Audax?
- Thread starter HJ
- Start date
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Blonde
New Member
- Location
- Bury, Lancashire
Heh, Jacob - yes it may seem good time-wise... until you realise that this means it involved no sleep at all Saturday night, after only a few hours on Friday (with an early 5:30 start) and riding all the way through Saturday until Sunday afternoon...
GPS can be used but usually you just don't need it - it depends on how good the route sheet is and they do vary, but it's best to have a look at it, before the event and either mark the route on a map, or have a rough idea of how to get between the controls if you do go off the stated route. You don't *have* to stick to the entire route, as long as you go through the controls. The controls are there to make sure you can't take any short cuts in terms of mileage, or KMs travelled, so if you chose a different route from the printed one, it is likely that you will be doing the same milage, or actually going further anyway. It just means for example, that you can chose to avoid tracks or bridal paths that may be indicated on the routesheet, should you wish to. You don't have to use them - not unless the control is down there!
GPS can be used but usually you just don't need it - it depends on how good the route sheet is and they do vary, but it's best to have a look at it, before the event and either mark the route on a map, or have a rough idea of how to get between the controls if you do go off the stated route. You don't *have* to stick to the entire route, as long as you go through the controls. The controls are there to make sure you can't take any short cuts in terms of mileage, or KMs travelled, so if you chose a different route from the printed one, it is likely that you will be doing the same milage, or actually going further anyway. It just means for example, that you can chose to avoid tracks or bridal paths that may be indicated on the routesheet, should you wish to. You don't have to use them - not unless the control is down there!
I dont use a GPS.
Route sheets are of variable quality and occasionally wrong. However unless I enter on the line, I run through the sheet beforehand and plot the route on an old road atlas which I then cut up and take with me to set me right if I go wrong.
Most route sheets have a km figure against the instructions, set a bike computer accurately, and to display kms not miles, and then you know roughly when to start looking for that 3rd left turn.
Another tip for a newbie is to look on the Audax UK website at last years' results and you can see how many participants there were for an event. It will help to choose a well attended one - more people to chat with, less likely to be on your own for long, less likely to wander off route.
Route sheets are of variable quality and occasionally wrong. However unless I enter on the line, I run through the sheet beforehand and plot the route on an old road atlas which I then cut up and take with me to set me right if I go wrong.
Most route sheets have a km figure against the instructions, set a bike computer accurately, and to display kms not miles, and then you know roughly when to start looking for that 3rd left turn.
Another tip for a newbie is to look on the Audax UK website at last years' results and you can see how many participants there were for an event. It will help to choose a well attended one - more people to chat with, less likely to be on your own for long, less likely to wander off route.
johnr
Über Member
- Location
- Grand depart 2014 county (east)
Is there any sort of beginners arrangement? I quite fancy doing one as well. My getting lost skils have been honed over decades.
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
Noodley said:There is no need for GPS - use your brain, that's what it is there for.
I don't use a GPS! I just get lost a lot!
Tim Bennet.
Entirely Average Member
- Location
- S of Kendal
Blonde and Bof have both given excellent advice on how to succeed on an Audax, be it your first or hundredth. Perhaps it's worth elaborating a little.
Enter in plenty of time so you get the route sheet sent to you. Go through it, following along on a decent scale map of the area (1:50000 OS) and work out your route. Road atlas scales are not perfect at this stage as they may not show some minor lanes much favoured by event organisers! You will also get some feel for the climbs and terrain.
Once you are sure you have the route sussed, you can transfer it to torn out pages from the atlas as a way of economically taking a map with you. This is not only for getting back on the route should you get lost, but also to find a station, or a short cut home should you need to bail out.
I have even carried a OS map of particularly complex areas, especially if they come during the night towards the end of a very long event where getting lost might prevent me getting in 'on time'. The old coal mining area in Derbyshire on the way back to Alfreton is one area I remember.
Then you need a way of having your route sheet visible at all times. 'In a pocket' is rarely successful unless you are in a very simple area with few roads or on home territory. Some people put them on the top of a handle bar bag and others have some sort of handle bar mounted board. I made my from a couple of 'Space Bars' and a bit (3 x 6 inches) of 'House for Sale' sign. It was also useful for mounting lights when tackling night events. After that make sure the sheet is water proof and you have a way (headtorch) to read it after dark, if necessary.
As has been mentioned, the route sheets do vary in quality. Very few these days are plain inaccurate, but some fail to give the distance between junctions. Your pre-ride work with the maps solves both these issues, as you can add supplementary notes on the sheet.
The best route cards give a running total of distance covered and a 'split distance' between points mentioned. This allows you to relax a bit as your speedo will give you plenty of warning of the 'next' junction. I remember one ride where the route sheet took you through a town with plenty of instructions to 'take second right then second left', etc, coming thich and fast at about 200 metre intervals. It them said 'take next minor road on left', failing to mention this was in a further 12 miles! PPPPPP.
Admittedly, audax rides are low key and do attract more than their share of 'mature riders' who perhaps are overly wistful about the 'good old days'. But they are a great challenge and a good way of getting out and seeing new areas.
Enter in plenty of time so you get the route sheet sent to you. Go through it, following along on a decent scale map of the area (1:50000 OS) and work out your route. Road atlas scales are not perfect at this stage as they may not show some minor lanes much favoured by event organisers! You will also get some feel for the climbs and terrain.
Once you are sure you have the route sussed, you can transfer it to torn out pages from the atlas as a way of economically taking a map with you. This is not only for getting back on the route should you get lost, but also to find a station, or a short cut home should you need to bail out.
I have even carried a OS map of particularly complex areas, especially if they come during the night towards the end of a very long event where getting lost might prevent me getting in 'on time'. The old coal mining area in Derbyshire on the way back to Alfreton is one area I remember.
Then you need a way of having your route sheet visible at all times. 'In a pocket' is rarely successful unless you are in a very simple area with few roads or on home territory. Some people put them on the top of a handle bar bag and others have some sort of handle bar mounted board. I made my from a couple of 'Space Bars' and a bit (3 x 6 inches) of 'House for Sale' sign. It was also useful for mounting lights when tackling night events. After that make sure the sheet is water proof and you have a way (headtorch) to read it after dark, if necessary.
As has been mentioned, the route sheets do vary in quality. Very few these days are plain inaccurate, but some fail to give the distance between junctions. Your pre-ride work with the maps solves both these issues, as you can add supplementary notes on the sheet.
The best route cards give a running total of distance covered and a 'split distance' between points mentioned. This allows you to relax a bit as your speedo will give you plenty of warning of the 'next' junction. I remember one ride where the route sheet took you through a town with plenty of instructions to 'take second right then second left', etc, coming thich and fast at about 200 metre intervals. It them said 'take next minor road on left', failing to mention this was in a further 12 miles! PPPPPP.
Admittedly, audax rides are low key and do attract more than their share of 'mature riders' who perhaps are overly wistful about the 'good old days'. But they are a great challenge and a good way of getting out and seeing new areas.
johnr said:
Just visit the AUK site and enter one. As a non member you have to pay a little extra to cover insurance (a quid or so). It can be a bit cliquey (my first ever one was, the next one I did some years later was not) so make a point of talking to people who cycle at your pace or at the controls.
Do one soon - much later and you'll have to start faffing about with lights on the longer ones.