Audax rides

You would have been over speed anyway. 😉
The final control hasn't opened yet.

Sounds racist

I think it's because they're races.

That is correct.
Paul Stweart, the DIY organiser, said as much a couple of years ago when the though crossed my mind as a way to win my club audax trophy

Ah, I think it's because they're races.

(Personally I think TCR/TABR should be allowed. They may be races but they're ridden in a very similar ethos to DIY Audaxes: unsupported, no drafting, self sufficiency, etc. Participants are so spread apart that it being a 'race' is pretty immaterial.)

AUK is a big bucket of discrepancies and exemptions. People DIY up Vatternrundan and that's pretty much a race. Anyway.

lalalalalala

The 24h TT pre-dates Audax UK. It used to be the way to qualify for PBP before AUK existed.

Points for distance covered in the 24 acknowledges that and boosts AUK participation in the 24, which helps keep the event running.

Got quite a nice trophy from AUK for that :)

Gotcha!

People DIY up Vatternrundan and that's pretty much a race. Anyway.

I didn't, because its not an Audax. You spend 90% of the ride drafting big groups, and they even have a broom wagon ffs.

Also going to be there on the Galashiels ride

How did you get on? Rain was a real bugger! Sorry we didn't get a chance to chat. What were you riding?

Managed to complete my SR this weekend. All in Scotland so got the Audax Ecosse medal too. #rideforbling

Glad to be that fool.

Wait are there stricter conditions for DIYs than for organised events then? I've never considered doing a DIY but that surprises me.

In my view an audax is just riding your bike a long way for the sake of riding your bike a long way. Don't mind whether there are controls with cake and mechanics on hand, whether you're riding on the wheel of a dozen Swedes, whatever. The difference between an audax and a race is not how spread out the participants are but that the aim of a race is to win. The 24hr TT is an interesting anomaly! The fact that it was a validated long distance ride before there was a UK-based long distance ride validator I suppose means it has a place in the history of UK audaxing.

As far as self-sufficiency goes - which, sure, is a key part of the audax idea, I guess I think of it in terms of self-sufficiency on the bike, i.e. carrying with you what you need to keep moving forwards. The rules for the self-sufficiency ultra race things obviously need to be much stricter than what I think is needed for a ride to be an 'audax'.

I mean people take all kinds of different standpoints on stuff like this and I'm not hugely invested in it either way. I just hadn't heard about DIYs being more strict.

In other news, I'm planning on ECEing the Mildenhall Festival 200 next saturday (from Colchester) to try and build up some condition for the Fenland Friends - having not done >=100 miles yet this year :s

For anyone following it, if I've got my sums right, Shaun has surpassed Steve's FWC record. I think it was Mille Cymru + 200ECE that took him through.

I wonder how many points he'll finish on? Or whether Justin will go on a run between now and the end of season to steal it from him?

The difference between an audax and a race is not how spread out the participants are but that the aim of a race is to win.

Sure, but for a ride like TCR there's only 2 or 3 people who are really going for the win. For everyone else they're racing themselves and pushing hard to get to the finish (which is no real difference than an Audax).

I can see how shorter races (i.e. sportives up to 300km) are different from an Audax but TCR/TABR are nothing like a 'race' for the majority of riders.

Put it another way, what's the difference in real terms between, say, Hippy doing TABR during proper TABR time and him riding the TABR route as a DIY ride a month later? I can't see anything materially important really. If anything the rules are slightly easier if he DIYs it (you'd be able to book accommodation in advance, you can have things sent to you en route, etc all of which are verboten on TABR).

And it's not as if there isn't an unofficial 'first finisher' ethos within Audax itself (I've just never troubled the adjudicators...)

Agree - many people treat audaxes as races and get round as quick as they can (not criticising them as I generally do). Also some people treat the TCR or other ultra races like an audax or a tour.

I did a sportive as DIY for RRTY 🤷🏽‍♂️

Broke so many sportive 'rules' as well .. not being competitive, sucking wheels all day but not taking turn in the wind even for a second, stopping and taking photos, not wearing a bandana, not being a white bald man etc.

#yolo

I am still a yung audaxer but fuck the rules. Apart from making to all controls and finishing in time limit.

You also turn up to do perms without the instruction sheet and have no idea where the controls are.

I think it's an important distinction because of Audax UK's insurance, they have to draw the line somewhere. If they allowed things that identify as races as DIY's, then why not in the calender?

are ACP's rules a bit loose in comparison? all audaxes in India are under ACP, they'll burst into laughter before I could say the word insurance.

Insurance is a consideration but AUK's insurance is a last resort. If riders are covered for other reasons (CUK membership, 3rd party liability on home insurance, etc) then that insurance is used if a claim is required. AUK's insurance only kicks in if the rider doesn't have anything else.

AUK's insurance wouldn't cover riders on TCR/TABR since it is a race, but riders of those events should have their own insurance anyway (I think it's a requirement of TCR/TABR), so AUK's insurance should not be called upon at any time.

AUK's limitations on what things can be made into rides are mostly because they can't expect DIY organisers to judge whether each individual entrants insurance situation will cover the event. It's easier for them to say "no races, no sportives, etc" and then they know that the default AUK insurance (or the insurance from CUK membership) will cover a rider.

I think it's a requirement of TCR/TABR

It is.

Do you always have to post entries?

To what? Audaxes? No, almost never. I think I've only posted an entry once to Bryan Chapman Mem ride. Most are entry online.

Yeah, sorry should have been more explicit.
I’m trying to enter BGB, my first Audax.
Seems I have to post entry. Unless I’ve missed something??

What is the BGB?

EDIT: Blackpool-G-B http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/18-111/