what is an audax?

[oxford_guy]

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:

Sounds like an audax would be more type of thing than a sportive, I've done neither yet - most my cycling is commuting or touring - but would be interested in doing an audax, I think.

Would I be able to do an audax with a not-particularly-light touring bike (a Hewitt Cheviot SE with a rear rack and chunky 35mm Schwalbe Marathon XR tyres), though?

 

[Greenbank]

Would I be able to do an audax with a not-particularly-light touring bike (a Hewitt Cheviot SE with a rear rack and chunky 35mm Schwalbe Marathon XR tyres), though?

Yup, you can Audax on anything that is comfortable enough to ride the distance.

I did my early Audaxes on a Aravis Audax, which is the same frame as a Hewitt Cheviot.

I tend to use 25mm tyres, other most common tyre sizes are 23mm and 28mm. Some will use >28mm, no reason why not.

For LEL I used my steel Condor Tempo with 25mm tyres, a rear rack and a rackpack with about 6kg of stuff in it. Badly out of focus picture here:-

http://www.greenbank.org/audax/lel2009/IMG_0177.JPG

Nothing particularly lightweight about that...

 

[jimboalee]

I did my first Audaxes on a Peugeot Carbolite steel rimmed 5 speed with safety handles, friction DT lever and steel stem and bars.

32lb all up.

I rode a 100 on my Halfords Apollo gent's city bike with Sturmey 3 speed and steel mudguards and chainguard.

"5.3 Machines: (i) Any kind of cycle may be ridden provided that it is propelled solely by human muscular effort.
(ii) The responsibility for ensuring that a machine complies with the Road Traffic Regulations rests solely with its rider.
(iii) An event organiser may require full mudguards to be fitted to bicycles and to the single front wheel of tricycles. The requirement for mudguards on an event must be indicated in the AUK Calendar and in the event literature."

 

[GrasB]

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.

For me bonk = splitting headache, legs feel like they're lead & I'll be sweating like a pig. This is different, I feel fine but I just can't put power down in any form & even if I do stop for 30 min, have a snack etc. I can't actually get back to my usual speed.

 

[Ian H]

For me bonk = splitting headache, legs feel like they're lead & I'll be sweating like a pig. This is different, I feel fine but I just can't put power down in any form & even if I do stop for 30 min, have a snack etc. I can't actually get back to my usual speed.

What happens after your usual distance if you ride it at a slower pace?

 

[Theseus]

"5.3 Machines: (i) Any kind of cycle may be ridden provided that it is propelled solely by human muscular effort.
(ii) The responsibility for ensuring that a machine complies with the Road Traffic Regulations rests solely with its rider.
(iii) An event organiser may require full mudguards to be fitted to bicycles and to the single front wheel of tricycles. The requirement for mudguards on an event must be indicated in the AUK Calendar and in the event literature."

So that covers delta trikes, what about tadpole ones?

 

[Ian H]

So that covers delta trikes, what about tadpole ones?

The mudguard rule takes no account of recumbents. Commonsense has to take over.

 

[Scoosh]

The mudguard rule takes no account of recumbents. Commonsense has to take over.

Commonsense ???

Audax ???

Surely the two are mutually incompatible ??

 

[GrasB]

What happens after your usual distance if you ride it at a slower pace?

Only done >50miles at a slower pace in group rides but 5 to 10 miles further I get the same effect but less pronounced.

 

[jimboalee]

The organiser may require pisstake guards across some participant's mouths.

No guards, no ride.

 

[MrRidley]

Oh FFS, an audax is a ride on a bicycle over a set distance, hope that clears things up.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh FFS, an audax is a ride on a bicycle over a set distance, hope that clears things up.

Strictly, it's a ride on a bicycle over a minimum set distance, taking in certain fixed points and averaging at least a minimum average speed and not averaging more than a maximum average speed. Or something like that...!

 

[Ian H]

Only done >50miles at a slower pace in group rides but 5 to 10 miles further I get the same effect but less pronounced.

Makes it sound as if it's just a training issue. for any sort of long distance you need to eat well the day before.

 

[jimboalee]

Strictly, it's a ride on a bicycle over a minimum set distance, taking in certain fixed points and averaging at least a minimum average speed and not averaging more than a maximum average speed. Or something like that...!

Even more strict...

It's a journey made using a vehicle propelled only by the user's muscular effort, visiting designated points, within a time frame.

If the participant is successful, they can purchase a small medal.

 

[Ian H]

Even more strict...

Simplest is: validated by a national audax association.