THE ROUTE : https://ridewithgps.com/trips/301933532
British Cycle Quest (BCQ) : https://www.cyclinguk.org/british-cycle-quest
This year’s National 400 Audax took us on a full tour of **Essex**, starting in **Great Dunmow** and covering both the **North and South** of the county. 400 kilometres in one continuous ride – through villages, coastline, countryside, and more – all in true Audax style.
In this video, I take you along for the ride: the quiet lanes, the relentless distance, the overnight push, and everything in between. The take away from this year’s event was the heat, very warm throughout from beginning to end.
🚴♂️ This one’s for anyone curious about long-distance cycling, Audax culture, or just what it’s like to ride 400km in a day.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever taken on an Audax event – or if this one tempts you!
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– Cycling gear –
Coros Dura Bike Computer
Tailfin Top Bag
Tailfin Aeropack + Carbon Rack
RedShift Quick Release Aero Bars
Redshift Suspension seat post and Stem
Charge Spoon (saddle)
– Bivvy / Camping gear –
Naturehike Mongar 2 Person Tent – https://amzn.to/3ColHBZ
Hunka XL Bivvy Bag – https://alpkit.com/products/hunka-xl?variant=41470529667177
UL80 Trekology Sleeping Pad – https://amzn.to/3ZGQLtT
Traveller 50 Lightweight Sleeping Bag – https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/traveller-50-lightweight-summer-sleeping-bag-p13098.aspx/yellow/
Sea to Summit Reactor Plus Compact Themolite Mummy Liner – https://amzn.to/3SUMUDk
Down Cargo Pants – https://amzn.to/4ibpRBr
Down Boots – https://amzn.to/41c7zd1
– Video / Audio gear –
DJI Action 4 – https://amzn.to/3QpekT7
HoverAir X1 – Self Flying Drone – https://uk.thehover.com/
Camera Windshield Housing : https://amzn.to/2KBy6vb
// Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/8627950
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#National400 #AudaxUK #EssexCycling #UltraCycling #LongDistanceCycling #Randonneur #BikepackingUK
Contact me: richardlake45@gmail.com
Hey folks, how you doing? It’s Richard from Bike Packing Adventures coming up for the National 400. Hey John, you all right? He wants straight in. He wants to be on the video. Straight into it. It’s a really packed hall. We just been summoned in this school hall by a huge whistle. So I think it’s the brief. Let’s go to the car park and listen to the breathe. But yeah, I’ve seen loads of faces. Ricky Goody, Brandon, who we did the uh March castles with. You hopefully have seen that video in the last few weeks. Got Josh Ridley here. Met him originally at the race around Netherlands. He’s doneified uh last year. See where they cap on. I understand he’s steal Alan Parkinson’s parking sealed his cap. So yeah, be close friends. I told you there was a lot of people here. There’s still more people inside. I’d love to know how many people have signed up for this. I’ll find out at some point. So I just asked the question. Nearly 200 riders signed up for the national 400. That is a lot in order to do. Thank you to my volunteers because I could not have done it without them. It’s been an impressive show. Oh, yay. Ladies and gentlemen, participants in the 2025 Dunmo Orxide event, we welcome you all here today to our ancient town of Great Dunmo. To you the brave riders, sportsmen and athletes assembled, us mere mortals stand in awe and applaud you [Applause] as you undertake this momentous feat of stamina, endurance with courage and determination. Enjoy your day. God save the king. [Music] That’s it. We’ll weigh 400 km the national 400 2025. Loads of information controls, loads of food included in the price at couple hill shores. It’s going to be a really hot day. The route looks fantastic. There he is. Star of the show. Yeah. mechanical. Yes. Did you hear? Hello, Mr. L. You all right? I’m very well. This is an unmistakable sight of the the cap. The cap the green and orange cap of Ricky Goodie. Goodie. Ricky Good. Good. Good. Is that like a good That’s what we usually call it. [Applause] She’s right alongside the infamous Jos Ridley tour by fame. We first met each race around Netherlands 2022. I think I’m going to go back and do that some point. So I’ve been riding now for 3/4 of an hour. There’s 398 to go. Overly generous. Another 15k of extra free miles today. Kilm even. So generous. It’s been fantastic so far. The water is hot. The company is fantastic. The roads are really, really good. Nice peace and quiet. You’re not going through the water then. [Music] The uh just flagged the first hill of the ride here in Essics. An almighty 18 m worth of climbing. Can’t see it. Not entirely sure where it is. [Music] The obligatory club Bristol jersey in fun. [Music] getting close to the first control or read or reads. And you see why I brought the camera out. Look at this place. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Oh yeah. Hey Brendan. Hi Richard. Have you coming from Matt’s Castle yet? I have. Yeah. What a what a uh It’s a bit different this isn’t it? This is a lot different. Yeah. Yeah. But equally as fun. I thought Mar Castle way was absolutely Yeah. It was good mental was it? Yeah. Yeah. It was good to see you again. Yes. And you? Yes. We had a good Where did you detour? What was that all about? So there’s a couple of windmills at Cal Caly, I think it is. Okay. And there’s another one at Great Chisel just up the road, which is also where Cycle Quest location. So John and I are going to go and and get that ticked off. 2K off. There’s four of them. Five actually on the roots, but we’ve done both done one of them before. [Music] [Music] So the left control of some place called housestead 60 odd k Hey, [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this is views coming out of reads again. It’s highest point of the ride. So enjoy the view if you ever do this in the in the future. Although it’s unlikely to be here again in its current form. It’s apparently well the last time this run was eight years ago and it’s normally well in the past it’s been every year and it’s a different route been a different route around the country so it’s never in the same place but it’s had a bit of a hiatus so it’s probably why it’s well attended. Yeah. Tailwind. Oo, tailwind. Oh yeah. Have to pedal for the rest of the day. If only. [Music] I definitely been through here. Went in the town of Webster where Coronation Street is filmed. Wonder if where’s Coronation Street? Let’s find it. Arrived at second control. Holstead. Half a good word. Four court banquet. The glamour. Yeah, the glamour of the pork picnic. Cheese sandwich here. What’s so special about it? Um, it’s in a pitter and it’s very sweaty. It sounds delicious. That enjoy. I see that. And I got a cross on the lemon. Oh like a panini bakeic. What is it? Cross on the nurman towel. Oh that is a that’s gourmet. Really flat cross flat bread. So heading over to uh first information control of the day. Harage at the coast there. You can see me. All right. That sun is blaring. Screen says 32°. It’s 10 to 3 in the afternoon. Obviously, the hottest part of the day now. So, having to rain in the effort a little bit on the hills cuz it’s just getting too warm. I’m sure everybody’s feeling the same today. The height of somebody. It’s looking gorgeous. [Music] For those you new to the channel as well, perhaps you have heard I’m doing an ultra race this year. This is year’s adventures called Badlands. May have heard of that. It’s over in southern Spain, not too far from Malaga and here region called Granada. It’s going to be 800 km of gravel, 4°, 40° heat. So I really need to do what I can to in terms of training to climatize myself to hot weather. And this is the best I can afford to afford to do between now and then. So yeah, could be worse. It could be highly any breeze whatsoever. Check out those golden fields. E I wish I could play a bit of Sting over the top of this, but fortunately I’m not. And I’m not going to sing either. Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m not going to sing. So, keep on watching. I’ve only gone 30 seconds up the road since the last boat, but I just wanted to say these lanes are absolutely dreamy. Absolutely dreamy. They’re the ones with the bit of crap running through the middle. You know, the cars hardly ever go. Nice and peaceful. Of course, I say that there’ll be a car around the corner there. or dot might not be able to tell. We’ve arrived in Suffukk. Burus. I’m going to pronounce it burers cuz that sounds so like it isn’t. Yeah. just crossed over a bridge from Essex into Suffuk and uh yeah, everything’s the same same weather. The only thing was different is the proliferation of pink houses just there just in front of you directly there. Oh yeah. 3314 I can even give you the answer. They have to write down for me as well. So here we go. Cape card. This is Cape Cod 3,314 miles. Bit of local knowledge there. Destination of Mayflower in November 1620. Great. Excellent. Let’s write the answer down then. There’s no obvious place to buy ice cream. Walton on the knees. So gone for a medium whippy pistachio sauce which I threw on for free. That was nice. I’m been looking forward for this. Well, after leaving Harage and demolishing the ice cream, it is I had to be another way back. Straight away feel it. The last time I was this close to the uh coastline here was when I went down to Nest Nest Point during the Wolfway. Remember rightly it was just windy then as it is today. Beautiful. And uh there’s a port of Harage behind me. Smell burgers. Someone’s having a bar. Someone’s having a barbecue. Oh. I’m here in Walter on the Nazi or dazed or whatever it is and uh everybody the faces are kind of saying it all as I look around everybody’s looking a bit like there it’s too hot so that’s control is uh greatly or something great Blandon lane or something village no idea how far it is cuz all the all the control points are out by 8K or something like that so guess we’ll find out but I’m going to that’ll be the uh next stop. Hopefully I have some real food, not just sandwiches, but uh I’m not expecting fish and chips. So, let’s just find out what’s there. That was the uh drink of choice today. Smelloff vodka. Oh, what do you like to be beside the seaside? Oh, who like to be beside the sea when it’s not so windy. Beside the seaside, beside the sea. Wow, look at this place. Back to sea. It sounds like somewhere Dellboy would have visited. There is an infestation of seagulls. Never seen so many uh flying vultures or what they call them. Flying rats. That’s it. Flying rats are everywhere. This has been good fun. This collecting on sea halfway. It feels like it should be nearly over, but it’s only halfway. So, to ride a great Bourne pizza on bit of cheese and I threw some pickle on there as well. It’s been a really hot 400 which been really enjoyable. It’s about 205k ago or something like that. So it’s hoping to finish like optimistically maybe just before 8:00 tomorrow morning. Just ride on through. There’s obviously like sleeping great done there, but still don’t have time for that. It’s like 1 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. So yeah, so far fantastic route. Anyway, enjoy the evening. Can I just say this has been the most well organized or I’ve ever been to cowbells as I left. Absolutely fantastic. As I was leaving at the beginning for a while, there was people on some of the junctions just checking for traffic and stuff like that. And there’s been Tom and a few other people out taking photos along the route, which you know, it’s brilliant and it’s fantastic that you know, making the effort to get some photos and things. Anyway, so we just left well last control before the evening time. cuz the next one will be back at Great Dumbo at 266. So it’s about 60k about 3 hours in it. Really less than 3 3 hours. Uh and it’s quart to 9 now. So it’s going to be after midnight by the time get to there. And there’s a couple information controls in the way as well. In the way, right, let’s get this done. There’s been a fair degree of off-road riding on this, but it’s all been very very rable. Very uh uh what’s the word? Yeah, road bike friendly, let’s say. Tame. That’s a good word. It’s all been very tame. Although there was bit coming into culture through the houses where it got a bit like what is going on here kind of thing. Look at that. Beautiful. Wouldn’t get too close though. It’s a bit muddy. Sticky. Bit sticky. A bit boggy. Never realized this is going to turn into a gravel ride, but it’s been fun. [Music] So, I’m back at the van. M’s not over yet. Um, had a puncher, didn’t film it. It was pitch black. Somebody Tim, thank you for hanging around. Um, so yeah, I’ve just got the track stamp out and uh back up going again. So, I’m just uh drinking. Just about to go to the village hall now. Have some pizza. Uh, what else to come back for? New GoPro battery. Uh, I just shoved a packet of Chris on the bike and I just had a caramel macky tonuk thing, you know, cheap copy ones from little. I’m starving. So, I need to get over there. I’m just not eating properly. Not eating enough. Yeah, I’ve been contemplating not finishing either. But hopefully once I have something to eat, I’ll be I’ll be fine again. And I’ll be all right. you, as you can see, very excited to get back out again. Well, good morning, folks. Sun has arisen. Some beautiful scenery around here right now. I’ve had some company all night. It’s been very welcome. Gone past the last control heading up to an info info control Burnham and then that’s it. Got 73 kilometers to go and what a glorious day it looks like it’s turning out to be another hot warm and the guy I’m riding with has just been happily stopping for me. Had a wild poo. What else has happened? Uh, got a bit dehydrated. Folks, I suppose I uh wrap up this video. Oh god. Sometimes I just don’t want to wrap the video up. I mean, look, I’m knackered. I’m going to set the bed up and go to sleep for a few hours. Oh my god. got the blood rushing to my head. That was tough. It was I said earlier, at least I think I said earlier, um not the route. It was just the heat. Very tough. Probably the hardest 400 I’ve done. Right, comments, stick them down below. Did you do the national 400 this year? Let me know how it went for you. If you enjoyed this, do give it a thumbs up. Hit subscribe if you haven’t already. And I’ll see you when I finally get on the bike. See you later. Bye. We welcome you all here today to our ancient town of Great Dun. [Music] We gather here this morning to wish you good luck, safe journey and God