New to Audax and need advice

[steveindenmark]

HI gUYS,

Get the worst over first.......I ride a recumbent.

Actually that is not totally true at the moment. I bought a recumbent trike last May but have recently sold it to buy a 2 wheeled recumbent. The trike was my forst recumbent and I thought it was great. A motorcycle accident broke both my forearms and right leg and a DF accident cracked a vertebrae in my neck and my collarbone. Riding a DF bike was becoming a pain in the....well everywhere really and so I thought I would give recumbents a go.

I am 52 and like being out on a bike in the fresh air and next year I am going to have a go at a bit of distance riding.

My question is are recumbents generally welcomed at these events?

I know nothing about audax events but enjoyed reading Andy Allsops book, thanks for that Andy. It is therefore his fault that I am going to get out there amongst them.

I have no idea what a route plan looks like and was hoping that someone could e-mail me a copy of an old one so I can study it and work the route out on my PC. It does not matter where it is as long as it gives me some idea. My e mail address is lindley"at"privat.dk

If anyone is visiting Denmark in the summer, we have beer in the fridge and a floor to sleep on. Get in touch, you would be welcome.

Steve

 

[frank9755]

Yes, recumbents are welcome. I've often seen them on audaxes.

Here's a typical route sheet. Generally you can get a GPX file, either from the organisers, from another rider or with a bit of google-work beforehand.

One of my first cycle tours was in Denmark, about 10 years ago. A loop North from Copenhagen round the coast and then back via Roskilde. I particularly remember a very chilly swim in the Baltic!

 

[TheDoctor]

Hello and

'Bents are indeed welcome at Audaxes IME - I saw two at the Emitremmus ride yesterday.

 

[Tynan]

and I rode my first audax last weekend and despite the route card looking daunting, found it very clear and sensible to use, every single word on is there for a reason and should be treated as important clues, if they use a word to amplify the coe, it's for good reason

 

[Ian H]

Recumbents are fine. In the Uk there's even a special prize for them. Routesheets vary in quality, but generally they're okay to follow, and more and more organisers are supplying gps tracks.

 

[JoysOfSight]

I have had some trouble from a couple of audax riders while doing brevets in a reclined position. However, 99% are fine with it (in fact, I think audax riders are a lot more open to that sort of thing that the "general cycling public" are).

More importantly though there are no problems from an organisers' point of view, in fact as Ian points out there is even a prize.

Go for it, it's ace.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't ride a recumbent but I've seen a few on audax rides. I don't mind what somebody else is riding and I'm sure that the vast majority of other riders don't either. 

I'd have thought that you were more likely to get positive attention than negative. People will be curious about your bike. 

I thought Arch's recumbent looked very nice when she rode a local event on it, though I didn't get the chance to have a really close look because I was doing the sister event which started an hour before hers.

Oh, and I'd suggest using a GPS for navigation. It allows you to enjoy the scenery without having to stare at a route sheet the whole time.

I have had some trouble from a couple of audax riders while doing brevets in a reclined position.

In every walk of life, there are always one or two aren't there!   

 

[Arch]

I thought Arch's recumbent looked very nice when she rode a local event on it, though I didn't get the chance to have a really close look because I was doing the sister event which started an hour before hers.

You're welcome to inspect it more closely some time - we'll have to arrange a CC meet up halfway between my nice flat part of the world, and your mad mountainous region....

I've only done the one Audax so far Steve, but was warmly welcomed, and indeed spent some time at the start and finish fielding the 'usual questions'. There was one lady who remarked on how brave I was (and how strong, as she followed me uphill) - I think she thought I was disabled, a common mistake. Certainly, if she thought I was strong, she has a low benchmark of strength! I found the routesheet easy enough to follow, although I did benefit from some preparation - I followed the route on Google maps and Streetview, so that I could have a look at the junctions and recognise them in the flesh.

Not an Audax, but on a recent YACF night ride to Whitby, there were 13 of us, and 4 were on bents - not a bad ratio.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

although I did benefit from some preparation - I followed the route on Google maps and Streetview, so that I could have a look at the junctions and recognise them in the flesh.

Good advice. I also used to mark the route on torn out pages from a cheap road atlas so I had some idea where I was in the bigger scheme of things, rather than the rather tunnel vision you get following the route sheet.

Having 'the big picture' then makes it easier to work out a 'Plan B' if you have to cut short your day for any reason.
Which I've never had to do as like Arch, I too am strong and brave.

 

[PpPete]

I usually plot the route out on bikehike so that I can transfer it to GPS.... and as belt & braces print out a map from there as well.

Between the GPS, the printed route sheet, and the map for the "big picture", I don't (usually) have much doubt on the route. If you want to get really clever with your Garmin you can put numbered waypoints in, and number the route sheet instructions to match.... and get the device to beep and light up as you approach each waypoint.
Much geeky discusssion of this kind of thing over on yacf.

IME Audaxes are very welcoming to all. I rode a 100 km on tandem with 9 y.o. stoker, and accompanied by 12 y.o. on solo bike, (16 y.o. son made his own way - and got thoroughly lost) but all were made very welcome. There was 'bent on that ride too.

 

[Scoosh]

There are at least 3 'bent riders doing audax rides in Scotland and my only issues with them are that

1. they are too quick - especially downhill
   
2. there is no point slipsteaming them - see above
   
3. there is little time to chat to them at the arrivee - see 1 above
   

I did overtake one

going uphill on one ride ..... arrived at the top .... there was a sound like a rushing wind

.... and he was gone

 

[John Ponting]

I've recently downoaded the PC version of Anquet and purchased an OS 1:50000 GB South which covers from just above Manchester down to la Manche. I got it at 30% off in a special offer email. I had a few problems with downloading so used the 30% to pay for the CD version and postage - all in £48 with VAT. Compares extremely well with paper versions of the same coverage. I can map a route in advance and then print only the route coverage, scaled to fit from 1 to 9 A4 sheets. Also could download to a Garmin (if I had one). I also had a magazine advert with a product token that I redeemed for a full set of GB GroundRanger Regionals.

 

[steveindenmark]

Thank you for all your replies they are very helpful.

I am looking forward to having a go at this brevet lark.

Sue, I am just ordering a new, shiney Nazca Fuego and so I may be getting on your L.E.L list

Steve

 

[Arch]

Sue, I am just ordering a new, shiney Nazca Fuego and so I may be getting on your L.E.L list

Steve

Yay!

 

[PalmerSperry]

My question is are recumbents generally welcomed at these events?

I would say so, yes ... You might even get lucky like I did on my first Audax and discover another rider with the same sort of recumbent as you!

If anyone is visiting Denmark in the summer, we have beer in the fridge and a floor to sleep on. Get in touch, you would be welcome.

Tempting, but my current plans for next year are an West->East tour across Austria.