Job done ✔️ 15th audax of 2025 (10 was my previous record) & ride 5 of my #FestiveFive challenge. A glorious sunny day but so soo cold! 🌞🚴‍♂️🥶🥶 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Nearly home 😁
Wasn't going to stop but I've got a couple of hours left, plus it's chuffing Baltic out there now 🥶🥶 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Audax in progress, 60km done, 45km to go. I've found coffee but sadly no cake, all the usual cafes are closed for the Christmas break. But the winds behind me & it's (almost) all down hill 🎅🎄🌞🚴‍♂️💨💨😁 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

So the Festive Fifty didn't work out as an audax. Not to worry, we'll just hack out an impromptu DIY audax for tomorrow 💨💨🚴‍♂️🥶 #cycling #wintercycling #diyaudax

Done ✔️ 9hrs 30mins (ish)
Bugger, it gets dark early! It didn't help that it came on to rain in the last hour 🌧😕 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Welcome to Wheddon Cross. 300m from sea level, cold and blowing a hoolie 🌬🚴‍♂️🥶 so yes I was thankful of a place to warm up ☕️🍰 35km to go & the good news, it's all downhill 🚴‍♂️💨💨💨🙌😁 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Well I'm not going to get up over Wheddon Cross later on fresh air alone 😋😁 #cycling #audax #diyaudax #allthenoms

Blue Anchor, 45km. Not quite halfway but there's a good cafe here and this time it's open ☕️😀 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Fortunately there's a co-op so I'm not going hungry 😁👍 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Set off at 8:30am, got to my first port of call, Wiveliscombe and it appears the cafe owner's are on holiday. I'll just have to wait until Blue Anchor or Minehead for a coffee 😥 #cycling #audax #coffeestop #diyaudax

DIY audax time and I'm starting with McD's porridge before I go #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Ride forecast for already twice postponed DIY audax tomorrow at 08:00:

Temp: 11°C - 13.8°C, feels like 5.5°C - 8.8°C
Wind: 11.9 - 17.7 mph, gusts up to 28.8 mph
17% chsnce of moderate rain

#cycling #audax #diyaudax

from the Epic Ride Weather app
epicrideweather.com

How late is to late to start a DIY audax?
When I'm home getting up early particularly in wintertime isn't my strong point & the fact I was out last night didn't help. I'm not sure how many postponements I can make on one audax but we're moving this one to Tuesday now 🙄 #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Update:
I've moved this on to tomorrow, 1st June. In order to get in the early start and avoid the traffic on the main road start. The cafe I wanted to stop at will be closed (again), but there are alternatives to stop at
#cycling #audax #diyaudax

For those that wonder why it doesn't start from home. To reach the destination I wanted to, I'd be considerably over distance and places me on the other side of a range of hills that I would also have to traverse twice
#cycling #diyaudax

After a daft late night, my silly o'clock start hasn't happened. It'll mean I'll miss the cafe again and quiet roads. Not only is my start 30 mins drive away, but the start and return is on a busy main road for a few miles.
#cycling #diyaudax

A very late entry for a previously ridden DIY audax. Successfully, I might add (3rd time lucky) #cycling #audax #diyaudax

Ride date, 31 May at 07:00:

Temperature: 14.2°C to 21.5°C.
Wind: 2.7 to 12.3 mph, with gusts up to 22.2 mph.
4% chsnce of very light rain

from epicrideweather.com

Due to the lack of cycling last weekend I've got the idea of a DIY this weekend brewing. Not sure where yet but I've got a couple of ideas, a couple of routes already ridden successfully (after a few trials by error maybe) 🚴‍♂️ #cycling #audax #diyaudax

I'm a little nervous now. This will be the first time I've tried 200km since June last year 😬
#cycling #audax #diyaudax #Tarka300
I tried this last year and failed on 2 points, I left very late, and I hit a closure of a vital road very late on the route. I've made a major reroute for this year 🤞

Right then peeps! Here's the bit you've all been waiting for, maps and stats. RWGPS with the elevation profile, Strava stuff and the map from Garmin that highlights the speedy bits. Nil points for guessing on the map where the Black Mountain was 👀 #cycling #diyaudax

Ladies and gentlemen, we have returned. Nine and a half hours to do that 108km, 1169m in elevation and most of that was done on the Black Mountain. 3 stops with an hour for lunch and back with an hour before cut off time. Completed it mate 👊⛰️🚴‍♂️😀 #diyaudax #cycling

Virtual control #2 Ammanford, and it's a Costa machine, but it's better than nowt. Have u mentioned I hate climbing?
Despite my trepidation, that climb never fails to bring a massive smile to my face 😊
The summit and descent was a bit spicy in the wind though 🌬🚴‍♂️💩😳 #cycling #diyaudax

45km out of 105km and it's lunchtime and as it's a DIY audax this is my virtual control #1
There's a thumping great mountain between here and my next stop in Ammanford ⛰️🚴‍♂️🌞 #diyaudax #cycling