graham bowers
Guru
- Location
- NW Leicestershire
How usual is it for riders to be allowed to start before the published time please? I experienced this on the Prison Run a few weeks ago as it was a deteriorating weather forecast.
Graham
Graham
Starting earlier than the published time
- Thread starter graham bowers
- Start date
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- Tags
- time
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gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
Are the prisoners allowed to escape on a bike then?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
You're allowed to start whenever you like if it's on public roads...
OP
OP
graham bowers
Guru
- Location
- NW Leicestershire
Nope, only allowed to run!
OP
OP
graham bowers
Guru
- Location
- NW Leicestershire
OK, let me rephrase my question................
How usual is it for riders to be timestamped out before the published time please?
How usual is it for riders to be timestamped out before the published time please?
jefmcg
Guru
I've never experienced this**, but I guess I've only done less than a dozen audaxes. Sounds like this was a preplanned thing. Did you get an email letting you know this was going to happen?
If it's something you want to do on a particular audax, you should contact the organiser. He/she may well be happy to allow this - especially if you have a good reason, as it's extra work for them. I wouldn't expect them to turn up early to give you your card, but they could allow you to collect receipts/atm slips around the route, effectively doing a DIY on the same day as the official ride. This would be necessary if you are a fast (>=30kph) rider, as you may get to the controls before they open.
However, if the time of an official event doesn't suit, I contact your regional DIY organiser and just do it on a time and date that works for you.
**I haven't experienced a exactly what you described, but I signed up for The Willy Warmer in January a few years ago when truly terrible weather postponed it. All entrants could do it on their own any time in the next 3 weeks. Audaxes have to very flexible in winter.
Edit: most audaxes I have been on I could have set off before the official start time. Cards take a while to hand out, and so most people have them before the start time. This would be cheating, but I doubt anyone would call you on it. I mean, with audax, you are only really cheating yourself.
If it's something you want to do on a particular audax, you should contact the organiser. He/she may well be happy to allow this - especially if you have a good reason, as it's extra work for them. I wouldn't expect them to turn up early to give you your card, but they could allow you to collect receipts/atm slips around the route, effectively doing a DIY on the same day as the official ride. This would be necessary if you are a fast (>=30kph) rider, as you may get to the controls before they open.
However, if the time of an official event doesn't suit, I contact your regional DIY organiser and just do it on a time and date that works for you.
**I haven't experienced a exactly what you described, but I signed up for The Willy Warmer in January a few years ago when truly terrible weather postponed it. All entrants could do it on their own any time in the next 3 weeks. Audaxes have to very flexible in winter.
Edit: most audaxes I have been on I could have set off before the official start time. Cards take a while to hand out, and so most people have them before the start time. This would be cheating, but I doubt anyone would call you on it. I mean, with audax, you are only really cheating yourself.
Last edited:
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
The Eureka 210k I was on had a few who seemed to start a bit earlier; the vast majority didn't. I'm guessing they got their card stamped and just set off earlier than the scheduled start time.*
* I only know because I passed them about 20-35 minutes later, having seen a few riders start about 10-15 minutes early.
* I only know because I passed them about 20-35 minutes later, having seen a few riders start about 10-15 minutes early.
OP
OP
graham bowers
Guru
- Location
- NW Leicestershire
I found out when I arrived and was kitting up that it was OK to leave as soon as I was ready. If it was pre-planned, it was not communicated to me before I arrived, which was a shame. The weather forecast was bad, and it started raining heavily from 12.
I don't have a particularly good reason for wanting to start early, other than I'm good at early starts, so end up hanging around.
It sounds like its exceptional, which is a good answer. I'm not wanting to go down the path of making extra work for the organisers.
Thanks for the replies - especially the helpful ones ;-))
Graham
I don't have a particularly good reason for wanting to start early, other than I'm good at early starts, so end up hanging around.
It sounds like its exceptional, which is a good answer. I'm not wanting to go down the path of making extra work for the organisers.
Thanks for the replies - especially the helpful ones ;-))
Graham
