Just completed my first audax ride
duckfoot1606
Posts: 89
Completed the Leicester to Rutland and beyond 62 mile audax. Beautiful day, sunny, still but crikey I suffered. Legs as dead as a dodo, right knee agony up hill or trying for any type of speed (a bit worried about that, I've never suffered knee problems before), everywhere I turned seemed to be uphill, especially in the middle third. Made a complete hash of navigation, got lost a few times and probably ended up doing several miles more than everyone else.
Strange thing is that I still enjoyed it in a masochistic sort of way and I am attributing the suffering to a relative lack of distance preparation (the gallons of beer and wine and mountains of rich food consumed on a business trip to Belgium this last week may have had a teeny bit to do with it, too).
Will I be back?. You betcha, but learning from all of the above.
Happy cycling all, spring is nearly here.
AP
Strange thing is that I still enjoyed it in a masochistic sort of way and I am attributing the suffering to a relative lack of distance preparation (the gallons of beer and wine and mountains of rich food consumed on a business trip to Belgium this last week may have had a teeny bit to do with it, too).
Will I be back?. You betcha, but learning from all of the above.
Happy cycling all, spring is nearly here.
AP
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Comments
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I thought there were a lot of people around Rutland today. I was the bloke plodding in the other direction on the SCR3 hope you enjoyed the scenery.
Silly Question time, What is an Audax???? :oops:"BEER" Proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy0 -
Audax United Kingdom (known as Audax UK or AUK) is the foremost long-distance cycling association in the UK, and the biggest in the world. It was established in 1976. AUK oversees the running of long-distance cycling events, and, using a system of timed checkpoints, validates and records every successful ride.
http://www.audax.uk.net/index2.htm
Click on FAQ for more.<font><font>I know that you believe that you understand what you think I said but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant.</font></font>0 -
Nice work duckfoot1606! Audaxes are great. Hmmm I wonder if you and I share a birthday....0
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Suspect not, mine is on Tuesday and todays' audax was my birthday present to me.0
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jellybellywmb wrote:
Silly Question time, What is an Audax???? :oops:
What Babbsby said.
Audax events are held over distances of 200km; 300km; 400km ;600km and the big ones of 1200km like London/Edinburgh/London and Paris/Brest/Paris. They are not races though there tends to be competition element at the front, I'm told
. They have to be covered at average speeds between 15 and 30 km/h IIRC and your progress is recorded and the time validated on a so-called brevet card you carry with you and is stamped at each control. They are very friendly affairs, or they were when I did a lot.
Shorter distances like 100km are known as brevet poplulaire and often have more relaxed time limits as they're intended as an introduction to the events. I've no idea where the term Audax originates.
Duckfoot: I saw the event on the calender and I thought it must ahve been a super ride with such excellent weather today. I chose to go flying my toy aeroplanes, but I was out yesterday and will be again tomorrow. I'm trying to get fit enough to ride a reasonable 100km audax this Spring and, perhaps, an easy 200km if I can find one.
GeoffOld cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster0 -
Geoff_SS
There is an event on 30/03, Charnwood in the spring starting in Nottingham.
In spite of my trials and tribulations above I reckon with a bit of effort and much better planning I can be on the start line for that.0 -
Think I may give the charnwood one a go as not far from me.
Do you need to be a member of any organization??
I know when I looked into joining the local club you had to join this and that and be nominated etc."BEER" Proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy0 -
vermooten wrote:Nice work duckfoot1606! Audaxes are great. Hmmm I wonder if you and I share a birthday....
was it your birthday yesterday?? It was mine
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You don't have to be a member of any organisation to ride an Audax. You will however have to pay a couple of of quid extra to cover 3rd party insurance. But that will only be on top of the £4 or £5 entry fee. Shouldn't break the bank anyway.jellybellywmb wrote:Think I may give the charnwood one a go as not far from me.
Do you need to be a member of any organization??
I know when I looked into joining the local club you had to join this and that and be nominated etc.
Ruth0 -
[quote="BeaconRuth.[/quote]You don't have to be a member of any organisation to ride an Audax. You will however have to pay a couple of of quid extra to cover 3rd party insurance. But that will only be on top of the £4 or £5 entry fee. Shouldn't break the bank anyway.
Ruth[/quote]
Even paying the extra registration fees for day membership of AUK is still cheaper than the sportive rides at £20 +�3 grand bike...30 Bob legs....Slowing with style0 -
From AUK website:Geoff_SS wrote:I've no idea where the term Audax originates.
What does the word 'Audax' mean?
It's Latin for 'bold', and was first used in the context of endurance sports towards the end of the 19th century.............as in "you need to be pretty bold to take on a 600km ride"
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Excellent - many congratulations.
Now build on the momentum and work towards a 200km randonee - the shortest "proper" audax ride. It might sound scary but they don't feel that much longer than 100s when you ride them.
If you're anything like me you'll soon get the bug and push yourself on to the Super Randonneur series - 2,3,4 and 600 Km rides in the same season. Hard work, but not impossible, and very rewarding to complete.0
