First audax - before and after!

Completed my first Audax today!

I was a bit nervous in the morning; wasn't sure what to expect and I don't cope well with things like that. The organiser was really nice and friendly, as were all the rest of Alfreton CTC and other participants.

As you can see from my brevet card the audax revolved around Victorian postboxes in the area (one of the reasons I wanted to do it) and a member of the group was an enthusiast like me so we had plenty to talk about. It was lovely to chat about postboxes without feeling weird!

The ride was a 60km (but classed as a 50km audax) loop in Derbyshire, starting and finishing in Alfreton (where one of my great grandparents was from) via the grounds of Hardwick Hall, Bolsover Castle and saw Sutton Scarsdale Hall in the distance, so 3 stately homes in one ride!

It was one of the longest rides I've done and by far the most challenging, especially on a folding bike. It was actually much harder than I was expecting, guess that's what made it feel like more of an achievement though.

Had tea and cake at the finish and a nice chat while I was getting my brevet card stamped. Top day!