Author Archives: Margaret Aldis

The Falmouth Wheelers’ audaxes on Sunday 10th April made a splendid start to Audax Kernow events in 2022. The calendar is now in place for the rest of the season, with rides from Wall, Caharrack, Penzance and Perranwell all open for entry.

First up on 15th May is the 100km Celtic Coastal from Wall, promising a scenic trip to Lands End.

The following month, on 19th June, the Mines and Mineral Railways events take a turn around mining country starting from Carharrack. On-road or Off-road, but either way with the option of a pasty and a cream tea.

The events from Penzance run on 3rd July. The following week, 10th July, the Lizard and the Camel 200, Red River Blue Sea 100, and Peter’s Point 50 events run from a new start location at Perranwell with slightly revised routes for the two shorter rides. While the Penzance events are “bare-bones” style with no manned controls, the Perranwell events include a refreshment stop at the Gwithian control as well as Perranwell.

Note that there will be no on-the-line entries for Audax Kernow events this year. Follow the event links to enter online from the Audax UK website – the AUK event page provides full details of the ride and allows you to enter and pay online as a member or a non-member, and you can also download a form for postal entry if you need copies for less tech-savvy ride mates.

Audax events in Cornwall and Devon for the next few months are now on our web site calendar, including the first two Audax Kernow dates.

The Falmouth Wheelers’ events are now back in their usual spot in the Easter period, showcasing another Cornish 100 route starting from the Cricket Club and returning there for the usual refreshments and get together.

We have a new Audax Kernow organiser, Charlie Jarrell, running the Celtic Coastal – same start location at Wall Chapel and scenic views, but this year running in May with a slightly revised route with a control at Lands End Coffee Company Café.

The ever-popular Mines and Minerals On and Off road rides are on the AUK calendar and will run on 19th June – entry is closed at the moment, while the important details on how to order your pasty and cream tea are finalised.

There will also be Audax Kernow events on the 3rd and 10th of July. For the self-reliant randonneur looking for a hilly challenge there are X-rated 200km and 300km events from Penzance on 3rd July.  For those looking for a gateway into longer distances or a social ride there will be 200km, 100km and 50km events on 10th July. Details coming here soon.

… but we are back in business. Events have been gradually coming back onto the calendar as restrictions have eased and organisers have been able to work out ways of arranging a safe and viable event. In Cornwall Phil Conroy of Falmouth Wheelers has stepped up to the plate and will be running the first post-Covid Audax Kernow events in September – always assuming no further setbacks.

This is also a good moment to congratulate the local riders who have managed to keep Audaxing with DIYs, and even complete RRtYs (Randonneur Round the Year), through the stop-start lockdowns and validation suspensions. For those looking for future challenges, a delayed LEL is now planned for August 2022, while PBP’s 4-yearly date comes round in 2023. There is also an End-to-End Audax, 1400 km starting in Lands End, calendared for July 2022.

We may have Easter bunnies in September and March hares in October, and there will be some limitations and no doubt a few surprises, but here’s looking forward to riders old and new enjoying that unique Audax experience again.

AUK members will have received a an update from Chris Crossland on the suspension of Audax UK events. There’s some optimism that validation of DIYs, Perms and small calendar events might restart later in the year, but it’s difficult to see how our local “village hall” Audax Populaires could be run anytime soon.

Here is something to cheer you up. Chris Rayne, the organiser of the Celtic Coastal and Celtic Canter events, has used the lockdown period to good purpose by updating his account of his 1980 End-to-End – ridden on a tandem trike in aid of the local branch of Muscular Dystrophy UK.

I found Chris’s description of the – shall we say challenges – of piloting a trike from John o’Groats to Lands End amusing and hair raising in equal parts. I have to say we won’t be tempted to trade the two wheels for three ourselves.

This is the link to the report, and if you would like to donate to the cause you can do so via the local branch or the national Muscular Dystrophy UK site.

Edited 11 June 20 to link to updated PDF file.