Should electric bikes be allowed on Audax events?

[Marcus Aurelius]

Does a tandem with two people contributing count?

Read the 3rd line of my post.

Very interesting........

A cycle accepting 250W of additional assistance is an anathema, yet accepting 298W of assistance is fine..........

I doubt very many tandem stokers put out 300 W

[PH]

Since I got my Gain in April I've done five Audax events and have four more booked before the end of the year. I'd only done one Audax before I got my Gain and that nearly killed me. The Gain allows me to get out and take part, even if only over the shorter events. I'm not bothered about collect points, my time or speed or if others ride faster than me (most do). I ride it for the pleasure of doing it.

Good, that was the whole point of allowing them on BPs.

[pwa]

Since I got my Gain in April I've done five Audax events and have four more booked before the end of the year. I'd only done one Audax before I got my Gain and that nearly killed me. The Gain allows me to get out and take part, even if only over the shorter events. I'm not bothered about collect points, my time or speed or if others ride faster than me (most do). I ride it for the pleasure of doing it.

Good, that was the whole point of allowing them on BPs.

I can see the benefit of that, on BP events. They are meant to be introductory and fun, rather than challenging for the experienced.

[PH]

When it comes down to it....

If someone on a ride criticises someone for using an electric bike, I categorise them in the same group of fanatics who criticise riders for not wearing helmets

Have you heard of anyone being criticised for riding an e-bike on an Audax?
If someone criticised me while I was riding an event within the regulations I'd agreed to on entering I'd tell them where to go!
I wouldn't ride any organised event where I didn't want to follow the organisers regulations, whether that's about e-bikes, helmets or anything else. Why would I? There's plenty of other rides out there.

[NickWi]

Have you heard of anyone being criticised for riding an e-bike on an Audax?

My experience has been the exact opposite. Loads of questions about the bike, the range, the weight, where's the battery/motor etc. So far everyone has been positive, pleased to welcome a newbie like me and glad that I've come along to support their event. As for the jokes about can I give them a tow up the hill or can they draft behind me, I doubt I’ve heard them all just yet, but I’ve heard a fair few.

I don't go round boasting the fact it is an e-bike, but I don’t deny it either. The 'Gain' logo is in 2" high letters and the power button is on the top tube for all to see and anyone enquires I’m glad to tell all.

One last question to the wise. What’s the correct plural form; Audaxes, Audaxs?

[PH]

One last question to the wise. What’s the correct plural form; Audaxes, Audaxs?

hahahahah that could start a longer thread than this one!
I use Audax singular or plural.

[Mick F]

[NickWi]

Thank you. We are enlightened.

[Cunobelin]

When it comes down to it....

If someone on a ride criticises someone for using an electric bike, I categorise them in the same group of fanatics who criticise riders for not wearing helmets

Have you heard of anyone being criticised for riding an e-bike on an Audax?
If someone criticised me while I was riding an event within the regulations I'd agreed to on entering I'd tell them where to go!
I wouldn't ride any organised event where I didn't want to follow the organisers regulations, whether that's about e-bikes, helmets or anything else. Why would I? There's plenty of other rides out there.

Absolutely

I am the same, don't enter anything that requires helmets.

The regulations do however allow you to ride an electric bike

[PH]

Audax.jpg

It's not as simple as that. I'm as guilty as anyone of using the word in the wrong context, but Audax is the organisation not the ride.
If you look at the AUK and ACP websites or a brevet card, you won't see anything simply described as an Audax but always as Audax Event the plural of which would be Audax Events
,

[PH]

When it comes down to it....

If someone on a ride criticises someone for using an electric bike, I categorise them in the same group of fanatics who criticise riders for not wearing helmets

Have you heard of anyone being criticised for riding an e-bike on an Audax?
If someone criticised me while I was riding an event within the regulations I'd agreed to on entering I'd tell them where to go!
I wouldn't ride any organised event where I didn't want to follow the organisers regulations, whether that's about e-bikes, helmets or anything else. Why would I? There's plenty of other rides out there.

Absolutely

I am the same, don't enter anything that requires helmets.

The regulations do however allow you to ride an electric bike

On certain rides, yes. They are not treated equally across the board, which is what this thread has been about (I think )

[Mick F]

Audax.jpg

It's not as simple as that. I'm as guilty as anyone of using the word in the wrong context, but Audax is the organisation not the ride.
If you look at the AUK and ACP websites or a brevet card, you won't see anything simply described as an Audax but always as Audax Event the plural of which would be Audax Events
,

Ah!
The difference is the proper noun versus the noun.
The word audax is a noun, but Audax UK use it as a proper noun.

Audax UK is an organisation that run audaxes?

[PH]

Audax UK is an organisation that run audaxes?

No, they don't even run Audax events.
AUK is the association that oversees, regulates and validates them, the rides are organised by individuals often on behalf of a club or CTC group.
All the answers you could want are here
http://www.aukweb.net/aboutauk/faq/

[Vitara]

a) The likelihood of actually seeing an Ebike on an event your riding is very low. I've not seen one in 3 years (18 events and 3600Km so far this year).

They do exist, but practical ones only hit the market last year.

Since I got my Gain in April I've done five Audax events and have four more booked before the end of the year. I'd only done one Audax before I got my Gain and that nearly killed me. The Gain allows me to get out and take part, even if only over the shorter events. I'm not bothered about collect points, my time or speed or if others ride faster than me (most do). I ride it for the pleasure of doing it.

The second point I want to make is, that there seems to me that a lot of people here seem to think that you get on an e-bike, put your feet up and let the bike do the work for you and that riders on e-bike are going to whizz past them. That might have been the case on early e-bikes, before the current legislation kicked in, but to be road legal they have to be pedal assisted, have a maximum power assisted top speed (15.5mph) and several other factors to limit performance. On some you can fool the system by turning pedals slowing and making the motor do the work, even buy chips to reprogram some system, but don’t expect go very far if you do that. More speed needs more power and that eats into the range. Legal or otherwise some undoubtably will do that, but does anyone here know to a 30k Audax. No, me neither.

My Gain has a battery range of about 100km, allegedly, if used carefully, in eco mode, less hills. E-bike range is a bit like MPG for cars. What the manufacturers claim is in theory achievable, given the perfect conditions, inside our testing laboratory. In the real world, ride in any of the higher power modes for any length of time and the battery gauge falls like a stone. The bottom line is a 100k Audax is just about doable power assisted, but you’ll be scraping the bottom of the battery barrel for the last dozen or so miles. Throw in a few big hills and I doubt it.

That sounds great.

I've got no objection to Ebikes on any ride. I think it's good that they allow people to join in when they otherwise might not be able to do so.

[Mick F]

A friend of mine has a fairly new eBike. Chatting to him about it the other day.

I climb Gunnislake Hill at circa 5mph, maybe 7mph if I'm feeling fit!
He climbs the self same hill at 15mph on his eBike.