Author Topic: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges  (Read 8675 times)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« on: 01 January, 2019, 06:17:24 pm »
Okay, so you've done your SR, ultra, hyper, multiple RRTYs, PBP, LEL, and have more AAA and OCD points than a pre-synthetic chamois. So what's next? This is a thread to collect the off-beat and alternative challenges available to the determined randonneur.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #1 on: 01 January, 2019, 06:17:35 pm »
Audax Randonneur Series Extraordinaire
Awarded in recognition of truly extraordinary "hors de series" achievements.

Extraordinary Local Brevet for Overseas Wheelers
It's important to distinguish between this and the Audax Randonneur Series Extraordinaire.

Certificate of Outstanding Distance Performed under Influence of Excessive Chemical Enhancement
Points are awarded on a cumulative scale for rides of 200km or more using at least one of the following: for each item on the UCI banned list – 1 point, for each prescription medicine – 2 points, for each Class C, B, A drug – 3, 4, 5 points respectively. Any rider qualifying for this award is entitled to walk with a certain swagger.

Certificate of Outstanding Duration in Pursuit of Intensified Sensual Stimuli
The CODPISS is awarded to encourage members to make maximum use of shared bus shelters or "audax hotels". Proof of passages is photographic and will be posted to aukdarkweb.net.

Brevet for Own Lunch, Leaving Out Cafes and Kitchen Stops
My personal favourite. A panel of judges awards points for quality, quantity and presentation of riders' packed lunches.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #2 on: 01 January, 2019, 06:52:38 pm »
I once found a postcard depicting beans on toast and turned it into a faux brevet card.

I suggest a beans on toast stamp for every control that offers b-o-t and an award for brevet b-o-t.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #3 on: 01 January, 2019, 08:20:19 pm »
There was me thinking randoneur 100000 would be keeping people busy enough!

The audax lunch award sounds good though I'd make it for the most extravagant tea set and luncheon to be carried fron the depart and partaken in a bus stop.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk


hillbilly

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #4 on: 02 January, 2019, 11:20:46 am »
Personal experience...

For the "committed", particularly those of us with a checkbox mentality, it is inevitable that one gets to a stage where the standard fare is stultifying.

At which point, the biggest challenge is actually to keep on doing brevets.  And perhaps even cycling.

If truth be told, I've yet to find the magic formula to get beyond my ennui, so reading this thread with interest.  Some things I've tried are Raids and cyclo-touring, with varying success.  The former is particularly satisfying and my eye has often been attracted by some of the French CTC (FTTC) events, such as the Montagnarde rides or the diagonales.  The Raid Permanents also look like fun.  Time and access are, however, an excuse reason for not doing these (yet).

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #5 on: 02 January, 2019, 11:58:42 am »
Personal experience...

For the "committed", particularly those of us with a checkbox mentality, it is inevitable that one gets to a stage where the standard fare is stultifying.

At which point, the biggest challenge is actually to keep on doing brevets.  And perhaps even cycling.

If truth be told, I've yet to find the magic formula to get beyond my ennui, so reading this thread with interest.  Some things I've tried are Raids and cyclo-touring, with varying success.  The former is particularly satisfying and my eye has often been attracted by some of the French CTC (FTTC) events, such as the Montagnarde rides or the diagonales.  The Raid Permanents also look like fun.  Time and access are, however, an excuse reason for not doing these (yet).

For us newbies, what are raids?

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #6 on: 02 January, 2019, 12:03:47 pm »
E.g. http://www.ccb-cyclo.fr/raid_pyreneen.html

Other flavours include Alps and Dolomites
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

hillbilly

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #7 on: 02 January, 2019, 12:52:07 pm »
A Raid is basically a mountainous permanent.  Some are organised by local clubs but are recorded by Audax Club Parisien, albeit not as audax events.  Raid Pyrenee is the most famous (100 hours to ride along the Pyrenees, with checkpoints in places that ensure you cross most of the famous cols).  Others are the Alpine raids, one of which is from Nice to Geneva and the other leg is from Geneva to Udine, and the Corsican Raid (basically around Corsica).

They are different in regulation to the Raid Permanentes, which have a more direct link to Audax Club Parisien (to the extent that they introduced them as a new class of rides 5 years ago, which AUK then added as the list of events in its regulations; latest Arrivee had a write up of someone from Ireland doing the Welsh one and MarcusJB of this forum has done the Pyrenean one).

The Diagonales are permanent events of around 1000km each, which go diagonally across France (they are specified by their start and end town, which are defined).  These are audax brevets, from memory.  They used to be a "thing" amongst experienced French randonneurs but have fallen out of fashion in recent years (I believe).  They are a bit like LEJOG in intent.


Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #8 on: 02 January, 2019, 01:08:39 pm »
There was me thinking randoneur 100000 would be keeping people busy enough!

The audax lunch award sounds good though I'd make it for the most extravagant tea set and luncheon to be carried fron the depart and partaken in a bus stop.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk
This is very much the idea! Both extravagant and elegant, hopefully.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #9 on: 02 January, 2019, 01:09:57 pm »
I once found a postcard depicting beans on toast and turned it into a faux brevet card.

I suggest a beans on toast stamp for every control that offers b-o-t and an award for brevet b-o-t.
But is it beans-on-brevet-on-toast or brevet-on-beans-on-toast? Or perhaps beans-on-toast-on-brevet? This could be every bit as controversial as cream v jam on scones.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #10 on: 02 January, 2019, 01:11:02 pm »
There are also things like the Relais de France which are a series of ACP perms linking the perimeter cities of France and the Fleche de France linking those cities with Paris. There is a shield for completing all 20 FdF with spaces to mount each of the individual ride medallions. You can only ride a special 21st FdF route after completing all 20 different FdF.
http://www.audax-club-parisien.com/FR/index.php?showpage=331

Various individual clubs like US Metro have their own perms registered with the FFCT, their biggest being the Tour de France Randonneur and Cyclotouriste.
http://club.quomodo.com/usmetro-cyclotourisme/nos-randonnees/tour-de-france.html

HK and I are working our way towards UAF's top award (eagle mantlepiece statue), which requires 3 Aigle d'Or awards. A third PBP Audax in 2021 and some shorter brevets before then should do it.

We've been one ride short of ACP's R10000 for 3 years now but aim to knock it off this year.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #11 on: 02 January, 2019, 02:11:04 pm »
Audax Randonneur Series Extraordinaire
Awarded in recognition of truly extraordinary "hors de series" achievements.

Extraordinary Local Brevet for Overseas Wheelers
It's important to distinguish between this and the Audax Randonneur Series Extraordinaire.

Certificate of Outstanding Distance Performed under Influence of Excessive Chemical Enhancement
Points are awarded on a cumulative scale for rides of 200km or more using at least one of the following: for each item on the UCI banned list – 1 point, for each prescription medicine – 2 points, for each Class C, B, A drug – 3, 4, 5 points respectively. Any rider qualifying for this award is entitled to walk with a certain swagger.

Certificate of Outstanding Duration in Pursuit of Intensified Sensual Stimuli
The CODPISS is awarded to encourage members to make maximum use of shared bus shelters or "audax hotels". Proof of passages is photographic and will be posted to aukdarkweb.net.

Brevet for Own Lunch, Leaving Out Cafes and Kitchen Stops
My personal favourite. A panel of judges awards points for quality, quantity and presentation of riders' packed lunches.

Barakta and I were thinking about this at 3am (as you do):

Certificate Of Outstanding Proof Of Passage - For particularly creative or determined attempts.  Receipts for the purchase of items that are impractical to carry a long way on a bicycle are positively encouraged.  Celebrity signatures on brevet cards are only accepted if the celebrity's presence is unconnected to the event, and the validation secretary has final say on whether they actually count as a celebrity.

Brevet For Wandering Wildlife - Awarded by default for those who go on to complete a ride after a thorough wowbadgering, dog bite, bee sting, ASBO goose attack, deer strike or similar.  But also available to those who are substantially delayed by herds of cattle, having to coral a spooked horse, helping to rescue a trapped sheep, having to stare down leopards, etc.

Audax Alcohol Award - Hopefully this one's self-explanatory.

Audax Allergy Award - With bonus points awarded for performance-limiting side-effects of steroids and antihistamines.  Rides featuring garden centre cafes as controls may be particularly well-suited for accumulating AAA points.

The Von Broad Award For Welding Wheelers - Points awarded for every 100km completed after bodging what would normally considered to be a catastrophic mechanical.  Not to be confused with the Alsopp Certificate For Creative Use Of Cable Ties.

Certificate Of Outstanding DNF - Awarded to riders who find the most improbable ways of rendering themselves hors de combat.  Injuries are only recognised if they are not sustained while riding a bicycle - crashes don't qualify, but hospitalising yourself with third-degree burns while attempting to qualify for the Von Broad Award For Welding Wheelers might.  Being called away to a work or family emergency is unlikely to qualify unless the emergency is itself interesting and improbable.  Having to assist at a birth in a bus shelter certainly counts, unless the baby is non-human, in which case the Brevet For Wandering Wildlife should be awarded instead.

Super Boulanger - Awarded to those who serve CAKE (or other baked goods) at controls for separate 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km events in a single season.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #12 on: 02 January, 2019, 02:21:39 pm »
Excellent ideas there, Kim, and as it happens I have a couple of ideas inspired by you:

Kilovolts Into Miles Wheeled
This badge for electric bike rides is made in shiny copper and presented in a strong rubber presentation case.

Brevet Audax Randonneur Award for Keen Technological Assistance
Self eplanatory!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

whosatthewheel

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #13 on: 02 January, 2019, 03:25:46 pm »
In a way, it would be better if AUK made some awards available based on time. For instance there could be aspecial SR award for completing a series in 72 cumulative hours (3 days). Difficult to administer of course, but it could be based on claims, rather than being automatically awarded.

That would offer a different type of incentive, for those who can do 600 km, but are not necessarily inclined to repeat the ordeal of a long brevet every other weekend in order to achieve some Rando-crazy award.

Basically more "Gran Turismo"

I worked out I will probably get bored before ever achieving an Ultra and I don't have the  time to dedicate to an Hyper... let alone any point based classification.

IanN

  • Voon
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #14 on: 02 January, 2019, 04:11:00 pm »
Spirit Of Randonneuring Achievement Acute Resting Seat Ache
For completing a ride when you no longer know if hurts less standing up or sitting down, every other contact point is tingly and numb and it's been like that since you can remember

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #15 on: 02 January, 2019, 04:20:27 pm »
Spirit Of Randonneuring Achievement Acute Resting Seat Ache
For completing a ride when you no longer know if hurts less standing up or sitting down, every other contact point is tingly and numb and it's been like that since you can remember

But isn't that normal?

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #16 on: 02 January, 2019, 05:52:45 pm »
This is what I'm trying to complete (starting March 2016 and hopefully complete by the end of August):

RANDONNEUR 10000 (AUDAX CLUB PARISIEN)
* a new award for those randonneurs who have completed 10,000 km in ACP [qualifying] events
QUALIFYING EVENTS The qualifying events must be completed within a six year period, beginning on the date of the first qualifying event. To qualify for this award, the randonneur must complete :

    2 full series of ACP brevets (200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000 km) - Longer brevets cannot be substituted for shorter ones
    1 PARIS-BREST-PARIS Randonneur
    Another 1200 km + event homologated by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux
    1 FLECHE VELOCIO or National arrow The achieved mileage is used (i.e. if the team went further than the minimum qualifying distance of 360 km). At least 3 riders must finish the Flèche (you cannot individually claim for your ridden mileage if your team was not successful). International randonneurs can ride a Flèche Nationale homologated by the ACP and organized in accordance with the rules for the Flèche Vélocio.
    1 SUPER RANDONNEE i.e. a permanent of 600 km and at least 10,000 m (32.800 ft) of climbing, homologated by the Audax Club Parisien, ridden in the Randonneur division.

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #17 on: 02 January, 2019, 06:19:54 pm »
Quote
Audax Alcohol Award - hopefully this one's self-explanatory.

Not had an Audax to Brandy Wharf for long time. Debateble whether to take tent and carry on drinking or complete the brevet. :facepalm:

arabella

  • عربللا
  • onwendeð wyrda gesceaft weoruld under heofonum
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #18 on: 02 January, 2019, 07:28:40 pm »
In a way, it would be better if AUK made some awards available based on time. For instance there could be aspecial SR award for completing a series in 72 cumulative hours (3 days). Difficult to administer of course, but it could be based on claims, rather than being automatically awarded.
No no no.  Going faster makes your ride less audacious as there is more time to eat/sleep and less time under the weather etc.
There's the 100 hour SR series 1500km @ 15km/h = 100 hours
Though of course the fast bastards people could merely loiter outside the last control of each ride rather than actually needing the 100 hours. 
Any fool can admire a mountain.  It takes real discernment to appreciate the fens.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #19 on: 02 January, 2019, 09:45:54 pm »
I think there should be a Permanents Round Allsorts of Things Series award. Things that randonneurs could ride round to get this award could include a number of lakes, bigger mountains and smaller countries. Lots of randonneurs might qualify for this award.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

StevieB

  • I'm an embarrassment to my bicycle!
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #20 on: 02 January, 2019, 10:19:56 pm »

Audax Alcohol Award - Hopefully this one's self-explanatory.

That would be different from the Audax After Hours Award?

I expect we all have tales to tell - I though central Lincoln was particularly lively at 4 am on a Sunday morning!
And many a 24hr McDonalds could provide sufficient footage for a reality TV show.
It may be self-flagellation, but it still hurts

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #21 on: 02 January, 2019, 10:24:22 pm »
This is what I'm trying to complete (starting March 2016 and hopefully complete by the end of August):

RANDONNEUR 10000 (AUDAX CLUB PARISIEN)
* a new award for those randonneurs who have completed 10,000 km in ACP [qualifying] events
QUALIFYING EVENTS The qualifying events must be completed within a six year period, beginning on the date of the first qualifying event. To qualify for this award, the randonneur must complete :

    2 full series of ACP brevets (200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000 km) - Longer brevets cannot be substituted for shorter ones
    1 PARIS-BREST-PARIS Randonneur
    Another 1200 km + event homologated by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux
    1 FLECHE VELOCIO or National arrow The achieved mileage is used (i.e. if the team went further than the minimum qualifying distance of 360 km). At least 3 riders must finish the Flèche (you cannot individually claim for your ridden mileage if your team was not successful). International randonneurs can ride a Flèche Nationale homologated by the ACP and organized in accordance with the rules for the Flèche Vélocio.
    1 SUPER RANDONNEE i.e. a permanent of 600 km and at least 10,000 m (32.800 ft) of climbing, homologated by the Audax Club Parisien, ridden in the Randonneur division.

I'm personally working on the ISR. I've got 2 countries so far, I'm hoping to add a Belgian 600 to the list this summer, which will leave me with a need to do either a 300 or 400 in another country (Germany or UK), to hit the target.

For me to do the ACP RANDONNEUR 10000 and ACP RANDONNEUR 5000, I'm gonna have to wait until September at the earliest to start, as I'm not going to make this years PBP (unless I fail to get into the TCR). I'd like to give them a go, but I'm gonna have to get faster, I'm way too close to the time limit on the 200's and 300's I've been doing, so the jump to 400's and 600's and thence onto 1000's+, is going to be really hard, if I can't find something in my average moving speed.

I think there should be a Permanents Round Allsorts of Things Series award. Things that randonneurs could ride round to get this award could include a number of lakes, bigger mountains and smaller countries. Lots of randonneurs might qualify for this award.

It's not a perm, but Randonneurs.nl has the Zuiderzee Ballad, in April, that's a 400km calendar event starting and finishing in Amsterdam, with a lap of the Zuiderzee/Ijsselmeer.

I did do a DIY in the summer where I did a lap of Flevopolder, which was a bit of a slog on the headwind bit (all of the northern side of the polder).

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #22 on: 02 January, 2019, 11:39:15 pm »
I think there should be a Permanents Round Allsorts of Things Series award. Things that randonneurs could ride round to get this award could include a number of lakes, bigger mountains and smaller countries. Lots of randonneurs might qualify for this award.
This would intersect nicely with the Brevet Around the Low Lands Series.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #23 on: 03 January, 2019, 07:01:34 am »
I think there should be a Permanents Round Allsorts of Things Series award. Things that randonneurs could ride round to get this award could include a number of lakes, bigger mountains and smaller countries. Lots of randonneurs might qualify for this award.

Something like the RRA's circuit records. http://www.rra.org.uk/index.html?ifrm_1=circuitrecords.html

whosatthewheel

Re: Alternative Audax Badges and Challenges
« Reply #24 on: 03 January, 2019, 01:35:23 pm »
In a way, it would be better if AUK made some awards available based on time. For instance there could be aspecial SR award for completing a series in 72 cumulative hours (3 days). Difficult to administer of course, but it could be based on claims, rather than being automatically awarded.
No no no.  Going faster makes your ride less audacious as there is more time to eat/sleep and less time under the weather etc.
There's the 100 hour SR series 1500km @ 15km/h = 100 hours
Though of course the fast bastards people could merely loiter outside the last control of each ride rather than actually needing the 100 hours.

I don't understand your resentment towards people who cycle quicker than you. It's not the first time and you are profoundly wrong on this. There is no virtue in being slow or fast, it is just a fact of life that someone is fitter and therefore faster.

The same people might run out of AUK projects, once they achieve an SR, simply because more demanding awards require a disproportionate availability of time (and occasionally money) that not everybody has.

Hence my suggestion to make available an award for completing a series in a more restrictive time window than the current... why not?
Certainly asking people to cycle slower to make it more challenging is not a proposition many would sign up to.