First Audax (Final Part)

Above, or at any rate not here, you have the factual account of my trip to my first Audax and back.

But, what of it?

I guess the questions you're asking are:

1. Why?
2. What did I get from it?
3. Will I be doing it again?

all these answers and more below.

WHY

There are a lot of whys and wherefores. I became interested in Audax because I'm already a long distance cyclist, but it's easy to run out of excuses and destinations for a good long ride. I already know some Randonneurs - Steve and Ted, who both came on this ride, for example. Typically, I joined Audax UK BEFORE I'd actually done one of their rides. I started reading about the history, and about all the various "rules and regulations" (for want of a better phrase) and was fascinated and enthralled enough to just jump straight in.

Why did I not just get myself over to Leicester the easy way and just do the ride? I don't have a motorised vehicle of any kind. My bike is my only carriage. I could have hired a car for the weekend quite cheaply, and driven myself there and back, lodging overnight with Ted, and indeed this option was briefly considered. My original plan, formed while studying opencyclemap.org, when I realised that Steve's new abode was exactly halfway between mine and Ted's homes, was to cycle to Lydney on Friday, from Lydney to Leicester on Saturday, do the Audax on Sunday, then the same in reverse to get back, assuming I had enough stamina. Some paid work came in on the Friday which prevented this, and that's when Steve hatched the plan for us both to travel to Leicester in his van.

While there is always a challenge in riding a 60 mile organised ride, I don't find it much of a challenge, and I hope this doesn't sound like I'm bragging, because I'm not. I can ride 60 miles in relative comfort, and the only way I could make it more of a challenge would be to impose time limits, and that's not how I roll. I ride for enjoyment, pure and simple, and if I'm rushing round a circuit just to beat the clock, the chances are, I won't be enjoying it. So, that's why I like to "go the extra mile" as it were. A couple of years ago I agreed to join a big sponsored ride from London to Cambridge, and circumstances demanded that I cycle there in the end, turning a 50 mile jaunt into a 340 mile 4 day event, and I loved every minute of it. I also love the fact that, if you're not into long distance cycling, you've no idea what I'm talking about. Not a clue, no point of reference. Even long distance walkers have no idea, but if I have to go into the reasons I love cycling, then why are you here?

So basically, I did it because it was there. Somehow I had to get myself and a bike from Pembrokeshire to Leicestershire as cheaply as possible, then back again. I had friends in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Cardiff I wanted to see, which further justified the effort.

What did I get out of it - in a single word, freedom. I have a wonderful family with whom I enjoy spending the vast majority of my time, but every now and again, a little solitude is needed. I haven't found anywhere quite a solitary as perched on the seat of a bike yet, so when I "want to be alone", the bike is my companion. Thankfully, my family understands me, and they let me go.

When you cycle all day every day for a few days, you get into a "mindset" which nothing else can bring. Faced with 80 hilly miles, most people wouldn't even cock their leg over the bike, but for me the distance is the attraction. The feeling when you can look back over those 80 miles is like no other. Walking is too slow, you'd never cover that distance in a day. At the end of it, you ache, and you think that maybe tomorrow you'll have to take things a little easier, but it's amazing what cures a few hours of quality sleep can bring on!
When Steve still lived in Pembrokeshire a couple of years ago, we cycled out to the Black Mountain to watch the Tour of Britain come by - one of the wettest rides of my life. As we cycled back we commented wryly that we do this kind of thing "because we enjoy it", and I remember saying what an easily pleased beast the long distance cyclist is - he could be reduced to the coldest, wettest, miserable wretch on the planet, but he turns a corner and finds an open cafe, and instantly he's the happiest man alive! And that's how it is - for every bad moment (and there honestly aren't many) there's a good one just around the corner.

There's the endorphin rush of all that exercise, there's the health benefits of those gallons of oh so fresh air, there's the joy of the bike just singing along the road, there are the breathtaking views, the sweeping descents, the daunting hillclimbs - it all leaves a big fat smile on my face.

Will I be doing it again? Yeah, this weekend, actually!