2010 Circuit of the Cotswolds Sportive Cancelled

ajb72

http://www.circuitofthecotswolds.org/index.php

What a shame, I know a few of us on this forum intended to enter this event, it was to be my first 100 mile event too.

Back to the drawing board........................

StrangelyBrown

Ah well. Did this last year and thought it was good. Very hilly and a good challenge.

ugo.santalucia

Shame, it was a good event, well ran, with a charitable scope and reasonably priced

But there's an Audax in the Cotswolds the same day... that's always been an issue

APIII

It's a good event, I've done it 3 times and it seemed to improve each year. At least they are planning to run it again in 2011.

Johnny G

That's a pity. I did the 2008 event and it was very well organised. The Beacon audax on the same day is also excellent - I did last year's and intend to do this year's as well, so I can recommend it to anyone who was planning to do the Circuit of the Cotswolds.

http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

de_sisti

+1 For Beacon audax

Bobbinogs

Hi chaps, only been cycling since end of Sept but am OK with doing 50 in 3 (err, not at the moment though). I am still really cr*p at navigating, can't seem to cycle and stop a map from flapping about at the same time

Would it be too ambitious of me to try and do the Beacon audax? Would I be able to get around without getting lost or would I need a Garmin, etc?

Philip Whiteman

All is not lost for those seeking a ride around The Cotswolds in June.

Here is one event that you may wish to consider - it also happens to be the largest audax event held in the UK.

http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

de_sisti

Bobbinogs wrote:

Hi chaps, only been cycling since end of Sept but am OK with doing 50 in 3 (err, not at the moment though). I am still really cr*p at navigating, can't seem to cycle and stop a map from flapping about at the same time

Would it be too ambitious of me to try and do the Beacon audax? Would I be able to get around without getting lost or would I need a Garmin, etc?

Don't worry, lots of other Cheltenham riders participate in the ride so you might be able to
tag along with them. You don't get issued with a map, you are given a route card to navigate
with. Some audaxes also provide a gpx fix for gps units too.
(If you've only been riding since September and can do a 50 in 3, you
must have some engine, and be a natural on the bike).

ajb72

So what is the difference between an audax and a sportive? The Beacon audax does look like a good alternative

oxoneil

ajb72 wrote:

So what is the difference between an audax and a sportive? The Beacon audax does look like a good alternative

A sportive will charge you a bomb to follow a route they've devised whereas an audax will hardly cost you anything to ride a route someone else has devised.

ugo.santalucia

ajb72 wrote:

So what is the difference between an audax and a sportive? The Beacon audax does look like a good alternative

This is a very good question and deserves a very good answer: in the UK sportives are by definition non competitive unlike in other countries where they are real races for amateurs (eg granfondo circuits in Italy). However the vast majority of sportives provide you with an official finish time with the chip technology. This comes at a price, roughly 7 pounds per head to rent the chips (included in the fee and compulsory). Sportives follow a course which is signposted and they offer 2-3 feeding stops which can be very generously stocked or very poorly stocked. (like the Dragon Ride) The average entry fee is 25 pounds, but it can vary from 15 up to 60+
Some of them are charitable events, others are managed for profit.

An audax is a non competitive event, which is not timed and the course is not signposted. The entrant is given a card with directions. There might or might not be feeding zones. The entry fee is in general very low, very rarely exceeding 10 pounds, more often 5 pounds or so.

There might be other hidden differences, like the presence of a broomwagon, ambulance and support, personal and liability insurance etc. etc...
Max number of entrants applies for both types of events and it is negotiated between the organisers and the local authorities

oxoneil

Of course, you could always just turn up and "join in" a sportive for free. Personally I couldn't do that but I know people who do.

coxy84

shame about that, but +1 for the beacon audax

Philip Whiteman

In terms of the Beacon's Cotswolds Audaxes on this date, it four audax events with a limit of 120 riders on each:

1) 200km Randonee. Cotswold Expedition. Kings Norton - Broaway Tower - Burford - Shutford - Kings Norton.
2) 160km. Cotswold Journey. Kings Norton - Broadway Tower - Burford - Kings Norton.
3) 100km. Cotswold Outing (clockwise). Kings Norton - Wellesbourne - Welford - Kings Norton.
4) 100km. Cotswold Outing (anticlockwise). Kings Norton - Welford - Wellesbourne - Kings Norton.

George Barker, the organiser, has yet to check the course details and availability of controls before allowing entries to take place. Hopefully this will be in a few weeks time. Once the event is open to entries, I will place a notice here and on Cyclosport letting you know when it is open.

A few people in this thread have mentioned entry fees. This event(s) usually charges around £8 to cover the expenses of the event and as with all audaxes, it is not-for-profit exercise. Unlike a sportive, it is no frills. The route is not waymarked and riders can either use GPX files or a printed route card. Free food is available at the finish line along with a free water bottle for people who successfully complete their event. The controls are located in cafes/pubs/village halls where riders can buy food or fill their bottles - you don't have to stop apart from getting your card stamped. The HQ has sufficient parking for 300 cars and has shower facilities for stinking riders - and if the weather is its usual kind and hot self, you will be very sweaty!

Unlike a sportive, audaxes do not provide finishing times. However, it is not unknown for riders on the 200km to race towards the finish. The fastest ever achieved is 7-15, only 15 minutes after the HQ control opened for finishers! On average, riders tend to take 8.5 to 9.5 hours to complete the route with 'cafe society' taking longer - and usually after a few beers at Burford.

What is provided and comes for free, is a really picturesque route. Personally I prefer the 200km Expedition which gives a good stiff climb up from Mickleton to Broadway Tower, takes you through Cotswold stone villages and a lovely length of route through the Windrush Valley to Burford. Whilst this audax is not as tough as many, there are some fairly challenging drags on the longer route which are energy sapping. On all rides, the last 15-20 miles into Kings Norton provides quite a roller coaster with twists and turns.

For hardened audaxers, the Expedition is a pre-qualifying BRM event for the 2011 Paris-Brest-Paris.

ajb72

Thanks for the detailed info Phillip, I am definitely going to consider this as an alternative.

Another option is that I look at another sportive - the Tour of the Black Mountains has a 96 mile route in early July, but that looks like a seriously stiff challenge by comparison, 10,000 feet of climbing looks brutal, even with nearly 6 months to prepare!

ledburyloafer

Philip Whiteman wrote:

What is provided and comes for free, is a really picturesque route. Personally I prefer the 200km Expedition which gives a good stiff climb up from Mickleton to Broadway Tower, takes you through Cotswold stone villages and a lovely length of route through the Windrush Valley to Burford. Whilst this audax is not as tough as many, there are some fairly challenging drags on the longer route which are energy sapping. On all rides, the last 15-20 miles into Kings Norton provides quite a roller coaster with twists and turns.

.

Thats not Saintbury is it Philip?

Philip Whiteman

ledburyloafer wrote:

Thats not Saintbury is it Philip?

Yes and no. It passes over Saintbury Hill but from the Mickleton direction and is therefore not the really stiff climb up from Saintbury Village. It is a long steep haul nonetheless.

Mark, surely you're not thinking about an audax. :shock: I thought you never rode a route without signage in case you got lost You'll have to bring Mr Overton along with you too. We await your entry form form with interest.

......now was that a pig that just flew past the window.

ledburyloafer

Philip Whiteman wrote:

ledburyloafer wrote:

Thats not Saintbury is it Philip?

Yes and no. It passes over Saintbury Hill but from the Mickleton direction and is therefore not the really stiff climb up from Saintbury Village. It is a long steep haul nonetheless.

Mark, surely you're not thinking about an audax. :shock: I thought you never rode a route without signage in case you got lost You'll have to bring Mr Overton along with you too. We await your entry form form with interest.

......now was that a pig that just flew past the window.

Now just a minute Philip....it's entirely the Beacons fault that I'm considering doing this, I first rode the excellent Sunrise Audax 2 years ago and was down to do it last year until it was cancelled, and I'm on for the Snowdrop this year! Even thinking of the Elenith this year too!
As you will note next time we meet, that couldn't have been a flying pig you saw because I would have eaten it!

Philip Whiteman

ledburyloafer wrote:

Even thinking of the Elenith this year too!

I'll race you! Last person back is a sissy and has nits.

ledburyloafer

Philip Whiteman wrote:

ledburyloafer wrote:

Even thinking of the Elenith this year too!

I'll race you! Last person back is a sissy and has nits.

That'll be me then!

dead sheep

You can count me in on the Beacon CC Cotswolds audax. I will probably venture onto the 200km 'Expedition' route. This is a concrete enty in my diary, I have ridden it in past years and have never been disappointed.

Out of these two events in the past and the Beacon version is the better of the two and costs just a few quid. The only bugbear for sportivers may the lack of directional signs due to it being an audax. You will need to bight the bullet and use a route card or a GPS. Aside from that, this audax has the feel of a sportive.

Phil - I know you promised but please don't forget to post the message on when they open their entry system. I missed out once due to the event being over-subscribed. I shall also keep an eye open.

Bobbinogs

Chaps, the beacon alternative does look really tempting. I had a look on the website and it does show fairly detailed route instructions from last year.

Will I get good visibility of the equivilent for this year so I can start trying to familiarise myself with the route to avoid getting lost? Also, as a newbie hoping to do the Cotswold outing, is there any (generic) difference (in ability level) from doing the clockwise or anticlockwise loop?

I appreciate that the last question is a bit of a punt given that the route isn't out yet but the site does say the route roughly stays the same.

Thanks in advance.

Philip Whiteman

Dear Bobbinogs,

I guess that the route will probably be very similar to last year's, alterations are only usually necessitated by a change of control venue along the route. I cannot guarantee that there will be no change but the event organiser, George Barker, will probably have a clearer view within the next couple of months. It certainly does no harm to think about the route nearer the date - just remember that there will also be plenty of other riders to tag along with if you are worried about the route on the day - it usually quite a friendly affair.

There are no differences in terms of ability for either the clockwise or anti-clockwise Cotswold Outings. Both routes undulate and not too challenging unless 100km is a new distance for you. However, if this a familiar distance and you would like something a little more challenging, then the 160km Cotswold Journey is a good alternative.

The reason we class the Cotswold Outing as two events is to limit the number to 120 riders on each for insurance purposes and to avoid over-crowding at any one of the two controls.

Dear Dead Sheep,

Don't worry too much about getting your entry in at this point. All the events do fill but this only occurs a few weeks before the event date. However, if you want to pre-empt the online entry system becoming available, you can still download the snail-mail forms from the AUK website and enter manually in the old fashioned way - including your 2 SAEs. To do this, see the AUK calendar and click on June:

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/index.htm

Look forward to seeing you both.

ledburyloafer

Philip Whiteman wrote:

Dear Bobbinogs,

I guess that the route will probably be very similar to last year's, alterations are only usually necessitated by a change of control venue along the route. I cannot guarantee that there will be no change but the event organiser, George Barker, will probably have a clearer view within the next couple of months. It certainly does no harm to think about the route nearer the date - just remember that there will also be plenty of other riders to tag along with if you are worried about the route on the day - it usually quite a friendly affair.

There are no differences in terms of ability for either the clockwise or anti-clockwise Cotswold Outings. Both routes undulate and not too challenging unless 100km is a new distance for you. However, if this a familiar distance and you would like something a little more challenging, then the 160km Cotswold Journey is a good alternative.

The reason we class the Cotswold Outing as two events is to limit the number to 120 riders on each for insurance purposes and to avoid over-crowding at any one of the two controls.

Dear Dead Sheep,

Don't worry too much about getting your entry in at this point. All the events do fill but this only occurs a few weeks before the event date. However, if you want to pre-empt the online entry system becoming available, you can still download the snail-mail forms from the AUK website and enter manually in the old fashioned way - including your 2 SAEs. To do this, see the AUK calendar and click on June:

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/index.htm

Look forward to seeing you both.

Don't forget me!

Caer caradoc

I am willing to try out this one. At last year's Etape du Dales, I heard a couple of guys raving about the Beacon Club audaxes.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay nearby?

So after several years of being snooty about audaxes, I'll admit to riding one . Just don't tell anyone. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

dead sheep

You could try:

http://www.farmstay.co.uk/b-and-b/alvec ... -farm-806/

or there is a Premier Inn located at 'Great Park' Rubery in South Brum.

Incidentally, if you have ridden the Etape du Dales, you should be able to ride the Beacon Expedition quite easily.

Do you mind if shout, Caer Caradoc is riding an AUDAX at every sportive?

Saturn

ugo.santalucia wrote:

But there's an Audax in the Cotswolds the same day... that's always been an issue

I've never been aware of any issue apart from the fact you can't ride both events at the same time (both are great events with lovely routes).

They start on opposite sides of the Cotswolds and riders on either event are only likely to come across each other in the Snowshill area by which time they'll be well spread out. The clash never seems to have greatly affected numbers on either event, possibly because of their different base locations. Maybe some of those who normally ride the sportive will make the trip to the other side of the Cotswolds this year though and ride the audax before returning to the sportive next year?