Any mumsnetters who do audax?

[randonneuse]

Hello, I'm fairly new to mumsnet. Are there any mumsnetters who do audax? (Long-distance cycling) I'm guessing probably not many but thought it would be nice to say hi!

Not heard of it before, but it looks good. Have you done any? If so, what is the most challenging one you have done? Is there any event you would recommend for someone who is attempting it for a first time?

Ooh, good questions. :-) I am addicted to audax: I do one per month (as part of a challenge called Randonneur Round The Year, or RRTY) and have done a Super Randonneur (SR) series this year and last year. This means doing one 200km ride, one 300km, one 400km and one 600km in a year. My most challenging so far is a toss-up between a 400km event called London-Wales-London (which I've done twice) and the 600km I did this year called Gospel Pass which went from Stevenage to Wales and back in a weekend.

Now I feel like I am bragging! But I really do love these rides; I love seeing our little country unfold, seeing how it fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. I love my RRTY for seeing the rhythm of the seasons; things like seeing the swallows arrive, flying with them all summer, seeing them load themselves up again now ready for their much longer journey.

For a first-timer, once you've had a poke around the Audax UK website , have a look at the calendar events to see what's close to you. Organisers are supportive and welcoming, but audax is very understated - there's no medal, no certificate - but that's what I like about it, there's no fuss except for the occasional old-skool cloth badge. Just beautiful routes and an obscene amount of cake. :-)