Well, that's my first audax of the year out of the way now, and a ride I can post on the Century a Month Challenge thread for January. It was the 105km Jack and Grace Cotton Memorial Audax from Aztec West at Almondsbury. Basically a 65 mile Bristol-Gloucester-Bristol ride that came right through my home patch and along many of the roads regularly used by the Kingsway CC on our Sunday rides. It was a chilly, frosty morning, and it didn't bode well when I had to scrape ice off the car.
View attachment 77870
Gromit was at the registration area at Aztec West.
View attachment 77871
Got under way at 09:00, sensing this might be a bit tricky, but not knowing the half of it.
View attachment 77872
The event was organised by Audax Club Bristol, but you couldn't help thinking that Robin Cousins may have had something to do with planning the route.
Everyone had to get off and walk at one time or another because of the ice. Personally, I reckon I must have walked a good 3km over black ice in various places between Thornbury and Berkeley -often with 4x4s or horse transporters rushing past just inches away and making absolutely
no allowance for the conditions. Still carrying the bruises from last week's crash, I was particulalrly aware of the dangers and kept warning others whenever I spotted black ice. Further North, we also had to pass the exact two spots where I last crashed on ice - one just last week and the other exactly one year ago, and progress was slow for much of the first leg, even when on the bike.
View attachment 77873
I checked in to the control at Epney with only about 25 of the 250 riders still behind me, so I decided to skip the refreshments and make the most of my local knowledge and get a move on without the need for my routesheet. This instantly left another 20 to 30 riders behind me at the pub, so I felt I had a chance of not being last, despite my "Fat Lad at the Back" shirt. Made it to the cafe at Tortworth in decent shape, despite a couple of cruel little hills just before the penultimate control. I like this shot, because the guy behind me is showing what it is really all about .... CAKE! .... lots of cake, to be consumed as fast as possible.
View attachment 77874
Taking a sneaky look at the controllers' list of riders, I was encouraged to see that there were at least 37 of the riders still behind me as I set off again. It's not a race, but you really don't want to be last.
View attachment 77875
Suffered quite a bit over the last 10.5 miles. I think it might have been the cold, and my tights might not have been thick enough to protect against it for so long. I've never been one to cramp up, but I had minor cramps at one time or another in both calves, my right thigh and my left hamstring. Added to that, my front wheel started to make a worrying clicking and creaking noise that I just couldn't trace, I'll have to fettle that tomorrow after I've given the bike a good clean. My best guess is a slightly loose spoke. Was really glad when it all ended - at the Swan Inn, Almondsbury, and I got my brevet card stamped up.
View attachment 77876
Got to go through it all over again on the 1st Feb on the Windrush Winter Warm-up audax. I'm praying it isn't icy next week. This felt like an ordeal today. A bit like the annual wildebeest migration ... you know bad things are going to happen on the way, but somehow most of the herd always gets through. I'm certainly relieved to have got through this one unscathed .... I'm still black and blue from my last ride. Even the end was horrible, as I had to ride back to Aztec West in heavy, fast moving traffic past a couple of huge roundabouts and under the M5 at J16 to get back to my car. Not for the faint-hearted. A 65.6 mile audax in 6 hours 25 mins today. Would have been well under 6 hours without the ice. 66.6 miles in all.
Take care on the ice, everyone. Cheers,
Donger.
best describes my ride today as I come off on what must have been the only patch off black ice in Hampshire!!
& partly because it was such a nice day. So West Tytherley, Winterslow & Over Wallop were next before I turned back towards home via Broughton, Mottisfont & Wellow although I must admit it was all done very carefully & every wet looking bend & decent was taken very slowly.
I'd been in my own little world, enjoying the fast run (and to be fair, Gav was wrapped up against the cold and wearing dark shades 
).
... and we made some in ride adjustments too
