London - Anglesey - London 2026

Event Overview#

London-Anglesey-London is a official 1,000 km brevet that starts from Wimbledon in London, heads up to Anglesey in northwestern Wales, and returns. To enter the Isle of Anglesey, riders must cross the mountain ranges of Snowdonia National Park, which sit along the route at approximately 300–350 km and 600–700 km.

This BRM is entirely unstaffed (X-rated), relying on receipts from designated towns or the eBrevet app to validate checkpoints. Looking back while writing this report, whether a control is manned or not seems far more important than I initially thought. Having someone welcome you at a stop gives a huge boost. Manned controls are usually indoors with lights on, offering a brief escape from the cold and darkness. Without them, you have to buy a sandwich at a random convenience store and eat it on the curb—exposed to the cold and dark. This made the ride particularly tough.

Additionally, with a 22:00 start on Wednesday, riding through the first night was mandatory, as no one would go straight to sleep right after starting. However, whether to ride straight through the night without sleep was up to me. This made me curiously nervous, though I figured gaining the experience would be helpful for the future.

Original Plan#

Before the event, I sought advice on riding through the night from the Korean Randonneurs community. Many advised taking a brief 2–3 hour sleep at a hotel in the early morning to minimize physical toll. I initially planned around this advice: reach Oxford at 100 km by 02:00, sleep for about 3 hours, and start Day 2 on Thursday morning.

However, I abandoned this plan a week before the event. The organizer actually recommended riding through the night all the way to Machynlleth (386 km) before sleeping. Furthermore, nearly the only existing ride report for this BRM by another randonneur also showed them staying near Machynlleth. Having a completely different lodging plan from everyone else felt like an odd burden. Framing it as a great opportunity to test my all-night riding capacity, I pivoted to an all-night plan.

The problem was that I had no idea how far I could go after pulling an all-nighter. I felt confident about reaching Machynlleth (386 km) as suggested by the organizer. On the second day of my previous Nordic Chase event, I had ridden 390 km starting from 05:00. Since this was the first day with extra time from riding through the night, Machynlleth felt almost too easy as a first rest stop. So I planned to sleep anywhere between Aberdyfi (403 km) and Beddgelert (460 km). I assumed that bagging around 450 km on Day 1 would make Day 2 and Day 3 vastly more manageable.

	Time	Distance	Overnight Stop
D-1	Wed 22:00 - Thu Eve	403–460 km	Between Aberdyfi (403 km) & Beddgelert (460 km)
D-2	Thu 07:00 - 22:00	300–360 km	Tenbury Wells (761 km)
D-3	Fri 07:00 ~ 17:00	250 km

Preparing for Night Riding & My Longest Distance#

The last time I pulled all-nighters was a few years ago for work, or decades ago while studying. Could my body still handle staying up all night? Before the event, I took a 2-hour nap and reduced my coffee consumption to one cup a day for 5 days prior to boost caffeine sensitivity.

There’s one thing that consistently makes me feel intimidated at these events: I rarely meet anyone carrying less gear than I do. Even for this 1000k, my entire setup was just a 7L saddle bag. At the start line, however, I saw top tube bags, frame bags, small backpacks, and even rear racks on bikes. Compared to those fully equipped, I always feel somewhat under-prepared. Yet, lacking the confidence to haul the extra weight, I accept the inconvenience and keep my luggage minimal. I often miss having a top tube bag, but the thought of adding another 1 kg stops me in my tracks.

I’m still satisfied with my 7L saddle bag. Will I need more to go further?

In my saddle bag, I packed a wind jacket, knee warmers, a 3-in-1 Type-C cable, a lithium battery charger (PB2SL V2), spare tubes and CO2 kits for up to 3 punctures, basic repair tools, and energy gels.

Banner at the start. Wimbledon in London is the same Wimbledon famous for the tennis tournament.

32 riders registered and started. I really envied those who came as a group.

Result: Finished in 74 Hours and 30 Minutes#

Despite gallantly arriving at the first night’s rest stop after riding 440 km through the night, the overall completion took quite a bit longer than expected.

	Location (km)	Elevation Gain (m)	Arrival Time	Avg Speed (km/h)
Wargrave	53	168	23:47	29.0
N. Oxford	101	295	01:41	26.8
Tewkesbury	175	734	04:59	24.5
Hay-on-Wye	259	787	09:11	24.3
Builth Wells	289	236	11:23	24.5
Devil’s Bridge	340	786	14:38	20.3
Machynlleth	386	544	17:31	21.3
Aberdyfi	403	154	18:52	22.6
Dyffryn Ardudwy (Not a control)	440	270	20:46	21.7
1st Stop: 11 hours at Dyffryn Ardudwy (21:00–08:00)
Penrhyndeudraeth	458	178	09:13	19.9
Pen-y-pass	484	465	11:05	15.5
Llanerchymedd	532	532	14:39	21.0
Llansadwrn Hall	551	294	15:48	19.7
Porthmadog	602	395	18:41	21.2
Welshpool	703	1733	01:54	16.1
Ludlow	766	662	06:54	20.0
2nd Stop: 2 hours at Ludlow (07:00–09:00)
Pershore	831	729	13:13	19.7
Eynsham	906	890	18:32	18.9
Henley-on-Thames	958	395	21:44	20.1
Finish: Raynes Park	1017	186	00:30	23.0

Night Riding Was Surprisingly Manageable#

During the overnight stint, I took a 200mg caffeine pill every 2 to 3 hours. Thanks to that, I felt no drowsiness at all, even after riding straight through the first night until 21:00 the next day. On the second day, when I had to ride through another unplanned night, I still didn’t fall asleep—it was just purely exhausting.

Paceline riding with other randonneurs for the first 100 km.

Riding through the night was a valuable experience for my limited mileage. The key takeaway was confirming that, clunky as it was, this strategy can work for me.

Audax has all sorts of paces/ strategies - it’s about finding one that works.

Because I rode with other randonneurs during the first night, I was spared from worrying about British ghosts, but riding alone at night felt like madness. By the second night, such thoughts were an unaffordable luxury; I was too busy pushing forward to care about ghosts. 🤣

Greeting the dawn as the sun rises is a feeling beyond words. I love that moment when the pale fog lifts and the land slowly warms up.

Dawn breaking outside Cheltenham after an all-night ride

Wasted Time at the First Rest Stop#

I rested for 11 hours at my first overnight stop (Dyffryn Ardudwy, 440 km). After about 7 hours of sleep, I woke up at 04:00 and dawdled until 08:00 just to catch the hotel breakfast. I fell into complacent thoughts: “I need to eat properly to keep riding,” “I already did 440 km on Day 1, so I can slack off a bit,” and “My original plan was to leave at 07:00 anyway, so it’s not much different.” During those long hours, I was just scrolling through photos taken on the first day.

Don’t faff about.

If I cut out the idle time, I could easily save 5 hours. Because of my carelessness, I didn’t reach Welshpool (703 km)—the organizer’s recommended Day 2 stop—until 02:00 the following morning. Staying more than 5 hours in one place is something to avoid at all costs.

Not Booking Accommodation in Advance Turned Into a Disaster#

Overestimating myself, my plan set the Day 2 overnight stop at Ludlow (766 km), which was further than Welshpool (703 km). Still, out of slight anxiety, I decided not to book ahead and instead settle on lodging during the afternoon of Day 2.

I completely overlooked that it was a Friday in a tourist area. Hotels weren’t plentiful to begin with, and since randonneurs all think alike, accommodations close to the route sold out fast.

Evening at Snowdonia National Park

At Snowdonia National Park around 10 PM on the second day. The camera exposure makes it look bright, but it was much darker. That light ahead is another randonneur.

The only accessible accommodation left seemed to be in Ludlow (766 km), and fearing I’d lose even that, I booked it. Estimated arrival: early morning. I figured once I reached Welshpool, which had a 24-hour service station, I might find a decent alternative to abandon the Ludlow hotel. Then I arrived at Welshpool at 02:00.

Accommodations near Welshpool were completely sold out by Friday.

I sat down, ate chicken nuggets, and spent another hour and a half till 03:30 staring into space by myself. No other randonneurs passed by. They had either already gone ahead or checked into their stays.

A sense of defeat took over, and negative thoughts crept in. At 03:00 in that spot, it felt like there was nothing I could do. Yet, even if I wanted to DNF (Did Not Finish), I had to keep moving forward. I couldn’t bear sitting in McDonald’s until morning with loud background music and harsh lighting. If I were to give up, I wanted to be closer to London, and I figured I could at least take a shower at the Ludlow hotel before checkout. So I set off for Ludlow (766 km).

Ludlow was 64 km away along pitch-black, deserted English country roads. Deciding to push to Ludlow at that hour was a huge challenge for me, but ultimately, it was the decision that made finishing possible. It wasn’t unbreakable spirit that kept me going; I simply rode because that was the direction home.

Two sheep guiding me to Ludlow at 6 AM

Arriving in Ludlow at 07:00, I checked into the empty hotel room and slept for 2 hours before heading back out. That short sleep brought me back to life. Now I understand why they say: “Never DNF at night.”

Physical Exhaustion and Saddle Issues from Day 2#

Riding through the night took a heavy toll, but the critical mistake was failing to anticipate this severity before the event.

In my previous 300km+ rides and multi-day events, I had been reasonably good at matching my Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA). This time, physical exhaustion hit much harder. The feeling that things were going off-script created immense pressure.

To make matters worse, I forgot my Chamois Cream—which had felt like a godsend during my 730km Nordic ride—at home. 😱 The condition of my saddle contact area was dreadful. Words fail me.

I had heard of saddle sores before, but never expected to suffer one so severely. On the first day, while showering, I noticed a large, boil-like lump on my groin. Unable to squeeze it—and knowing it wouldn’t pop anyway—I just left it alone. Sitting on the saddle became agony from Day 2 onwards. For prevention, chamois cream, Sudocrem, periodic drying of the pad, and wiping down with antiseptic wipes seem essential.

Things That Helped Maintain a Positive Mindset#

Audax is very much a psychological mind game. You must constantly make deliberate efforts, no matter how small, to foster positive thoughts. Any small opening for doubt, and thoughts like “Why am I doing this? I should just quit” will consume you.

Thinking of my loved ones and receiving words of encouragement from friends remained highly effective. Since I rode solo for most of the route, checking messages from family and friends during brief breaks gave me strength. Exchanging bright greetings with strangers also helped immensely. Chatting with other randonneurs, hotel hosts, supermarket clerks, and fellow customers provided small joys and encouragement. I consciously smiled a lot and greeted people brightly to force a positive state of mind.

Resting at Devil’s Bridge

Visualizing what I would eat at the next control before arriving was another great trick. Anticipating two mint chocolate ice creams at the upcoming stop was genuinely exciting, and actually having them provided immense satisfaction.

Hiding the total distance and remaining distance data fields on my Garmin Edge was also crucial. For instance, a remaining 800 km is a number too overwhelming to process with immediate effort. I set my Garmin screen to show only the lap distance and distance to the next control. Focusing strictly on “I’ve done 32 km and only have 20 km left to the next stop” allowed me to see actionable goals rather than being crushed by the daunting overall figure. I didn’t look at my total accumulated distance until I crossed the finish line.

I also made a point to actively observe the surrounding scenery. As a solo rider, it was partly unavoidable, but nothing offered greater comfort.

Cronfa Ddwr Craig Goch

Cambrian Coast Line near Aberdyfi

Nant-y-moch Reservoir

Evening of the first day, outside Tywyn

Near the end of the first night’s ride, right before arriving in Barmouth

I think this was Harlech 1

I think this was Harlech 2

Caernarfon Town Walls, built by King Edward I of England between 1283 and 1292.

Even my shadow seems to be leaning out.

At the Finish…#

The final stage ran through urban London. Although it was late at night, entering the city raised my spirits tremendously. After spending three days and nights in places where I felt entirely alone, seeing crowds was a welcoming sight. With the England vs. Norway football match underway and it being midnight, the roads were delightfully clear.

Determined to finish within the time limit, I pushed hard. As the cutoff approached, I caught up with other randonneurs who had been hard to spot earlier. Throwing pride out the window, I drafted behind two female randonneurs all the way to the finish. I finished 30 minutes before the cutoff, and 3 or 4 riders I had been pacing with crossed the line within that same 30-minute window.

England beat Norway 2-1 that night.

At the finish line, I received congratulations from the organizers and fellow riders and was treated to a hot pasta meal. It was too late to head back home. The organizer allowed us to stay at the start venue until 08:00, so I grabbed a catnap until 05:00 and caught the first train back. It was a tight finish where even a single flat tire would have forced a DNF.

UK trains are extremely bike-friendly.

Sleeping at the finish line without bedding was rough, but a morning cup of coffee made it all worth it.

It’s funny how, on the journey home, memories were already romanticizing themselves. Memory is always distorted this way. And now, I’m thinking I really ought to try Paris-Brest-Paris.