October 2012

Peak Audax www.PeakAudax.co.uk Long distance cycling with Manchester & District CTC Secretary: Mike Wigley Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph, Saddleworth. OL3 5UX � mike@PeakAudax.co.uk �: 01457 870421

Happy New Year! The Audax season runs

from October to September, and I hope you had a good 2011-12 and met all your cycling goals. There’s a table of the Peak Audax points scores at www.aukweb.net/results/detail/this/ctc/ showing busy a season for John Clemens before being shunted from behind by a motorist – get well soon!

While thinking about Plaster of Paris, commiser-ations also go to Denise Hurst whose ride in the 12 hour Time Trial was cut short only half an hour before the finish by an untimely dismount. Denise was credited with the 187 miles she completed before her ambulance journey. There’s an opportunity to catch up with Denise at the Horseshoe Pass 200 on 14th October, which unfortunately clashes with our own Hebden Star 100, so you’ll need to decide whether to get the 2 distance points or the 2¼ AAA points.

LEL: this is the big one for next year, 1400km

from London to Edinburgh and back in 116 hours. If you are planning to ride this, we’ve got plenty of events for your build up. If cycling 1400km isn’t your idea of fun, you could consider helping out. Denise Hughes is running the Eskdalemuir control and she would be delighted to hear from anyone who can devote a day or several. Eskdalemuir is a great place to visit; it’s 22km from Lockerbie so you could take your bike on the TransPennine Train service from Manchester.

Peak Audax AGM Peak Audax is a CTC

Member Group as part of Manchester & District CTC. This means that M&D handle all the necessary admin, leaving us free to ride our Peak Audax events under the CTC’s insurance policy. Our AGM takes place on Thursday 25th October at the Welcome Inn, a fine Holt pub in Prestwich, starting at 7:30pm. It would be great to see as, many of you as possible, and in fact it would be useful too, just to ensure we have a quorum for the meeting.

Audax UK AGM While we are talking about

AGMs, the AGM for Audax UK combined with the Annual Dinner and Trophy Presentation is to be held this year in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday November 17th.

Why not make a weekend of it and stay on Friday and Saturday night? It’s a great opportunity to relax and socialise with those you’ve been riding with during the year, and Llandrindod is easy to

get to from the Peak Audax area. Try the train, or better still, you could cycle there! If you can come up with a 200km route to Llandrindod, send off the Dinner Dart entry form to Sheila Simpson.

A booking form for accommodation was sent with the most recent Arrivée, or see www.aukweb.net/official/agm.

Winter Series: we’ve got our now

traditional events between November to February, starting from the Stockport area and heading out on the fairly flat Cheshire Plain into Wales and Staffordshire.

The Series starts off with the Eureka 200 and Cheshire Safari 160 in November from Cheadle, and Peter Hammond will be hoping for decent weather to attract the usual packed field. He was turning late entries away with the event “full” last year, so don’t delay booking your ride. This year’s event finishes back inside at Cheadle, so there will be no need to borrow the horse box.

Also from Cheadle, we have the Mere 200/150 on January 27th, thanks to Dave Colley, for our annual trek out to Ellesmere and the Raven Cafe at Prees Heath.

Then on February 24th, we see our new Organiser, Tim Hughes (and no doubt Denise), bringing us the Newport 200/Radway 160. Norbert Gajda has decide to step down after not being able to ride an Audax event since 2008. On a more positive note, I ran into Ron Eaton recently, now looking fit and back on his bike. Ron was seriously ill earlier in the year, and had to have about a foot of his intestines removed.

The Winter Solstice 200 this year again starts in Bredbury in December, but note the later start time of 9am – I’m hoping we’ll get decent weather for the first time in two years! The official date for the event is 16th December, but might encourage a ride the following weekend if the weather beats us yet again. Still, it doesn’t out people off, and entries are coming in already.

And don’t forget the Hopey New Year on the first Saturday in 2012 to ride off the Christmas excess. I’ve not ridden this event for some years but I hope to get over to Bradwell (near Hope).

Spring Rides: We have a new ride on 17th

March, as Phil Scott launches the Mam Tor 200 from Winsford. It’s based on one of Rob Kilby’s

old rides, and has a good mix of Peak District climbs and the rolling plains of Cheshire.

The traditional Chirk 200 comes to you again on 24th March but it’s now in new hands. Darryl Nolan will be Organising this relatively easy ride from Poynton.

On the Wednesday after Easter, we’ve got the Monyash 100 from Marple. If you prefer something with less climbing, there will again be the Wednesday Icecream Sundae 100 to Great Budworth.

Monyash Cafe, a popular control in the Peak District

On another bank holiday Wednesday we have again got the Old Lead Miner’s Trail in June from Chapel en le Frith. Taking in Winnats Pass (the easy way!) and visiting the picturesque lead mining villages in the White Peak area, with cafes at Monsall Head and Monyash.

Super Randonneur series: For those

who are new to overnight Audaxes, the Plains 300, with its 11pm start time, is an ideal first ride through the night. You’ve got a good chance of riding with the bunch out to Whitchurch and Dinky’s Diner before an early breakfast of porridge and coffee at Newtown McDonalds.

For a 400, we have again the Llanfair 400 with a ride from Poynton to Holyhead and back.

This year’s Peak Audax 600 will be To Holl and Back, over the Humber Bridge to Boston, then back through the night via Colsterworth and Donington.

A bridge too far on the Holland 600?

Marple Grimpeurs: During the month of

August we will run our traditional Wednesday rides. Note that the first in the series, the Dark Peak 100, will be run a week earlier on 24th July as we want to avoid clashing with LEL. The Mid Peak 100 resumes on 7th August, with White Peak 100, West Peak 100 and Staffs Peak 100 following on 14th, 21st and 28th.

Broken Cross Events: John Perrin

again puts on his excellent events, especially noted for some fine catering at the finish, although the rides themselves are recommended in themselves; Worlds End 200 (13th May), Knockerdown 200/Lutudarum 114 (9th June), 3 Loops 200/One Loop 114 (9th Sept) and Venetian Nights 200 (October).

Saddleworth Rides: Don Black’s rides

next year from Denshaw are on the 14th July, Roun’ t’West Ridin’ 200, the Slaidburn Century and the Bretton 100 which makes the trip over to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Emley Moor, one of the high points of the Bretton 100

Peak Audax membership It’s free! If

you are a member of CTC or AUK, you can nominate Peak Audax as either your club or your CTC group for your Audax Championship points. “Peak Audax”, “Manchester DA” and “Manchester & District CTC” are now effectively synonymous, so why not plump for Peak Audax. Have a word with Mike, or visit the Audax Gateway.

Provisional Peak Audax Calendar 2012-2013

Sun 11th Nov Cheadle Eureka! 210 km Peter Hammond

A Cheshire Safari 160 km

Sun 16th Dec Bredbury Winter Solstice 201 km Mike Wigley

Sat 5th Jan Hope A Hopey New Year 108 km David Darricott

Sun 27th Jan Cheadle A Mere Two Hundred 200 km Dave Colley

A Mere Century 155 km

Sun 24th Feb Cheadle Newport 201 km Tim Hughes

Radway 153 km

Sun 17th Mar Winsford Mam Tor 200km Phil Scott

Sun 24th Mar Poynton Chirk 200 km Darryl Nolan

Wed 3rd Apr Marple Monyash Peak Grimpeur 105 km Chris Keeling-Roberts

An Icecream Wensdae 105 km

Sat 20th Apr Poynton Plains 300 310 km Peter Hammond

Sun 12th May Broken Cross World's End 210 km John Perrin

Sat 25th May Hazel Grove LlanfairPG 400 412 km Mike Wigley

Wed 29th May Chapel en le Frith Old Lead Miners Trail 120 km Dave Catlow

Sun 8th Jun Broken Cross Knockerdown 200km John Perrin

Lutudarum 100km

Sat 29th Jun Poynton Holl and Back 600 km Mike Wigley

Sun 14th Jul Denshaw Roun’t’ West Ridin’ 200 km Don Black

Slaidburn 170km

Bretton 100km

Wed 24th Jul Marple Dark Peak 106 km Derek Heine

28th July-2nd Aug London LEL 1400km AUK

Wed 7th Aug Marple Mid Peak 106 km Chris Keeling-Roberts

Wed 14th Aug Marple White Peak 103 km Mike Wigley

Wed 21st Aug Marple West Peak 103 km Dave Catlow

Wed 28th Aug Marple Staffs Peak 110 km Peter Coates

Sun 9th Sep Broken Cross Three Loops 200km John Perrin

Oct tba Broken Cross Venetian Nights 200km John Perrin

for more details see www.aukweb.net/events, www.PeakAudax.co.uk and Arrivée