Author Topic: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...  (Read 12291 times)

Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« on: 19 August, 2009, 05:13:29 pm »
... I turn up to do an audax on my 8 Freight with my son in the back.  I'm sure we can manage something shortish and flattish.  I'll pedal and he can pass me up bananas.

Julian

  • samoture
Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #1 on: 19 August, 2009, 05:15:07 pm »
Do it do it do it! 

And post pictures!

:D

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #2 on: 19 August, 2009, 05:22:38 pm »
There's a short but honourable list of people doing randonnees on inappropriate machines.

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #3 on: 19 August, 2009, 05:24:53 pm »
Not at all, unless you're ride it at 35kph sitting bolt upright into a stiff headwind past the people at the front. That would be taking the mickey...

People have done Audaxes on all manner of bikes. Julesh did the London Sightseer with his (5 year old?) son in a child seat on the back of the bike the other year.

In the latest Arrivee there's a photo of someone doing an Audax with a very young child (under a year old) in one of those child trailers attached to the back of his bike.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #4 on: 19 August, 2009, 05:53:35 pm »
In the latest Arrivee there's a photo of someone doing an Audax with a very young child (under a year old) in one of those child trailers attached to the back of his bike.

I missed that first time through!  There he is!

That's it, then.  I'll do it.  I was thinking Welland Wonder 50 in a month's time.  It's local-ish, short-ish, and appears to be flat-ish.    Am I right about that last part?

Grandad

  • Once upon a time
Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #5 on: 19 August, 2009, 06:21:37 pm »
Quote
It's local-ish, short-ish, and appears to be flat-ish.

Another marketing opportunity for the Fairies Five Flat ones next year (27th June)

chris

  • (aka chris)
Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #6 on: 19 August, 2009, 06:25:01 pm »
In the latest Arrivee there's a photo of someone doing an Audax with a very young child (under a year old) in one of those child trailers attached to the back of his bike.

I missed that first time through!  There he is!

That's it, then.  I'll do it.  I was thinking Welland Wonder 50 in a month's time.  It's local-ish, short-ish, and appears to be flat-ish.    Am I right about that last part?

We've done that one with the kids (on their own bikes) for the last couple of years. It's a nice route, but has a few lumpy bits on the section between Long Buckby and Hasselbach. Mike who organises it is lenient on the times with the kids, so they get a completed brevet at the end.

CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #7 on: 20 August, 2009, 10:02:43 am »
You could probably enter your son as well then buy a medal. so he could claim he did an audax. No different from tandem really there is no rule saying the stoker must pedal.


Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #8 on: 20 August, 2009, 11:08:03 am »
We did an audax with a full picnic (sandwiches, beer, picnic blanket) on the back of the tandem, and stopped at several pubs on route too. :thumbsup:

(It was the shortest of the Invicta series, and began half a mile from where we lived at the time.)
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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #9 on: 20 August, 2009, 11:14:23 am »
There's a short but honourable list of people doing randonnees on in appropriate machines.

What we need is someone who could do one on something like a Yuba Mundo, or an Ordinary, but where would we find such people ... ;D
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Mr Larrington

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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #10 on: 20 August, 2009, 12:01:52 pm »
... I turn up to do an audax on my 8 Freight with my son in the back.

Since someone did the Elenith on a lightly-modded BMX a few years ago, I think the answer has to be "make it so".
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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #11 on: 20 August, 2009, 12:07:28 pm »
No!
You must not commit this most foul crime to humanity.
AUK is a very serious organisation and all of it's rides must be taken with extreme seriousness.
It's people like you who bring cycling into ill repute, making a mockery of our pastime.

















Err, just kidding.
You HAVE to do it. ;D :thumbsup:

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #12 on: 20 August, 2009, 12:11:37 pm »
... and appears to be flat-ish.    Am I right about that last part?
Dunno, but I think you've found a pretty good way to test it.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #13 on: 20 August, 2009, 12:16:49 pm »
Entry form went in the post this morning.  Harry very excited by prospect of being banana-wrangler. 

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #14 on: 19 September, 2009, 08:03:12 pm »
Did it!  3 hours 2 minutes, which I'm pretty blooming pleased with given the freight bikes + child circumstances.

Chris S

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #15 on: 19 September, 2009, 08:05:24 pm »
Awesome! How many of the Beanz-Eating-60-somethings did you render speechless by finishing before them?  ;D

Nice work!

border-rider

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #16 on: 19 September, 2009, 08:12:07 pm »
Did it!  3 hours 2 minutes, which I'm pretty blooming pleased with given the freight bikes + child circumstances.

Yeah, not too bad for a 200 ;)

Seriously: well done.

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #17 on: 19 September, 2009, 09:38:04 pm »
Awesome work. I'd imagined doing the Hauxton 100 on the bakfiets, but I'd need to be a lot fitter.

I had a go on the Zigo Leader, 8-frieght, Christiania Extended, Taga and Onderwater on the same day earlier in the summer. The 8 Freight was so far ahead of the others in bike terms, it's not true. It's one of the things that's got us considereing a Madsen in addition to the bakfiets.

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #18 on: 20 September, 2009, 12:34:24 pm »
Awesome! How many of the Beanz-Eating-60-somethings did you render speechless by finishing before them?  ;D

There weren't a huge number of people doing the 50km, so I'll just say we weren't last and leave it at that :)

Nice work!

Thanks.  The route was a bit more up and down that I'd perhaps have hoped for, but there was only one long pull that defeated me, ("Come on Harry, hop out while I walk this last bit," "why? can't you just cycle?") and it was really a rather pleasant morning's outing.

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #19 on: 20 September, 2009, 12:42:47 pm »
Awesome work. I'd imagined doing the Hauxton 100 on the bakfiets, but I'd need to be a lot fitter.

I had a go on the Zigo Leader, 8-frieght, Christiania Extended, Taga and Onderwater on the same day earlier in the summer. The 8 Freight was so far ahead of the others in bike terms, it's not true. It's one of the things that's got us considereing a Madsen in addition to the bakfiets.

We bought the 8 Freight primarily for cargo (shopping, transport to and from the allotment, work) rather than kiddie transport, but it serve that purpose extremely well.  This might be a slightly silly question (and slightly OT for this forum) but if you thought the 8 Freight was the best, why not just go for the 8 Freight?

This is what I hauled round the Welland Wonder ...

Charlotte

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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #20 on: 20 September, 2009, 04:23:28 pm »
Huge respect!

I aim to get round a 100k audax on my penny at some stage.  It's going to have to be a flat'un, though.
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mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #21 on: 20 September, 2009, 05:00:26 pm »
Nice one Jez.

Don't be modest - did you win?       ;)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #22 on: 20 September, 2009, 05:50:39 pm »
Nice one Jez.

Don't be modest - did you win?       ;)

I'm not, we didn't. There were a couple who fairly zipped round and, I think, were all packed and gone by the time we got in.  I rode probably two-thirds of the way with a very pleasant little group who cheerful engaged Harry in conversation and indulged him as he took their photos ("make me look good, kid, hang on let me suck me stomach in").  We fell off the back climbing that hill I mentioned before ("where have the team gone?") but they were only half way through the first cup of tea when we rolled in, so they can't have got too far ahead.

Solid mid-table finish - the story of my sporting life - which I'm declaring as a success, and I can now will retire from this particular form of audaxing in triumph :) 

Datameister

  • EU Cake Mountain
Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #23 on: 20 September, 2009, 09:13:12 pm »
Alas, I didn't zip round, but was part of said little group, together with my wife, and her sister (on first Audax).

Given the company, t'was one of the most pleasant Audax rides I have done so far.

Next time, though, I shall not wear LEL jersey on a 50 and thus endure the ridicule of Marmite Geoff (happily now seen back on a bike and also member of said group)

Re: Will people think I'm taking the mickey if ...
« Reply #24 on: 20 September, 2009, 09:38:51 pm »
The reports of the frames cracking at the rear stays (slightly unfair, as it's couriers who are cracking them) and the lack of a  rain cover put me off. Also, the Madsen has a stepthru' frame, which would suit my wife (it's for her, I am keeping the bakfiets, which I prefer to the 8-freight). We're just waiting to see if the rain cover for the madsen turns out okay. She used to have a De Fietsfabriek bakfiets, but found the handling in slippery conditions a bit of a handful.