Barry's Bristol Butt Buster 2025

Ride Details

• Date Ridden - Sunday 6 April 2025
• Event Type - Calendar Event
• Points Distance - 200

Ride Stats

• Distance - 211.25 km
• Time - 9h17m6s
• Elapsed time - 10h34m44s
• Avg Speed - 22.8 km/h
• Elevation - 2240 metres
• Bike - Sabbath September AR-1

Ride Notes

The 200km Cake Fest!

Arrived at the départ in Long Ashton promptly in beautiful spring weather. A good crowd as usual, and plenty of cake - the theme for the day was set. Off we went and the bunches formed, and split as we negotiated the section out of Bristol via Long Ashton estate, Clifton Suspension Bridge, The Downs and Blaise Castle. Once into the Severn Vale the speed picked up and I was rolling in a group containing Jez from Nottingham (his youtube channel is here at @crazypedaller). Control #1 at Hill Village Hall came at 40km at an average of 26kph - too early for cake so after some disrobing I pressed on. I was riding solo now, having passed Steve Rothermere on the road, towards the info control after the ramp up to the Somerset Monument follwed by the descent to ‘Sodding Chipbury’ - the weather was truly gorgeous.

Control #2 at Doynton was another cake fest and the chance to get food in and have a sit down - the choice was amazing and well done to the volunteers. I also got the resident ‘wrench’ to take a look at my bike as the clicking developed earlier in the week was getting annoying - he couldn’t find any problem there so I stopped worrying.

The great thing about Audax calneder events is you meet the nicest people and, even if you are riding solo, you’re not alone on the road. And so it proved - I was on very familiar roads as we traversed the Chew Valley and on towards the ‘big one’ at Harptree. Yep its a brute! At the Chaterhouse info control I met up with Dave and Liz and we rode together (sort of - they kept dropping me) to Glastonbury and a short ‘Corner Shop’ stop to take on water and get a stamp.

Across the levels to Loxton I was on autopilot - got my head up to enjoy the sun and resolved to have another sit down at Yatton station, the final control. More flat until Clevedon and Portbury where I missed the info at the bottom of the looming Portbury Hill. Winched up while being passed by younger and fitter riders and then rolled down to the Arriveé.