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Lezyne Look Mum No Sleep! overnight Audax set for July

200km randonnee ends at the Orbital Cycling Festival

The organisers of the Orbital Cycling Festival and the owners of London cycling café Look Mum No Hands! have announced the Lezyne Look Mum No Sleep! 200km (125 miles) overnight randonnée, dubbed 'Café to Café'.

The organisers say, “[We] aim to introduce Audax riding to a new audience, targeting sportive riders who are looking for more of a challenge in a different riding environment.”

Starting from Look Mum No Hands! on Old Street, London at 9pm on Friday 26 July, the route takes in the famous cycling sites of Herne Hill and Box Hill, Surrey before heading to Lewes and then on to Newhaven.

It then hugs the coast until Brighton, passing Preston Park Velodrome, before crossing the South Downs twice and finally heading to the finish at the Orbital Cycling Festival on Goodwood Motor Circuit. It's not a race and there is no winner. It’s about completing the route and enjoying yourself.

You can check out the full route on the Orbital Cycling Festival’s event page. The first riders are expected to arrive at Orbital at about 7am on Saturday. If you fancy a celebratory beer or Americano, event sponsors Look Mum No Hands! and Dark Star Brewery will be there to provide.The brevet cards of all finishing riders will be put into a tombola at Orbital and (as yet unspecified) prizes given out.

Entry is limited to 300 riders. If you want to be among them, go to the Orbital website.

The cost is £22, or £20 for Audax UK and CTC members. That’s a hefty wedge by Audax standards. The only comparably priced Audax we can think of is the National 400km and entry for that includes food at the six foodstops. So what do you get for your money on this one?

Well, you get entry to the Orbital Cycle Festival on Saturday 27 July. An adult day pass for that day would otherwise cost you £18. You can find a full list of events and attractions on the Orbital website

You also get to go to the launch party at Look Mum No Hands! on the Friday evening with beer tasting and promos by 'Official Hydration Supplier’ Dark Star Brewery. Bear in mind that the ride starts at 9pm.

There are three food stops en route, but the food isn't complimentary so you'll have to take some money with you to cover it.

Organiser Jon Hazan said, “Typically a randonneur is looking for a genuine independent cycling adventure and is up for something a little bit different and off the beaten track. We hope to deliver that experience for up to 300 riders on the Lezyne Look Mum No Sleep!”

Lezyne have got involved as sponsors because their range includes lightweight pumps, tools, micro luggage and LED lights that are staples of Audax and distance riding.

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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16 comments

Avatar
vorsprung | 10 years ago
0 likes

"For logistical reasons the event is being organised as a special DIY Perm rather than a regular calendar event"

and that's why it isn't on the official AUK calendar

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Leviathan | 10 years ago
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Apropos of nothing: Someone once asked me for the nearest facility we had near to Lewis; I replied that it was Stornaway. They seemed a bit confused that this was in Scotland not Sussex. After clearing up some confusion on their part it became apparent that I had not hear of Lewes, Sussex and that the residents misspell and/or mispronounce the name of their town as clearly Lewes would be said the same as 'loos,' not Lewis, which is in Scotland, or off Scotland, not Sussex.

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mtm_01 | 10 years ago
1 like

Dunwich Dynamo, free of charge the weekend before...minimum 1000 riders of all abilities, surely the far better option.

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StuAff | 10 years ago
0 likes

£22? And you don't even get any food thrown in? Nuts to that. Sounds like yet another rip-off. I'll be out on another night ride anyway. One that cost me a whole two quid (plus CTC associate membership).... fnrttc.blogspot.com

Michophull- you clearly have absolutely no idea what you're on about. Many, many people do night rides (and 200, 300, 400 and longer audaxes) without issues.

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andyp | 10 years ago
0 likes

michophull, you need to get out more.

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crazy-legs replied to andyp | 10 years ago
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andyp wrote:

michophull, you need to get out more.

+1. Why don't you try a 24hr MTB race?  3

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michophull | 10 years ago
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 13 If this was a motoring event we'd all be calling for it to be banned. Lack of sleep is a well known killer. I urge everyone to keep away from dangerous events such as this. Stay safe; stay in bed.

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Bikesoup replied to michophull | 10 years ago
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michophull wrote:

 13 If this was a motoring event we'd all be calling for it to be banned. Lack of sleep is a well known killer. I urge everyone to keep away from dangerous events such as this. Stay safe; stay in bed.

Actually that's a much better strapline. Why on earth were we bothering to capture the spirit of independent riding and adventure, indeed the spirit of life... So, here it is:

'Look Mum No Sleep! Stay Safe. Stay in bed. And die dreaming.' Yawn... Roll over... Snore... Yawn...

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michophull replied to Bikesoup | 10 years ago
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Bikesoup wrote:

Actually that's a much better strapline. Why on earth were we bothering to capture the spirit of independent riding and adventure, indeed the spirit of life..

So why not just do it in the daytime then ? Human beings are diurnal. What means do you intend to use to fend off the natural need for sleep ? Illegal stimulants ?

Sleep deprivation is dangerous. Fact.

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Percespb replied to michophull | 10 years ago
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Those complaining that it's dangerous riding at night probably have never ridden the Dunwich Dynamo, Exmore Exodus, or heard of the countless long long audax and randonees that have been held for decades.
If you want to stay in bed that's fine.

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jayme | 10 years ago
0 likes

Audax at Sportive price. Not for me thanks

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Gkam84 replied to jayme | 10 years ago
0 likes
jayme wrote:

Audax at Sportive price. Not for me thanks

Where can you do a sportive for £4? Look WHY the price is £22 before complaining.  3

Avatar
jayme replied to Gkam84 | 10 years ago
0 likes
Gkam84 wrote:
jayme wrote:

Audax at Sportive price. Not for me thanks

Where can you do a sportive for £4? Look WHY the price is £22 before complaining.  3

I have done several Audax for around £4. The comment is valid as you hsve question the value of the entry to the event in the Saturday as you will have ridden for a good good part of the night and be shattered.
That's my thought any way.

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
0 likes

Hmmmm, anyone from Road.cc doing this? I quite fancy it

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zanf replied to Gkam84 | 10 years ago
0 likes
Gkam84 wrote:

Hmmmm, anyone from Road.cc doing this? I quite fancy it

I could be tempted to do this but its the weekend after Dunwich Dynamo.

Avatar
mybrainthinksim... replied to zanf | 10 years ago
0 likes
zanf wrote:
Gkam84 wrote:

Hmmmm, anyone from Road.cc doing this? I quite fancy it

I could be tempted to do this but its the weekend after Dunwich Dynamo.

Yup similar distance and totally free, although the dynamo is largely pan flat in comparison.

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