# Snow Roads 300k Audax



## eck (3 Jun 2014)

This weekend sees the seventh running of the Snow Roads Audax from Kirriemuir, 300k and 4,800m of climbing. I don't know if any CCers are riding this year, but here's a wee video of the organiser's ride round the route that a few of us did last Saturday. Thanks to Joe Jord for the video.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxtuem48rCo


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## edindave (3 Jun 2014)

There's a bridie in Kirriemuir with my name on it! 

I'm sure one or two others may be lurking around here too! 

Great video by Joe.


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## Angus444 (3 Jun 2014)

Great video. Haven't done the full 300k yet, but have done large chunks of this route, some in the opposite direction....great roads for cycling...thanks for posting.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (3 Jun 2014)

I'll be there chasing my bridie round the route


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## Scoosh (3 Jun 2014)

I'll be having a wee daunder round some local roads on my 'sofabike', well away from that challenge-fest , reflecting on how on earth I managed it some years ago  and thinking of those  who will be suffering  ... until they Complete  and get the amazing satisfaction of having DONE IT ! 

It's still the high point of my cycling to date ... .

Have a good week-end, @eck and the ever-delightful Mrs eck  !


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## Waspie (4 Jun 2014)

Great video. I was tired just watching it.

Good luck to everyone who is doing this.


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## Rasmus (4 Jun 2014)

Excellent video, very enjoyable.

And best of all, I have now seen all the sights, so no reason to ever MTFU and enter the event...


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## glasgowjim (4 Jun 2014)

The part of the ride with the Lecht and BH1 & BH2 are quite possibly the hardest you'll encounter in Scotland, but at the same time, enjoyable in a different way.


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## Scoosh (4 Jun 2014)

@glasgowjim - are you doing it (again) this year ?


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## Scoosh (4 Jun 2014)

@Rasmus - this is one ride you really should do - it is a fabulous route and a major achievement (when you're as un-bike-friendly as I am ... ). It's only 300km ... after all.


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## glasgowjim (4 Jun 2014)

Scoosh said:


> @glasgowjim - are you doing it (again) this year ?



@Scoosh, Not this year, time and things as usual are against me, the good news is that i've already done a 400k (Arrow) only need a 300K & 600k for my SR and today have finally taken delivery of my replacement Yukon frame which should help me along the way.


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## Rasmus (5 Jun 2014)

Scoosh said:


> @Rasmus - this is one ride you really should do - it is a fabulous route and a major achievement (when you're as un-bike-friendly as I am ... ). It's only 300km ... after all.



You are, of course, correct - my previous comment was an attempt at being humorous 

I'm hoping to at least do a 200 this year, to get a feel for whether or not this sort of long-distance event is something I'd enjoy.


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## Scoosh (5 Jun 2014)

Rasmus said:


> You are, of course, correct - *my previous comment was an attempt at being humorous*
> 
> I'm hoping to at least do a 200 this year, to get a feel for whether or not this sort of long-distance event is something I'd enjoy.


But ... but ... - you're Scandanavian  - you're not meant to do humorous - unless it's about the Eurovision thing ... 

Good plan doing a 200 - you need to find out what works, doesn't work etc over longer distances like those. A comfy saddle/ bike position over 100km can become a nightmare over 200 !  Eating/ hydrating strategies need sorting too. 


You'll like the Audax Ecosse rides - they all go uphill !


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## Pro Tour Punditry (8 Jun 2014)

Excellent event as always @eck, huge thanks to you and Mrs. eck and all your helpers who were great, especially the Braemar control who managed to get me up and running again with a bit of TLC and beans on toast.


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## Scoosh (8 Jun 2014)

CHAPEAU !  to all the CC hardmen  (and women ??) who Completed the SR   this year ! 

Some really good pics here.


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## eck (9 Jun 2014)

Hello Scoosh, we had 77 riders on the day including two women, both of whom finished comfortably well within the time limit. For one of them, it was her second Snow Roads and, for the other, it was only her second ever 300, having done the Tayside Transgression two weeks ago. (I don't know if either of them is on CC though.) And two women did the Snow Roads Helpers' ride last weekend, the first 300 for both of them, This year saw the seventh running of the event, we now have eight female finishers.

ETA: despite the torrential rain for the last few hours, this was the first year we has no DNFs


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## Scoosh (9 Jun 2014)

... so this year those taking part had done the work/training required and not thought "Oh, it's just a bike ride" ... :grin:


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## edindave (9 Jun 2014)

It was a good 300 for me. My 5th Audax, 3rd 300, and 2nd Snow Roads. It's an addictive event!

I think I managed about 2 hours sleep in the Campagnolo Suite of the Kirriemuir Hilton 
06:00 start, might have 06:02 by the time @eck herded us out of the grounds and onto the road.
A fine dry start to the day, and a large group formed and stuck together for the first ~40k to Cairn o'Mount, when the sunshine broke through.
I planned to take it easy, keep my heart rate down, and not go too hard at it. Then I got on the lower slopes and thought f**& it. So I was nearly burst by the top, and it was the hardest climb of the day for me.
Didn't stop at Banchory, having learned last year that the service was slow in the Morrisons cafe, plus knowing what delights lay ahead at Oyne at 106k: soup, sandwich, coffee and coke were scooped up sharpish. The fast service and quality food in the Gadies Restaurant made for an excellent Audax control.
It was a gentle tailwind in warm sunshine over the Cabrach, past the Slough of Despond (which really resembles the Craggy Island Parochial House) to Dufftown at ~150k. A welcome rest stop in the town square with a picnic from the Co-Op sorted me out for the queen stage.
We left Dufftown into a headwind, with 80k until Braemar and 3 major climbs; the Lecht, BH1 and BH2. Dufftown to Tomintoul was quite soul destroying, a long uphill slog of no major gradient, but the headwind made it feel like you were making little progress.
Then came the Lecht, with its 20% ramp. In a headwind. Somehow I made it up in one piece. At the ski station a half-dozen or so of us formed a little peltalong and headed off. The descent was disappointing, with an awkward cross-headwind, but at least it was dry and the sun was still there, though the clouds were beginning to form in the distance to the south. We ploughed on over BH1 and BH2, and they seemed to pass by rather more quickly than I'd expected, mostly due to the company of our wee group helping distract from how hard I was actually working. Then, finally, we turned west and had some respite from the wind for the last 16k or so into Braemar. It was appx 17:15 when we reached the town hall control after 237k.
Tea, beans on toast, friendly helpers revived me at that point. It was a relief to get to the control before the rain arrived.
Shortly before 18:00 we made our way out once again, and I layered up with the Gabba jersey and Nanoflex arm/knee warmers. We knew what was coming.
Sure enough, it started spitting as we left the hall. It was about 15k to Glenshee. By the time we climbed the Cairnwell it was raining proper, although thankfully we seemed to be sheltered from the wind on the ascent. It was saving itself. At the summit the extra rain jackets came out as the rain went torrential. With 49k to go we commenced the descent into the wind and rain. I was on my own from this point.
The last leg took appx 2 hours. Glenisla seemed to go on forever, struggling to see for the rain on my glasses, but couldn't take them off as the headwind and rain didn't agree with my contact lenses. I carefully plodded my way back to Kirriemuir.
It was a tremendous feeling when I got back to the control and handed in my card. "Let's see what you had in Dufftown" said @eck, checking my Brevet, "ooh a Double Decker!" That made me chuckle. But all I wanted at that point was a Bridie. 
The end.


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## eck (9 Jun 2014)

Great report Dave. To explain to those who didn't do the ride, the control at Dufftown was a "free choice", where riders needed to get "proof of passage", and many chose to get a till receipt from the Co-op. If I get bored this evening, I might have a look through all of them and publish a shopping list of what everyone bought! . Would that be of interest?


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## Pro Tour Punditry (9 Jun 2014)

I had a cheese and ham sandwich and a not-ripe banana which got chucked at a tree somewhere between Dufftown and Tomintoul (I was trying to get it to stick in the branches to confuse tourists...). It wasnae enough. But there wasnae any pork pies left - check to see who ate all the pork pies and I'll sort them oot


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## uphillstruggler (20 Aug 2014)

Hello Eck

looks like a cracking ride. my dad lives in Dufftown so this is a possible two birds with one stone chance.

just been having a look at this one for next year - it will be the carrot to keep me training if I can make the necessary arrangements.

has the date for next year been decided upon?

also, not being familiar with the requirements, what would I need to do to join on?

cheers in advance.


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## edindave (20 Aug 2014)

uphillstruggler said:


> Hello Eck
> 
> looks like a cracking ride. my dad lives in Dufftown so this is a possible two birds with one stone chance.
> 
> ...



It isn't being run as a calendar event in 2015. There is the option of doing it as a perm, either alone, or you could organise your own group.


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## uphillstruggler (20 Aug 2014)

edindave said:


> It isn't being run as a calendar event in 2015. There is the option of doing it as a perm, either alone, or you could organise your own group.



Thanks Dave, I've just noticed that on the other thread regarding the tv crew.


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## fimm (21 Aug 2014)

8 female finishers?
Could you guess how many males? (Roughly - I know you won't have the exact numbers).
I thoroughly enjoyed doing this last year, but I do think it is the most male-dominated event I've ever done. (Please no one take this as a criticism - it is just the way things are at the moment, and the reasons will be many, varied and complex.)


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