Author Topic: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?  (Read 17767 times)

martinf

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #45 on: January 19, 2023, 08:31:22 am »
Rather than having two bags like MickeG, I have one bigger Carradice Camper saddlebag on my Raven Sport Tour. I also have a slightly smaller Carradice Nelson Long Flap which fits the same support and is sufficient for day rides in the summer.

The photo is from 2018. Not changed the usual luggage setup, but I have added a rack to carry rear panniers, useful for some trips. The rack is easy to remove, but so far I haven't bothered, I don't notice the extra weight.
And I now have wider tyres (42 mm Supremes), smaller chainring and Chainglider.   

The saddlebag can be quickly transferred to my other "lightweight", a 1977 Woodrup frame, currently set up with 5-speed hub gears. I originally intended to keep this as a traditional derailleur bike, but I hardly ever used it since getting the Raven Sport Tour, it gets a bit more use now.

PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #46 on: January 19, 2023, 10:15:18 am »
I found it was so convenient to get phone from pocket, snap a photo, replace phone and get moving that after two days the camera went into the luggage carried by the van. More photos triumphed over fewer potentially better photos.
I agree, though a bar bag scores highly in this regard, it's no less convenient than a pocket.  For these sorts of rides it doesn't offer much other advantage, unless I'm using a mapcase, which is unlikely, the other bits that go in it will fit in pockets or TT bag. It's different on tour, I'll use it for other stuff and it doubles as a bag for time off the bike.
Though I reserve the right to change me mind  ;) current thinking is a 500g bag to carry a 450g camera is something I can do without.  It's not even as if my camera photos are any better than my phone ones, not for keeping memories and sharing online which is all they're used for, it's just I prefer using the camera!

PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #47 on: January 19, 2023, 10:33:01 am »
Rather than having two bags like MickeG, I have one bigger Carradice Camper saddlebag on my Raven Sport Tour. I also have a slightly smaller Carradice Nelson Long Flap which fits the same support and is sufficient for day rides in the summer.
Up till now, I've had two bags, on two bikes, both with Bagman supports.  A Pendle and the equivalent without pockets (Cadet or Junior?) I've swapped them around depending on the ride.
The old adage about nature abhorring a vacuum seems to apply to my packing, whichever I use it's always full!  Maybe smaller bags with cure that, or maybe it'll prove a compromise... I am also packing a 4L stuffsack and Velcro strap to attach to the rack top, I'm hoping to limit additional clothing to this.  Clothing wise I have what I need, except I could probably do with a more packable waterproof, I have a couple of decent ones, but they're not ideal for carrying on a just in case basis.

mickeg

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #48 on: January 19, 2023, 05:47:05 pm »
...  I enjoyed reading Dan and mickeg's Randonneuring experience, is it just the British who call it Audaxing? ...

Living in USA, I have seen many written descriptions of ... randonneuring (or audax in UK), as ...

But, the sport is so rare here that if I refer to randonnering, some people will confuse that with off trail snow skiing (Randonee).

I am unaware of any others that refer to it as Audaxing, and this thread is the first time I have seen an ing added to the end of the word Audax.  But I would not be surprised if the word Audax or Audaxing is used in Australia or New Zealand.

I usually have a rear rack on my rando bike, but I have always removed it before a brevet, as I usually have the heaviest bike there and if I had a rack I am sure it would generate some odd comments, so I remove the rack.  The last brevet I did, only one other had a steel frame bike and his was completely custom, the rest of the bikes were titanium or carbon.  I get enough odd looks from others by having a kickstand.  I recall seeing so many titanium bikes that I commented that I should have brought my titanium bike instead.  But my titanium bike is geared for loaded touring with a much lower first gear, has slower rolling 37mm tires, etc.  It is lighter than my rando bike but rides slower with those tires.  The rando bike has 32mm tires and a road triple crankset which I find is ideal for randonneuring in my area.

PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #49 on: January 20, 2023, 06:51:27 pm »
30 mile revision, yes thirty I haven't left any 0's off  ::)
Went out for a short blast in yesterdays cool sunshine, warmed up enough after ten miles to take a mid layer off, no room in the seatpack, stuff sack out (Which required half unpacking the pack) dropped the Velcro strap (And a glove) in the mud. I'd say that was one big fail, even before considering something was rattling in it...
Worked out how light I could make a Carradice type bad with easy fittings, even accepting less durability, I can't save much the one John linked too, so have bought one of those (On offer at SJS) and will refit the Bagman (After drilling some holes in it, only kidding)
Good news is the bike was flying along, I'm sure that's because of the 2kg removed rather than that I've been riding the Nomad for months...
My 2.6kg saving is now 2.1, I think I'm going to leave it at that, at least until I've done some rides of randonnering length.  Thanks for all the interesting contributions.


Danneaux

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #50 on: January 20, 2023, 10:50:42 pm »
Quote
I'd say that was one big fail...
Paul! I'd say it was a grand success in terms of uncovering some problems early and near home so you can address them. I'm a BIG believer in shakedown runs and backyard camping to work the bugs out before I find myself hundreds of kms from home.

Well done, you, for getting things settled-out and making for a clearer path going forward.

Of course, would love to see photos of your "next" setup.

All good wishes and happy rides, Dan.

PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #51 on: January 21, 2023, 10:08:21 am »
Quote
I'd say that was one big fail...
Paul! I'd say it was a grand success
Thanks Dan, I'm trying not to take this stuff too seriously.  In part it's a distraction from my nervousness about the ability to get back to a level of fitness where these rides are enjoyable. I'm pretty confident about possible, but that isn't the same thing!
There might be a spanner in the works, I have the chance of a job working two weekends a month.  It makes financial sense, I could drop a lot of weekday work so it'd give me more free time, but my Audax plans would be severely disrupted.

Danneaux

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #52 on: January 21, 2023, 07:40:32 pm »
Paul, FWIW I think your approach is a good one. Except for outright competition, cycling should include an element of fun to be satisfying long-term. That said, randonneuring/Audax is one of the more enjoyable forms of "sportive" cycling as there is a sort of low-key competitive element and most of that is self-competition and goal-reaching. There is a "first finisher" but no "winner" in the usual sense so that takes some pressure off. Of course, some commitment is necessary if you wish to climb the ladder to meet the requirements for, say, Paris-Brest-Paris. That requires you ascend past the 400km rides to the Super-Randonneur events and that takes a chunk of training time and commitment. I think you have to also be in the headspace to do it and I am not. 400km is my upper limit as beyond that seems pointless for me compared to other forms of cycling I prefer more for enjoyment and, yes, fun. And, too, as I have progressed through Life some of my priorities have changed and I am now less driven to the extremes of accomplishment than when I was younger.

It is easy to get hung-up on the numbers/distances involved with randonneuring/Audax, but in the end it is just a long(er) bike ride than usual and you can either do it on your own (as I most often do) or as part of an organized event with others, as George (mickeg) has done.

The good news about the formal events is they tend to have pretty generous time limits so it is fairly easy to come in under the cutoff...or if you go alone, to practice hitting the mark and I'd recommend that first before formally signing-on for an event. By practicing in your own, you'll gain experience and build a mileage base for the real thing, all pressure-free. Official average speeds as determined by cutoffs  move right along but aren't super-fast. As I recall, the Audax maximum time allowance for the 200km is 13 hours 30 minutes, and for the 400km is 27 hours. That's a 14.8kmh (9.19mph) average. Longer distances have even lower averages based on more generous time allowances. A 1200km super-randonneur has a 90 hour limit making for a 13.3kmh average (8.28mph). That doesn't mean one actually travels that slow when riding. What it means is it allows for rest breaks, toilet stops, food intake and, yes, naps along the way. Your average is 0 while off the bike, so any stop chips away at the average. This is one reason why I generally take food to nibble on while I ride, so I can avoid stopped time off the bike (or make it count with a refreshing nap).

On windless flats when in good condition, I can hum along in a window between 27-33.8kmh (17-21mph). Each hour I do that counts for about two hours' riding at the minimum speed, so I can build up a "cushion" that allows for stops or mishaps like unexpected repairs or naps.

I find it helps to become familiar with doing quick TSD -- Time, Speed, Distance -- calculations in the back of my mind as I ride along so I now how I'm keeping pace. Yes, my computers have Average Speed and even pacing arrows to let me know if I'm on track or need to hurry things up a bit, but I find it helpful to have some idea myself. Obvious, but I'll point it out anyway: Randonneur/Audax cutoff times are based on Average Overall including stops. Many computers only display a Running Average based on actual time and distance and go to sleep or stop recording when you stop. These tend to be more common and if you have one, be sure to keep that in mind as I once got caught out as more time had actually slipped by than I realized. An aside...I once got my hands on a rally-specific Halda Tripmaster, a mechanical rally-specific TSD calculator. Such fun! A day went by before I came up for air. It was eclipsed by the SpeedPilot I saw later. Google the names if you're interested in learning more about an essential tool that was key to classic rallying back in the day.

Dunno if it might help to share my general training strategy, but here goes...

If I take the calendar year as a start, in January I make sure I start putting in time and distance on my Fixie as I find it refines my form and builds fitness the fastest. I typically start by working up to consistent 100km ceilings, adding not distance but hills as I grow more fit. Once I hit the 100km mark with ease and regularity, I switch to my geared bikes and build in increments so I am comfortably able to do each level 10-15 times before moving up a notch. For me, comfortable increments are 113km, 150km, and then 200km. I stick at 200km pretty consistently for awhile and then find I can pop up to 250 and then 300 more easily building on that 200km base. The stretch from 300-400km is always a big one for me not so much because of the distance, more because by necessity it takes me into much more demanding terrain (unless I want to do endless loops in low-altitude farmland...okay once in awhile but boring for me after the second time around).

I try to get in my highest mileage rides between early July and late September, simply because I have an adequate training base by then to make them relatively easier and injury-free.

I sure don't do 400km rides very often because they do require an extra time commitment for training and preparation and as mentioned before, it is a LOT of riding in the dark. I don't mind night rides as part of a tour of starting early/coming into camp late, but much of my enjoyment while riding comes from the scenery and when it is really dark, that is limited to a pretty small cone of light so I don't see very much and find that disappointing and, frankly, unfulfilling for the amount of effort I'm putting in. I'd rather turn the same distance into a mini-tour of 12 hours' riding each day with an overnight in my tent midway before the turnaround or to sleep at 200 as a springboard for subsequent days' rides, as when I need to get from my home in Oregon's southern Willamette Valley to Northern California or Nevada pretty quickly. This also means I maximize daylight so I can take photos and enjoy the scenery along the way.

When you do the longer rides that go into night, it helps to have a lighted display on your navigation equipment. For awhile, I rigged a small button cell-powered LED aimed at the screen on my wired bike computer. As I recall, SIGMA made one for awhile that zip-tied to the handlebars and shone on the display when desired. If you have a Garmin-type sat-nav/computer combo, then I'd suggest placing some small squares of self-adhesive glow-in-dark tape on or by the switches to prevent fumbling for them. I did that with my Edge Touring and found it helpful. Be sure to toss in a wearable LED headlight in case you have to make repairs or fix a puncture in the dark. Cyclists generally have pretty good muscle memory for those things but it sure is faster if you can see! Also, take more spare tubes than you expect (i.e. 2-3) as it is so much faster to swap tubes than to search for and patch a hole, even if you use instant patches (but still take your patch kit!).

I'm big on cue sheets, which means I seldom need to consult a map while underway and that saves time too. Everyone has their own methods, but I adopted mine from WRC Rally (I've long been a fan) and use arrows to indicate turns and note the distances to and in between for the transit sections. It really helps me a lot and I have adopted a variation for touring internationally in unfamiliar areas. In Eastern Europe where everything was written in Cyrillics, I'd spend a few moments with my maps or GPS before bedtime or in the morning, making a cue sheet for the day. I felt it left me more time to devote to scenery and it was easy to check signs against my cue sheet to make sure I was still on track or needed to turn and if so, which way. One of my favorite randonneuring accessories is a little plastic clip with cam-action that velcros to my handlebars and securely holds my cue sheet even in stiff headwinds. Called the CueClip, it is sold here among many other places...
https://www.amazon.com/Cue-Clip-Sheet-Holder-Black/dp/B00DTVUM9Q
Of course you don't need a fancy clip; you can just jot some notes on a piece of paper and tuck it in a pocket or in your HB bag map case. If you do, be sure to use waterproof ink or a pencil and Rite In The Rain paper helps, too, as it doesn't get soggy if you need to fish it out in the pouring rain. Some links...
https://www.riteintherain.com/faqs?gclid=Cj0KCQiAt66eBhCnARIsAKf3ZNGdUcg3bXVV2X2V52pePmHnup_hC8Sjaf_PSQtbWFvwLG6e9uutoKoaAqDAEALw_wcB
...I like my Fisher Space Pen to write with, as it is waterproof, temperature stable and being pressurized, will even write upside-down or at an angle so you don't need to use care in storing it upright. See...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fisher+space+pen&gclid=Cj0KCQiAt66eBhCnARIsAKf3ZNFsepUJEABV-TbstMX5pQlITBf5C-MHS53L8U4qEU_ZWPI5u4DAVtAaAp3aEALw_wcB&hvadid=616991222582&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9033029&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16148862108356411025&hvtargid=kwd-105309480&hydadcr=24659_13611768&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_8hqd6t77ij_e
I prefer mine with a clip so I don't lose it and the chunkier barrel sizes are easier to use with even fingerless biking gloves.

Maybe something here will be helpful, Paul. It's been fun to think about your upcoming efforts and to be asked for thoughts. I'm sure you'll do well and if you find it doesn't work this year or isn't a fun goal, no worries! There's plenty of other ways to enjoy a ride.

Best, Dan.

Moronic

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #53 on: January 22, 2023, 05:02:58 am »
Admirable ambitions, PH, and I look forward to reports on your progress.

Under the heading of "stuff I've picked up that's impressed me" I'll offer the ultralight ratchet allen key and screwdriver set linked here:

https://swiftsports.com.au/shop/prestaratchet-multi-tool-kit-with-20-bits/

You can of course cut back the 20 bits to just the bits you need for your bike.

I've had reason to use it on rides and it's been brilliant. The biggest allen bit was a perfect fit for a loosened crank bolt and the ratchet handle supplied enough torque to get it snug. And the handle's doubling as a tyre lever proved very effective when I stopped to help a road-bike rider on narrow race rubber who had picked up a puncture.
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PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #54 on: January 23, 2023, 09:37:40 am »
Maybe something here will be helpful, Paul.
Best, Dan.
Many thanks Dan, plenty in there that's helpful and all interesting.  I'm not going down the Space Pen route, though I'm glad to now know such things exist.
I've pretty much transitioned from cue sheet to GPX, mostly with a Garmin, but with the route loaded on a phone app as backup.  I said I wouldn't, that I'd use GPX as a backup to the cue sheet, but there's lots of excuses for doing so - partly eyesight, mostly laziness, I've also an impression that as GPX has become so prominent, organisers might be taking less care with the written directions.  I have a small LED on the helmet that covers some of the other issues and a slightly larger one that clips to a cap peak for mechanicals (Also for camping)
Your speeds on the flat are a good bit faster than mine, I rarely maintain more than 25kph for any period of time.  I'm usually trying to maintain 18 -20 as an overall ave, inc stops. I have elapsed time and distance as data fields on the Garmin, for a 20 ave it's an easy calculation, i sometimes do more convoluted ones just for the fun of it.  I'm pretty organised at stops, and the choice of bike means I'm not in need of a break from it, so I frequently leap-frog faster riders or drop out of groups stopping for longer. I don't enter events with plans to ride with anyone else, though It's often the case I'll fall in with others for at least a portion of the ride. 
Earlier in this thread, before the pandemic, I reported on doing three 200's over three days, the same season I  also did three 300's and two 400's.  That's the level of fitness I'd like to get back too, I see no physical barrier to doing so, just a fair climb up from a low base.  I treated 200's as a good day ride, not requiring any additional preparation and aiming to finish with the ability to do the same the next day.  300's treated with a bit of caution, trying to be well rested before but still able to ride the following day, it's probably my favorite distance, though there isn't as much choice as with 200's.  400's are a real challenge, requiring a fair bit of a build up and some planned recovery afterwards, I haven't done that many, 18 over 22 years, but each one is memorable and resulted in a glow of achievement.  That's my limit, I can't go further with out a proper sleep and I'm not fast enough to factor that in, I'm envious of people who can power nap for an hour and wake up refreshed, it leaves me feeling worse than before. 
I do like having that level of fitness, it isn't just about completing the events, all my favorite tours have followed years I've done a lot of them.  Reading this through may look like being obsessed with it, and there's some truth in that, but for me the opposite is true on a ride.  Being fit enough to climb an extra hill just to see what the view is like, or know I can ride another 50 miles if I don't like a campsite, or through the night to take advantage of a tailwind... or simply not thinking about it, it all enhances my cycling.

While sat writing this, the postman (Parcelforce) delivered my new Carradice, first impressions are positive, not jus the weight reduction, it has some handy features missing from my others. 
« Last Edit: January 23, 2023, 09:39:45 am by PH »

PH

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #55 on: January 23, 2023, 10:06:44 am »
Admirable ambitions, PH, and I look forward to reports on your progress.

Under the heading of "stuff I've picked up that's impressed me" I'll offer the ultralight ratchet allen key and screwdriver set linked here:

https://swiftsports.com.au/shop/prestaratchet-multi-tool-kit-with-20-bits/
Thanks Moronic, that looks great, but tools are something I already have too many of! So I've put that on my - Tools I really want, but will never buy list. 
I have two multitools, the excellent Thorn one and something half the weight which has all the functions except the T20, I've been carrying the Thorn all the time, the other has now gone in this lightweight kit.  I used to carry just the individual tools for my bikes, but my tools have been used more on other peoples...
Without wishing to tempt providence, I've only had one mechanical that didn't leave me more broken than the bike! That was a derailleur into the rear wheel caused by a plastic bag blowing into it, snapped mech and three spokes out, I bodged it enough to run it single speed with the wheel trued to pass the brakes,  even then I only rode to the nearest railway station.
It is a tough one, the self supported ethos of these rides means being prepared, and that's very open to interpretation.   


mickeg

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Re: Anyone riding Audax on a Mercury?
« Reply #56 on: January 23, 2023, 01:22:07 pm »
...
 Reading this through may look like being obsessed with it, ...

I have met several randonneurs that sound like they are obsessed at first, but after talking to several, you just start to realize they are like everybody else but they have a different list of things that they enjoy.  I know a gal that rode PBP three times, one of those times she DNF'd a few km from the finish where someone rear ended her and sent her to the hospital.  And one of those times she did not make the time cutoff because she had fallen and had a broken leg, but she finished by pedaling with one leg.  I know her well enough that I do not think she is obsessed, she just has a different list of things she enjoys.


...
https://swiftsports.com.au/shop/prestaratchet-multi-tool-kit-with-20-bits/
Thanks Moronic, that looks great, ...

Without wishing to tempt providence, I've only had one mechanical that didn't leave me more broken than the bike! That was a derailleur into the rear wheel caused by a plastic bag blowing into it, snapped mech and three spokes out, ...

I got lucky a few years ago and got the same set, but with a few less bits when it was on a great sale price.  At that time I paid less than $10 USD.  This is what I got:
https://www.prestacycle.com/product/prestaratchet-multi-tool-kit-ratchet-wtire-lever-handle/

If you get that, a short extension can come in really handy too.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-78-in-magnetic-bit-holder-62692.html
I would expect that you could find something like this in the UK easier than buying it from USA.

This will come in really handy next time I travel somewhere with my S&S coupled bike, that bike needs complete disassembly and reassembly, so a ratchet will be a big time saver.

That said, for most simple things at home that only need one wrench (spanner), I usually grab a tool that does not ratchet, as the total time spent is faster if I am not sorting through which bit I need to put in the ratchet.