Audax rides

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.