Each ride has a more concise collection on their page; grouped by ‘event’ if appropriate: the distance variations, perms, slightly hAAArder ones, etc.
Like audax…but enjoyable!
Having ridden the BCM before and never done a Populaire we were looking forward to a more relaxed pace, quieter roads and enjoying the tremendous views: we were not disappointed! But don’t be lured into thinking this is an easy ride…Mr Pomeroy has a knack for finding the most obscure, scenic, hidden and astounding roads in Wales.
We thought we knew the route and boy we were wrong! There was a surprise turn around ever corner, coupled with a climb and more scenery.
The set up at King’s was amazing, the volunteers were fantastic and the controls on the route very well chosen. The pace meant this was the most social audax I have been on and we made some great new audax chums. Did I mention the scenery?
Will also did a great job booking the weather some experienced 2 drops of rain. Would do again 10/10.
We won’t mention the gates…
Be Prepared!
What a ride… you know it’s going to be tough, it goes the length of Wales 🏴 & back, Wales isn’t flat, yet knowing this it still doesn’t prepare you for how tough this ride is. It takes you through some amazing countryside, alongside some beautiful coastline & some vicious climbs, it’s definitely “beauty & the beast”.
We were fortunate to have excellent weather, the sun shone & the winds light, rides are always more enjoyable in such conditions, but they bring challenges… climbing Gospel Pass in the midday heat wasn’t easy, however as I summitted the climb, there, amongst the parked cars, an ice cream van- bliss! A 99 thoroughly enjoyed whilst looking out over the views.
For the “average” rider you know you’re in for a long day (or 2), it was great to have a sleep control just shy of 400km, managed 2hrs Kip (don’t forget your ear plugs!)
A big thanks to everyone who organised & helped along the way, everyone was great & helped put a smile on the faces on the tired & weary.
Cracking route
Great start at Warmley, with breakfast available if you want it. Nice amble to Bath and detour to miss the tunnels. Some challenging hills thrown in. Cheddar at 100m. Dry weather, but cold some floods to contend with, but overall another great WP and ACB event.
Epic in every sense
I’ve done it twice and it’s a truly epic outing. 2023 brought us -5 degree temps that barely made it above freezing all day. Put it in your Audax calendar for 2024 you won’t regret it
Magical
Never disappoints, this magical event is my favourite audax. Heading off into the winter night when most right minded people are tucking themselves into bed feels audacious. The route flows nicely and the controls are nicely spaced.
Cold!
I wasn’t prepared for such a cold night but I still thoroughly enjoyed the ride, the company and scenery along the way, no doubt in large part thanks to the great organisation. I will be coming back!
Stunning!
So well organised. So beautiful. So cold!
This was to be my first 300km audax and my longest ride to date. Why not go all in, and ride through the coldest night of the year so far?
All the organisation ahead of the event was very clear – I knew where I needed to be and (more or less) what I was letting myself in for.
The route was excellent. While I would never go anywhere near such major A roads during the day, in the small hours of the morning these meant smooth, fast pothole-free riding down to the coast. There was plenty of time for minor roads and lanes for the route back to Bristol, which we rode largely after sunrise. The only part that I didn’t enjoy was riding alongside the beach at Bournemouth – little patches of sand lay waiting to catch out a sleep-deprived rider. Patches of ice on Dorset country lanes were another matter – hopefully not many audaxes suffer from such a severe frost!
The controls left nothing to be desired – cake, hot drinks and a few kind words of encouragement. Will and his crew clearly know what they are doing, as each control was cheerfully efficient.
Would I do it again? Oh yes. I loved the whole thing. Stunning views, stunning cold but a great experience.
Worth the blue toes
My second overnight 300km of the year was a cold one! But the freezing toes and hands were worth dealing with, we had no wind and clear skies which awarded us with beautiful moonlit vista’s, we had a barn owl flying beside us, and beach fox on the promenade, and the sunrise over looking back over Poole was epic, really enjoyed the whole event put on by Will and his team and hope to take part again!
Great Challenge
2023 was a very cold year for the ride and biggest challenge for me alongside the tiredness but the route and stops were excellent and the daylight was enough of a boost to keep me going. Thanks so much!
The best audaxes are about people not points
This was a fantastic ride for reasons I didn’t expect. The route and scenery (as well as the moonlit night sky and the early morning sunshine) exceeded expectations. The overnight temperature was freezing, so wrapping up was very important. The really impressive thing about the event was the people: the volunteers and organisers were encouraging, positive and friendly. I arrived way too late to collect my Brevet card, and for various reasons to do with overpacing and GPS device failure, didn’t make the time cut off. But I still got around, and, as Will pointed out as he was locking the gate at the finish just as I arrived, completing these distances is an achievement in itself. And there’s always next year!