How does anyone actually do a 200 Km ride in one day ??

[Racing roadkill]

The problem I have is that not that many hundred plus rides make sense to me. It switches from being a fun way to get somewhere into being about the ride itself because the multi-stop hundreds are good to do as shorter rides, there aren't many single-stop hundreds from here that make much sense and even those that do, it's quite tempting to stay over and have more time to look at stuff.

This is where I'm at as well. I'm not into the 'too pro to say hello, we ain't stopping for no crazy fool, look at us aren't we pro' type of ride. If I don't stop and have an explore, the ride becomes a chore.

 

[Aravis]

As far as I'm concerned, it's all about the journey. I enjoy cycling, usually alone, because I can travel sedately through the ever-changing countryside watching and absorbing what is happening around. And I feel better for having done it. I couldn't feel bored. Pessimistic, worried, or desperate maybe, but only rarely.

The bike is not the method of transport I use if I want to go somewhere. Almost all my rides are circuits starting and finishing at home; I am usually conscious of the point at which I am farthest distant and it's nice if that can be close to a feature such as a bridge or castle, but it wouldn't occur to me to stop and visit. If I did that the bike would become an encumbrance, I would be wearing the wrong shoes and clothes, and I wouldn't have access to stuff I would expect to have in the car.

When I first discovered I could ride 100 miles the combination was immediately perfect; a physical accomplishment I could feel proud of and a satisfying length of time spent in the countryside. More recently, when I thought I couldn't manage 100 miles any more I tried to convince myself that 30 was the new 100, and that it could be just as good, but I never really believed it.

I'm a lot slower than I was and I fully understand the OP's concern about fitting the miles into a day. I've always preferred to minimise stationary time and that helps a lot. Without riding in the dark - not my idea of fun - 200 miles still looks possible but that is getting close to the limit.

 

[Ian H]

The randonnées organised by AUK are a specific cycling discipline. You don't need to ride one to ride a long distance, but it might give you an incentive to keep going.

 

[ianrauk]

Last year we managed the ride at a 15mph average. With the much better weather predicted for Sunday. I am hoping to better that.

I only just managed to beat last years time. 163 miles at a 15.3avg.
It would have been faster but for a couple of factors. 1. The weather was very warm. Too warm for my liking which meant by the time of the last third of the ride, the brutal Birling Hill nearly defeated me. 2. Martin was suffering from cramps, so for 20 miles we were a bit stop/start with Martin massaging his legs to get them moving again. In the end he had to bail at near the half way point.

Still a great ride though.

 

[ianrauk]

I don't particularly like organised Audaxes. "you must be here, by such and such a time" meh, not for me.

The times are such that you have to be a very fast racing whippet to get there too early, or dead slow/ too much hanging around to not finish in time.
You are neither of those so you have no need to worry about the times.

 

[StuAff]

The times are such that you have to be a very fast racing whippet to get there too early, or dead slow/ too much hanging around to not finish in time.
You are neither of those so you have no need to worry about the times.

+1. I got the wooden spoon on my last 200, though I still finished in time. Mainly because I ended up doing about 10-15 extra miles!

 

[PpPete]

I've gotten a bit bored with them also. Info controls, getting receipts from shops, etc. .

Some folks like the quaintness of that stuff - but you may find over the next few years that even AUK 'moves with times'.
OK - only a few years behind Strava, but given the demographic it's hardly surprising that the new stuff takes time.

 

[ianrauk]

Some folks like the quaintness of that stuff - but you may find over the next few years that even AUK 'moves with times'.
OK - only a few years behind Strava, but given the demographic it's hardly surprising that the new stuff takes time.

Indeed. It was only recently that they started issuing GPX files for the rides.

The Hop Garden Audax didn't need any receipts.

 

[martint235]

I only just managed to beat last years time. 163 miles at a 15.3avg.
It would have been faster but for a couple of factors. 1. The weather was very warm. Too warm for my liking which meant by the time of the last third of the ride, the brutal Birling Hill nearly defeated me. 2. Martin was suffering from cramps, so for 20 miles we were a bit stop/start with Martin massaging his legs to get them moving again. In the end he had to bail at near the half way point.

Still a great ride though.

Yep yesterday was a bit of an aberration. I started off well (I was keeping my speed at around 18mph) but the cramps well and truly finished me off and did cost us (you) time across the marshes when we should have been flying.

To go back to topic, I've done a few 200+ mile rides, one solo. I try to average 50 miles in every 3 hours moving time so you're looking at 3.5 hours real time and 14 to 15 hours for 200. Things I've learnt or been taught from here are:

• When I did my first 200 (well 240) I had 4 other people with me. Conversations with experienced riders was there's a huge difference between some one you get on with after 10 miles and someone you get along with after 200 miles when you've been awake all night. I was very lucky (or just skilled at picking them) and we got along great.
• Never, ever underestimate the importance of food. Make sure you know where you're going to get it from. I rode from London to Nelson in Lancs alone and ran in to a scarcity of garages during the night. This did damage that was largely unrepairable. I did finish the ride (233 miles) but the last 50 were very hard.
• Water. See above. It was even worse running out of water.
• If you do want to do this kind of ride, it's better to be doing it for a reason: You've paid for it and there's no way you're wasting money; you've told your mum you'll be at her house at a particular time and date; you're doing it for a charity and you don't want to let them down; you're on LEL and you don't have a choice
• Know where your bail points are or where there's likely to be a hotel. I think the jump from 100 to 200 miles is pretty big but once you've done a 200, they're not that bad. Just be prepared.

 

[TheJDog]

The only time I've done 200+km we left early and took it 'fairly' easy. 9:36 elapsed time. I was totally done at the end. If I was to try it again I'd take it even easier

 

[BrumJim]

I've done 200km twice. First was fueled by good company, good food and a leisurely ride, as well as getting lost on the way into London. The second was fueled by a manic desire to work out how far I could push my body (3,000 m of climbing), augmented by good company. Food wasn't bad either.

On both rides, although it was a long way, the ever-changing countryside, and variety of topography (hilly, rolling, flat on shuffle mode) also helped.

 

[Rooster1]

With relative ease (note that this isn't as easy as it may seem: I spent a year hovering at the 180km distance)

It's about building up to that distance, both in terms of distance AND pace.

This was about 10 days ago: https://www.strava.com/activities/554689727

strange request to follow coming through on Strava from me (Richard L)

 

[PpPete]

It was only recently that they started issuing GPX files for the rides.

And some organiser still don't - too concerned about the potential consequences of a rider blindly following their little electronic boxes.
Of course we all know it's only motons who do that....

 

[mcshroom]

Some folks like the quaintness of that stuff - but you may find over the next few years that even AUK 'moves with times'.
OK - only a few years behind Strava, but given the demographic it's hardly surprising that the new stuff takes time.

You can already do DIY by GPS. In fact my last audax was a mandatory route DIY by GPS, where you submit a gpx of the route you're going to take and then another of the ride when completed to show you've done it.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I sometimes wonder how Audaxing would turn out if it was invented from scratch now, without its weird heritage of stamped addressed envelopes, receipts and permanents and DIYs and all that gubbins. Probably a private group (if such a thing exists) on Strava or RWGPS or something like that, sharing GPX uploads.