Audax curious

[FrothNinja]

I'm wondering about dipping my toe into Audax but know that I am probably only going to average about 7mph over a day. Are there any that slow in the N of England?
Thanks

 

[ColinJ]

I'm wondering about dipping my toe into Audax but know that I am probably only going to average about 7mph over a day. Are there any that slow in the N of England?
Thanks

The slowest permitted speeds on events that I have seen were 12 kmph (they tend to use metric units). That would be a little bit faster than 7 mph which is ~11.3 kmph. The events in question were very hilly. I don't know if your speed was over hilly terrain or on the flat? There may be some flat events with low minimum speeds if you hunt around. Take a look at the 100 km events HERE and see if you can find something?

 

[FrothNinja]

I don't know if your speed was over hilly terrain or on the flat?

Fairly hilly - was going off my averages around the Pendle area

 

[FrothNinja]

Take a look at the 100 km events HERE and see if you can find something?

Thanks, I'll have a look to see if there is anything I have a chance at

 

[ColinJ]

Fairly hilly - was going off my averages around the Pendle area

I've got an easier solution... Why not come along on some of our forum rides in the area! We take our time and would probably average your kind of speed for the day. WET EXAMPLE HERE! I was saying to @dan_bo that I will probably organise something around the end of March. 100 km from Spring Wood visitor centre above Whalley out into the Ribble Valley/Forest of Bowland and back?

 

[FrothNinja]

I've got an easier solution... Why not come along on some of our forum rides in the area! We take our time and would probably average your kind of speed for the day. WET EXAMPLE HERE! I was saying to @dan_bo that I will probably organise something around the end of March. 100 km from Spring Wood visitor centre above Whalley out into the Ribble Valley/Forest of Bowland and back?

I've pushed my bike up a lot of those hills so I am interested

 

[ColinJ]

I've pushed my bike up a lot of those hills so I am interested

Keep your eyes open in the rides forum then.

I doubt that I will organise anything in January, and probably not February either unless we get some great weather. Come March though, time to get moving again!

 

[Dogtrousers]

The minimum speed on most Audaxes is 15 km/h or 9.3 mph. They lower the minimum speed sometimes for very hilly rides.

Note that's overall speed, including breaks. The easiest way to get quicker on an Audax is to reduce your stopped time by not faffing around off the bike.

If you think you could find an extra 2mph there's a location/date search facility here https://audax.uk/choose-a-ride/calendar-events/ Which @ColinJ may already have linked.

 

[cougie uk]

I'm wondering about dipping my toe into Audax but know that I am probably only going to average about 7mph over a day. Are there any that slow in the N of England?
Thanks

If I were you I'd start off doing the shorter distances. I'm sure you're faster than 7mph. Or you'd be wobbling off the bike all the time.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If I were you I'd start off doing the shorter distances. I'm sure you're faster than 7mph. Or you'd be wobbling off the bike all the time.

Don't forget that Audax speeds are proper speeds (time / distance) not "moving average". 7mph is 11.25 km/h. I probably do that that on some of my hilly routes including cafe and photo stops and I'm not wobbling off the bike (all that much).

Either way, you'd be battling with the time limit, which is something I've done quite a few times. The closest I came to actually being OTL was one that started/finished in a leisure centre car park. I made it with minutes to spare but couldn't find the control desk. I assumed I'd missed it, packed my stuff into my car, popped into the leisure centre for a wee and found them packing up. They took pity on me and I got valdated.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

The easiest way to get quicker on an Audax is to reduce your stopped time by not faffing around off the bike.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

There are 100km audaxes with lower limits of 10 km/h overall.

 

[Ian H]

The minimum speed on most Audaxes is 15 km/h or 9.3 mph. They lower the minimum speed sometimes for very hilly rides.

Not quite. 14.3k/hr is the norm for most UK (shown as 'BR') events over 200km. But check because a few are the same as international (='BRM') ones at 15k/hr.
Shorter events (hilly or not, listed as 'BP') may have lower minimums, down to 10k/hr. Check any given event.
10k/hr is approx 6mph.

 

[ColinJ]

I've pushed my bike up a lot of those hills so I am interested

Some of those hills are pretty tough, but if you are having to walk them (rather than riding up them slowly), are you sure that you have a low enough bottom gear on your bike?

I have a triple chainset and some biggish sprockets on my Cannondale. I would be doing the hard Bowland climbs in a 28/30 gear.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not quite. 14.3k/hr is the norm for most UK (shown as 'BR') events over 200km. But check because a few are the same as international (='BRM') ones at 15k/hr.
Shorter events (hilly or not, listed as 'BP') may have lower minimums, down to 10k/hr. Check any given event.
10k/hr is approx 6mph.

I was close.

Never underestimate how fiddly the rules for Audaxing can be. Wheels within wheels.