Audax UK 102km Event at Chippenham

I gave Saturday’s MCCC ride a miss as I’d entered the Chippenham Wheelers open ‘Flapjack’ 102km Audax UK event. This was a bit of a late call as entries had to be in at least 2 weeks ahead of the ride and mine and George W’s were posted close to the deadline. I needn’t have worried, as we received our cue sheets to steer us around the course by return of post.

Entry cost just £6, plus £2.50 for Audax UK non-members and included hot drinks, cake and even beans on toast.  This represented unbelievable value for money as anyone who has ever entered a flashy sportive will know.

This was to be our first ever Audax UK event. Howard, a veteran of the ‘Flapjack’, suggested that I laminated the cue sheets and then cut them into four. (A hole punched through the top and a short cable tie completed the handy guides).

We arrived at the Bath Road car park, Chippenham in good time for the 9.00am start and found that there was already a small queue of riders waiting to collect their brevet cards. Bikes reassembled after the short drive from Malmesbury and last minute adjustments made, we joined the growing throng of riders waiting under cover.

If the weather forecasters were correct, rain and strong winds gusting up to 23mph lay ahead. As we set off, we were treated to a light shower of rain, but with fresh legs and a tail wind pushing us up through the High Street it was all water off a duck’s (cyclist’s) back.

Having left Chippenham, we headed into the countryside and mounted an early assault of the steep hill out of East Tytherton up towards Bremhill. Lyneham was reached via Spirthill.  It was then a relatively short hop from one side of the Dauntsey Vale to the other and our first stop of the day at the Brinkworth Village Hall.  

Brevet cards stamped it was time for a hot drink and a slice of the legendary flapjack, which certainly didn’t disappoint.

We then headed further north through Minety and Somerford Keynes before turning westwards to Kemble for our beans on toast in the Kemble Village Hall. Here, a slick production line which would be the envy of the Honda car plant, was in operation. The hall was busy when we arrived and I anticipated a long wait for my serving, but after just a couple of minutes I was presented with two slices of toast topped with a generous helping of baked beans. I made short work of them. A slice of banana loaf and a cup of tea rounded off the feast.

I’d had a dose of the next section the week before on the MCCC’s reliability ride and so already knew how challenging the long pull from Kemble up to Cherington can be when you’re being battered by the wind. It was very much a case of déjà vu as my speed soon dropped to single figures. Even cycling downhill it was difficult to pick up any real pace.

The fast road between Westonbirt and Sherston allowed riders to get back up into their top gears and although we were now heading south, the wind had somehow managed to change direction and was again doing its best to slow us down. 

A welcome cup of tea was waiting at the Sherston Village Hall together with a selection of cake. All of the halls had a warm, homely feel about them and a certain amount of self-discipline was called for to saddle up and not waste too much time.

We made our way back to Chippenham via Grittleton and Castle Combe, but there was something of a sting in the tail with the hill out of Ford up towards Biddestone. The ride ended at the Scout Hall in Derriards Lane.  The general consensus over the soup, rolls, hot drinks and cake being served there was that there’d been no easy miles out on the road. 

 I decided to finish the day off as I’d begun with another slice of flapjack before riding the short distance back to the starting point. Apart from the first shower it had otherwise remained dry and the sun had shone for long periods. The ride had been a fantastic introduction to the world of Audax UK events. Without wishing to sound like an over-enthusiastic Mr Toad who has just discovered a new hobby, once home I wasted no time in joining Audax UK on line. The open road awaits!