New Year Audax Resolutions

[Camrider]

"best policy I find is to book rather than just think about it"

It certainly should firm up any resolution. I plan to ride my 1st 150k and 200k in March. There are 3 sets of rides starting from Henham / Ugly (Essex) on 3 consecutive weekends so I've signed up for a the 100k on the 25th Feb the 150k the following w/e and the 200k the one after that. If that goes well I will sign up for the UK National 400 in June but as that is 2.5 times farther than I've ever cycled before (and that was 20 years ago) I think it wise to get some more mileage in before committing to that.

 

[Klaus]

... Ugly (Essex) ...

Looking forward to passing through Ugly on the Start of Summertime ride. Had the pleasure of going through Nasty during Emitremmus but can't quite remember what it looked like .....

 

[Tynan]

idly hoping to do some more and take them more seriously, I've done up to and abut 200k a few times, I've slowly learnt about eating and drinking properly and what a difference it makes, my latest imit so far is core strength issues at the roundabout 130 miles mark, a rude surprise when I was thinking to myself that the endless tweaks to fit had conquered the sore arse and bad back issues and the legs had more strength

the seg75 in Feb is my pencilled in first effort with 56 miles to and from my house to man it up, although the 11 miles into work today felt rather tough after a louche christmas break

 

[Tynan]

yes, def

Looking forward to passing through Ugly on the Start of Summertime ride. Had the pleasure of going through Nasty during Emitremmus but can't quite remember what it looked like .....

defo there for that one barring unbreakable commitments, done those rides last year and one of them the year before, one at least was very scenic on a cold but clear sunny day

 

[zigzag]

i haven't got plans for smaller rides, but so far i've signed up for mille alba 1000k and bryan chapman 600k. i was going to ride kernow&sw, but my mrs is doing a 10k run that weekend and wants my support.. i'm also doing my first 200k this saturday - 'poor student' starting in oxford.

 

[PpPete]

i haven't got plans for smaller rides, but so far i've signed up for mille alba 1000k and bryan chapman 600k. i was going to ride kernow&sw, but my mrs is doing a 10k run that weekend and wants my support.. i'm also doing my first 200k this saturday - 'poor student' starting in oxford.

See you on Saturday then (but probably only briefly at the start) !

Planning to enter the Bryan Chapman too.

 

[arallsopp]

Other than that I'm only aiming to do 100s at the moment, and to enjoy riding in different areas of the country by making use of my camper van. I'm at that stage where I can't really imagine doing the distances some of you talk about!

In a different life, I'd be all over that. Unfortunately, in this one I have domestic obligations that preclude it.

Oh, and having ridden with you, I see no reason why you shouldn't keep going into mega mileages. Its not a matter of imagination. Its a matter of pushing one pedal round, and then the other one.

 

[PpPete]

I agree !
Keep doing the 100s, then maybe a 150 (I can recommend the New Forest one as being relatively flat) and before you know it 200s are possible, then a few more and 200s become "routine" (if never "easy") and you start to think about 300s.

Maybe worth investing in some different tyres (and maybe even new rims) which are an easy combination to fit (such as Mavic rim + Michelin tyres) and/or geting a VAR lever or one of the other clever ones that amplify your natural leverage.

 

[Terry Kay]

I've only recently got back into cycling and remember first reading about Audaxes a few weeks back.. Not a chance! I thought to myself..

Now my fitness levels are improving and I'm actually looking for longer routes back home I'm seriously considering entering one.. Finger crossed I can pick up a road bike on the CTW scheme around April and it just so happens there a 100km starting not 200m from my front door in June!

Not making any kind of resolutions but certainly something to aim for and look forward to!

 

[LouiseL]

TMN in my first year audaxing (and cycling) I think I must have been the lanterne rouge on every single ride so I do know just how you feel. Last year I was surprised to find that there are people who ride slower than me, but not very many on a 200 . Even so, I have got to know a great many lovely people over the past year. It's now rare for me to do a ride and not find either someone I know who is also doing it and is happy to keep me company for a few miles at the start before racing off to catch up with the faster lads or else someone going at about my pace to ride with (even if they are taking it slowly so I can keep up). I think you and I ride at a similar pace. Let me know what rides you are doing. I'd be happy to ride with you if I can but in the event of a mechanical I can only offer morale support as I'm pretty clueless!

I'm a member of cycle rescue. It's about £30 ish a year I think ( it comes as standard with my insurance so I'm unsure of the exact cost). This provides peace of mind in the event of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a borked bike. Confession time- I wrote my previous (carbon) bike off on the second audax I ever did with about 50k to go. I cracked the top tube falling off on the way down a hill. It got me back ok but it was like sitting on a jelly and shouldn't have been ridden. No amount of mechanical know how could have solved that one.

I always carry a Var lever. I struggle with tyres too.

As regards distances, the furthest I had ever ridden last February was 200k (and that near finished me off) and I couldn't imagine being able to do even a 400 never mind the rest. PBP was double the furthest I had ever ridden and my only 600 was by far the easiest one of that distance in the calendar! At the time I rode the 600 I wasn't intending to do PBP so wasn't "in training" and wanting a tougher ride. The distance alone was enough of a challenge! I thought PBP was for the real long distance loonies and I wasn't capable of that! Martin Brice thankfully persuaded me otherwise. I've found the trick is not to look at the whole distance, break it up. It's only......km to the next control. Easy peasy I know I can do that distance so just point the bike and pedal as Arallsop has pretty much said. All you need is a bit of determination and a large dose of stubborness and before you know where you are the ride is finished and it was nowhere near as hard as you thought it was going to be!

 

[LouiseL]

I'm doing both of those but am intending to ECE them both to 200 unless the weather is evil. I'd be happy to ride the 100k legs with you.

 

[DCLane]

Erm ... having never heard of them until the end of last year - to do one. I'm doing my first sportive next month (3 booked) and a 100/200 would be interesting.

 

[martint235]

i haven't got plans for smaller rides, but so far i've signed up for mille alba 1000k and bryan chapman 600k. i was going to ride kernow&sw, but my mrs is doing a 10k run that weekend and wants my support.. i'm also doing my first 200k this saturday - 'poor student' starting in oxford.

Out of interest, how are you getting to Oxford? I'm hoping to do quite a few audax this year but the big blocker is getting to the start of some of them.

I also thought of doing the "Poor Student" but it's my mrs birthday this weekend so spending the time with her instead.

 

[zigzag]

Out of interest, how are you getting to Oxford? I'm hoping to do quite a few audax this year but the big blocker is getting to the start of some of them.

i'll be taking a 6:21 train from paddington and 19:01 from oxford, if all goes to plan. train to/from bristol for bryan chapman (the thought of riding there crossed my mind, but probably - not). haven't decided regarding mille alba - car/train/plane?

 

[frank9755]

I've found the trick is not to look at the whole distance, break it up. It's only......km to the next control. Easy peasy I know I can do that distance so just point the bike and pedal as Arallsop has pretty much said. All you need is a bit of determination and a large dose of stubborness and before you know where you are the ride is finished

Some sound advice in Louise and Pete's posts but, for me, this is the most important bit. I started to enjoy riding long distances when I stopped 'clock-watching', constantly looking at how far I had ridden. Now I switch the mileage display off and concentrate on the scenery, how I am feeling, chatting to someone and being in the moment. The control, or the food stop or the place to sleep always arrives, without me spending my mental energy willing it to!

Of course, having ridden over 150km with TMN on two successive days, then 100km on the third day - all at a good pace, I know she's not going to have any issues with 200km, and I'm not inclined to bet against her knocking off some 300s, 400s and 600s over the summer!