Cycling UK Forum

Do Audax rides ever get cancelled due to weather?

Im just asking, cos this weekend it looks like torrential rain and high winds (41mph) in the area of my next Audax. I am booked on the boat etc, and Im just wondering at what point a ride gets cancelled. I would hate to arrive and find it not going ahead.

Ive written to the organiser, but wondered if anyone knew of a ride being cancelled due to bad weather.


Mary

If the weather is that bad I be worried if the boat sails!

I've never heard of an audax being cancelled.

Its part of the spirit of audax that people go out and have a miserable experience just so they can bore people with (yet another) boring audax story for the next twenty years.

I thought the only time an audax was cancelled was if the forecast was for blue skies, high temperatures and a tailwind?

"Met" office forecast:- http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

Cloudy, 14°C. Wind SW, 10 mph. Gusting 25 mph.

BBC = grey cloud, 15°C .

I can understand your concern. It's a long way for "no go".

The trouble with current forecasts is the weather changes so quickly in these winds.
It looks like being a coldish day and part of the course is exposed from Ingleton to the turn for Dent.( but should have a following wind ). Dent valley should be sheltered.?
Again the "hanging" valley of Barbondale will be into a headwind (SW) and possibly at its strongest due to funneling between the hills.
The rest of the route should have some shelter with hedgerows and trees.
Warton gets a little exposed, as your near the sea, but if the wind is SW then it should be a sidewind.

Forecast here says 41 mph winds and torrential rain for Sunday, and we can see Arnside on a good day so thought it would effect that area too.

I dont mind rain, or the cold... just hate stong winds and wondered if they might cause problems.

Glad it seems they dont. Weather on Saturday is ok for the boat, so long as I take sea sickness pills that is...


Mary

Try not fight the wind or get too down hearted if the going gets tough,an audax will be a out and back hence hopefully the wind will be on our back at some point.
If its behind you at the start don't go crazy and think yippee ,I'm fitter than I thought,as you will have go against it later.
And enjoy.

Not heard of one cancelled for wind and rain, have even seen photos of an early season event with thick snow on the Gospel Pass, and piccies of an event going thru flooded roads, where the weather was similar to today; strong winds and heavy rain.

The worse the weather the better the tale to tell.
Think tourists are non-competitive, think again. There was an excellent article in the Comic several years that said just that. A non-racing tourist will always tell you they are not competitive but talk to them a little longer and they will have always have visited places you have been to in worse weather, stronger winds, lashing rain it was excruciatingly hard and they suffered far harder than anyone else could possibly have suffered, all to prove how much harder they are.

Remember if you are suffering so is everyone else, meeting a group where you can keep up some cheerful banter helps while away the bad weather and difficult miles and gives support to each other.

Just whistle a happy tune. La La La La.

Current wind 30 mph.
Sunday 10 mph - but there's still time.

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/GB/observations

They have now changed from "grey cloud, 10mph SW wind"
to "Heavy rain, 18mph SSW wind"

Still time though

Have a look on U tube at the LEL this year. Search under Eskdalemuir.
Horrible winds and torrential rain. Control at Eskdalemuir looked like a refugee centre.
Most riders made it though.
Rode the Border Raid on 6.6.09. It went through Alston where they had 2" of snow the day before. Freezing and wet for several hours. Day two was hot and sunny. Typical British climate.

On Sunday I did the 110km ride with an 8 mile warm up to Milnthorpe and back beforehand. It was breezy, a tailwind to Newby head but at the turn there it obviously became a headwind. However, I had 42 miles on the computer by 12:00. The wind did slow me down on the way back but was nowhere near the 41mph given earlier. There was some rain from Kirkby Lonsdale onwards but I didn't put waterproofs on until Brackenthwaite - less than 5 miles from the finish.
About 10 years ago I did the 200km over Tan Hill. The night before it gave high winds and heavy rain. On the day we got neither, dull and threatening yes and it had rained near Kirkby Lonsdale but this had finished by the time I got there.
The further away you are from an event the harder the decision is when you get an adverse forecast but sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.....!

I did a 100 mile charity bike ride for Chrisie's on Sunday. Started in Manchester and toured the Cheshire plain. The only part of the forecast that was right was the brisk winds. It was chilly to start with, then as it warmed up the sun appeared for most of the day. Not a drop of rain all day.( I did hear that it started to rain around 5pm though!) Home by then. Did the ride in 6hrs 53mins which was exceptionally good for me!!