Audax v Sportive

stevejames

Nobody can fail to have noticed just how popular cyclo-sportive rides have become over the last couple of years or so, but what is it that appeals to so many? Is it perhaps the long challenging rides and if so then why has Audax rides become just as popular as they offer an even bigger challenge as distances go. they are even a lot cheaper too at about £5 entry fee on average compared to around £25 for a sportive. Whats more, there are a set of specially made cloth and metal badges commemorating the achievement of completing an Audax ride. Although I have yet to ride a Cyclo-Sportive, and indeed I do intend to next year, I have fully enjoyed completing some very hard Audax rides in the last few years.

vermooten

Audaxes are great for training but beware:

Bronzie

Mostly down to image I think - sportives like the Etape are huge events and the thrill of riding an actual stage of a pro race is a big draw and people can "pretend" they are racing. Audax however tends to be viewed as a bit of a "CTC brigade only" discipline.

Audax is also a bit of a mystery to many - even the name is an enigma until you have it explained to you, and the website is perhaps not as well publicised as the sportive equivalents.

Another couple of drawbacks with audax is that you have to find your own way (to many this is part of the challenge, but others don't like having to try and follow route sheets) and they are not supported - you have to pop into a cafe to refuel rather than grab food at a feed station which cuts down on the "I'm in a race" feel.

oldwelshman

And you have to do them at less than 15mph

pjm-84

I've done a few Audaxes and they are great. Great value of money and a real mixed bunch of people. Very friendly

The image of them being slow is a little unfounded and like all rides you have a very wide range of abilities.

SteveR_100Milers

oldwelshman wrote:

And you have to do them at less than 15mph

and what is wrong with that???

oldwelshman

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

And you have to do them at less than 15mph

and what is wrong with that???

Ok I was exagerating, 12 mph.

ricadus

You pays yer money and takes yer choice – so that'll be £4 for an audax or £25 for a sportive.

Both have their stereotypical caricatures: the craggy old audaxer, self-reliant with numerous gadgets and sandwiches in grease-proof paper (no modern plastic bags thankyou), massive saddle-bag, etc; or, on the other side, the delusional ego-driven faux-racer, who trains obsessively for an event months in advance as if it were going to be some kind of life-changing epiphany.

vermooten

Don't get too hung up on maximum speeds in audaxes. You can exceed the max speed, not a problem.

More info here: http://www.anothercyclingforum.com/index.php

A good forum.

Blonde

Hmm, I think I've said this before but will say it again:

Audax = people pretending they are not racing.
Sportives = people pretending they are.

Ok, a bit of a generalisation, but though audax is supposedly not a race, many people have their own secret or not so secret races going on with each other and with themselves anyway. Sportive times are published for all to see (audax ones are not - only a list of finishers) so I guess this makes a sportive a kind of race - though there isn't usually a prize or any money for the winner.

I think the atmosphere may be a bit different on audax and sportives and then there's the direction/route signs vs. route sheets. I get a bit fed up with routesheets (and my ability to keep hold of them/read them/not drop them) so I'm going to do some sportives and see if I prefer simply following signs. I think I will. I sometimes like to get me head down 'n' ride and not be missing turns, not able to find a turn, or having to stop and fanny about with a map etc. I guess the higher fee also pays for someone to go put signs up and take 'em down again afterwards.

RE: Food - I don't think there is much in it since with sportives you are paying for any food in your entry fee (as well as generating a profit for the organisers) and actually audax organisers usually provide a reasonable amount of real food (as opposed to flapjacks and sports bars/gels) at the start and finish of events, at very little cost to the entrant and without making any profit for themselves - hence the low fee.

SteveR_100Milers

ricadus wrote:

You pays yer money and takes yer choice – so that'll be £4 for an audax or £25 for a sportive.

Both have their stereotypical caricatures: the craggy old audaxer, self-reliant with numerous gadgets and sandwiches in grease-proof paper (no modern plastic bags thankyou), massive saddle-bag, etc; or, on the other side, the delusional ego-driven faux-racer, who trains obsessively for an event months in advance as if it were going to be some kind of life-changing epiphany.

so which category are "real" racers who also ride sportives as a "race" in order to get fiiter for a "real race"..? (which IME is every other rider who I know who has ridden a sportive).
As it happens I'd like to ride an audax or two also as "training" rides, I guess the fundamental difference between the events is one is about finishing, the other about where you finish relative to others. I'm waiting for the first sportive that hands out musettes, rather than a stop and eat feedstop....

Ironically (though not at the time) i was passed by a group on an audax event during the welsh 12 hour....but then I was ill...

oldwelshman

Oh dear Steve, passed by some OAP's on a jolly when you were flat out on a TT

bof

oldwelshman wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

And you have to do them at less than 15mph

and what is wrong with that???

Ok I was exagerating, 12 mph.

Actually its 30kph, which over a 200k Audax is a pretty respectable time, bearing in mind that the fields are too small usually for big chaingangs - I think you'll find only a few percent of sportive riders could do that.

I normally do Audaxes and come about midfield on them (you can usually peer over the organisers list for ticking the finishers) while I was well up the field on the British Sportive, despite being one of the older entrants. On that unscientific sample, I have to say Audaxes are ridden by better riders

zoomcp

There are only a couple of differences IMO; Audax rides are organised by Audax rders (like me) usually out of their own pockets rather than big charity / sponsored type rides and so a lot more shoestring, and they use conventional directions like signposts and road names rather than speciallly erectd signs. But apart from that they are very similar. I like both , reliabiltity trials are probably my favourite though.

oldwelshman

Actually its 30kph, which over a 200k Audax is a pretty respectable time, bearing in mind that the fields are too small usually for big chaingangs - I think you'll find only a few percent of sportive riders could do that.

I normally do Audaxes and come about midfield on them (you can usually peer over the organisers list for ticking the finishers) while I was well up the field on the British Sportive, despite being one of the older entrants. On that unscientific sample, I have to say Audaxes are ridden by better riders [/quote]

Chaingang on a sportive? Wow, I have not seen one yet
I think it would be more than a few percent now, there seem to be more racing cyclists doing sportives now for both training and fun.
I also think it depends on the terrain and conditions for the times.
I think the British Sportive is a bad example
Not the most challenging course, and lots of "regular" sportive riders gave it a miss for varying reasons.
Of course audax riders are the best
Thats why I don't do them, i would hate to be embarrassed

Tom Butcher

I did one audax this year - the China Run - which along with riding to and from the start gave me about 140 miles. It was an extremely hard day out but a lot different to a sportive - and I did ride it in the first group on the road. We actually hit the first two stops early - though they did stamp the card, we had a long cafe stop at the second and after that we were never back in front of the time limits.

And yes at one stage we were going through and off - this was about 40 miles in and I was thinking what the hell are we doing there's another 100 miles to go - actually got dropped near Lilleshall but the fear of getting left behind with no map or idea where we were spurred me on to chase back on a descent and I got a second wind after that.

Anyway what was the question again? Oh yeah differences - well it's mainly down to the route isn't it, not having to navigate a sportive, that and the fact people tend to approach a sportive in a semi competitive way.