satans budgie said:
Just to add to the confusion I'm planning to have a meander around the Snow Roads in 2011. However, I will be adopting a more stately approach to the ride, taking time to eat and drink on route which is more than I did on the Deeside loop.
'Ride Management' is one of the keys to audaxing/doing audax rides. I was very poor at this on most of my earlier rides.
Noodley was kind enough to get me round this year and I unashamedly told him I was intending to pick his brains and follow his guidance/lead on when/how long to stop at the various controls. It helped that he knows the route well enough to know which cafes have slow service and which are quicker
! Having a 20-30 min break from riding makes a big difference and can be really revitalising. Knowing what to eat is good too - soup/roll/cake or fatty fry-up ? (Our winter RV rides are good practice
)
Pacing is also key. I heard that some people doing the Deeside Loop felt so good after Banchory that they went tearing off, only to blow up 60k down the road
. Sometimes it is good to be a steady 'plodder', though a 'quick plodder' is better
.
As I said in another post, there are only 'Completed' and 'DNF' for audax rides. Other than personal challenge/satisfaction
bragging rights ? 
there is no difference.
Remember, an Audax is not a race - it's about going round a specific route within certain time constraints - neither too fast nor too slow. The rider who finishes 1min after the final Control opens has "Completed the Ride" just the same as the rider who comes in 1min before the Control closes.
Naturally we often set ourselves goals/targets - to ride all the way (no walking up the BIG hills
); a certain time; before dark; alongside/before XXX. It takes some time and experience to learn what I call Ride Management and I still have a lot to learn. Of course, one cannot buy that experience ...
To Complete is success.
. No point losing all this season's fitness, is there ? 
^ ^ ^ ^ ^