Pier to Pier

hi well done on your efforts, fancy a challenge for a good cause?

www.ride2survive.ca

^ They've just passed through Malmesbury.

Have you thought about start time?

I have two schools of thought on this

1) do the night section first when you are fresh, it's hard to ride through the night when already tired, but not so bad if you start in the evening, but if you expect you might need the full 27 hours then maybe best to start at 6pm, so your extra 3 hours are daylight, not night time.

2) maximise daylight riding, start at noon, ride for 9-10 hours, knock off 200km, (220km would be better), check into budget hotel for 6 hours sleep (or sleep in the support vehicle if big enough, and start again at 5am when the sun comes up, leaving 10 hours to polish off the ride.

I'd also suggest you look at the poor student audax, for a tried and tested flat route from Malmesbury to Oxford, although using this might add a few kms on between cumnor and eynesham, what you save in hills could be well worth it.

Good luck though  400km in 27 hours is definitely harder than 600km in 40hours, Weather will play a big factor in this, dry and westerly will be a pleasant ride, wet and easterly could make it almost impossible.

Have fun on the A419 after Cricklade... You can head towards Latton and hop over the bridge heading towards Fairford if you want.

Damn, just looked at the actual date and I'm on the train oop North on the morning of 14th , just typical that!

Gutted now that I won't be able to make it but hope it all goes to plan and the weather is kind.

good that it's not too hilly especially if Andy isn't used to cycling that far, it'll be a slog anyways.

I'm in North Herts and I noticed a couple of thngs.

Firstly as you cross the A6 coming out of Barton le Clay on to the B656. That road can be an absolute bastard, narrow, twisty and undulating with high trees/shrubbary both sides so poor sight lines and cars treat it like a race track. Hopefully you'll be getting to it well after rush hour so it's not too big a deal, on a quiet morning it's a nice road to cycle on. 

Also as you come into Hitchin town centre your route takes you off the main road, past the library, across a pedestrian crossing into and through a car park, down a dark alley that adjoins the old arcade and comes out on to the market square. IF the gates aren't locked to the exit to the arcade(I can't 100% remember if they are  locked at night).

You could to make it simpler, your orig route is in red on the pic below.

(Blue line) As you come off B656 1st exit rbt as orig, then 2nd exit @ rbt SP A602 (Stevenage/Hitchin priory), fwd A602 (Parkway), 2nd exit @rbt continuing A602 (Stevenage road) 1.6km left SP Little Wymondley/Gt.Wymondley/Todds grn, to pick up the Graveley route.

Or, (green line) @t rbt make as if going to take 2nd exit as above but hop off bikes down the footpath onto Tilehouse St. which is much easier and takes you immediately back on to your original route without having to navigate the car park and back alley through the arcade.

The latter deviates you the least and still keeps you over the 400km mark, you'd still need to hop off your bikes to cross into the car park/down the alley on your original route anyway.

If timings work out I might be around to meet you at other side of Hitchin as you come off the B656 to guide you past that and cycle with you a bit toward Buntingford, well if I can keep up, fat old slugs like me don't go so fast ;o)

HTH

Good luck for the ride Dave! I'm away in Edinburgh that week otherwise I would have ridden with you on the last stretch to Walton Pier. Anyway looks a great ride and a good cause- I've made a donation and wish you good weather.

Don't tell anyone about the support vechicle, I think if it follows you then it's not Audax - ok to meet it at points on the way Looks like a great ride, prevailing wind! Nicely planned, good luck.

Good luck on the ride Dave. You're right to avoid ibuprofen as it's notoriously hard on the stomach, it's the one painkiller you really should only take with food.

Ah good luck Dave, sounds ace fun!