'Easy Rider' DIY 600 Audax: 600 km through NE England - Part 2

Part 2 of a two-part account of my first Audax UK approved 'Do-it-Yourself' 600 km event through North East England. I've called it 'Easy Rider' as it's a figure-of-eight loop based on my home in Durham, so that I can sleep in my own bed between sections.

Despite having been an avid cyclist for over forty years, the last couple of years have opened the door to new cycling experiences. After trying short, sharp, cyclo-cross for the first time last year in 2023, this year (2024) I decided to 'go long' by involving myself in the world of Audax cycling.

After completing a couple of hilly 200 km events, focus began to shift towards achieving Audax UK's ‘Super Randonneur’ award. For this I'd need to complete not only a 200 km event but a 300, 400, and 600 km event, all within the same Audax calendar year which runs from the beginning of November to the end of October of the following year.

All was going well until I scratched from the ‘Peewits and Curlews’ 600 event. Having filmed my first 200, 300 and 400 events, persistent bad weather for the 600 would have made filming much more difficult than it would otherwise have been. Together with the increased distance, I wasn't sure that I was up to it.

With few 600 km options remaining my next move was to enter Tyneside Vagabonds' ‘Borders & Flatlands’ 1000 km calendar event, nervously mindful of what the jump from 400 to 1000 kms might represent. Secondly, and more reasonably, I decided to devise my own 'Do it Yourself' (DIY) 600 km event which is the subject of this video.