Audax rides

Going to read the blog, look like an epic ride.

Hopefully it'll happen again in 2015.

Certainly not 2015 - the french ride gets in the way of pretty much everything else.

I'm not sure that it'll ever happen again in that format. But maybe in a few years. The organiser indicated some other ideas were in the pipeline.

The ride is available as a permanent to either be ridden in the 108 hours http://aukweb.net/perms/detail/MR09/ or as a more relaxed pace http://aukweb.net/perms/detail/MR10/ (it would make a great 10-14 day tour).

Chapeau Marucs, it sounded like a tough ride with that heat. Plans to take the Tempo out on a few Audaxes when it arrives?

Indeed yes - looking forward to it - but it may well be next year before it gets taken on Audax rides, what with the Italians taking summer off work and all that, it could be some time before I get it.

Comfort = speed

Meh, depends on different stuff.

A more comfortable ride is less likely to allow you to achieve a higher top end speed. It'll also convert a bit less power to up on a hill.

On the other hand a more comfortable ride will be less draining on the body so over distance you'll be able to keep up a consistently higher output.

Went out to Planet X this evening and had a bash at the Pro Carbon. The roads around the shop are a bit ropey so it was good to see how it handled over stretches of bad surface. I think this could be the one. Going to see if I can have a crack at one of the Genesis bikes but will probably make a decision after that.

A more comfortable ride is less likely to allow you to achieve a higher top end speed. It'll also convert a bit less power to up on a hill.

On the other hand a more comfortable ride will be less draining on the body so over distance you'll be able to keep up a consistently higher output.

You do way more audaxes than I'll ever do, I'm usually on the comfort boat as after the second day of riding, it's much more relaxing letting the bike soak up the vibration and just concentrate on pedalling.

The hardest thing I've done is to disassociate the road buzz equal fast, once I got used to the bike, I don't want to ride anything but that bike.

I'm lucky that I'm not sensitive to any of the nuances of bikes. I read some people's reviews of different bikes or, for example, tyres where they take about suppleness and grip and I wonder what I'm missing as I simply can't detect any differences if I change a thing.

I've done Audaxes on 4 bikes (3 steel and one Carbon Fibre) and all on 23 or 25mm tyres. Never a problem.

Of course I can tell the difference between 35mm tyres on my commuting bike and 25mm on one of the Audax bikes; there are reasonable chunks of my commute where 25mm tyres are horrible, but 99%+ of roads on Audaxes are good enough that 25mm tyres aren't a problem.[1]

Probably also helps that I've got various things to minimise road buzz for the 3 contact points: carbon forks, very stiff soled shoes (although more to eliminate hot foot than road buzz), Brooks Swallow saddle, Spesh BG mitts and MarSAS "Audax" foam under the bar tape. Get these bits right and it'll help minimise the compromises you have to make to the rest of the bike setup for longer distances.

On the fixed I also tend to use tri-bars for comfort and a more aero position.

1. Trying to think of the worst bits of road on Audaxes:
   
   
   

• The roads around Dungeness
  
• The roads as you come back in England near the end of the Bryan Chapman. Specifically that shit near Kinsham.
  
• A whole 5km section just north of Thirsk on LEL 2009.
  

[]The roads around Dungeness
[]The roads as you come back in England near the end of the Bryan Chapman. Specifically that shit near Kinsham.
[*]A whole 5km section just north of Thirsk on LEL 2009.

I would have thought that downhill section to Monmouth on the A466 was a massive wake-up call.

Another was the Ditchling Devil 2012 where the road undergoing resurfacing resulting in the birth of those "gravel grinding" the American love so much.

I agree that most of the stuff in bike reviews is equivalent to the verbiage that comes with things like wine tasting.

However, I can tell when geometry isn't working for me. For instance, the reason I can't get my fixed above 400k isn't just the endless spinning. It's also way to short on the top tube. I've never really understood "flex", "front end grunt" or "really delicious in a peleton" though.

It's been quite an eye-opener what some bike shop people think makes for a good long distance bike. Quite a few recommendations of narrow handlebar sprint machines because "Cav did MSR on something like this and he won". Aye lad and what bike does Cav think he would use for four MSRs back to back whilst trying to enjoy himself an planning on the occasional beer?

23s all year round though, never felt the need for anything else.

You ride on skinnier tyres than the pro!

Bump, to get this onto my following pages in this brave new world.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow - WCW ...

Trying desperately not to look at the forecast. I know it's depressing.

Booked on to the Mildenhall Cycle Rally 200k. Anyone else coming along to that?

Not up to 200s yet but I'm on the Tour of the Hills this Sunday. 2000m climbing in 100km - :s

I wanted to do the Mildenhall 100 but couldn't sort out transport.

Riverside to Riverside ride yesterday, one of the ones starting from Jenner's Cafe in Maidenhead. Gorgeous weather for it and a decent turnout for a midweek ride. About 40 at a guess. A couple of long tough ish climbs and some very nice descents too. There was a threat of showers but they were only drizzly and lasted no more than 2-3 minutes. I was behind the main field at the halfway point - Benson Marina so it was very busy. Decided to forego lunch and grab a sandwich at a village shop. Village shops were few and far between but did find one eventually and refuelled. Rode more than half of the route with fellow forumenger MustardBeak.

That's it for the year for these rides but would be keen to ride them all again next year - Boulter's Bash, 10 Thames Bridges and Riverside to Riverside.

Looking to do a perm this weekend, possibly the Boat Ride. Anyone done that one?

Reminder of our 2nd running of your Steamride- London-Oxford-London 200km event. 6th Sept.
AC Hackney manned controls, revised & reversed route with up to 50% improvement and no flood diversions, now is no better time to enter and bring a friend as a limited supply of Team Captain arms bands are available.
Come early for your FREE LOL Big Breakfast from 7:00-7:40

Don't be fooled by expensive Sportive imitations.

Enter NOW ===>
http://aukweb.net/events/detail/14-600/
http://www.steamride.co.uk

I did the Surrey TotH yesterday. Was fupping hard and as my first ever geared bike ride ever really, I spent much time worrying about what gear I was in.

The Steamride looks boss but I'm away for that one. Which is convenient because I would fail at it anyway...

Having only ridden geared one or two times within memory, a tip I find really useful is for the front ring, small if you're going up hill, big if you're going downhill (and if you're doing neither then lucky you and make the best of it!). Then the back should kind of take care of itself.

Rep.

I think I might have been grinding too high a gear at some points. I have a triple front and have to confess I dropped into the bottom ring for the final climb (21%!!!).

I meant to post a link to this earlier in the year when some photos of the event rolled past in my Instagram feed. It looks like an epic Audax - 2100km in 177hrs to cover the length of Sweden, beginning inside the Arctic Circle and riding in the midnight sun.

http://www.sverigetempot.se/index_en.html

After a succession of variously-caused DNSes, I'm hoping to at least start the following in a couple of weeks:

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-259/#more

205km from Tewkesbury to the Welsh borders and back. A slightly 'lumpy' first 50k but the remainder should be easier. I hope. Expect some very slow-speed 'epic suffering'

Thinking I might have a go at the AAAanfractious 200k.
http://events.paudax.com/anf

Maybe some audaxing will bring back some enjoyment to cycling.

Did the Not Quite the Spurn Head 400 on the weekend from Sowerby Bridge.
Beautiful ride, got a bit dark towards the end of the night riding, very wet for a while but we made it with a couple of hours to spare. Managed to avoid sleep, wasn't expecting that.

Will be a PBP qualifier ride next year, highly recommended.

Mmmm. Streatley Hill.

Love the Anfractuous, only done it once (I think, maybe twice) and promised I'd go back to it on fixed (hmm, Streatley Hill et al).

Might try to see if I can be free that day.

I won't be fixed but will be riding it fast(ish) if I ride it.

This one looks fun, running on 31st from Sparsholt.

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-290/#more

Apparently it goes through Imber as well as up Hackpen Hill (below). Wish I'd noticed it earlier

^ looking forward to it!

About 40km of tracks to contend with, so it's not going to be fast. But as it takes you to places you can't get to very often, it will be interesting.

We're on the tandem for it - should be a giggle.