# Merry Monk 100K Audax, Somerset, 3rd April



## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Is anyone riding the Merry Monk? I've just signed my entry form, ready to post. It's supposed to be a good route with good food.


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## Glover Fan (14 Mar 2011)

Posted my entry off earlier today


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Great, at least there will be one other Cyclechatter there!


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Have you ridden any of the other Bristol/Devon/Somerset Audaxes? I always wonder how many forum people end up at the same events without realising...


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## Banjo (14 Mar 2011)

I met up with 4 or 5 cyclechatters on the Snowdrop last month. Cant do the Merry Monk but have signed up for the Alveston South Glos 100 in May.


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## Glover Fan (14 Mar 2011)

I did my first ever audax last weekend, the mad march 100km from Exeter.

I am probably going to be doing the one from Alveston as well.


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Banjo said:


> I met up with 4 or 5 cyclechatters on the Snowdrop last month. Cant do the Merry Monk but have signed up for the Alveston South Glos 100 in May.


Ah, the Alveston one is the same weekend as the Lymington New Forest rides, so I'll be in the New Forest instead, possibly on the 200k Excursion (which I've ridden once before, but the weekend after the official ride - long story!). 

You didn't do the Dunkery Dash yesterday, by any chance?


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Glover Fan said:


> I did my first ever audax last weekend, the mad march 100km from Exeter.
> 
> I am probably going to be doing the one from Alveston as well.



See what I mean - I rode the Mad March as well!  I trundled round at the back somewhere, you might have heard me and my husband coughing as we were both a bit ropey! It was a good day out though.


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## Banjo (14 Mar 2011)

Baggy said:


> Ah, the Alveston one is the same weekend as the Lymington New Forest rides, so I'll be in the New Forest instead, possibly on the 200k Excursion (which I've ridden once before, but the weekend after the official ride - long story!).
> 
> You didn't do the Dunkery Dash yesterday, by any chance?




No not me. I have only done 2 the Snowdrop 125km and the Gospel Pass 150 . May have been CCers on the Gospel Pass ride for all I know.







Gospel Pass


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

The Gospel Pass always sounds really appealing. Just wondered about the Dunkery Dash as we chatted briefly with someone fairly new to Audaxing who'd travelled from South Wales to ride.


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## Banjo (14 Mar 2011)

Its a bit of a climb up to the Pass but theres a great downhill then for mile after mile all the way to Abergavenny.Wouldnt want to do it in bad weather. I have seen a pic of riders pushing bikes through snowdrifts up there.


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## Glover Fan (14 Mar 2011)

Baggy said:


> See what I mean - I rode the Mad March as well!  I trundled round at the back somewhere, you might have heard me and my husband coughing as we were both a bit ropey! It was a good day out though.


We got back to the barn owl at about 3:45, I fell off my bike at the first control at Bicton house cause I had just bought new pedals and then at the same time had to change my inner tube as I damaged the valve before the start pumping up the tyres!!

I was in the middle of the group with a couple on a blue thorn tandem, my in-laws!!

Was a brilliant day out!


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Lucky you, having cycling in-laws - I remember seeing the tandem fairly close to the start, we overtook going up one of the first few hills, and then got re-taken a bit further on - I think we might have got to Bicton just after your clipless moment  

I was wearing a blue jacket and a blue Buff. And coughing! We enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch at the Mill and got back at about 4.20 before riding home. 

Glad you enjoyed it, my first Audax was the Mad March in 2006, but the weather wasn't quite as good! 

Are your in-laws riding the Merry Monk?


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

Banjo said:


> Its a bit of a climb up to the Pass but theres a great downhill then for mile after mile all the way to Abergavenny.Wouldnt want to do it in bad weather. I have seen a pic of riders pushing bikes through snowdrifts up there.


Hmmm, think I'd draw the line at snowdrifts!


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## Banjo (15 Mar 2011)

Gospell Pass picture copied this from a post by Vorsprung .I think I may have wimped out on that one


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## Baggy (15 Mar 2011)

Banjo said:


> Gospell Pass picture copied this from a post by Vorsprung .I think I may have wimped out on that one


 Hopefully there won't be anything like that on the Merry Monks!


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## Glover Fan (24 Mar 2011)

I got my route sheet through yesterday.

I've just created a GPX file for the route, but this site will not let me upload it as apparently I am not permitted to upload this kind of file?

Pretty excited now, just hope the weather stays like this.


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## Baggy (24 Mar 2011)

Also received my stuff. I'll be equipped with maps!


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## Glover Fan (28 Mar 2011)

Looks like there is gonna be rain according to early forecasts.


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## Baggy (29 Mar 2011)

Forecast is improving!


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## Baggy (1 Apr 2011)

Have just come back from a trip to the physio, and am going to withdraw from the ride  Am disappointed, but better to rest up now and recover properly than press on and risk making things worse.

I look forward to everyone's write-ups!


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## Ian H (2 Apr 2011)

Another local (ish) ride that I've never done. Must get out more. Good luck with the knee.


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## Baggy (2 Apr 2011)

Ian H said:


> Another local (ish) ride that I've never done. Must get out more. Good luck with the knee.


Have just spoken to the organiser, he was emphasising that I'd be missing out on loads of great cake and home-made food...

Thanks for the good wishes, anyway. Now a few SW Audax threads have all come to the top of the board have realised that I've moaned about my knee on just about every available thread


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## Glover Fan (3 Apr 2011)

Lovely day, good amount of entries for the 100k, but I arrived after the 200ers had already left.

The control at Forde Abbey was really good, food of very high quality, Sherborne was OKish, not much of a menu if there had to be one criticism. However the food, both at the start and finish by the organiser was absolutely stunning and the fact it was included in the £5 entry fee was astonishing, the cakes were lovely and they were all genuinely nice people.

As for the ride, good couple of tough climbs, especially up from Dowlish wake upto Windwhistle hill, but quite a "fast" route good quality quiet roads. Just unfortunate that we got caught in probably the heaviest April shower for a long time about 10km from the end!!! Absolutely soaked through, even though I had a waterproof jacket in my saddle bag, by the time I would have stopped the get it out I would have been wet through anyway, the shower came from nowhere!!!

Thoroughly good day, but judging by my legs I feel like I need to go up to a 150 or 200km pretty soon.


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## Banjo (3 Apr 2011)

Baggy said:


> Have just spoken to the organiser, he was emphasising that I'd be missing out on loads of great cake and home-made food...
> 
> Thanks for the good wishes, anyway. Now a few SW Audax threads have all come to the top of the board have realised that I've moaned about my knee on just about every available thread




Baggy I m sure you know this but knee pain is often related to incorrect seat height. Even a couple of millimeters too low can cause pain in my limited experience. Good Luck. You were wise to withdraw pushing on through pain can only cause more problems.


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## Baggy (3 Apr 2011)

Banjo said:


> Baggy I m sure you know this but knee pain is often related to incorrect seat height. Even a couple of millimeters too low can cause pain in my limited experience. Good Luck. You were wise to withdraw pushing on through pain can only cause more problems.


Thanks Banjo - have posted about it in (minute!) detail in Health and Fitness, and after a couple of physio trips I think it's a combination of cleats and hill technique. 

I am going to get my bike fit checked again though - I have had a fitting in the last few years but have fiddled around with it a bit since.


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## Baggy (3 Apr 2011)

Glover Fan said:


> Thoroughly good day, but judging by my legs I feel like I need to go up to a 150 or 200km pretty soon.


Glad you had a good day, I did think of everyone when it chucked down in the afternoon!


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