What's your next Audax?

[Aravis]

Thanks @Cranky Knee Girl. I'll probably get a badge as well but I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Probably put in in an envelope with my brevet cards. Then one day my children will find them when they're sorting out my affairs.

The "carefree touring" comment was really a challenge to myself to do things completely differently. From time to time I like to recall the tours of my youth and it's fun putting them into RwGPS, as least as far as I can remember, and seeing what they looked like. I was maybe carefree to a point, usually having a pretty clear idea of where I was trying to get to. But to illustrate the contrast, a few days ago when planning a possible three day tour and looking at making each day a separate 200 km DiY Audax, I found myself checking the position of a wooden bench relative to a fish and chip shop. Here's the street view, alongside Belfast Lough and perfectly positioned to amble back to the ferryport along the shoreline cyclepath. It looks perfect, but carefree touring this is not:

Looking at the picture again, I'm now thinking I need to look for a pedestrian crossing!

Of the calendar events on the list so far this year the one I'd most like to try is the Heart of England 300 from Cirencester on April 18th. Building up to a 300 at that time would be just about perfect. The perennial problem though; I don't know if I can have the car that day, and a lift to the 6am start is going to cost an awful lot of credits. I suppose the best thing to do is enter and see what develops...

 

[Fiona R]

I’m tempted by Heart of England for 300 but have same problem with getting to start unless I go night before on train and Travelodge, pain not driving anymore. Most of the time it’s fine but independence thing for audax is annoying

 

[Aravis]

I’m tempted by Heart of England for 300 but have same problem with getting to start unless I go night before on train and Travelodge, pain not driving anymore. Most of the time it’s fine but independence thing for audax is annoying

I'm concluding, reluctantly, that this one would be too much aggravation and expense, when I could do a very similar ride from home with no issues at all - apart from turning the pedals for 15 hours of course.

I understand that the definition of a randonneur is someone who has completed a brevet of 200km or more. There is a record of a non-member with a name remarkably similar to mine having finished such a ride in September 2016, but that can't now be linked to my membership number. I'll need to have a calendar 200+ ride on the board as a member before I can feel complete.

One that looks good is the Nederlandse Dubbele 200, from Huntingdon on April 11th. That heads out into lands I've not visited and would be unlikely to go back to. My in-laws live east of Northampton, which creates some possibilities, but they're a little too far from the start for an ECE.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

So I've entered my first ever Calendar event. This is a big deal for me. My first ever audax was going to be the Bolsover Jester which I'll be doing in March. But then I saw the Rutland & Beyond 100km next Sunday (9th Feb).

I've been training on Zwift mostly as I've not been able to get out for a couple of weeks. The more I've been training the more I've been overthinking the March ride despite having done one 100km ride in 35ºC (with no training) and numerous rides of 57 miles for club road rides (including cycle commute). If I had left it another 6 weeks until the Bolsover ride, I'd be a nervous wreck! So I managed to get a place on the Rutland ride starting in Leicester. Entry had closed but I emailed the organiser who very kindly added me to the starting list and sent me the ride info.

It feels silly to be worried about a 100km ride when I want to do audaxes of 200km minimum in the future (first one of those is in May, eeek! 😬 ). I'd love to do a 300km event just to prove to myself that I could.

On the plus side, now that I've entered and I only have 7 days until the event, my always overactive brain (without consulting me) has started planning what I need for the ride, what fettling needs doing to the bike, what food to take, what to eat the night before and for breakfast on the morning, etc., etc.

I am looking forward to the ride and completing the event. I'm also looking forward to when my first audax is over because it will be my first. I'll be fine for my second audax and every one thereafter because I'll know what to expect. And that's the crux of my problem: not knowing what to expect. But fear is a wonderful motivator too.

Apologies for waffling and perhaps being a little silly. As I said at the beginning of my ramble, this is a big thing for me. I want to enjoy it.

A very excited, but anxious Lee.

 

[Fiona R]

So I've entered my first ever Calendar event. This is a big deal for me. My first ever audax was going to be the Bolsover Jester which I'll be doing in March. But then I saw the Rutland & Beyond 100km next Sunday (9th Feb).

I've been training on Zwift mostly as I've not been able to get out for a couple of weeks. The more I've been training the more I've been overthinking the March ride despite having done one 100km ride in 35ºC (with no training) and numerous rides of 57 miles for club road rides (including cycle commute). If I had left it another 6 weeks until the Bolsover ride, I'd be a nervous wreck! So I managed to get a place on the Rutland ride starting in Leicester. Entry had closed but I emailed the organiser who very kindly added me to the starting list and sent me the ride info.

It feels silly to be worried about a 100km ride when I want to do audaxes of 200km minimum in the future (first one of those is in May, eeek! 😬 ). I'd love to do a 300km event just to prove to myself that I could.

On the plus side, now that I've entered and I only have 7 days until the event, my always overactive brain (without consulting me) has started planning what I need for the ride, what fettling needs doing to the bike, what food to take, what to eat the night before and for breakfast on the morning, etc., etc.

I am looking forward to the ride and completing the event. I'm also looking forward to when my first audax is over because it will be my first. I'll be fine for my second audax and every one thereafter because I'll know what to expect. And that's the crux of my problem: not knowing what to expect. But fear is a wonderful motivator too.

Apologies for waffling and perhaps being a little silly. As I said at the beginning of my ramble, this is a big thing for me. I want to enjoy it.

A very excited, but anxious Lee.

Not at all silly. I thought I was silly as I always get anxious before audax, getting there on time/eating/what to wear/route/mechanicals etc I just try and tell myself I'm jumping on my bike like you do to go to work say. Then it's all familiar, turning the cranks. You just keep going a bit longer. I am still nervous but I just tell myself it will be fine once under way, as 99% of the time it is. as you say, once you can tell yourself "I've done it before" that helps hugely.

Enjoy next Sunday. I'm getting nervous as I'm ECEing to The Flapjack the same day which is a routing I've never done before. But I've done plenty of other riding I've never done before so really it's the same as usual. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. I have found out over time that pretty much everyone is nervous at times, perhapsr taking the next step up etc. That helps to know too.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just follow your usual routines for eating before the audax. Remember there will be cafes on the 100km at some point. So just carry enough snacks to eat between controls if necessary.

Not going off too fast, and easing back on the hills can dramatically affect how much you need to eat. Lower intensity means more fat burning of which everyone has unlimited supplies.

Make use of the time available to learn your craft. Trying to go quicker (if you want) can wait till you’ve got all the other stuff worked out.

Best of luck. My next audax is in a couple of weeks. I’m ECEing a 100 up to 200.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Not at all silly. I thought I was silly as I always get anxious before audax, getting there on time/eating/what to wear/route/mechanicals etc I just try and tell myself I'm jumping on my bike like you do to go to work say. Then it's all familiar, turning the cranks. You just keep going a bit longer. I am still nervous but I just tell myself it will be fine once under way, as 99% of the time it is. as you say, once you can tell yourself "I've done it before" that helps hugely.

Enjoy next Sunday. I'm getting nervous as I'm ECEing to The Flapjack the same day which is a routing I've never done before. But I've done plenty of other riding I've never done before so really it's the same as usual. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. I have found out over time that pretty much everyone is nervous at times, perhapsr taking the next step up etc. That helps to know too.

Just follow your usual routines for eating before the audax. Remember there will be cafes on the 100km at some point. So just carry enough snacks to eat between controls if necessary.

Not going off too fast, and easing back on the hills can dramatically affect how much you need to eat. Lower intensity means more fat burning of which everyone has unlimited supplies.

Make use of the time available to learn your craft. Trying to go quicker (if you want) can wait till you’ve got all the other stuff worked out.

Best of luck. My next audax is in a couple of weeks. I’m ECEing a 100 up to 200.

Thanks for this. I’m sure I’ll be fine. At least, I know I will be fine after say... 102km! I think one of the skills I’m hoping to learn, and know I have to learn, is pacing myself. Like you say, riding at lower intensity and taking my time up the hills. Save the speed for the flat and enjoy the rest when going downhill. And as you mentioned, just keep going for a little longer.

Good luck on your ECE @Cranky Knee Girl I’m sure you will enjoy finding your way. That’s the appeal for me: finding new places where I’ve never ridden before and probably wouldn't have thought of riding. The adventure.

 

[Fiona R]

I think it's the riding to the start for a particular time that makes me nervous, I have been v late before, but all that happened was I rode on my own all day. I'm used to that, and expect it.

Sage advice re the monitoring your speed, nothing worse than blowing up! Eat and drink little and often.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You do find riders maxing out their heart rates on hills then cruising just above resting on the flat. Huge variance in effort. Alternately overheating and sweating then cooling and chilling. Crazy really.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

You do find riders maxing out their heart rates on hills then cruising just above resting on the flat. Huge variance in effort. Alternately overheating and sweating then cooling and chilling. Crazy really.

Would they have anything left to complete the distance? I won’t be doing maxing out my heart rate. I just want to get round in the time limit.

 

[Milzy]

I'd like to do a 100 mile local one. Could do with doing a bit of research.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I'd like to do a 100 mile local one. Could do with doing a bit of research.

Typical of me, when I wanted to research on this, I bought a book ‘The Long Distance Cyclists’ Handbook’ by Simon Doughty. I managed to get a copy in very good condition second hand. It’s got some useful stuff in it covering everything you could possibly want to know.

I did also read the threads on here, of course

From my research, all Audaxes are in kilometres so you’d have to choose from 150km or 200km depending on what’s on near to you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Would they have anything left to complete the distance? I won’t be doing maxing out my heart rate. I just want to get round in the time limit.

What usually happens is that they are some of the first into the first and second controls but after that blow up and limp to the finish with many more steady riders passing them.

 

[Dogtrousers]

From my research, all Audaxes are in kilometres so you’d have to choose from 150km or 200km depending on what’s on near to you.

100k and 200k are the bread and butter distances but you do get quite a few at other distances, including 160k

Search at
https://audax.uk/choose-a-ride/calendar-events/

Or the old skool search, which returns the same data

http://www.aukweb.net/events/

 

[Ajax Bay]

I’d never thought about others’ approaches as affecting the status of mine.

They don't, so the only effect on another rider is if they can offer windbreak or conversational opportunities.

you do get quite a few at other distances, including 161k

Amended that for you.