Best bike for an Audax

[jay clock]

If it isn't steel, retro and with saddlebag you will be shunned

(JOKE btw)

Seriously, why is there a mystique around audax? Any bog standard bike that fits you will be fine for 110k

 

[smutchin]

I find the hardest part, whether I'm using GPS or a routesheet, is maintaining concentration and not just blithely riding past the turn. I can't blame either the route sheet or the Garmin when that happens... You can set a Garmin to make an audible alert when you go off route, but beeping electronic devices are the bane of my life, so I always have mine on silent.

Most routesheets are pretty good in my experience, organisers generally put a lot of care into getting them right and draw on their own experience to ensure they make sense to riders, but I've encountered a few that seem designed to make the ride more "interesting" - there was a certain East Anglian organiser who used to be notorious for excessively wordy routesheets that were difficult to follow.

The difficulty with using maps to navigate on an audax is that they present a 2D overhead world view that doesn't always relate easily to what you can see on the ground. Using a compass isn't always practical - eg on overnight sections. I have often used Streetview to get a preview of what junctions look like in real life, and this has proved invaluable on a number of occasions.

 

[youngoldbloke]

But the route as described on the routesheet is not 'compulsory' - on nearly all AUK events, you can choose how you get between controls. There is no 'correct' or 'incorrect'

Is this true? I am not an AUK member, but on their website it states
Controls

These are to demonstrate that you have completed the prescribed route, and passage through each control point is recorded in your brevet card. There are two main types of control, the information control, and the full control (generally referred to simply as the control).


Information controls are questions in your brevet card that can be answered as you pass the designated place, which will be indicated on the routesheet. They are normally simple questions (e.g. "what is the distance to xxx on the signpost", or "what is the name of the pub") which can be remembered until the next full control when you can sit down and write up the card (a pen or pencil is useful). Not all events have information controls.
This seems to imply you should follow 'the prescribed route'.

 

[Dogtrousers]

[controls] are to demonstrate that you have completed the prescribed route
[...]
This seems to imply you should follow 'the prescribed route'.

Or alternatively that the controls make up the prescribed route.

Either way, I always follow the organiser's route. Unless I get lost, that is.

 

[jefmcg]

Is this true?

Yes, it's true. On LEL they were actually advising riders of shortcuts to York that avoided the Howardian Hills. Unfortunately I got the other kind of help at that stop, someone nagging me to pack it in.

France you have to follow the route, and on PBP they have at least one "secret" control - though in the days of twitter, not very secret, I suspect.

 

[smutchin]

This seems to imply you should follow 'the prescribed route'.

Or alternatively that the controls make up the prescribed route.

Yes, the controls are the only element of the route that is 'prescribed'.

However, this only applies in the UK and a few other countries - routes are mandatory in most countries. (And there's always the possibility of secret controls to make sure you stick to them.)

 

[PpPete]

Is this true? I am not an AUK member, but on their website it states
Controls

These are to demonstrate that you have completed the prescribed route, and passage through each control point is recorded in your brevet card. There are two main types of control, the information control, and the full control (generally referred to simply as the control).


Information controls are questions in your brevet card that can be answered as you pass the designated place, which will be indicated on the routesheet. They are normally simple questions (e.g. "what is the distance to xxx on the signpost", or "what is the name of the pub") which can be remembered until the next full control when you can sit down and write up the card (a pen or pencil is useful). Not all events have information controls.
This seems to imply you should follow 'the prescribed route'.

As with the website of any volunteer-run organisation there is always 'some' latency. In this case a lot.
That text was probably originally written back many years ago when AUK did have prescribed routes that you had to follow (just like the French still do) and it's been copy/pasted without editing too many times.

However - when kind folks like @youngoldbloke point out such discrepancies - they get changed !

 

[jay clock]

.....
simple questions (e.g. "what is the distance to xxx on the signpost", or "what is the name of the pub") which can be remembered until the next full control when you can sit down and write up the card (a pen or pencil is useful).

I could just use Streetview on my mobile!

 

[jefmcg]

I could just use Streetview on my mobile!

These days the questions are more like "what time is the saturday mail collection", or "what time is the last bus?"

Had a bad one on ride I did last year. "What colour is the front door of <house>". House was a private residence, and it was 1am (I'm slow). I couldn't see in the dark, and even if I was willing to shine a light on a strangers house at 1am, the door had a window in it! The route went back via the same point, so I decided to log it on the way back, but the the controller filled it in for me at the next control.

 

[jefmcg]

Yes, it's true. On LEL they were actually advising riders of shortcuts to York that avoided the Howardian Hills. Unfortunately I got the other kind of help at that stop, someone nagging me to pack it in.

France you have to follow the route, and on PBP they have at least one "secret" control - though in the days of twitter, not very secret, I suspect.

Yes, the controls are the only element of the route that is 'prescribed'.

However, this only applies in the UK and a few other countries - routes are mandatory in most countries. (And there's always the possibility of secret controls to make sure you stick to them.)

<tap tap tap> Is this thing on?

 

[Banjo]

Anyone thinking of using google earth etc to find answers to info questions is really missing the point .
Audaxing is non competitive long distance cycling.

For me and most riders I know the big attraction is riding different routes in different parts of the country that have been prepared and ridden by an experienced local cyclist .To try and "cheat " is utterly pointless . The results on the website is simply a list of those who completed the route ( within the time limit) in alphabetical order individual times or places are not recorded on the site.

The winners on an Audax are all those who had a good day out and those who tested themselves on a difficult route for them and got round ok.

A series of 200 to 600 km Audax rides can be used as qualifying rides to allow you to enter Paris Brest Paris to filter out dreamers who have not prepared themselves for such a long ride and waste a valuable start that someone else could have used but for the majority a 100 or 200 km is a bike ride with time for tea and cake now and then.

 

[Tim Hall]

Anyone thinking of using google earth etc to find answers to info questions is really missing the point .
Audaxing is non competitive long distance cycling.

Anyway, IME, the actual question for the info control is on the brevet card, which you don't get until you rock up at the start.

for the majority a 100 or 200 km is a bike ride with time for tea and cake now and then.

Nice.

 

[Cold Snail]

I got into longer rides last year and the second Audax ride was on a used entry level 2300 equipped 16 speed Allez for 320km (+ a bit to make it a 200 mile ride) and to be fair it was a bit buzzy, but even the saddle was good.
Just remember to move your hands around a lot.

 

[ianrauk]

There's no such thing as a best bike for Audaxing. On Audax rides you see all sorts. Road bikes (inc. aero, TT, Touring, of all flavours, carbon, Steel, Ti, Alu etc), MTB'ers, Hybriders, Foldingistas, Tandemistas, Recumberaters.. you see the whole kit and caboodle on an Audax.`.

It's what is comfortable for you over longer distances that matters.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@ianrauk - the OP has two bikes and asked for a view as to which would be better. Which do you think would be better?

Currently have a four year old specialized Allez - 16 speed, 23mm tyres - and a brand spanking 20 speed cx bike (11 - 34 cassette I think). If I put some decent road tyres on the cx (32 gators I was thinking), would this be better than the Allez, even though that is the actual road bike?