How does Audax make you feel?

[Oaky]

I usually end up riding most of the audax on my own

me too

You don't need to be at the back of the pack to ride an audax on your own.  Stop for a pee and you can end riding in the audax bubble until the next control.  That's why I carry a wee mp3 player in my saddle bag to make solo riding a bit less dull.

You can pee mp3s?

[Feline]

My first ever audax, the 4 leaf clover 200 last August, I rode the first 2 minutes with the pack, then there was a hill (I was very slow back then) and I didn't see another living soul all day other than the controllers, and after I finished 2 even slower guys I hadn't even seen all day came in 

Unless I've actually agreed to ride with someone, what tends to happen is I ride the first 100k or so with others, then the faster riders get ahead of me and I gradually drop the slower riders and end up in the middle of the field somewhere but often on my own. I don't actually mind this unless it's windy. It's easier to find a bus shelter to sleep one 

[oldpeddler]

Over the past three years I have gone from being able to do a reasonable hilly 200 in 10 hours and feeling fine at the end to struggling to complete one at all.  I have either DNF'd of DNS every audax I have entered this year for one reason or another.  Its a bit depressing.  I am now at the stage that I am fretting in the days before an audax whether I will actually be able to complete it or not.  One thing that I have observed is that, when I have DNF'd, it has always been becasue I was knackered an did not have the will to carry on.  I have never been out of time when I packed and never packed because I was out of time.  Maybe it is a bit in my head.

In almost every audax I have completed I have been the tail ender.  Everyone else seems to be super fit and storm round in no time and I usually end up riding most of the audax on my own and get embarrassed that I am keeping the controler up all night.  I think that might be the root of the problem.  I go out regularly now with the local CTC and we always stick together.  This makes the ride a lot more enjoyable for me.  However, on the occasion when I have completed an audax, I feel like a million dollars even if I am totally knackered.

I'm going through exactly the same problem. Having ridden some of the hardest 100k hilly rides I tried to step up to a 200k (another hilly) and had my first DNF after grinding to a halt at 65k. My bikes computer showed I'd ridden only 42k which didn't help  and my route map was mush from two hours of rain so didn't find out till later I'd actually ridden 65k in four hours. Psychologically I'd panicked and being one of the rear riders and feeling tired I thought I'd run out of time and energy. Also found out  afterwards that the two riders behind me had also abandoned.
I've also had a struggle like yourself since March, even finishing the 100ks. Hopefully back at 100k for the Rhosgoch festival this weekend and hope to finish even though the 2.5 AAA hills are worrying me already. Good luck to you for your future rides. Oh, are you having problems with your bike in any way as that doesn't help either.

[jogler]

You don't need to be at the back of the pack to ride an audax on your own.

I can do both.I call it multi-tasking

[oldpeddler]

Just had another thought. I'm usually at the back in most rides and when you get left alone there I find you have more time to think how tired you are whereas if you're tailing someone or just chatting as you ride along the miles disappear before you know it.

[nightrider]

How does Audax make you feel?Well my first Audax was a 100k ride in 2005.I was young,or I thought,in my early forties.I got carried away.There was a tail wind and I got in with the fast men.At the first control there was a big queue and I spent a long time waiting.Some of the slow old guys cheated and just got there cards stamped and rode away.The next section was a bit hilly,but I caught up with the slow old guys just before the second control.The last section was into a gert headwind,I decided to hide behind the slow old guys.The slow old guys rode bikes with mudguards,Brooks saddles or Rolls and carradice saddlebags.Most of them where in their fifties.I got dropped by the old guys.How did my first Audax make me feel?HUMILIATED.Not now though,things are different.I am err...

[LEE]

I'm lucky, I managed to talk 3 work colleagues into AUDAX.  Since we did the Faccombe Haul 100 3 or 4 years ago (I forget) it's rare that we don't ride together in a Faccombe 4 (or Faccombe 3 or Faccombe 5 (with Els)).

This means that there is always someone to tow you along if you have a bad spell.

Faccombe 3 (me, Chillmoister and Keeks) will be sharing a car, ferry, hotel and road on PBP 2011.

I ride perm 200s on my own and that is enjoyable in its own way but, realistically, it's MUCh better to have company, especially on the night stages of 400/600s.

[Manotea]

Dirty.

"Is Audax Dirty?"

"Only if it's done right."