audex cycling query

[jags]

Any of you folks do any audex riding, i was kinda half thinking of giving one a go later on in the year say a 200km i think the cut off time is 13 hours or something like that .
i've done 100 miles  many a time but its been a while and i was always knackered after it 100 miles on a bike is a bloody long way  .
so any inside info on tackling one of these events plese share..
cheers
jags

[Matt2matt2002]

I want to give a bash.
I did 80 miles with x2 panniers in one day and felt fine afterwards.
May I ask what you will be riding?

Matt

[brummie]

A saying I read once I find is very true:
"Long rides are like short ones. Just longer..." - I find if you ride with-in yourself & eat & drink regularly you'll be fine. ( Regular cycling helps - I commute 20miles daily & have found this sufficient for me to complete longish audax rides.)

[jags]

cheers lads, Matt if i tackle it i will be riding my raleigh road bike converted for light touring   really class bike i have it  the guts of 30 years.theres a photo of it here somewhere. i dont expect it to be easy but as brummi advised i'll take it at my own pace ,actually this is one of the reasons i'm thinking of it. i have done loads of sportives  rides which i hate with a passion there just to competitive for me.

so i suppose come a bit of good weather i had better start getting in the miles.

[Matt2matt2002]

Think my soon to arrive Raven Tour would be suitable?

[jags]

i would think so matt

[il padrone]

cheers lads, Matt if i tackle it i will be riding my raleigh road bike converted for light touring  really class bike i have it  the guts of 30 years.theres a photo of it here somewhere. i dont expect it to be easy but as brummi advised i'll take it at my own pace.

If you do your regular training on a touring bike like the Thorn Nomad or Sherpa, then do the Audax ride on the Raleigh, you should be fine. Just make sure you have done plenty of regular miles.

I have done a few Audax events here in Aus. 200, 250, 300 km events and the 24hr Fleche Opperman (we did 365kms). The Oppy was a bit of a surprise. It's a team event and I'd missed out the year before due to injury, and had thought of doing it again, but no-one I knew had a team organised. Then Audax emailed about a team needing a member to make the min no. of three. They were starting their ride from just around the corner!! I had not ridden a 100km ride for over 3 months, but had been commuting regularly 4-5 days per week. I decided to give it a go - 10 days to the Oppy  . Not much point in doing any training at this stage. I hoped I could hang on and complete the distance.

As it turned out I rode the event really happily on my 28 year old road bike - in fact I was having to slow to the pace of the other two  

A good history of longer rides and a regular fast commute will help you to achieve an Audax brevet. A steady pace is far more important than speed and power. Tortoise and hare.

[jags]

i ride solo these days my average speed is 12.5to13.5 mph i could up that i'm sure with more miles in my legs but to be honest this is the kinda speed i'm dead comfortable at. i could ride my bike all day cycling like that so if those average speeds work for audex then yeah maybe i'll give it a go.

em could i ever get up to doing a big audex through the night oh i dont think so

[Erudin]

My average rolling speed on the Sherbourne 166km audax back in April was 12.7mph, on the Nutty Nuns 200km audax the following week it was 11.2mph (lots of flooded roads). I still had plenty of time to rest and eat at the controls, so an average speed of 12.5mph is fine, you just need to make sure you get to and leave the controls before the closing time printed on the brevet card.

If you are doing 100 mile rides before tackling the 200km you will be fine, just ride at your own pace and to your own strengths (eg. I take it easy on steep hills but go faster on the flat bits), and keep track of where you are on the routesheet even if using a GPS.

Unfortunately I have to work Saturday and Sunday nights so not much opportunity to ride audaxes now .

See also: YACF: Average Audax speeds

[Cambirder]

Think my soon to arrive Raven Tour would be suitable?

All my audax rides are done on my RST and never failed to get round one yet (although I still have the difficult January & February 200's for my RRtY to do yet) so I you should have no problems (need a few more Rolhoffs out there)

If you are riding audax for the first time and are not doing it with anyone you know start with a nice 100k event and make sure you pay attention to the route sheet. I usually study these in advance in unfamiliar territory and I then make my own gpx file up for my Garmin (although I still carry the route sheet as well)

Don't just follow other riders, they may not even be on the same ride as you 

[JWestland]

Hi Jags where and when do you want to do it?

Can't promise I can make it down with wee man/work, but if it's a matter of hopping on a train to IRE could be a fun group outing   

Can go on the hopefully by then built steel 78 racer, go fixed (IF there's not too many steep or very long hills) or bring ye olden XTC and load her up.

Though 200KM fixed, may as well turn it into a charity ride lol.

Just don't be packing any Tesco Shergal errr beef burgers 

[jags]

burgers might just be perfect seen as there full of horse.
no idea jawine when or even what one to tackle i would need to get some serious miles in .
to be honest i want to enjoy it as in ride my own pace 125 miles on the one day is a lot of miles so plenty of using the head pacing i'm pretty good at that 
anyway i'll let you know if i come up with a plan (sha why not.)