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My first 600km Audax – Bhumibol Dam, Thailand

Posted on November 13, 2019November 14, 2019

As I write this I’m still blown away that I pedalled 24,000 crank revolutions and covered over 384 miles in one 37 hour ride!! Will I ever get over it?

This was my 39th Audax including 24 consecutive months of 200km+ each month and a thrice of 300km but for me, it would be my first REAL Audax that is cycling all day and all through the night and what better place to do it than in Thailand where the night temperature doesn’t go below 20 degrees thus taking away, for me, the pain of freezing in the night.

125 of us met by the temple in the dark at 8 pm the usual eclectic mix of friendly nutters, notable was the young lady doing it for a second year on ‘a fattie’ the other oldie who had done LEL in 2017 plus guys on fold-up bikes etc etc. As the book says Its not about the bike!

To Lat Yao Civic Centre

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
57	CP1	57	1	55	01:55	29.74		36	18.59

A fine pace soon got underway on the smoothest road ever I felt totally in the zone & totally effortless to the first checkpoint, in fact, I was in the first group checking in averaging over 29 kph. Yes, I know totally stupid but oh what joyous fun 🙂 making it only a quick stop to fill the bottle and have a pee but I still lost the guys I was with 🙂

– `To 7-Eleven Khlong Nam Lai –

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
141.7	CP2	84.7	5	32	03:37	23.42		53	14.64

The next stage was a bit slower at just under 15mph but settling in nicely I just got very thirsty whereupon at CP2 a 7-Eleven I gulped down 1.5 litres of milk 🙁 🙁 when will I leave the trough. The new technique for the wild dogs worked a treat, stop pedalling look at them (why always from the left?) and YELL they look astonished at me then padded away!

Nong Dan food van –

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
194.8	CP3	53.1	8	50	03:18	16.09		33	10.06

My speed went well down due to the idiocy of drinking 1.5litres of milk 🙁 plus I had started wandering across the road so had to stop and close my eyes a couple of times. Interesting to note that this would be a very good time for a 200km Audax so well pleased with myself plus my stomach biome was making a good job of digesting all that milk!

To Rak Phak Tawan House Restaurant

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
253.5	CP4	58.7	12	10	03:20	17.61		37	11.01

– Very hilly section but what we would call rolling on pleasant roads the final section on the 12 was sheer bliss reaching well over 20mph on a beautiful road. Checking in the guy s said I was 51st so I was well chuffed 🙂 Time for a change of kit Night yellow to Day orange for me and to try and charge my devices up plus get some real food – I tried to sleep but was way too hyper 🙂

Bhumibol Dam Crest

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
316.1	CP5	62.6	16	15	04:05	15.33		39	9.58

– Started off very pleasant along the river but In my mind, I had this as just a short hop to the dam I’d never checked that in fact, it was nearly 40 miles 🙁 Sam Ngao was having a carnival so diversions were in place then it was a 500 foot climb to the crest of the dam for the control selfie photo. Panic! the wretched iPhone screen wouldn’t come on 🙁 so no selfie, with some cajoling I managed to convince another rider to take my selfie on his phone and explain to the organisers below!

To -Bhumibol Dam Tent Point

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
323.4	CP6	7.3	17	59	01:44	4.21		5	2.63

– An unfortunate by-product of the duff phone screen meant that I couldn’t see where this CP was on ridewithgps so I went to about the right distance on the Wahoo, unfortunately, the tent point was a late addition so it wasn’t where I thought 🙁 I met another couple still on their way who showed me the error of my ways so about turn to find the tent! Meanwhile, I noticed a faint glow on the screen so with difficulty I found the screen brightness control! Why does Apple think it’s smart to allow the screen intensity to go to zero? Turns out the tent place had food and sleeping on the grass I availed myself of the food but not the sleep – a mistake with hindsight. Thankfully the selfie guy had shown them me at the top so I cleared the control. well over 90 minutes wasted 🙁

To 7-Eleven Chom Phon Market

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
377.7	CP7	54.3	21	9	03:10	17.15		34	10.72

– Back to the never-ending road stretch which seemed a lot hillier than a couple of hours ago 🙁 The footbridge to the town was closed as they were having a full blown festival with rammed city streets I refuelled in the shop but with sunset happening I desperately needed some sleep. I found a bench near the river and zonked out but soon woke up again, I couldn’t see any other cyclists so I followed the route eventually getting on the correct 104 dead straight and deadly dull with not a cyclist in sight 🙁 Eventually another cyclist on his Pinarello caught me up and gave me something to focus on although I had to keep stopping to close my eyes to stop me wandering all over the place including the opposite verge 🙁

To 7-Eleven Kamphaeng Polytechnic

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
442.9	CP8	65.2	25	24	04:15	15.34		41	9.59

– When I eventually arrived after a total nightmare of a ride hardly knowing what I was doing the shop was like a scene from a disaster movie with sleeping bodies strewn all over the place 🙁 I was wrecked and yes it is only a 200km Audax left but not really that helpful to know that. I started biking and found another bench waking to think I was OK then cycling a bit then collapsing on another bench etc as soon as I saw a group come by I would try and hang on but very soon having to lay down and sleep again – worst time ever 🙁 I eventually found a place and must have slept for a fair while because when I awoke.

To Wang Khaem Offices

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
499.6	CP9	56.7	30	27	05:03	11.23		35	7.02

I started going the wrong way for a few yards (memories of wasting a day in Taiwan!) but quickly turned back only to discover where I had been sleeping was right outside the offices! where they had beds & food. So I had mysteriously covered then 35 miles in my sleep 🙁 I was overjoyed suddenly realising that I had almost finished the ride!

To 7-Eleven Kao Liao

rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
552.9	CP10	53.3	33	30	03:03	17.48		33	10.92

I felt refreshed however and a couple of guys were leaving so I decided to tag along with them as it really is much easier to focus on someone else’s lights than the pitch black. I still wasn’t totally with it so kept stopping to rub my eyes only at one point to discover I had a front puncture! the other guys turned back to hold my torch and help me out the culprit was found to be like a broken tip of a hypodermic totally wedged in the inner tube. We carried on each km seeming to me to be at least a mile. We eventually made to the 7-Eleven which was pretty full of cyclists getting ready for the final leg

To The Finish

Distance rode Km	Stage End	Stage Km	Total Ride Time +20 for clock time		Stage Time	Stage kph		Stage Miles	Stage mph
615.6	Finish	62.7	37	0	03:30	17.91		39	11.20

I write this with disbelief that I could be so stupid! I kept stopping thinking the front wheel or tyre wasn’t incorrect as the bike had developed a severe list to the right with my knee catching the top tube and my hands trying to keep it upright. I spent the whole time as part of a bike disaster movie coupled with the never-ending hill and suddenly vast amounts of traffic made me think I had gone totally wrong! the others had pushed on of cause smelling victory! I eventually made it with 3 hours to spare. The cause of all my angst? the saddle had rotated slightly around to the right! totally unbelievable 🙁 What tiredness does 🙁

A great event and very enjoyable especially the personalised T-shirt which was delivered to my hotel room!

If you recognise yourself in this please let me have your names 🙂

Photos of my first 600km Audax to Bhumibol Dam, Thailand

Posted on November 13, 2019November 13, 2019

Here is the Google Photos Link https://photos.app.goo.gl/U985mkwRPkdKUHsY7

Here is the route:

Many thanks to this site for getting the Google Photos to embed!

Bhumibol Dam 600km Audax

Posted on November 8, 2019April 13, 2021

Some folks may be wondering why I have landed up at Uthai Thani in Thailand the answer lies in an urge I’ve had to do a 600km Audax and also to keep warm without burning £20 notes. So when Wit Pimkanchanapong pasted this up I was intrigued: Here is a list of the 125 participants in this year’s event plus 10 write-ups (use Google Translate) from previous years so a popular event! The route and Control Points can be found here

It starts on Friday at 8 pm (1 pm UK time) and I have 40 hours until midday on Sunday to complete it. Since the furthest, I’ve ever ridden are several 300km events it’s going to be interesting, to say the least. One positive is the night time temperature is at 23°C one huge minus is the day temp is 32°C and humidity at 80% 🙁 although I’ve been here a week and survived so far.

Now for some sleep before the start.

My first (probably the last) RRtY Audax

Posted on December 21, 2018March 18, 2019

I’m now the rather proud owner of my first Audax award one of only 819 folks in the UK 🙂 The award is given for completing at least a 200km Audax on twelve consecutive months hence its name “Randonneurs Round the Year” or RRtY.

A very welcome McDonalds in the pouring rain!

My first ride of my series was the Santa Special in December 2017 notable for my water bottle being totally frozen by the time I reached the start in Great Bromley! The first half was below freezing which then quickly changed to torrential rain for the second half 🙁 a pretty challenging 129 miles! Thanks ~~Alex~~ Nigel & others for the support.

The second ride in January was a DIY due to the dearth of events but with Marks words of encouragement & his excellent notes I was able to create and submit a 127 mile route starting from my front door 🙂 and where I could start at 6am. The first 40 miles was 3 degrees below freezing but then rose to a balmy 6 degrees 🙂 but a pleasant ride via Bury & March all the same.

By February I was getting fed up with the cold and so decided to experiment taking the bike on the train to South Spain and completing my first continental 200 Audax the blog post can be found here all done in positive temperatures 🙂

In March I decided to do my first Permanent these are predefined routes, many from previous calendar events, which can be ridden at any time this removes the need to create your own route fortunately for me Nick Wilkinson has made several which pass within one mile of my house. The worse aspect is the tediousness of collecting receipts as prove of passage whereas on DIY’s you just submit the completed gps file. I chose The Shipping Lanes one which involved getting to the mouth of The Orwell & back. A lovely route apart from the shocking road condition and below freezing for the first few miles!

In April Sally joined me on The Georgian event which unfortunately I DNF’d due to getting a puncture in atrocious wet & cold conditions. However, we salvaged the situation by doing another one of Nick’s Permanents The Infamous Pork Pie with its over 5,000 feet of climbing which also enabled Sally to see her brother in Oundle.

May saw me doing a cheeky 200km DIY as a one way run, downhill with a tail wind from my sons house in Buxton plus later in the month we managed The Grand Tour de Stour Event a bit wet to begin with but later a lovely sunny & windy day.

In June I decided to be bold and do my first 300km event another Nick Permanent the Cambridge East Anglia Tour it turned into a very enjoyable ride and amazing how much ground you cover in 200 miles taking in Ipswich, Norwich, Downham and the dull bit around Chatteris. Somewhat spoilt by having to collect so many receipts 🙁

July we did the 5 Counties Ride organised by Sally’s friends which we converted into a DIY Audax a tremendously hot day, at one point the Wahoo recorded 40 degrees which really took it out of me especially with the of road sections.

August saw me doing another one of Nicks Permanents this time the delightful 4 Counties 200 Km taking me over to the West through Woburn Park and even a pleasant bit through Milton Keynes what really made the day though was having an Easterly pushing me out and then conveniently turning into a Westerly to bring me home! Later in the month with Sally, I did my second 300 The Mildenhall Festival which I found tiring although quite delightful in the dark from Swaffham.

On the first day of September ~~Sally and~~ I did the Chris Negus Memorial 200+ taking the train to Audley End and starting in Wendens Ambo another very hilly and convoluted route neither of which enamour me 🙁 especially since it came in at 230km.

October saw us in Spain again, this time a DIY circumnavigating Mallorca the roads were pretty busy so it didn’t quite turn out as good as we hoped but at least it gave us another 200km ride in decent weather 🙂

The final ride for my RRtY was in November to celebrate I did two the first one to get approved was a Permanent by Phil Whitehurst called The Four Minute Mile which is a very hilly ride crossing the Chilterns from Stevenage to Oxford and return this I did with Sally, Nigel & Yasmin from the Cambridge CTC a lovely route although navigating lanes and rickety cycle paths in the dark is not the best experience. I did another 200 Permanent earlier in the month Nicks Diss’d Clare Permanent but still waiting for that to be processed 🙁

So there it is my first and probably my last 12 months of riding a 200km every month, it gets quite stressful as if you miss a month you have to start all over again. Personally I’m staggered how some guys get up to 10 years of them! but then there seem to be plenty of audacious folks out there 🙂

A full index of the 27 Audaxes I’ve done can be found at https://www.geoffjones.com/audaxs-ridden/