Audax - What is it?

[Squeezebox]

..........but ride them while you can AUK has looked upon Sportives with a covetous eye and is seeking to change its image by removing its more embarrassing side, ie small groups of bearded, mudguarded cyclists sedately touring the countryside.

.....is that the same thing as CTC wanting to "re-brand" its image too?.....Why is it that every time I find something I like or want to get involved with or even remotely interests me, it seems that the "powers that be" are just on the verge of changing it into something I then wont like when its been "re-branded and modernised"?

[Merry_Wanderer]

Wow!

Thanks to everyone for the explanation and detail. I have been looking for a regular 'event' that would introduce Mrs M_W and myself to different parts of the country and give us a bit of a challenge. We're most definitely NOT fast riders and I didn't want her to be put off being slow in comparison to most other riders. I did a sportive in the Peak District in 2010 and found that I finished my 100km at an average of 10mph after many other riders had completed the 100 miles event. Reading the comments that people have put here gives me some comfort that a) we may or may not be last and b) even if we are that we won't get 'dirty' looks

[meic]

Probably because you (we) are slipping into being "the last generation" from being "the present generation".

[philg]

....... ride them while you can AUK has looked upon Sportives with a covetous eye and is seeking to change its image by removing its more embarrassing side, ie small groups of bearded, mudguarded cyclists sedately touring the countryside.

There are some who might, but in a small minority I believe. Audaxers, on the whole, are happy to maintain the difference, as hardly any of the current events could handle anything like the numbers involved in a sportive, and the most popular ones limit numbers to avoid overcrowding at controls.

[Mark1978]

I like Sportives because they are a guided route through a part of the countryside I might not have been to before. The ones I've done don't require you to be particularly fast.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Sportifs are a money making event for clubs.
In Audaxes I saw many racing bikes albeit with just the racing tyres masquerading as tourers with all the kit.
The 200K which coulds be nearer 220K could well be on a course of the organisers choice, checked by a ride in their car.
The 200K's are fiercly compeditive and some of the riders ex pro racers will turn up.

I would like to redifine Audax ( if I could be so bold) to a personal Enduro where there is no outside help.
Sportives have a heavy mix of club riders along with the nieve ( extreme sports type )

I would have liked to attain a Bronze time in the local Dartmoor Classic on my own not entering, cant afford the entrance fee, next year maybe. I did ride it last year two weeks before the event then ended up in hospital a day later, just a coincidence maybe.
I would hate to see Audaxs go the way of sportifs, the name (Sportif) is all the rage nowerdays for those wanabees.
Its a personal challenge either way, you are taking part for yourself of just going along to be in the inn crowd.
As a lone biker mine is in just the doing and dreaming

[meic]

of just going along to be in the inn crowd.

I have really enjoyed the few Audaxes where that was exactly the intention.

[Squeezebox]

Probably because you (we) are slipping into being "the last generation" from being "the present generation".

Yes....I'm 49 and proud to be an old fuddy duddy ! The games over for me

(and no I dont do facebook either..... )


....Audax has gone from something thats lurked in the back of my mind for ages to now being something I really do want to do, panners and all, next year. Thanks to this thread I now know its for me....

Need to find some events now!

[Adam S]

Can anybody clarify the pronunciation of 'Audax' for me? It's a word I've seen written many times but never heard spoken. It's probably obvious but, not being an English word, I guess it's best to ask (not that i'm likely to have much use for it).

[philg]

Or-dax or Ow-dax are both used, the former is probably closer to it's Latin root but what the hell!

[Audax67]

A big Audax myth is that you will not be left behind and that somebody will ride with you. It isnt totally a myth, you will not be left behind if you are fast enough to keep up.

Depends who you ride with. We don't leave people along the road unless they actually say "I'm going home". On our 200 this year two road captains took turns pushing a guy up the hills for about 30 km, until we reached the lunchtime restaurant. He made sure of his lunch before jacking it in. We also run a "taxi service" if you have a flat: at least two companions to bring you back to the pack. If you're all thumbs they'll fix it for you too.

[Audax67]

Can anybody clarify the pronunciation of 'Audax' for me? It's a word I've seen written many times but never heard spoken. It's probably obvious but, not being an English word, I guess it's best to ask (not that i'm likely to have much use for it).

Awdax would be English, Owdax German and Oh-dax French. Take your pick. The English riders who've ridden with us use the French pronunciation.

[iandriver]

For pronunciation, think of the word audacious - then audax.

Sprortive - Pretend you're with team Sky
Audax - Perfectly acceptable to stop for a go on the village swings

[jochta]

I've done Audax in groups and on my own. Sometimes I just end up on my own all the way around, sometimes I've met a rider or two previously unknown to me and we've got friendly and then ridden around together. I've been the 3rd finisher in an Audax and I've also finished dead last. The variety is what makes them interesting, even the same ride the following year may have different weather, might meet different riders etc. There's also the challenges, DIYs, Permanents etc. to do. They are also usually a very relaxing ride in the countryside, the time limits are generous enough that there isn't any real danger of being out of time unless you have a total nightmare (I've only ever been early for a control once when a vicious tailwind blew the riders there in double quick time!).

I've done one Sportive and I found it full of antisocial wannabees and a complete waste of money. £25 for a timing chip and a box of jelly beans on a table in a layby or £5 for home baked cake and flapjack in a village hall/someone's house. Not a hard choice! I also was surprised to find riders struggling after just 10km of the Sportive and walking up the first hill, nothing wrong with walking of course (you'll see walking on Audax too) but the Sportive seemed to attract a lot of all the gear no idea types. If they were knackered on the first gentle slope they were going to be totally ****** by the 20% hill after 100km!! Maybe I was unlucky but I haven't had the desire to enter another.

You can take your own route between controls on an Audax but the shortest sensible route will be the one on the route sheet. A route sheet holder on the handlebars is pretty much essential, especially for the tricky rides with lots of turns (e.g. London Sightseer), for simple circuits I sometimes just use my Garmin for route finding (but always have the route sheet just in case!). Turning up without the route sheet and hoping to follow someone around is a recipe for disaster and is a bit frowned upon by other riders. You need to be self sufficient for getting around.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

of just going along to be in the inn crowd.

I have really enjoyed the few Audaxes where that was exactly the intention.

Sorry for my bad grammer.
I meant to imply that "sportifs" might well be the fashion today and you would say whats wrong with that if their on their bikes, yes thats good.
I cant see Sportifs being or becoming new style Audax's.
With the exception of the club riders, the rest or lets say some as there may well be a large group of regular riders of differing abilities, have a contingent of the Wannabee sporty who flit from one "Extreme Sport" to another evereytime the wind changes and make out "media hype" that they discovered the sport

In my youth I was into all sorts of what people today would call extreme but thats what me and my mates did, with no money

When sub aqua diving minus the air bottle and valve if the sea was murky we just jumped on the prom with just our wet suits for a laugh, not dangerous really, now its calle wild sea shores or something Not as extreme as the death drop brigade.
There is a hill near me where last I went down at 45 MPH on my bike, 30 limit shssssh, that actual hill I used to go down with my mates lying down on a go cart made of pram wheels and wood and nails no brakes on the pavement
The mind boggles at what speed we were doing back then
You could not see round the bend either , the pedestrians would jump in to the road or we would drop off kerb into the road
Like most things doing it on your own is not always that satifying, half the fun is seeing others enjoying them selves too.