what is an audax?
- Thread starter the_bing
- Start date
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Ian H
Ancient randonneur
PK99 said:
I've got a nice little 100 miler on June 6 next year - 150ish km populaire - which is a 'warm-down' event the day after a hilly 200km - The Valley of the Rocks 200.
You're welcome to try one or both.
If you want something more serious I can offer a 600 the weekend before.
Bugner
New Member
- Location
- Sarf London
scoosh said:The differences in a nutshell:
Audax is cheap, self-supporting, you are given the route (advisory, not compulsory), there are time limits (usually pretty generous) but it is not a race (allegedly).
Sportive is more expensive, route is signposted, back-up is available (food, water, tech), often timed, sometimes sponsored, considered a race by some.
Route maynot be complusory, but you have to pass through Control Points and Check Points where you either get your card stamped, or you have to write down an answer to a question on your card to prove you didn't miss out a check point.
Also whilst, Audaxes are officially self-supporting, every Audax I have done (only started 'Audaxing' this year, but have now done eight) every single one provided either free or very cheap food at the end or at some of the checkpoints.
I love the Audaxes, a great way to see the countryside and stumble upon little country pubs that demand a re-visit. I have come across Bison and Llamas (SERIOUSLY) and if I had panniers I would come back with them full of fresh produce, which you see along the way outside homes accompanied by the honesty boxes.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
When I was riding one of my early 200s (kms; approx. 125 miles) I got chatting to another rider and told him it was only about my 3rd ride of that distance. He turned to me and in a slightly bored voice said "Hmm - I hardly ever bother with rides less than 300 km nowadays, 200s are just so easy..."PK99 said:
I thought it was a strange thing to say because you can make any ride as hard as you want by just riding faster. If averaging 15 kph is 'easy', try 20, 25 or even 30!
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
So have I!Bugner said:
Bad Company
Very Old Person
- Location
- East Anglia
Audax, hmmm. Sounds like something to do with your ears.
Bad Company said:Audax, hmmm. Sounds like something to do with your ears.
http://www.greenbank.org/misc/audax.jpg
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
It's what distances you're used to. I've been riding no more than 50 miles a day in 2 or more trips for years. The result is I hit a brick wall at 40 to 45 miles, up until that point I'm damn quick, after that point I'm seriously slow.Greenbank said:You'd be surprised at how many annoyingly fit looking roadies look fine at 100 miles (160km) and not so good 40km later at 200km.
I'm not fast (I usually do a 200 in about 10 hours, sometimes up to 14!) but I can keep plodding along like that for days.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Are you sure that you aren't just bonking? I could ride pretty quickly for that distance (somewhere flat - not round here) but if I only drank water, I'd be reduced to a grovelling wreck at about that point.GrasB said:It's what distances you're used to. I've been riding no more than 50 miles a day in 2 or more trips for years. The result is I hit a brick wall at 40 to 45 miles, up until that point I'm damn quick, after that point I'm seriously slow.
I got a close-up view of the difference between a sportive and an audax when I did the Gridiron in the New Forest last week. The Gridiron isn't strictly an Audax as I guess it is not run as part of Audax UK, but it is run on the same lines with routesheets and brevet cards. The Wilier New Forest 100 was taking place at the same time and the routes intertwined regularly.
So here is my list (not entirely serious and written by someone who has done both audaxes and sportives in the past) of the observed differences:
The sportive had arrows directing them along the route - we had a route sheet
They had bright young things on the side of the road doling out energy drinks - we had the WI serving tea
Their participants carried (by and large) very little beyond a seatpack, a multitool and energy bars - we carried panniers full of tools and sandwiches (and I even managed to add some sloeberries)
They kept going - we stopped at every opportunity - pubs, sloeberry picking etc
They had skinny bikes with skinny tyres - we had mountain bikes with nobbly tyres
They were dressed by Assos - we were dressed by Wiggle
None of them had child seats on the back
They (probably) got medals - we got a piece of card stamped
No-one took any pictures of us en route in the hope we would buy them later on
They had a motorbike and mechanics - we had that pannier full of tools
So here is my list (not entirely serious and written by someone who has done both audaxes and sportives in the past) of the observed differences:
The sportive had arrows directing them along the route - we had a route sheet
They had bright young things on the side of the road doling out energy drinks - we had the WI serving tea
Their participants carried (by and large) very little beyond a seatpack, a multitool and energy bars - we carried panniers full of tools and sandwiches (and I even managed to add some sloeberries)
They kept going - we stopped at every opportunity - pubs, sloeberry picking etc
They had skinny bikes with skinny tyres - we had mountain bikes with nobbly tyres
They were dressed by Assos - we were dressed by Wiggle
None of them had child seats on the back
They (probably) got medals - we got a piece of card stamped
No-one took any pictures of us en route in the hope we would buy them later on
They had a motorbike and mechanics - we had that pannier full of tools
