The Beacon Cycling Academy hosted the 2023 British Schools Cycling Association West Midlands Regional Grass Track Championships on 19 August, which this year also served as the National Championships for school years 1 to 8. The full results from the day are now available here. Photos of the event are available here.
My audax world – Naomi Bell
My interest in audaxes really first began in 2021, the first year when I started cycling. In nothing less than my usual style I threw myself in at the deep end, my first audax being a 200km. I’d never ridden 200km in my life, so to choose the Kidderminster Killer as my first audax was nothing short of a little bonkers!
I remember that day vividly. Mariana was volunteering that morning, serving out hot drinks. She took one confused look at me and asked: “You’re doing this?!” That morning eight of us started out and by the end, 11:30 pm, way past the cut-off line, a mere four of us rode into Belbroughton having barely survived! Following the traumatic experience of that ride I kind of gave up audaxes!
Following the Kidderminster Killer, I completed Ride Across Britain and still did the occasional 100 miler and last year I even did my first 300km. That in itself was a story to tell, one where myself and Cédric were riding through Birmingham exhausted at 1 am, determined to get our cycling computers to 200 miles!
At the age of six, my dad asked me what I wanted to do when I was older. I told him that I wanted to be an explorer! That passion for adventure never left and instead grew. In my twenties, I travelled extensively, backpacking for six months around Asia taking in the culture, history and breathtaking scenery in places like Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and Laos. I once road-tripped in the USA with 10 people in a minivan for six weeks and during that time saw 40 states. I always felt at home on the road.
I’m finding that audaxes are a great way to do a ton of miles, get fit, switch off from the stressors of life and most importantly to me, see new places. Over the last 12 months my lifestyle has changed considerably. At present I live half the month in the Lake District and the other half in Bromsgrove. This means that northern adventures to wild places in Scotland have suddenly become accessible!
In February this year, I wanted a new challenge, and with a mixture of excitement and nervousness I signed up to complete the calendar event Efengyl (Gospel) 200. This ride commenced the Randonneur Round the Year (RRtY) for me.
I wish I could say completing 200km rides every month has been easy with a tailwind always on my back. Sadly, the reality is that that is just the Instagram story! The first 200km I did this year was the Efengyl through Bristol Audax Club in February. All weather conditions were thrown at us that day! I remember being at the top of Gospel Pass thinking that I was going to be blown off my bike! I was amazed by the grit and determination of some of the older cyclists. As I stood at the side of the road in the dark in pain, they soldiered on at a steady but consistent pace.
Brum 200 was challenging mentally. The route predicted the elevation was going to be 4,000ft; a nice flat 200km, so I thought! (So much so that I’d planned for my parents to come round for a BBQ at 6 pm!) One hour late for my folks and after 8,000ft of climbing, I’d completed the ride, very ready to throw my bike in a bush! I promptly wrote to Audax UK the following day telling them I felt lied to and that I wanted some AAA points! Instead, they sent me a Brum 200 badge!
Facing adversity taught me the importance of adaptability, grit, and maintaining a positive mindset. One thing I hate doing is quitting. The hardest thing I’ve ever done is LEJOG in nine days. At that point I’d been cycling for nine months. I’d never really been into fitness or even going to the gym, so it was hard going. Anytime I’m having a hard day on the bike I remind myself of the tough things I have previously done and what I am capable of.
I go back to my ‘why’. For me, cycling gives me such a buzz, the sort where you’ve had the hardest, most challenging day and all of sudden you get on your bike and smile because you feel alive. There have been times when, being a children’s social worker, I’ve had such a stressful day worried about a child’s welfare. Previous habits would have turned me to a glass of wine to help me relax. These days, riding long miles are that replacement, providing mental clarity, being in the present and appreciating the simple joys of solitude, the beauty of nature, and the power of perseverance.
My dream is to explore more remote, wild and unexplored places by bike; the sort where you have to take a satellite phone as backup. For me, true beauty lies in exploring wilderness and cultures and in my view, that is best done on a bike.
I’ll sign off with a quote, one I read for the first time a few months ago. Reading it sent shivers down my spine as to me it sums up everything about my ‘why’:
They say cycling sets you free, and it’s true. Take your hands off the bar, sit up and look around. You’re free as a bird. Or, as one popular Spanish saying puts it, you have birds in the mind. For as well as setting us free physically, cycling has the power to help us switch off. On the map and in our minds, where we end up is up to us. Tener pájaros en la cabeza.
This is the second in a new series of audax reports. You can read the first, by John Williams, here.
Audaxing and how I started – John Williams
Those who saw Phil Richards’ last weekly club update will have read about the club’s marvellous achievements in the world of audax riding. Holy randonneéring, I hear you holler (you have to be a certain age); what the bejesus is that? Well, calm yourself, get yourself a piece of flapjack and a coffee and read on…
A randonnée (pronounced rahn-doe-nay) is simply a long bike ride, usually over 100 miles and sometimes much longer. In common cycling usage, it typically refers to a non-competitive, long-distance ride that’s timed for safety, with several controls (or stops) along the route to keep the riders honest. Amongst randonneurs, this kind of event is also known as a brevet.
Dan Chabanov, Bicycling Magazine
So what is an audax? I could write here the history of how it all started way back when but the purpose of my time is to explain how I got into audaxing, in the hope it will encourage some more of our 200+ members to give it a go. Audaxing in a nutshell, is a non-competitive bike ride which has to be completed within a set time. It’s not a race and individual ride times are not published. What it isn’t, is a sportive. There are no pop-up food stops on the route, no mechanic and no broom wagon. You are expected to be self-sufficient, so, if you’re on a 400km ride and 20km from home, fall off and break your rear derailleur hanger, you’re going to have to sort something out yourself, or, wait, as in my case, for riders behind to catch you up and offer assistance. That’s the other thing about audaxing: while you think you are alone, in reality, you’re not!
There are various types of audax events, with distances ranging from 50km to 1,400km. The most popular are the ‘calendar’ events, but please go to the Audax UK website. Here, you will find all the information you need about audaxing.
I believe within our membership, there are riders who think about riding out of their comfort zone, read about it, but don’t commit out of fear of the unknown, or the fear of their capability. Now, I’m not saying everyone can just get on their bike and smash a 200km having never done one; for most of us, we need to build our fitness over time, but it doesn’t take long. If you can comfortably do a club run of, say, 60 to 100km, you’re halfway there. The aim then, is to demonstrate that anyone can Audax and my very own backstory is proof of this. So how did I get into audaxing?
10 years ago, I changed my role at work meaning a commute to Birmingham, initially by train but then I bought my first bike – the wrong type of bike, but that’s another story. Was I fit back then? Not at all and at 43, I was carrying a bit of weight; nothing too dramatic, but very quickly, I was ordering a new uniform for work as the weight dropped off. So cycling 20 miles a day was having positive effects on my mental and physical well-being.
There was no Strava, or at least I didn’t know about it, and I was not a member of Beacon until 2016. As my fitness built, I began to increase my distance, participating in small 50-60 mile charity sportives/rides, but my first 100 miler was courtesy of a charity ride to Aberdovy, which then became a four-dayer, cycling from Penrith to Aberdovy. Now, my grey matter is a bit sketchy as to when I actually did my first audax…
You actually don’t have to be a member to join calendar events but a small payment to cover insurance means you can join as a non-member. This is what I remember doing but not being a member meant I had no membership number under which the ride could be recorded. A search of my Strava revealed my earliest audax to be the Heart of England 120km on 21 May 2016. This seems about right. I joined Beacon in February of the same year but I hadn’t yet got to know too well the members who would change my riding life. I’ll come back to those buggers later.
The most common distance for sure on the calendar is the 200km distance and these make up most of my audax rides thus far, because you can do these in a day, generally starting at 6 or 7 am and getting back for 5 to 6 pm. This of course depends on how long you stop for or how much faffing you do, but, of course, you have to eat. Some like to eat on the go, some like a shop stop and some like a sit-down meal at one of the many cafés. And this is another thing about audaxing: you have to demonstrate to the organiser that you have been to the controls, which are villages/towns on the route. This is done via a ‘brevet’ card provided by the organiser. A lot of organisers conveniently have their controls at cafés that often have a stamp or will provide you with a receipt to prove passage, or you can simply go to a shop and purchase food or get a cash machine receipt. Anything that has the place, time and date. Some organisers will accept a GPX file, photographs of yourself at the location and there is now an app which is becoming more popular with organisers.
So, my first was a 120km ride around the Heart of England followed by the odd audax here and there, but I was still not a member of Audax UK until March 2018, which is when it all changed, as I began to ride with Beacon members who also enjoyed long-distance riding. The group was small in the beginning, two to three, but quickly others began to join. Strangely, a lot of these members had ginger hair, as I do, and because we rode many audaxes together, we became affectionately known as the Ginger Randonneurs. We spent a lot of time together and got to know each other very well.
200km was the regular distance but I was always keen to push myself and you might think the natural progression would be to 300km but no, it was 400km and then 300km and so it went on, searching for longer rides to satisfy my addiction. This all led to ultimate challenges like JOGLE, LEJOG last year in 5 days and 6 hours, and Paris-Brest-Paris in just over 78 hours. All these rides are around 1,400km, and have pushed me to the limits and I suppose that is what I am trying to convey.
When I started riding, commuting to work, I had no desire to ride anywhere other than to work and back. I didn’t have any desire to achieve much from a sporting point of view. Terrible at football, not much better at anything else and I didn’t even have a bike. The thought of cycling any further than my commute was not even on the radar so, where did it all come from? I didn’t believe I could do it, is the truth. Unfit, slightly big old me, cycle more than 20 miles a day! I blame charity.
You’ll remember I mentioned that audaxing is non-competitive and it is but there are a raft of awards you can obtain and badges you can buy from Audax UK to evidence your personal achievements. Your club also has an audax trophy up for grabs, awarded to the member with the highest amount of audax kilometres covered. I have won this trophy three times in the last four years, which I’m very proud of. The competition is tough as we have some fantastic audax riders, all pushing personal boundaries and it gets tougher every year, but this doesn’t have to be your goal. Just riding a few in a season is enough to deliver your riding fix.
So, what is my message? Are you me? Are you thinking negatively about your own ability, like I did? Always flicking the page over… There are so many benefits to audaxing. I have mentioned the biggies, but what about just riding in the countryside on a beautiful sunny day (it’s not always sunny) with like-minded riders, pushing your limits, improving your general well-being while doing so? Give it a go. You will surprise yourself!
I’m happy to answer any questions or offer any reassurance any budding audaxers may have; just let me know.
We’re running a slimmed-down schedule of club time trials for 2023, with the emphasis on having fun, friendly competition and introducing new people to time trialling. Newcomers are most welcome to take part in club TTs, as are guests from other clubs.
As well as our club events, we’re also organising one open event this year, which needs to be entered in advance (see links below).
The traditional club handicap trophy will be awarded on the basis of a rider’s best five results out of seven this year, with the two-up and hill climb events excluded.
The entry fee for a club time trial is £4.50, including the £3 Cycling Time Trials (CTT) levy. CTT regulations require that all riders have working rear (red) and front (white) lights and wear a helmet. Please aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before the event start time in order to sign on. We will send you further instructions after you’ve entered using Eventbrite.
If you’ve not given TTs a try before, we recommend reading this article on the website of the governing body, CTT (it’s from 2007, so some of the details are dated, but it gives a good idea of what to expect).
For the most up-to-date information on these events please visit the TT section of the club message board. Further details of relevant CTT regulations are available on the time trials page of this website.
| No. | Date/time | Course | Notes | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 1 April 10:00 | K32/20 | Results | ||
| 2 | Tues 11 April 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 | No starters due to bad weather | |
| Sun 23 April | Little Mountain Time Trial | ||||
| 3 | Tues 9 May 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 | Cancelled due to standing water | |
| 4 | Tues 30 May 19:00 | K32/20 | Joint event with Droitwich CC; Handicap 20 Championship | Results | |
| 5 | Tues 13 June 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 | Results | |
| 6 | Tues 11 July 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 | Results | |
| 7 | Tues 8 August 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 2-up event (see explanation here), road bikes only | Results | |
| 8 | Tues 12 September 19:00 | K36/10 | Club 10 Mile Championship | Results | |
| 9 | Sun 24 September 10:00 | KH12 | Club Hill Climb Championship | Results |
The 2023 edition of the Beacon RCC’s flagship time trial event, the Little Mountain Time Trial, which forms part of the CTT Merlin Cycles Classic Series, took place on 23 April on the K22/39 course, with the event headquarters at Great Witley Village Hall.
Congratulations to men’s winner John Archibald, fastest woman on a TT bike Emma Bexson, Celia Brown, who was fastest women on a road bike (and fastest woman overall), fastest veteran Nicholas Latimer, men’s road bike winner Gerhard Moldansky, junior winner Sophie Heighton and fastest paracyclist Ben Hetherington. Full results including category breakdowns are available via the links below.
Our thanks go to everyone who entered or supported the event!
2023’s was the 75th anniversary edition of the Little Mountain TT, originally run as the Mountain Time Trial over a course of approximately 62 miles. The film below features footage from the 1961 Mountain Time Trial and the 1996 Little Mountain TT, which coincided with the Beacon’s 50th anniversary, and should give you a sense of the history that you become part of when you enter this classic event. Commentary comes courtesy of Tony Webb and the late David Duffield, of Eurosport fame.
This year’s Beacon AGM will take place at 18:30 on Thursday 8 December 2022, in Conference Room 1, Hillscourt Hotel and Conference Centre on Rose Hill. There is step-free access to the meeting.
For members who would prefer to join the meeting online, we will also be using Zoom to facilitate this. Please see the AGM notice sent out to all members by e-mail for the Zoom link.
Please check your spam folder if you haven’t received the AGM notice, which also contains a link to the agenda.
Please do join us to help set the direction of the club for the coming year.
On Sunday 4 December, we’re going to be helping to organise a round of the West Midlands Cyclo-Cross League at Walsall Arboretum. Volunteers are required to help make the event a success, just like our October 1962 ‘cross event, which was the first British race to feature a World Champion in the discipline, Renato Longo! For inspiration, you can read about the 1962 event in the official programme, which we’ve recently digitised, and in our recent 75th anniversary souvenir booklet. If you’re able to volunteer, please put you name down here. For those keen to race, online entries are now closed, but entry on the day is possible.
Newcomers are warmly invited to join us on our next Introductory Ride.
Date
Sunday 6 November 2022
Where and when does it start?
The car park of the Black Horse, Bristol Rd South, Northfield, B31 2QT. We’ll set off at 09:15, and we’ll meet ten or fifteen minutes before that to say hello and chat about the ride.
Where’s it going?
This month’s Intro Ride is going to the café at Earlswood Craft Centre. Here’s a map of the route we plan to follow, which you can download to a GPS device:
We’ll cover roughly 52 kilometres (32 miles), mostly on quiet lanes. We’ll stop for refreshments at Earlswood Craft Centre, approximately two-thirds of the way through the route.
Will it be hard?
You should be fine if you can already ride for an hour or two at an average of roughly 16-20kph (10-12mph). We’ll stick together and go at the pace of the slowest rider. We’ll ride for a total of about three hours, with a break at the café and maybe a breather at the top of one or two hills.
Who can join in?
Our Intro Rides are mainly for people new to club cycling and not yet confident about doing one of the main club runs. They’re ideal if you already cycle and fancy getting a bit more involved, or if you’re returning after a break. They provide a chance to get to know the club and decide whether it’s for you. If you’re very new to cycling, it’s probably best to do a few independent rides first, and join an Intro Ride once you’re comfortable riding for 90 minutes or so. Under-16s need an adult with them.
How do I join the ride?
Intro Rides are limited to eight people, including the leader(s), although if we have interest from more people then we do our best to try to find a second ride leader. For this reason, everyone needs to be signed up in advance. To put your name down, either mail clubruns@beaconrcc.org.uk or answer the post on our message board.
Do I need a fancy bike?
No. For an Intro Ride, the main thing is that your bike is comfortable and reliable. Of course, it must also be legal, which basically means having two working brakes. For safety reasons, we don’t allow use of tri-bars on group rides.
Do I need special cycling gear?
No. Proper cycling clothing is generally more comfortable, especially for people riding far and/or fast. But Intro Rides aren’t like that. It’s good to avoid things that flap about and you certainly don’t want anything that chafes. But things like sweatshirts, close-fitting jogging trousers and trainers are fine. Two or three thin layers are usually a good idea, especially in autumn, when it’s often chilly early and warm later. With lightweight clothes you can stuff in a pocket or bag, you can add or subtract layers as conditions change.
What should I bring?
Bring a bottle of water and maybe something like an energy bar. You’ll also need a little money for refreshments. If there’s a chance of rain, have a lightweight waterproof in your pocket or bag. Most club cyclists carry a mobile phone and a credit/debit card in case of emergency.
Anything else I need to know?
Yes, you need to read our Club Run Guidelines. Also, while we’ll always do our best to help, it’s important to recognise a rescue service isn’t part of the deal. So have a think about how you’d manage if you were miles from home with a bike that won’t go. Could you phone home for a lift, for example?
Newcomers are warmly invited to join us on our next Introductory Ride.
Date
Sunday 2 October 2022
Where and when does it start?
The car park of the Black Horse, Bristol Rd South, Northfield, B31 2QT. We’ll set off at 09:00, and we’ll meet ten or fifteen minutes before that to say hello and chat about the ride.
Where’s it going?
This month’s Intro Ride is going to The View café in Wootton Wawen. Here’s a map of the route we plan to follow, which you can download to a GPS device:
We’ll cover roughly 52 kilometres (32 miles), mostly on quiet lanes. We’ll stop for refreshments at The View, approximately half the way through the route.
Will it be hard?
You should be fine if you can already ride for an hour or two at an average of roughly 16-20kph (10-12mph). We’ll stick together and go at the pace of the slowest rider. We’ll ride for a total of about three hours, with a break at the café and maybe a breather at the top of one or two hills.
Who can join in?
Our Intro Rides are mainly for people new to club cycling and not yet confident about doing one of the main club runs. They’re ideal if you already cycle and fancy getting a bit more involved, or if you’re returning after a break. They provide a chance to get to know the club and decide whether it’s for you. If you’re very new to cycling, it’s probably best to do a few independent rides first, and join an Intro Ride once you’re comfortable riding for 90 minutes or so. Under-16s need an adult with them.
How do I join the ride?
Intro Rides are limited to eight people, including the leader(s), although if we have interest from more people then we do our best to try to find a second ride leader. For this reason, everyone needs to be signed up in advance. To put your name down, either mail clubruns@beaconrcc.org.uk or answer the post on our message board.
Do I need a fancy bike?
No. For an Intro Ride, the main thing is that your bike is comfortable and reliable. Of course, it must also be legal, which basically means having two working brakes. For safety reasons, we don’t allow use of tri-bars on group rides.
Do I need special cycling gear?
No. Proper cycling clothing is generally more comfortable, especially for people riding far and/or fast. But Intro Rides aren’t like that. It’s good to avoid things that flap about and you certainly don’t want anything that chafes. But things like sweatshirts, close-fitting jogging trousers and trainers are fine. Two or three thin layers are usually a good idea, especially in autumn, when it’s often chilly early and warm later. With lightweight clothes you can stuff in a pocket or bag, you can add or subtract layers as conditions change.
What should I bring?
Bring a bottle of water and maybe something like an energy bar. You’ll also need a little money for refreshments. If there’s a chance of rain, have a lightweight waterproof in your pocket or bag. Most club cyclists carry a mobile phone and a credit/debit card in case of emergency.
Anything else I need to know?
Yes, you need to read our Club Run Guidelines. Also, while we’ll always do our best to help, it’s important to recognise a rescue service isn’t part of the deal. So have a think about how you’d manage if you were miles from home with a bike that won’t go. Could you phone home for a lift, for example?
