# ACH The Way to the Sea 2022



## Dogtrousers (13 Apr 2022)

I see from "another place" that:



> Audax Club Hackney will again be offering up The Way to the Sea 200 from Greenwich on Saturday 2nd July.
> ...
> Entries will be opening over Easter: https://www.audax.uk/event-details?eventId=9256



I pressed the enter button and it seems they are already open. I'm in.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39049822


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## Chap sur le velo (14 Apr 2022)

Will decide after Ride London- if places are still open. mmmm.


The two biggest climbs come at about 130 and 160 KMS!


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## Dogtrousers (14 Apr 2022)

Chap sur le velo said:


> Will decide after Ride London- if places are still open. mmmm.
> 
> 
> The two biggest climbs come at about 130 and 160 KMS!



The first of those two (over the Downs south of Chatham) is very gentle. On average it's only just over 1% but it does last for 10km or so. It will just soften you up and weaken your legs for when you meet the second one. Bam! Birling hill! That is a real pig of a climb. Not forgetting the climb out of Eynsford after 180km. I'm thinking that by that point I may have to walk a bit.


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## adamski (2 May 2022)

Hello

I am the organiser and great to see people are already entering, although I very much doubt it'll be full before Ride London happens @Chap sur le velo 

This is the second time I've run this event and there'll be more food on offer. @Trickedem will be running a control at Grain with food & drinks, and again there'll be loads of food on offer at Minister. 

Yes, the two biggest climbs happen in the latter part of the ride but it is pretty flat up until that point. You'll notice Shooters Hill leaving Greenwich and there's a gradual climb up to Meopham, but I'm always surprised that the downhill towards Higham is so long. The first passing of the North Downs (~135 km onwards) is gradual, the profile makes it lot worse. Again there's a good downhill reward afterwards. Birling Hill is the worst after Snodland (161 km) and the a smaller kick leaving Eynsford. The final approach to London along the old A20 is gradually downhill. Last year there were people finishing this event who'd never done a 200 km ride before.

Route is here for anyone that has not seen it already: http://tiny.cc/hyaquz


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## adamski (15 Jun 2022)

Now up to about 80 entries for this ride  Tho room for some more if anyone fancies 200 km around Kent in July.


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## adamski (21 Jun 2022)

The route has been checked and brevet cards have been ordered.

Knatts Valley road is closed, which means after West Kingsdown I'm having to send riders down the A20 for a few kilometers. I'll be sending out an email to all riders tomorrow or Thursday once I know whether or not I can send riders down Donkey Lane to avoid 1½ km of the aforementioned A20 section.


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## ianrauk (21 Jun 2022)

adamski said:


> The route has been checked and brevet cards have been ordered.
> 
> Knatts Valley road is closed, which means after West Kingsdown I'm having to send riders down the A20 for a few kilometers. I'll be sending out an email to all riders tomorrow or Thursday once I know whether or not I can send riders down Donkey Lane to avoid 1½ km of the aforementioned A20 section.



Hi Adam
The A20 from the Wrotham roundabout down to the Farningham roundabout is great for cycling. Nice and wide. However, as cycling speeds will be quite high, turning off the A20 into Donkey Lane might be a little troublesome for some, it can also be pretty grubby and gravelly. I would just advise that if they do miss the DL turn off that they continue down the A20 and do a left at the RAB


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jun 2022)

It's going to be tough for me to finish this. I have to ride quite near my home on the way to the last control. The temptation to bail with a few km to go will be great.


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## Ajax Bay (21 Jun 2022)

Well just give in to the temptation! Are you riding this for fun or not?


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## adamski (21 Jun 2022)

ianrauk said:


> Hi Adam
> The A20 from the Wrotham roundabout down to the Farningham roundabout is great for cycling. Nice and wide. However, as cycling speeds will be quite high, turning off the A20 into Donkey Lane might be a little troublesome for some, it can also be pretty grubby and gravelly. I would just advise that if they do miss the DL turn off that they continue down the A20 and do a left at the RAB



Cheers Ian, that's really useful to know.

I may just leave things as they stand and send everyone down the A20 to Faringham with the option to turn left onto Donkey Lane if they prefer.


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## adamski (21 Jun 2022)

Dogtrousers said:


> It's going to be tough for me to finish this. I have to ride quite near my home on the way to the last control. The temptation to bail with a few km to go will be great.



Hopefully nice summer evening sat in Greenwich with a beet chatting with other riders will encourage you to complete the ride!


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## adamski (21 Jun 2022)

I've just had confirmation that the Knatt's Valley road has just been re-opened. Whoop! No need for the A20 option.

Rider email has now been sent out.


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## Dogtrousers (21 Jun 2022)

adamski said:


> I've just had confirmation that the Knatt's Valley road has just been re-opened. Whoop! No need for the A20 option.



That's good news. It's a very nice stretch of road.


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## adamski (26 Jun 2022)

Please could anyone who's entered but now cannot ride let me know. It makes life a lot easier as an organiser and I have a few people interested in entering.
Thank you.


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## Ajax Bay (26 Jun 2022)

adamski said:


> entered but now cannot ride


GWS Adam.


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## Dogtrousers (2 Jul 2022)

Well officially that was a failure, because I DNFd, but unofficially I had a great day's cycling.

The day started badly when I checked my rack bag at the start and realised I'd left my wallet at home. I made my way to the first control via home to pick up my wallet and improvised a route to the first control, which added some extra distance. I suspect I may have pushed a bit too hard with all the stress and confusion of this.

The route was lovely and conditions were great except for a couple of soul-destroying headwind sections on the (very flat) Hoo Peninsula and Isle of Sheppey

After Sheppey, at about 140km I had a collapse of energy and also painful feet. I had to keep stopping to try to recover. On a 100 miler I'd just push through this as it would be nearly over, but on a 200k it eats the soul.

Things got better after a garage stop for two coffees and a bottle refill. I positively flew up Birling Hill, powered partly by coffee and partly by my decision to cut the ride short.

Train home from Eynsford. Total for the day, including riding to the start and detour to pick up wallet: 198km.


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## adamski (4 Jul 2022)

Hello all

Apart from a few mishaps it sounds like everyone had a great day on Saturday. This was the second time the event has run and I feel it was even better than last time with more riders, including a much higher female representation, food stops at Grain & Minster and a better route up to the first checkpoint. Everyone was forced to visit the sea front in Grain rather than turning at the Co-op. Plus there was a doggy at the control this year






Last year I had people doing this as their first audax and this year some of these riders were back having done an SR series or were preparing to ride LEL. So next year I look forward to hearing of people who are about to head off to Paris for PBP!

Pending results are here: http://www.aukweb.net/results/archive/2022/listevent/?Ride=22-485 The brevet cards need to be sent off validation (as it was a BRM ride) and I will then get the cards posted back to riders.


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## Dogtrousers (4 Jul 2022)

adamski said:


> Last year I had people doing this as their first audax and this year some of these riders were back having done an SR series or were preparing to ride LEL. So next year I look forward to hearing of people who are about to head off to Paris for PBP!


On the same theme of self improvement I'll try to actually make it to the finish next year.


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## adamski (19 Aug 2022)

The 2023 edition has been added to the AUK calendar for Saturday 1 July, tho I won't allow entries until after Easter. (The earlier people enter the more likely they'll be a DNS.)

@Trickedem will, hopefully, be free and willing to do his fab catering at Grain. And there'll be loads of food at Minister too👍


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## ianrauk (19 Aug 2022)

In the diary Adam


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## Trickedem (21 Aug 2022)

adamski said:


> The 2023 edition has been added to the AUK calendar for Saturday 1 July, tho I won't allow entries until after Easter. (The earlier people enter the more likely they'll be a DNS.)
> 
> @Trickedem will, hopefully, be free and willing to do his fab catering at Grain. And there'll be loads of food at Minister too👍



It's in the calendar


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