Yesterday's Audax
10-08-01, 05:03 AM
#1
put me back on my bike
Thread Starter
Yesterday's Audax
109k in the Chiltern Hills and around the Thames valley near Henley.
The weather forecast was for gales and storms, and as a reslut there were only about 20 riders at the start.
Very hilly first 20k, and then some pleasant riding about the Thames valle. I fell off the bike crossing Hambledon lock. The signs did say walk across, but I got cocky and rode across. The bike slipped on a metal grid.
For the second half of the ride, the gales did start, as well as some heavy rain. Sometinmes the headwinds were so strong I had to pedal downhill just to keep going.
The last 20k were very grim, wet, cold, hard work and a bastard hill (Bledlow Ridge) about 8k from the end. I took 5.5 hours to do the distance, but that included a stop for coffee at halfway.
Great sence of achievement and cameraderie at the end to have ridden in such awful conditions.
Got home and had to immediately start drying all my kit ready to put it on for the cycle into work this morning. (more rain!)
What joy!
Stew
The weather forecast was for gales and storms, and as a reslut there were only about 20 riders at the start.
Very hilly first 20k, and then some pleasant riding about the Thames valle. I fell off the bike crossing Hambledon lock. The signs did say walk across, but I got cocky and rode across. The bike slipped on a metal grid.
For the second half of the ride, the gales did start, as well as some heavy rain. Sometinmes the headwinds were so strong I had to pedal downhill just to keep going.
The last 20k were very grim, wet, cold, hard work and a bastard hill (Bledlow Ridge) about 8k from the end. I took 5.5 hours to do the distance, but that included a stop for coffee at halfway.
Great sence of achievement and cameraderie at the end to have ridden in such awful conditions.
Got home and had to immediately start drying all my kit ready to put it on for the cycle into work this morning. (more rain!)
What joy!
Stew
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The older I get the better I used to be.
The older I get the better I used to be.
10-08-01, 06:09 AM
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: upstate New York
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Hey, do you know Ivo? He's a Dutch postman, and has a bike with 2 lights on the forks of his bike. He does a lot of audax rides in the north of England/Scotland, etc.
If you do see him, tell him to post here! He used to be a regular on bicycleforum.com, but he didn't seem to make the move over when it sank.
If you do see him, tell him to post here! He used to be a regular on bicycleforum.com, but he didn't seem to make the move over when it sank.
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Je vais à vélo, donc je suis!
Je vais à vélo, donc je suis!
10-08-01, 07:07 AM
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Faversham, Kent, UK
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Got home and had to immediately start drying all my kit ready to put it on for the cycle into work this morning. (more rain!)
Congrats on the Audux though.
Richard
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Currently riding an MTB with a split personality - commuting, touring, riding for the sake of riding, on or off road :)
Currently riding an MTB with a split personality - commuting, touring, riding for the sake of riding, on or off road :)
10-08-01, 04:36 PM
#4
Every lane is a bike lane
Congrats dude. Remember, wind and hills build character
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I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
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I am clinically insane. I am proud of it.
That is all.
