Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Further and Faster => Topic started by: Delidroid on 22 April, 2024, 11:03:35 pm
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Hello.
I apologise for probably asking the same old question. I live in Gravesend in Kent UK. There’s a good Cycling club which I will apply to join once I have built up my strength and endurance. I’m fortunate to have a 2.5 Km cycle track locally. my question is I want to buy a bike suitable for Audax. The only local shop is Halfords. My question is which make and model bike should I consider buying. I have a Carrera Parva hybrid bike which I’ve had for five years. It lives outside and is ridden every day. I have a Brooks leather saddle on the shelf so I can overlook that component on my new purchase.
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Morning. On an Audax you will see lots of different bikes from steel tourers to carbon 'race' bikes so there isn't one right answer.
Halfords will sell you a useable bike but it's worth looking at other options. Decathlon bikes are very good value and they have stores at Surrey Quays (which you could reach by train) or Lakeside (bus or drive).
I got my Audax bike second-hand on Gumtree (from a chap in Gravesend) and it works really well. I did upgrade the saddle and tyres from the original ones.
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You ready own a bike suitable for audax.
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You ready own a bike suitable for audax.
I was going to say the same. You have a bike you ride every day. That is your audax bike. Just ride it a little further than usual on one of the days. How far do you ride it currently?
Bike clubs are changing. There are still some old fashioned clubs where you have to be a serious racer to join but most will have a slow group on club rides which will take the shorted route to the cafe so everyone gets there at the same time. They will generally be very welcoming.
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The above posters are correct that you have a bike that you can use for Audaxing. However, there may be one or two changes that you can make to allow a more comfortable riding experience.
1. Change of Tyres.
Part of the effort needed to ride a bike is attributable to the rolling resistance of the tyres. You may therefore get some good benefit from changing your current tyres to something lighter with less rolling resistance. A quality tyre is a good investment so something like a Continental Urban in 35c, or even a Continental GP5000 in 32C or 28C. There is lots of choice but if you want to be overwhelmed with information take a look at https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/ (https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/).
2. Change your innertubes.
Again, related to making the wheels go around easier, you could change your inner tubes from the rubber ones you currently have to the newer type of TPU.
3. Handlebars
The straight(ish) bars fitted to your bike don't give many options for hand positions. If you don't already have something similar, swapping your handle bar grips to something like Ergon grips would be good as this type of grip is much more supportive to the hands.
4. Are you sitting comfortably.
This is about getting the sadlle position and stem length correct for your style of riding. Refining your position as you get fitter will minimise the aches and pains you get from sitting on a bike for extended periods. A 200km Audax ridden as 20 kph will take 10 hours! Have a read of https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf (http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf)
5. Practise for 'mechanicals'
When you do longer distance rides your are more likely to run into minor mechanical issues. I'd suggest getting familair with two activities.
A. Replacing inner tubes (don't faff around on Audaxes mending punctures. Take two extra innertunes with you to swap in if you get a puncture. Mend punctures at home in the warm whilst indulging yourself with a nice cup of tea and a bit of cake).
B. Adjusting the indexing of your gears so that they run smoothly.
6. Get some decent quality cycling shorts ( and some chamois creme)
A decent set of shorts will fit comfortably without and rubbing (small movements of material around your sitting area). Even so you might benefit from applying chamois creme as your rides get longer.
7. Saddle
Be prepared to discover that the saddle/bum interface is not good for longer distances and that you will need to seek out a different saddle as the distances increase. Saddles are very personal things so you will need to do some research. Good saddles to look at initially would be the SPA Nidd or Selle SMP TRK. You say you already have a Brooks saddle but this type of saddle doesn't suite everyone and is also not the best type of saddle for the design of bikes you get today (seat tube angles and all that). A common problem with Brooks saddles is that it is not possible to move the saddle back enough to get to your optimum bike position.
8. Finally
Many people make the mistake of buying an Audax specific bike too soon. I'd suggest a year of Audaxing on your current bike (with minor upgrades) before you make a purchase.
Have fun
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2. Change your innertubes.
Again, related to making the wheels go around easier, you could change your inner tubes from the rubber ones you currently have to the newer type of TPU.
Honestly, not necessary for the expense and mythical, hypothetical limited miniscule gain.
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Delidroid, do not limit yourself to Halfords. Many bike shops will ship bikes to you.
Just one for instance is Biketart near Canterbury. They are very friendly https://www.biketart.com/
And you could take the train up to That London
Give me a shoutt if you venture to Decathlon - I am nearby
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Honestly, not necessary for the expense and mythical, hypothetical limited miniscule gain.
Hence the 'could'. In my personal experience, TPU tubes are good for a 1 -2 kph increase in speed over a 2 hour ride.
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You could try this 100km audax local to you, on your existing bike. Talk to others on the ride, see what they are riding, see how you go, and it will help inform your decisions on what to ride.
https://www.audax.uk/event-details/10648-hop_garden_100km
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Hello.
I apologise for probably asking the same old question. I live in Gravesend in Kent UK. There’s a good Cycling club which I will apply to join once I have built up my strength and endurance. I’m fortunate to have a 2.5 Km cycle track locally. my question is I want to buy a bike suitable for Audax. The only local shop is Halfords. My question is which make and model bike should I consider buying. I have a Carrera Parva hybrid bike which I’ve had for five years. It lives outside and is ridden every day. I have a Brooks leather saddle on the shelf so I can overlook that component on my new purchase.
Hi there, might ask which club you intend to join? Is it the Gravesend Cycling Club, which tend to be very much road/race orientated, or it the Gravesend section of the CTC (that was). If the latter, then this club is less focused on speed, but does have quite a few riders who are well into the audax scene, and I'm sure the Hop garden Audax linked to above, is one of ours. Why not come along for a ride, we meet every Thursday evening, @ the cyclopark entrance, leaving at 7.30pm for a ride of approx 25km to a different pub every week. No one is left behind, and there will be a wealth of knowlege to tap into. Friendly bunch, this week I believe we are going to the Kings Arms at Upnor. I also live in Gravesend, and hope to be out this week, Do come along and say Hi, you will be most welcome, Steve Dyer is our main man, might see you Thursday.
Having tried to entice you to come along, this doesn't quite answer your question. I might suggest, if you want to stay local for your purchase, there is Decathlon over the water @ Lakeside, and not forgetting Ribble have a fantastic shop at Bluewater, first floor, and they are bound to have something to your liking that is suitable. Or a little further afield there is Pearson cycles at Sutton, and Condor Cycles in London, a short train ride away.
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On the subject of handlebars, I can say that I have done up to 600km with straight bars, albeit the allrounder type rather than completely flat which it looks like you have. And along the way I put a bit of bar tape further in along the bar to get my hands closer together as a change and even rest my elbows on the actual handlebar grips (note particularly comfy but a change of position). I did a number of years of touring on actual flat bars doing around 100km/day before I even got to audax.
TLDR: dont worry about the handlebars yet either.
The 25km to a pub sounds like your best place to start, depending on how far you do generally go.
Get some nice padded gloves if you don't already have any.
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You ready own a bike suitable for audax.
I would agree but in due course it might be worth spending more for a stronger, lighter bike with more durable components. That depends on the OP's budget and how they get on with their existing bike.
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Thank you all for the advice.
Freeflow. Today I changed the tyres and handlebars with what I had in the shed. A pair of thick slick tyres and a W shaped handlebar. I rode to Cobham which is 4.4 miles (I got lost going) coming home took me under 30 minutes. I feel like I’ve busted something between my legs. That nerve. It could be the set up or change of handlebars that contributed.
Blodwyn pig. Thank you for the invite but I shall ride 25 Km in the cyclo park first so that I know I can do it. My usual rides are never more than 1 1/2 Miles at a time.
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my 2p. Second the n+1 option, when the time is right. Carrera bikes tend to be on the heavy side - think the Parva is 13.5kg (med frame?); so with 1.5kg of water in summer, & saddle pack with extra kit, you may be knocking on 16kg + rider. Having said that I don't tend to stress too much about weight, particularly since I'm not the lightest myself these days either. Drop bars are great for multi hand positions on longer rides (& I hardly ever use the drops), though the flat bars can be good for 'working' those hills. In the fullness of time, a lighter bike, with drop bars, from Halfords - Boardman bikes can be a good option - gravel bikes would give a wider ranger of tyre sizes, mudguards no problem, & lowish gearing* 1:1 or better. (probably). *maybe not as good as your hybrid (triple?).
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Good thing about getting involved with a club is that as other riders change bikes, upgrade, have birthdays etc you can get access to a pool of known and cared for secondhand machines. Well worth having ime.
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As others have said, use your present bike, gradually increase your milage, and write down what you do or don't like.
It may or may not be worth changing some components, but you will get a better idea of what you want of a new or second-hand bike in due time.
Due to arthritis, I have to ride a bike with flat bars. I find that with very unfashionable bar ends I have just about as many hand positions as with drop bars. You don't have to have a bike with drop handlebars. Observe how many cyclists you see actually riding with their hands on the drops.
I'm never going to be riding long distance again, but up to 100k I can trundle around on my mountain bike.
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The three areas to focus on, imho, are:
- Contacts points: hands, feet, arse. If you're not comfortable on the bike, you won't enjoy going very far
Make sure you're comfortable. Bar ends? Bar grips? Good saddle?
- Tyres - swapping to something like conti gp 5k can give you a good speed boost for not much money. Get the largest size that will fit your rims. Ideally the 32mm ones.
- Navigation: being on route is faster than being off route. Having good navigation device (I like the wahoo element bolt) can be he difference between finishing, and spending the day riding in the wrong direction. On one ride I picked up 3 other riders who all had nav failures and guided them home.
J
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So much good advice here. Thank you all.
My old Parva is worn out. The rim wear grooves have gone, the chain was killed by road salt, the brakes drive me mad as one pad or the other rubs the rims after trying to adjust the stupid spring tension screws. I recently bought a new one. It’s still a Carrera Parva but it has disc brakes which I’ll be asking questions about later. I forgot to mention that both bikes have 650B wheels. Road tyres are limited choice unfortunately.
Andyoxon: I changed the handlebars because I don’t like straight bars. The original ones were steel and I weighed them. 665g I imagine the seatpost is as bad but I not going to spend $$$ upgrading everything.
Quixoticgeek: I have Chris Hoy’s Library book and I’ll spend time tomorrow setting it up properly. I’ll have a look at Satnavs too.
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If you are planning on spending many many hours on the bike, fit is more important than brand or weight or whatever. In my opinion, you're better off going to a specialist bike fitter before buying a bike, and getting their advice on the bike/size/setup before spending money. The only counter to that is if you are looking at the inexpensive secondhand market and the bike fit would be a high percentage of the total cost.
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There is a massive difference between 1-1.5 mile rides and even the shortest Audax ride. Build up slowly, enjoy riding your bike, develop strength and resilience. Don't launch into buying a new bike until you know a bit more about what you want from it.
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I shall ride 25 Km in the cyclo park first so that I know I can do it. My usual rides are never more than 1 1/2 Miles at a time.
To be blunt, you're some way off being audax-ready.
Cyclopark is a good place to practice building up your distances but audaxes are on open roads and as it states in the guidance for riders, are only suitable for people who are experienced at riding on open roads.
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...I shall ride 25 Km in the cyclo park first...
Another 2p. As a training goal you could see if you can eventually build up do 25km in 1hour. Not that I've done an Audax at an average speed of 25km/h before, but over 25km - if have reasonable potential fitness, may be a challenge to try. Training on the same track could be 'boring' though, so after a while perhaps take it to a decent handful of diff routes...
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...I shall ride 25 Km in the cyclo park first...
Another 2p. As a training goal you could see if you can eventually build up do 25km in 1hour. Not that I've done an Audax at an average speed of 25km/h before, but over 25km - if have reasonable potential fitness, may be a challenge to try. Training on the same track could be 'boring' though, so after a while perhaps take it to a decent handful of diff routes...
Varying the routes isn't just a nice thing to do to make training less boring - as per previous post, experience of road riding is essential.
There's too much well-meant-but-misguided positivity in this thread, and focusing on daft stuff like inner tubes instead of what actually matters. As an organiser, I wouldn't be happy about accepting an entry from the OP - for their own safety.
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There is a massive difference between 1-1.5 mile rides and even the shortest Audax ride. Build up slowly, enjoy riding your bike, develop strength and resilience. Don't launch into buying a new bike until you know a bit more about what you want from it.
This.
I'd suggest that, irrespective of how fast you actually go, there's a point at around 2 hours in where it stops being about stamina and more about things like ergonomics, hydration and digestion.
On that basis, I'd suggest that you need to be confident doing >2 hour rides before making informed decisions about bike ergonomics, as most people can ride anything that vaguely fits for an hour or two.
Going faster is another kettle of fish entirely...
(FWIW, I find that riding on tracks like Cyclopark[1] is very different to road riding. Speeds are much higher, even though that bottom corner is a bastard, as you don't have to deal with poor surfaces and motor traffic. The real world has more Scenery[2] too.)
[1] As occasionally visited by the BHPC (https://www.bhpc.org.uk/events/2024-races/).
[2] May be a euphemism for 'hills'.
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...I shall ride 25 Km in the cyclo park first...
Another 2p. As a training goal you could see if you can eventually build up do 25km in 1hour. Not that I've done an Audax at an average speed of 25km/h before, but over 25km - if have reasonable potential fitness, may be a challenge to try. Training on the same track could be 'boring' though, so after a while perhaps take it to a decent handful of diff routes...
Varying the routes isn't just a nice thing to do to make training less boring - as per previous post, experience of road riding is essential.
There's too much well-meant-but-misguided positivity in this thread, and focusing on daft stuff like inner tubes instead of what actually matters. As an organiser, I wouldn't be happy about accepting an entry from the OP - for their own safety.
Apologies for any potential bunkum spouted. ;) I was kind of assuming since the OP was thinking about joining a cycling club & doing Audax, that they had resonable road riding experience to build on. I went through several years of hardly riding at all, but prior to that had had experience of commuting in London / cycle tours etc, but anyway...
[Maybe if OP doesn't have much previous road cycling experience, as other have said, 'all things in good time' build it up slowly, safely, concentrate on building confidence / road skills first, perhaps riding on familiar quieter road routes, at quieter times of day, gradually increasing distances; go out with any experienced cycling friends...etc]
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Hello.
I apologise for probably asking the same old question. I live in Gravesend in Kent UK. There’s a good Cycling club which I will apply to join once I have built up my strength and endurance. I’m fortunate to have a 2.5 Km cycle track locally. my question is I want to buy a bike suitable for Audax. The only local shop is Halfords. My question is which make and model bike should I consider buying. I have a Carrera Parva hybrid bike which I’ve had for five years. It lives outside and is ridden every day. I have a Brooks leather saddle on the shelf so I can overlook that component on my new purchase.
Looking at Gravesend Cycling Club site I read this:
Ride
Club Run
Every Sunday, starting from Cobham War Memorial. 9am in winter, 8:30am when on BST. This is a no-drop ride. All abilities welcome.
That sounds good. Could be worth turning up and having a word with them. Can't see why they would not be happy to help a keen newcomer.
My first club ride there were three of us. That was the entire club and I was slowest with the heaviest bike but the other two didn't mind waiting for me when necessary.
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Apologies for any potential bunkum spouted. ;) I was kind of assuming since the OP was thinking about joining a cycling club & doing Audax, that they had resonable road riding experience to build on.
OP has mentioned their usual rides being no more than 1.5 miles and doing a 4.4 mile ride to Cobham in “under 30 minutes”.
Distance and speed both need a lot of work. And for that, Cyclopark would be fine. But there’s no substitute for getting out on real roads.
I may be underestimating their previous experience of road riding but I only have what has been said in this thread to go on.
That said, I assume the OP must be reasonably confident on roads - Gravesend itself is not very cyclist friendly…
Fortunately, there are some nice lanes once you get out of town. Also some nice hills, which is another thing you don’t get at Cyclopark. [ETA: I see Kim has already made this point]
Inner tubes should be very low down their list of priorities.
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Be very careful about gate keeping.
I finished my bike end of November 2017. I did my first 200km Audax on the last weekend of January 2018. Essentially 2 months from commuting to 200k.
I see people talking about average speed of 25kph. My average speed on a BRM is 20kph. This gives 10 hours moving, 3.5 for eating. That's plenty fast enough to finish in the time limit.
Put some faster tyres on your bike and go ride an Audax. Maybe you have to hop on a train 100km in. You've not lost much and you'll learn a lot. Or maybe you do the ride in 13 hours and sign up for another one while you have a beer at the finish.
And to the OP. You're more than welcome at my Audax events in Amsterdam, not the easiest to get to from Gravesend, but come over, make a good holiday if it and explore another country.
A member of this forum did my 200k last March on an upright single speed omafiets. The bike you have is fine
Just ride it. If you want, stick better tyres on (this is a big improvement worth making). Else ride.
J
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Well, the OP clearly has ambitions to ride more than 4.4 miles in one go and it's realistic enough to think of 25km as a stepping stone, especially when audaxes can start at 50 ...
FWIW, I reckon regular riding is a good start - when I was commuting a reasonable distance (about 7 miles each way, 5 days a week) my role of thumb was that doing my weekly distance in one go was a fairly plausible ride. Maybe type 2 fun, but doable without *too* much trouble.
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To the OP. Might I ask some personal questions about you, ie M/F, height , approx weight , and general fitness level, and personal comfort / experience around cars on the road/ road riding in general. I hope not to appear rude, but it will give the panel a better understanding of your needs. ie, if you are a 4’10” and extremely overweight female, who is terrified of traffic, then there is much work to do before you consider n+1, even then, I believe female specific bikes are shorter, ( but may be wrong), so finding a suitable bike will be the quest. However if you are avg height/ build, and comfortable in traffic, then less of a problem. As I said, I am NOT being rude, or sexist, or anything other than helpful.
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Be very careful about gate keeping.
Do you think that’s what I’m doing?
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Be very careful about gate keeping.
Do you think that’s what I’m doing?
I wasn't singling anyone out with that. But there are some posts that felt to me like they are coming very close to gate keeping.
J
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FWIW, I reckon regular riding is a good start - when I was commuting a reasonable distance (about 7 miles each way, 5 days a week) my role of thumb was that doing my weekly distance in one go was a fairly plausible ride. Maybe type 2 fun, but doable without *too* much trouble.
That was also my experience. My first Audax* was three times longer than my previous longest ride. I jumped from a couple of 30 mile CTC easy rides to the 150km Forest Ghump. But I'd been commuting 5 miles each way for over a year. I did struggle a bit, but not to the point where it looked like I might not finish, and the BP minimum time is generous enough to allow walking up any hills. Rode that and a few others up to 300km on a bike not dissimilar to the OP's, though the advice to change tyres was much appreciated.
I then spent a decade, and a considerable chunk of money, chasing the perfect Audax bike before ending up with a bike similar to the one I started out with, though of far better quality. I think the OP should ride more on the bike they have, with better tyres as the first upgrade, then look for a better bike for them rather than better for Audax.
* I didn't know what an Audax was, possibly still don't, though I now know what I want from it.
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I have a very nice Van Nicholas Yukon (Titanium) Audax bike for sale. See the For Sale section.
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For context. This morning race around the Netherlands started. One rider is riding it on a cargo bike. Complete with crate on the front. You'd be amazed at how far people can ride on many different types of bike...
J
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For context. This morning race around the Netherlands started. One rider is riding it on a cargo bike. Complete with crate on the front. You'd be amazed at how far people can ride on many different types of bike...
J
a person can ride anything pretty much anywhere with training. What the majority of people cannot do is go from 3km to 100km without training. It is never about the bike.
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a person can ride anything pretty much anywhere with training. What the majority of people cannot do is go from 3km to 100km without training. It is never about the bike.
Almost everyone can ride 100km. They just won't be quick. And it won't be fun.
J
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To the OP. Might I ask some personal questions about you, ie M/F, height , approx weight , and general fitness level, and personal comfort / experience around cars on the road/ road riding in general. I hope not to appear rude, but it will give the panel a better understanding of your needs. ie, if you are a 4’10” and extremely overweight female, who is terrified of traffic, then there is much work to do before you consider n+1, even then, I believe female specific bikes are shorter, ( but may be wrong), so finding a suitable bike will be the quest. However if you are avg height/ build, and comfortable in traffic, then less of a problem. As I said, I am NOT being rude, or sexist, or anything other than helpful.
Hello Blodwyn.
Here's my spec. I'm a Man. 5'9". 60 years old about 14 1/2 Stone. I have a full Car and Motorcycle License. I want to build a certain level of fitness so that I'm not the fat git at the back holding everyone up.
I thought the average speed for Audax was 15 Kmh Which is what I gleaned from reading posts on here. but someone just said it's 25 Kmh.
If I may, I'll contact You and Kim directly when I have ridden a bit further and faster.
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Hello Blodwyn.
Here's my spec. I'm a Man. 5'9". 60 years old about 14 1/2 Stone. I have a full Car and Motorcycle License. I want to build a certain level of fitness so that I'm not the fat git at the back holding everyone up.
I thought the average speed for Audax was 15 Kmh Which is what I gleaned from reading posts on here. but someone just said it's 25 Kmh.
If I may, I'll contact You and Kim directly when I have ridden a bit further and faster.
To clarify. Average speed is 15kph. But that includes stops. So if you cycle at a constant 15kph, you won't have time to stop for food, or to pee. So generally you want to be a bit quicker. I'm happy if I average 20kph when moving.
As mentioned up thread, this gives me 10 hours to ride, and 3.5 hours for eating, admiring the view, and any mechanicals. I do know people who ride a lot faster. On the last 200km BRM I organised one rider arrived on the dot of 0645. Giving a 30kph average including stops. Which is bloomin fast. The final rider came in at about 13 hours.
Don't worry about 25kph. You may get there, but it's not necessarily, and setting it as target may be disheartening.
An Audax is in theory a solo event. Being slow isn't a problem, you don't hold anyone up. People might disappear up the road, but you're not holding anyone up.
No good organiser is going to have any problem with you arriving at 13:29, as long as you've not taken the piss by sitting in the pub round the corner having a beer or 3. An organiser knows the time limit on the ride, and signs up to be there for the whole time.
The biggest sin in Audax is to abandon the ride without telling the organiser. Being slow is entirely ok. You don't hold anyone up. Ride your own ride. Tho you might do a lot of riding alone. (I've done almost all my Audax rides completely solo as everyone is quicker than me).
So. Don't worry too much about speed. 25kph is unobtainably optimistic for a new audaxer anyway.
Just ride. And that invite for the Amsterdam Audax events is a genuine invite.
J
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I thought the average speed for Audax was 15 Kmh Which is what I gleaned from reading posts on here. but someone just said it's 25 Kmh.
To clarify. Average speed is 15kph. But that includes stops. So if you cycle at a constant 15kph, you won't have time to stop for food, or to pee. So generally you want to be a bit quicker. I'm happy if I average 20kph when moving.
J
For those rides under 200km, BP's, it's usually 12.5kph though can be as low as 10 at the organisers discretion.
It isn't usually speed that would cause someone to not finish a BP, unless it's particularly hilly, if they can ride the distance they can probably do it within the time.
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1. As so often, there's a huge amount of useful knowledge and advice on here.
2. By the way, I've always been disappointed by the difference between my effortful speeds on a "fast light bike with fast tyres" and the other sort. On the whole, less than 1mph. Is it me??
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By the way, I've always been disappointed by the difference between my effortful speeds on a "fast light bike with fast tyres" and the other sort. On the whole, less than 1mph. Is it me??
Mathematically speaking, bicycle speed is largely a function of power output vs wind resistance (mostly of your body) and on particularly hilly rides power vs weight (again, mostly of your body). While the style of bike can definitely influence those things, for the same rider on two vaguely similar bikes they're going to work out pretty close.
Rolling resistance, bicycle weight, gearing, even the weight of a bit of luggage has a much smaller influence than many road club bores people who've watched too much GCN people assume.
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:)
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https://www.strava.com/activities/1378437082
This is the Strava entry for my first ever Audax.
Looks like I averaged 18.5kph.
I was running Schwalbe Marathon green guard tyres. I replaced them with Conti GP4k immediately after.
J
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Thank You for the invite Quixoticgeek. I’ve never been to Amsterdam.
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To the OP. Might I ask some personal questions about you, ie M/F, height , approx weight , and general fitness level, and personal comfort / experience around cars on the road/ road riding in general. I hope not to appear rude, but it will give the panel a better understanding of your needs. ie, if you are a 4’10” and extremely overweight female, who is terrified of traffic, then there is much work to do before you consider n+1, even then, I believe female specific bikes are shorter, ( but may be wrong), so finding a suitable bike will be the quest. However if you are avg height/ build, and comfortable in traffic, then less of a problem. As I said, I am NOT being rude, or sexist, or anything other than helpful.
Hello Blodwyn.
Here's my spec. I'm a Man. 5'9". 60 years old about 14 1/2 Stone. I have a full Car and Motorcycle License. I want to build a certain level of fitness so that I'm not the fat git at the back holding everyone up.
I thought the average speed for Audax was 15 Kmh Which is what I gleaned from reading posts on here. but someone just said it's 25 Kmh.
If I may, I'll contact You and Kim directly when I have ridden a bit further and faster.
Excellent, now then, I propose a wee ride, next Sat, starting at the Cyclopark at 9.00 am? for a wee jolly of about 25-30 km, speed is not important, and we'll have a nice ride. out towards Ifield/Cobham/ Pear Tree Lane, / down into Higham/ back along the canal, What could be simpler. It'll be over before you know it, and believe me, riding with some one else, is so much easier than riding on your own. What do you say? PM if you like.
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Nice one. It’s a Date. I’ll wear my jersey which looks like a Heineken advert. My Name is Derek but everyone calls Me Del. I look forward to it.
Cyclo park: Are we meeting at the Wrotham Rd Entrance please?
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By the way, I've always been disappointed by the difference between my effortful speeds on a "fast light bike with fast tyres" and the other sort. On the whole, less than 1mph. Is it me??
Mathematically speaking, bicycle speed is largely a function of power output vs wind resistance (mostly of your body) and on particularly hilly rides power vs weight (again, mostly of your body). While the style of bike can definitely influence those things, for the same rider on two vaguely similar bikes they're going to work out pretty close.
Rolling resistance, bicycle weight, gearing, even the weight of a bit of luggage has a much smaller influence than many road club bores people who've watched too much GCN people assume.
Ergonomics or bike fit is something I pay most attention to. It's also nice to have gearing that suits your power band. My first century ride I wore jeans and trainers, a lot of people did. Lycra and cycling shoes are much better.
WRT weight, I turn up to club rides on old steel bikes and people with carbon fibre have expressed their amazement when I reach the tops of hills. Especially the younger ones (people, not hills)..
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Nice one. It’s a Date. I’ll wear my jersey which looks like a Heineken advert. My Name is Derek but everyone calls Me Del. I look forward to it.
Cyclo park: Are we meeting at the Wrotham Rd Entrance please?
Excellent. Good luck.
QG makes a fair point about gate keeping, and I hope my earlier comments haven't come across as discouraging - I completely agree with what jsabine said, that your ambition to ride 25km is perfectly reasonable and achievable, and a good stepping stone to audax distances. I do think you'll be a LOT better off doing it on the road rather than the track though (Kim has spelt out the reasons), so it's great that BP is able to support you on that score.
Btw, if you want a training target to aim for, I have an audax event starting near Herne Bay in September, with 110km, 160km and 200km distances. :)
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A member of this forum did my 200k last March on an upright single speed omafiets. The bike you have is fine
(Pedant alert - it was fixed gear, not single speed)
I should probably add that I've been audaxing since 2005. 200s hurt until I did a 300 etc.. I've done a couple of SR series (that's 200/300/400/600km rides) on that and its predecessor.
A rule of thumb I found useful in the early days (first year or so until I got more relaxed) was to have done at least half the distance of the audax in the previous fortnight. So if you're doing a 100km ride then make sure you've done at least that in the preceding fortnight eg as 10-20km/day, not every day - this gives you a nice baseline. So you're looking at starting with 3-4 mile rides, then up to 5-6 miles etc.. That way you'll either get used to your current bike or get a better idea of what you want/need to change.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53697871483_6b2a8b5cee_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pP6Cop)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2pP6Cop) by mark tilley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/yo_stumpy/), on Flickr
Ok, just so the 'panel' are kept up to date on the procedings, Delidroid did indeed make it to the start, and after the introductions, and a bit of a cautious start, the power supply to the legs was seemingly turned on, and we bowled along at an easy 20km/h. A comment along the way was something like ' it's funny, my legs seem to be getting stronger and stronger'! The optimistic 20-25 km ride, was ........extended, .....to include smooth tarmac, gravel, farm track, rough stuff, and canal path, oh and the odd hill, ;D, . Anyway , a good time was had by all, and a stirling effort, and a very respectable 45km.
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Nice one!
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:thumbsup:
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I love the narrative arc of this thread.
Great work Del and Blodwyn.
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Well done Delidroid. That bike looks as if it fits you pretty well.
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Good stuff. Looks like a nice ride was had. :)
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Great start
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Well done both of you
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https://www.strava.com/activities/1378437082
This is the Strava entry for my first ever Audax.
Looks like I averaged 18.5kph.
I was running Schwalbe Marathon green guard tyres. I replaced them with Conti GP4k immediately after.
J
Having swapped your tyres, did your avg speed on the second Audax vastly improve?
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Congratulations
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Thank you everyone.
an especial thank you to Blodwyn. I had a great time and I actually had no aches and pains the next morning apart from a sprained ankle.
this is an old wound which I had physio a couple of years ago for it. I suspect it was caused by me wearing clipless shoes on ordinary platform pedals.
the bike is almost set up. I shall use the advice I was given and fit a longer aheadset stem and narrower tyres.
I cant wait to get out again.
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Great to hear about the ride. Re tyres, it'd be interesting to hear comments about those. I use Schwalbe Road Cruiser 600 x 1.75 on the expedition tourer, tough tyre but performs well at a fair price. Good for use on our potholed roads.
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Great stuff :D
What we really want to know, Del, is how many tape measures, hunting knives, tenners and bungee cords you found (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=53164.0) on your ride with Blodwyn Pig!?
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Great to hear about the ride. Re tyres, it'd be interesting to hear comments about those. I use Schwalbe Road Cruiser 600 x 1.75 on the expedition tourer, tough tyre but performs well at a fair price. Good for use on our potholed roads.
I have WTB Thickslick on the bike at the moment. Blodwyn also recommended mudguards. I don't know if they will fit over the tyres that look like balloons.
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Photo shows you hsve space for mudguards front fork and rear seat stay. Chain stay being out of sight. This is for existing tyres.
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Today, himself was present on the second ride, a much more confident approach, seemingly attacking the hills with everything, until there was nothing left. A much 'lumpier' ride than the first, but also quicker. Just short of 55km, at an avg moving pace of 17.1 km/h. Spot on, i'd say, and there's a whisper that we 'may' see him on the club ride tomorrow evening. Chapeau!
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Just short of 55km, at an avg moving pace of 17.1 km/h.
I've been round a few Audax with a similar moving average, it doesn't allow much faff time, but there's no reason it isn't doable.
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Just caught this thread. What a good one it is! There's only one thing missing...
...what roadside flotsam and jetsam has BP found so far while out riding with Delidroid?
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Nothing yet, I don’t think he knows about this, so schhhhhh! ;D
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Just caught this thread. What a good one it is! There's only one thing missing...
...what roadside flotsam and jetsam has BP found so far while out riding with Delidroid?
This is a most unusual request. I'm one who usually returns home with pockets full of found objects.
we found nothing, but we stopped at the back of Rochester Castle so Blodwyn could thump his saddlebag because the squeaking noise was drawing the attention of the local tourists.
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Update from the Fat Lad at the back.
I'm explaining this because hopefully someone with similar questions I began this post with will benefit.
The Rider: As you can see from the photo of me I'm a "Model and an Athlete" in my mind well away from a Mirror which ruins my delusion. The first ride We covered 45 km.
I took a couple of apple slices which I didn't eat and a litre bottle of homemade drink. 1\2 apple juice to 1\2 water and a 1\4 teaspoon of salt. it looked like wee
but tasted worse. I drank most of it and never ate the cakes.
The second ride we covered in total (I included the distance to and from Home to the meeting point outside the Cyclopark) 58 km.
This time I carried plain water and no food. At about 3\4 mark, My strength was depleted. I wasn't in pain, just felt like I had suddenly run out of energy .
The day was much warmer and I was soaked in sweat so next time I'll take food and a bottle of wee. Riding with Blodwyn who to me is half robot fitness wise
the learning curve is straight up.
I'm most fortunate and grateful to be doing this with an expert who gave me advice about riding technique and small adjustments to my bike set up.
first ride I moved the saddle forward 10 mm (I'm an imperial Baby weighed in lb,oz but Audax is all Metric so I'll keep to that system). This ride I rotated the handlebars away from me by about 15 degrees and immediately the sore wrists, stiff neck and shoulders were cured.
The Bike: What have I done to convert a corner shop courier bike to a scorcher?
It's a Halfords £310 Carrera Parva Hybrid bike with an Aluminium frame and cast iron forks. I robbed my old fixie for most of the parts I changed.
The first thing I swapped was the saddle and seatpost. The saddle is a Brookes Cambium C17.
The seatpost I included so I can swap the saddle for the cheap original one for general duties. I think Thieves would find the Brookes one most attractive.
Swapping them is a quick and easy affair.
Handlebars. the original one was a straightish length of 660 grammes gas pipe. I replaced it with "Comfort" bars which put my hands at approximately 45 degrees.
The aheadset stem I changed from 50 mm reach to 100 mm. The grips which were a friction fit I replaced with ergonomic clamp on ones which can be used for an ashtray.
They made my hands and wrists sore after a few km's. I realised the problem was my hands were bent back like cats paws. I rotated the bars forward so my arms and hands were
inline. this not only cured the discomfort but my neck and shoulders felt much better.
The wheels are my only regret. they're 650B and decent road tyres are rare. I replaced the original Kenda ones with huge baldy WTB thickslick ones. If You're buying a bike get 700C wheels
(Why do I get the feeling that I've just started a fist fight in the Pub)?
Full mudguards which Cost me an hour of my life I won't get back don't fit. The rear one pushes against the front mech and the stays have to bend around the rear brake.
Talking of brakes, this bike has disc brakes. I'm yet to see the advantage over rim brakes. perhaps it's because they're cheap Tektro single moving pad jobs which so far have demanded My attention weekly.
I have clipless pedals and shoes but so far I have kept to the platform pedals until I learn how to release my feet. The first and last time I used them, I remembered to twist my foot
after I crashed four times.
I hope dear reader this will inspire you who are thinking about having a go to do it. And to the Cyclists who can ride 1000 km with ease, I hope to join you soon
and a huge "Thank you Mate" To Blodwyn.
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A key part of Audaxing is learning how to manage eating and drinking to avoid running out of energy. Managing energy can be quite difficult as you have to set yourself up for eating and drinkin when you are not hungry or thirsty.
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The Rider: As you can see from the photo of me I'm a "Model and an Athlete" in my mind well away from a Mirror which ruins my delusion.
You're a perfectly normal size and shape. As are most of us here.
The second ride we covered in total (I included the distance to and from Home to the meeting point outside the Cyclopark) 58 km.
This time I carried plain water and no food. At about 3\4 mark, My strength was depleted. I wasn't in pain, just felt like I had suddenly run out of energy .
The day was much warmer and I was soaked in sweat so next time I'll take food and a bottle of wee.
Fill your bottle with whatever you find palatable. If you don't like the taste of it, you'll be less inclined to drink. If you have a mix of apple juice and water, you probably don't need the salt as well (there's already sodium in apple juice - not much but probably as much as you need unless you're seriously dehydrated; apple juice also contains potassium).
Likewise, food should be something you actually want to eat, that is easy to eat while on the move and is easily digestible. Apple slices are good. So are jelly babies.
The wheels are my only regret. they're 650B and decent road tyres are rare. I replaced the original Kenda ones with huge baldy WTB thickslick ones. If You're buying a bike get 700C wheels
(Why do I get the feeling that I've just started a fist fight in the Pub)?
I'd be surprised if anyone disagrees with you on this. As you say, there isn't a great choice of road tyres for 650b wheels out there.
I hope dear reader this will inspire you who are thinking about having a go to do it. And to the Cyclists who can ride 1000 km with ease, I hope to join you soon
You will. I think you undersold yourself in your original post - you're obviously a lot more capable and confident cyclist than I took you to be from your self-description. :)
It will take time to build up to seriously long distances but I did a 300 in my first full year of audaxing and some people have done LEL as their first audax so go for it.
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Just caught up with this thread. :thumbsup:
I'd suggest that whatever concoctions you have in your bottle, it's worth having another one with plain water, just so you have the option. It's also useful for things like pouring on your head when it's hot, rinsing foreign objects out of eyes and cleaning grazes.
Mudguards are, in general, worth the pain.
Clipless pedals is more of a personal thing (though the experience of falling off in embarrassing[1] circumstances once you think you've got the hang of them is almost universal). I find them useful for keeping my knees straight (and as a safety feature on recumbents), but flat pedals and decent shoes can work just fine for many people.
As for brakes, single moving pad is standard for cable-operated discs. I previously had a set of cheap Tektros that were capable enough at braking, but required constant tweaking. Received wisdom seems to be that the Avid BB7 is the best of this type, and I've found them to be reliable and relatively easy to tweak. There's a TRP mechanical brake that moves both pads at the same time which some people swear by and others swear at. Otherwise, hydraulic brakes move both pads as standard, are lovely to use and tend not to require fiddling-with. The main advantage of discs over decent rim brakes (eg. well-adjusted V-brakes) is that they work consistently in the wet, the braking power isn't inherently better.
[1] Falling over in slow motion in front of an audience at a pedestrian crossing is traditional, but I went for the underrated pratfall-into-a-bed-of-stinging-nettles option.
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Not much stopping you putting a 700c wheelset on a 650b disc brake bike with that much clearance.
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There can be an aura of "this is a sign of a real cyclist" around clipless pedals, but really, not everyone gets on with them and they are definitely not compulsory. Though also worth remembering there are numerous different types, which release in different ways. Probably not worth getting into the ones you can't also walk in unless you're racing (but that's just my opinion).
Just caught this thread. What a good one it is! There's only one thing missing...
...what roadside flotsam and jetsam has BP found so far while out riding with Delidroid?
This is a most unusual request. I'm one who usually returns home with pockets full of found objects.
we found nothing, but we stopped at the back of Rochester Castle so Blodwyn could thump his saddlebag because the squeaking noise was drawing the attention of the local tourists.
It's just a sort of forum tradition that BP finds surprising and/or valuable objects lost at the roadside on every ride.
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Having swapped your tyres, did your avg speed on the second Audax vastly improve?
Yes.
J
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There can be an aura of "this is a sign of a real cyclist" around clipless pedals, but really, not everyone gets on with them and they are definitely not compulsory. Though also worth remembering there are numerous different types, which release in different ways. Probably not worth getting into the ones you can't also walk in unless you're racing (but that's just my opinion).
Just caught this thread. What a good one it is! There's only one thing missing...
...what roadside flotsam and jetsam has BP found so far while out riding with Delidroid?
This is a most unusual request. I'm one who usually returns home with pockets full of found objects.
we found nothing, but we stopped at the back of Rochester Castle so Blodwyn could thump his saddlebag because the squeaking noise was drawing the attention of the local tourists.
It's just a sort of forum tradition that BP finds surprising and/or valuable objects lost at the roadside on every ride.
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=53164.0 I can't believe its been going since 2011, no wonder I've accumulated so much crap!
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Out of interest Delidroid, what pressure do you run the 650b Zeppelins at?
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Out of interest Delidroid, what pressure do you run the 650b Zeppelins at?
Hello.
my original tyre pressures were 45 and 55 psi for the first ride. Riding on the canal towpath nearly knocked my teeth out.
On the second ride I used 35 and 45 psi. Next time I'm going to use the tyres from my old bike which are Schwalbe Land cruiser plus. I run them at 35 and 45 psi.
I have never managed to work out the perfect pressure
they're big 50 mm wide and heavy but have a good tread pattern.
The WTB thickslick tyres live in the back of the shed because I don't really trust them.
I bought them because they were in a sale at £8 each and I thought I could ride at 50 MPH on the flat.
I've never used them in the wet. You suggested I fit narrower tyres and I have been looking for some but most ones in 650B (or 27.5") are MTB, gravel design and
are big volume. I might start a separate thread about tyre pressures. (I bet nobody has ever done that topic before).
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As said ^, I’m pretty sure your bike will accommodate 700c wheels and sets of 700 disc wheels with QR are plenty full s/h, and quite cheap. If you want to try 700, I have a spare set , with discs, and probably some tyres, you could borrow to try it out. If you are getting N+1, it’s not worth spending a lot on this bike. I don’t use them any more. Anyway, about to get on ferry, for Belgium.
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As said ^, I’m pretty sure your bike will accommodate 700c wheels and sets of 700 disc wheels with QR are plenty full s/h, and quite cheap. If you want to try 700, I have a spare set , with discs, and probably some tyres, you could borrow to try it out. If you are getting N+1, it’s not worth spending a lot on this bike. I don’t use them any more. Anyway, about to get on ferry, for Belgium.
Yes please. I have some tyres I can rob from the fixie.
I have my heart set on buying a Spa cycles Elan ultimately. the problem with cheap bikes is upgrading them costs more and more.
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Ok, back home Tues eve.
Ps , I don’t think you’ll find them anymore comfortable thobut.
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For the larger rider, of which I'm one, I'm of the opinion that larger tyres are an advantage. Given that, I'm skeptical that there's a significant difference between 650B and 700c wheels. I have bikes with both, 700c with 38mm tyres and 650B with 47mm, they're different bikes in several ways so not a direct comparison, but the time difference over 200km will be minutes not hours.
When I was 25kg lighter and riding a lighter bike with 28mm tyres, I might have been an hour faster round a 200, though it's impossible to know how much of that is attributable to the tyres.
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I did experiment with 650b on Olive, but used GB Hetres tyres, 42mm, and they were superb, very light weight, supple and fast, BUT, they are very spendy, and not really suited to our flint strewn roads, as they are not that P* proof. Defo more comfy tho.
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I do not have 650B wheels
I usually run 30mm Schwalbe G1 Speeds as they are very fast and work well with tubeless
I note that there is a 40mm 650B Schwalbe G1 Speed, which I would imagine goes like a rocket
Apparently there is a 28mm 650B Schwalbe Pro One if you want something faster than that
On the cheap pile there is the Vittoria Randonneur. I haven't tried this specific tyre but I like the similar "Adventure" tyre
Note that hipsters think that 650B tyres are better for randonneurs
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Hello.
Thank you all for the advice. On another thread, Sergeant Pluck and Paul H were explaining tyre pressures and There's a calculator and an app
which I've found useful. I'll try the tyres that I have first for a while.
I came off once. I was going round a roundabout on a wet day, a car driver looked at me and pulled out. the vee brakes worked too well and I cleaned his door with my hair.
I won't repeat what I said to Him. It was bad enough to make a Sailor blush.
Blodwyn loves to disappear down alleyways and farm tracks occasionally. It's great fun but a couple of times it's taken me twenty minutes
to get off the bike because my bum won't let go of the saddle. One occasion I had both wheels skidding through a wet mud track but my Guardian Angel
looked after me that day. I'm looking at gravel tyres like the WTB Byway tyre which has a smooth centre and knobs on the sides.
I've got something else to agonise over now.