Well there are officially two more rides left in this AUDAX season which officially ends October 31st. There is the mighty AUDAX 600km on September 22nd – 23rd and a recovery ride 200km in October. Registration starts early Saturday September 22nd morning at 12:01am and we roll at 1am sharp. Many people have expressed interest in this one so it could be the largest 600km group ever. We need a bit of time to get a good group photo so please arrive early.
The next ride is the AUDAX 600 which is a early registration qualifier for Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) 2019. There are 6300 spots for the PBP 2019 version and to have the ability to register early is a bonus. You still need to do the rides next year to qualify for PBP. That includes a 200km, 300km, 400km and a 600km and they must all be done before July 3, 2019. I will be posting the calendar for next season soon so if you are planning on doing a Monster ride and hope to use AUDAX as training then send me an email to jeff@singaporeaudax.com and I will try to work the calendar in a way that suits your ride. If you are planning on doing PBP you should be doing the rides anyhow because you need to train…last PBP course had 12,000 meters of climbing, 1227km of terrain and was cold as heck part of the times. The weather is Super important for PBP.
There are many people who are interested in the 600km and we will have to limit the numbers so sign up fast. Once again we will have safety support vehicles to ensure we do not get run over on the highway parts of the ride. These safety support vehicles are also useful when it is pitch dark and you cannot see the road. They are also loaded with drinks, bananas, cakes, and other stuff you need as you push yourself 600km. As per usual, there is a charge for the ride including support as that is how we make it work. Last time in June we had 55 people sign up and only 36 showed up so the process is slightly different this time as we have to pay for the support services no matter what. The cost for the 600 is going to be S$50 for Singapore AUDAX members and S$75 for non-members of Singapore AUDAX which includes the ride fee and safety support vehicle. If you live in Singapore you can join for 2019 in September early ($60 per annum) and get the member price and become members for 2019. Members also get cheaper deals on rides, jerseys and other stuff throughout the year. After you register on the website I will send a PayPal invoice to you to hold your spot. If you cannot go for whatever reason you can contact people on the wait list and sell them your spot. There will be a maximum of 60 riders allowed as it is too difficult to manage a bigger group with the two vehicles we will have. 45 slots are reserved for members and there are 15 slots for non members. SIGN UP HERE
To save some time after you have paid please complete this 2018 Ride Entry Form
The 600km ride is one of the nicest AUDAX rides. Designed by Patrick Williams, this route includes more than 3000m of climbing and there are some parts of the ride you feel like you are riding through Napa Valley California. You can download the .gpx and find the route here
Typically riders ride a long day one and stay in the city of Kluang for a few hours of rest, shower and food. Some riders keep on going all night long but that is up to the individual. Arriving in Kluang is at KM 385 approximately. There are plenty of hotels in Kluang to choose from and they are all pretty cheap. There are also a number of restaurants where you can get food that is not from your back pocket. Usually we use the Imperial Hotel however it is already fully booked….probably already by AUDAX riders! Since hotels are used only for a few hours it may be wise to pair up with someone in a twin bed room as usually riders typically shower, sleep for 1-2 hours then roll. This year I have booked a room in the Merdeka Hotel which is close to McDonald’s and the Imperial Hotel. Hotel Anika is also recommended by Hafiz our driver who is from Kluang. My hotel booking was S$30 so it is pretty cheap. Most of the hotels are 1-3 stars so don’t overthink the hotel.
No.30, Jalan Mengkibol, Kluang City Center, Kluang, Malaysia 86000
Beautiful Merdeka Hotel
The ride starts at United Square Starbucks and the finish can be anywhere you like when you cross 600km #LangloisRule. This is to give people a bit of time back on Sunday to finish near where they live and for Malaysians it means they don’t need to cross the border back two more times. They can finish in Malaysia.
For other foreigners who fly into Singapore make sure you bring a copy of your return air ticket to prove you are going home…helps when going over the border.
Safety Support Vehicles
Hafiz and the Safety Support Vehicle will be there at United Square Starbucks and you can put your small bag into the van and start pedaling at 1am. The bag should be small enough to carry and when returning riders will need to ride back over the border with their bags on their backs. This is usually easy as most of the food you had packed is gone. Typically bring things like a spare set of kit for Sunday, food you like, chargers, pain tablets, a tire, tubes, Co2, etc. In addition, given the large group of people who have signed up we will also have Deen, Hafiz’s brother-in-law, and his vehicle to support the larger group. Deen will be at JB Shell and only Hafiz will come to United Square Starbucks, the starting point. SO when we are at JB Shell that is a good time to get your bag and put it in the same vehicle as your friends bags. The group will likely have a faster group and slower group so find some friends who are similar speeds and put your small bag in the same vehicle. Note that these are not support vehicles for sitting in and sleeping but really there for safety purposes. Officially support vehicles are not allowed on AUDAX rides but given we need to ride at night we make an exception for these two official safety support vehicles. The vehicles will have drinks, snacks, bananas and ideally some beer for the finish.
When we are done we meet the drivers at the bus stop opposite side of the. road of the JB Shell we start at. You collect your bag, put it on your back, and ride it over the border. The .gpx file for the ride is the one we used in June and it will take you right to the bus stop.
The time limit for the AUDAX 600 is 40 hours (elapsed time). When you are done 600 KM or more then you can send the elapsed time with the Strava or similar link to jeff@singaporeaudax.com so we can send the results to Paris for homologation. To correct for any delays crossing the border we will allow a 2 hour allowance for the times or may adjust if the immigration lines are longer….hopefully not.
The van will have water, 100 Plus, bananas and cookies. All riders need to register at United Square Starbucks and the official registration time is 12:01am and the rolling start time is 1am for all. The time is exact so please avoid sending messages saying you are running late….they cannot be answered as we are preparing.
Ride at your own pace and buddy up with someone you like and someone who rides at a similar level.
On Sunday morning the support vehicles will leave Kluang the Merdeka Hotel at 1am and 3am Sunday morning. If you want to leave at a different time that is also a choice however the vehicles will leave at the times above. That will give people some choice if they want more rest or if they want to try to finish earlier. The support vehicles also travel between groups as it is very likely people split up. If you think you know who you will be riding with then try to put all the people’s bags in the same vehicle.
Make sure:
- have your passport, EP, PR or whatever cards you need to cross the border into Malaysia. Tuck them deep into your pockets safely.
- Bring some Malaysian Ringgit to buy things on the way. Most of the people will stop in Kluang where they have restaurants and places to eat.
- If you live overseas bring a copy of your return flight ticket to avoid delays at border coming back into Singapore
- have good lights…a lot of riding is done in the dark. Bring the chargers so you can recharge along the way….or get ones that take batteries that can be replaced at the petrol stations along the way.
- check your tires…the roads can be a bit rougher than in Singapore so make sure your tires are in good condition
- if you have electronic gears charge them up
- download the .gpx file and put it in your bike computer
- call out holes and help others when they puncture
- if you have an AUDAX jersey wear it….I will be taking some video for an updated AUDAX movie
- Download the Grab app. ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth’ – M. Tyson – They do have Grab most of the places in the ride.