3DOWN - London New Forest Odyssey
Completed my very first Audax, starting with a 300k route that set off near London and took me through the New Forest.
Event Overview#
‘3DOWN - London New Forest Odyssey’ was effectively my ‘first’ Audax. My actual first attempt was the Cheonan 200K in South Korea back in 2024, held near my home, Sejong City. As a complete novice who couldn’t even change an inner tube, getting a puncture forced me to DNF at 170 km. However, after moving to the UK, I found myself with plenty of spare time. With the quadrennial Paris-Brest-Paris taking place during my stay here, I started dipping my toes back into the Audax scene.
This BRM starts from Beaconsfield (west-northwest of London), heads down southwest through the New Forest to a town called Fordingbridge, and loops back in a anti-clockwise direction. It took me a while to pick this route out of all the available options. Since my previous longest ride was 260 km, the event itself was going to set a new personal distance record, which felt a bit daunting. I also lacked experience with control procedures and gear preparation. So, I opted for a route as close to home as possible with a relatively low elevation gain. Though, truth be told, options were quite limited.
Southern England doesn’t have proper mountains like South Korea. Instead, it’s packed with 20–30m rolling hills named “Hill-this” and “Hill-that”, making almost any route a continuous series of undulating ups and downs. When I first started riding in England, I really struggled with energy management. It was a distance I could easily cover back in Korea, yet riding here left me completely bonking. Even without any climbs over 100 metres, every ride seems to work out to roughly 1,000m of elevation gain for every 100km covered. As a side note, the New Forest used to be a royal hunting ground established during the time of William the Conqueror. Since it’s quite close to home, it’s a route I ride all the time.
Finishing Strategy#
Based on my usual riding speed and rest breaks, I mapped out an estimated timeline and reckoned I could finish before sunset at 21:10. Since it was a one-day ride, I didn’t need any grand strategy. I just focused on pacing myself properly.
Right up until departure, I debated back and forth on whether to fit the 7L Apidura saddlebag I had recently bought. I dislike carrying unnecessary clutter, and I hadn’t used a bag on my previous longest ride of 260km. After deliberating for a long time, I decided to fit it, figuring it would be a good chance to test it out.
The energy bars alone didn’t take up enough space, so I packed an extra jacket on purpose.
I spent the day before studying the control check-in procedures. While similar to the instructions on the Korea Audax website, there were a few key differences. They didn’t carry out kit inspections for front lights, rear lights, or high-vis vests. Just to be sure, I even emailed the organiser the day before to confirm. Even so, safety comes first, so I packed one front light, one rear light, and put on my high-vis vest. Though I fitted the front light, it was never inspected, and I ended up not using it at all.
Result: Finished in 14 Hours and 42 Minutes#
| Location (km) | Elevation Gain (m) | Arrival Time | Avg Speed (km/h) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start: Beaconsfield | 0 | 0 | 06:00 | - |
| Pangbourne | 47 | 440 | 07:59 | 22.6 |
| Longstock | 103 | 640 | 10:23 | 21.5 |
| Wimborne | 151 | 593 | 12:42 | 23.5 |
| Fordingbridge | 160 | 74 | 13:02 | 15.6 |
| Linwood | 170 | 79 | 13:38 | 24.2 |
| Sparsholt | 211 | 434 | 15:27 | 17.3 |
| Alresford | 228 | 155 | 16:47 | 17.5 |
| Winnersh | 281 | 498 | 19:16 | 21.5 |
| Finish: Beaconsfield | 312 | 203 | 20:42 | 26.3 |
Managing My Pace#
As planned, I spun one gear lighter than my usual long-distance gear setup. Up to the 150km mark, I avoided checking my total distance, remaining distance, or stats altogether—aside from looking at the GPS navigation. I simply soaked in the scenery, chatted with fellow riders, and ticked off the kilometres effortlessly without overthinking exertion. It feels amazing when you can cover long distances like that without feeling the grind.
For the first 100km, I swapped positions with various riders, but from Fordingbridge (160km) onwards, I was mostly riding solo. There was a group of three ahead of me, but I didn’t quite have the cheek to draft off them… I preferred to stick to my own pace, so I just said a quick “cheerio” to those overtaking me and a friendly “hello” to anyone I passed.
From the 250km mark, the finish line was in sight, giving me a fresh boost of energy, so I really put the hammer down. It was exhilarating, and the dopamine was flowing. I was glad I had saved my energy in the early stages.
My average speed including stops came to around 21.2 km/h. Moving forward, I think keeping a steady pace of around 20 km/h will be my benchmark for 300K rides.
A Journey Through Beautiful Country Lanes#
The start of a long-distance ride always feels fresh, invigorating, and full of anticipation. The real trick is keeping that feeling alive for as long as possible. The crisp early-morning air on my cheeks, a pleasantly warm back, and a brilliant blue sky—everything was perfect.
For a while after starting, the scenery leaves no room for boredom. Morning near Reading.
Stunning scenery helps that fresh feeling last much longer—there’s no room for boredom. At my current level, that bliss usually lasts about three hours. Past the three-hour mark, my focus narrows purely onto the next control. It starts getting tedious and tough. Every few kilometres, I find myself checking how far I’ve come.
Fortunately, as the route headed west in the early morning, I didn’t have to ride directly into the glaring sun. On the way back, heading east, the lighting remained easy on the eyes.
The forecast predicted a morning temperature of 15°C and a high of 26°C with low humidity, making it far more comfortable than a South Korean summer. In the UK, news outlets make a huge fuss about heatwaves at 26°C. Having experienced proper Korean summers, this weather was a breeze.
Lush lanes near Salisbury. Seeing the backs of fellow randonneurs is always a great source of positive motivation.
Having visited the New Forest a few times before, reaching it brought a sense of relief—it meant I was halfway home. I realised how much psychological comfort comes from riding a familiar route, even if I don’t know every twist and turn. Because of that, re-riding a BRM route you’ve done before seems like a great way to purely enjoy the ride itself.
Control Validation Methods#
Being my first Audax as well as a foreigner, the check-in process felt a bit tricky to navigate. Unmanned controls required purchasing something from a nearby shop to collect a receipt, while info controls involved writing down answers to questions that could only be verified on-site. This differs from South Korea, where unmanned controls are typically validated by taking a selfie with a specific landmark or sign. Of course, there were also manned controls where organisers were present in person to stamp the brevet cards.
At manned controls, meeting the organisers and fellow randonneurs reassured me that I was making good progress.
There was also the e-Brevet app, which allowed GPS location validation. Believing that physical receipts were strictly required to get ACP validation through Audax UK, I collected receipts separately alongside using the e-Brevet app and diligently solved the info control questions. Just in case, I also kept taking selfies and collecting proof at every stop. It was quite a scramble at each control to make sure I didn’t miss a single requirement! I later found out that using just the e-Brevet app is completely sufficient. If I do this ride again, I’ll definitely stick to just the app.
Writing times on the brevet card, answering quiz questions, collecting receipts, taking photos, and logging into e-Brevet—it was absolute chaos.
On Food and Resupply#
In ride reports by Korean randonneurs, I often saw photos of them slurping down delicious hot carb meals like gukbap, ramen, or jjamppong. In the UK, however, there aren’t many hot carb-heavy options that suit my Korean palate. Since the ride spanned both lunch and dinner, I knew I needed proper meals somewhere and planned to eat around the controls. Had I been in Korea, I would have searched for top food spots in advance.
However, as I rode along, I ended up snacking on bananas, energy bars, and gummies provided by the organisers at Longstock (105km) and Sparsholt (211km), which left me with little appetite for a proper meal. In total, I consumed 4 bananas, 2 cereal bars, 1 chocolate milk, 1 original Coke, 1 cup of coffee, 1 Monster Energy, 4 energy gels, and a couple of handfuls of gummies at the controls. I had also crammed my saddlebag with extra energy bars just in case, but I only ended up eating them after finishing the ride.
Trying to keep up with a randonneur riding at a similar pace almost led to a crisis. Hurrying so I wouldn’t miss him leaving the control, I grabbed a quick chocolate milk at Fordingbridge (160km) and rode off without refilling my water bottles. I realised it soon after, but figured “it’ll be fine” and pushed on. With the midday sun beating down and no supermarkets in sight until Sparsholt (211km), I had to ration my water strictly. I ended up losing sight of that rider anyway. It was a tough leg of the journey.
British Cycling Culture#
I really felt how much broader the cycling scene is in the UK compared to Korea. There were about 30 participants in this BRM, showing off a much wider variety of bike brands and kit styles than you’d see back home. From fit elderly couples to young enthusiasts, the demographic was remarkably diverse. In Korea, there’s often a trend towards pursuing a single “correct” standard for any hobby. Following that mindset, I had bought an S-Works Tarmac SL8 back home—though I often think it’s over-specced for my actual riding level!
That colorful mosaic-like jersey is the official Audax UK jersey. I really want one too.
Out on the road, drivers treat cyclists as legitimate road users. Because of that, riding on UK roads feels far less intimidating than in Korea. In return, I make an effort to maintain proper etiquette—giving way to vehicles when appropriate and using clear hand signals.
At the Finish…#
When I arrived back at the Beaconsfield service station (which was also the start point), my wife and dogs were waiting for me. We enjoyed a hearty chicken meal at the services for dinner and stayed another night at the hotel. The next morning, I dropped my wife off at Heathrow Airport—as she had a trip to France planned with a colleague from the US—and returned home by 07:30.