Audax rides

Did the Winter Solstice 200k last weekend after all. Was perhaps as good a 200k as you could ever expect in December in this country.

Now putting in an entry for the Wilmslow to St Asaph 200k Permanent to be done at the start of January. It's a pretty nice easy jaunt if anyone else fancies coming along.

Vesalius im thinking of going on the winter willy warmer, are you booked on it?

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/13-943/

I just signed up for it :)

I'm going to be away for the poor student so it has to be the willy warmer!

Signed up for that too.

Either I'm taking the Genesis or hopefully the new bike, seriously doubt it'll be the latter.

Much progress on the latter? Or still watchful waiting?

All I can hope for is for it to be ready for the LEL Audax.

Cool I will sign up. I think I'm going to take the gears though.

^^Gotcha, looking forward to it :)

^Great stuff!
I don't have the legs for a fixed 200 just yet :p

Believe me you do, it just seemed impossible when you've ridden 200km on a geared bicycle.

So, who's around for the Poor Student then? Not entirely convinced that January's a good time for my first audax, but oh well ...

If you and your bike is not dressed right, then it's not a good time to go.

^^One day I'll make the leap, one day...

^and this. Mudguards, warm/waterproof gear and food is a must (IMO)

If you and your bike is not dressed right, then it's not a good time to go.

^and this. Mudguards, warm/waterproof gear and food is a must (IMO)

Oh, I've got the gear.

Just wondering if I should have picked a nice summer outing, and trying to convince myself I'll get away with leaving a lot of the crap I normally carry behind. And, hoping it's not too icy.

You'll be fine :)

The Willy Warmer isn't bad for a first 200k on fixed. It starts off with a bit of a climb and you do have to contend with the Boxford Alps which can be a bit sharp and punchy but the climbing is pretty much all front loaded. If you've done a few 200ks already then I reckon it's good one to have a go at as long as it isn't icy on the day.

jsabine - If you think you can manage a 200k audax then January isn't a bad time to get started on it. You're guaranteed that the next time should be a whole lot easier. I've done the Poor Student as a solo ride in January and it was pretty good. Mind out at the bottom of dips though. The Cotswolds can harbour some cold traps and you may occasionally find icy patches even though the weather seems warm enough to melt it elsewhere. This took out a couple of people on the Winter Solstice ride in similar locations in Cheshire. The only other thing I would strongly recommend for winter audaxing is some road atlas pages, especially if you don't have a GPS. Iced up roads, flooding and other things can all lead to unexpected diversions. Guessing your way out of country lanes is never fun.

Got my entry in for Super Brevet Scandinavia. Now my training will need to include learning some Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. Something to do during those long hours on the road.

That sound awesome! Doubt you need to learn Danish as they speak good English, no idea about the latter's two.

It's important to me to try and communicate in the native language. All three countries have high English fluency but all appreciate attempts to communicate in their language.

I am currently learning German (or at least listening to Paul Noble droning on about German) for the same reason.

How do you learn not to fall asleep on your bike when doing 200 mile+ rides? I seem to be getting worse at it.

Tricitybendix - you'd mentioned a 1500 tour this year and learning German in two posts - are you planning on riding to Germany?

That SBS looks excellent, I might actually give that some serious thought instead of LEL...

tricitybendix - Like many audaxers, I find the 400k (250 miles) that bit more difficult than a 600k because of the sleep issue. At the time you get close to the end is the same time when you get sleepy but fatigue and tiredness will mean that you're more inclined to want to finish the ride and you enter a downward spiral. On a 600k the natural sleep point is a lot more obvious.

If you're finding it more and more difficult then you might be suffering from target focus, where the repeat attempt to achieve something over a common obstacle means you think so much about that obstacle that is become a lot bigger.

On those 200m+ rides, start looking to plan in a couple of potential napping points. Even 15mins in a bus shelter can have a tremendous effect on warding off the dozies.

For PBP, I kept to a routine of around 2-3 hours sleep early on in the night and another 10-15 minutes of napping just before dawn. That worked very well for me, it might work for others. I think the main thing is that when you get those early signs of nodding off at the bars is to change priorities to look for an acceptable napping point. Motorway service, bus shelters, church porches, bank foyers, phone boxes, bus stations, railway stations and so on are all fair game.

"Kacheln zählen" and "föhn mich nicht an" was what I learned last week.

There's a couple of Audax coming up in Norfolk which I'm thinking about going along to.

Went last year and really enjoyed it, they put on a lovely spread too!

Tricitybendix - you'd mentioned a 1500 tour this year and learning German in two posts - are you planning on riding to Germany?

Good sleuthing. Yep, going to a wedding in Munich this summer, so planning on riding there and back via France, Belgium, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Will be a leisurely 100 miles pd though.

tricitybendix - Like many audaxers, I find the 400k (250 miles) that bit more difficult than a 600k because of the sleep issue. At the time you get close to the end is the same time when you get sleepy but fatigue and tiredness will mean that you're more inclined to want to finish the ride and you enter a downward spiral. On a 600k the natural sleep point is a lot more obvious.

If you're finding it more and more difficult then you might be suffering from target focus, where the repeat attempt to achieve something over a common obstacle means you think so much about that obstacle that is become a lot bigger.

On those 200m+ rides, start looking to plan in a couple of potential napping points. Even 15mins in a bus shelter can have a tremendous effect on warding off the dozies.

For PBP, I kept to a routine of around 2-3 hours sleep early on in the night and another 10-15 minutes of napping just before dawn. That worked very well for me, it might work for others. I think the main thing is that when you get those early signs of nodding off at the bars is to change priorities to look for an acceptable napping point. Motorway service, bus shelters, church porches, bank foyers, phone boxes, bus stations, railway stations and so on are all fair game.

Thanks. I haven't really done enough with pauses to know what works for me. I do know on Dunwich there and back last last year falling asleep in a public toilet for an hour by accident made me feel AMAZING, but only for about 60 more miles - I was falling asleep again by Epping. That said, that was a night ride so I wasn't starting on a full tank of sleep, so to speak.

I think I just need to practise more though I do find it quite hard work demolishing myself on a weekend and then working full-time all week :/

"Kacheln zählen" and "föhn mich nicht an" was what I learned last week.

Ludwig - ich Verstehen Sie nicht - the first one seems to involve counting tiles? the second - "I'm not drying my hair"?

ich muss ein weißbeir Haben is about as far as I have got...

Back to the cycling - Anyone know about Audaxing in Germany?