Rubber issues

by Stuart 2. June 2014 10:41

The cold air brought me round with a jolt.  The sky was blurry, blossom blocking the suns feeble attempts to bring light to the enchanting land.  I reached to put quiet to the manufactured noise that was shattering natures dawn chorus with its technical squawking.  The timer was red with –10 written in the middle.  Memories of an earlier cacophony faded in and out.  I wonder if those Android geeks had envisaged an oversleeping audaxer when they added the auto-snooze to the timer.

I silenced it and rolled off the picnic bench.  Sally was waiting faithfully, leaning against the table, neither eager or reluctant to continue but she tempted me non the less with her soft contoured seat and reliable charm.

I pushed her through the gravel car park that I had entered just fifty minutes earlier to the black road without.

As I resumed my climb I began to shiver, but I knew that with my waterproof on I’d be sweating soon enough.

Ahead I saw a figure emerge into the verge of the road.  He pulled a large object from the hedge and tinkered with it.  Red and white cut the dark.  I was not alone.

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Audax | Audax Ireland | tyre

London Edinburgh London (LEL)

by Stuart 16. July 2013 16:08

What is LEL

LEL is a 1400km Audax (long distance cycling) organised by Audax UK.  It is not a race, but there is a maximum (and minimum) time limit.  It runs every 4 years.  This year there are approximately 1000 entrants.  I am H19 starting at 07:30 on Sunday 28’th July.  This gives me until Friday 04:10 am to complete the 1419km route.

How to follow me

Viewranger

I shall be using viewranger to help me follow the route and also to give live updates of my location.  So, if all is working, go to http://viewranger.com/buddybeacon/, click on add buddy beacon and put stuartm@stiona.com as the username and 9999 as the PIN.

LEL rider tracking

As I check in at each control – the organizers should update this page - http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com/lastseen/?rider_no=H19 – you can see the route and controls here - http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com/route

Runkeeper

I will try and run this too – but depends on me remembering and battery.  You can find my tracks at http://runkeeper.com/user/stuartm9999/.

Twitter/Facebook

Maybe some updates – but I wouldn’t expect too much.  @stuartm9999.

What training have I done.

Since the end of last year I have been riding regular Audaxes with Audax Ireland.  Since January I have completed (amongst other rides) what is known as a Super Randoneer sereis- a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km brevet (ride) within the time limits laid down by the rules of Audax.  I owe a lot of gratitude to fellow Audax Ireland members for not only organising these events but helping me round them!

Audax is a great way to see the country, eat and cycle at the same time.  I do it for the food, the challenge, the craic and the views.  All you need is a bike. 

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Audax | Audax Ireland | Cycling | Sport

Red Line / Red Lane

by Stuart 25. June 2013 13:33

Animals that tried to kill me:

Sheep

Dogs

Horses

Pole Cat (which apparently don't live in Ireland so I'm changing my opinion to Stoat) - it might have looked small from a distance but I think it had sharp teeth.

Geese

Guinea fowl or small turkeys

A clowder of cats

The man who wrote the route sheet

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Audax | Audax Ireland | Cycling

REK

by Stuart 5. June 2013 13:45

That was a whole lot of Ireland I've never seen before and it certainly didn't disappoint.

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Audax | Audax Ireland | Cycling

“The trick is–not to keep up”.

by Stuart 3. July 2012 07:14

That was the advice of an Audax Ireland jersey wearing rider about 10 miles from Newry. 

The main group of 15 riders on the Around Down 200 were just visible on the crest of the hill.  I decided that this was not only good advice, but not really optional either.

 

I discovered the crazy sport of Audax some time ago whilst surfing the web.  Basically it’s long distance riding from 200km to 1400km.  The aim is just to finish.  There are no prizes, just a generous time limit – which I suspect is aimed more at allowing the organisers to go home rather than make you go fast.  In fact, there is even a minimum time limit to stop speeding.

This appealed to my non-competitive competitiveness.

 

Hilario: Did you have any luck?
Chris Adams: Found a man who would have been perfect. With gun or knife, couldn't ask for any better. But he wouldn't do it.
Hilario : The money, it was not enough?
Chris: He doesn't give a hoot about money.
Hilario: A man in this line of work who doesn't care about money?
Chris: Men in this line of work are not all alike. Some care about nothing but money. Others, for reasons of their own, enjoy only the danger.
Vin: And the competition.
Miguel: If he is the best with a gun and a knife, with whom does he compete?
Chris: Himself.

The Magnificent Seven

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Cycling | Audax | Audax Ireland

What's this all about?

Not the top gear website but one nothing like it. 

Been through a few "what this is" and now settled on my (Stuart McLean's) general blog - mainly about cycling but occasionally anything else chucked in.

I also occasionally write some technical stuff which you can find here.

You can follow me on twitter @stuartm9999.

I record most of my bike rides on runkeeper so you can see them here if you're really bored!

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