seafood chowder (may
contain traces of food); ElliptiGOs and the
WAWA—why?; the Waterboys; long rides we
have known; stopping at red traffic lights; food;
sheep, their dialects and hairstyles; Colorado;
food; the different styles of houses in different
parts of Ireland; the bike-mangling service
offered by major airlines; food.
Dai
Dai definitely had the biggest saddlebag
on the WAWA. He remained cheerful despite
suffering from Knees and walking like a penguin.
Disc brakes
The hydraulic disc brakes on my Mason
allowed me—a graduate of Hennessey’s
School of Descending—to give full rein to my
plummeting skills. The fact that I could brake
strongly with little effort became increasingly
helpful as the ride went on.
Top tip (specially for Jonty): If you’re riding
in rural and remote areas and have disc brakes,
carry spare pads.
Eamon
Eamon, the organiser, had taken a vow
of ubiquity and would teleport himself to
random points along the course, where he
would dispense, in no particular order: fizzing
enthusiasm; spokes; beer; spare bicycles; and
slightly misleading reassurances about the
terrain you were about to encounter.
Earworms
Day 4 passed through Spiddle/An Spideal,
giving me Waterboys earworms for the
remainder of the ride. Either Fisherman’s Blues
or A Bang on the Ear. Heroically, I managed
to keep the earworms internal and refrained
from singing/croaking tunelessly (delete as
applicable).
ElliptiGO
As Flann O’Brien nearly wrote:
“Is it about a bicycle?… No? Are you sure?…
Would it be true that you are an itinerant dentist
and that you came on a tricycle?… On a patent
tandem?… Do you tell me it was a velocipede or
a penny farthing?”
No, I came on an ElliptiGO.
“It is a queer contraption, very dangerous, a
certain death-trap.”
Well, maybe not. But it’s certainly a
challenging choice of steed on a ride notable for
a) length; b) wind; and c) hills.
As one fruit-loop to another, huge respect
to Stuart and Andrew for GOing where the less
loopy would fear to pedal.
Excursions
Most routes go from A to B. Not so the
WAWA, which meandered round the rest of the
alphabet in between. Several times a day we’d
encounter signposts giving distances to places
we were due to pass through, but inevitably our
route would take an excursion or two along the
way. We’d cover double or treble the distance,
via peninsulas, promontories, and fingers of
land sticking out to see which way the wind was
blowing.
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WAWA
Eye bags
By Day 4, my usual long-ride swollen eyelids
had appeared. By Day 6, slitty eyes had given
way to pouches beneath the eyes big enough
to carry a medium-sized multitool. By the finish,
the pouches were filled with fluid.
It’s okay. I’ve been able to resume my
modelling career since.
Father Ted
It is now my considered opinion that Father
Ted was a documentary series.
Floor
By Day 5 it had come to my attention that the
floor was further away than it used to be.
Fun
The WAWA was composed entirely of Fun.
Admittedly, there were occasional patches of
Type 2 Fun (Like Fun, Only Different) and Type
3 Fun (You Chose To Do This So You’d Better
Pretend You’re Enjoying It).
Goats’ Path
There were no goats. Presumably they had
left for somewhere less vertical, where they
could move about without crampons on their
hooves and oxygen tanks on their backs. The
Himalayas, perhaps. The road must have been
constructed from some super-adhesive variety
of tarmac to stick on the side of the hill.
I grimped grimly up, trying not to sprain a
lung. I cackled madly down the other side.
Hallucinations
Boringly, I had no hallucinations on the
WAWA. This may have been because I had
enough sleep. Or it may have been because
Stuart on the ElliptiGO had cornered the market
in hallucinations, and there were none left for
anyone else.
Healy Pass
In a red van, Eamon and Seamus were
mounting a roving secret control on the
approach to the Healy Pass. How hard must the
pass be if they were going to these lengths to
keep randonneurs honest?
The light was beginning to fade—like my
legs—at the foot of the climb. I paused to turn
on my back light, then set about spinning my
way to the top. The road zigged and zagged
past scattered rocks. A solitary car overtook,
and I watched its tail lights zag and zig up the
pass until, minutes later, it passed from view.
Quite a long climb, then, but a steady one. And,
eventually, a hurtle down to sea level (Yay!)
followed by a draggy climb near Lauragh (Boo!)
that I’d completely forgotten about.
Helpers
The helpers made for a truly special
atmosphere on the WAWA. As soon as you
arrived at a control—more often than not
ushered in by a helper who had tracked your
approach—you were bundled up in a blanket
of smiling hospitality. And fed improbable
quantities of food. The bike butlers would deal
with mechanicals while you slept.
Arriving in Kilrush on Day 3, I asked if there
was a local bike shop where I could get a front
light, since mine had failed in the previous
evening’s deluge. We’ll see, I was told. By the
time I’d wolfed down a couple of portions of
lasagne—it had been at least an hour since
I’d had cake on the ferry—a replacement
light, complete with spare batteries, had been
magically conjured up.
Hoolie
The hoolie is the official wind of the WAWA.
It prefers travelling in the opposite direction to
the cyclist.
Irony
Catherine was worried about colliding with
a free-range sheep, but was brought off by a
sheepdog.
Judo mats
Most nights we slept on airbeds or camp
beds. To make sure we didn’t get too soft,
Eamon gave us judo mats to sleep on in
Oranmore. I never realised judo mats were made
of concrete…
Kenmare
Mention Kenmare to me after the WAWA, and
I’ll think of curry. Mmm, that curry at the control.
Just popping out for a kenmare…
Legs
Stupid running joke:
Day 4: “There was an error message this
morning. Legs 2.0 could not be installed at this
time. Please update to RandOS 2.0.”
Day 5: “There was an another error message.
Autoupdate failed. Legs 2.0 could not be
installed. Reverting to Legs 1.1.”
Day 6: “Autoupdate to Legs 2.0 installed
successfully.”
Lighthouses
We visited many lighthouses. For many, the
Old Sod—sorry, Black Sod—was the lowlight
since it involved a lengthy out-and-back grovel
across bogland into a tearing headwind. But a
Hungarian rider described the Old Sod as his
favourite sight of the ride. Mind you, I don’t think
they have lighthouses in Hungary…
On the wind-assisted return from the Old Sod
Catherine called me to order when I tried to
retrace too far.
Memo to self: Make sure you display the track
for the second half of the day’s ride once you
reach the end of the track for the first half of the
ride.
Day 7 - Sunset as we head for Mamore Gap
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WAWA
Loops
The WAWA was a loopy sort of ride.
The ride out to Loop Head on Day 3 was
like being pressure-washed on the bike as the
howling headwind joined forces with lashing
rain. Conditions were so extreme all I could do
was laugh hysterically and swear. The muchmissed
Dave Lewis and Nik Peregrine would
have been in their element.
Loopily, the last few kilometres to Loop Head
followed an out-and-back route. I leaned my
bike against the sign at the lighthouse to take a
picture as proof of passage. The wind promptly
blew the bike over. I had to cant it at 45 degrees
for it to remain in place.
The loops around Achill Island on Day 5
provided some testing and blowy climbs and
exhilarating views as the pounding Atlantic did
its best to dismantle the coastline.
Luck
I was grovelling out towards Old Sod, deep
in a bad patch. Catherine was chugging into
the howling hoolie, with a taciturn French rider
glued to her wheel, but I couldn’t maintain the
pace. Mutter mutter headwind. Mutter mutter
lighthouse. Mutter mutter Old Sod. Mutter
mutter Eamon. Automatically I did the rando
pocket pat. Phone, check; maturing sandwich,
check; waterproof, what the… The wind had
plucked my Gore-Tex from my pocket.
I stopped by the roadside and turned round,
hoping to see my waterproof in the road. No
such luck, but two people were walking on
the road a couple of hundred metres back.
Maybe they’d spotted it and picked it up? No
sooner had hope sprung up than the hoolie did
likewise, and a more than usually exuberant gust
toppled me onto the verge, bike and all.
It took a minute or two to disentangle my
limbs from the bike. Hulk angry! In a rage I
stomped off towards Old Sod, vowing to look for
my waterproof on the way back.
Gravelly road works on the approach to the
lighthouse did nothing to soothe my savage
breast. I gave Catherine a snarly account of what
had happened, and stomped off again. Gravelly
road works. Hulk angry! Stomp stomp.
Fun fact: The usual roadside litter in County
Mayo is agricultural black plastic.
You wouldn’t believe how many bits of
plastic did persuasive impressions of my black
waterproof.
But there it was. Weirdly, on the windward
verge of the road. Hulk not angry any more.
Malin Head
Malin Head is the End near the end. It’s linked
to the other End, near the beginning, mostly by
lumps and wind.
It’s all downhill after Malin Head, apart from
the bits that aren’t.
Mamore Gap
Putting this climb in the penultimate leg of
a ride like the WAWA, when riders at this point
are on their penultimate legs at best, seemed
like one of Eamon’s little jokes. It was dark by
Kenmare: I got out of my sleeping bag and put on a
base layer, then had to have a little lie-down
the time we reached the base of the wall, and
I’d recently mislaid the ability to balance while
climbing steep hills, so it was time for a hike.
Even walking up was hard work, though it gave
an opportunity to rest and stretch my neck.
Catherine paused for a break at the top. I said I’d
wait at the bottom.
One look at the descent—extremely steep,
sketchy road surface, hairpins—was enough to
convince me that a man with a wibbly-wobbly
neck like mine had better walk down as well,
especially as I wasn’t carrying spare shorts. After
a couple of minutes the screech of tortured
brake blocks signalled that Catherine had
survived the plummet.
Meyrick
I first encountered Meyrick as I was basking
in the sun outside a pub in Akahista, on the
Sheep’s Head peninsula on Day 1. He was riding
a rather lovely traditional steel randonneur
bike but was having problems with broken
spokes, and was talking of waiting at the pub
for assistance. There was nothing I could do, so I
wished him well and headed off for what turned
out to be a tractor-paced ride to Kilcrohane.
I saw him the following day in Kenmare. He’d
been able to fix the problem, and his ride was
back on track.
I next encountered Meyrick near Malin Head
in the small hours of the last day. I was walking
along the road to rest and stretch my rubbery
neck. He stopped to see how I was and offered
advice on strapping my head to help deal with
the problem. I was too tired to explain that I
felt my occasional walks and stretches were
staving off full-blown Shermer’s Neck, and I was
certainly too tired to contemplate jury-rigging
head supports with inner tubes and zip ties.
This probably came over as tetchiness. Sorry,
Meyrick. I really appreciated your concern.
Midges
Ireland has midges. Who knew? The Irish
Tourist Board keeps that one pretty quiet.
These aren’t your wimpy Scottish midges
that snack on cyclists only in the lightest of
airs. Brawny Irish midges are happy to feast on
passing randonneurs even in a hoolie. Which,
given the prevailing weather, is just as well
from the midges’ point of view, if not from the
passing randonneurs’.
Mixing of Mollycules
The WAWA provided strong evidence in
support of Policeman Pluck’s theory of the
Mixing of Mollycules:
People who spend most of their natural lives
riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads
of the parish get their personalities mixed up
with the personalities of their bicycles as a
result of the interchanging of the mollycules of
each of them, and you would be surprised at
the number of people in country parts who are
nearly half people and half bicycles.
Even by Day 4 I was half-man, half-Mason.
If I came to a halt, I had to lean on a wall for
support. And I wasn’t the only one.
Mizen Head
Mizen Head is the End near the beginning.
Thanks to some roads of an uphill persuasion
and to the hoolie, which got particularly frisky
towards the end of the peninsula, the last few
kilometres seemed to take an age. I recovered
with a Brunch—the ice cream, not the meal. The
combination of sugar rush and tailwind led me
to start out on a repeat of the Mizen Head loop,
but some drinkers outside a bar soon set me
right.
Memo to self: Display the track for the second
half of the day’s ride only when you’ve reached
the end of the track for the first half.
Mojo
I thought I only found my mojo on Day 6, but
it was there the whole time.
Neck
As Day 7 wore on, I gradually became aware
that tarmac was filling more and more of my
field of vision. It took a conscious effort to raise
my head to admire the view, and, when I did,
my head would swiftly droop again. By the time
we reached Inishowen, I was sitting on the top
tube on descents in order to see better. I realised
I was suffering from incipient Shermer’s Neck,
though I’d never experienced this before.
At around the same time, I began to lose the
ability to balance the bike on steep ascents. This
was a blessing in disguise, since the resultant
uphill hikes allowed me to change position,
stretch, and rest my neck.
Malin Head (as Meyrick knows) was probably
my low point. Daylight on the final Friday lifted
my mood and made it easier to see where I was
going, obviously enough.
There were times during that last night that
I was on the verge of telling Catherine to push
on alone. The ride was 95% done, but still on a
knife edge.
Phil: I feel your pain.
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WAWA
Nurofen
Available only in pharmacies
in Ireland. This has been a public
service announcement.
Old age
Rides like the WAWA give insights
into the experience of old age.
Difficulty climbing stairs? Yep.
Difficulty descending stairs? Yep.
Hands not working? Yep. Eyes all
blurry? Yep. Tendency, once sat,
to keep sitting? Yep. Difficulty in
performing simple tasks? Yep.
Tendency to forg—what was the
question again? Yep.
Day 7- Dawn of the dead
“I found it hard to think of a time
when there was no road there
because the trees and all the hills
and the fine views of bogland had
been arranged by wise hands for
the pleasing picture they made
when looked at from the road.”
“The hardness of the road was
uncompromising and the country
changed slowly but surely as I made
my way through it.”
Almost every ride has transitional
sections. The WAWA spurns them.
The landscapes are constantly
shifting and generally spectacular.
I’ve never done a ride with fewer
unrewarding sections.
Pacing
How to pace myself for LEL+50%? Ride very
conservatively. Trundle. Don’t do anything to
make my legs hurt. Don’t faff. Honk as much as
possible but use low gears. Do the rando hand
jive to prevent tingly fingers. It worked, mostly.
On Day 6, I finally gave in to the temptation
to up the pace during a good patch. On Day 7,
bits of my body went into meltdown. There may
have been a connection.
Peninsulas
The WAWA never met a peninsula it didn’t like.
It felt like we did all the frilly bits of a notably
frilly coastline.
Pocket food
Best pocket food of my WAWA? A tie between
the sandwich I made from the mountain of
sausages at Curraun after the Achill loop
and the slab of ginger cake from Lackenagh.
Honourable mentions to the chocolate flapjack
from a random garage and the succession of deli
counter sandwiches (always including potato
salad) that were a daytime staple.
P*nct*res
I suffered no visitations from She Who
Must Not Be Mentioned, for I was riding fancy
tubeless tyres full of gloop. Catherine suffered
one visitation. Front wheel. Day 6. Between the
pair of us and our half-brains, it took
no more than, ooh, 20 minutes to fix.
After 5 minutes of fruitless flailing
with a minipump, I remembered I
was carrying a CO2 cartridge and
inflator. As I said, it was Day 6.
Q
There is no letter Q in Irish, so
don’t go expecting it to feature in
the WAWA A-Z.
Rachel
Rachel was usually glimpsed
vanishing Tiggerishly up the road,
or downside up against a wall. If
self-inversion makes you go that fast, maybe I
should give it a try.
Roads
There seems to be a notorious tarmac ring in
County Clare that has cornered the market in
smooth asphalt. Its sinister agents have certainly
stolen the consignments destined for Cork and
Kerry.
Saddle
I expected my saddle to get medieval on
my bum, but oddly it failed to turn into an
instrument of torture. I carried a family-size
bucket of Morgan Blue Solid chamois cream and
slathered it generously on my bearing surfaces.
One morning I contrived initially to put my bib
shorts on inside out after greasing up and ended
up smearing chamois cream on the saddle as
well. Who needs Proofide? Applied after each
day’s ride, Assos Skin Repair Gel—ludicrously
expensive, but it’s made from unicorn tears
or something—soothed any bits that needed
soothing.
The saddle is a Rivet Pearl. I had to retension it
a couple of times after rough roads had shaken
the tension bolt loose.
Scenery
Over to Flann O’Brien, who apparently rode
the WAWA:
Note angle of bike. Any more upright and it blew over
Sheep
It is a little known fact that Irish sheep have
regional dialects. The sheep of Donegal, for
instance, don’t baa or maa like the common
sheep of Cork. Instead, they enunciate clearly:
“Bar! Bar!” “Mare!” This amused us greatly as
we winched ourselves up the giant hills after
Killybegs. Every time a sheep said “Mare!” we’d
collapse into giggles. This didn’t make climbing
any easier.
Fashion note: Punkish shades of fluo pink and
electric blue are all the rage among the sheep of
Donegal this season.
Shelter
On the average UK ride, there are frequent
opportunities to take shelter: porches, lych
gates, bus shelters, phone boxes, verandas.
On the WAWA, there was nothing in the way
of public shelter, unless you count roadside
shrines: The Virgin generally had at least some
kind of a roof over her head.
Shillelagh
Equip yourself with a shillelagh for the WAWA.
Shake it as much as you like. Nope, there’s still
more scenery than you can shake a shillelagh
at…
Slea Head
Headwind, hills, rain, and—unusually for the
WAWA—traffic combined to test my
patience on the inland run to Dingle
on Day 2. I trundled a tad grumpily
through the town to begin the loop
round Slea Head. Stupid loop. Want
to go straight to nice warm, dry bed.
Whose idea was this anyway?
The roads were suddenly quiet
and rural, and my mood improved.
Every few metres signs advertised
prehistoric sites, but these were
invisible in the murk. Now I was
riding round a rocky headland, and
I could hear the sea off to my left.
There was an info control at Slea
Head, I knew. I waited in vain for a
Mizen Head-type sign announcing
that I had reached the point.
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WAWA
Stuart nods off on the podium… From left, Seamus, Paul O’Donoghue, Stuart, Eamon
Nothing to be seen on the headland except
some statues by the roadside. Hang on… What
was the info question?
The wise randonneur reads the info question
before riding past the answer.
Sleeping bags
WAWA riders were each provided with a
sleeping bag bearing a name label. The sleeping
bags would magically appear at each nighttime
control (the WAWA was superbly organised).
By the end of the ride, organisms unknown to
science were incubating in my bag. Somewhere
in Ireland, men in biohazard suits are dropping
WAWA sleeping bags into an incinerator, with
very long tongs.
Tea
Records show I drank approximately 443 cups
of tea during the WAWA. Oh, gwan gwan gwan.
On Day 1 I stopped at a cafe in Schull and
ordered soup, tea, and milk. The waitress looked
at me oddly. A glass of milk, I explained. My tea
arrived with half a pint of milk in a small bottle,
plus an additional pail of milk.
Trackers
Trackers were a boon for riders, friends and
relatives, WAWA organisers, and helpers. As a
rider heading out into thinly populated (albeit
fatly sheeped) areas, it was reassuring to think
the location of the ditch you rode into or the
cliff you rode off would be visible for posterity.
Friends and relatives could find the name of
the cafe or pub you
were skulking in, and
send chivvying text
messages. WAWA
organisers and helpers
could see when you
were off route or
approaching a control
and send out a search
party. Or point and
laugh…
The trackers worked
really well. Mine
needed recharging
once, in Curraun. My
main problem was the
cunning waterproof
catches on the tracker
pouch, which were a
challenge for a Rider of
Very Little Brain. It took
about five minutes to
summon the little grey
cells and dexterity to
extract the tracker
from its pouch in the
evening. And about ten
to seal it back in the
pouch next morning
since both little grey
cells and dexterity
were AWOL again.
Breakfast time in
Oranmore. Eamon
receives a call from a rider: Where am I? Beset by
the dozies, the rider has slept in a ditch but has
apparently been sleepwalking. He has woken,
but there’s no sign of his bike. Eamon breaks
the news that he can tell the location of the
rider’s bike from the tracker, but not of the rider
himself.
Useful advice
If you expect that, you’re looking in the wrong
place. No, hang on…
Don’t just leave the bike pointing in your
direction of travel if you stop for a roadside nap.
Tether yourself to it with a bungee or an old
inner tube, in case of midnight rambling.
Very
The WAWA was very long, very hilly, very
challenging, very enjoyable, very scenic, very
rewarding. I fear it may have spoiled other long
events for me. They will certainly have a lot to
live up to.
You’re very strongly recommended to ride it.
Walking
A bit of walking made a pleasant change from
all that pedalling and saved the knees. What
for, I wasn’t quite sure. Donation to science,
probably.
I walked most of the preposterous hill before
Portmagee on Day 2 as the rain misted down.
Two German girls were walking down the hill
and asked about the ride. We told them. They
told us we were crazy. They had a point.
By midway through Day 7, I seemed to be
losing fine motor control in my arms and thus
the ability to balance on steep hills, which was
annoying since my legs felt fine. But walking the
steep hills on Inishowen gave an opportunity to
stretch my neck and helped it hold out until the
finish.
Weather
Weather is Ireland’s most abundant natural
resource, and the WAWA exploited it to the full.
Ireland has so much weather that it doesn’t
confine itself, like most countries, to supplying
only one kind at a time.
We were on a little lane in Donegal, on the
way to Killybegs. Wherever I looked, there were
green mountains with their feet in shining water.
The official wind of the WAWA was blowing.
Over there, menacing leaden clouds. Over there,
bright sunshine and rainbows. Over there, rain
shrouding the hills. Over our heads, the sun
shone while squally rain bounced off the road
beneath our feet.
X-rated
As you will know by now, the WAWA was a
full-service event, though we were turned loose
each day to live off the land. So why X-rated? In
token of the many occasions on which I had to
deploy Emergency Swearing to get me where I
needed to be…
Yeats
At the statue on Rosses Point, as part-time
tour guide and bletherskite-in-chief, I explained
to Catherine that Sligo was not shy about its
associations with Yeats. We turned round to see
we were opposite the Yeats Country Hotel, as if
to confirm my blethering.
A few kilometres later, the route took us past
Yeats’ grave in Drumcliffe. Which was a bit of a
thrill.
ZZZ
Sorry, I nodded off there for a minute…
I managed 4 or 5 hours’ sleep most nights—
enough to stave off on-the-road dozies. After
our late start on Day 7, Catherine and I had to
ride through the last night. Well, walk and ride,
in my case. The Inishowen Peninsula at night
has little to offer the drowsy randonneur. We
ended up dozing at a picnic table while the
Irish rain did what the Irish rain gets so much
practice doing. Later we grabbed some quality
ZZZs under the canopy of a garage forecourt in
Moville.
I slept for about 16 hours straight through
after the finish. You might almost have thought
I was tired. ◆
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Cambridge Autumnal 100
Photos: Nick Wilkinson
WAWA
Geoff Sharpe leads off the riders
Sally Kelly & Jo Brooks
Rachel & Philip Garsed
Alice Sackville Hamilton & John Rackham
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 29

NATIONAL 400
Photo: James Bradbury
A Grand
National
Words – Alison Smedley
Pictures – Tim Decker, James Bradbury, Paul Smedley, Alison Smedley
“The National”, “TLC’, “Van of Delights”,
“Designed with newcomers to the
distance in mind” — all words
and phrases which were infiltrating my
consciousness over the spring months as I
steadily worked towards achieving this year’s
cycling goals: to ride more events than last year
and to complete a 300km event successfully.
The big 400 had to remain in the subconscious
until I knew what 300 felt like. I completed the
300 (Knock Ventoux, my second attempt at
Event National 400
Date 30 July 2016
Distance
Organiser
Start
400km (405km)
John Perrin
Peak Audax
Biggin
nr Hartington
the distance) in time (just!) with some serious
low points. Interestingly, unlike some earlier
rides which had taken their toll, this was mainly
physical and I managed to stay fairly calm and
rational upstairs throughout. This felt like a big
step forwards so I reckoned the National was
a possibility and I duly stopped gazing at my
navel and entered.
The timing couldn’t have been better, falling
as it did at the end of two weeks off work for
Paul, who would also be riding, and for me. The
first week of holiday was spent in the Yorkshire
Dales riding over some big hills variously
on the solo bikes and tandem, including a
hilly 120km Audax permanent ‘Deepdale and
Fleetmoss’ — fantastic ride! On the Thursday
before the National we relocated to Hulme
End, Staffordshire, where we would be camping
until Monday. On Friday, preparations included
recceing the ride to the start at the Biggin
village hall. The OS map suggested a ‘track’
and we duly followed the NCR signs onto a
vertiginous rocky footpath! We soon decided
this would not be the ‘short’ cut we would
take to the start, but pushed on anyway past
beautiful limestone caves and expansive views
which had eluded us on our valley potterings
along the Manifold trail with my folks the
previous day. My new cleats were now worn in
and caked in sheep droppings and all was well
with the world. After a quick ‘hello’ to a couple
of riders and to John Perrin as he arrived with
a heavily laden Van of Delights we located the
sensible route back to base via Hartington YH.
By our standards, planning had been pretty
meticulous and we had a filling pasta meal in
the tent and an early night as scheduled. I even
slept pretty well — camping next to a river was
very soporific!
Everything had been prepared the night
before so we were quickly riding as quietly as
possible along the gravel track of the campsite
and over the hill to Biggin where dozens of
riders were already filling up on tea, toast and
pain au chocolat. We picked up our Brevet cards
and joined the scrum for the scram, making
some half-hearted early morning attempts
at conversation. These weren’t very deep
and meaningful but I got the impression that
there was a good range of riders in terms of
experience and the atmosphere was pretty
positive.
The ‘starting gun’ was reliably silent as we
gradually filed out of the carpark at 7am and
filled the road out of Biggin heading north. Not
one for bolting off the blocks, I rode steadily,
close to the back of the pack, and was soon
passed by a few late starters. The first few
kilometres of the ride were too beautiful to
hurry, winding up a steep valley surrounded
by limestone outcrops which were lit by the
rising sun. Ascending to Axe edge was familiar
from recent Peak Audax rides and from growing
up nearby. We were rewarded for our efforts
with a long descent into Buxton over a road
with it’s tarmac missing! Soon we were out
the other side and after few kms of A6 we
were on the Monsal trail which was quiet at
this still early hour. This former railway, with
its now complete set of tunnels, took us south
to the first checkpoint and stamp on our cards.
There was discussion along the trail as to the
difference between ‘control’ and ‘checkpoint’
and we could only conclude that the difference
30
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NATIONAL 400
Van of Delights. Photo: James Bradbury
Ready to leave Biggin Village Hall. Photo: Paul Smedley
is that controls have food! With a couple of
hours riding under our belts, I think we were
starting to get hungry! In fact, a little further
on, as we started to encounter some hills, I
had my first snack pause. The Van of Delights
was so near and yet so far! A further hour of
undulations and magnificent Peak District
vistas and the aforementioned was a sight (and
sound!) to behold. Tea was brewing and there
were seemingly infinite cakes both in number
and variety — elevensies! Peter Bond was
alternating card stamping duties with ukulele
duties — we eventually got the hint and left.
The roads became flatter as we rode into
Staffordshire and some beautiful, gentle lanes,
A sunny Monsal Trail. Photo: Tim Decker
past villages previously
unheard of. This area
was all new and it
really began to feel
like an adventure
unfolding at this point.
I am not sure if it was
deliberate but what
worked really well in
most of this ride was
the first ‘half’ of each
hundred chunk being
significantly longer
than the second. This
meant that each fairly
long ride was followed
by a much shorter
one – psychologically
lovely and so the
ride to Anslow for
lunch (actually at
lunchtime!) was pretty quick. The amusing
highlight was being passed by a group wearing
“Royston Vasey Cycling Club – ‘You’ll never
leave’” jerseys — brilliant! We saw them again
at Anslow hall where a really efficient lunch of
soup, sandwiches and cake was served. Mind
and body were working together well and we
left without too much faff. The next stage took
us deeper into the Midlands and past a strong
smell of brewing which led me to guess we were
near Burton-on-Trent. I knew we would soon
be crossing Cannock Chase – a popular walking
and mountain biking area for the nearby
conurbations. I enjoyed the smell of pine forest
as we climbed out of Rugely but I wasn’t overly
fond of the road — fast
and straight with what
seemed like a slow drag
of an ascent. Still, what
goes up must come
down and we were
soon descending into
Penkridge and heading
south west, now
happily back on the
lovely lanes. The area
became familiar from
Shropshire outings
with signs pointing to
Albrighton and Cosford.
We soon happened
upon our second sighting of the Van of Delights
near Ryton. Riders were strewn all over the
grass triangle, soaking up the sun and convivial
atmosphere. Afternoon tea was duly partaken
of, after which our ride became more sociable
as we set off with other riders and got chatting
with a few of them about who knows what? This
continued as we passed historical Ironbridge
and up the long headwindy drag to Atcham
and then Upton Magna for tea, miraculously at
tea time — this was becoming a very civilised
outing! We hadn’t set a time schedule but were
riding a little quicker than usual and so time
pressure didn’t need to become an issue. I did
comment that it would be good to get back
to Upton Magna by 12 so it wouldn’t feel like
the depths of night (and for a midnight feast of
course!). Tea consisted of a spicy lentil soup with
infinite bread, and rice pudding with fruit salad.
The third ‘hundred’ was the longest at 117km
and more evenly split, but this time with a
sit-down meal at Llangollen to look forward to
halfway. Things were a bit wonky to begin with
as before long I stopped a little too abruptly
and Paul collided with me. Fortunately we
both stayed upright and only minor swear
words were exchanged. Soon we had the fun
of Saturday afternoon traffic in Shrewsbury
town centre and a bit of uncertainty about the
route out of town, which led to further tensions.
Once back on course, we relaxed into the ride
again and shared a joke about the ‘Knockin’
Shop’ and inhaled deeply as we passed some
very mellow smelling smoke! The ride took us
around the edges of Oswestry and we soon
crossed into Wales and the small town of Chirk
Tunnel on the Monsal Trail. Photo: Tim Decker
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NATIONAL 400
Anslow Village Hall – a tasty and efficient lunch control. Photo: Alison Smedley
with it’s strong smell of chocolate from the
Cadbury factory. It is apparently downhill to
Llangollen, but with the wind against us the
stretch along the A5 was hard work. I glimpsed
the magnificent Pontcysyllte aqueduct in the
valley but mostly I kept my eyes on the road and
my mind on the upcoming meal. The cheese
and potato pie was lovely, as was the soup and
the cake. I think this meal was ‘dinner’.
We left Llangollen at dusk so I lit the lamps
and put on my gilet and we were duly blown
up the hill. The westerly assisted our ride out of
Wales and towards Ellesmere. There were more
10km+ stretches on the routesheet now which
allowed for steady plodding through the dusk
and into the very dark night, absent of moon.
The mere itself lent a chill to the air as we rode
out of Ellesmere and turned south-east towards
Shrewsbury and, eventually, our second visit to
Upton Magna. Time and space pass differently
in darkness and I must have been getting tired
as my memories from this section are less clear. I
do recall being delighted to arrive at the control,
where a quieter night-hush had descended;
some riders took advantage of the airbeds while
others ate with due consideration, ourselves
included. Our midnight feast consisted of
vegetable goulash with bread followed by
sponge and custard and a large cup of coffee in
preparation for the night section.
Refreshed, we layered up and departed,
ensuring our bottles were filled for the longest
section of the ride — 70km to Alton. The roads
were very quiet now and we rolled over gentle
undulations through North Shropshire then on
to Stone, where, at nearly 3am, a pair of white
vans were mysteriously haring around the
town, along with a number of mini-cabs. Stone
appears to have an interesting night life! The
hills resumed shortly after as we re-entered
the Staffordshire moorlands. Our
favourite cycling pastime ‘Yellow
Car’ became pointless in the
dark, empty lanes. I noticed a
‘Totmonslow’ sign and recognised
this as the name of a John Perrin
permanent (hilly) so was prepared
for the lumpy bits. The fox which
crossed the road was a delight as
were the ancient-feeling woods
and obligatory ford! Alton hall
was a subtle beacon in the night,
Wildflowers and a the quietest of all
famous bridge. the controls with
Photo: Tim Decker many sleeping
or dozing. The
‘early breakfast’(? — I don’t really
have a name for the 4am meal!)
was fantastic and the bowl of jelly
babies at the entrance was such a
kind thought which lifted the spirits
as well as the sugar levels. We had a
leisurely break at Alton but after a
while I felt the sleepy atmosphere
begin to wash over me and I made
preparations for the final stage
of the ride. Paul wasn’t in such a
Riders snaking along hurry to move so
the lane.
Photo: Tim Decker
Delicious Staffordshire oatcakes at Alton. Photo: James Bradbury
I hopped around impatiently for a while in the
hallway.
We were met with drizzle as we left Alton,
dropping the temperature noticeably but not
enough to warrant a coat. We rode back to
Derbyshire and the town of Ashbourne as the
sun rose and everything glowed red. We were
then treated to another stretch of former railway
line, this time the Tissington trail. The northerly
wind from the beginning of the ride seemed to
still be blowing and, along with a steady incline,
we made slow progress and every bump in
the track shook me to my core. I was relieved
to leave the trail for a section of road and was
pleased that the surface when we rejoined was
much better. With minimal fanfare we left the
trail and descended the road to Biggin and a
genuine breakfast at the arrivée.
I would like to thank all of the volunteers who
provided the food and facilities which allowed
us to really enjoy this ride and gave us the
chance to go that bit further… ◆
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RANDONNEE
To The Pyrenees
A two-week tour takes Rosy and Colin Gray
from the UK down the French Atlantic Coast
to Tillac in the Pyrenees.
Day 1
Cherboug to Creances Plage
74km
Day one started well. Nephew, Steve,
dropped us off at Portsmouth and
the Brittany Ferries ‘Vomit Comet’
(fast catamaran well known for causing sea
sickness) left early and arrived in Cherbourg on
time. Better than being 4 hours late as on one
previous crossing.
Off the ferry and no prizes for guessing what
Colin had planned — straight up the steep hill
to La Glacerie where Peter Sagen had won the
second stage of the Tour de France two weeks
earlier. Strangely he was not encumbered with
two heavy panniers, or in Colin’s case a trailer
full of camping kit as well.
“We will soon be on a railway track”, was the
only encouragement I received at the top of the
first hill but somehow my dependable guide had
forgotten to mention another 20km of steep ups
and steep downs, some of it on a rough track,
before we reached Bricquebec. Time for a beer!
Bricquebec also has a fine castle and I thought
of leaving Colin in the dungeon, but then
wondered who would carry all my luggage, not
to mention my make up.
Once on the old railway line we made
good progress in the late afternoon sunshine
stopping at the supermarket in the next town
to buy food for our evening meal and for the
next day’s breakfast. No chance; we had arrived
on Bastille Day, on which no one in France will
be caught working. Fortunately we had a bottle
of wine, some cheese and a packet of digestive
biscuits in the trailer. Disaster averted.
Later on I managed to grab an early lead in
the puncture competition, and a well-earned
rest whilst my mobile mechanic quickly fixed
it. The railway line finished at Lessay, where
Rommel had his headquarters prior to the
D-Day landings. Then we turned west towards
the coast at Créances Plage to find a pleasant
campsite nestling in the sand dunes. It didn’t
take long to put the tent up and even less time
to polish off a fine bottle of Vacqueyras. Cycle
touring at its best?
Day 2
Creances Plage to Pontaubault
84km
Only digestive biscuits and coffee for
breakfast, so I was looking forward to
my first pain au raisin of the holiday.
However I had to wait some time for that
due to a series of route finding disasters. The
‘Navigator’ had found a short section of track
on Open Street Map that avoided a main road.
“Should be OK”, I was assured, and the first
500m was brand new tarmac. However tarmac
soon turned to gravel and then tussocky grass.
You-know-who just ploughed on as if it was still
smooth tarmac, whilst I walked. When the grass
gave way to deep pockets of fine sand even
the Navigator took to walking and eventually
we turned round and retraced to a gravel track
leading back towards the main road we were
trying to avoid. Our luck was out, after 100m of
gravel it was impossible to ride and was even
hard work pushing through 2 to 3 inches of
loose sand for almost 2km. The ‘swear box’ had
enough cash in to keep us in beers for the rest
of the trip.
Despite an early start it was late morning
before my pain au raisin arrived and we had
only covered 15km. After a short section of main
road past the Pont de la Roque, destroyed in
1944 during Operation Cobra, it was fairly flat
to lunch, eaten in a bus shelter as there were no
picnic tables or even seats on the tiny lanes that
now nicely avoided the main road down the
west side of the Cotentin Peninsula.
If the morning was flat the afternoon was a
complete contrast as our route cut inland to
avoid the busy roads around Granville. Colin was
amazed when I rode up a section of 15% but I
had to walk on a longer 15% climb just after the
Abbey of Lucerne.
A very hot afternoon did not make the
constant grovelling uphill any easier and I was
relieved when we arrived at the campsite in
Pontaubault and negotiated the use of a four
berth mobile home for the princely sum of €20.
In case you are wondering if our French has
suddenly improved; no chance, the site owner is
English. The other bonus was that he also had a
fridge full of cool beer, the first of which barely
touched the sides of our throats.
I was gutted when Colin pulled level in the
puncture competition and it stayed at 1-1 for the
rest of the trip. I guess Colin was pleased; he gets
to mend them all.
Day 3
Pontaubault to St Aubin du Cormier
67km
There was a fairly leisurely start to the
day with an easy ride along the coast to
Mont Saint Michel. Everywhere was full
of reminders of Le Grand Départ of the Tour
two weeks previously. Bikes in fields, bikes hung
from the bridge in Pontaubault, and bikes on
bales of hay; all decorated in yellow, green or
red spots on a white background.
Having visited Le Mont Saint Michel several
times before, and not wishing to leave our bikes
unattended for an hour, we decided not to
climb up to the cathedral and turned inland and
headed for Pontorson, a charming and attractive
town.
Rosy Gray
After coffee and chatting to a group of cyclists
from Wales we headed south onto the course
of an old railway line. There were some cycle
route signs, but not always well placed and this
should not have been a problem as Colin had
the route on his Sat Nav. Yes, you have guessed
it, we went wrong. The ‘Navigator’ blamed the
bright sunshine shining on his Garmin screen,
and we both must have missed a cycle route
sign. After plunging down a steep hill and
riding for some distance there was suddenly
a very loud expletive in front of me. We were
on the wrong side of the steep river valley the
railway line had followed. “It’s not far to where
we should be”, Colin said, and went in search
of a way across the river. Having found a small
bridge he was just about to fetch me when he
was confronted by a very rude woman who
seemed not to understand “Je suis perdu” (I am
lost) and just kept shouting “Prive” (private) at
him with a complete refusal to engage in any
form of communication. Having both just voted
‘Remain’ we did wonder if perhaps Brexit was
not such a bad idea.
Next problem was to get back on route. The
easy option denied, rather than retrace our
route for 2km we pushed Colin’s bike and trailer
up a 30% incline for 200m before returning for
my bike. After a short detour the rest of the
day was relatively straightforward until the
inevitable ‘short cut’ to the campsite turned into
a track that was barely rideable. At least Colin
redeemed himself by riding to the supermarket
and back and then cooking dinner. The little
campsite by a small lake in the middle of Aubin
du Cormier is a gem, but regrettably spoilt by a
French group who partied until 3am, which was
bad news for those of us who needed an early
start. A Dutchman who had remonstrated with
them several times was not too impressed either
— so not too much love lost in what remains of
the EU.
Day 4
St Aubin du Cormier to Pouance
74km
I
felt a bit sorry for Colin. On what turned out
to be another hot and hilly day, as it was
Sunday he had to carry the food for our
evening meal, in addition to all my luggage.
Fortunately not too much of a problem after all
those ‘headbanging’ audax miles he does with
his mate Mark.
Not long after setting off we encountered
a possible problem, coming across a ‘Route
Barrée’ (Road Closed). “Just ignore it”, Colin
confidently said, and in the next town the
reason for the lengthy diversion became
apparent. There was a huge market filling every
road in a decent sized town, leading to a 2km
walk through packed streets. (More expletives
from the ‘Navigator’, who hates walking, helped
to keep the swear box full.)
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RANDONNEE
On a very hot day we only passed one bar,
where we stopped for morning coffee, and in
Retiers the only place we could find any shelter
from the sun to eat our lunch was to climb
through scaffolding and metal barriers in front
of the church.
The campsite in Pouance was situated on the
side of a large lake with a beautiful sandy beach
and it seemed that the whole population of the
town had made their way here. After pitching
the tent the first job was to get the washing
done. It was bone-dry in less than 2 hours!
After four tiring days I was looking forward
to a decent night’s sleep, retiring early. The
campsite was quiet but just behind us was
some sort of recycling facility with noisy lorries
dumping their loads until well into the early
hours. C’est la vie!
Day 5
Pouance to Geste
89km
The routine was now set for the reminder
of the trip — up early and try to get at
least half of the day’s ride completed
before it became unbearably hot. Initially we
followed the Verzée through the attractive
little village of Armaillé. Then after climbing
away from the river a fruitless search for a bar in
Challain-la-Potherie was rewarded with a lovely
view of a stunning chateau.
No bar in the next village but coffee finally
arrived following a brief detour in Angrie. A
caffeine shot was definitely needed with the
terrain becoming increasingly hilly and with
Colin encouragingly assuring me that this would
get worse after crossing the Loire. Regrettably
he’s usually right, and after a beer beside the
river we crawled up a fairly steep climb for
several kilometres. Temperatures in the mid 30s
did not help and our four drinking bottles were
soon empty. An attempt to fill them at a sports
ground was thwarted as the sink was blocked
and with everywhere closed we were relieved
when a charming lady in a pharmacy came to
our rescue.
The coolest place all afternoon was in the
supermarket loitering beside the cool cabinets,
unfortunately some way and several steep hills
before our intended destination in Gesté. The
campsite was another 4km past the village
and, because I was struggling with the hills
and the heat, Colin pulled off just before the
village having seen a Chambre d’Hôte sign.
Eventually we found a brand new facility well
off the beaten track. No noise tonight, a really
comfortable bed, and our host agreed to do us
an early breakfast.
Neither of us had the energy to use the large
swimming pool available to guests but we had
filled the trailer with wine, beers, and iced tea to
accompany a smoked salmon salad eaten on a
shaded patio at the back of the building.
Day 6
Geste to La Chataigneraie
83km
An early start and we were soon into
some beautiful countryside. (That
was Colin’s description; it was clear to
me that the terrain was becoming seriously
hilly.) After about 15km a French cyclist on
a very nice racing bike joined us. He spoke
reasonable English and, like Colin, talked a good
game of cycling, telling us of some of the top
professionals he had trained with in his youth.
Before we left home Colin had spent hours
poring over detailed maps and had discovered
that our most direct route south involved
crossing a small barrage on the Sèvre Nantaise.
He had established with the local tourist office
that there was pedestrian access across but
they did not mention the near vertical set of
steps at the far side. Our French companion
was somewhat surprised that we had chosen to
go this way pointing out that there were 20%
descents and climbs either side of the river, but
offered to help us. However first he invited us to
have coffee with his mother in law in the village
of Le Longeron just before the barrage. She
was a lovely old lady, well into her 80s, and was
delighted by the small Nottingham lace coaster I
presented to her as we left.
On leaving it was an easy ride to the river and
it was great to have some help getting the bike
and trailer down the precipitous steeps. Colin
then took ‘headbanging’ to a new level cycling
up a really mean hill, with some parts at 20%,
complete with panniers, top bag and the trailer.
Those of us with more sense walked. Shortly
afterwards our French friend left us to continue
south as he stopped to visit another relative.
By midday it was already very hot as we
sat outside a small bar in Les Herbiers eating
lunch and getting as much cool water down
as possible. The afternoon was a nightmare.
The Navigator had plotted a route largely on
very minor roads and whilst this provided a
virtually traffic free option there was a constant
succession of fairly steep hills, which coupled
with temperatures reaching 40°C was leaving
me completely drained of energy. Never has a
bar stop with several glasses of ice cold water
seemed more inviting.
Late afternoon Colin stopped and had a good
look at the map. We were heading for a small
campsite but the route there was likely to be
very demanding, so he suggested we followed
what ought to be an easier option. This involved
about 6km of main road into La Châtaigneraie
where there was a good chance of finding a
hotel. Fortunately the road was not too busy
and then, to our surprise, there was a cycle track
all the way into town. I was so tired I walked/
stumbled most of the last 2km whilst Colin went
in search of a hotel.
The first hotel offered him a large quiet room
at a bargain price, and after sitting in the bar
long enough to savour a beer and drink well
over a litre of water I eventually summoned the
energy to climb the stairs to our room. After
dinner on the terrace I made my way back
upstairs and immediately went to sleep.
Day 7
La Chataigneraie to Benon
via Surgeres
98km
Shortly after setting off the clouds were
rolling in and waterproofs were on and
off all day, for the last time on our tour.
Thunder storms rolled around, mostly in the
distance, all morning. The good news, as far as
I was concerned, was that after another hilly
morning the landscape became much kinder.
We sheltered under the entrance to a village hall
eating our lunch as the last thunderstorm of the
day passed uncomfortably close by.
The terrain became really flat across the
Marais Poitevin, a large area of marshland that is
a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou. For 30km
across the marshes there was virtually no traffic
as a cycle route followed a canal, a few gravel
tracks and minor roads. In Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon
we dived into a bar just as a brief torrential
downpour arrived and immediately felt at home;
it was full of the town’s pensioners, who had
gathered for a party.
With the weather somewhat unsettled we
detoured from the planned route in search of a
Chambre d’Hôte. “Sorry we are full, but suggest
you try the Tourist Office in Surgères”, we were
told. Despite this being a fairly large town the
lady in the tourist office spoke no English at
all, or refused to do, so Colin desperately had
to negotiate in his almost non existent French.
He eventually established that all three of the
town’s hotels and the campsite were full. We
have rarely come across a campsite in France
where they won’t make room for cycle tourists
but she insisted that the town’s site did not have
room for even the smallest tent. After another
20 minutes and several phone calls she said
there was a vacancy in a Chambre d’Hôte 20km
away, but more or less back in the direction
we had just come from. Fortunately it was a
reasonably flat ride to Benon, but en route there
was another ‘Route Barrée’. A local told us that a
bridge was being repaired and was impassable
even on a bike, so that added another 4km.
Eventually we found our accommodation; a
simple farmhouse and spotlessly clean. ‘Mine
Hostess’ was a charming widow well into her
80s, who was delighted to show us her family
photographs. She also provided us with some
eggs and there was a guest kitchen so since
we did not have time to find the supermarket
in Surgères at least we had omelettes for tea.
No internet connection either so today’s ride
did not get uploaded to ‘Strava’. Colin rather
ungenerously suggested that our host was still
in the semaphore not the internet era.
Day 8
Benon to Medis
82km
This should have been a short day, but first
we had to retrace the extra 20km added
by yesterday’s search for somewhere to
stay. At coffee in Muron Colin went in search of
bread and found himself giving an impromptu
English lesson. The lady in the Boulangerie
had her 8-year-old son collecting the money
and insisted that the poor lad conducted the
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RANDONNEE
transaction in English.
It was another warm day, but not too hilly as
we crossed the Boutonne and then picnicked
beside the muddy brown Charente, which was
tidal here, not far from its estuary.
From Pont-l’Abbé, where we cycled through
the old town’s fortified gate, we picked up a very
quiet lane, which eventually gave us a wonderful
view over a field of sunflowers of the Abbaye
de Sablonceaux, where we had stopped to get
our Pilgrim’s Passports stamped on our way to
Santiago de Compostella in 2003.
After the hassle of finding accommodation
the previous day and knowing that Royan is a
very busy holiday area, especially in late July,
we called in at the tourist office in Saujon. What
a contrast to the previous day; two charming
young ladies, who both spoke perfect English
could not have been more helpful. They couldn’t
find a campsite at Médis but came up with a
very reasonably priced hotel and then produced
a coloured A3 map showing a cycle route there
avoiding the main road.
Another early night and Colin was soon in
bed dreaming about the two girls in the tourist
office. Well as long as he’s just fantasising that’s
OK with me.
Day 9
Medis to Hourtin Plage
59km
Our plan was to catch an early ferry from
Royan to Le Verdon at the northern
tip of the Medoc. There was relatively
little traffic on the main road into Royan at 07:00
and the town was quite empty. According to
the ferry timetable we arrived with 10 minutes
to spare just in time to see the barriers close as
the second sailing of the day left. Guess what;
more money in the swear box and even more
mutterings from you know who when the next
boat departed 20 minutes late.
From Le Verdon there are dedicated cycle
tracks virtually all the way to the bay of
Arcachon soon passing through Soulac, where
we had camped in the 1970s. In Montalivet
after watching sand-yachts scooting past with
a brisk wind and walking through the market
on a warm day a beer seemed a good idea. This
was followed by a second beer accompanied
by eggs on toast. Then it was back on the cycle
track to Hourtin Plage, another old haunt where
Colin had windsurfed previously.
The plan had been to turn inland and look for
a campsite in Hourtin but the option of staying
near to the beach was attractive since we could
pick up the coastal cycle track next morning.
We didn’t really fancy camping here; the four
star campsite was very expensive, there were
no picnic tables and the loose sandy soil was
not really suitable for our thin tent pegs on a
fairly windy evening. We enquired if there were
any mobile homes for hire and were told no but
they had a room available in their hotel; not a lot
more expensive than camping.
Our evening meal was different. We had
collected lamb chops, potatoes, mushrooms and
tomatoes from the supermarket yesterday so we
loaded everything, including our gas stove, into
our trailer and cycled up the road to find a picnic
table in a secluded area of pine trees. A walk to
the beach in the pleasant evening sunshine and
the first ice cream of the trip followed. Today
almost felt like a holiday.
Day 10
Hourtin Plage to Biganos
90km
Colin had booked a hotel at Biganos
whilst at Medis. Nearly all day we cycled
through the sand dunes and past the
‘Surf Shacks’ on a cycle track of varying quality.
For once I was quite glad to experience a few
small hills which helped to make a succession of
pine trees slightly less than totally boring.
Eventually our route turned away from the
Atlantic on the way to joining a really nice cycle
track along the northern edge of the Bay of
Arcachon. The road we were on was a dead
end but it was amazing how much traffic was
heading too and from the beach. It was easy to
tell you were in France not UK: no one passed
us close.
In Andernos after visiting the supermarket
two local cyclists invited us to their house for
a beer whilst we all watched Chris Froome
consolidate his position in the Tour de France.
At least they had the good grace not to mention
‘Brexit’.
The hotel seemed a good move. After a long
day a nice room and a comfortable bed were
very welcome as was a nice picnic on the tables
the hotel conveniently provided in its grounds.
When Colin asked the receptionist if we could
use the tables for a picnic, “Of course”, she
replied, “that’s what they are there for”. Imagine
that happening in a UK hotel.
Day 11
Biganos to Villandraut
65km
Another small detour from our planned
route with a mobile home booked
at the end of a very easy day. About
a kilometre from the hotel there was a well
surfaced railtrack all the way to Villandraut with
no stress or navigation issues at all. At coffee
I was obliged to nominate the café toilets as
contenders for the ‘Dirtiest toilets in France’
award. The owner could also have been a
contender for ‘Grumpiest Bar Staff in France’.
It was Sunday and it was a good job we had
loaded up with wine, beer and food the previous
day as we arrived at the only supermarket en
route 5 minutes after it closed at mid-day.
The rail track was a little less monotonous
than anticipated with many subtle changes
in gradient as it crossed several small rivers,
and as always in this part of the world, lined
with trees. At one stage I came to the rescue
of a family cycling with two very young fair
skinned children; they had left home without UV
protection. Later on we witnessed an unusual
birthday party. Children were taking it in turns
to ‘Joust’ on a narrow beam over a very large
pool of water, however it was so warm a cool
dip on loosing was probably a better option to
winning.
Villandraut has a 13th century castle built by
Pope Clement V, who was born here, so that
he would have somewhere to stay when he
returned to visit family and friends. However it
has fallen into a state of disrepair so no ‘Papal’
residence for us so we headed for the campsite,
where the mobile home we had booked was
also a tad ‘tired’. Most of the lights didn’t work
and the shower worked intermittently but it was
more comfortable than camping and dinner on
the wooden patio in the warm evening sunshine
was really enjoyable.
Day 12
Villandraut to St Justin
72km
No complaints about the start of my
day; breakfast in bed, and a bit of a lie
in as there was every prospect of an
easy day. The first 60km were almost devoid of
hills, traffic, cafés and we only passed through
three or four very small villages. Typically of the
Landes there was no shortage of conifer trees.
There were indications however, that we were
in a Basque area; a few of the houses contained
intricate carvings on their wooden frameworks
and we also passed a ‘Fronton’, a large vertical
wall at the end of a court about the size of two
tennis courts. It didn’t look much used, a pity;
Pelota is a game where hand, basket or racket
might be used to hurl a leather ball at the
fronton. It’s extremely exciting being the fastest
ball game in the world with ball speeds of up to
200km/hr.
Our original plan was to stop in Roquefort,
however Colin had managed to find a bargain
hotel another 12km further on, which hopefully
would allow us to arrive at our final destination
a day early. Even the main road into town was
devoid of traffic.
After five days down the Gironde and across
the Landes I had forgotten what hills were.
The final 12 Km to St Justin provided a painful
reminder. However we still arrived early and
had plenty of time to settle into our hotel. €49
for a 3-star seemed fine to us (even at the now
crummy ‘Ex-Brexit’ exchange rate) and the
evening meal was excellent.
Day 13
St Justin to Bernadets Debat
103km
With a long and potentially fairly hilly
day my hard working guide spent
some time the previous evening
modifying the route with the aim of reducing
the distance and total climb. This worked well
and the odd bit of main road followed was not
too busy. It’s also a relief to know that French
drivers will usually pass much wider than we are
accustomed to in UK. (The law there requires
a 1½ metres minimum passing distance and I
do wish the CTC — sorry, Cycling UK — would
campaign for a similar law in UK.)
Again an early start and shortly after
admiring the wonderful arcades in Labastide
d’Armagnac there were signs to the Notre Dame
des Cyclists, a tiny chapel dedicated to all of
us. Unfortunately it was closed but we found
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RANDONNEE
out that the Tour de France had been here four
times.
In Nogaro the local children were playing
football in the bull fighting ring. I was all set to
sign Colin up for Saturday’s Bull Fight, but he
claimed that he is not into animal cruelty, unless
that includes dragging me across France in
temperatures up to 40°C.
From here to Termes, which boasts a very
impressive ‘Donjon’ I was rejoined by the old
enemies — ‘Heat and hills’. The good news; the
remainder of the day would be reasonably flat.
By the time we reached the Basque restaurant
in Tillac I was beginning to experience low
blood sugar. An ice cream didn’t seem to help
much but then Colin noticed some ‘yummy’
sweets in the cool cabinet. A banana, chocolate
and raspberry tart worked wonders and
tasted far nicer than those horrid gels he eats.
The remaining 20km to our friends Mick and
Gaynor’s gîte was a breeze and they were sat by
the pool with a fridge full of cold beer to help us
celebrate journey’s end.
Day 14
Bernadets Debat
0km
A
well earned rest day. Colin reckoned
that until I had ridden to the top of the
Col de Tourmalet I couldn’t really claim
to have ridden to the Pyrenees. Since I don’t
do extreme masochism I told him to get on
his bike, which typically he did a few days later
with our nephew Steve. What’s more just before
arriving in Bernadetts Debat a sign indicated
that we had entered the Department of the
High Pyrenees, and that was good enough for
me! ◆
50 km riders ready to roll
The Foundation Rides
2017 will see the fifth running of the
Foundation Rides (May 7th from Crewe in
Cheshire) and the 10th anniversary of the Up
and Under Foundation — the charity that the
event supports. Each year the event has gone
from strength to strength, while maintaining
the friendly, inclusive atmosphere and super
post-ride refreshments.
There are three rides to choose from
depending upon your energy levels.
The 50km Foundation Ride is an ideal
introduction to cycling events (and, over
the years, we have seen quite a few newbies
graduate onto the longer rides); the route is
pretty flat and potters around the Cheshire
Lanes, taking in Audlem, Wrenbury and
Nantwich, with a couple of café options.
The 100km Three Counties ride takes in the
lovely lanes from Staffordshire and Shropshire,
as well as Cheshire, as you might expect from
the name. There is a café stop at Eccleshall and
this year the route will avoid the Market Drayton
10km run!
And last, but certainly not least, is the
160km Tough Stuff — back for 2017 by popular
demand. This is a challenging ride through the
Cheshire lanes into Wales and back, taking in
the iconic Horseshoe Pass.
The Up and Under Foundation (registered
charity: 1124079) helps Cheshire youngsters to
take part in adventurous outdoor activities.
Funds raised from the rides have contributed
to school outdoor activity centre trips, scout
camps, local youth group trips and a variety
of other activities. The rides receive support
from local businesses, such as Chatwins Bakery
(gingerbread men), CTC healthcare (post-ride
massage) and a number who provide funds to
cover most of the event costs. This means that
your entry fee goes straight to the charity and
helps to change lives.
To sign up for one of the rides or to find out
more go to www.foundationrides.co.uk
Lorna Fewtrell
Chatwins gingerbread men
Charity Activities
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Route 66
The Kicks
Return
Peter Bond
A test ride for what is hoped to be the first of
several traffic-free 200s.
Most of my longer riding in the
last few months has been
south and west from my home
near Rochdale,
exploring and
finding routes along various
canals with the aim (apart from
just enjoying it for its own sake)
of making a 200 kilometre out
and back ride. By including
various reclaimed railway lines
and other off-road paths, I had
just succeeded in making a
devious 100 kilometre route out
to Fiddlers Ferry on the River
Mersey. I mentioned to a friend
that I was about to try the whole
thing, when he showed me some
reports in the media about three
muggings of cyclists on the
Fallowfield Loop line, which is
part of the proposed route. The
police said that the attacks are
unconnected: all occurred on
the Levenshulme stretch, all the
cyclists were beaten up, all were
robbed, all had their bikes stolen
and all were met with indifference
by the police – that’s at least five
connections, I think. I’ve cycled
The Loop many times with no
problem but I thought it might be
wise to let things settle down for
a while.
So my thoughts turned
reluctantly towards the east. I
was fed up that I’d spent so many
rides exploring the western route,
stitching together sections that
The Marina near Kirkstall
would enable the distance to be
covered within Audax time limits and including
the advisibility of avoiding finishing along the
Rochdale Canal in the dark. There is only a few
weeks in the summer when that is possible and
even fewer when the surface is at its best.
Ah well, I did at least have an eastern route
which I had already explored. It follows National
Cycle Network (NCN) 66 from Rochdale to Leeds.
It isn’t as traffic-free as the Fiddlers Ferry route:
there is a necessary (and hilly) section of road
out of Brighouse because there is no towpath
between there and Coopers Bridge. Then there
is the necessity of getting across Bradford to
Shipley where the route joins the Leeds and
Liverpool Canal. But well over 160 of the 200
kilometres are traffic-free and some of the
Bradford section is at least on cycle lanes.
No, the chief reason I had been looking
westwards is the nature of the towpath between
Littleborough and Hebden Bridge. It includes
several run-offs, where the canal drains in flood
conditions. These are cobbled depressions
and are lethal even when dry unless you have
nerves of steel or a fat-tyred bike. They are misaligned,
with wheel-grabbing gaps. I’ve always
had to walk them and it gets me down! There
are various other restrictions, such as pinchgates,
which mean that I’ve never been able to
manage an average of much above 17kph for the
first hour or so on this stretch. This puts a lot of
pressure on the rest of the ride, especially as I
try to ride with respect for the other users of the
towpath.
However, I was really keen
to take advantage of the dry
spell and so I thought I’d see if
I could do the whole ride, out
and back, instead of getting a
train back from Leeds. Actually,
it’s a very good route for baling
out because of the geography
between Rochdale and Leeds.
The inhospitability of the Pennine
moors has forced all the main
transport routes along the valleys,
so road, canal and railway are
following the same route. If things
got too much, I could get a train
home from Leeds, Bradford,
Dewsbury, Mirfield or Hebden
Bridge and Todmorden.
It looked as if things might easily
be too much because the day I
had chosen turned out to be the
hottest of the year. When I set off
at about 7.15am, the temperature
was already about 90°F and it
stayed there all day.
A combination of back streets
and cycle lanes gets me to the
Rochdale Canal only a mile from
my home. I was soon bowling
past the early dog-walkers and
the ducks and the gently hissing
pink-mouthed Canada geese. I
was in high spirits as I approached
Todmorden; I’d even managed to
ride the first of the canal drains,
though I walked the other three,
whose jumbled cobbles make the pavé of Paris-
Roubaix look like a velodrôme. The towpath
has been temporarily closed (for over a year)
near the town, so I used the road for about a
kilometre and made up a bit of time. But my
satisfaction disappeared in short order just
after I rejoined the canal bank. The towpath was
fenced off in what looked like a serious way, with
no signs for a diversion. There was nothing for
it but to backtrack for a while before hoiking
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RANDONNEE
the bike over a wall and weaving my way to the
main road along the Calder Valley to Hebden
Bridge. “Proving” the route was turning out to
be the problem it so frequently is on routes
dedicated to anything other than tin transport.
Still, four miles of road did wonders for my
average speed. From Hebden Bridge the NCN
66 takes a lovely route through the woods
alongside and at one point across the railway. I
was glad I was following a computer guide track
because it would have been very easy to miss
the little cut which returned me to the canal
beyond Mytholmroyd, home of West Yorkshire
Audaxes.
The section along the canal to
Sowerby Bridge was delightful, as
always, with the trees dappling the
sunlight across the toffee-coloured
water. But somehow the shade
seemed to give no relief from the
inexorably building heat – and it
wasn’t yet 10 in the morning. In
Sowerby Bridge itself, a little detour
is needed to get round the lock
on Tuel Lane because there is no
towpath through the tunnel. This
lock was a major reconstruction
project on the restored canal,
combining two of the original locks
into one drop of 90-or-so feet. Tuel
Lane itself presents a different
aspect to local cyclists, being a very
steep and early inclusion on the
legendary Old 240, a hilly Audax
classic, as far removed from a canal
bank as it is possible to be.
Crossing the A58, I took the very
stony path down to the canal basin,
which is where Shire Cruisers is
based. It is a very picturesque scene
with beautiful enamelled barges
tied up and beautiful young women
sharing the path. As I said hello and
gasped some pleasantry about the
weather, one of them retorted with
a smile, “Get your shirt off!”. I think
the length of time it would have
taken me to undo a button would
have put her right, but I was greatly
encouraged by the encounter.
At Sowerby Bridge, I had
technically left the Rochdale Canal
and joined the Calder and Hebble
Navigation. A little further on at Salterhebble
locks, just before Elland, I took care to keep
right before the tunnel to avoid the path
alongside the now defunct Halifax branch,
which I’d taken on a previous reconaissance.
My true route went down an easy cobbled
slope and round past another small marina
to rejoin the towpath, which at this point is
called the Calder Valley Greenway. The surface
is excellent and a credit to whichever agencies
are involved. Understandably, this attractive
canalside path draws many walkers and I was
glad to be travelling it before dinner time. Or at
least I was glad until I came up against another
major closure with no diversion signs. It turned
out that this work (and presumably the earlier
closure at Todmorden) was because of the
appalling floods we had in the region on Boxing
National Cycle Network totem
Day 2015. So the work is extensive but necessary.
However, I can’t help thinking that there is a
failure of attitude on the part of the responsible
bodies (the Canals and Rivers Trust and their
contractors). If this had been a road, diversion
signs would have been in place. People do use
cycle lanes, including towpaths, to commute
and indeed are encouraged to do so. So why no
signs?
I turned around and found a way across
a works yard to a road which officially only
allowed me to go one way, in the direction
I didn’t want. This filtered into the dual
carriageway of the A629 Huddersfield – Halifax
road, which was jammed solid with stationary
traffic. I turned around and cautiously rode back
(there was no other traffic) until I saw another
cyclist further down the road. He was able to tell
me how I could regain the canal, so I hadn’t lost
more than ten minutes or so by this enforced
manoeuvre.
Back on the canal, I was soon enjoying the
Greenway again, though there are two or
three cobbled turnover bridges which are a
bit awkward. Turnover, or “roving” bridges,
allow a horse to change towpaths without the
rope having to be unhitched. I am gradually
developing my techniques for dealing with
canal architecture but on a touring bike with
relatively narrow wheels such progress is
limited. In spite of, or because of, the frustrating
delays, I was pleased to reach Brighouse, which
has a proper mill town feel to it as you ride
between the towering walls of what remains of
the energetic and exploitative past.
From Brighouse it is necessary to take to the
road because the towpath is unrideable (and
practically unwalkable) for the next few miles. I
was happy enough for some restful tarmac after
thirty miles of jarring, unpredictable surfaces.
I was also pleased to have the variety of some
climbing to do as I reached the oddly-named
Raistrick Common, which is actually a road.
Perhaps it’s a relic of when this whole moorside
was an open space; it’s now completely urban
in its lower reaches. I was looking out for two
inns on the ascent, firstly The Globe
and then The Junction, which
would mark a sharp left turn onto
the steeper section of the climb. As
I rounded the bend I realised I was
struggling. It’s true that this hill,
though it is not shown as having
a chevron on the OS map, is quite
a challenge: chevrons start at 1 in
7 and I wouldn’t be surprised if
this is about 1 in 8, for about half a
mile. But I’ve got up it on a “racing”
chainset and here I was, reduced
to the granny ring and a big cog at
the back. I was becoming lightheaded
and beginning to wonder
if I had heart trouble, though there
were no other symptoms than the
light-headedness. Where was the
power? Halfway up I tried a final
gear change and jammed the chain.
I put a foot down and engaged the
lowest gear, on which I got to the
top .
Of course, it’s not surprising that
I found the climb difficult. Not only
have I done almost no climbing for
over a year but this was turning out
to be the hottest day of the year, it
was approaching mid-day and I’d
only drunk about a bottle’s worth of
water in about three hours. I know I
should drink more, but I just forget.
Also, on the towpaths there is so
much to concentrate on that eating
and drinking regularly can seem like
just another barrier to progress.
At the top, I crossed the
Huddersfield road onto the
beautifully-named Shepherds Thorn Lane.
Before long this becomes a path which on this
occasion was almost completely overgrown
with nettles and brambles, so my progress was
invigorating to say the least. It’s necessary to
walk some of this anyway because you can’t see
the stony surface for the vegetation. The ancient
route is maintained above the M62 by a narrow
bridge, by which time it is possible to ride again
up a dusty, gravelly track to another main road.
A little more roadwork took me down through
the Woodhouse estate to another section of
the Calder Valley Greenway. This leads almost
immediately onto an impressive viaduct, which
used to carry the Low Moor and Mirfield line
which I think was built by the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Railway who allowed the Midland
railway to run along the route. There are a few
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refreshing climbs before the route drops down
a short section of country lane before rejoining
the old trackbed to run parallel to the current
line. This is lovely leafy ride, though you need
to know that there is a shooting range off to the
right. Having been shot at with air-weapons on
a couple of occasions, I was a little unnerved the
first time I came this way, to hear guns of a more
determined calibre.
Another brief session of roads, which are well
signed by the NCN people, brought me to the
centre of Mirfield where I went right, along the
Dewsbury road. After about half a mile, I jinked
left onto the cycle path which winds through a
housing estate before connecting with the Spen
Valley Greenway. This is a superb achievement:
eight miles or more of metalled surface along
the defunct Cleckheaton section of the line
to Bradford. It is gradually uphill all the way,
which I enjoyed, while reflecting on how hard
the locomotives and their firemen must have
worked on the goods trains.
Liversedge, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton;
the names trip off the tongue with the ease of a
spanner cutting a loaf. Yet the trackside foliage
means that this is essentially a country ride. It’s
true that there are fitting and well-executed
reminders of the working class history of the
area, such as the seats made out of excavator
buckets and the brillant flock of sheep made out
of industrial scrap. But if you didn’t already know
that the set of iron hoops was near the site of a
long-gone colliery, you’d get no inkling from the
bucolic surroundings.
Having made a mental note to study the
history further, I reached the end of the trail,
which meant a bit more roadwork (again well
signed). Occasionally, as when crossing the
Bradford ring road, I used the traffic-light delays
to drink from my bottles, juice in one, water in
the other. The sun was now at its zenith and
I was apprehensive about the advisability of
pushing on much further in the
Hebden Bridge station
“…the names
trip off the
tongue with
the ease of
a spanner
cutting a loaf.”
heat. I was wearing sun-screen
but my cap could only deflect
so much heat, the rest was
going into my head!
I crossed Bowling Park and
relied on my computer track
to get me across the centre
of Bradford. This is always a
slightly hit and miss business
because I make the route from
the information available
on computer mapping sites and while these
are generally very good, they are not always
able to keep up with the cavalier operations
of private enterprise and occasionally council
developments. However, slightly quicker than I
expected, I was past the magnificent town hall
and out onto the north-running valley road. The
traffic is never less than busy in Bradford and so I
had designed the route to take me slightly east,
off the main Shipley road. I was halfway up the
climb into a housing estate when I punctured.
I have arthritic hands, so dealing with a
puncture is not my favourite occupation. As
I worked away at the back wheel, I took the
opportunity to have a drink and a sandwich.
I was slightly concerned that I was unable to
find any cause for the deflation (the tyre’s, I
had plenty), which meant it might go again
a little further on. As I changed the tube, the
possibility of simply rolling back down the hill
and getting a train home from Bradford began
to loom larger with every passing minute. But
in the end I persuaded myself to carry on, even
if completion in the time limit was looking
increasingly unlikely as the diversions and
aggravations piled up. After a half hour delay,
it was still only mid-day, the canal banks would
never be drier and I was at least out on my bike.
After rolling down the hill to Shipley, I
managed to find the Leeds and Liverpool
canal easily enough and settled in to enjoy the
steadiest miles of the trip. There are no pinch
gates that I can remember between Shipley
and Leeds and the surface is
excellent. There is a bit of variety
with several short descents at
locks, including some “flights”, and
at least one very short climb by
an extensive marina towards the
Leeds end. Looking at such idyllic
moorings, it’s easy to forget that
many of these marinas were once
gritty loading bays, in this case for
coal for the Kirkstall power station.
This section of the L&L follows
the valley of the River Aire and you get a real air
of being in the country. You occasionally get an
air of something else as there are at least two
sewage “farms” along this stretch. Looking at
the map I noticed the wonderful juxtaposition of
a sewage farm on one bank and Bottoms Farm
on the other. The OS map also shows how the
urban sprawl has closed in around the historic
transport arteries. But, that aside, the ride does
feel remarkably rural for the most part. As you
close in on Leeds, or rather, as Leeds closes in
on you, the graffiti increases on the bridges and
buildings but these “artists” will never paint
the water or the sky. It was dinner time as I
rode the mile or two parallel to the railway, and
the towpath was busy with groups of almost
exclusively young people who had escaped
from their offices on this baking day. I had a
quick mooch around the canal-side buildings
of the financial area which seems to be doing
very well while most of its victims are still reeling
from the crash of a decade ago. Still, I would
rather see fine italianate buildings in terra cotta
brick than the dereliction that hugs the canals in
less fashionable or less wealthy areas.
I retraced and went up past the Dark Arches,
the catacomb like tunnels that take the Aire
under the huge Leeds station. I was sleepy, or at
best blank, and I needed a rest. I’d been on the
way for a little over six hours, during which I’d
had a sandwich, a piece of flapjack and two pints
of water. This on the hottest day of the year (and
probably of the last ten oop North). Stupid. After
cabling my bike to the railings in Granary Wharf,
I went into an Italian coffee shop. The waitress
was very nice and filled my bottles for me. When
the coffee came, the cup was so hip that it had
no handle, so I had to wrap a serviette round it
before I could bear to hold it. But it was good.
While I rested, I looked out into the square
where there were two fire engines in some kind
of presentation. The crews were fully togged
up and must have been almost boiling, though
they seemed completely unfazed by the heat.
I suppose even 90 degrees is only temperate
compared with their usual working conditions.
Back at the bike I replaced the bottles and
ate a sandwich, fully expecting that when I
had finished it I would do the sensible thing
and push the bike around the corner to the
station for a train home. But having offered to
take a photo for a family group (who had been
snapping themselves in all but one possible
combinations) and this being gratefully acceded
to, I found I was rolling back the way I came, in
cycling mode, with a smile on my face. It was still
not two o’clock, I was still alive and there were
many stations between Leeds and home. If I
didn’t puncture, I might even get back in “Audax
time” which would be fourteen hours.
The ride back to Shipley was as good as I
expected it would be. The dinnertime press was
over and I enjoyed the long slow climb. There
were some beautiful broad and narrow boats
to be seen and a general air of people being
calm and enjoying the surroundings. With my
emergency pump, I hadn’t been able to get
quite as much air in the replacement tube as I
would have liked but it was holding up well, so I
was able to relax about that.
The Garmin computer got me across Bradford
all right, though the traffic was building steadily.
But by the time I reached the city centre I was
suddenly extremely “flat”, as if running on
empty, which, of course, was the problem.
Tactfully buying a bottle of highly sugared
“orange” juice, I got my already empty bottles
refilled and sat down outside to eat another
couple of sandwiches. The pedestrianisation
of city centres may have made it more difficult
to cross them on a bike but at least you usually
have somewhere to sit while you are considering
the problem.
While I ate and drank, mumbling, “Get thee
behind me, Bradford Exchange Station”, I saw a
burly man in a wheelchair trying to get someone
to push him up the slope behind me. A woman
began to do it and then abandoned him,
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apparently on the advice of her husband, who
may have been worried about heart attacks. The
poor chap in the chair became understandably
irritable and I’d stood up
to go and do the deed,
I was able to re-fill
my bottles… and
turn my back on
another opportunity
to take the train.
when a young woman
who was nearer finished
the task. Of course, the
chap may have been an
irritable man by nature
but I thought how difficult
life must be for people
in such circumstances,
especially in hilly towns
like Bradford. All thought
of the station had disappeared.
A bit of urban jamming brought me to the
Spen Valley Greenway again, but not before I’d
overshot a turn and was halfway down a steep
hill before I realised I hadn’t been this way on
the outward journey. But the sandwiches and
drink had worked their short-term magic and
I was soon on the cycle path. I was looking
forward to this section because it would be
downhill all the way to Mirfield. Just as I was
gearing up, a couple of cyclists in club gear shot
past me with no warning, other than a shout of
“behind” as they squeezed past at about twenty
miles an hour on a section of the path that was
about six feet wide. Shouting “behind” when
you are actually level with someone is useless.
It fails to warn of where you actually are and
merely gives a polite description of what you
are. Spen Valley Wheelers, I’m talking to you.
Some time later, there was one of the ilk who did
it properly, asking to pass on the right, while he
was still a little way behind. Make that man club
president!
In no time at all, I had reached Mirfield but I
began to flag again by the time I reached the old
viaduct. The heat was incessant and there was
no breeze. I was definitely not looking forward
to the climb across the housing estate and up
the main road to Shepherds Thorn Lane. So I
hove to where the greenway crosses the railway
and slumped down on a bench to eat my last
food, two sandwiches, a piece of flapjack and
an apple. It all went, though I kept back some
water.
My break had the same
effect as in Bradford and I was
able to climb steadily through
the estate and up to the lane.
Once again, I crossed the
narrow bridge over the M62
and tingled my way through
the nettles before a nice
coast down into Brighouse to
rejoin the Calder and Hebble
Navigation. Of course, there
would be the diversions to negotiate but at least
I knew they were coming and that they needn’t
cost me too much time, which put me in a better
mood than on the way out. But I was having a
bit of difficulty working out whether I might get
back in time. For some reason that must have
seemed sensible at the time, I’d switched my
computer off while I was stopped in Bradford
with the puncture, and this meant that I was
cudgelling my heat and fatigue-fuddled brain
with calculations, when I should have been
whistling a merry tune.
I negotiated the diversion near Elland with no
trouble and things went fine, if slowly, through
Sowerby Bridge towards Mytholmroyd. When I
say things went fine, I suppose I mean that there
were no navigational problems but by this time
I was definitely just pushing the pedals over and
wanting to be finished. But the ride through
the woods and beside the railway to Hebden
Bridge station really lifted my spirits. I was able
to re-fill my bottles in the waiting room — and
turn my back on another opportunity to take
the train. When I reached the canal obstruction
just beyond Hebden I took to the main road
and stayed on it, rejoining the towpath beyond
Todmorden. A more successful calculation
than my previous ones revealed that, barring
mishaps, I should just about get home in time to
“qualify” and so I rode the last ten miles or so in
a buoyant mood.
As it turned out, I got in with 40 minutes to
spare. I was really pleased with this. The route
worked, in spite of the efforts of providence
and contractors. It had been an effort — but it
had also been very hot. I had got through nine
bottles of drinks and could easily have doubled
that if I’d been able to get it. I’d thought of
hailing one of the beautiful bright barges and
asking for water but thought that they might
have short supplies. A friend later told me that
these vessels carry huge tanks, so next time I’ll
be less reticent!
Though I’d eaten everything I had with me, it
wasn’t enough. For me, the difficulty is twofold.
Firstly, the route is so exacting, in terms of
surface and navigation, that I am reluctant to
stop for fear of losing too much time. This is, of
course, foolish, because slowing down owing of
lack of energy loses me time as well. Secondly, I
need to get to know the canals better. There are
cafés along the route but they are hidden away,
so I need to know where they are. I really don’t
want to carry much more stuff because there
is almost always a bit of lifting to do on a route
like this.
All in all, this was a real success for me. I’ve
spent almost a year, on and off, working on the
route; walking bits of it when I wasn’t allowed
to ride; riding first as far as Dewsbury, then
Bradford, then Leeds and finally all the way
there and back. I think that in cooler and bettervictualled
conditions, and knowing the route,
I can take at least an hour off this time, which
would enable me to be more relaxed about it.
Cooler might probably mean wetter under-tyre
but beyond Todmorden, I can’t think of many
places where it gets muddy, and most of the
cobbles are in the first (and last) section, too.
So, I’ve got a ride I can do regularly in the
summer months. Teesdale in the moonlight it
isn’t, but it does start right outside the door! ◆
The Redemption Ride:
Two Leaf Clover
Tim Harrison
In August 2015 I entered the Tour of the
Hills Audax in Surrey along with my eldest
daughter, Sophie, her friend Joe, and my
son Jack. We rode as a group and it was the
first time I have ever failed to finish an Audax,
due to running out of time at the Control
halfway around the course. The blame for this
lies squarely on the shoulders of Jack who,
despite what he claimed, had done no training
whatsoever and simply did not have the energy
to complete the course. Being a reasonably
kind father I congratulated him on the effort he
made to get as far as we did and said no more.
However, sibling rivalry meant that he didn’t
hear the last of this episode from his big sister
and to my certain knowledge since that event
he has shunned cycling and ridden a bike only
once, covering less than 15 kilometres.
So when the plan was made to enter a local
Audax – the Two Leaf Clover 110k Audax on 6
August 2016 it categorically did not include
Jack. It did, however, involve Sophie, who has
completed a few Audaxes; her friends Sarah,
who had no idea what an Audax was; and
Joe, fresh from the Prudential 100 ride. They
travelled down from London to join me and
my two regular cycling partners Tom and Phil.
Sophie and her friends have several things in
common: they are all young, fit, regular cyclists
who also commute around London on “Boris
Bikes”; and are runners and gym members —
who actually go to the gym. Tom, Phil and I are
middle aged, not in the best of shape, and can
find hills something of a challenge – on the plus
side we can navigate without GPS. To make the
day more relaxed for us the plan was to have
a barbecue for my London guests the evening
before and let the drink flow very freely indeed.
I needn’t have bothered planning to take
the edge off them as Saturday lunchtime saw
Sophie, her friends and Jack (back home in
between University and work) in the local pub,
followed by drinks in the garden and later on
a wine- and beer-laden barbecue. Late in the
40
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BREVET POPULAIRE
Liquid carb loading in preparation for the Audax.
Jack, Tom, Joe, Tim, Phil, Sarah and Sophie before the off
evening the sibling rivalry began again, quickly
turning into bullying as we all piled in. Jack
took the bait and fell into the trap, ending up
committing to ride the next day. He does not
have a bike so I made some hasty adjustments
to my winter bike which, whilst a touch too
large, would do.
The next day I felt much worse for the night
before, having forgotten that the plan was to
ply my guests with alcohol and not myself. They
on the other hand were bright and breezy and
raring to go and to my surprise Jack was also up
and ready. Ready to slay his demons!
The Two Leaf Clover Audax is a great event,
run by the Evesham Wheelers Cycling Club and
is one of three distances that take place on the
same day. The club also run a 50k event, which
attracts some new riders to Audax and entrants
right across the age range from children to the
very mature, plus a 200k event – The Four Leaf
Clover. There are no commercial controls as each
ride loops back to the start/finish at the Village
Hall — the 110k once in the middle, and the 200k
twice. This does mean that to feed and manage
Event Three Counties -
Two Leaf Clover
Date 7 August 2016
Distance
Organiser
Start
100km (111km)
Neil Robinson
Wickhamford
nr Evesham
everyone they use an army of volunteers who
work throughout the day starting very early
and finishing late, bringing out a continual flow
of both hot and cold things to eat. With a low
entry fee and entries on the day accepted, not
to mention quiet roads and great routes, it's one
not to miss (I have previously completed both
the 200k and 110k events — not on the same
day).
The added bonus this time was with a halfway
point back at the start and being close to home
we could ditch anyone who wasn’t going to
make it around!
We started off well, following a big Evesham
Wheeler club contingency, which made
navigation particularly easy and created a
superb wind break. We almost coasted the first
twenty or so miles as there was also a decent
tail wind. It was only at the first hill that we
lost the group and became the Family and
Friends Seven. Most of the hills are in the first
half of the ride and none could really be called
significant, but for Tom they required a lot
more effort. I should mention that he suffers
with a heart condition, a painful knee joint
following a serious injury some years ago and
a recent operation
to try and remedy it,
topped off with acute
toothache a few days
earlier requiring tooth
extraction and root
canal work. Actually just
turning up was a result
and I fully expected
him to retire, with good
reason, at the half way
point.
Going down the hills
he throws caution to
the wind and I make
sure I brief everyone
not to get in his way. He
records a speed of 49.7
mph down one descent
— the rest of us apply
the brakes.
At the halfway point
we are ahead of time
by over an hour and
none of the group want
to quit. The Village Hall is buzzing with activity
as some of the 50k riders are completing their
ride and the 200k riders are coming in for their
first break or maybe even second for the ultra
quick ones. Food and drink keeps magically
appearing. We are gently moved on as we start
looking too comfortable, and start the next
loop.
With flatter terrain and the end in sight the
younger ones start to play having a few sprints
here and there with inevitably Joe being the
fastest despite his chain never having seen oil;
Sophie and Jack continue their rivalry whilst
Sarah and Phil just power on. We pick up a few
lone riders and continue on with good humour
and no moaning to the very end.
My day is made not just by drawing a line
under a year of recriminations between two of
my children but also by meeting Idai Makaya
who happens to be taking his second break on
the 200k event on his ElliptiGO bike. I had just
read his Arrivée article on Land’s End to John
O’Groats and had been deeply impressed, and
was very glad to note that on this occasion he
seemed to know exactly where he was, and
what and why he was doing here.
I had great company for the day; Sophie
banked another Brevet card; Sarah was
introduced to the joys of Audax riding; Jack
buried his demons and shut us up; Joe had fun;
and Tom, Phil and myself managed to maintain
our dignity finishing comfortably with the
group. Results all round. ◆
A traditional shop with well equipped
workshop and experienced staff.
For ALL your cycling needs.
8 Shelfhanger Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4EH
01379 650419
www.madgettscycles.com
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RANDONNEE
John Thompson
It’s all happening in the east with audax
at the moment! After a long time with a
frustrating shortage of events, new and
‘established’ organisers have set up a
significant number of new ones.
Some of them have creative and humorous
names and themes, such as the “Cambridge Pork
Pie” 200 because it goes to Melton Mowbray.
I chuckled that perhaps a more appropriate
name might relate to the false sense of security
some could get around the fact Cambridgeshire
is pretty flat. Perhaps “Cambridge Mugs/
Suckers”, but I suppose “Cambridge Pork Pie”
does suggest you’re going to be tackling
Leicestershire hills. My goodness, that was a
tough one — well, it was for me!
Another new one with a nice theme is the
“Essex Rivers and Reservoirs” 200, so called
because it visits two reservoirs and five rivers.
The inaugural event was on Saturday 6th
August.
Event
Essex R & R
Date 6 August 2016
Distance
Organiser
Start
200km (215km)
Grant Huggins
Witham, Essex
Witham – the start and
finish - is not so far for me and
for the most part a fast drive
along the A12 so I dithered
at first as to whether to take
digs. However, the thought
of driving home along a
very busy and fast dual and
three-lane carriageway after a
long day and 215km ride, with
the possibility of feeling tired at the wheel did
not fill me with joy. Also, by making a weekend
of it, I could include a ride on the Sunday that
would help achieve some touring objectives in
Essex. I had difficulty finding accommodation
specifically in Witham so I emailed organiser,
Grant Huggins, who advised of the White Hart
hotel.
So on the Friday I caught the train to Witham.
Arriving at lunchtime I made for a food bar
opposite the station I was familiar with. As
Witham can be a logical station for starting and/
or finishing rail assisted trips to Essex, it is worth
saying something about this bar. I wont be silly
as it is only a roadside food bar but in those
terms it probably is a ‘cut above.’ Chunky and
filling sandwiches/rolls/baguettes; perfect —
and big! — sausage rolls; plus cakes and salads,
including pasta. If the weather is good there
are tables and chairs, if not the station is across
the road. I haven’t been able to find out its full
opening times but I know it’s closed Sundays.
However, worth keeping in mind if you’re there
at the ‘right’ time.
My intention was to firstly locate the HQ to
save time Saturday morning. That said, Grant’s
thorough information indicated it should be
easy to find being close to the station. While at
the bar I asked some locals where Collingwood
Road was and they pointed to the road opposite
that I would have to take to the hotel anyway.
On making my way, coming round a bend I
spotted a building on the right. I’m not being
facetious in saying that as it was mostly red
I guessed it was probably the Labour Hall
– correct!
The Inaugural
Essex Rivers &
Reservoirs
200
Dinner in the hotel restaurant Friday
evening was good and there were plenty of
real ales available in the bar. On checking-in
and advising I was getting up early Saturday
morning they said they would bring some
breakfast to my room. However, as Grant had
indicated there would be a good food supply
at the HQ I decided not to pursue it. If Grant’s
information was lacking at all it was in a positive
way because with the choice of Corn Flakes or
Weetabix there was more food than had been
indicated. It was a substantial spread, including
Alpen bars and bread for toasting. For his first
event, Grant had got off to a good start with me
before I had even begun the ride!
The early indication was that the forecast
had been accurate and it was going to be
a lovely day, albeit probably involving high
liquid consumption — it did! However, as there
was some early morning coolness, being my
usual cautious self, I kept the layers on for the
moment. I wasn’t sorry because we descended
initially (was that a first for an audax?!) through
Witham and it did feel a bit cool. The ride got
off to a great start for me because barely out
of Witham the route to Hatfield Peverel was
along lanes I hadn’t ridden before. Once out
of Witham, the first river, the ‘Brain’, is crossed
and a not steep but gradual climb starts. I soon
stopped to remove longs and a long-sleeve
top! I was shortly caught by a group of riders,
including my buddies Geoff Sharp and Ray
Cheung. We enjoyed each other's company to
the controls at Stock (30.6km) and Burnham-on-
Crouch (66.5km) This was along some roads I was
familiar with and some I wasn’t. At around 11km
at the foot of the ‘infamous’ North Hill, which
River Blackwater between Steeple & Latchingdon. Photo: Grant Huggins
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RANDONNEE
was on the route (some from outside East Anglia
could be surprised by its severity, including a
false top!), into Little Baddow, the River Chelmer
was crossed. The route also included going past
Hanningfield reservoir and views of the River
Crouch. At Stock, we had a choice of getting
cards stamped at the post office or using the
Dandelion and Burdock café. To save time,
particularly as it was only a short distance to
that point, I think most, probably all, used the
post office. I did however buy a Lucozade. When
places are obliging in that way, I feel immoral if
I don’t make at least a small purchase. That said,
I was ready for a drink anyway. My hindsight
regret is not taking a photo of Stock, as it is
picturesque.
Burnham-on-Crouch was a ‘free’ control but
I think most used the recommended Tall Green
House café. It was a good recommendation, my
jacket potato being just right for quite a few
miles! Visiting Burnham-on-Crouch for the first
time and that ‘triangle’ corner of south-east
Essex more thoroughly had been one of my
objectives. Burnham-on-Crouch is an attractive
old-world town in parts and I decided it merited
a photo. One negative point about the area
however is that the B-roads get busy and my
experience is that Essex has more than its fair
share of ‘think they own the roads, anti-cyclist’
drivers. That said, we only encountered one. He
made a gesture to indicate he didn’t like Geoff
and Ray riding two-abreast. He was driving in
the opposite direction! Nevertheless, I think it is
an underrated part of the UK, perhaps even by
cyclists.
Being ready before Geoff and Ray, I set off solo
for the 12-km to the info control at Tillingham
(78.5km), but it wasn’t long before they caught
me. Well, I paused a few times to study the route
sheet, which I doubt they did!
From Tillingham it was 41km to the control at
Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre (119.8km). It
included a nice view of the River Blackwater, and
a succession of hills meant it wasn’t long before I
lost contact with Geoff and Ray.
The route goes through Maldon town centre;
attractive but, on Saturday afternoon, busy
— (another crossing of the River Chelmer and
then the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation
at Heybridge). Because of my propensity for
going off-route I paused a lot to check the
sheet. Ironically, I got through Maldon okay. It
was a few miles further on in the lanes where
I made a mistake – articles by me would seem
incomplete without a report of going off-route!
It was the silly thing of looking at the sheet while
riding and partly looking at the wrong line and
thinking it was right at an unsigned t-junction
when it was left. It didn’t add much to the
distance, but involved a bit more of the B1026
to Tolleshunt d’Arcy, in effect retracing. From
Tolleshunt d’Arcy it was along the B1026 to the
control.
By the time I sat down at the Visitor Centre,
Geoff and Ray were thinking about leaving. Well,
they didn’t make the navigational error I did and
again probably didn’t have to look at the route
sheet as much as me. Nevertheless, it leads me
to make an observation about Geoff’s claim to
have got being ‘lanterne rouge’ to a fine art. I
think he has because he seems to ride strongly
enough in the early
stages. I’m sure he
holds back later on -
sort of ‘Chris Froome in
reverse.’
After orange juice,
sandwiches and icecream,
topping up the
bottle and a photo of
the reservoir it was
through nice north
Essex lanes via Bures
to pass briefly into
Suffolk to the Sudbury
control (153.2km). The
route includes crossing
the River Colne at
Ford Street, and after
Bures taking the minor
road to Sudbury via
Lamarsh and Henny
Street, following the
River Stour, with good
views of the river
valley just before.
Sudbury was another
‘free’ control, the
suggested one being
the Waitrose cafeteria.
True to form, I lost a
lot of time making a
‘pigs ear’ of finding the
control, having to ask
directions no few times
and circuiting Sudbury.
I do not blame the
route sheet!
After a coke –
unusual for me,so it
must have been warm!
- and a baguette, it was
back into Essex for the
leg to Finchingfield
(178.6km). I was
pleasantly surprised
to be doing more
‘first time’ lanes than
I expected. Although
only 25.2km it was a
tough leg because
it involved a lot of
climbing. Not that I
wasn’t expecting it,
being a regular rider
in this part of Essex. I
was ‘psyched up’ for
the stingy one just before Finchingfield. There
is a little compensation with the following
descent into the village. The official control at
Finchingfield was The Picture Pot tea room.
However, as it closed at 6.00 pm, Tom Deakins
was stationed by the village green with an
assistant to stamp cards. Geoff and Ray starting
leaving as soon as I arrived so some words were
exchanged about that – all in good fun!
Although I didn’t have anything to eat or drink
at Finchingfield, as the next control at Littley
Green (199.1km) was only 20.5km I felt I could get
there without stopping. Indeed as it was now
only 37km to Witham, I would have liked to have
just collected the sticker at Littley Green and
At the start
CC Sudbury members preparing for the road
Tall Green House cafe, Burnham-on-Crouch
continued but again I was mindful of my morals.
The control was in the pub (The Compasses Inn),
collecting the sticker from one of the bar staff.
Again, as they were giving their time and space I
felt it only right to purchase something although
I was thinking in terms of a quick soft drink and
back on the road. I soon changed my mind! My
legs were going through a tired patch — at least
it made it all the more pleasing it was now a fair
tail wind — and combined with the heat, after
just around 4km, seeing Geoff and Ray’s bikes
outside the store in Great Bardfield I succumbed.
I had my first experience of the Mars milk drink,
which went down well.
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RANDONNEE
So we had each others company again to
Littley Green. It would not be completely
truthful to say I never drink alcohol while riding
but it is only on short rides around social events,
definitely not on rides ‘of substance.’ However,
I succumbed to more than a small drink going
for a pint of orange juice and lemonade, which
Ray kindly bought. If I remember correctly, Geoff
had a coke but Ray succumbed to a ‘proper’
pint. I also resolved to stop worrying about how
quick I was getting round and stop longer to
unwind a bit (I thought about joking with Geoff
and Ray that I need to stop riding with them as
they’re getting me into bad habits but it seemed
unfair!). We sat outside with members and
friends of the organising club, Witham Cycling,
including some on the ride and the Abberton
controllers. This was around 7.45 pm and one
on the ride said he had been there since 5.30
and seemed to be knocking them back! He lives
at Witham so knew the route and seemingly
was happy provided he finished before cut-off
time. It struck me there is a lot to be said for that
approach – if you are fast enough to get there
by 5.30!
I was pleased I did stop longer because I felt
good on the last leg. Yes, it was only 10 miles
with a good tail wind but even so! It was far
from flat! I set off before Geoff and Ray but had
company for parts of the route (second crossing
of the River Ter is shortly after the control)
with two ‘Witham’ riders and the Abberton
controllers. However, they went on a slight
detour and I didn’t want to do any more than
necessary! ‚It wasn’t long before the group
‘re-caught’ me and then not long before they
dropped me! They were obviously fresher than
me. However, I was pleasantly surprised how
quickly I got to Terling, which was particularly
uplifting as I knew I was now nearly there (I
did however curse because it occurred to me
I should have taken a photo for this article of
the rider who had been at the pub since 5.30,
with his pint in front of him!) Almost certainly,
having a decent rest helped but it amuses
me to wonder if the pint of orange juice and
lemonade helped. I suggest it’s plausible. There
are vitamins in orange juice that help combat
tiredness and fatigue and aid body repair. It
might have been just enough combined with
the breather for that short distance. Perhaps
some experimenting might be worthwhile, e.g.
from around 20km to go, diving into the first
pub for a pint of orange juice and lemonade – or
just orange juice - to see if it does the trick! The
Mars milk drink might also have been taking
effect – who knows! Although I know Witham
quite well, I nevertheless paused to check the
route sheet. There is nothing more annoying
than going wrong right at the end because
of getting local street navigation wrong. The
sheet confirmed what I thought. The final river
crossing, also the second of the ‘Brain,’ was a few
yards before the finish.
I was timed as finishing in 13 hours 15 minutes.
If Geoff thought that by finishing after me he
would maintain his ‘lanterne rouge’ reputation
he misjudged. The rider who spent a long time
at The Compasses finished at 9.30 and two ladies
finished at 10.00.
As indicated in Grant’s information, there
was plenty of food at the finish. I told Grant that
as far as I was concerned he had passed ‘with
distinction’. He informed us of new events he
and Tom Deakins are planning, mainly a series
of four 100s over November (5th), December
(3rd), January and February. Some, possibly
all, of them are using a Witham pub as the HQ.
While I resist alcohol while riding ‘of substance,’
afterwards is another matter! With 10.00am
starts, having checked train times, provided
there are no engineering works, I won't need to
drive. I also have a rule that alcohol is USUALLY
evenings only. “A-ha”, you observe, I’ve in effect
admitted I sometimes drink alcohol during the
day. Well, I emphasised “usually” as it is with the
proviso exceptions can be made in appropriate
circumstances!
Now to that Essex mystery. Grant explained
he is intending to see if he can devise an audax
route around a ‘Knights Templar’ theme. To
explain, including the one at Littley Green, there
are four pubs in that area called either “The
Compasses” or “Square and Compasses,” in a
geometric straight line. Actually, that is oversimplifying
but along with some churches and
View of the River Crouch. Photo : Grant Huggins
barns there is a geometric link, with theories
as to the reason for it (http://vulpeculox.net/
misc/mystery.htm). Grant is looking at the
possibility of a route taking in the four pubs. It’s
hardly difficult to work out the gist of the jokes
made about that! If I don’t ride it I guess I will
be accused of chickening-out through fear of
being proved a fraud over my claims of resisting
alcohol!
Back at the hotel, I relaxed over pints of real
ale reflecting on a great day.
Sunday morning started cooler and overcast.
I set off along the B1018 Maldon road for a short
way before turning right onto a ‘first time’ lane
to Hatfield Peverel, i.e. a different route to that
in the event. I wasn’t far along this lane before
the sun broke through so I stopped to remove
the usual unnecessary clobber. From Hatfield
Peverel, I followed the B1137 for a short way to
Boreham. The B1137 is the former A12 and runs
into the centre of Chelmsford so was quite
busy, but not uncomfortably so. From Boreham,
I turned right onto a road signposted “Great
Leighs.” It was a somewhat different road to
what I anticipated, which was a narrow and
quiet lane. It was quite wide and busier than I
expected. However, it was pleasant enough and
it wasn’t long before there was a signpost right
for Terling, along a quiet wooded lane. From
Terling, I followed the last part of Saturday’s
route for the approx 4 miles to Witham station.
Although a short ride, as it included a number
of ‘first time’ lanes it contributed significantly to
achieving my objective of seeing more of that
part of Essex.
Once more, I sat on the train home reflecting
on a successful weekend with objectives met —
nice one! ◆
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ORDRE DES COL DURS
Bocca Vitullu
and the
concrete
dribble test
Paul Harrison
Casaluna Valley
Going over the Bocca Vitullu (787m)
between the Golo and Casaluna
valleys in Corsica seems pointless
(unless you are a victim of OCD or
you live in the village of Aiti, just below the
summit) as there is a much easier way round
the bottom. Climbbybike.com calls this the
Cima Ferletta and gives the col height at 860m.
This is not quite right (their map mustn’t be as
good as mine), and I don’t trust their modest
difficulty rating or gradients either. This route
is fairly hard (very hard from Francardu on the
Golo side) and you need to be fit to tackle it or,
as in my case, have a very low bottom gear. No,
a much better test of difficulty is the ‘concrete
dribble’ method which you can instantly use
whilst riding without having the need to resort
to electronic devices or cycling websites.
I had been seeing streaks of concrete by the
roadside for some time, both in the UK and
more particularly in Corsica. It didn’t take long
to work out that these were spillages from
ready-mixed concrete wagons. Now these
wagons are a clever invention. The revolving
internal Archimedean screw saves mixing time
at the depot and ensures the concrete arrives
on site all fresh and ready, while the tilted drum
ensures the contents remain inside. However,
the designers obviously hadn’t thought about
going up steep hills where the action of the
Archimedean screw prevails over the force of
gravity and the concrete is free to escape, thus
providing a ready-made method of assessing
the gradient to any observant onlooker.
And so it is, climbing the Bocca Vitullu, that I
observe some unusually large deposits. In places
it is almost a concrete road. I wonder if the
builder in Aiti complained he’d been delivered
a light load. I have to admit to a tendency to
have eyes glued to the road while climbing
(and, come to think of it, when descending
too, which is just as well) and so arriving at Aiti
church gives me an excuse to stop and take in
my surroundings. I think that building the village
must have been an excuse for having a church in
such a splendid position, on a small promontory
overlooking the Casaluna valley. The views are
breathtaking. Steep wooded hillsides drop to
the Casaluna road, a small white ribbon snaking
up the valley below. Beyond this, the mountain
tops shrouded in low cloud add to the drama.
The weather is cold and we narrowly miss some
rain. Despite this, I am glad to fill my bottle at a
roadside fountain. The ‘Eau Potable’ sign seems
superfluous in such wild surroundings.
Today, we are descending towards Francardu
(thank goodness). I laugh out loud as I steer the
bike round a double hairpin. Luckily Janet is out
The Church of Saint-
Stephen, Aiti
of sight and earshot. The Shimano dual- pivot
brakes and 28mm tyres give superb handling
and the road is very quiet — only one car met in
its entire length.
I arrive at the bottom in one piece, exhilarated
and very much in love with this beautiful island.
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NATIONAL 400
Peak
Performance
:
The
National
400
Suddenly, it’s over. The event for
which we have planned and
prepared for over a year has been
and gone — in a flash. Peak Audax’s
turn at staging the National 400
is now history, when for so long it was the
future, full of intriguing problems to be solved:
planning a route; securing control venues and
volunteers to run them; transporting mattresses
and blankets and catering requirements around
the route; publicising the ride and keeping it
publicised. All to do — and now it’s done.
For me, it was always going to be a high
point of the year. I enjoy helping on events and,
having ridden the National a couple of years
ago and experienced the excellent work of
VC167, I was anxious to help return the favour.
My task in the preparations had been to help
with the publicity and to that end I placed
an article in Arrivée, and had another rather
grudgingly accepted and chopped about by
Cycle, the magazine of CTC, who this week are
called Cycling UK. As the months went past,
devious but simple methods were used to keep
the event high on the relevant boards of the
internet.
I live in Rochdale and so my plan had been to
ride down the Rochdale Canal to Manchester,
take a train to Buxton and then ride from there
to the event venue at Biggin near Hartington in
the staggering Peak District. The weather looked
like being good for the whole weekend – but
not for my ride down the
canal. And so it proved.
It rained steadily for an
hour or so as I wove past
the huge umbrellas of the
anglers, who looked even
grimmer than usual. I had
to stop under a bridge to
get my over-trousers on and
the cobbles at the locks were so greasy and I so
cautious that I missed the train I had intended
to take.
Still, I had plenty of time before the next one
and turned the interval to good use by learning
how to operate the self-service ticket machine,
then buying a pasty and coffee, before settling
down to do some people-watching. Manchester
Piccadilly is more like an airport than a railway
station now, and there is some serious flaunting
of wealth to be seen. This was cast into pathetic
relief by the workers of the Trussell Trust, who
were trying to encourage travellers to donate
to their foodbank collection, with not too much
success, it seemed to me. It’s hard to put a hand
in your pocket when they are both clasping
expensive flight cases or essential smartphones.
Wheeling the bike onto the platform, I was
pleased to see that there was still evidence
of the earlier appearance of the station, in
the ornate ironwork of the
train shed pillars and their
cuffs, and the ochre and
red brickwork around the
windows of the outer wall.
I love rail travel and the line
from Manchester to Buxton
is fascinating. It is almost a
miracle that after only an
Have I got a beard, do
I have yellow shoes
and a man-bag?!
30-31 July
2016
Peter Bond
hour you have been transported across one of
the biggest urban-post-industrial sprawls in
Britain to the misty and mysterious primeval
coral reefs of the Peaks.
As I rolled out of the station at Buxton, I was
feeling hungry again but decided to push on to
the superb bookshop at Brierlow Bar, only a few
hilly miles away, where there is a café and where
I might pick up a Christmas
present or two. I did pick
up a couple of books but
was disappointed to find
that the café has gone hip
and only offered drinks
and cellophane-wrapped
biscuits from Artisania. I
was quietly seething with
disappointment (and hunger). I wanted to say,
“Have I got a beard, do I have yellow shoes and
a man-bag?!” But I just kept quiet and ordered a
coffee — which was excellent.
Consoling myself with the knowledge that I
could get something to eat at the cycle centre
at Parsley Hay on the High Peak Trail, I rode on
across the switchback roads to Earl Sterndale.
Climbing the road above the village I was so
taken aback by the views of Parkhouse and
Chrome Hills across the valley that I had to put
a foot down and just gaze. I suppose, being
ancient coral reefs, that it is wrong to call them
arrêtes but they certainly remind me of them,
My progress through
God’s jewellery took
my mind off my
hunger
sharp ridges thrusting up from the fields, like
emerald stegosauruses. Amazing.
A few hundred yards of stony cyclo-cross
brought me to the current start of the High Peak
Trail, where I paused at the gate to remember
the late Alan Smith, whom I’d last met at this
place. Pressing on, I exulted in the kaleidoscope
of colours in the verges of this old mineral
railway. Purples, yellows, blues and whites
studded the grass on either side of the narrow
ribbon of crushed aggregate. Clovers red and
white vied with the yellow meadow vetch and
cat’s ear. Purple knapweed, blue geraniums and
white ox-eye daisies lorded it over the creeping
bacon and eggs at their base. White and pink
yarrow pushed through
wherever they could find
space and later on there
were drifts of harebells
and the lavender-coloured
scabious. In several places,
the magenta spikes of the
willowherb towered over
the lot of them.
My progress through God’s jewellery took my
mind off my hunger but by the time I passed
the stone hut (a gift from Croatia on joining the
EU – remember that?), at Parsley Hay, I was ready
to take advantage of the excellent café. It was
shut. You wonder at the business sense of some
people: four in the afternoon on a sunny holiday
Friday and the café is shut. There may have been
a perfectly good reason for it but I was in no
mood for charity and stormed past the hordes
of cyclists outside the hire shop (still wide open)
and onto the junction where the trail splits into
two. I took the westerly, Tissington branch and
before long arrived at the village of Biggin. My
total cycling for the day amounted to about
thirty miles on varying surfaces and together
with the connecting train journey qualified as an
expedition.
I met organisers John Perrin and Mike
Wigley sauntering down the road in a pretty
untidy fashion and before long we got stuck
into the business of setting up the overnight
accommodation for the riders who would
be trying to sleep in the village hall. But first
there was the magical appearance of that Fairy
Godmother’s coach of the isolated village – the
mobile chip shop. What I needed was in large
letters on the board: cheese pie and chips.
No cheese pie because the proprietor hadn’t
brought the generator for the microwave. I
began to wonder if I’d got the date wrong and
it was really Friday 13th. But the chips were
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NATIONAL 400
marvellous and hit the spot — with a hollow
clang.
With the help of arriving riders, we soon
had the inflatable beds up in the hall and the
catering organised for breakfast. Leaving John
to meet and greet, Mike and I wandered down
to the local, The Waterloo, and spent an hour
or two talking to some of the riders, including
Dean and Dale, who had arrived in the late
evening only slightly daunted after riding 200k
over the Pennines from County Durham (all
stand, please).
We walked back under a glorious sunset
and before long I lay down for what I hoped
would be five hours sleep before getting up at
5am to help with the breakfast. For once the
conditions were perfect: I had my own room
behind the kitchen, with my sleeping bag on a
camp bed kindly provided by John. If there was
any snoring in the main “dortoirs” I didn’t hear
it and nobody
slammed doors.
I didn’t sleep for
a second. Was it
the beer? Or the
adrenalin? Who
knows?
There was a
real buzz before
the départ.
There were so
many riders I
knew and so many that I was seeing for the first
time. We had entrants from Scotland, Cornwall,
Cumbria, the South East. There were at least
two tandems, a trike, a Moulton and Robert
Webb’s beautiful Pashley, surely one of the only
machines ever to have been constructed out of
a single piece of lead. After all the efforts and
anxieties it was gratifying to send over 120 riders
off to ride what I knew to be a magnificent route
and on such a beautiful morning. And Mike had
about 40 entrants for his 100k companion event
which would be off later in the day.
For the first half of the event, John and I would
man the legendary “Van of Delights”, John’s red
camper, laden with cake. We would set up at two
controls, at about 60 and 160k, respectively. We
were joined in this by Sean Towneley (with his
Van of de White). Under normal circumstances,
Sean might well have ridden this, backwards,
with his eyes shut and doing a crossword but —
to our great advantage — he was injured a week
or two earlier.
We had not long been set up at Carsington
Water, when the first group of riders arrived.
We looked like being in for an interesting day
because the field was spread over the whole
control period, which must be unusual for such
an early check. In fact, one poor rider, Les, had a
saddle malfunction and had to abandon before
Carsington – rotten luck when he had travelled
so far, and been so helpful at the village hall.
The spread of riders meant that we had to
wait till the bitter end before we could set off
to the next control. Then we ran into the only
serious glitch of the operation: diversions and
other delays (including a stop at the Anslow Hall,
where John’s family (Elaine, Clare, Roy and John)
and other helpers, including Alan Smith’s widow
Marj and son Si, were doing a tremendous job,
…that Fairy
Godmother’s
coach of the
isolated village
– the mobile chip
shop
especially considering that the riders on the 100k
were also routed through here and had already
arrived when we visited). We eventually parked
the vans red and white on a grass triangle near
Telford and repeated the Carsington Protocol.
This included gentle musical persuasion to
keep the control flowing in the right direction.
Audaxers are a mixed bunch and while some
shot off at the first few chords from my ukulele,
others were on the phone for the men in white
coats. You will be able to decide for yourselves
if my sleepless night had been totally in vain if
I give you a taste of the songs I wrote to while
away the hours till dawn:
To the tune of Stir It Up by Bob Marley
Gear it up…………little darling
Gear it up……………………
Gear it up…………little darling
Gear it up……………………
This is a long, long ride
But you have lots of time
Ride with your mind on fun
Forget your pride
When all is said and done
It’s just a ride
Gear it up… etc.
To the tune of Take Me Home Country Roads by
Bill and Taffy Danoff
Rocky Road, take me home
Try some fruit cake – or a scone
Get some in yer, squashed banana
Take me home Rocky Road
To the tune of He’ll Have To Go by Joe and
Audrey Allison
Get your toe-clips, and your Garmin, and your phone
The cake’s been good but now you have to move along
You’ve heard the man play on the uke-box soft and
low
But saddle up, the road is calling, you’ll have to go.
You can’t stay stuffing your face all day,
Just as if you were at home
So go on, get out, just go away
‘Cos I vont to be alone.......
Occasionally it was necessary to deploy the
harmonica. When that failed, running out of
water did the trick.
Sean, whose efforts were greatly appreciated
(he’d left Colne near Burnley at dawn, to arrive
for the start), set off for home while John and
I headed off on a tour of most of the other
controls. As we passed through Ironbridge I was
again taken aback by just how small the famous
bridge is. At Upton Magna, outside Shrewsbury,
the control was being run by John Hamilton,
who is one of the most experienced organisers
in the business. His helpers included the stalwart
John Clemens, who had ridden the route-check
a few weeks before. I braced myself for the
journey out to the turn at Llangollen with a bowl
of excellent soup.
On our way across the Marches, we took
a direct route which crossed the 400 often
enough for us to feel in touch with the riders
as they popped up here and there. Llangollen
was run as efficiently as you might expect by
Danial Webb and his team, including Damian
and especially John Jackson and Mike Roberts,
two illustrious Macclesfield Wheelers, who had
also been at Anslow in the morning. Danial
doesn’t mess about: he not only threw us out
of his kitchen, leaving us to fend for ourselves,
but sent John straight off to the shop to get
more beans. We were left resorting to the chip
shop across the road (which was excellent). The
highlight of the Llangollen visit had to be the
chap in the chip shop queue who broke into an
impromptu Irish dance as I regaled the staff with
the harmonica. Next time they’ll be quicker.
The sun was setting as we climbed back up
the long incline out of the town. The cyclists we
passed all seemed to be going well, refreshed
after their stop. There is something mystical
about a chain of red rear lights at night,
something bizarre — like Eddy Merckx breaking
through the cloud at the snow-strewn top of an
Alpine climb. I suppose it’s to do with it being
so far removed from the experience of most
people, a kind of magic.
Less impressed was the bad-tempered and
murderous lorry driver who swing his huge artic
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RANDONNEE
out onto our carriageway, lights blazing, in his
frustration at having to wait to pass riders still
on the descent. It is a narrow road but the riders
were all in single file and with nowhere else to
go. It was a really stupid manoeuvre and even
the phlegmatic John raised an eyebrow as he
was forced to veer out of the way.
We headed on through the night to the final
control at Alton. I’m never less than impressed
by John’s knowledge of the countryside; it is
evident in the routes he constructs. But sitting
next to him as he weaves his way through the
maze of narrow lanes, first in the twilight and
then the starry, starry, night, is an eye-opener
— which is handy if you’ve been awake for 40
hours. This is all done without a satnav or even
a road atlas. It might well have been “turn left
at the next badger”. I saw several lying in the
verges and we just missed one as it lunged out
of the undergrowth.
They have a curious attitude to maintaining
country lanes in these parts of Cheshire and
Staffordshire. First they fertilise the surface with
slurry, then they encourage the hedgerows
to meet in the middle, so that the fermenting
tarmac is protected from the elements. It was
often like travelling along an ancient sunken
track. And it rolled, too. I was beginning to
feel sympathy for the riders, intead of merely
resenting the fact that they were riding and I
was not. This part of the run-in had switchbacks
worthy of the nearby amusement park, though
hopefully they would be less accident-prone. On
reflection, it’s hard to see how you could plan a
flat ride over this distance, except in East Anglia.
We pulled into the Alton village hall just as the
first few riders were leaving. The control was in
the capable hands of Denise and Tim Hughes,
who’ve done such sterling work on Peak Audax
rides and at Eskdalemuir on the London-
Edinburgh-London ride. I was a bit peckish again
by this time, and an instant pre-prepared meal
was put in front of me before I’d even reached
for the harmonica. Staffordshire oatcakes,
tomatoes and mushrooms went down without
touching the sides before we headed off into
the night again.
Blinking like rabbits in the carpark, we saw
Robert Webb’s Pashley on its elegant stand.
Robert’s efforts deserve a special mention.
When we’d been at the Upton Magna control,
near Shrewsbury, Robert had decided to
abandon because he was feeling out of
condition. He is a vastly experienced rider, with
Paris Brest Paris (and bar) and LEL to his credit,
so he knew what he was doing. His intention
had been to ride home to Worcester (50 or 60
miles?) and come back to base to collect his car
the next day. So John and I were pretty surprised
to recognise, even in the dark, his characteristic
riding style, as we came up behind him on a rise
towards the control at Alton. Presumably he
had decided to change his arrangements and
was going to ride all the way back to the start at
Biggin for his car. This must mean that he had
“abandoned” at getting on for 200k, then ridden
a further 100k back to the finish. That is really
responsible stuff: judging that you are not going
to complete the whole thing, yet still having
enough stamina to deal with the circumstances.
Chapeau (a trilby, I think), Robert!
Returning to base at Biggin, we were again
beaten to it by the fastest finishers, who had
got round in an impressive time. “Refreshed”,
they promptly set off to ride home to Sheffield,
an additional night crossing of the Pennines.
I decided to try for a few hours sleep and the
next thing I knew it was 5am and the hall was
full of enthusiastic riders telling fishermen’s
tales. Not long after the official closing time of
10am, everyone had been accounted for and
people were dragging their weary limbs back to
car or campsite, while we got on with clearing
the hall. It is astonishing that everything we
used disppeared into either John or Mike’s van
— and astonishing how much effort it takes
to make that happen. Lots of riders pitched in
to help before and after the ride, with special
mentions for James Bradbury, Mike Lane and Les
Hereward, who had suffered the broken saddle.
I saw so many riders I knew but haven’t
mentioned for fear of offending the
unmentioned. The same is true of helpers at the
controls, almost all of whom looked a lot more
sprightly at their posts than I felt by the time I
wished John and Mike farewell and rolled my
bike out into the light of day. My journey home
was the exact reverse of my journey out, except
that it didn’t rain, and that I was shattered. The
Rochdale canal was a bit more irritating on the
way home because it was Sunday and the sunny
weather meant the towpath was very busy.
However, I’d succeeded in combining what
I knew would be a great weekend with friends
past and future with a fair amount of cycling on
my own account.
In short – a proper adventure! ◆
Daylight DIY SR Series
Using Mandatory Routes
Colin Gray
A follow up to ‘In Praise of Mandatory
Routes’, published in Arrivée 133.
Mark and I started off looking for
suitable calendar events but
couldn’t even find anything,
except the odd 200k, that had
appropriate start times or
even fit in with my holidays. (Being retired my
wife and I are often abroad for several weeks
at a time.) So I set about planning 300, 400 and
600km rides, mostly based on previous audax
routes, but with a few new sections to create
interest. These were then submitted to Chris
Smith for approval. Chris helpfully suggested
that I ought to make them at least 1% over the
required distance just in case the tracklogs
produced by our Garmins did not match my
planning software. In practice they were all
within 0.1% of that submitted, but I won’t claim
this will always be the case. Finally, just to test
all our systems for riding and recording, and as a
training opportunity, I submitted an additional
GPX track for a 200 km ride.
200k
Our campaign started at the end of April. We
headed south through Charnwood Forest, one
of the most attractive areas of the East Midlands,
before passing west of Leicester for lunch at
Lutterworth.
All day rain threatened and through
Northamptonshire and South Leicestershire
showers rained down everywhere except,
thankfully, on us. Don’t think that Leicestershire
is flat. From Lutterworth the route to the
east of Leicester up to the Windmill Café at
Wymondham had plenty of ups and downs so
we clocked up over 2000 metres of climbing in
200km. It should have been an easy finish from
Wymondham back home but there was a strong
and very cold headwind; good preparation for
later.
400k
After holidaying in Majorca and cycling to
and from the International Tandem Rally in
The Netherlands I was reasonably prepared
for this ride, planned to almost coincide with
maximum daylight. To complete this within
the appropriate time required a bit of juggling
distances and start times. Day one, an easy roll
out at 10:00 with 255km to ride. From my home
in Nottingham the route headed north to pick
up part of the Rosies to Wraggs audax through
Gainsborough. The usual café stop here is the
spit and sawdust ‘Rosies’ but it was closing as we
arrived. The garden centre next door provided
a good alternative, complete with a covered
enclosure especially for cycles.
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Horkstow Bridge
From Gainsborough all the way to Market
Rasen, which is pretty flat, there was virtually no
traffic. Then a short section of LEL 2013 led to a
hilly excursion through the Lincolnshire Wolds
and a fine descent to Wragby.
Mark was tempted by the thought of fish and
chips but we settled for sandwiches from the
Spar shop as it was pleasantly warm in the early
evening sunshine. From Wragby it was a very flat
run home skirting south of Lincoln and Newark.
Much of this section is often exposed to the
prevailing SW winds. We were fortunate; it was
a lovely calm evening just perfect for riding and
we were back by 20.45 in time for dinner and five
and a half hours sleep in my own bed, although
I am not sure my wife appreciated the early start
the next day.
Sunday was another pleasant day and with
generally more climbing. A 4:45 start and again
south into Charnwood Forest before passing
north of Leicester using some of the very minor
roads used by the Melton Classic. We arrived at
the Windmill café at 08:50 and were pleasantly
surprised to find it opened at 9am, their website
having said 10. It didn’t take Mark long to
consume a second breakfast. A finish at 11:45 was
well within the time limit and an average speed,
moving, of 24.8 km/hr was good preparation for
the 600k scheduled for two weeks time.
600k
Mark arrived on Friday evening, settled into
our spare bedroom and then ‘Carbo loaded’ for
the following day’s ride with a couple of bottles
of Hobgoblin.
We were up at 03:45 and off just after 04:30
in full daylight. It was largely a familiar route
passing east of Leicester and Rugby to Southam.
With 108 km already in our legs a second
breakfast was surely justified. The next leg
was broadly eastwards through Towcester and
Olney; attractive countryside and not exactly
flat, especially as it approached Grafham
Water. We sat in the lakeside café and watched
the windsurfers having a great time. Not
entirely good news for us — the ride back to
Nottingham would not be easy.
In practice it was rarely head-on, especially
on the first section through Oundle and only
really hard going in the last 30km. Apparently
it had rained in Nottingham most of the day;
we almost arrived back dry but experienced a
very cold heavy shower with only 15km to go.
We were home at 8:45. Over dinner we watched
another stunning performance by Chris Froome
in the Tour de France, hoping it would inspire us
on the following day’s ride, before retiring for
the night; well at least part of it.
The wind had abated for an 04:45 start on
Sunday. Once again we headed for Rosies Café,
but by an entirely different route than used on
the 400 k. My stomach was unsettled (not an
unusual occurrence on a long ride) but Mark
tucked in to a huge breakfast with his usual
relish. The next section followed the River Trent,
dead flat and frankly a bit tedious, before the
hills arrived either side of lunch. I am not a fan of
main roads so persuaded Mark to use the very
rough bridle path that crosses Horkstowe Bridge
rather than follow the A1077 into Barton upon
Humber.
To keep the lunch stop short the local Co-op
right on our route was a good option, especially
as there was a seat outside.
Windsurfer on Grafham Water
The Windmill, Wymondham
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RANDONNEE
Mark climbs up onto the Lincolnshire wolds
Past Fenny Spring Mill into Charnwood Forest
The town toilets, right opposite the Co-op,
were locked so it was a quick visit to the bushes
3 km later, (too much information?). Apart from a
short section of relatively quiet main road there
was virtually no traffic all the way home. As the
route skirted Lincoln we called in to see my
brother in Saxilby and his wife quickly produced
a welcome cup of tea. Still very little wind and
arrivée at 18:45.
300k
After riding to the Pyrenees with my wife,
and riding up the Col de Toumalet, 300 k ought
not to present to many problems. The weather
forecast for Saturday was about the worst of the
whole summer and I was tempted to try and
persuade Mark to move our ride back a week. In
practice it didn’t turn out anywhere near as bad
as expected.
Mark arrived in good time on the Friday
evening, (he’s never, ever late!) and was soon
‘Carbo’ loading. I didn’t sleep much, if there’s
one thing I dislike nearly as much as riding in the
dark it’s riding in a wind. Because of the adverse
forecast we moved our start time forward on the
basis that it would be better to ride in the gloom
of beckoning daylight rather than late into the
night. We set off just after 05:00 and although
lights were necessary it was reasonably bright
from the off. Heading out towards Ashby de la
Zouch was probably the hardest section, with
little shelter from a stiff head wind: it was soon
raining heavily and it barely stopped until lunch.
After skirting south of Ashby riding became
far more manageable as virtually all the way
to our most westerly point at Wem there
were narrow lanes, mostly well sheltered with
high hedges. Thank goodness for mandatory
routes that make picking out all these lanes
possible. Through Rosliston, far too early for
either café to be open, and then after Barton
Under Needwood a new section to the edge of
Cannock Chase was followed by an absolutely
gem of a route into Penkridge. We dripped all
over the café floor as breakfast number two
arrived.
From here to Wem progress was often slowed
by the state of the roads, poor surfaces, deep
puddles and many places where care was
needed as wet sand and soil produced a thick
and slimy layer.
In Wem the café I had researched on Google
Maps failed to materialise. Fortunately we came
across a transport café on an industrial estate
3km later.
Now at least the wind, approaching gale
force at times, was on our side, or half behind,
through Hodnet, Eccleshall, Stone and into
Uttoxeter.
Unfortunately we arrived at the garden centre
just before Uttoxeter as the café was closing; at
least Tesco provided an alternative, although
we were somewhat apprehensive as there was
a large group of bored teenagers next to where
our bikes were locked. Apart from a narrow
and busy 3 km into Repton (Probably the worst
bit of the whole SR.) the journey back to my
house was easy and uneventful. Arrivée and SR
series completed at 20:15 with just 20 minutes of
daylight left.
Thanks to Chris Smith for his advice and
approving our routes and validating our
tracklogs. Even though we carried two spare
GPX devices we had no problems with the
equipment. Planning the routes and validating
our rides proved very easy. ◆
Arrivée and SR Series complete
Care needed on the way to Wem
50
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
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L-E-L 2017
If you're a member of Audax UK, and
have been since 25 March 2015, you
hold a guaranteed place for next year's
London Edinburgh London. If you're
thinking about riding, we thought you'd
appreciate some news about how you can get
your place. We'll open for entries from Audax
UK members and people on our guaranteed
entry list on 6 January 2017. You'll then have
until 20 January 2017 to claim your place before
we open entry to everyone.
The entry fee for London Edinburgh London
will be £319. This will include:
• A fantastic route from London to Edinburgh
and back
• Route sheet, GPX and TCX tracks
• Sign posting for nearly 25% ofthe route
• Validation of your ride with Audax UK and
Les Randonneurs Mondiaux
• All food, plus hot and cold drinks at controls
• Beds in dormitories
• Hot showers (hopefully!)
•Two bag drops to selected controls
• Moto crew assistance along the route in
Scotland, and a lift back to the nearest control
if you get completely stranded.
photo : Tim Wainwright
During the early entry/guaranteed entry
period, you will be able to pay us by bank
transfer only. Unfortunately we cannot
accept Paypal for early or guaranteed entries,
as Paypal will not release enough of your
payment in time for us to run the event
successfully.
If you are entering from outside the
United Kingdom, then Transferwise (www.
transferwise.com) will allow you to make an
international bank transfer using your debit or
credit card.
If you want to pay by Paypal, we will release
a limited number of entries by Paypal, at a
price of £329, when we open to everyone on 20
January 2017.
If you've any questions about this, contact us
at 2017@londonedinburghlondon.com and
we'll do our best to help.
See you in London,
The London Edinburgh
London team
photo : Ivo Miesen
photo : Ivo Miesen
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 51

OFFICIAL
Chair: Chris Crossland
chair@audax.uk • 01422 832853
14 Stanley Street West, Sowerby Bridge, West
Yorkshire HX6 1EF
General Secretary: Graeme Provan
secretary@audax.uk
Marlborough House, Victoria Road South,
Chelmsford CM1 1LN
MEMBERSHIP
Membership Secretary: Mike Wigley
membership@audax.uk
Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane,
Delph OL3 5UX
Registrar: Les Hereward
registrar@audax.uk
20 Webster Close, Oxshott, Surrey KT22 0SF
Finance Director: Paul Salmons
fd@audax.uk
25 Bluewater Drive, Elborough,
Weston-Super-Mare BS24 8PF
Membership Assistants – Renewals
Peter Gawthorne
Allan Taylor
Findlay Watt
Accounts: Nigel Armstrong
accounts@audax.uk
Directors without Portfolio
Chris Boulton
15 Adel Towers Close, Leeds LS16 8ES
John Sabine
107 Victoria Way, London SE7 7NU
Membership Assistants – Enrolments
Peter Davis
Richard Jennings
CALENDAR EVENTS, PERMANENTS & SOCIAL
Calendar Events Secretary: Martin Foley
events@audax.uk
78 Denholm Road, Musselburgh,
East Lothian EH21 6TU
Regional Events Delegates
Scotland & N England: Nigel Hall
SE England: Pat Hurt
Midlands & E England: Geoffrey Cleaver
SW England & Wales: Ian Hennessey
Permanent Events Secretary
John Ward
perms@audax.uk • 01590 671205
34 Avenue Road, Lymington SO41 9GJ
DIY Regional Representatives
Midlands, N & Mid Wales: Chris Smith
NE England: Joe Applegarth
NW England: Julian Dyson
Scotland: Martin Foley
SE England: Paul Stewart
SW England & S Wales: Tony Hull
Yorkshire & East: Andy Clarkson
Audax Altitude Award (AAA): Steve Snook
steve.snook000@gmail.com
6 Briggland Court, Wilsden, Bradford,
West Yorkshire BD15 0HL
Ordre des Cols Durs (OCD): Rod Dalitz
rod.dalitz@me.com
136 Muir Wood Road, Edinburgh EH14 5HF
RRTY Award Secretary: Caroline Fenton
rrty@audax.uk
Fixed Wheel Challenge (FWC)
& Super Fixed Wheel: Richard Phipps
77 West Farm Avenue, Ashtead,
Surrey KT21 2JZ
Event Services Director
& Recorder: Peter Lewis
services@audax.uk • 07592 018947
82 Pine Road, Chandlers Ford,
Eastleigh SO53 1JT
LRM/ACP Correspondent: Chris Crossland
Brevet Card Production Secretary: Oliver Iles
brevetcards@audax.uk
49 Upper Belmont Rd, Bishopston,
Bristol BS7 9DG
Validation Secretaries:
Susan Gatehouse & Keith Harrison
validations@audax.uk
11 Heather Avenue, Hellesdon,
Norwich NR6 6LU
Annual Awards Secretary: Mike Lane
mike.lane@blueyonder.co.uk
8 Ford Lane, Emersons Green,
Bristol BS16 7DD
Reunion Organiser: Paul Rainbow
paul@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
49 Quarrington Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 9PJ
SYSTEMS
IT Manager: Richard Jennings
it@audax.uk
Systems Manager (aukweb.net):
Francis Cooke
francis@aukadia.net • 0161 4499309
33 Hawk Green Road, Marple SK6 7HR
Assistants
Pete Coates
Matt Haigh
Terry Kay
COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
Communications Director: Ged Lennox
gedlennox@me.com
Spring Cottage, Harley Wood, Nailsworth
Gloucestershire GL6 0LB
AUK Forum (forum.audax.uk): Martin Foley
forum@audax.uk
AUK Forum Assistants
Peter Lewis, Les Hereward (Moderators)
Arrivée Editors
Winter: Sheila Simpson
sheila@aukadia.net • 0161 449 9309
33 Hawk Green Road, Hawk Green,
Marple, Cheshire SK6 7HR
Spring: Tim Wainwright
twain@blueyonder.co.uk • 020 8657 8179
4a Brambledown Road,
South Croydon CR2 0BL
Summer: David Kenning
dave@widdersbel.co.uk • 07734 815133
Little Orchard, Pean Hill, Whitstable CT5 3BQ
Autumn: Peter Moir
peter@moir.co.uk • 01993 704913
2 Peel Close, Ducklington, Witney,
Oxfordshire OX29 7YB
52
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
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www.aukweb.net Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 53

OFFICIAL
SECRETARY'S REPORT
Just a Sec…
‘Another year over and a new one just begun…’
…I hope you had/have fun.
The AUK year ended on 31st October and
it has been another bumper year with
21,487 rides validated to date. It was also
the busiest ever post-PBP year.
Various delegates and board members are
currently involved in a flurry of end of season
activity. When that process is complete, we will
have a complete picture of the season and this
will form the basis for the various annual reports
that will be published prior to the AGM.
By the time you read this, the annual Reunion
will be about to take place in Taunton. I am
certain that Audax Club Bristol will live up to the
high expectations that I have of them and they
deserve a huge thank you for all the hard work
they are putting into the event.
AGM
The next official event is our AGM. This has
been moved to a quieter time of the season in
terms of rides and will take place on the 11th
February in Birmingham. The formal notice is
set out [opposite] and contains all the formal
details.
One of the other reasons for moving the
AGM was to allow it to become a proper forum
for considering the future of our association
away from the distractions of the Reunion. A
dedicated section of the forum has been set up
for AGM matters and I hope as draft resolutions
are received that they will be reviewed and
debated by as many members as possible.
The Reunion itself will feature a session led
by the board. The session will include updates
on strategy, finance and the IT project as well
as chance to ask questions of various board
members and to debate potential items for
consideration at the AGM. If you have anything
you would like to see included in that session
or a question you would like to ask then let me
have the details.
Elections for the following posts will take
place at the AGM:
••
General Secretary
••
Events Services Director
••
Permanent Events Secretary
••
Non-Executive Directors x 2
••
IT Director – new post, see below.
The Events Services Director and the
Permanent Events Secretary have indicated a
willingness to continue in post. My own post
is up for re-election as I was appointed by the
board and that decision needs to be ratified by
the members. Details of the nomination process
are set out with the AGM Notice and are also
available on the website and forum.
Board meeting
I attended our latest board meeting on the
12th October. You can find the minutes and
reports in the Official section of the website.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the
attendance of Danial Webb, the organiser of LEL,
of which more below.
We also looked at Health & Safety and
adopted a new policy which draws together the
various components that make up our approach
to Health and Safety. This will now form part of
an annual end of season review when we can
look back at the incident reports generated by
organisers and see if any trends or issues can be
identified.
Richard Jennings, our current IT manager,
reported that good progress was being made
on most elements of the project to replace
our website and IT infrastructure but that
the scheme had also reached something of a
crossroads. As a result, Richard has decided to
step aside to allow someone else to take the
project forward. You will find an advert for the
new post of IT Director elsewhere in this issue.
LEL
Danial Webb provided the board with a
full report on the planning and preparation
associated with LEL 2017. It is a staggering
undertaking with many moving parts but with
Danial’s experience and input from his close knit
team, it looks as if it is very much, to use Danial’s
phrase, “on track”.
LEL is not only a flagship event for AUK with
a global profile, it is also an opportunity for
our sport to develop itself in other ways. An
event of this scale means that huge amounts
of thought and effort go into all sorts of areas
from food and nutrition right through to control
management. This can only be to the benefit of
our sport generally as that knowledge trickles
down into other events.
To continue the theme I started with and
at the risk of being the first person to do so, I
take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy
Christmas and good riding for the coming year.
Graeme
Provan
Secretary,
Audax UK
54
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AGM
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - AUDAX UNITED KINGDOM
LONG DISTANCE CYCLISTS’ ASSOCIATION (“Audax UK”)
Notice is given that the Annual General Meeting of Audax UK will be held on Saturday 11 February 2017, at 12.00pm at Room 101, The Library
of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2ND.
Graeme Provan
General Secretary
secretary@audax.uk
Resolutions should be submitted by members acting as proposer and seconder by post or email to the General Secretary to arrive no later than
the 15th December 2016. The resolution may include a statement of no more than 1000 words, excluding details of any changes to AUK Articles
and Regulations.
The draft resolutions will then be available at www.aukweb.net for a period of not less than 21 days for review. During this period members may
submit amendments to resolutions in the same manner as resolutions. Proposers of resolutions and/or amendments may similarly withdraw
unamended resolutions and/or amendments, or otherwise combine, partition or otherwise redraft them so long as they continue to address the
resolution’s original subject
Elections for the following posts will take place at the AGM:
General Secretary
Events Services Director
Permanent Events Secretary
Non-Executive Directors (2)
IT Director – new post
Nominations with details of the members proposing and seconding the nomination and the consent of the nominated person to serve together
with a statement of that person’s relevant abilities or experience of no more than 1000 words should be sent by post or email to the General
Secretary to be received no later than the 12th January 2017.
An agenda including the final resolutions and nominations and annual reports and accounts will be published on the website not later than the
19th January 2017.
All members are very welcome to attend the meeting and tea and coffee will be provided. Alternatively, any member may appoint a proxy to
attend, speak and vote in his or her place. Proxy voting will go live on the 19th January. If you or your proxy wishes to attend the meeting, I would
be grateful if you could let me know in good time so that I can ensure adequate space at the venue as well as adequate supplies of refreshments.
It is important that all members ensure that their email details on www.aukweb.net are accurate. Details of proxy voting will be sent to all
members with email addresses. The email will be sent from elections@mi-voice.com. You may wish to save the email address to your contacts to
avoid the email ending up in your junk folder. Mi-voice is the Electoral Services Company who will manage the process on our behalf.
Arrangements for those who need to receive the AGM papers and notices by post were published in the last issue of Arrivée and the form is set
out again below.
To: Audax UK Registrar, 20 Webster Close, Oxshott, Surrey KT22 0SF
I would like to register for printed AGM materials.
Signed: ____________________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
AUK Membership No: ________________________ Date: ____________________________
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 55

AUK CALENDAR
Riders on the National 400, photo Tim Decker
Calendar key
A(1)
B
BD
DIY
R
free/cheap accommodation, 1 night
very basic – no halls/beds, etc
baggage drop
own route and controls, cards by post
free or cheap refreshments at start
and/or finish
showers
sleeping facilities on route
S
Z
175 entries close at 175 riders
YH
youth hostel at/near start
C
camping at or near the start
F
some free food and/or drink on ride
L
left luggage facilities at start
P
free or cheap motor parking at start
T
toilets at start
M
mudguards required
X
some very basic controls (eg service
stations)
(14/4) entries close 14th April
100 05 Nov Alfreton To the Races
09:00 Sat BP 108km £5.00 L P R T M 100 12-28kph
Updated Alfreton CTC tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
200 05 Nov Cholsey, E of Didcot Upper Thames
07:30 Sat BR 212km 1900m [1943m] £6.00 L P R T M 15-30kph
Thames Valley Audax 01491 651 284 audaxphil@btinternet.com
Phil Dyson, 25 Papist Way Cholsey Wallingford Oxon OX10 9LL
200 05 Nov Coryton, NW Cardiff Transporter 200
07:00 Sat BR 202km £8.00 YH L P R T 50 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC 02920 341768 evansrichardd@googlemail.com
ROA 5000
Richard Evans, 73 Conway Road Cardiff CF11 9NW
200 05 Nov Galashiels The Long Dark Teatime of The Soul
08:00 Sat BR 2000m £8.00 G, P,R,T 15-30kph
Change of Date Audax Ecosse 01896 758 181 pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy McTaggart, 30 Victoria St. Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
200 05 Nov Tewkesbury Mr. Pickwick's Cymraeg Cyrch
07:30 Sat BR 209km 2200m £6.00 c p r t nm 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
100 05 Nov Witham Essex 3 R's
10:00 Sat BP 107km £4.00 X M T G 12-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
grant@huggys.co.uk
Grant Huggins, 76 Bryony Close Witham Essex CM8 2XF
200 06 Nov Cheadle, Stockport Eureka!
08:00 Sun BR 210km 800m £6.00 P R T M 60 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
hamhort84@talktalk.net
160 06 Nov Cheadle, Stockport Cheshire Safari
08:30 Sun BP 570m £6.00 P R T M 60 15-25kph
Peak Audax CTC
hamhort84@talktalk.net
Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Avenue Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ
100 06 Nov Merthyr Tydfil Dic Penderyn
09:00 Sun BP 1900m AAA2 £5.00 P R T 12-30kph
Merthyr CC 01685 373 758 adrianmcd2010@talktalk.net
ROA 3000
Adrian McDonald, 2 Brunswick St Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glam CF47 8SB
200 06 Nov Pound Street Car Park, Petworth, W Sussex The Petworth 200
08:00 Sun BR 210km 2006m £8.50 F P T 15-30kph
ABAudax
anton.brown@btconnect.com
100 06 Nov Pound Street Car Park, Petworth, W Sussex The Petworth 100
09:00 Sun BP 103km 1350m £8.50 F P T 15-30kph
ABAudax
anton.brown@btconnect.com
Anton Brown, 19 Northlands Avenue Haywards Heath West Sussex RH16 3RT
100 12 Nov Catherington, near Portsmouth Le Bois Ocaud d'Automne 100
09:00 Sat BP 106km 1600m AAA1.5 £5.00 F L P R T 14.3-30kph
Hantspol CC
jondse@ntlworld.com
Jonathan Ellis, 42 Wessex Road Waterlooville Hampshire PO8 0HS
100 26 Nov Cranbrook, Exeter Breakfast in Bampton
09:00 Sat BP £4.50 T NM 12-20kph
Exeter Whs
shbritton@outlook.com
Sarah Britton, 17 Copse Close Lane Cranbrook Devon EX5 7AP
100 27 Nov Carlton Colville, nr Lowestoft, Suffolk The Waveney Wander
09:00 Sun BP £5.00 LPRT 15-30kph
VC Baracchi
johntommo6@btinternet.com
John Thompson, 136 Dell Road Oulton Broad Lowestoft Suffolk NR33 9NT
200 03 Dec Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 2SE The South of Bucks Winter
Warmer
08:00 Sat BR 207km 1100m [1290m] £5.00 YH A1 G L P T S X (100) 15-30kph
Terry Lister
lister4cycling@btinternet.com
Terry Lister, 4 Abbey Walk Great Missenden Bucks HP16 0AY
56
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
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AUK CALENDAR
200 03 Dec Coryton, NW Cardiff Monmouthshire Meander
07:30 Sat BR 204km £8.00 YH L P R T 50 15-25kph
Cardiff Byways
tonypember@gmail.com
Tony Pember, 9 Donald Street Nelson Treharris CF46 6EB
200 03 Dec Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Tinsel and Lanes
08:00 Sat BR 211km 2060m £9 P R T 60 15-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
ROA 10000
Geoffrey Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth Staffordshire B78 1BY
100 03 Dec Tamworth, Pretty Pigs PH Flowers to Furnace
09:00 Sat BP 104km 940m £7.00 P R T 50 12-30kph
Geoff Cleaver
audaxgeoff@gmail.com
ROA 10000
Geoff Cleaver, 43 Goodere Drive Polesworth Tamworth B78 1BY
200 03 Dec Tewkesbury Kings, Castles, Priests & Churches.
07:30 Sat BR 202km 2550m AAA1.75 [1800m] £6.00 f l p r t nm 100 15-25kph
BlackSheep CC 01684 292 390 blacksheepaudax@gmail.com
ROA 25000
Mark Rigby, 16 Battle Road Tewkesbury Park Tewkesbury GL20 5TZ
100 03 Dec Witham, Essex The Stansted Airport Express
10:00 Sat BP £4.00 X M T 12.5-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
50 04 Dec Carharrack, Cornwall Ed's Mince Pie & Mulled Wine 50
10:00 Sun BP £4.00 F L P R T (85) 10-25kph
Audax Kernow
01326 373421 angells@talktalk.net
Eddie Angell, 14 Belhay Penryn Cornwall TR10 8DF
200 18 Dec Bredbury, Stockport Winter Solstice
08:30 Sun BR 202km 700m £5.00 P R T 60 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
mike@PeakAudax.co.uk
ROA 10000
Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Farm Millcroft Lane Delph OL3 5UX
200 18 Dec Great Bromley, nr Colchester Santa Special
08:00 Sun BR 204km 1142m £6.50 L P R T 15-30kph
CTC Suffolk 07922772001
Andy Terry, 35 Colchester Road Lawford Manningtree Essex CO11 2BA
100 07 Jan Bradwell, nr Hope, Peak District Hopey New Year
09:00 Sat BP 104km 1750m AAA1.75 £6.00 YH C P R T 100 10-30kph
David Darricott
01433 621 531 ddarricott@aol.com
David Darricott, 9 Gore Lane Bradwell Hope Valley Derbyshire S33 9HT
200 07 Jan Oxford The Poor Student
08:00 Sat BR 207km 1800m £6.00 YH P X 15-30kph
Updated Pat Hurt 07887 87 61 62 iddu.audax@gmail.com
Pat Hurt, 10 Newbury Road Lambourn RG17 7LL
100 08 Jan Kings Worthy, Winchester Watership Down
09:30 Sun BP 108km 1235m £6.00 L F P R T M 140 14-28kph
Winchester CTC
coles.sue@gmail.com
ROA 5000
Sue Coles, 7 Ruffield Close Winchester SO22 5JL
100 08 Jan York, Railway Station Goodbye Christmas Yorkshire Pudding
10:00 Sun BP [71m] £4.00 P R T (100) 15-30kph
VC 167
les.bauchop@gmail.com
Les Bauchop, 2a Westbourne Grove Pickering North Yorkshire YO18 8AW
100 14 Jan Swaffham Community Centre, Norfolk New Year QE2
09:30 Sat BP 107km £6.50 G L M P R T 15-30kph
CC Breckland
01760722800 iceniaudax@gmail.com
Jonathan Reed, Iceni Partnership Community Centre Campingland Swaffham PE37
7RB
54 14 Jan Swaffham Community Centre, Norfolk Swaffham Xenon
10:00 Sat BP £6.50 G L M P R T 10-30kph
CC Breckland
01760722800 iceniaudax@gmail.com
Jonathan Reed, Swaffham Community Centre The Campingland Swaffham
Community Centre The Campingland PE37 7RD
200 21 Jan Cardiff Gate Dr. Foster's Winter Warmer
07:00 Sat BR 201km £6.00 YH L P R T 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC
tonypember@gmail.com
Tony Pember, 9 Donald Street Nelson Treharris CF46 6EB
200 21 Jan Chalfont St Peter The Willy Warmer
08:00 Sat BR 209km £7.00 L P R T M 75 G 15-30kph
Willesden CC
paudax@gmail.com
Paul Stewart, 25 Devonshire Gardens Chiswick London W4 3TN
100 21 Jan Kelvedon, Essex The Kelvedon Oyster
10:00 Sat BP 109km £5.00 X M T G 12-30kph
Updated
Audax Club Mid-Essex
Graeme Provan, 1 Firs Road West Mersea Colchester CO5 8JS
200 22 Jan Cheadle, Stockport A Mere Two Hundred
08:00 Sun BR 201km 800m £7.00 P R T 80 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
150 22 Jan Cheadle, Stockport A Mere Century
08:30 Sun BP 155km 600m £6.00 P R T 60 15-25kph
Peak Audax CTC
David Colley, 5 Huncoat Avenue Heaton Chapel Stockport SK4 5HN
100 28 Jan Aztec West, Bristol Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial 100km
09:00 Sat BP 104km £7.00 P R T 12.5-30kph
Audax Club Bristol
info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
Paul Rainbow, 49 Quarrington Road Horfield Bristol Avon BS7 9PJ
100 28 Jan Hailsham Hills and Mills
09:00 Sat BP 105km 1950m AAA2 £6.00 R F P 85 14-25kph
Andy Seviour
Andy Seviour, 13 Blacksmiths Copse Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3XB
150 29 Jan Ashton Keynes, Cirencester Windrush Winter Warm Down 150
08:00 Sun BP 155km [650m] £5.00 L F P R T 15-30kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
100 29 Jan Ashton Keynes, Cirencester Windrush Winter Warm-up 100
09:00 Sun BP 108km 650m £5.00 L F P R T 14-25kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
ROA 5000
Peter Holden, 39 Querns Lane Cirencester GL7 1RL
200 04 Feb Alfreton Straight on at Rosie's
08:00 Sat BR 1190m £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC
tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
100 04 Feb Witham Knights Templar Compasses and Cross
10:00 Sat BP 105km 800m [795m] £4.00 X G T P 12-25kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
grant@huggys.co.uk
Grant Huggins, 76 Bryony Close Witham Essex CM8 2XF
100 11 Feb Bamford, Derbyshire Occasionally Hilly
09:00 Sat BP 108km 2070m AAA2 £6.00 P, R, T, G 12.5-30kph
Common Lane Occasionals
owright@mac.com
ROA 2000
Oliver Wright, Townhead Farm 345 Baslow Road Sheffield South Yorkshire S17 4AD
100 11 Feb Dial Post, West Sussex Worthing Winter Warmer
09:00 Sat BP 105km £5.00 FPRT 15-30kph
Mick Irons 01903 240 280
Mick Irons, 36 Phrosso Road Worthing West Sussex BN11 5SL
100 12 Feb Chippenham Flapjack
09:00 Sun BP 102km £7.00 F P R T M 150 15-24kph
Chip. & Dist. Whs. 01225 708449
Eric Fletcher, 174 Littleworth Lane Whitley Melksham Wiltshire SN12 8RE
100 12 Feb Leicester Rutland and Beyond
08:30 Sun BP 102km 1290m £4.00 F L P R S T 100 12-30kph
Leic. Forest CC
kimbo44@hotmail.com
ROA 2000
Kim Suffolk, 73 Colby Road Thurmaston Leicester LE4 8LG
200 18 Feb Cardiff Gate Malmesbury Mash
07:00 Sat BRM 1000m £3.00 L P R T 15-30kph
CTC Cymru
oldfield.tout@btinternet.com
Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage Mynyddbach Monmouthshire NP16 6RT
200 18 Feb Rochdale North-West Passage
08:00 Sat BRM 2100m £6.00 R T 15-30kph
West Pennine RC
120 18 Feb Rochdale mini-North-West Passage
09:00 Sat BP 1450m £6.00 r t 15-30kph
West Pennine RC
ROA 5000
Noel Healey, 95 Shore Mount Littleborough Lancs OL15 8EW
120 25 Feb Hailsham Mad Jack's - John Seviour Memorial
09:00 Sat BP 125km 2450m AAA2.5 £6.00 R F P 100 14-25kph
Andy Seviour
Andy Seviour, 13 Blacksmiths Copse Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3XB
120 25 Feb Whitlenge, Hartlebury, S of Kidderminster Sunrise Express
08:30 Sat BP 121km £8.00 P R T F 130 15-30kph
Beacon Roads Cycling Clu 01562 731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk
120 25 Feb Whitlenge, Hartlebury, S of Kidderminster Snowdrop Express
09:00 Sat BP 921m £8.00 P R T F 130 15-30kph
Beacon Roads Cycling Clu 01562 731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk
Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge DY9 0BW
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 57

AUK CALENDAR
200 26 Feb Cheadle, Stockport Newport
08:00 Sun BR 201km 750m £7.00 P, R, T 15-30kph
North Cheshire Clarion
150 26 Feb Cheadle, Stockport Radway
08:30 Sun BP 153km 450m £6.50 P, R, T 15-30kph
North Cheshire Clarion
Neil Shand, 12 Chapel Close Comberbach Northwich CW9 6BA
100 26 Feb Corscombe, near Beaminster The Primrose Path
09:00 Sun BP 102km 1955m AAA2 £7.00 F L NM P T 55 16/2 12.5-25kph
Arthur Vince
arthur.vince@btinternet.com
Arthur Vince, 3 Back Lane East Coker Yeovil BA22 9JN
100 26 Feb Old Town Hall, Musselburgh Musselburgh RCC Tour of East Lothian
10:00 Sun BP 106km £10.00 L P R T NM 12.5-30kph
Musselburgh RCC
Alistair Mackintosh, 5 Durham Road South Edinburgh EH15 3PD
200 04 Mar Churchend,Dunmow, Essex The Horsepower 200
07:30 Sat BRM £9.00 X A[1] C L P R T G M 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
100 04 Mar Churchend,Dunmow, Essex The Horsepower 100km
09:00 Sat BP 102km £9.00 X A[1] C L P R T G M 12.5-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
200 05 Mar Dalmeny Forth and Tay
08:00 Sun BR 208km 2500m £10.00 F G L P R T (100) 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
100 11 Mar Alfreton Three Fields
09:00 Sat BP 104km 1170m [1270m] £5.00 L P R T 100 12-30kph
Alfreton CTC
tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
200 11 Mar Grazeley, S of Reading The Kennet Valley Run
07:30 Sat BR 207km 1763m £ 15-30kph
Reading CTC
mes84uk@gmail.com
100 11 Mar Grazeley, S of Reading The Kennet Valley 100
09:00 Sat BP 895m £ 15-30kph
Reading CTC
mes84uk@gmail.com
Mick Simmons,
100 12 Mar Seaham Seaham Sircular
09:00 Sun BP 1700m AAA1.75 £5.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Dave Sharpe
cycle349@gmail.com
Dave Sharpe, 3 Elizabeth Street Seaham County Durham SR7 7TP
200 12 Mar Winsford, Cheshire Scouting Mam Tor
08:00 Sun BR 207km 2570m AAA2.25 [2150m] £7.75 P R T 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
pjbscott@sky.com
160 12 Mar Winsford, Cheshire Edale Run
08:30 Sun BP 167km 2370m AAA2.25 [2150m] £7.75 P R T 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
pjbscott@sky.com
Phil Scott, 59 Hawkshead Way Winsford Cheshire CW7 2SY
200 18 Mar Andoversford, Nr Cheltenham Cheltenham New Flyer
08:00 Sat BRM £6 LPRT 15-30kph
Cheltenham CTC
stephen.poulton@btinternet.com
ROA 10000
Stephen Poulton, Leckhampton Lodge 23 Moorend Park Road Leckhampton
Cheltenham Glos GL53 0LA
100 18 Mar Copdock, Nr. Ipswich The Copdock Circuit - Spring in South Suffolk
09:00 Sat BP £6.50 L P R T M 12-30kph
Suffolk CTC
the.kells@talk21.com
Dennis Kell, 9 Pheasant Rise Copdock Ipswich Suffolk IP8 3LF
200 18 Mar Girton, Cambridge The Cambridge Pork Pie
08:00 Sat BR 214km 1900m [1700m] £7.00 YH A C G L P R T S 15-30kph
Cambridge Audax
nick@camaudax.uk
100 18 Mar Girton, Cambridge The Cambridge Spring Dash
09:00 Sat BP 850m £7.00 YH A C G L P R T S 12.5-30kph
Cambridge Audax
nick@camaudax.uk
Nick Wilkinson, 42 Dodford Lane Girton Cambridge CB3 0QE
100 18 Mar Market Bosworth, Sports Club 1485 Tri Club Audax
09:00 Sat BP £8.00 t. s. r. nm. p. c. g.175 15-30kph
1485 Tri Club
Steven Robinson, 7 Tudor Close Market Bosworth Leicestershire CV13 0NA
200 18 Mar Selkirk Scottish Borders Randonnee
08:00 Sat BR 204km 2168m £10.00 F G P R T 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse 01750 20838
Russell Carson, 21 Ladylands Terrace Selkirk TD7 4BB
200 19 Mar Exeter Mad March Coasts and Quantocks
08:00 Sun BRM 201km 2725m AAA2 [1500m] £7.00 YH F P R T X 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
shbritton@outlook.com
Sarah Britton, 17 Copse Close Lane Cranbrook EX5 7AP
100 19 Mar Exeter Mad March Exeter Excursion
09:00 Sun BP £6.00 YH F P R T 12-25kph
Exeter Whs
07443 471140 shbritton@outlook.com
Sarah Britton, 17 Copse Close Lane Cranbrook Devon EX5 7AP
200 19 Mar Golden Green,Tonbridge Man of Kent 200
08:00 Sun BRM 203km 1505m [1425m] £8.00 F L P R T (120) 15-30kph
Updated San Fairy Ann CC manofkentaudax@gmail.com
David Winslade, 3 Albany Close Tonbridge Kent TN9 2EY
200 25 Mar Aldbrough St John, nr Darlington Yorkshire Gallop
08:00 Sat BR 1480m £5.00 X P R T 14.3-30kph
VC 167
01325 374 112 nigel.hall@finklecroft.me.uk
100 25 Mar Aldbrough St John, nr Darlington Ripon Canter
10:00 Sat BP 572m £5.00 X L P R T 12-25kph
VC 167
01325 374 112 nigel.hall@finklecroft.me.uk
Nigel Hall, Finkle Croft Aldbrough St John Nr. Richmond DL11 7TD
200 25 Mar Alfreton Roses to Wrags
08:00 Sat BR 212km 1391m £6.00 F P R T 150 15-30kph
Alfreton CTC
oggy.dude@gmail.com
Stephen Ogden, The Firs 170 Nuncargate Road Kirkby In Ashfield NG17 9EA
200 26 Mar Poynton, S of Stockport Chirk
08:00 Sun BR £6.00 F P 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
daz@delph45.fsnet.co.uk
Darryl Nolan, 5 Grasmere Road Royton Oldham OL2 6SR
200 01 Apr Ballachulish Port Navigation
07:15 Sat BR 2420m £12.50 C F G P 14.3-30kph
Edinburgh RC
graemewyllie05@gmail.com
Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD
200 02 Apr Clitheroe, Lancashire Delightful Dales 200
07:30 Sun BRM 205km 3300m AAA3.25 [3600m] £6.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 02 Apr Greenwich The Shark
07:30 Sun BRM 202km 3200m AAA3.25 £8.00 F G R (31/03) 15-28kph
Change of Date Audax Club Hackney ivan.cornell@gmail.com
Ivan Cornell, 13 Maidenstone Hill London SE10 8SY
200 02 Apr Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Ball Buster
08:00 Sun BRM 214km 2000m £7.00 F L P R T NM 15-30kph
Las Vegas Inst of Sport
info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
110 02 Apr Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Blast
10:30 Sun BP 116km £7.00 F L P R T NM 12.5-30kph
Las Vegas Inst of Sport
info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
110 02 Apr Long Ashton, Bristol Barry's Bristol Bash
09:30 Sun BP 116km 1100m £7.00 F L P R T NM 12.5-30kph
Las Vegas Inst of Sport
info@audaxclubbristol.co.uk
Paul Rainbow, 49 Quarrington Road Horfield Bristol Avon BS7 9PJ
100 02 Apr North Petherton, S of Bridgwater Dunkery Dash
09:00 Sun BP 102km 1600m AAA1.5 £8.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Bridgwater CC
Keith Bridges, 19 Westfield Road Burnham On Sea Somerset TA8 2AW
300 08 Apr Poole hard boiled 300
02:00 Sat BRM 4400m AAA4.5 £10.00 L M (25/3) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
300 08 Apr Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury Yr Elenydd
06:00 Sat BRM 307km 4950m AAA5 £10.00 C F G L P R T (120) 15-25kph
CTC Shropshire
undulates@hotmail.co.uk
ROA 10000
John Hamilton, 22 Oaks Crescent Wellington Telford TF1 2HF
110 09 Apr Mytholmroyd Spring into the Dales
09:00 Sun BP 115km 2350m AAA2.25 £4.50 L P R T YH 12-24kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
58
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
www.aukweb.net

AUK CALENDAR
57 09 Apr Mytholmroyd Leap into the Aire
10:00 Sun BP 1325m AAA1.25 £4.00 L P R T YH 8-20kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
200 09 Apr Wareham Dorset Coast
07:45 Sun BRM 207km 2850m AAA2.75 £12.00 C L F R P T M 1/4 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
01305 263 272 pete_loakes@yahoo.com
ROA 5000
Peter Loakes, 1 Church Cottage West Stafford Dorchester DT2 8AB
400 14 Apr Anywhere, to York Easter Fleches to York
::::: Fri BRM £15.00 15-30kph
Audax UK
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
200 14 Apr Anywhere, to York Easter Trail
::::: Fri BP 201km £12.00 15-30kph
Audax UK
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
300 15 Apr Cirencester Heart of England 300
06:00 Sat BR 307km 2800m £7.00 A(2) L P R T 100 15-30kph
Corinium CC
01285 659 515 peter@quernsgate.co.uk
ROA 5000
Peter Holden, 39 Querns Lane Cirencester Glos GL7 1RL
200 16 Apr Congleton, Cheshire Ironbridge 207
08:00 Sun BR 207km 2130m £6.00 P R T 15-30kph
Congleton CC
stevedawson131@gmail.com
130 16 Apr Congleton, Cheshire Hawkstone 133
08:30 Sun BP 133km £5.00 P R T 15-30kph
Congleton CC
stevedawson131@gmail.com
Stephen Dawson, 131 Abbey Road Sandbach Cheshire CW11 3HB
160 16 Apr Honiton Combwich Century
08:30 Sun BP 169km 2470m AAA2.5 £7.00 GLPRT 14-30kph
Exeter Whs
ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 25000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
400 21 Apr Coryton, NW Cardiff Buckingham Blinder
22:00 Fri BRM £10.00 X 15-30kph
Cardiff Byways CC
Robyn Thomas, 44 Cosmeston Street Cardiff CF24 4LR
300 22 Apr Alfreton Everybody Rides to Skeggy!
06:00 Sat BR 302km 1141m £7.00 L R P T X 100 15-30kph
Updated Alfreton CTC nigel.randell8664@gmail.com
Nigel Randell, 15 Hammer Leys South Normanton Derbyshire DE55 3AX
200 22 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Eureka Excursion
08:00 Sat BR 215km £6.50 R L P T 70 15-30kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
130 22 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Tea in Prospect
08:30 Sat BP 135km 500m £6.50 L P R T 70 12.5-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
68 22 Apr Eureka Cafe, Wirral Two Mills Twirl
09:00 Sat BP £6.50 R L P T 50 10-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 10000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
200 22 Apr Leominster The Cambrian
07:00 Sat BR 210km 3750m AAA3.75 £6.00 L P R T 14.3-30kph
Hereford Wheelers
cambrianaudax@gmail.com
140 22 Apr Leominster The Cambrian - Minor
08:00 Sat BP 148km 2250m AAA2.25 £6.00 L P R T 12.5-30kph
Hereford & Dist. Whs
cambrianaudax@gmail.com
84 22 Apr Leominster The Cambrian - Welsh Marches
09:00 Sat BP 920m £6.00 L P R T 10-22.5kph
Hereford & Dist. Whs
cambrianaudax@gmail.com
Daryl Hayter, Weir View Breinton Common Breinton Hereford Herefordshire HR4 7PR
300 22 Apr Meopham Oasts and Coasts 300Km
06:00 Sat BRM 3300m AAA1.75 [1650m] £8.00 L P T R 15-30kph
Tom Jackson 01474 815 213 tom56jackson@gmail.com
ROA 5000
Tom Jackson, 19 Denesway Meopham Kent DA13 0EA
300 22 Apr Poynton, S of Stockport Plains
23:00 Sat BR 310km 1600m £5.00 P X 15-30kph
Peak Audax CTC
hamhort84@talktalk.net
Peter Hammond, 3 Dorac Avenue Heald Green Cheadle Stockport Cheshire SK8 3NZ
110 22 Apr Reepham, nr Lincoln Lincoln Imp
09:30 Sat BP 112km 200m £5.00 G L P R T 10-30kph
CTC Lincolnshire
andy.town@ntlworld.com
Andrew Townhill, 10 Larkin Avenue Cherry Willingham Lincoln Lincolnshire LN3 4AY
200 23 Apr Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland Chevy Chase
08:00 Sun BRM 201km 2465m AAA3 [3000m] £12.00 C F G L P R T (150) 15-30kph
Change of Date Tyneside Vagabonds aidan@northern-audax.org.uk
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
400 29 Apr Chalfont St Peter, Bucks London Wales London
06:00 Sat BRM 407km 3500m £23.00 F, G, L, NM, P, R, T 15-30kph
Updated Willesden CC lfitzpatrick01@gmail.com
Liam Fitzpatrick, 13 Heron Close Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 1NF
200 29 Apr Honiton Valley of the Rocks 200
08:00 Sat BRM 205km 3900m AAA4 £7.00 GL P R T 40 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 25000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
300 29 Apr Musselburgh Merse and Moors
06:00 Sat BRM 4200m AAA4.25 £10.00 X P L R (50) 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
200 01 May Ruislip, London Chiltern Chiltern Bang Bang
08:15 Mon BR 2037m [650m] £9.00 G P R T 15-30kph
Updated
Westerley CC
100 01 May Ruislip, London Chiltern Roalds, Take Me Home
08:45 Mon BP 1231m £9.00 G P R T 15-30kph
Westerley CC 07941175577
Dave Morrison, 145 Cornwall Road Ruislip Middx HA4 6AH
300 06 May Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland The Mosstrooper
06:00 Sat BRM 3900m AAA3.5 [3600m] £9.00 C F G L P R T (100) 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
aidan@northern-audax.org.uk
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
300 06 May Manningtree, Colchester Green & Yellow Fields
00:01 Sat BRM 305km 1500m £4.00 X M P C 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
400 06 May Preston, Lancashire Heartbeat 400
06:00 Sat BRM 409km 5160m AAA5 [4000m] £7.50 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
160 07 May Coppice House, Crewe Tough Stuff
08:00 Sun BP 161km 1765m [502m] £14.00 L P R T NM (150) 15-30kph
Up and Under Cycling Clu admin@upandundergroup.com
Andy Fewtrell, Up and Under Foundation Coppice House Quakers Coppice Crewe CW1
6FA
52 07 May Coppice House, Crewe Foundation Ride
09:30 Sun BP 292m [189m] £14.00 L P R T NM (100) 10-25kph
Up & Under Cycling Club admin@upandundergroup.com
Andy Fewtrell, Up and Under Foundation Coppice House Quakers Coppice Crewe CW1
6FA
100 07 May Coppice House, Crewe Three Counties
08:30 Sun BP 109km 828m £14.00 L P R T NM (100) 12-30kph
Up & Under Cycling Club admin@upandundergroup.com
Andy Fewtrell, Up and Under Foundation Coppice House Quakers Coppice Crewe CW1
6FA
400 07 May Poole Porkers 400
14:00 Sun BRM 5900m AAA6 £10.00 L M (15/4) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
600 13 May Chepstow Bryan Chapman Memorial (Classic)
06:00 Sat BRM 7500m AAA7.5 £37.50 BD C F L P R S T Z 15-30kph
CTC Cymru
oldfield.tout@btinternet.com
Ritchie Tout, Sunnyside Cottage Mynyddbach Monmouthshire NP16 6RT
300 13 May Troutbeck Bridge, Cumbria The Westmorland Spartans
07:00 Sat BRM 4000m AAA4 £7.00 YH A(2) L P R T S 15-30kph
Lakes Velo
paul@revells.com
200 13 May Troutbeck Bridge, Cumbria The Cumbrian 200
08:00 Sat BRM 203km 3900m AAA4 £7.00 YH A(2) L P R T S 15-30kph
Lakes Velo
paul@revells.com
Paul Revell, Kirklands, Brow Edge, Backbarrow Ulverston Cumbria LA12 8QL
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 59

AUK CALENDAR
400 20 May Kirkley, Ponteland The Hot Trod
09:30 Sat BRM 3711m [4020m] £9.50 C F G L P R T Z(50) 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
aidan@northern-audax.org.uk
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
160 20 May Meriden, Warwickshire Cotswold Challenge
08:00 Sat BP 1200m £8.00 C G P R T NM 15-30kph
Jon Porteous audax2017@heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
100 20 May Meriden, Warwickshire Warwickshire Wanderer
09:00 Sat BP 105km 700m £8.00 C G P R T NM 15-30kph
Jon Porteous audax2017@heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
50 20 May Meriden, Warwickshire Meriden Meander
10:00 Sat BP 540m [546m] £8.00 A C G NM P R T 15-30kph
Jon Porteous audax2017@heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Jon Porteous, Tumnus Corner Springhill Gardens Webheath Redditch Worcs B97 5SY
200 20 May Willington Hall, E of Chester Tour of the Berwyns
08:00 Sat BR 210km 3100m AAA3 £6.00 L P R T 75 (17/05) 15-30kph
Chester & North WalesCTC
dmanu@outlook.com
130 20 May Willington Hall, nr Chester Panorama Prospect
08:30 Sat BP 136km 1150m [500m] £6.00 L P R T 75 (17/05) 12.5-25kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 10000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
100 21 May Woodley, Romsey, Hampshire Between the Parks
09:00 Sun BP 500m £6.00 G L P R T (75) (10/5) 15-30kph
Southampton & Romsey CTC
rid@ecs.soton.ac.uk
200 21 May Woodley, Romsey, Hampshire Grand National Park2Park
08:00 Sun BR 2400m £8.50 F G L P R T (150) (10/5) 15-30kph
Southampton CTC
rid@ecs.soton.ac.uk
Robert Damper, 12 Julius Close Chandler's Ford Eastleigh Hampshire SO53 2AB
300 27 May Honiton Old Roads 300
06:00 Sat BRM 3400m £8.00 GLPRT 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 25000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
400 27 May Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire The Old 240
05:30 Sat BR 407km 6400m AAA6.5 £8.00 A(2) L P R T S YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
400 27 May Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire Not Quite The Spurn Head 400
05:30 Sat BR 403km 2450m £8.00 A(2) L P R T S YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
200 27 May Northallerton Egton Bridge
8::00 Sat BR 2700m [2600m] £6.50 PTR 15-30kph
Hambleton RC
paul.roberts901@tiscali.co.uk
Paul Roberts, 37 The Close Romanby Northallerton DL7 8BL
600 27 May Poole Brimstone 600
06:00 Sat BRM 7600m AAA7.5 £10.00 L M (13/5) 15-30kph
Wessex CTC
Shawn Shaw, 22 Shaftesbury Road Longfleet Poole Dorset BH15 2LT
400 02 Jun Corstorphine, Edinburgh Auld Alliance (2017)
21:00 Fri BRM 401km £11.00 F P B R T 15-24kph
Edinburgh RC
graemewyllie05@gmail.com
Graeme Wyllie, 16 Corstorphine House Avenue Edinburgh EH12 7AD
100 03 Jun Cromford, Derbyshire Tramway 100
09:00 Sat BP 104km £6.00 P R T 150 11-25kph
Updated Alfreton CTC tomandsuefox@yahoo.co.uk
ROA 10000
Tom Fox, 180 Nottingham Road Alfreton Derbyshire DE55 7FP
400 03 Jun Manningtree, Colchester Asparagus & Strawberries
09:00 Sat BRM 414km 2600m £4.00 X M P C 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
300 10 Jun Padiham, Lancashire Knock Ventoux 300
06:00 Sat BRM 4900m AAA4 [4600m] £6.50 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
300 10 Jun Rowlands Castle, nr Portsmouth Wonderfully Wessex
05:30 Sat BRM £8.50 f l p t (10/6) 15-30kph
Hampshire RC
mrpaulwhitehead@yahoo.co.uk
Paul Whitehead, 73 Spencer Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7XR
400 16 Jun Clayhidon, near Taunton Avalon Sunrise 400
22:30 Fri BRM 407km 3300m £17.00 flprtc 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
Jamie Andrews, Cemetery Lodge Ashill Road Uffculme Devon EX15 3DP
600 17 Jun Leominster Take Ewe to the Severn, Seas & Wye (*)
06:00 Sat BR 6800m AAA6.75 [6700m] £10.00 F P T (50) 14.3-30kph
Updated Pat Hurt iddu.audax@gmail.com
Pat Hurt, 10 Newbury Road Lambourn RG17 7LL
600 17 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The 3 Coasts 600
06:00 Sat BRM 607km 5611m AAA1.75 [1631m] £10.00 A(3) L P R S T Z YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
600 17 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The East & West Coasts 600
06:00 Sat BRM 605km 4380m [5380m] £10.00 A(3) L P R S T Z YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
200 18 Jun Mytholmroyd, W. of Halifax The Good Companions
08:30 Sun BRM 2697m AAA1.75 [1631m] £5.00 A(2) L P R T S YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
400 23 Jun Anywhere, to York Summer Arrow to York
06:00 Fri BR £15.00 15-30kph
Audax UK
pedaller1@sky.com
200 23 Jun Anywhere, to York Summer Dart to York
::::: Fri BR 210km £5.00 15-30kph
Audax UK
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
200 24 Jun Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hungerford Hurrah
08:00 Sat BR 2200m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph
Winchester CTC
alanandemma@talktalk.net
170 24 Jun Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hindon Hip Hip
08:30 Sat BP 1750m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph
Winchester CTC 01794 514124 alanandemma@talktalk.net
140 24 Jun Awbridge, Nr. Romsey, Hampshire Hungerford Hooray
09:00 Sat BP 1450m £7.00 L P R T 50 15-30kph
Winchester CTC
alanandemma@talktalk.net
Alan Davies, 7 Queens Close Romsey Hampshire SO51 5EG
400 24 Jun Upton Magna, E of Shrewsbury National 400
08:00 Sat BRM 403km 4100m AAA1.75 [1650m] £30.00 C F G L P R T 15-25kph
CTC Shropshire
undulates@hotmail.co.uk
ROA 10000
John Hamilton, 22 Oaks Crescent Wellington Telford TF1 2HF
400 01 Jul Churchend, Dunmow, Essex Kingdom of the East Saxons
11:00 Sat BR £20.00 M Z F R P L C T 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
600 01 Jul Clitheroe, Lancashire Pendle 600
06:00 Sat BRM 609km 10150m AAA10 [9000m] £15.00 BD F L P R S T Z 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 01 Jul Galashiels Moffat Toffee
08:00 Sat BR 204km 2500m [2300m] £10.00 LPRTSG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
100 01 Jul Galashiels Broughton and Back
10:00 Sat BP 1380m £9.00 LPRTSG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
1000 07 Jul Bispham, Lancashire Mille Pennines
10:00 Fri BRM 13600m AAA13.5 [10000m] £55.00 BD F L P R S T Z (120) 13.3-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
600 08 Jul Exeter The Exe-Buzzard
06:00 Sat BRM 5600m £5 X 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
600 08 Jul Leighton Buzzard The Buzzard
07:00 Sat BRM 5600m £5.00 X 15-30kph
Exeter Whs
01404 46993 ian@ukcyclist.co.uk
ROA 25000
Ian Hennessey, 10 High Street Honiton EX14 1PU
300 08 Jul Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy Cestyll Cymru 300
6.:30 Sat BR 320km 3194m [3550m] £10.00 X C A1 G L NM P R T 15-30kph
Rhos-on-Sea CC
cbwilby@gmail.com
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AUK CALENDAR
200 08 Jul Rhos-On-Sea, Conwy Cestyll Cymru
08:00 Sat BR 205km 2095m AAA2.25 [2200m] £10.00 A1 C G L R NM T 15-30kph
Rhos-on-Sea CC
cbwilby@gmail.com
Chris Wilby, Gwenallt Henryd Road Gyffin Conwy LL32 8HN
100 09 Jul Combe Down, Bath Mendip Transmitter
08:30 Sun BP 1650m AAA1.75 £7.00 N.P.R.T 13-30kph
Bath CC
robertmcmillan@sky.com
Robert Mcmillan, 228 Bloomfield Road Bath BA2 2AX
300 14 Jul Churchend,Dunmow, Essex Hereward the Wake
21:00 Fri BRM 301km £9.00 X M G R T P L C 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
200 15 Jul Corwen Barmouth Boulevard
08:00 Sat BR 204km 3650m AAA3.75 £6.00 P R T 15-30kph
Chester & North Wales CTC vickypayne8@hotmail.com
100 15 Jul Corwen The Brenig Bach
08:30 Sat BP 107km 1930m AAA2 [1920m] £6.00 P R T 12.5-25kph
Chester & North Wales CTC vickypayne8@hotmail.com
60 15 Jul Corwen The Bala Parade
09:00 Sat BP 1000m £6.00 P R T 12.5-25kph
Chester & North Wales CTC vickypayne8@hotmail.com
Vicky Payne, Bryn Celyn Penyffordd Holywell Flintshire CH8 9HH
600 15 Jul Kirkley Cycles, Ponteland The Border Raid
06:00 Sat BRM 5500m £10.00 C F G L P R T Z(50) 15-30kph
Tyneside Vagabonds
aidan@northern-audax.org.uk
Aidan Hedley, 16 The Close Lanchester Durham DH7 0PX
200 16 Jul Newton Abbot, Devon Torplex Two Hundred
08:00 Sun BR 210km 2900m AAA3 £8.50 F G L P R T 15-30kph
Devon CTC
brodie@bikerider.com
100 16 Jul Newton Abbot, Devon Devon Delight
09:00 Sun BP 107km £8.50 F G L P R T 10-25kph
Devon CTC
brodie@bikerider.com
ROA 5000
Graham Brodie, Homelands 10 Courtenay Road Newton Abbot Devon TQ12 1HP
200 22 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire The Kidderminster Killer
08:00 Sat BR 214km 3750m AAA3.75 £7.85 F L P R S T (90) (8/8) 14.6-30kph
Beacon RCC
01562731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk
Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge
Worcestershire DY9 0BW
120 22 Jul Belbroughton, N Worcestershire From Clee to Heaven
09:00 Sat BP 123km 1950m AAA2 £7.85 F L P R S T (70) 13.5-25kph
Beacon RCC 01562 731606 p.whiteman@bham.ac.uk
Dr Philip Whiteman, 2 Drayton Terrace Drayton Belbroughton Stourbridge DY9 0BW
1400 30 Jul Loughton, Essex London Edinburgh London
05:00 Sun BRM 1415km 11500m AAA2.75 [2750m] £329.00 C F L P R T S NM Z (750) 12-30kph
LEL 2013
ROA 5000
London Edinburgh London team, 11 Heather Avenue Hellesdon Norwich NR6 6LU
200 13 Aug Padiham, Lancashire Tan Hill 200
08:30 Sun BRM 207km 4500m AAA4.5 £5.00 P X 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 02 Sep Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Pistyll Packing Momma
08:00 Sat BR 209km 3400m AAA3.5 £6.00 BD R L P T 29/08 15-30kph
Chester & North Wales CT
dmanu@outlook.com
130 02 Sep Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Mountain Views
08:30 Sat BP 137km 2000m AAA2 £6.00 BD R L P T 29/08 12.5-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
50 02 Sep Old Ma's Tattenhall, Cheshire Momma's Leafy Lanes
09:00 Sat BP £6.00 BD R L P T 29/08 10-25kph
Chester & N Wales CTC
dmanu@outlook.com
ROA 10000
David Matthews, Hill View Cottage Cross Lanes Oscroft Tarvin Cheshire CH3 8NG
200 03 Sep Musselburgh The Erit Lass
08:00 Sun BR 3000m AAA3 £10.00 C F G L P R 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
martinfoley@btinternet.com
Martin Foley, 78 Denholm Road Musselburgh East Lothian EH21 6TU
600 09 Sep Churchend,Dunmow, Essex The Flatlands
06:00 Sat BRM 606km £7.00 A[1] X M P R T L C 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
150 09 Sep Galashiels Dick McTs 150 Classic
10:00 Sat BP 1576m [1600m] £10.00 LPRTSG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
600 22 Sep Bispham, Lancashire Blackpool - Glasgow - Blackpool 600
22:00 Fri BRM 605km 3600m £10.00 F L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
New AUK Season
200 07 Oct Churchend,Dunmow, Essex Richard Ellis Memorial 200
08:30 Sat BRM 201km £9.00 A[1] M G R P T L C 15-30kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
100 07 Oct Churchend, Dunmow, Essex Richard Ellis Memorial 100
09:30 Sat BP 103km £9.00 A[1] M G R P T L C 12.5-25kph
Audax Club Mid-Essex
tom.deakins@btinternet.com
Thomas Deakins, 31 The Causeway Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2AA
100 08 Oct Mytholmroyd Season of Mists
09:00 Sun BP 105km 2555m AAA2.5 £4.50 L P R T YH 15-24kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
55 08 Oct Mytholmroyd Mellow Fruitfulness
10:00 Sun BP 1200m AAA1.25 £4.00 L P R T YH 15-30kph
West Yorkshire CTC
chris.crossland@halifaxctc.org.uk
ROA 25000
Chris Crossland, 14 Stanley Street West Sowerby Bridge West Yorkshire HX6 1EF
200 14 Oct Galashiels Etal-u-Can
08:00 Sat BR 204km 2379m £10.00 LPRTSG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
100 14 Oct Galashiels Ride of the Valkyries
10:00 Sat BP 106km 1200m [1517m] £9.00 LPRTSG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
200 22 Oct Bispham, Lancashire Ride The Lancashire Lights 200
07:30 Sun BRM 206km 1800m £5.00 L P R T 15-30kph
Burnley CC
burnleysportiv@yahoo.com
Andy Corless, 31 Castlerigg Drive Ightenhill Burnley Lancashire BB12 8AT
200 28 Oct Galashiels The Long Dark Teatime of The Soul
08:00 Sat BR 2000m £5.00 PRTG 15-30kph
Audax Ecosse
pedaller1@sky.com
ROA 25000
Lucy Mctaggart, 30 Victoria Street Galashiels Scottish Borders TD1 1HL
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 61

2017 ENTRY FORM FOR EVENTS HELD UNDER AUK REGULATIONS
NAME OF EVENT: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
From:__________________________________________________ Distance: ____________________ Date:_____________________
Fee for Audax UK Members: £______________________________
AUDAX UK MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: _______________________
Fee for other entrants (includes £2 temporary membership): £ _______________________________
Date of birth if under 18 years: (see PARENTAL CONSENT below) ______________________________
FORENAME: ___________________________________________ SURNAME: ____________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
Tel: ___________________________________________________ Mobile: _______________________________________________
Club/CTC member group: _________________________________
INSURANCE: Audax UK provides its members (inc. temporary) normally resident in the UK with 3rd party insurance cover
throughout the event for claims in excess of £500. Overseas residents must arrange their own insurance. By signing this form,
you declare that you are insured as required.
The event is run under Audax UK regulations. You should familiarise yourself with Audax UK regulations, guidance and advice
(available at www.aukweb.net or on request from the organiser). The event is not a race or a trial of speed. You are expected to
follow the rules of the road and show consideration to other road users.
The route is on open public roads.
You should prepare by studying the route.
The route is not waymarked or marshalled.
You are responsible for your safety and conduct.
• Some routes/conditions may be arduous.
• The organiser provides no rescue service.
PARENTAL CONSENT (required for entrants under 18 years of age): Parents should note the information on this form and be aware
that this in an individual ride without ride leaders.
I am the Parent/Guardian of the entrant and give my consent to this entry
Signed (Parent/Guardian): _____________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Name (Parent/Guardian, please print): _____________________________________________________________________________
I understand that during the event I am on a private excursion on the public highway and that I am responsible for my own
conduct. I agree to abide by Audax UK regulations for this ride. Entry fees are not refundable. I have relevant insurance cover as
above.
SIGNED (entrant): ___________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Emergency contact (name & tel): _________________________________________________________________________________
Send to the organiser:
1. Completed form
2. Cheque payable to organiser (not AUK)
3. Two CS stamped addressed envelopes.
62
Arrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134
www.aukweb.net

2017 MILEATER ENTRY FORM
AUDAX UK MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: _______________________ Cycling UK (CTC) Membership Number: _____________________
Date of birth if under 18 years: (see PARENTAL CONSENT below) ______________________________
FORENAME: ___________________________________________ SURNAME: ____________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
Tel: ___________________________________________________ Mobile: _______________________________________________
Club/CTC member group: _________________________________
PARENTAL CONSENT (required for entrants under 18 years of age)
I am the Parent/Guardian of the entrant and give my consent to this entry:
Signed (Parent/Guardian): _____________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Name (Parent/Guardian, please print): _____________________________________________________________________________
How will you submit your final mileage?
o I will send the diary back to you
o I will submit via an online ride logging website (please ensure that I can view your profile)
Enter the URL of your rider profile here_________________________________________________________________________
o I will use another way (emailed spreadsheet, hard copy spreadsheet etc)
Enter submission method here_______________________________________________________________________________
Do you want to receive a medal? This will cost an extra £10.00 and is engraved with your name, year and distance recorded.
o Yes
o No
I understand that during the Mileater period I am responsible for my own conduct. Entry fees are not refundable or transferable.
SIGNED (entrant): _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Date: __________________________________________________
Send to the organiser:
1. completed form
2. cheque payable to AUDAX UK (£4.00 if you just want to enter and receive the diary, £14.00 if
you want the medal as well)
3. two C5 stamped addressed envelopes. Please ensure you include sufficient postage for a
large letter weighing up to 100g (this covers the postage for 1 diary). Post your entry forms and
payment to: Paul Worthington, 213 Greenhill Road, Liverpool, L18 9ST
www.aukweb.netArrivée Autumn 2016 No. 134 63

Riders on the National 400, photo Tim Decker