I Feel Complete Again

spen666
spen666 Posts: 17,709
edited April 2010 in Commuting chat
After doing my first audax of the year yesterday, I commuted to work on my fixed wheel bike today. That's the first time since my accident last November.


I have been commuting by bike the last 2 months, but on a geared bike on the instructions of my physiotherapist. In fact he was encouraging my to cycle even when I was not fit to return to work.

It feels so good to be on my fixed wheel bike again. I'm a proper commuter again
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Comments

  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    spen666 wrote:
    It feels so good to be on my fixed wheel bike again. I'm a proper commuter again

    Oy! Us geared folk are commuters too you know! :P

    Glad everything works :)
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    Cafewanda wrote:
    spen666 wrote:
    It feels so good to be on my fixed wheel bike again. I'm a proper commuter again

    Oy! Us geared folk are commuters too you know! :P

    Glad everything works :)

    I'm sure you are a damned sight fater than me as well.

    My ride was at least 3mph slower on the fixed wheel bike today
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
    Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

    Twittering @spen_666
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Glad you're back on a proper bike spen. I always feel like a proper commuter on the fixie and look down on the fair weather contingent with their gears. Sadly the fixie doesn't come as often as I'd like these days
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    edited April 2010
    spen666 wrote:
    I'm sure you are a damned sight fater than me as well.
    <sharp intake of breath> :shock:

    Spen, we all know you speak your mind, but was that really necessary?!

    :twisted:
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Great to hear you're back on the fixie!
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    Glad you're back on a proper bike spen. I always feel like a proper commuter on the fixie and look down on the fair weather contingent with their gears. Sadly the fixie doesn't come as often as I'd like these days
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    kelsen wrote:
    spen666 wrote:
    I'm sure you are a damned sight fater than me as well.
    <sharp intake of breath> :shock:

    Spen, we all know you speak your mind, but was that really necessary?!

    :twisted:

    Fortunately I'm 'athletic' in shape and I assumed Spen meant to write 'faster'.

    But I might be wrong................. :wink:
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    Cafewanda wrote:
    kelsen wrote:
    spen666 wrote:
    I'm sure you are a damned sight fater than me as well.
    <sharp intake of breath> :shock:

    Spen, we all know you speak your mind, but was that really necessary?!

    :twisted:

    Fortunately I'm 'athletic' in shape and I assumed Spen meant to write 'faster'.

    But I might be wrong................. :wink:

    Sorry :(

    My fat fingers meant I made a slight error. Which reminds me of this text I got the other day
    A single spelling mistake that caused a divorce!
    A man went to Amsterdam & sent a message to his wife
    "Having the most amazing & wonderful time wish u were her"
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
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  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    :lol::lol:
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Eau Rouge
    Eau Rouge Posts: 1,118
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    There are no food stops so you bring a picnic with you.
    You also have to have a beard.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    There are no food stops so you bring a picnic with you.
    You also have to have a beard.
    Sandals you already have, Lit. :lol:
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    Welcome back into the fray Spen :D
  • Specialized Needs
    Specialized Needs Posts: 802
    JonGinge wrote:
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    There are no food stops so you bring a picnic with you.
    You also have to have a beard.
    Sandals you already have, Lit. :lol:
    Once you have growm your beard to join your sandals then you can join up hereand then work up to attempting the P-B-P :shock:
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Specialized Needs wrote:
    JonGinge wrote:
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    There are no food stops so you bring a picnic with you.
    You also have to have a beard.
    Sandals you already have, Lit. :lol:
    Once you have growm your beard to join your sandals then you can join up hereand then work up to attempting the P-B-P :shock:

    Wow, nice website. NOT.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    It differ by about £20 a go.

    Audaxes are not signposted. You get a route sheet with the directions on. You have to get your Brevett (sp?) card signed at control point and complete ride within the allotted ( usually very generous) time.
    Audax FAQs

    They don't have the prawn sandwich brigade that sportives do.
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
    Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

    Twittering @spen_666
  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Spen, what's an audax and how does it differ from a sportive?

    There are no food stops so you bring a picnic with you.
    You also have to have a beard.

    There are food stops!


    Re beards, these are no longer compulsory - only recommended - similarly with mudguards, lights, wooly jumpers and sandals
    Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
    Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

    Twittering @spen_666
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    Audax= Sportive with an image problem
    Sportive= Audax with an image problem

    The ideal organised ride is somewhere between the two. Audaxes are more 'amateur'- route cards, get them stamped at checkpoints, usually no feeding stations (though food's usually available at the end), let alone timing chips, medals, etc...But does anyone actually need all that? I really enjoyed the New Forest sportive, I'm sure it wasn't my last event of the type, but I didn't...I had my own food, in the absence of a GPX file and signposts I could have used this ancient form of navigation aid known as a map (also supplied). And I was racing myself, I didn't need anyone else timing me, or to know how everyone else did. It's supposed to be fun, right? Audaxes are more about doing the distance than beating the clock.
    I think the IOW Randonnee- this year's is on Sunday next, May 2 has it absolutely right- organised (and excellent) catering, checkpoints, a certificate of completion (no official timing), and no entry fee whatsoever (donations gratefully accepted). All sorts of riders on all sorts of bikes (everything from top-end carbon to BSOs), having a good time.
    Dahon Speed Pro TT; Trek Portland
    Viner Magnifica '08 ; Condor Squadra
    LeJOG in aid of the Royal British Legion. Please sponsor me at http://www.bmycharity.com/stuaffleck2011
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    What you have to understand about the UK Audax ride is that the 100km Audax events that most people enter are not the reason that AUK, the UK Audax organising body exists.

    AUK exists to support long distance cycling and in particular to act as a qualifying body for the Paris-Brest-Paris event (PBP) which happens every few years ( next one: 2011). To qualify for PBP a rider has to have done a 200,300,400 and 600k event within proscribed time limits.

    AUK only started putting on the 100km events to provide something for friends and family to do whilst they where riding across Wales twice or whatever. But most cyclists today think of "an Audax" as being a 100km ride.

    The connection with the French and the validation for the PBP is the reason for the Brevet cards that are stamped at the food stops. Actually, AUK don't call them food stops they call them "controls", because they are there to prove that the distance on the card has been done

    So this is why Audax rides seem a bit odd with card stamping and checking you've done the distance even though it isn't a race or anything like that.
    Audaxing Blog - Long Distance Cycling
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