My Journey to Audax RRtY
Audax is a long distance cycling club. It maintains a roll of honour for cyclists who complete a ride of at least 200km in a day every month of the year.
RRtY stands for Randonneur Round the Year. The Audax website describes this as “One of the tougher challenges on offer.” It goes on to state that rides “of at least 200km completed at Randonneur pace can be included and you can start in any month, but miss a month and you have to start all over again.”
I reached the age of 74 before I completed my first RRtY. I’m writing this blog to assure readers that it is almost certainly not too late to start and succeed. For me, the biggest barriers were lack of confidence and the demands of work.
When I completed my first RRtY, I was one of slightly fewer than a thousand. For me it was an achievement. It required planning and determination. It did not require years of riding and training. The COVID lockdown year saw one rider achieve 10 RRtYs by riding 10 200km rides each month; I’m not in that league and nor need you be.
I aim to show how I got started and how I built up my confidence so that riding 200 km is no big deal any longer. My aim is to enjoy my cycling; I don’t plan long rides in snow and ice. Of course, I have found myself riding 100 km plus in rain but my intention is always to enjoy the ride, not to test myself to the limits.
In this “work in progress” I aim to write about some of my 200 km rides and some shorter rides, many using the Elizabeth Line which runs from Reading through London to Shenfield in Essex. Under the “Stuff” section I will write about how I plan, what equipment I use, cafes and other useful places, and the bike shop and mechanics/ technicians I rely on.
