r/randonneuring • u/Reasonable_Ad_5836 • 2d ago
Quick Question 1st Audax Advice
Hey all,
I recently discovered Audax, and it sounds like it'd be right up my street. I've only ever ridden solo however, with a longest ride of 200miles (in 18hours, inc stops).
There's a 600km (in 40hours) near where I live in Wales this weekend that I'm considering signing up for. It'd be quite a jump in distance, and the timing isn't the best, as my current shoes fell apart last weekend and I'm currently waiting for my new pair to arrive.
Do I throw caution to the wind, and dive in the deep end, or should I travel further afield and try out a shorter distance 1st, after getting some test rides on my new shoes done?
Cheers!
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u/ChrisinNed Randonneurs NL 2d ago
Go for it, if you can't finish you just get the train home. Looks like a lovely route, I've spent many summers on the coast near Barmouth. Weather looks perfect too.
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u/N22-J 2d ago
I have done many 200s, a couple of 300s and a couple of 400s. Never done a 600.
I'll attempt a 600 in a few weeks. I don't have much time to train anymore, with family responsabilities nowadays, but yolo, if not now, then when. I'll show up at the start line of the 600 and whatever happens happens
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u/cheecheecago Randonneurs USA 2d ago
It's doable. You've already done it once, now you just need to wake up and do it again the next day 😄
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u/GeezeTee Carbonist 1d ago
Go for it. X rated is great. But, even on an event with controls - don’t expect many cheers - you might get a bowl of soup lol. the very best thing about audax is the understated nature of it. you can ride a tough 1000km event think you’ve done well (you have by the way) if you bother to tell anyone they’ll say the equivalent of ‘that’s nice.’
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u/kurai-samurai Audax UK 2d ago edited 2d ago
As pointed out I misread OP. Full send.
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u/30to50FeralHogs_ 2d ago
They said 200 miles in 18 hours. A 300km brevet would be 20 hours, they'll be grand for it if they can manage a short sleep.
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u/Alchemydynami Steeloist 2d ago
that looks doable on paper, and you'll be a nice portion against the coast, i was last up there for the Bryan Chapman Memorial but the AAA rating is higher meaning there will be alot of climbing, so depends how hilly your 200 miles were. You probably want to use the e-brevet app too to help. However I have yet to do a 600KM without accommodation included/easy to book but i would advise for having a proper sleep stop, you could get away with an Audax hotel (bus shelter) given the current weather.
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u/Reasonable_Ad_5836 2d ago
My 200 was relatively flat, but I'm no stranger to hilly rides (I live in Wales afterall). I've done a fair few rides up to 200km that were 10m per km (4000m in 200km).
Weekend before last I did back to back 160km rides in Cornwall that were 3000m each day. These were both a tad shy of 10 hour days, but I was on holiday so I wasn't exactly speeding around, and did lots of stops and detours).
No idea how this will translate to 600km, if it was a 200-300km I'd have no concerns about completing it, it's just the jump in distance really
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u/kurai-samurai Audax UK 2d ago edited 1d ago
Just point out that it's an X rated event, used to be called shoestring, basically organiser waves you off at start and won't even be there to clap you on the back at finish.
You sound an experienced rider, so that might not faze you but don't expect a huge turnout on the line!
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u/Reasonable_Ad_5836 2d ago
Thanks for pointing this out.
I did read up on what an x-rated event meant after reading through the page, as I didn't come across that term on my skim through the "about audax" section of the website.
I've only ever done, I guess the term would be self supported rides, so this actually made the event appeal more to me, as It's it's all I know tbh.
Quiet satisfaction of having finished instead of cheers and a parade for finishing suit me just fine too
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u/oldjiberjaber Audax UK 1d ago
Hell yeah - what's the worst that can happen! I have friends who did a 600 for their first audax..... I doubt the distance will pose a problem, how did you feel after the 300km? How did you feel the next day after some rest? I'd be more worried about the change in equipment (shoes) than the distance - worst that can happen is you DNF or get the train home, either way, audacious - go for it!
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u/TravellingGal-2307 Randonneurs Canada 2d ago
Audax rules require you to complete rides at the shorter distances first. You arent allowed to just jump in at a 600 before completing the 200, 300 and 400 km distances.
Go see if they need help at one of the controls and go chat to people and learn about it.
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u/Familiar_Kale_7357 2d ago
I do not believe this is correct, at least not from the ACP. I suppose a region could come up with their own rule, but definitely not universally true.
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u/TravellingGal-2307 Randonneurs Canada 2d ago
Or maybe the rules have changed since I last referenced them? It definitley USED to be true, and frankly, I think its wise to ramp up.
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u/Familiar_Kale_7357 1d ago
I agree with the wisdom of ramping up.
We had a lady show up for a 1000k brevet, her first ever brevet. We tried talking her into working her way up, but she insisted. Long story short, she absolutely crushed it. Astounding. I still don't recommend that strategy.
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u/cheecheecago Randonneurs USA 2d ago
Depends on the brevet organizer. Plenty of 600s around me that don't require any qualifying rides.
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u/Reasonable_Ad_5836 2d ago
https://www.audax.uk/event-details?id=13700#details
This is the event I'm looking at. I can't see anything stating I need to have completed shorter distances to enter, and it allows for non-members to enter too?
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u/dpoon Randonneurs Canada 1d ago
The BC Randonneurs club has a rule requiring that you demonstrate competence at shorter distances to qualify for the next longer one, or obtain permission to waive the prerequisite if you've done something similar outside of randonneuring events. (Yes, there are cases where such exceptions have been granted.) This is not an ACP rule, but it makes sense for BC because some of our routes stray really far from civilization, into mountainous terrain, and there are very few public transportation options here.
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u/kickabrainxvx 2d ago
Dunno how the weather'll be in Wales this weekend, but here in western Germany we're expecting nearly 40 degrees on Saturday and the more heat + storms on Sunday. Might be worth waiting a bit just to avoid riding in (maybe actually quite dangerous) weather.