audax: London Orbit (all the home counties) 300k DiY

I rode a 300k yesterday. An orbit of greater London. The route roughly follows the course of the M25 motorway. It passes through each of the original home counties (Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey) starting and ending in Kent. I planned it for an audax DiY. This months ride to keep my RRtY bid going. The weather was in keeping with the time of year. Grey and drizzly. It was not especially cold. There was little wind to speak of.

The route I submitted on my entry was 307k. The distance on my GPS when I finished was 300.4k. Not sure if it will be validated. If not I'll need to do another 200k+ ride this month to keep the RRtY chain unbroken. A reminder to spend a bit more time checking and cleaning up the track I submit with the entry. I'd lifted the route from a previous ride that followed it where I made a few wrong turns along the way. I think it was that and the Dartford shuttle crossing that made up the distance over 300k. This time I did not make so many wrong turns and turned off the GPS when being ferried through the Dartford tunnel from Kent to Essex. I've submitted the route for validation with this explanatory note. Fingers crossed.

I checked in on social media (Mastodon) with occasional updates and pictures along the way. Stopping for pictures and posts kept me on the road for longer but that was balanced by the boost from each response I got. Still finished with a few hours to spare. There's no need to rush round.

What food do you eat on a long ride? A question I've been asked a few times. I'm not a foodie. I just go for stuff I can pick up at garages and local shops on route. Whatever works for you is I think the best strategy. Here's what I kept me going on this ride -

• Breakfast: Porridge and tea
• Snickers: 1 1/2
• Cheese Sandwiches: 5
• Crisps: 3 bags
• Vegetable Samosa: 1
• Energy drinks: 1 can
• Sports drinks: 3 bottles
• Coffee: 1 large

Check the route for details and pictures taken along the way.