The AUDAX 600km is coming up in mid-April and many people have asked questions about the ride. Hopefully this brief ride description will address some or all of the questions.
For logistics reasons – please register ASAP here: Register
There are a few unique things about this ride that you should know…first, we leave Saturday morning and will likely be back at around lunch time on Sunday. Second, we have a emergency vehicle following for safety (the nice thing is you can put extra clothes, food, drink and a new kit for day 2 in the car.) There will be a small charge for this but believe me it is worth it…charge depends on numbers but likely to be less than S$50 each which is reasonable. This support will be delivered by the best support team in Asia – M3 – who have done big ride support for events such as the Trans Malaysia Express (TME) and the Melaka & Back in One Crack (www.melaka-backonecrack.com ) rides. The support team fully understands tired riders. The vehicle(s) stay behind the riders – it is not a support vehicle but an emergency precaution to avoid issues with riding in the dark in Malaysia at night.
Basic Accommodation
We will also have a hotel to get some basic rest and and clean up a bit. The hotel rooms are cheap and I highly recommend you share to make it cheaper because it is not fancy at all….it is a dumpy hotel that was recently described as the ‘least worst’ hotel in the area. You literally will be sleeping in the room for a few hours and charging your Garmin…there is no WIFI or other modern things. Check it out here on Trip Advisor….. Two Star Hotel …..one of the reviews says ‘never stay here’…but keep in mind what we will be doing there. If anybody has suggestions that are within 5km of this masterpiece then please let us know so we can upgrade…but the key is that you do not want to go too far from the path….nobody wants extra KMs on this one.
Day 1
Typically we should arrive around midnight and will be approximately 420km complete. If we arrive after midnight we lose sleeping time but the plan is to arrive safely, shower and sleep. After a hearty XXX hour sleep, you then get up, ride the final 200km back home after a hearty breakfast (food also is 2 Star so many bring their own and just have coffee)….sounds fun eh? Similar to the 400km ride, we stop for a real meal after around 320km – last time was Pizza Hut but nobody was complaining. There are other local choices and other choices such as KFC and McDonalds. There are petrol stations all along the way to refuel and many riders like to bring their own food in the emergency vehicles.
Day 2
Breakfast usually starts around 630 am and we roll in the sunshine most likely around 730am or 8am latest. This ride on day 2 is nice because it is less than 1/2 the distance you did the day before and you are mentally almost finished the 600km. People may be a bit grumpy and tired on this day for the first few hours…or for 200km or so. Everybody is happy at the end no matter what.
Here is the ride on the map. It is likely we will have two groups that cater to slower and faster riders – pending numbers. Once your group is chosen the group has to remain together due to safety and really anybody who breaks away on a 600km ride is a bit crazy. Unlike other rides where groups split, it is more important on this one for safety on the roads. So if you are a stronger rider in your chosen group, then you can use your excess energy to support the other riders and enjoy the scenery along the way.
Link to route you can find the .gpx file there too.