San Fairy Ann Cycle Club

In November I joined Audax UK and took part in my first Audax event - The Day After the Night Before 100 (113 km). Last Sunday was my first Randonneur (distances of 200 km and over) event - the above mentioned Winter Warmer.

The route was roughly Great Kingshill (High Wycombe) - Maidenhead - Chobham - Godalming - Haslemere - Alton - Twyford - Hambleden Lock - West Wycombe - Great Kingshill.

The following YACF post provides more details of how hard/ easy it was to do but suffice to say it was cold and there were many fallers on the ice including me:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=11770.15

However I was one of the group of four who were first back at 20:00. A long 12 hours but within the permitted time limit, so I was very pleased. By the end I'd cycled 214 km (just under 134 miles). The organiser told me that the route included 2000 m of climbing.

12 hours sounds slow but actual average cycling speed was 13.3 mph. Not too bad in the conditions and including nearly 4 hours in the dark/ walking up and down a couple of the very iciest hills/ walking over the Thames at Hambleden Lock (on the weir foot bridge!).

The rest of the time was taken up with control/food stops, and dealing with falls/ fallers.

A very enjoyable but tricky day.