Bike Build and Kit List

In case anyone wondered - this is what I'll be taking to Istanbul.

Volagi Viaje XL frame – 4130 Cro-moly combined with their “Long-bow” seat stays that are curved and join the top tube rather than the seat tube mean that this is one seriously comfortable frame for me to build my distance racer around. Disc mounts front and rear. Carbon fork with tapered steerer for precise handling. I love the look of this frame and, judging from the amount of people who’ve asked me about it while out riding/audaxing, others are keen too. Interestingly Viaje is Spanish for journey – how apt.

Wheels – the next most important part of any bike, IMO. Hand built in the town I live in. Hope Pro2 Evo rear hub in black laced with black spokes to black H Plus Son 32H Archetype rims. Up front is a black Shutter Precision PD8 dynamo hub which will be used to power my gadgets laced with 32 black DT competition spokes onto another Archetype rim. Due to some off road parcour and the fact that comfort is key to me these are wrapped in 28mm Continental 4 Seasons. I hope that they’ll serve me well on the off road Assettia pass and the cobbles of Gerardsbergen.

Groupset – 105 for the most of it. Deviations are the shifters and brakes which are RS685 mechanical shift with hydraulic brakes. Rotors are 160mm for increased stopping power due to bike being loaded with luggage.

Finishing kit – all Deda aluminium stuff. Mudguards are SKS Chromoplastics. 2 bottle mounts. Hope QRs. Specialized Phat Wrap bar tape and gel inserts. Bontrager aerobars.

Pedals - touring pedals with SPD cleats. Chosen so I can walk in the shoes I cycle in, saving carring sandals or whatever.

Luggage – Alpkit 5l drybag ratcheted under Aerobars for clothes. Apidura framebag for tools and spares, first aid kit and chamois cream and batteries. Apidura top tube bag for charging electronics and  food on the go. Apidura saddlebag for sleeping equipment, rain coat and food.

Lighting – B+M Luxos U front light and USB charger. 2 x fibre flare rear lights and 1 x Topeak mega rear light.

Tech – Garmin Edge 800 for recording the ride and back up navigation (for upload to Strava etc). Edge Touring for navigation. Heart rate monitor linked to the 800. No speed sensor as it’ll sap too much battery and GPS provides speed anyway. Sony Xperia Z3 Compact phone with maps saved offline. Garmin charging cable, mobile charging cable, Euro USB outlet, head torch, USB battery pack. Also some headphones and an MP3 player, a spare memory card with maps and the route and a spare USB lead

Here's all the stuff that'll be in the bags or on me during the ride.

Clothing – Bib shorts, jersey, socks, shoes, waterproof, hat, mitts, swim shorts, T-shirt, reflective night time vest

Sleeping – Bivi, liner, sleeping foam or bubble wrap, emergency blankets

Cleaning – Antibac wipes, Miofresh powder for antibac washing bibs etc, mini tooth brush and paste, hand sanitizer

Spares –

Chain oil

2 x tubes

patch kit

multi-tool

pump

gear cable

tyre levers

pre-glued patches

zip ties

duct tape

electrical cable

spare chain links

spare spoke and nipple

tyre boot

leatherman

Batteries for the rear light

Brake pads

Food and drink

Electolyte tablets

Spork

Other stuff

Chamois cream

Sun cream

First aid kit, tape and gauze

Dyralite

Ibuprofen

Lip balm spf

Padlock

Cable to lock with

Worthing Winter Warmer

Ha - well I wouldn't have put "warmer" anywhere near my memories of this ride.

I got a call from my wife, who'd I'd left in bed after a "stealth mode" exit from my abode. Sadly stealth mode is not my strongest mode. She wanted to know if I'd actually bothered cycling the 60kms to get to the start line as the roads were not dissimilar to a scene from the movie Frozen.

Naturally I'd thrown caution to the wind and had gone. The ride down to Worthing at 6.30 in the morning was tranquil but slow due to the amount of ice everywhere. I managed to arrive at Dial Post as the peloton and first grupetto were riding in the opposite direction. Not to worry, I'd take my time - head to the start location, removing my overshoes and cleated shoes to respect the wooden surface of the village hall so that future cycling events would be welcome. Actually I'd say that every cyclist seemed to respect this rule of footwear removal - even tired riders returning at the end of the day. We as cyclists are respectful of other people's wishes regularly and that makes me happy knowing that.

Anyways, I loaded up on the supplied biscuits and necked a coffee - off I went. After re-tracing the route I'd followed to get there I came across a gent changing an innertube on the path around a traingularbout. As is customary I slowed to ask if all was ok and he replied that his patch had failed and he was probably ok as he was in the process of re-patching the tube. As I was one of the last riders to set off I stayed with him to make sure it inflated. It didn't. Nor did the next 3 patches. I'm glad I stayed, it wouldn't have been much of a ride for him if it ended within a couple of kms of the start.

We rided together and chatted for the remaining 100k of the ride and what a ride it was. Although the highlight climb of the ride was heading up Alderbrook and it's 180m of brutal ascent where the gradient changes repeatedly and the top isn't the top I would say that as there was no discernible view from the top my favourite parts of the ride were spend shooting along the flat sections, being able to chat with Ben, the gent who'd had the inner tube issues.I think that is where a lot of the Audax allure is. Everyone out on the road has the same goal - to complete and enjoy the route. It doesn't make a blind bit of difference if you're a millionaire or broke, posh or not, a racer or a tourer. Not one bit of difference. You've all got the same hills to get up and the same turn on the front to take.

I'm writing this report in June about a ride I completed in February and can confirm that, although at times quirky, I've never met such a friendly and welcoming bunch as the cyclists met on Audax rides. If you enjoy riding your bike and you've not tried an Audax then please do - you'll love it.

Ben and I parted ways after some snacks that were kindly laid out at the arrivee and I started the 60kms back home.

Watership Down 100k Audax

Just a quick write up of the 2015 "Watership Down" 100km Audax.

Deciding on cycling there and back made the ride 200k in total and I'm glad chose to do that, it provided some excellent training for the Transcontinental - just not in a way I expected. So far I've focussed my training on gradually building endurance and it's been very predictable. What I'd not factored into the training was overcoming problems as they happen. Valuable experience was gained on Sunday.

First of all came the most minor of problems. The steroid using thorn punctured my rear tube at the most inconvenient part of a fast descent. No problems sorting that. That was the first flat I'd had since I'd changed to my (new) winter tyres - Continental GP 4 Seasons (25mm), they've covered just shy of 2000 winter miles. I'd certainly have no hesitation in recommending those tyres.

Next up was very inconvenient - a snapped chain. Couldn't have happened at a more inopportune time. I was tailing a bunch of about 20 up a hill and a car was very patiently just tootling along behind us waiting for a safe place to pass. To the car behind it must have seemed that I inexplicably just stopped halfway up the hill and let everyone else ride off. Sodding chain. I pushed the bike into a driveway and set about removing the duff links and making my repair. Testament to the usual goodwill of the human race a chap came out of the house whose driveway I was sprawled on to offer tools and a hand wash should I need. I thanked him but had everything I needed. All the riders coming past me slowed to ask if I had everything I needed. I like that about cycling - camaraderie.

That was the end of my mechanicals for now, let me recollect on the ride. Well, this was only my second Audax and so far I've had polar opposites in terms of weather - torrential rain on Mr Pickwick's and beautiful sunshine on the Watership Down. Setting off in the dark I'd decided to take the more direct and less lumpy route there, mainly due to the fact that the A31 would have been properly gritted and the temperature was low enough for ice risk. That was a fail. Flat - yes. Exposed - oh my life yes. My heartrate was almost at race pace and I was struggling to maintain 14 miles an hour. A 40 mph headwind was a new one for me. By the time I'd arrived at the village hall in Kingsworthy I felt like I'd just done a 25mile TT. Just what you need when you've got another 150kms to go. 

Waiting for the start I found it amusing that there was a long queue of gents waiting to use the toilet yet the ladies was free. Anyway, we shot off down the road and started a very enjoyable Audax. Groups split over the course of the first few miles and before long I was chatting bike waffle with some other riders. First checkpoint came and the brevet was stamped, coffee was drunk. New group of riders and more bike waffle. This time with some elevation, revealing this endless view.

For me views are probably the most rewarding part of a climb. Thank you English weather for allowing me this one. The second peak of the ride was not as gentle on the legs and my 25t cassette was not being friendly. We pressed on and more bike waffle was spoken, this time with a chap that I'd ride away from on the hills only to be reeled in on the flats. I ended up completing the ride with this guy and we enjoyed some of the amazing cakes that had been lovingly baked for our return. 

I'm notoriously tight and one thing that always puts a smile on my face is value. On a usual 50 mile club run the coffee and cake stop usually comes in around the £5 mark. Audax's offer a much better value cycle. It was £6.75 to enter and my 2 (huge) slices of cake came to £1.20. Basically £8.00 for unlimited free coffee as I rode around, a pub had been opened specially for us. Our brevet cards had been printed and there were 149 other riders who all shared the same interest as me. Brilliant.

After saying my goodbyes I set off on my lumpy return route. It was a great ride home, mainly in daylight. A new on bike energy strategy was deployed. Cashew butter and sea salt sandwiches. I cannot recommend these enough. They provided the energy required to turn the pedals and get me home, getting some PRs on the way(!)

Mechanical number 3 came within a mile of my house when the chain snapped again. I decided to walk it back rather than fix it this time. I maintain my bike meticulously and can say that my chain lasted 3500 miles, which is ok I suppose for an 11 speed chain. YMMV.

A twilight car park rendezvous with a man I'd met on the internet

Slowly pulling into a car park in a location previously unknown to me, circling around tentatively looking around for signs that I was in the right place.The car was parked and out I got. Beside me was another man I immediately identified as Mike Hall, the man I'd emailed before. This was the right place.

Don't worry - this isn't an account of a dogging experience, I promise you that.

This was my first Audax. The "Mr Pickwick's January Sale", a 200km cycle from Tewkesbury on the first Saturday of 2015 where sunshine was guaranteed.

The search for suitable training was on since I'd signed up for the Transcontinental and Audax appeared for the first time on my radar. Sure I'd heard of it before, but I'd never looked into what it entails. The man I mentioned in my opening paragraph is, infact, the organiser of the Transcontinental. These are my thoughts on my inaugural Audax...

People - I could immediately identify with all everyone I met bustling for a coffee in the Wetherspoons at 8am. On introducing myself to a few riders I sat down and had a chat with Chris. What I had in common was that everyone there is what I would call a cyclist. Not some poser talking about expensive gear they've bought. Not someone who wanted to tell me how many KOMs they'd taken. Everyone seemed to me to be just people who loved being on their bike, whatever the weather, whatever the reason. That I could identify with.

Weather - in short - the worst weather I've ever ridden in. It was torrential rain. Witnessed before, yes, but this time it lasted for almost 5 hours! After 5 minutes I couldn't have possibly been wetter so it didn't matter. Press on, Plenty of banter with the other riders about how nice it had turned out today. Ha.

Route - 200k is a decent length route for me. I've done longer in the past but it still represented a challenge. Not too lumpy. I was hoping to take in more of the scenery as this was my debut on Gloucestershire roads. From what I could make out it all looked ok to me and I can now confirm that heavy rain looks the same anywhere!

Cakes - The fruit scone at control 1 (Rowberry's Nursery) was nice but 3/4 of the way round in my calorie depleted state the raspberry and apple flapjack was pure heroin to my body, Recommended. If you're in Chipping Norton - check it out - it's at the The Old Mill Cafe.

Hills - the only hill that made my legs hate me was Edgehill. If there is anything to be learned from this. 12-25t isn't the choice of the first time Audaxer. Get something more friendly. Maybe a 12-28t.

Problems - No one wants to be "that guy". Sadly I was. It was getting dark and I went to turn my main front light on. The rain had killed it and my backup light was only a blinky. People could see me but it wasn't bright enough to light my path. I was somewhere rural, miles from home with 30 odd kilometers left until I was back. I decided to have a fig roll and then set about disassembling my light, drying the components as I reassembled. Nope. Not playing ball. What to do. I know. Another fig roll. 170km down eating does seem to solve some problems. At that point my new hero Steven (I think) turned up. I explained my problem and he offered to ride side by side with me back to base. What a legend. This feat of comradeship earned him a bowl of chips on our return.

So - 1st Audax, hammered it down with rain, lights failed - surely it was a terrible experience?

I loved it. Am riding another this coming Sunday in Winchester - The Watership Down - maybe see you on the road?