Well it is that time of year again. After a long and joyous holiday people are ready to roll again on the first AUDAX ride of 2018. The first one is actually a whopping 600km distance as requested by the long distance warriors who are planning on qualifying for Perth-Albany-Perth in 2018.
As per usual, the registration for the 600km is always earlier than usual. The reason for this is because for people who have jobs and families it enables them to see those families on Sunday evening before heading back to work on the Monday morning.
This 600km ride will begin at the United Square Starbucks. Registration will begin at 3am and the riders will roll at 3:15am sharp. (note I will be there to register riders but I am not able to join this one as I will be doing the other two 600km rides in 2018). Riders will have a total time of 40 hours to complete the 600km distance. This route, aptly named the Bennett Leg Breaker, is slightly different than our regular 600km route and it was designed by 2017 Rider of the Year Andy Bennett. It is actually pancake flat however you may find it a leg breaker if you ate too much food over the holidays! You can find the route here .
What to bring?
Well the ride is in Malaysia so it is good to have whatever it takes to get over the border (passport, EP, PR, etc) and some Malaysia Ringgit. You should bring spare tubes, a spare tire, food, water and small tools to keep your machine moving. There are many petrol stations all across Malaysia to refuel at so that should not be a problem. Unlike our usual 600km rides there will be no safety vehicle on this ride. The other 600km rides will have a safety support vehicle.
The ride will likely include no long hotel formal stops but involve a number of strategic stops that propel the riders home in a very decent time. Most of the riders who have signed up have considerable long distance riding experience so if you have not done such a long distance then you may want to hold off until the later 600km distances in 2018.
No matter who you are riding 600km is a
tough deal. You should also make sure your bike is in good condition and it is always wise to have good strong tires on your bike to handle the thrills and chills of some rough terrain.
To sign up for the ride please register here