mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
It's my experience of Audaxing. Your experience may be different.Agreed.
Talking a load of rubbish.
It's my experience of Audaxing. Your experience may be different.Agreed.
Talking a load of rubbish.
It's my experience of Audaxing. Your experience may be different.
As, I feel, was the comment suggesting that fun and friendly are certainties, which could cause quite some disappointment. Meeting many new people isn't guaranteed and you could end up riding a long way alone, possibly on fairly big fast roads that you would usually choose to avoid, while other times it's all carnivals and unicorns. Encourage people to go into it eyes open, not Polyanna.But in a conversation that is encouraging a newbie to give it a try, your experience is remarkably unhelpful.
Yes. And you could die. I think we should mention that.As, I feel, was the comment suggesting that fun and friendly are certainties, which could cause quite some disappointment. Meeting many new people isn't guaranteed and you could end up riding a long way alone, possibly on fairly big fast roads that you would usually choose to avoid, while other times it's all carnivals and unicorns. Encourage people to go into it eyes open, not Polyanna.
Blimey. I didn't know that. I've just updated it with the news from Bez's site. It seems that Audaxing deaths are relatively rare, so I wouldn't let that deter anyone, though. My mention of big fast roads was more because I don't enjoy cycling on them much.Yes. And you could die. I think we should mention that.
They're not known for it, but it seems fairly common at least in the East. I picked the next one on aukweb.net that I know the area well enough, which is the Windmill Ride 120, and it does a few miles on the former A130 and A120, then quite a few on the former A11. While they're now B roads, they mostly still look like old fast A roads and get driven as such IMO. So I can understand someone wanting to review the GPX before committing.Are audaxes known for big fast roads? It's not something I've ever noticed.
Why is it doom-monger-y to point out that Audaxes ain't always rainbows and cupcakes and that, far from finding it friendly, you may actually need to be self-reliant and independent to complete one?I think OMG is a far more self-reliant and independent cyclist than a lot of people, including it would seem our resident doom-monger mjr.
No, they're not. All audax routes must be agreed by a representative of the national organisation who will ensure they are as safe as reasonably possible. If that can't be done the organiser is unlikely to obtain permission to run the event. Some will have stretches of main roads because riders will be expected to be on that section in, perhaps, the wee small hours when there's hardly any traffic. One example is the 400 asparagus and strawberries when you ride on a main road from the north norfolk coast 50 miles southward but do it between , in my case, 9pm and 3am when there was hardly any traffic. Another example is on London-Edinburgh-London where the route takes you through the Howardian Hills - because you'll probably be there in the daytime when the alternative main road is very busy. But faster riders can take the main road if they get there quickly enough to ride it at night. This might explain why some audaxers have so many big bright red powerful lights on the back. Having said that, UK audax rules allow you to ride your own route between controls.Are audaxes known for big fast roads? It's not something I've ever noticed.
No, I have no doubt of her intrepidness. But if one so frustrated by a single possibly broken GPX file, that they will swear off an entire type of ride (which are all run by individuals so very a lot), then all the annoying things that can go wrong on an audax will be at least as irritating and possibly more so.I think OMG is a far more self-reliant and independent cyclist than a lot of people, including it would seem our resident doom-monger mjr.
As you were, everybody.