Audax rides

I did my first 200 on Saturday as an ECE + Flitchbikes. So far 6 FWC + 6 Championship points. Brevet 500 and 400K left for the 1000k. Of course all on fixed.

I got a bar bag on the second Audax and as you say I don't like the clip-on system. Thinking of selling it for a bag to place on top of the rack. If I didn't have a GPS I probably would have find it more useful for maps and/or route sheets..

I would like to organise a 200 DIY to Cambridge and back to London anyone fancy join me?

A cheap strap on.

bag that is, a strap on bag.

Muahahaha

examples?

For bar bags I still really love my Decathlon bag, even after about six years of use. It doesn't have a map pocket as such but it does have a webbing pouch at the front that can hold folded up pieces of road atlas and routesheets. It's big enough to hold a jacket, shoe covers, light lock, lights, wallet etc and unmounts pretty easy. It also has a shoulder strap so that you can carry it sround nice and easy off the bike.

If you want a visible map pouch then Altura, Carradice and even Ortlieb do these in varying degrees of cost and quality. However, as far as I can tell the map pouch bit never tends to last that long. For that reason I've bought a maptrap (from SJS our fine sponsors), which is really good and has the added benefit of being usuable without the weight and drag of the bar bag if it's not needed.

A cheap strap on.

bag that is, a strap on bag.
yeh, the wife will be delighted when I start googling that...

I did my first 200 on Saturday as an ECE + Flitchbikes. So far 6 FWC + 6 Championship points. Brevet 500 and 400K left for the 1000k. Of course all on fixed.

I got a bar bag on the second Audax and as you say I don't like the clip-on system. Thinking of selling it for a bag to place on top of the rack. If I didn't have a GPS I probably would have find it more useful for maps and/or route sheets..

I would like to organise a 200 DIY to Cambridge and back to London anyone fancy join me?
nice effort! are you thinking of pbp? Think that might need another thread...I have a local decathlon, so I will pop in and have a little looky for a cheap bar bag. I like the idea of a separate map pouch and avoiding the clipon, too. I'm going to try to steer clear of GPS reliance for now, but may well go for it if my map-reading deteriorates in teh dark, cold, rain and tiredness I will soon encounter.

any ideas for the rack-top bag, anyone?

Wanabe- http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=4827 - That's a good one for the price pretty sure Greenbank or Fixedwheelnut uses it.

Holds 30 litres worth, pretty sure you could pick it up cheaper elsewhere online.

Hi Wannabe,

any ideas for the rack-top bag, anyone?

Looking around I thought the Top Peak RX trunk bag or Topeak MTX Trunk Bag were two good bags.
In the case you have a brooks saddle you could go for
a lovely Carradice's Barley saddle bag.

nice effort! are you thinking of pbp?

I guess pbp is is probably my training's aim... :) ... for now.

Wanabe- http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/product.php?xProd=4827 - That's a good one for the price pretty sure Greenbank or Fixedwheelnut uses it.

Holds 30 litres worth, pretty sure you could pick it up cheaper elsewhere online.
that's the one I've seen before. I'll see if I can get hold of one locally to have a look at -- it has to be the expandable one.

Thinking that PBP is a good idea to do at least once in my cycling life, and there just so happens to be one next year...definitely need to train more / better / harder.

that's the one I've seen before. I'll see if I can get hold of one locally to have a look at -- it has to be the expandable one.

Yup, they rock...

http://www.greenbank.org/misc/le13.jpg

Audax A-Z:
http://audaxing.wordpress.com/audax-a-z/

I am now a member of ACP, but am still awaiting the final parts to build my geared bike...let the suffering commence.

Good work Wannabe. Suffering rocks. Reminds me...

Fair enough. Speaking of doing. I've picked, booked accommodation and entered my 400 for the year (given that's what's considered a 'Good Idea (TM)' for PBP2011 early registration).

Snowdon & Coast 400 from Upton Magna nr Shrewsbury. Saturday June 12th.

Only 4200m of climbing but 1900m of that is in one 100km section through Snowdonia.

"
From Shrewsbury we cross into Wales and along the Tanat valley and over the Milltir Cerrig ('Stone Mile') to the first control in Bala. Continue across Snowdonia past Llyn Celyn and over the wilds of Migneint to Betws y Coed; then over Pen y Pass to refuel at Pete's Eats in Llanberis. The mountains give way to the sea after Beddgelert as you head down the coast road past Harlech's grand castle and across the Barmouth bridge. Head inland along the Mawddach Trail to Dolgellau and over Cadair Idris to Machynlleth. Easy to navigate leg home from Aberystwyth on the A44 over Plynlimon to Newtown and the return to Shrewsbury.
"

67" should be fine, done most of those roads on the Bryan Chapman (looking forward to seeing Pen y Pass in daylight, but doubt I'll see Cadair Idris in daylight. Meh.)

Need to get off my arse and restart commuting by bike and then blatting around Richmond Park and the Surrey Hills. I've ridden a massive 56km so far this year.

Did this fine but lack of miles in my legs meant I took the geared bike. Rode most of the way with a bloke called Tim who was riding fixed. Large economy bags of suffering purchased and used thoroughly.

So that's my 400 done to get me early registration for PBP next year which I will do on fixed (need a fixed PowerTap wheel for maximum fun).

Did anyone get Dunwich Dynamo sorted as a DIY? Is it under-distance for a 200 (could always just take it as an over-distance 150...)?

wouldn't mind getting a little cert for that myself when I do it.

Did anyone get Dunwich Dynamo sorted as a DIY? Is it under-distance for a 200 (could always just take it as an over-distance 150...)?

Last year I used:-

Dorking: 0km
Hackney: 47km
Sudbury: 137km
Dunwich: 217km
Sudbury: 297km
Great Dunmow: 336km
Putney: 407km

So Hackney to Dunwich is only good for 170km.

So cold claim it as 150k and get some fixed points? I'd never heard of DIYs until this thread - who do I contact to sort it (though its a bit late)?

Got in touch with Martin Malins and PayPaled him for a DIY brevet - signatures or receipts at the start, Great Walingfield or Sudbury, and Dunwich.

I've always ignored AAA rides as too hilly for fixed wheel - but I'm just figuring out the points system for the FWC and you get both the distance & AAA points combined?? So for a 2 1/4 AAA 100km, you get 3 1/4 FWC points...? That sounds much easier than riding 300kms on the flat (that's not that flat usually).

Soooo, what sort of gearing do people use on AAA-type rides? I'm more than happy on 44 or 42 x 16 for flat rides; if I stuck a 20t sprocket on the back would I be in the right ballpark?

Soooo, what sort of gearing do people use on AAA-type rides? I'm more than happy on 44 or 42 x 16 for flat rides; if I stuck a 20t sprocket on the back would I be in the right ballpark?

I use 67" (46x18 on 700c x 25mm tyres) for fixed Audaxing including real hills. That was good enough for the Elenith (4720m climbing in 300km), the Bryan Chapman 600 (8300m climbing in 600km) and LEL (no AAA points but it did include Yad Moss and the Moorfoot Hills on the B709).

Elenith route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Elenith-Audax-300km

I use 67" (46x18 on 700c x 25mm tyres) for fixed Audaxing including real hills.

I think that just shows I'm a complete wuss, as I'm using not far off that (69") for flat-ish rides (TBH I can ride up Cat & Fiddle on that but its somewhat negated by the need for a 20-minute lying down wheeze). So would sticking a 20t on the back (55") give me a sensible hill gear - or is that going to low?

There's no right answer. Picking a gear for proper hills is a trade-off between something that makes it easier to climb (especially with a 10% hill with 300km in your legs) but doesn't rip your legs off on the descent, or make it horribly uncomfortable on the flat.

67" gives me a cruising cadence of about 90rpm at 30kph. With a 55" gear you'd need to do 110rpm to keep up that speed.

If it's any help then I walked 4 separate hills on the Elenith. The road out of Pont-Rhyd-Y-Groes is 17%, it's doable on a good day but not with 150km in the legs. The Devil's Staircase is 25%, I'd need a gear down near 30" to get up that (I failed to ride up it one year when I had a triple with a 30x29 bottom gear). So I pick something in the middle (67") and am prepared to walk if I encounter something very steep. Apathy has taken over, and I use exactly the same gear for flat rides, there's little point changing.

Gear down slightly (42x17 for 63" maybe) and try a hillier ride, you'll be surprised what you can climb on that gear, just remember to apply the HTFU spray, pace it and winch yourself up whilst trying not to vomit up your lungs.

There's no right answer.

Agree 100%.
I started with 100km rides 75'' and got painful knees. Lowered to 63'' did a bunch of 100 and 200 rides, the other day I popped in the 75'' again and did a semi-hilly 100K in 4h.
I think it depends heavily on your fitness level/joints strength and how much you fancy enjoying the landscape whilst walking up a hill ;) .
I also realised that on 42x17 I have to eat and drink nearly double.

Whow, Anto, you're well at it. I still have only managed that one BP where we met, but have been doing a lot more riding that was non-audax. So all good i my books. Next year I'll reboot the season. U doing DD?

Hey Pascalo!

U doing DD?

No this year. I was thinking of organising it as a DIY after the 30th July as I am really busy with work till then.

Are you thinking of doing PBP next year ? ( I would if I had your bike ;) )

Ha, nowhere near as fit for that. I still haven't even ridden a 200 yet, DD will be the first shot.
Instead I focussed on shorter rides and climbing. The Surrey runs have improved that a lot, as has the Lake distict outing. I love going through the pain of going uphill. Thinking about an alpine holiday or something like that. Grind grind grind.

Hey Pascal,
how was DD?

Are you up to TOTH on the 15th August?