First audax this weekend - Exeter

[honesty]

I'm going to have a go at my first audax event this weekend. Decided on the 100km March Madness ride from Exeter. Distance shouldn't be a problem as I've cycled further before. Rather looking forward to doing it now as I haven't done a group ride for a while. Anyone here riding it?

[Rich_Clements]

I'm doing the other ride, you will be fine

[freeflow]

Audax are not group rides although there is nothing to stop you riding with friends or another adopted group you find on the road.

Have fun, enjoy the ride, and don't feel pressured by others or your own machismo into going faster than you can realistically sustain over the distance.

[Mick F]

My first one was in May 2014 .......... and my last I reckon.
Nothing wrong, it just wasn't for me. It was great meeting like-minded folk, and I rode along in company and sometimes alone, but I prefer deep down inside to be my own boss and dance to my own tune, rather than follow instructions.

The organisation was ok, and the route info ok, but the GPX track they gave was a bit "coarse" and I had to re-do it to get my Garmin to follow the roads properly.

I followed the route faithfully, but I overtook the same cyclists (plural) twice!
Some folk don't do the route properly, and take short cuts. Maybe their Garmins threw their toys out of the pram.

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm sure you'll have a great time. Maybe you'll get hooked on them like many cyclists do.

[eileithyia]

Garmins throwing you off course, sounds like a good reason to follow the paper instructions, with back map, use garmin to record ride for personal use after, but do not rely on it.

Adopt a group riding at about your comfort pace, don't try to race it with faster riders, don't trust their route finding (unless it's me doing the route finding ) I am the only person I trust. Keep an eye on your route sheet, so you know where you are... cos if you are dropped from a group you may need to work out where you are.

Enjoy it.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Audax is a personal thing but its ok to do with friends or make friends.
100k's tend to be a jaunt but 200's you might find tough as they can be longer than the stated distance.
200's are very competitive and you can find yourself being swept along at 15 mph uphill down dale
Always do your own map reading, would never ever use a GPS on this, not for accuracy but on principle, have fun.
200's would of course be a good training tool for those wannabe roadies who dream of keeping up on their first century of the day.

[whoof]

I did this one a few years ago and it was very nice. I think it was the first year they used the canal café at Tiverton and there was some confusion as to where is was. The organiser had issued a route sheet but the directions to the café were not correct, they had then issued an amendment which was also not correct. There were groups of cyclist going back and forth in Tiverton looking for a cafe, in the end I gave up and went on to the next section.

I'm sure this will have been sorted out now and you will have a great ride on some lovely roads.

[PH]

Some folk don't do the route properly, and take short cuts. Maybe their Garmins threw their toys out of the pram.

Do you realise there's no obligation to follow the route, just the controls? I sometimes modify a route to visit somewhere, or collect a BCQ point, though usually the organisers local knowledge means the routsheet has the best options. It's all permitted and although it's sometimes possible to take a short cut it shouldn't be possible for that to reduce the distance below the nominal one.
I’ve done a few and really enjoy them, some more than others, I’m a tourist at heart and it’s a way to see some parts of the country I wouldn’t otherwise. I’ll sometimes ride with people I know, other times with those I meet on route and quite a lot of the time on my own. I’m glad of GPX, I’ll check any supplied file against the routsheet and use a track rather than a route, never had a problem. I see no principle in not using it, don’t understand that one? It was never meant to be a navigational challenge.
Have fun honesty, but be aware that they are all a bit different and it’s worth doing a few to get a feel for them. I think they have become more competitive in the last few years and that's OK, you don't have to get into it if it's not your thing. If I'm competing at all it's with myself, but usually the distance rather than the time is the challenge for me.

[honesty]

I did this one a few years ago and it was very nice. I think it was the first year they used the canal café at Tiverton and there was some confusion as to where is was. The organiser had issued a route sheet but the directions to the café were not correct, they had then issued an amendment which was also not correct. There were groups of cyclist going back and forth in Tiverton looking for a cafe, in the end I gave up and went on to the next section.

I'm sure this will have been sorted out now and you will have a great ride on some lovely roads.

Ive stopped at the Canal cafe a few times as it's local to me and it is very nice, bit hidden away though if you dont know it's there so I can see why there was confusion.

[rjb]

Ive stopped at the Canal cafe a few times as it's local to me and it is very nice, bit hidden away though if you dont know it's there so I can see why there was confusion.

That's because no one expects it to be up the hill when the river is much lower down.

Is this one training before the Dunkery Dash Audax

[honesty]

Well I may as well do that one as well!

[Mick F]

Some folk don't do the route properly, and take short cuts. Maybe their Garmins threw their toys out of the pram.

Do you realise there's no obligation to follow the route, just the controls?

Oh yes, of course. There's no law against it.
It's just that if all you did was go to the controls, you wouldn't have completed the audax. I did a 101.9mile* one, and I reckon I could have nearly halved the distance if all I'd done was visit the controls.



* It was listed as a 160Km ride, but my brain and my Garmin are calibrated in yards and miles.

[Grandad]

200's are very competitive

Only if you make it so. Some riders like to get round as quickly as possible but plenty don't.

I reckon I could have nearly halved the distance if all I'd done was visit the controls.

]
That sounds like there was something very wrong with the route. The controls should be placed so that it is not possible to visit each of them in less than the specified distance. Where this shortest distance involves busy main roads the organiser's official route often adds extra distance to make use of quieter more scenic roads and lanes.

Once upon a time it was compulsory to follow the organisers routes and there were secret controls to ensure this. From this year this option is available if an organiser chooses to make the route compulsory but I suspect that very few will do so.

[rjb]

And don't forget the TYRE LEVERS

[honesty]

And don't forget the TYRE LEVERS

Going to Partridges tomorrow to get two pairs!