GWR Chalke and Cheese 200km Audax Saturday 12th January 2019

It's been a year. A year since I wrote a blog post not a year since I rode my bike!

I have started a draft post for our Cairngorms mountain biking outer loop trip last summer. I haven't written up any of last year's rides or audax. Oh well, I missed my 8000km target for 2018 by 1500km but it was my highest annual total to date in 3 complete years of Strava. I completed the 200km Raglan Castle Audax last July in the foulest wet and windy weather in the middle of the heatwave summer! My hardest ride to date. Lots of errors on my part, over estimating speed, underestimating weather and food needs, worrying about delaying a very patient ride buddy (Blair) and not being able to drop back as my Garmin froze at 100km. It was far too far to ring up the patient husband and drag him over the bridge to pick me up. I'm still not sure how I did it other than not wanting to let down my ride buddy or inconvenience my husband!

I have ridden a 200km audax or charity ride once per year in summer in the three years that I've been riding "properly." So about 10 days ago I thought I'd have a go at a winter 200km randonnée (an audax of 200km) because everyone else just bangs them out so surely I should stop making excuses and just get on with it. I haven't made myself any targets this year. Do targets motivate or intimidate? (Edited to add a few days later that this may not actually be true now.)

Audax are self supported rides. They are not signposted, don't have broom wagons or feed stations. You get a designated route for Garmins/Wahoos etc and written directions if needed. Collect a brevet card at the start and collect stamps or receipts at the controls, which are normally at cafés shops or pubs at the extremes of the route. To stop short cuts answers to some information controls are also required. They are not races but to complete an audax officially it has to be done in "audax time" which roughly equates to 15km/hr minimum average INCLUDING stoppage time. I reckon I should comfortably be able to average 20km/hr moving time. However this always seems difficult in practice due to unforeseen and/or adverse conditions.

I know that Will, who organises a series of Great Western Randonnées of varying lengths, plans the best audax routes. I have completed 100km Wells and Mells and Old  Rail Trail and 200km Plains Trains and No More Automobiles in spring/summer 2017. I signed up for his Chalke and Cheese 200km audax starting at Warmley near Bristol; south east to Salisbury, south west to Shaftesbury, north west to Cheddar and north east back to Warmley. I hadn't realised earlier it was a little less elevation than the summer version Chalke and hAAArd Cheese so once I realised that it could be a possibility, I waited until the last minute to enter as the weather forecast had to be good. 9 degrees and 15km/h westerly wind and overcast and 10% chance of rain is brilliant for January. I paid my £7.50 entry fee on the Wednesday evening after my 100km "practice" jaunt earlier that day. Steve agreed to get up at some ungodly hour to take me for the 7am start, as no way could I add another 30-40km riding to the start and back afterwards.
I joined up with a local Wednesday group I had ridden with a couple of times to see how a 100km ride was feeling, as I needed to do my 100km Gran Fondo for January anyway. Up Burrington, round to Glastonbury and back via Wedmore the flat way as a group of 5. It was hard work and I certainly could not have done 200km starting at 9am that Wednesday! It was not necessarily the wisest move as most "training" gurus say to rest before a big event, anything other than loosening up in the week before doesn't help your outcome. My average speed was only 20.6km/hr. I needed to do that over 200km including night riding and probably nobody to take turns into the headwind!

I spent the next two days feeling slightly sick. I was at work for most of the time for distraction and didn't do my normal gym/spin classes on Friday morning to rest my legs. Yes I've given in and mix gym and outside cycling these days.

I brought my bike inside on Friday evening to load up with my seat post bag. My major concern were lights, or lack of, as I knew I'd be riding 3-4 hours in the dark in total. My eyesight is not the best and I don't have a dynamo so I took both our sets of rechargeable good "to see" lights and a third set of mini daytime "be seen" lights. I also had my phone, a battery pack, Garmin and multi charger lead to complete the electronics chaos. My Garmin 1000 would need to be charged up at controls too as that doesn't last for navigating 200km at my pace. However, I was pleased that my new all weather all roads/tracks audax/touring/adventure/gravel bike was running smoothly, I have finally got the hang of indexing gears. I now have disc brakes and 32mm touring tyres and I had ridden Skye for 500km since new, so she was run in. For the first time ever I made a list of everything I needed to check off in the morning. I still forgot my sandwiches in the fridge! I did have 5 Graze bars, 3 bananas, salted peanuts and extra electrolyte tablets for my two bidons. I even remembered the IKEA pencil for the brevet card.

I had broken the route down into the 4 sections between the main controls from the route above and uploaded to the Garmin, in the past I have missed controls so it makes sense, as the Garmin is not great on routes over 100km. I psyched myself up for just 4 manageable rides.

1/4 Warmley-Bristol to Boyton-Wilts (Ginger Piggery Café)  55km 500m ascent

Alarm set for 5.30 we set off for Warmley at 6.15 which was actually cutting it a bit fine. We arrived at the car park and I stopped Steve driving into it, height limitation hanging sign! Thank goodness as he did admit he hadn't clocked "bike on roof" at that moment and that was nearly the end of my Chalke and Cheese! I quickly mounted my seat post bag full of supplies like bananas and flapjacks, loaded first route on my Garmin, attached lights and collected my brevet card after waves of welcome from the lovely El. Apparently I am riding in the company of Jasmijn Muller, I never saw her! There were a lot of bikes, bodies and flashing lights. This is my first dark depart. A few words of wisdom and caution from the organiser Will, who was also riding (like many others) on a fixie to make it harder. Nobody is stealing my gears. "If you beat me back post your signed card in the box at the Hollybush that the bar staff will have." said Will in all seriousness. "Me back first, ha ha ha" I thought! Steve went off home for a lie in.

Chalke and Cheese 200km Audax Grand Depart at Warmley, Bristol.  Pic @Eleanor Jaskowska

Off we went at 7am in the dark. We held up the minimal traffic crossing over onto the bike path in the Bath direction. It was all very civilised and quiet (everyone's bikes running as smooth as silk at this point and no chatter) pootling along crocodile style trying not to focus on the mesmerising flashing tail lights. I was glad it was steady and quiet, it really settled my nerves. I set my mind on just riding to Boyton and looking forward to coffee and cake.

It seemed like someone turned the lights on whilst we were inside the two tunnels, some creeping daylight appearing as we emerged and the first obstacle overcome, the night riding in a big group. I left at the back of the bunch on purpose so that I could see ahead better and not have to deal with faster people passing. Will and the ACB crowd waved cheery hellos as the passed, having started last of course being the organisers, shepherding the flock. Mostly on fixies too.

We came off the path at Midford and onto the road, and the first hill of the day. We passed through delightful villages, rode through Rode and I found myself riding at the same speed as a local guy called Bob. We were to spend the rest of the day together. I had a route on my Garmin, he had not ridden as many audax as I but was experienced and having a team definitely made my day. The reassurance that two heads are better than one, someone to chat with a little, although in practice not that much. Mainly I didn't want to let him down, which in turn meant I didn't let myself down.

The tailwind meant we made ok time, but not as good as I hoped. There was a very long stretch into the westerly to do this afternoon that my head was not looking forward to. Followed by Cheddar Gorge in the dark.

We arrived at Ginger Piggery (Ginny's) Café in Boyton around 9.45am A large latte and a huge piece of lemon drizzle cake fuelled me up, a quick chat with Mildred (I had only met her a couple of times off the bike so good to see she was at the start too) and Will's dad who was stamping our brevet cards. Thank you Will's dad. Thank you to lovely Ginger Piggery staff, not at all  phased by smelly grinning mad audax types, they just cut the cake slices larger than normal.

Ginny's Café Boyton, overrun with audax types!

Large latte and huge lemon drizzle at Ginger Piggery

Hi Mildred!

There had been a bit of a wait and the rain set in whilst we were inside. A 45 minute stop is not efficient but I have learnt my lesson about proper rest and fuelling for me. I just cannot eat on the bike, I briefly stop and snack but need to stop properly every 2-3 hours. Ideally we would have been there 15 minutes earlier and stopped 30 mins max. So 30 mins down in my head from ideal. It was me that kept Bob waiting.

2/4 Boyton-Wilts to Broad Chalke-Wilts 29km 195m ascent

A very short leg, but an info control is needed at the easterly point of our loop to prove we hadn't cut the corner off, so a quick halt in Wilton (near Salisbury) opposite the very statuesque Italianate church to answer the question on our cards. No time for pics, off we race to the General Stores in Broad Chalke. We're still 15km short of half way and the rain has been quite persistent and the wind is getting up. The café was busy with riders who had not stopped at Boyton, our plan was to push on but we purchased sandwiches and jelly babies to fuel us for the tough stint coming up. We made sure we kept our dated and timed receipts as evidence.

3/4 Broad Chalke-Wilts (via Shaftesbury-Dorset) to Wedmore-Somerset 85km 690m ascent

A couple of kilometres out of Broad Chalke a beaming cyclist appeared riding in the opposite direction, quite a normal occurrence but I had to stop and have a quick chat, not just the cheerful hello as is normal, as it was my audax pal Blair. I knew he was doing a different DIY 200 audax and our routes overlapped for about 20km in total, the chances of passing each other were very slim. He was riding strong and at his halfway point. We had completed the Raglan 200km Audax back in July, he didn't leave me behind when my Garmin failed halfway round. No time to linger and chat for long though. Onwards.

This was the tough section. Forecast was for 15mph moderate westerly winds, in actuality it was only just off a gale, 35-40mph westerly. Officially the route was Shaftesbury, Bruton, Wells to Wedmore. Somehow, when sectioning my route, it rerouted and I had not noticed, as the totals were very similar so I didn't examine in detail. My route turned out to be Shaftesbury, Wincanton, Castle Cary and Glastonbury to Wedmore via Sustrans advised route. Bob had a paper route, I cannot see to follow paper route so I said I had to stick to my route otherwise I'd get lost and had no time to faff as so tight on time anyway. He did follow me, we had not met before, quite heroic or daft? We did waste some time trying to reconcile the routes. My route also managed to miss the info control, but heh-ho. we are not trying for Paris-Brest-Paris qualification. This is one of the first official BRM qualifiers, hence the large numbers for a 200km in January!

It got very tough after Shaftesbury. The route was very pleasant off main roads, but relentlessly up and down. We battled the whole way into the sapping wind. Bob didn't have mudguards so I couldn't ride behind him as the lanes were liquid mud/cow pat. The rain eased off but the perceived temperature was dropping off. In no danger of freezing but once tiredness sets in and wet clothes the body feels colder. I also drink a lot, I still had 1 1/2 full bottles at Broad Chalke but ended up having to stop at a house and ask for refills, a very obliging teen did the honours with a smile and only a slightly bemused face when faced with a mud splattered middle aged woman in lycra at dusk!

On and on, we were having a mouthful of sandwich here, a Jelly Baby there. I even tried eating Jelly Babies from my pocket but they just went slimy, yuck! I have to try and crack this eating on the move lark, you need constant energy on longer rides. In fact if you start to feel thirsty or hungry you have gone too long without drinking/eating and slow down/fatigue will already have set in.

It was a relief to come into Glastonbury but from the south, through lanes with many parked and occupied caravans, a few people out walking with dogs all very friendly.

Now back on more familiar roads and we push on to Wedmore through Godney. at least the hills have subsided now.

The run into Wedmore was in the dark, gone 5pm, still within maximum audax time just, lights fully on now. Our average speed had slipped from 23 km/h at Boyton to about 19kmph. the control was at Wedmore Village Stores and more sandwiches were purchased. Unfortunately the promised coffee machine was off and with nowhere inside to sit we had to picnic on a bench outside and the public toilets were shut. I was very wobbly at this point. I shovelled sandwiches, nuts etc in but a warming cup of tea and sitting inside for 20 minutes would have helped the most. I was surprised that there were a fair few of us about, quite a lot more in the pub but no time for the pub for us.

4/4 Wedmore-Somerset to Warmley-Bristol 44km 508m ascent

We set off again just before 6 our cut off time to reach Warmley was 8.30pm. 2.5 hrs for 44km. Easy peasy, yeah right NOT!

Given the long long slog to Wedmore and rapid loss of oomph, I had been absolutely dreading Cheddar Gorge as the major and penultimate climb of the day. I have ridden it many times before, know the significant kicker bends, length etc so there should have been no worries at all about tackling in the dark. Riding Cheddar in the dark was a first though. I settled into a plod, was pleased it was early enough that there should be no joy riders screaming about (there were a couple) I felt great, yes I did stand up for that bend but was a bit alarmed to see Bob tumble. He had caught a stone or something and crashed down hard at the steepest bit. I waited at the top of the bend and he assured me he was OK, he will be sore in the morning. The climb was ethereal, I loved it. The walls loomed and it was so peaceful, except for the odd idiot boy racer car but mostly just peace. I was so glad it was not raining.

We crossed over at the top and I warned Bob about the descent down West Harptree, we took it very carefully and were soon down into Bishop Sutton where I basically ordered us both to stop at the Spice Inn for a quick bite to eat, audax style not a sit down curry! Oh my it smelt so good. Bemused diners likely wondered what the heck those nutters were doing wolfing down flapjacks and bananas and swigging pink liquids from mud splattered bottles. It was 7.15. Bob was having light issues so I leant him one of mine and fortunately they held out to the end.

We pressed on, actually a few riders around now as we were on the right route this time. Into Pensford and then the small matter of bloody Publow Hill, I halfheartedly got out of the saddle but quickly dismounted. Bob had already done the same and it was just as quick to walk. Back on and we were on a race against time, so near and yet so far. Through Keynsham conurbation and the Warmley sign before the last pull up and a sprint to the arrivée at The Hollybush pub.

Oh my goodness we had done it. Well it was minutes after 8.30 but Will said we'd been locking up our bikes for ten minutes, so we agreed. We were full value audaxers!

Bob headed the 4 miles home and I rang Steve who nobly came to pick me up. I had a lovely Thatchers with the audacious sociable inclusive bunch that are audax participants. We phoned ahead and picked up fish and chips on the way home, after being so short of fuel I found it hard to eat half.

The most welcome cider.

Excellent organiser Will of Great Western Randonées. Started after me, in hours before me on a FIXIE!

My brevet card is in that box for validation! Beer for Will

209km (plus a few in the Two Tunnels)
2241m elevation
10hrs 42mins moving time
19.5km/hr average speed (not good)

Full value audax!! Not bad for January.

The only logical conclusion is now I have a bash at Randonnée-Round-the-Year (RRtY)

I may regret this.

Paris-Brest-Paris is NOT on my horizon!

Trains Plains and no more Automobiles 200km Audax Saturday 15th July 2017

I had such a good time on the inaugural Great Western Randonnées (GWR) Wells and Mells and Old Rail Trail Audax back in March, that I was keen to do another one by Will, the organiser with a penchant for detail and the odd hill. I really must get myself an Audax Club Bristol orange shirt.

The next one was 200km. Plains Trains and no more Automobiles from Bristol to Stonehenge and back.
I have ridden 200km once back in July 2015, but it was a charity sportive (Break the Cycle) with feed stations, signage, mechanical backup and the all important "ring from anywhere and we will come and get you broomwagon" I didn't have a Garmin then, so route finding was a huge challenge for me. My BRCC club mates looked after me that day, and I was thrilled to get from Bristol Rugby Club to Bath RC and then Gloucester RC and back to Bristol. A 180 km or so and I rode to and from the start to make 200.

Riding a 200km audax is different. You are responsible for yourself. Route finding, food, mechanically and physically. Yes your fellow audaxers look out for anyone obviously struggling with a puncture or looking a bit lost, but you cannot guarantee anyone will be around. Especially if you mess up on the route finding bit!

Without thinking about it too much I paypalled my £7 entry fee about six weeks before. Audax fees (unlike sportives with lots of costs of support and signage) are so reasonable that if I back out I won't be destitute. I would let the organiser know so that someone else could ride and nobody would lose out. A couple of my ride buddies said they were signed up/thinking about it.

Once you have paid it is honourable to commit.

I had sensible training already in place, three hilly 100km + rides in the Lakes at the beginning of July, since christened Tour de Lakes. For various reasons that training/mini tour didn't go to plan. Just one hillyish 100km ride. The weekend before I did go out on a BRCC club ride and rode a good 100km ride and forced myself up two big hills in the final few kilometres to test my metal. I slogged up Portbury, descended Belmont and forced myself to turn around and go back up again in blazing sunshine even though I was a couple of miles from home!

I wasn't confident enough in my ability not to roll over and go back to sleep at a 5.30am alarm. If I passed that test I didn't really admit to many I was intending to ride, in case I cried off after a few miles. Mainly I didn't want other kind cycling friends feeling obliged to ride at my slow pace.

I did know that riding the flat 18km up to Warmley really wasn't sensible, it would be a straw to break this camel's back After expressing this worry a couple of days before, Steve looked horrified and stated "but I'm taking you of course." He is the best, no ifs no buts he was getting up to drive me up there at 6am. Now I cannot fail.

Porridge and blueberries by 6, I stash bananas, Nakd bars, electrolyte tabs, cheese and pickle rolls, 2 pieces of fruit cake, sun cream and a battery charger for the Garmin. No way will it last 200km at my speed! We arrive at the car park next to Warmley waiting room at 6.30 and greet the Weston Wheelers, my audax buddies. nobody looks too full of beans. Some are partaking in the bacon butties but they're not my thing. I sign on and collect my brevet card. 210km to go!

Part 1 Warmley to Blunsdon 56km 450m

Some have peddled off, and seeing that it's still 10 minutes to go I decide to leave as well, I will be passed very quickly but it's nice not to be last from the off. My club mates roll past with cheery greetings 15 minutes later, I think they were surprised I'd turned out! That was the last I saw of them.
The first town is Malmesbury, after a haul up through Dryham Park. I cannot believe I have never been here. As with all previous audax the interesting towns and villages just whet your appetite for a return visit to explore properly.

Malmesbury Church

58km later, and a lovely pleasant roll with a hint of a tailwind into Swindon and Cricklade Railway completes the top side of the square and the first control is the Station Café for obligatory beans on toast in Blunsdon. A nice ride all done by 9.30. I can go home now, if I want. Or I can turn south.

Swindon and Cricklade Railway

Blunsdon beans were rather inefficient. A lot of prep goes into beans on toast, perhaps made from scratch? A quick turnaround it wasn't. With hindsight I was glad I did have my beans though!

Part 2 Blunsdon to Boynton via Stonehenge 85km 700m

Next up is an 85km jaunt to Boyton, south and then west.
Through Royal Wootton Bassett...

As it says on the sign!

After a little detour on a bike path track I was relieved to get back to the road and saw another couple of audaxers and headed for Stonehenge. Through army barracks and past lots of "Keep Out" signs and Stonehenge loomed ahead. This part was on a gravelly track but it gave a great view of the stones and kept us away from the hoardes. I stopped for a photo but nobody else around. Not the best photo ever!

Salibury Plains and Stonehenge

Now the long push west on the rolling Salisbury Plain. Overcast and a very strong westerly was blowing. I had no one to chaingang with so I just had to keep going, on and on and on on those up and down rolling plains with rather more fast traffic than I'd like. I used this sign as an excuse to stop for a breather and some sustenance. still quite a way to the next control

Tanks crashing into sign too

Finally I rolled into the Ginger Piggery. A lovely café and my friends from the Weston Wheelers were wrapping up their lunch. I was cross eyed by now. I knew I had to get on my way quickly to make the cut off, so I ordered a large pot of tea and sat down with them with a roll and some fruit cake I had brought with me. Far too often the controls are too crowded to get food speedily and as I am not speedy I had planned to be more self sufficient this time. I did feel very guilty, but as it happened it was wise planning as the cafe had totally run out of food bar a slice of Victoria Sponge. The need for savoury carbs was kicking in. I received some messages from the BRCC guys ahead very concerned that I would be without food, they had had to go to a garage up the road.

The Ginger Piggery

I did rest a while, my Garmin having a boost from the battery pack. I wasn't the last to leave.

Part 3 Boynton to Warmley 70km 850m


Just 70km to go, a short club run, realistically 3.5 hrs pedalling time.

I bashed on, there were a few more audaxers around on this section. It was a relief to turn north and know I was on the home stretch. Just the small matter of the nasty hills around Radstock and then the last 15km are downhill. Quite a large bunch had stopped at another café so I was feeling good that I may not come in practically last. I got up all the Radstock Hills, and stupidly didn't just eat one more Nakd Bar, anyone can polish off the last 20km right?

I passed the Warmley sign, after quite a hairy descent on busyish roads but being nearly back was keeping me going and knowing that Steve was waiting for me at the Hollybush Pub in Warmley, just round the corner from our start point,  no way could I contemplate riding home too.

I went round the corner and 4km from the pub is a very slight incline, that stretched ahead. My legs were not aching but my body and brain disengaged, I could not move. I stood on the verge, ate something, drank some more. Parties of triumphant audaxers passed me by, all enquiring kindly if I was OK, which I assured them I was. After 15 mins the food had worked through enough and I slowly pedalled up the biggest hill ever (not) and made it to the finish. Just within cut off time. A bemused husband was wondering where the heck I had got to!

Boy was I glad to be back and the elation quickly took over. My first official 200km audax done. 10 hours peddling time and exactly 21km/hr average

I'm very proud of all my audax cards, but this one is perhaps the biggest achievement.

My first Brevet Randonnée aka 200km audax