Cycling UK Forum

mjr wrote:Yet another extra quid each ride for non-members and higher charge for new members all feels a bit like "go away newbies" but you may remember from other threads that I was unimpressed by audaxes (not as unappealing to me as UK sportives though) so I'm probably not the target market.

PH wrote:

TrevA wrote:I had an email today from the head honcho at Audax UK, saying they have to put their membership fees up to pay for their new website. An increase of £4 to £23 a year. It's likely that ride entry fees might go up as well, as they are increasing costs to organisers. I'll still affiliate as I consider even the increased membership fee good value for money, given that you get 3-4 magazines a year included. A likely £1 increase on ride entries won't bother me either. But I'm wondering if they really needed to spend all that money on a new website? I've read figures of it costing around £400,000 or more, in total, due to cost overruns. I work in IT so I know that developers don't come cheap, but it still seems a lot of money and, to me at least, there's not that much wrong with their current website.

Just a couple of corrections for accuracy - membership renewals are going up from £14 to £18, the £23 is a one off for the first year of membership or renewing if you let it lapse. The increase in ride costs for members is around 30p a ride, the additional £1 is for non members.
The figure I've seen quoted for the website is up to £340,000 of which I think £150,000 has already been committed or spent on the first phase, which had an original estimate of £90,000. The latest figure takes into account that the problems encountered in phase 1 might also need overcoming in phases 2&3, it's also based on all the work being carried out by a contractor, there's now a possibility of volunteers taking over some of it.
It all seems like a lot of money and those with far more knowledge than me are saying it could be done cheaper. Like many volunteer organisations run by a few for the many, most members are probably just glad someone is running it rather than being concerned how well they're doing so. In the same way you'd view a commercial enterprise - if I'm getting value I'm not concerned where the money goes. On that level AUK represents outstanding value, the magazine alone costs £11 a year, event entry is peanuts and for me it's rarely the major expense of doing one (Those being - cafes, transport, accommodation) I expect they'll be some huffing and puffing but come the AGM the majority of members will support the board, much like any other cycling organisation

hondated wrote:it's at least got me thinking that I should try and do one Audux but before I do I definitely need to increase my riding speed

slowster wrote:

hondated wrote:it's at least got me thinking that I should try and do one Audux but before I do I definitely need to increase my riding speed

You might not need to increase your riding speed as much as you think. Slower riders often find that they just need to keep the length of any stops to a minumum [...]

Lastly, there's no shame in failing to finish.

slowster wrote:

hondated wrote:it's at least got me thinking that I should try and do one Audux but before I do I definitely need to increase my riding speed

You might not need to increase your riding speed as much as you think. Slower riders often find that they just need to keep the length of any stops to a minumum (which a lot of riders prefer anyway because it avoids getting stiff after a longer stop and taking a while to warm up again).

Moreover, many audaxers take the view that the perfect audax is one where they get to the finish just within the maximum time, because that means they've had the pleasure of more time riding than those who ride to finish as quickly as possible.

Lastly, there's no shame in failing to finish. Many years ago I entered an audax which in retrospect I had no hope of finishing within the allotted time, but it was still worthwhile and I enjoyed that much of the ride I was able to complete before I had to abandon.

mjr wrote:

slowster wrote:

hondated wrote:it's at least got me thinking that I should try and do one Audux but before I do I definitely need to increase my riding speed

You might not need to increase your riding speed as much as you think. Slower riders often find that they just need to keep the length of any stops to a minumum [...]

That seems rather ironic when in my experience the main thing dictating the length of the stops is all the other Audaxers in front of you in the queue at the manned control or only open cafe the route passes in a receipt-controlled place!

Lastly, there's no shame in failing to finish.

Except on here, where some people will demand to know which audaxes you've done to qualify your criticism and object that you're missing from one finish list because you went too slow over the ice to avoid breaking bones and finishing in an ambulance like another participant.

Also, it means someone else gets your soup at the finish. Maybe AUK could fund the website by making the routes tougher and time limits tighter, so there's less food offered and they can pocket the difference?

pwa wrote:If GPS is to replace manned controls and information controls I suppose the net result could easily be better, more attractive routes, freed from the shackles of having to stick to routes on which corners cannot be cut without missing out a control. That would be worth paying for.

mjr wrote:The surcharge seems more like a discount deal for CUK members because I do have other insurance. That's fine and their choice but I wish they were honest about it and it still makes it feel like AUK isn't for the likes of me.

slowster wrote:

hondated wrote:it's at least got me thinking that I should try and do one Audux but before I do I definitely need to increase my riding speed

You might not need to increase your riding speed as much as you think. Slower riders often find that they just need to keep the length of any stops to a minumum (which a lot of riders prefer anyway because it avoids getting stiff after a longer stop and taking a while to warm up again).

PH wrote:

mjr wrote:The surcharge seems more like a discount deal for CUK members because I do have other insurance. That's fine and their choice but I wish they were honest about it and it still makes it feel like AUK isn't for the likes of me.

Seems to me you've decided they're not for you and then keep adding the reasons why. A £1 increase after about a decade isn't going to put them out of financial reach for anyone for whom that wasn't already the case.

PH wrote:You may or may not have insurance that covers you on Audax events, some policies will have exclusions that don't, AUK can't be expected to check them all. The only exemption is Cycling UK, which reflects the close history between them and that CUK's insurance specifically includes Audax.