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 as all the controls allow for round the clock facilities, and free parking at Poynton is available at the public car park at Waitrose. Just make sure you are in one of the long-term spaces.
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 control at Ford on both the outward and return journeys. Dinky's Dina is a bit of a legend within Audax circles. It has a stamp and is open 24/7 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 of day or night. 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.
☕ Some Useful Café Suggestions:
73km: Whitchurch McDonalds (24/7) 111km: Ford, Dinky's Dina (24/7), hot snacks from petrol station 155km: Newtown, McDonalds (24/7) 199km: Ford, Dinky's Dina (24/7), hot snacks from petrol station 247km: Audlem, Priest House cafe 312km: Poynton, Costa Coffee
