Me and Burgerbelly hit the thrusting world of Audax's on saturday. The Wobbley Wheelers185 Km, although I made it just over 100mls. We were fashionably late, the 50 strong gang of serious yellow waterproof clad group set off in the mist at 8am. regulation rear lights and panniers, bar bags and map boards all present and correct.
We set off at 9.30am, all alone. The 50k and 100k lot had gone already and we were told the way it works is that we will be given a start time of 8am....oops. But as we were supposed to be looking at an average of 20km/hr tops in Audax fashion its probably just as well that we had an average of 0mph to better.
Setting off in racing kit with no real obvious spares or a sign of yellow between us we had broken all the Audax stereotypes so what did we care. 40 mins in and we are in a pub, and have already passed loads of steady overdressed people. Our rule was to stop at every cafe, no Rocko "stop when you drop" tactics here. Bit early for a pint so we had coffee and biscuits while the barman stamped our control card, oh yes big brother Audax needs serious proof, surely they don't cheat, oh yes is the reply, its a serious milemunching business we are talking about.
The next stretch see's us hit some great Northants wolds hills as we speed up past the rocko clubhouse onto more familiar roads, and some new killer drags on our way to Rutland water. A bit too fast though as we speed past a postoffice checkpoint ...oops.
Empingham and we have our first Info Control, they made us answer a simple question to prove we were there, time for more food and drink as we pose outside a hairdressers full of totty. Tempted to pop in for a full wax, we plough on and 5 mins later its another cafe stop.
The place is packed with audaxers, 90 mins head start is not enough, they panic and whiz off as we have tea and cakes in top sunshine.
The wobbly gang are ahead off us, so we crack on and race them to the next pub, a killer attack on a hill and we get to the bar first.
Pint and a cob in the beer garden (this is definitely the way to go riding) and its the final push to the end, 5hrs 45 on the road for a very respectable 17.5mph average, but add in the 2 hour beer and food stops and the late start and we keep the right side of the Audax mafia on this count. Although we were disqualified for missing a checkpoint...Doh
Top day out and recommended.
