The Plains 300 is a longstanding Calendar event, currently running from Poynton and with a start time of 11pm. You can choose your own start time but you need to consider limited services at Ford (Dinky’s Dina: 6am-8pm, petrol station: 7am-10pm) and Newtown (McDonalds: 6am-11pm, Snax 24: 7am-11pm, possibly closed weekends). The ride counts towards both the PARTY award , and the Peak Audax SR award .
This Perm can be ridden at any time of day or night using the eBrevet, except where it clashes with the Calendar version If riding through the night, please note the loss of traditional 24 hour facillties at Ford and Newtown.
The Perm heads in a southwest direction through Nantwich, Whitchurch, Wem, and Montgomery, returning on a similar path but diverging through Audlem and Radway.
There is a co
ntrol at Ford on both the outward and return journeys. Dinky’s Dina is a bit of a legend within Audax circles. It is in a layby off the main Shrewsbury-Welshpool road. While it is basic catering, you can usually rely on getting a bacon butty, or beans on toast, or a full English, at any time o it is open It can be busy with motorbikes during the day at weekends but the nearby garage (not open 24 hours) has hot food, a coffee machine and toilets.
While it is mainly flat, as the title of the Perm would suggest, there are a number of short rises near the finish. You wouldn’t normally give these much notice, but with 260km in your legs they have earned themselves a reputation for generating some ill-feelings towards the ride Organiser, but the ‘Col de Birtles’ is soon out of the way and it is down hill to the finish from the top.