Below is an account of my Audax 300 k - Steyning West Sussex, which i did in 2003 (back when I was fitter!!)
Audax 300 k - Steyning West Sussex
By Andy slow coach.
With all the will in the world I tried to get to sleep at 8 PM on Fri 4 April 2003, but things churning around in my head prevented me from sleeping. With the aches and pains of the previous weekends DORSET COAST 200k ride still with me I was thinking, am I going to be up to it? Have I got the right day? Will I be the only one there? Have I got everything ready? I got up around midnight and set off to the 3am! start.
I arrived in good time and registered promptly then downed a couple of cups of tea (there were also bananas-cakes-biscuits-etc) from the well-organised and well-stocked catering van!
3 AM and we were off, with 194 miles to go and no sleep since I woke on Friday morning I was feeling surprisingly good. We headed off, lights blazing towards BRIGHTON first. As we cycled along dark deserted country roads I slowly but surely worked my way through the pack. As we approached a roundabout I glanced back and all I could see was a sea of lights. I then wish I had taken my camera. So along the sea front through BRIGHTON, just able to make out the remains of the fire damaged pier. With only a few riders in front of me this guy rode up and said are you up for a fast ride? I said no I'm just up for finishing (thinking back to last weeks Dorset Coast when I had 3 punctures, and the 1st one causing me to miss the 1st ferry crossing) he said "ok" and shot off, through NEWHAVEN to SEAFORD then up some hills to our first control. A lay by in a village called FRISTON, now 04:58/166miles to go. This time tables were set up and food and drinks laid on by the catering van including bowls of cereal!
So off again over BEACHY HEAD and towards EASTBOURNE, as I went flying down this hill passing two recumbent riders who had stopped on the side and two riders struggling back up the hill I suddenly remembered some words of wisdom Stuart gave me on my first Audax, "never follow anyone and always keep an eye on the route sheet", ah my 1st slip up, so a quick about turn and a slower assent back to the turn I missed. We then worked our way through PEVENCY and along into BATTLE, then across the ISLE OF OXNEY to the next control, World of Water Café in ROLVENDEN who had opened early just for us. Now 07:32/121 miles to go. After a full English and a big mug of tea I set off towards the next stop ELHAM via TENTERDEN, HAMSTREET, and LYMINGE. Now 10:27/88 miles to go. There was still a chill in the air as I left the village hall after rolls, cakes, and rice pudding with peaches oh and another cup of tea. Now I was heading home retracing some of the roads back to the World of Water Café in ROLVENDEN, where I had a bite to eat and a mug of tea, now 13:11/54 miles to go. By now it was getting quite warm with the sun blazing down, so off with the leggings and off towards the penultimate stop in UCKFIELD. The roads were now flat long and boring or was I just getting tired? Sooner than I realised, I was in UCKFIELD at the Shell Garage getting the chap to stamp, sign, and put the time on my Brevet Card, now 15:35/24 miles to go.
By now I was getting tired, my right knee was hurting and my neck and shoulders were both aching. I had not seen another cyclist for ages and had not seen many on the whole journey apart from the controls. But, as I was looking at my route sheet, desperately trying to keep upright, and doing k/miles conversions hoping the end was near, that chap who asked me earlier in the day if I was out for a fast ride came from nowhere and we ended arriving at the last control at the same time, now 17:45/194 miles. 12 Hours-18 Minutes riding and 14 Hours-50 Minutes after starting I was back in one piece and no punctures! I was also pleased to find I was also around the 9th or 10th to get back out of around 70 riders. Thanks have to go to the organiser David Hudson and his helpers for all their hard work throughout the day. So that's a 200k and a 300k Audax under my belt, this could get addictive! 400k next? Watch this space!
Audax 300 k - Steyning West Sussex
By Andy slow coach.
With all the will in the world I tried to get to sleep at 8 PM on Fri 4 April 2003, but things churning around in my head prevented me from sleeping. With the aches and pains of the previous weekends DORSET COAST 200k ride still with me I was thinking, am I going to be up to it? Have I got the right day? Will I be the only one there? Have I got everything ready? I got up around midnight and set off to the 3am! start.
I arrived in good time and registered promptly then downed a couple of cups of tea (there were also bananas-cakes-biscuits-etc) from the well-organised and well-stocked catering van!
3 AM and we were off, with 194 miles to go and no sleep since I woke on Friday morning I was feeling surprisingly good. We headed off, lights blazing towards BRIGHTON first. As we cycled along dark deserted country roads I slowly but surely worked my way through the pack. As we approached a roundabout I glanced back and all I could see was a sea of lights. I then wish I had taken my camera. So along the sea front through BRIGHTON, just able to make out the remains of the fire damaged pier. With only a few riders in front of me this guy rode up and said are you up for a fast ride? I said no I'm just up for finishing (thinking back to last weeks Dorset Coast when I had 3 punctures, and the 1st one causing me to miss the 1st ferry crossing) he said "ok" and shot off, through NEWHAVEN to SEAFORD then up some hills to our first control. A lay by in a village called FRISTON, now 04:58/166miles to go. This time tables were set up and food and drinks laid on by the catering van including bowls of cereal!
So off again over BEACHY HEAD and towards EASTBOURNE, as I went flying down this hill passing two recumbent riders who had stopped on the side and two riders struggling back up the hill I suddenly remembered some words of wisdom Stuart gave me on my first Audax, "never follow anyone and always keep an eye on the route sheet", ah my 1st slip up, so a quick about turn and a slower assent back to the turn I missed. We then worked our way through PEVENCY and along into BATTLE, then across the ISLE OF OXNEY to the next control, World of Water Café in ROLVENDEN who had opened early just for us. Now 07:32/121 miles to go. After a full English and a big mug of tea I set off towards the next stop ELHAM via TENTERDEN, HAMSTREET, and LYMINGE. Now 10:27/88 miles to go. There was still a chill in the air as I left the village hall after rolls, cakes, and rice pudding with peaches oh and another cup of tea. Now I was heading home retracing some of the roads back to the World of Water Café in ROLVENDEN, where I had a bite to eat and a mug of tea, now 13:11/54 miles to go. By now it was getting quite warm with the sun blazing down, so off with the leggings and off towards the penultimate stop in UCKFIELD. The roads were now flat long and boring or was I just getting tired? Sooner than I realised, I was in UCKFIELD at the Shell Garage getting the chap to stamp, sign, and put the time on my Brevet Card, now 15:35/24 miles to go.
By now I was getting tired, my right knee was hurting and my neck and shoulders were both aching. I had not seen another cyclist for ages and had not seen many on the whole journey apart from the controls. But, as I was looking at my route sheet, desperately trying to keep upright, and doing k/miles conversions hoping the end was near, that chap who asked me earlier in the day if I was out for a fast ride came from nowhere and we ended arriving at the last control at the same time, now 17:45/194 miles. 12 Hours-18 Minutes riding and 14 Hours-50 Minutes after starting I was back in one piece and no punctures! I was also pleased to find I was also around the 9th or 10th to get back out of around 70 riders. Thanks have to go to the organiser David Hudson and his helpers for all their hard work throughout the day. So that's a 200k and a 300k Audax under my belt, this could get addictive! 400k next? Watch this space!
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