I'm hoping for some route help here. I have a mate who's training to do a 24 hour solo skating event (Le Mans 24 hours), and he thus needs some longer routes for training. His 24 hour goal is 450km plus :O. I was thinking audax route sheets might be a good source for training skates for him, and am hoping some of you will have some suitable ones to share.
Important issues from a purely skating perspective are relatively smooth surfaces, as incredibly rough tarmac is no good for skates. No problems if there are a couple of shorter sections of really rough stuff, just that the majority needs to be reasonable. Plus it'd be nice, but not essential if most of the route is on quieter roads. Cagers unfortunately tend to be much more aggressive towards skaters than cyclists.
If you have a route somewhere reasonably close to Reading, Guildford, Horsham or Kent that you'd be willing to share, please could you email me at this address?
Important issues from a purely skating perspective are relatively smooth surfaces
If my experience is anything to go by, you won't find many AUK routes that pass that test.
Quoted message said:
If you have a route somewhere reasonably close to Reading, Guildford, Horsham or Kent that you'd be willing to share, please could you email me at this address?
Hmm, not really the done thing. If you want a particular route, you really ought to contact the organiser directly.
Considering how much effort goes into devising routes, it's only fair that some organisers are reluctant just to hand them out without an official entry fee for the ride being paid. But then there are other organisers who are happy to give out their routes to anyone that asks nicely.
In any case, I'm afraid I don't know any rides off the top of my head that would be suitable.
Important issues from a purely skating perspective are relatively smooth surfaces
If my experience is anything to go by, you won't find many AUK routes that pass that test.
Yes, some roughness is fine, just not the really evil stuff that's trying to pretend to be a crocodile's back.
Quoted message said:
Hmm, not really the done thing. If you want a particular route, you really ought to contact the organiser directly.
That's who my post was aimed at, I thought that quite a few organisers were on here. Still, that's given me an idea, I'll point my mate in the direction of the AUK calendar and suggest he emails organisors through that.
Hmm, not really the done thing. If you want a particular route, you really ought to contact the organiser directly.
Considering how much effort goes into devising routes, it's only fair that some organisers are reluctant just to hand them out without an official entry fee for the ride being paid.
a lot of route sheets are on line; AIUI it is strictly forbidden to give out a route sheet who hasn't entered on the day of a ride (insurance reasons I think). Some organisers are very reluctant as it detracts from possible entries on the day. He can have mine but really don't think he's going to want to skate it ;-)
in terms of possible flattish routes round those parts, well anything around Surrey/Sussex will be lumpy, the Invicta events maybe? try West Kent DA CTC.
Hmm, not really the done thing. If you want a particular route, you really ought to contact the organiser directly.
That's who my post was aimed at, I thought that quite a few organisers were on here. Still, that's given me an idea, I'll point my mate in the direction of the AUK calendar and suggest he emails organisors through that.
Unfortunately on quieter roads you are always going to get some poor surfaces. The other thing about Audax routes is that they nearly all contain at least a sprinkling of steep hills. Having said that, for a couple of 200 km. routes starting near Reading you could point your browser at <http://www.audax.uk.net/cal/perms/index.htm> and search for "A taste of the test" and "An anoraks delight" by Mark Beauchamp. These are challenging bike rides, but if your mate is aiming for 450 km. in 24 hours he should be able to tackle these routes within the Audax time limit.
Audax rides are open to any vehicle propelled solely by human muscular effort. I don't know whether skates qualify as a vehicle, but I don't see why not. Certainly a kick-scooter has completed LEL.
What about cycle tracks like Hillingdon and Eastway? pretty boring 250+ times but nicely surfaced. Hillingdon used to just be turn up and ride round, I used it a lot in the winter evenings, usually 10-20 times round, but I think BC got the hump with riders using it (it was paid for by Hillingdon Council for all riders AIUI) so it might be more secure now.
Audax rides are open to any vehicle propelled solely by human muscular effort. I don't know whether skates qualify as a vehicle, but I don't see why not. Certainly a kick-scooter has completed LEL.
I wonder... does it strictly have to be a "vehicle"? Does Shank's Pony count? It would be an /interesting/ challenge to get round a course on foot inside the time limits. Maybe one of those funny little Kenyan guys could do it.
I think a question to the AUK list is in order to establish whether skaters would be permitted...
Unfortunately on quieter roads you are always going to get some poor surfaces. The other thing about Audax routes is that they nearly all contain at least a sprinkling of steep hills. Having said that, for a
I don't think "no steep hills" was on the list of criteria. The Le Mans track itself (Bugatti circuit) includes the Dunlop hill, which I concede is short, but which I imagine starts to look a bit longer when you're climbing it every 13 minutes for 24 hours ...
(No, I'm not the friend that Mike refers to: although I'll be competing in the same event I'll be in one of the regular teams of ten - not attempting it solo)
in terms of possible flattish routes round those parts, well anything around Surrey/Sussex will be lumpy, the Invicta events maybe? try West Kent DA CTC.
LOL, no, hills are good, perhaps even desired since there's a hill on the Le Mans circuit.
I don't think "no steep hills" was on the list of criteria. The Le Mans track itself (Bugatti circuit) includes the Dunlop hill, which I concede is short, but which I imagine starts to look a bit longer when you're climbing it every 13 minutes for 24 hours ...
(No, I'm not the friend that Mike refers to: although I'll be competing in the same event I'll be in one of the regular teams of ten - not attempting it solo)
-dan
We'll likely be on the same team though. 🙂 There are something like 9 teams of up to 10 people going from London, plus the one solo entry.
Mike.
p.s. You best stop this getting faster business, Dan, else I'm going to be well annoyed. 😉
Unfortunately on quieter roads you are always going to get some poor surfaces. The other thing about Audax routes is that they nearly all contain at least a sprinkling of steep hills. Having said that, for a
I don't think "no steep hills" was on the list of criteria. The Le Mans track itself (Bugatti circuit) includes the Dunlop hill, which I concede is short, but which I imagine starts to look a bit longer when you're climbing it every 13 minutes for 24 hours ...
No, I thought that criterion up myself. From my own admittedly inexpert experience of street skating it's not so much the going up as the coming down that is likely to present problems. For you complete aces though, I imagine approaching a 120 degree bend in a single-track road at 40 mph on a 1 in 7 downhill on skates is child's play. :-)
Quoted message said:
(No, I'm not the friend that Mike refers to: although I'll be competing in the same event I'll be in one of the regular teams of ten - not attempting it solo)
What about cycle tracks like Hillingdon and Eastway? pretty boring 250+ times but nicely surfaced. Hillingdon used to just be turn up and ride round, I used it a lot in the winter evenings, usually 10-20 times round, but I think BC got the hump with riders using it (it was paid for by Hillingdon Council for all riders AIUI) so it might be more secure now.
It's a good idea, we've trained at both tracks and the London Inline Marathon is at Eastway. I think he's looking for variety, hence the wanting to enjoy the scenery and get out into the countryside. The idea of actually doing some audaxes might not be bad.
Road roughness is the main challenge, but I think not insurmountable. Our wheels tend to be between 84-100mm, most common is 100mm diameter. That makes bad tarmac challenging and speed-robbing, sometimes to the extent of "Can I skate forwards at all?". On a bike it's just a bit of rough road, and occasionally as bad as slightly irritating. Most roads in London are just fine, but some of the rougher ones are quite tough to skate on. Cobbles are difficult to impossible for anything beyond a short distance.
It's a good idea, we've trained at both tracks and the London Inline Marathon is at Eastway. I think he's looking for variety, hence the wanting to enjoy the scenery and get out into the countryside. The idea of actually doing some audaxes might not be bad.
IIRC the flattest 200 in the book used to be Dave Hudson's 200 from Steyning to Alresford and back; I could probably cobble together my recollection of the route or a close approximation if I set my mind to it.
p.s. You best stop this getting faster business, Dan, else I'm going to be well annoyed. 😉
Baseless rumours, and I don't know where they started. I've hardly skated at all in the last couple of weeks, in fact. 'Course, I expect to be doing a lot more of it starting seven days from now.
Audax rides are open to any vehicle propelled solely by human muscular effort. I don't know whether skates qualify as a vehicle, but I don't see why not. Certainly a kick-scooter has completed LEL.
Somebody did the Cut Gate Roughstuff Audax on a skateboard once upon a time...
Audax rides are open to any vehicle propelled solely by human muscular effort. I don't know whether skates qualify as a vehicle, but I don't see why not. Certainly a kick-scooter has completed LEL.
Somebody did the Cut Gate Roughstuff Audax on a skateboard once upon a time...
and legitimately but still mad (1) someone did the Elenith 300 on a BMX
(1) not that doing it on a normal bike is epecially sane
I'm hoping for some route help here. I have a mate who's training to do a 24 hour solo skating event (Le Mans 24 hours), and he thus needs some longer routes for training. His 24 hour goal is 450km plus :O. I was thinking audax route sheets might be a good source for training skates for him, and am hoping some of you will have some suitable ones to share.
Don't you need it fairly flat for skating? Most audax routes are more or less hilly.
I'm hoping for some route help here. I have a mate who's training to do a 24 hour solo skating event (Le Mans 24 hours), and he thus needs some longer routes for training. His 24 hour goal is 450km plus :O. I was thinking audax route sheets might be a good source for training skates for him, and am hoping some of you will have some suitable ones to share.
Important issues from a purely skating perspective are relatively smooth surfaces, as incredibly rough tarmac is no good for skates. No problems if there are a couple of shorter sections of really rough stuff, just that the majority needs to be reasonable. Plus it'd be nice, but not essential if most of the route is on quieter roads. Cagers unfortunately tend to be much more aggressive towards skaters than cyclists.
If you have a route somewhere reasonably close to Reading, Guildford, Horsham or Kent that you'd be willing to share, please could you email me at this address?
Shame you don't live on the Scottish borders. They're building an M6 extension...I don't know whether they bother guarding it at night ;-)
What about cycle tracks like Hillingdon and Eastway? pretty boring 250+ times but nicely surfaced. Hillingdon used to just be turn up and ride round, I used it a lot in the winter evenings, usually 10-20 times round, but I think BC got the hump with riders using it (it was paid for by Hillingdon Council for all riders AIUI) so it might be more secure now.
They had a few problems with travellers invading the place and making a bloody nuisance of themselves a few years back, which is why it is now physically impossible to get a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter past the concrete- filled oil drums at the entrance.
I'm hoping for some route help here. I have a mate who's training to do a 24 hour solo skating event (Le Mans 24 hours), and he thus needs some longer routes for training. His 24 hour goal is 450km plus :O. I was thinking audax route sheets might be a good source for training skates for him, and am hoping some of you will have some suitable ones to share.
Important issues from a purely skating perspective are relatively smooth surfaces, as incredibly rough tarmac is no good for skates. No problems if there are a couple of shorter sections of really rough stuff, just that the majority needs to be reasonable. Plus it'd be nice, but not essential if most of the route is on quieter roads. Cagers unfortunately tend to be much more aggressive towards skaters than cyclists.
If you have a route somewhere reasonably close to Reading, Guildford, Horsham or Kent that you'd be willing to share, please could you email me at this address?
There's the Invicta series of 2-, 3- and 400 km audaxes, but I rather imagine there will be scenery, narrow and rough lanes, and copious quantities of Skog(tm), so possibly not the best choice.
