Audax, and Sportives?

[mickwood]

Hi,

As a beginner to biking I thought I'd ask the question, but what exactly are 'Audax' and 'sportives'??

Cheers

Mick

 

[amaferanga]

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1201.0

 

[marinyork]

It's not an explanation Mick but you might find this interesting, it's a proper site on some audaxes in our area (the hillier ones).

http://www.highergrangefarm.fsnet.co.uk/PeakAudax/permanent.htm

If you click on the 100km ones you'll notice that the average speed required to complete (the lower ones on) them is 10kph. It's not a race.

There are also some others http://www.buggc.freeserve.co.uk/audax.htm

 

[mickwood]

Think I'll have to build up to those! I've manage 40miles in one day but that was 20 at the start of the day then 20 at the end....BIG 6 hour rest in between!!

So...I'm not getting it really? What's the difference between an Audax and just...a long ride out? The social element? Meeting folks at the start/end etc?

 

[marinyork]

Think I'll have to build up to those! I've manage 40miles in one day but that was 20 at the start of the day then 20 at the end....BIG 6 hour rest in between!!

Yeah but it's hilly. I rarely go above 35 miles in a single ride myself, most are in the 20s.

So...I'm not getting it really? What's the difference between an Audax and just...a long ride out? The social element? Meeting folks at the start/end etc?

I've not done an audax, doing my first this year. I don't think the social element is really there although other people seem to say so. I guess the difference is motivation. A formalised arrangement to do more or less a set distance. If you said to me get up at 9am to do 100km it's not very likely I'd do it. If I'd signed up for an audax I would. The joy of audaxes from what I can tell is that it's not a race, you don't have to speed along like many of much higher abilities do at an average speed of 15mph or above. No 6.5mph is the minimum. It's much harder doing long distances completely solo. It's not that cycling is ever boring but the time passes differently with even basic human contact.

 

[RedBike]

An audax is just that, a long group ride. (Although to call it a group ride is slightly miss-leading as it's possible to do the ride without seeing another rider all day. )

They're about the challange/ A way to experiance new locations by bike.

Sportives are probably slightly more suitable for a begineer as the routes are signed so no map reading and there's food /water stops provided around the route.

 

[vernon]

An audax is just that, a long group ride. (Although to call it a group ride is slightly miss-leading as it's possible to do the ride without seeing another rider all day. )

They're about the challange/ A way to experiance new locations by bike.

Sportives are probably slightly more suitable for a begineer as the routes are signed so no map reading and there's food /water stops provided around the route.

The difference between sportives and audaxes, as far as I can tell is the pace. Sportives tend to be ridden by folk who want to get around the course as fast as possible and audax riders want to eat as much cake as possible ;-)

I've not ridden a sportive but it is a race in all but name and is highly organised with waymarking and feed stations. They aren't always particularly cheap.

An audax ride is normally 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 or 600 km long. There's a high degree of self reliance i.e. no broom wagon, no waymarking - riders are given a route sheet and that's it. All food is bought/carried by the rider and events cost a fiver or less to enter especially at 200km or less.

100km audaxes are ridden at an average pace of between 10 and 15 km/hr.
They tend to be very sociable events though when I first started riding them I used to be lantern rouge and was on my own more often than not for the entire ride. Folk who think that a 100km audax is beyond them should think again - I'm a porky 22 stones and get around 100 and 200km rides with few problems. I even do the shorter Hebden Bridge based (50km) hilly rides and not finish last.

I'm riding my first 100km audax of 2009 from Thorne tomorrow. A nice flat re-introduction to audaxing after a five week layoff.

 

[vernon]

Think I'll have to build up to those! I've manage 40miles in one day but that was 20 at the start of the day then 20 at the end....BIG 6 hour rest in between!!

So...I'm not getting it really? What's the difference between an Audax and just...a long ride out? The social element? Meeting folks at the start/end etc?

You can get badges and awards for audaxes

There's a whole range of awards for audax riding and

500km - 5 x 100km
500km - 1 x 50km, 1 x 100km 1 x 150km 1 x 200km
1000km - 10 x 100km or 5 x 200km
2000km - 20 x 100km or 10 x 200km no mix allowed
3000km - any combination of rides

There's other combinations which take in the longer rides but they are beyond me in my 'unsvelte guise' (TM)

 

[RedBike]

There's no doubt that on Sportives there are a large number of riders out to set the fastest time they can. But there's also a large number of people who just want to get around and don't realy care how long it takes them.

Offically neither event is a race.

 

[Will1985]

There's no doubt that on Sportives there are a large number of riders out to set the fastest time they can.

And the club riders who treat it as an extended fast club run...

 

[Randochap]

Audax, in most places but the UK, is referred to as randonneuring. Someone who rides a randonnee (individual event), also known as a brevet, is a randonneur. Properly, in a true audax event a "team" is run by a captain at a set pace.

There are randonneur clubs all over the world and official events beginning at 200km, through 300, 400,600, 1000, and 1200 (some longer) are registered with Audax Club Parisien. The grandmother of all randonnees is the quadrennial 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris, which, in 2007 attracted over 5,000 cycling "pilgrims."

Fuller explanation here. Note that this page is undergoing a complete edit behind the scenes and will soon be relaunched as a randonneuring hub, w/ tips on bikes, fit, training, lighting, etc.

 

[mickwood]

Thanks guys, I'll get myself up to doing 100km and maybe enter an audax to see what it's all about? I'm at the stage now where 60 miles seems an impossible task but lets see how it goes until summer!!

 

[vernon]

Thanks guys, I'll get myself up to doing 100km and maybe enter an audax to see what it's all about? I'm at the stage now where 60 miles seems an impossible task but lets see how it goes until summer!!

There's no need to do a full 100km ride before your first audax. If you can do 70km then 100km is manageable.

Pick an audax in a flat area and with a low minimum speed for your first audax your mind set will be your weakness not your fitness.

 

[RedBike]

Just keep steadily increasing the distance and soon a steady 100km wont be a problem. (50km around Chesterfield is probably equivalent to 100km in some areas. There's some hills in that area!)

Make sure you force yourself to eat and drink loads while your on the bike even if you don't feel like it. I have to stop for a cup of coffee/ something to eat on anything over 100km because I don't eat as i'm riding.

 

[mickwood]

Make sure you force yourself to eat and drink loads while your on the bike even if you don't feel like it. I have to stop for a cup of coffee/ something to eat on anything over 100km because I don't eat as i'm riding.

You've been reading my mind! I was starting to feel it when I did my 30 miler - wondered what people did! Stopping at a cafe sounds good but do other people take stuff with them? (energy bars etc?) And what distances do people feel the need to stop and re-fuel themselves? i know it's subjective but being SUCH a newbie it's nice to get a rough idea of other's experiences.