Central London CTC blog

Stevenage CTC’s season-closing Audax, Summertime Reversed (Desrever Emitremmus, if you must) has a loyal following, and 19 (we think) of the Central London Massive turned out to represent, a good number of them even wearing the colours.

We were split into two start groups. Ours took off from Costello’s Cafe shortly after 10 in mild, dry, cloudy conditions. With a gentle south-westerly drift assisting us, we soon engaged the narrow lanes towards Aston, where single file is mandatory. Unsurprisingly, the usual suspects stuck together, and the group of Damian, Jon, Mike and I rode the course together.

The 100-km course is so well-known to readers as to require no further recapitulation. The helpful breeze encouraged us, and we were well up to the mark at the first and second controls, so took a leisurely break for coffee at Saffron Walden. There, Andrew was already remounting and wondered what had kept us; as a hardened Audaxer, he eschewed our cafe-racer idleness. more »

I was distinctly uncommitted. I had not made a plan to meet anyone, nor booked a train ticket. I had not even set my alarm. If I happened to wake up at 5.30 I’d do the ride, if not I would sleep on as others audaxed away their Saturday. This meant that effectively I had left it in the hands (or more accurately paws) of the cat. 5.10, “miaow, miaow”, Ziggy requests an early breakfast, and before I know what my name is I’m up and off into the dark. As I ride through Old Street clubbers shiver their way home in the autumn chill. I cross London Bridge as a hint of royal blue comes through the blackness off the clear night sky and the gherkin looms over the dozy river. more »

There are many versions of the classic London to Brighton run, ranging from the annual mass charity ride to more recent overnight Friday rides. But (as far as I’m aware) until now no organised event has offered the option to ride back to the capital.

Step forward audax organiser Paul Stewart, of the Willesden club, to fill this gap in the market. The ‘Ditchling Devil’, his 203 km (127 mile) event, was staged for the first time on Sunday 24 July. About 65 riders rolled up for the start on Wimbledon Common, a good turnout considering this had been a late addition to the Audax UK calendar.

After a surprisingly speedy run down to the start from north London – enjoying a deserted West End and empty Mall – I was ready to leave for the coast at 07.50, towards the end of the rolling one-hour start period. I set off in a group of six – or to be more precise, a tandem leading out and five wheelsucking solos. more »

Nick and I decided to bunk off for the midweek West London Audax, second of four in the Willesden CC’s traditional summer programme.

The départ, as ever, is at Manor Farm, Ruislip, though event HQ has moved from the ramshackle hut in the car park to the pleasant tea-room in the adjacent park.

The route out of Ruislip threads through the outer suburbs to cross the Grand Union Canal just beyond Harefield and on towards the Chalfonts. As the Willesdens disappeared off up the road, Nick and I tooled along chatting about selling vintage bikes, refurbishing sash windows, and the likely fate of the euro.

Reading from the route sheet, Nick called a right turn (the wrong one as it happened) and my shout-out of ‘Gravel!’ was just too late. more »

Three Central London riders entered the longer (210km) version of the Windmill audax on 26 June this year. We were one veteran of a few (shorter) brevets populaires rides and two riders completely new to audax, but not wanting to bother with the easy stuff first.

The theme of this annual ride, run by our colleagues at Essex CTC, is of course windmills, and there are ten of them to spot on the way.  It was the longest Sunday of the year and it turned out to be the hottest too.

We left the start at the Chelmer CC hut at 0830 (the rest of the field left at 0829, taking us by surprise) … more »

The last time I did the Hell of the Ashdown, Catford CC’s early season Sportive, I figured it was not going to be a picnic and so it proved as I struggled through a blizzard. That was two years ago. Last year, by all accounts, it was even worse but I took the duvet option. After catastrophic weather two years running the organisers moved the event to the end of February in the hope of better weather and it looked like they had succeeded when Jon, Charlie and I turned up bright and early on Sunday morning at the HQ in Biggin Hill. It was cold but the sun was out and the day looked set fair. Hell of the Ashdown, pah! More like “Minor Inconvenience of the Ashdown” or “Slight Discomfort of the Ashdown”.
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Insistent light rain, occasionally heavy. Chill wind, penetrating. A route aptly described as ‘choppy’. Audax time.

As usual, this event attracts a mixed bunch – the local clubs on winter bikes, PBP hopefuls, the regulars and the curious. And the inevitable tandem. more »

I tried hard to find an excuse for not riding the 100km on Saturday, but none came. So 06.30 alarm, coffee and cereal, out the door at 07.30. To a flat rear tyre – slow puncture on the Landy. Divert to petrol station to inflate, then a clear run round the North Circular and up the M11 to Patmore End. Once off the main road, the verges were sodden and muddy, the ramp to the Victoria clubhouse almost liquid. Collect Brevet, slither back to the roadside waiting for the off. There’s a good entry, the local clubs in force, familiar faces, a few nervous newcomers. more »