Will I like an Audax???

drumsmasher

Hi, i have entered a couple of sportives this year for the first time, but i work a lot of weekends. I have looked on the audax UK site and there seems to be more available and some mid week rides. I have been told that they are just for the weirdy-beardys, but i'd like to gain more experience of group riding. Is this the way forward and how does an audax differ from a sportive? Thanks!!

Greenbank

It's not just beardy-weirdies, there's a growing contingent of people under 35 doing them. The old blokes (in their 70's) will surprise you. You may go off quicker than them but they're steady and relentless and they don't waste time at the controls.

Someone elsewhere said that the difference between them is with Sportives you're pretending to race, on an Audax you're pretending not to. And why bother with gels/energy drinks at lay-by stops when you sit in a cafe for 30 minutes and get some proper food.

Well worth a try.Just don't expect much eye contact before the start.

John C.

I 've shaved my beard off so does that mean I'm no longer weard ?

PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER

Smokin Joe

With an audax there is no signage along the route, you are given a direction sheet and you have to find your own way round. They are not nescesseraly the best way to get experience of group riding as there is no mass start, but a a time window of a few hours for setting off so you can often spend most of the ride on your own.

Noodley

Smokin Joe wrote:

....but a a time window of a few hours for setting off so you can often spend most of the ride on your own.

That is wrong.

Smokin Joe

Noodley wrote:

Smokin Joe wrote:

....but a a time window of a few hours for setting off so you can often spend most of the ride on your own.

That is wrong.

Ain't

BeaconRuth

You'll like this one: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

Ruth

de_sisti

BeaconRuth wrote:

You'll like this one: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

Ruth

What Ruth said. Dead good ride.


maander

Noodley

Smokin Joe wrote:

Noodley wrote:

Smokin Joe wrote:

....but a a time window of a few hours for setting off so you can often spend most of the ride on your own.

That is wrong.

Ain't

Go on then. Explain why it ain't. An audax has a start time and minimum and maximum ride speeds, and technically you could start later but there is not a 'time window' for setting off. Most people set off together unless they are running late.

drumsmasher

BeaconRuth wrote:

You'll like this one: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

Ruth

Cheers Ruth, thats a really good site with some great info on it. I'll check my shifts and might even head down there if i can. Thanks again!

drumsmasher

I'm waiting to see what the outcome of the debate between "Smkon Joe" and "Noodley" is. Do i ride alone or in a pack then ???

Smokin Joe

drumsmasher wrote:

I'm waiting to see what the outcome of the debate between "Smkon Joe" and "Noodley" is. Do i ride alone or in a pack then ???

You might do either, but in my experience of audax people seem to wander off from the start in dribs and drabs and you can spend most of the ride solo.

BeaconRuth

My experience of Audaxes (and this is certainly the case for the events my own club organises) is that all riders gather at the same start time and are set off in groups of about 20 or 30 riders at a time to try to ease any road congestion. Groups then stay together, drift apart or form as riders wish. If you want to be sociable with other riders you usually can be; if you don't want to be, riding alone is perfectly acceptable.

I'm not sure Audaxes would be the best place to go to practise group riding skills - the aim generally is to enjoy a sociable touring ride. Group riding skills are the kind of thing to practise on a race-training bash.

Ruth

BeaconRuth

drumsmasher wrote:

BeaconRuth wrote:

You'll like this one: http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/audax/cotswold/index.html

Ruth

Cheers Ruth, thats a really good site with some great info on it. I'll check my shifts and might even head down there if i can. Thanks again!

It's certainly a good day out, Drumsmasher. See you there!

Ruth

volvine

so can i take it that Sportives are a little more competative/faster than a Audaxe or are they both the same? cause it sounds to me the only difference is the audaxe isn't marshalled i'm confussed :?

i have done a couple of organized rides one of which i know is called a sportive thats the Manchester 100 the other was the Over the edge not sure what that one is classed as (just a charity ride i think).

chuckcork

Volvine, the differences are minimal, riding a bike over a long distance being the same activity. If you do a Google search though there is enough online to make it pretty clear that an Audax isn't a Sportive.

Audax's are supposed to be about the joy of cycling, self sufficency etc where you might be riding alone at night, not necessarily doing it fast or racing (though you do have to do it within a time limit). E.g. in the Paris Brest paris from what I've read, club colours are OK, Team colours are however frowned upon, time can be added for bad behaviour or breaking the rules such as by having a support car.

There is no first, second etc, there are no prizes. Best you can hope for, on submitting your time card, is a medal from the Audax Club, get one each in 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km events in a year and you can apply for a super randonneur medal.

CTC Link : http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3931
Audax Ireland: http://sorrentocyclingclub.com/site/audax/
Audax Australia: http://audax.org.au/public/index.php?op ... Itemid=179

zoomcp

I don't think sportives are marshalled; you might see someone standing by the road but they are there to stamp your card / timer etc. Audaxes are also more strictly controleed for distance; if there is a loop which is not 'marshalled' there will often be an info control (which are actually quite fun) to ensure riders use it and don't shortcut. I know it says the route isn't waymarked on a Audax entry form but is there anything to stop an organiser putting arrows round a shorter route? (obviously as well as a printed routesheet for each rider)

apart from signing the route and timing chips (and you will never ever see a finsh list with times) Audax and Sportives are very much the same type of ride, I think the way forward is (for the shorter distance events anyway) the two types of event to become more similar

and yes trade tops are not allowed on PBP; almost everybody wears their own club top; a national long distance (eg AUK) top or one of the special jerseys most countries bring out to commemorate the ride (I kept mine unworn at the finish and did not put it on until then)

Greenbank

Smokin Joe wrote:

You might do either, but in my experience of audax people seem to wander off from the start in dribs and drabs and you can spend most of the ride solo.

An Audax starts at one specific time. Of course you don't have to set off at that specific time, but then you don't have to on a Sportive. You could cross the start line with your timing chip and then sit down by the roadside for 20 minutes. Some people like to let the groups of people go off as they prefer not to do any group riding.

I usually do this too as I dislike group riding. Drafting some faster riders for 8 hours isn't my idea of a workout. It may take me 12 hours to do the same ride battling against the headwind myself but at least it's all my own work. Even if I ride with others I'll usually ride side by side or, if singled out, drop back enough that I'm not getting any benefit from the draft.

If you do decide to hang around after the start your problem may come at the next control. If you're out of time for it then your ride will pretty much be over (although no-one can stop you riding on the open road). Luckily the time limits (based on roughly 15kph for 200km events, possibly lower for shorter events or the very long events) are usually generous enough that you can make up time early on.

There certainly isn't a time window of "a few hours" at the start. Organisers aren't required to hold the start control open for more than 1 hour after the official start of the ride. Turn up more than 30 minutes late to the start of some rides and you won't even find anyone at the start, they would have packed up and gone as soon as everyone was off.

If the first control is 30km away then you'd have to be there within a maximum of 2 hours (for a 15kph minimum speed event anyway). Hanging around at the start for 90 minutes would mean needing to average 60kph to get there in time.

drumsmasher

Thanks everyone for your input. I will have a go at both Sportive and Audax this year. Sometimes it is wrong to listen to a "know-alls" advice and listen to people that actually take part in these things! If anybody may have been offended by my comments about weirdy-beardy old men, well i was just repeating what i had been told! I have been out with a couple of said gentlemen and lets just say they were somewhat faster than i expected! Anyway, thanks again to all for your input.