Author Topic: What's an audax ?  (Read 28427 times)

border-rider

What's an audax ?
« on: 28 March, 2008, 09:25:11 pm »
It's a bike ride run under the auspices of Audax UK (AUK) (Ok or a foreign/international audax/randonneur organisation)

The idea is that it is non-competitive, so no times are published, no official placings are given.  However there are time limits: the idea is not to ride too slow or too fast.  There are maximum as well as minimum speeds and to keep you within these you check into controls around the route.  On a 100 or 200 km audax you'd probably get 3 or 4 controls on the route.

Some controls are cafe or village hall stops with food and  acontroller to stamp your card; sometimes they are petrol stations and you grab a till reciept as proof of passage. Sometimes you use an ATM.  There's a range of luxury, from  fully-catered with beds (on an overnight event) to totally shoestring where you are pretty-much on your own.  They're all different.

You tend to get out of them what you put in: it's usually possible to find a group going at about your pace to go around with, if you choose, but there's a very strong self-sufficiency ethos.  if you puncture they'll check you can cope and most likely leave you to it.  If it's a more serious mechanical you'll get lots of help.

Unless you know the riders before hand and/or have agreed to ride together they may not slow down if you get dropped - it's not unfriendliness, it is a recognition that people chose to ride at their own pace and often deliberately drop out of a group if they fancy a slight rest.   People have variable paces over a long day: sometimes you'll be flying off the front, other times hanging on the back.  You'll all meet up down the road.

If you chat to people, audaxs can be pretty sociable.  You may meet some of the more reticent members of the cycling community tho'  Wink, and sometimes you have to persevere.  I remember the first time I met a leading light of Audax UK.  I was younger and quite fit then, and I rolled into the penultimate control of the Elenith   (a classic early season hilly 300) in chatty mode.  To be cut dead as he turned away and blanked me.  I had him down as a miserable old gimp until i got to know him better: he's a great bloke, but just then he was completely shattered and in no mood for my inane idiocy.

Then there's Permanents, Darts, Arrows, SR Series...

The first three are a bit arcane, but it's probably worth describing an SR series.  This is, if you like, the goal of AUK: to get people to ride SR Series.  The Series consists of a 200, 300, 400 and 600 km audax in the same audax year (currently 1 Nov - 31 October).  An SR Series is also the qualification for PBP.

In the early years AUK existed entirely to get UK riders to PBP; these days the vast majority of its 4000 members ride 200 k events or shorter.  Only a few hundred each year do an SR Series, and a handful do several.

More info at http://www.aukweb.net including the online events calendar.  There's an AUK mailing list for the truely hardcore; though it is quite low-traffic it has good info and a pretty good signal-to noise ratio.

Want to know more ? Ask !

toekneep

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Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #1 on: 30 March, 2008, 02:34:23 pm »
Thanks MV, very informative. I always did wonder what the SR was.

border-rider

Perms & DIYs
« Reply #2 on: 30 March, 2008, 03:23:22 pm »
Quote from:  Greenbank
A normal perm is an event that someone has gone to the trouble of picking controls (that work when unmanned), writing a routesheet, and doing lots of other checking. You can apply to the organiser to do it whenever you want.

So a normal perm works just like a calendar event (you enter, the organiser sends you a routesheet) except that you will also get a Brevet card sent to you that you post back when you are done. Controls are (typically) receipts from cafes/shops or ATM machines.  In fact many perms are closely-based on existing calendar events.

You can choose when you ride, unlike a calendar event.  You can also ride from any intermediate point on the route - useful if a Perm route comes close to home part way round.  I'm lucky in this respect as many do, and by bending the route a little I can ride from/to home

A DIY perm is the same idea except you dream up the route and controls (you effectively act as organiser) so you can go wherever you want, whenever you want, subject to having the route approved by the relevant minder for which ever part of the country the ride is in.

Go to the audax uk website calendar section, then click on 'Perms' on the left-hand menu, and you'll get a list of all the perms, including organiser details for DIY perms

Info on DIY perms at

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/perms/diy.pdf

Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #3 on: 30 June, 2010, 11:04:08 am »

Info on DIY perms at

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/perms/diy.pdf


Just the piece of information that I was looking for. Alas it seems to have been taken down for revision. I can't remember the online route site that give you the shortest possible options. Can anyone refresh my memory.

Thanks

Martin

Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #4 on: 30 June, 2010, 11:20:46 am »

Info on DIY perms at

http://www.aukweb.net/cal/perms/diy.pdf


Just the piece of information that I was looking for. Alas it seems to have been taken down for revision. I can't remember the online route site that give you the shortest possible options. Can anyone refresh my memory.


ViaMichelin: Maps, route planner, route finder, UK maps, European maps, hotel booking, travel guides

set route for cycle (even shorter than shortest usually) it only allows 2 stopovers so for more you will have to split the ride into legs

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #5 on: 13 August, 2010, 01:12:53 pm »
Just to add to the general ‘what is an audax’ introduction (because I have pointed some potential initiates in this direction and it will answer one of the questions they are likely to ask)

Prior to the ride entrants will be sent a route sheet.  There is no on-road waymarking so the route sheet is normally all that is provided for you to get to the various controls.  These days many riders use the route sheet to map a ride and load it on to a GPS device.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #6 on: 13 August, 2010, 01:21:14 pm »
  You can also ride from any intermediate point on the route - useful if a Perm route comes close to home


I didn't realise that is the case.A number of Peak Audax routes pass reasonably close to chez jogler's

LindaG

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #7 on: 13 August, 2010, 01:23:44 pm »
Is it possible to ride someone else's Perm?  Do organisers keep a record of approved Perms, as a resource you can use?  For instance, Crusty's perm has just been approved, and I know he wouldn't mind sharing it, so could the organiser suggest it to someone else as a DIY?

Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #8 on: 13 August, 2010, 01:41:32 pm »
  You can also ride from any intermediate point on the route - useful if a Perm route comes close to home


I didn't realise that is the case.A number of Peak Audax routes pass reasonably close to chez jogler's
You will have to provide evidence of your start and finish points as well as all the "official" controls.

Phixie

  • No gears and all the ideas
Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #9 on: 13 August, 2010, 02:33:34 pm »
  You can also ride from any intermediate point on the route - useful if a Perm route comes close to home


I didn't realise that is the case.A number of Peak Audax routes pass reasonably close to chez jogler's
You will have to provide evidence of your start and finish points as well as all the "official" controls.

Indeed so.  Do check with the organiser before you try this; most are quite happy to let you start at any convenient point along the ride (provided, naturally, that you also finish there) but a few insist you stick to the stated start and finish points.
At the end of the day, when all's said and done, there's usually a lot more said than done.

border-rider

Re: Perms & DIYs
« Reply #10 on: 13 August, 2010, 02:51:14 pm »
  You can also ride from any intermediate point on the route - useful if a Perm route comes close to home


I didn't realise that is the case.A number of Peak Audax routes pass reasonably close to chez jogler's
You will have to provide evidence of your start and finish points as well as all the "official" controls.

yes


I used to ride a fair few from home in Lambourn using the ATM in the village for start/finish controls

Loads of routes go through/near Lambourn/Membury so it opened up a vast number of possibilities.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #11 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:03:31 pm »
Let me ask a dumb question :-[

what exactly do you obtain from an ATM to prove passage.Not a balance or cash receipt surely?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #12 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:05:36 pm »
The printed receipt proves you were at a certain location at a specific time (ok, somebody was...)
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

border-rider

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #13 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:19:16 pm »
Let me ask a dumb question :-[

what exactly do you obtain from an ATM to prove passage.Not a balance or cash receipt surely?

yes.  The cautious carefully cross out the indicated balance :)

Just make sure it has the town name on; not all do.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #14 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:26:11 pm »
Let me ask a dumb question :-[

what exactly do you obtain from an ATM to prove passage.Not a balance or cash receipt surely?

yes.  The cautious carefully cross out the indicated balance :)

Just make sure it has the town name on; not all do.
SO FAR, for start/finish receipts, I have taken the view that if I use the same ATM (or shop receipt without town name on), it's pretty obvious I have returned to whence I came.
Not sure how many orgs will let this go, but I know _I_ would on my own events.
Has never ridden RAAM
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mmmmartin

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Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #15 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:42:16 pm »
Let me ask a dumb question :-[

what exactly do you obtain from an ATM to prove passage.Not a balance or cash receipt surely?
yes, exactly that. I obtain a tenner and a receipt, which has on it the time and place of the withdrawal. Sometimes you have to buy something at a shop - eg some bananas or on Wednesday at Buckbarn on the Hailsham-Liss 200k I bought a 50p bag of chocolate sweeties. The receipt has on it a VAT number which tells Audax which shop it is - they will know the VAT number of the shop from many previous rides. You can get a printed balance and obliterate the amount of money you have in the bank with black thick pen so no one knows how rich overdrawn you are if you want. But taking a tenner out doesn't cost you a tenner does it? It simply transfers a tenner from your bank account into your pocket. I took the precaution of telling my bank what an Audax Perm was (it took a bit of explaining) so they wouldn't take fright at several small amounts being withdrawn on the same day from cashpoints miles apart, and then promptly cancel the card thinking it had been stolen.
Besides, it wouldn't be audacious if success were guaranteed.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #16 on: 13 August, 2010, 03:54:22 pm »
When I did a 200km DIY I won £70 from the slot machines!!!!
It is simpler than it looks.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #17 on: 13 August, 2010, 04:09:26 pm »
I took the precaution of telling my bank what an Audax Perm was (it took a bit of explaining) so they wouldn't take fright at several small amounts being withdrawn on the same day from cashpoints miles apart, and then promptly cancel the card thinking it had been stolen.

that comment clearly illustrates your psychic powers :)

I tend to begin with enough £ to see me thru' the day.

onb

  • Between jobs at present
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #18 on: 13 August, 2010, 04:13:29 pm »
When I did a 200km DIY I won £70 from the slot machines!!!!



Bet that was a bugger to carry round .

If I set of on a diy perm from home do I still need some sort of evidence ,or does the fact I live at the start /finish count.
.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #19 on: 13 August, 2010, 04:15:34 pm »
When I did a 200km DIY I won £70 from the slot machines!!!!

did you submit the £70 as p.o.p. ;D

border-rider

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #20 on: 13 August, 2010, 04:16:34 pm »
If I set of on a diy perm from home do I still need some sort of evidence

Yes, technically

Quote
,or does the fact I live at the start /finish count.

It depends ;)

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #21 on: 13 August, 2010, 07:32:07 pm »
I took the precaution of telling my bank what an Audax Perm was (it took a bit of explaining) so they wouldn't take fright at several small amounts being withdrawn on the same day from cashpoints miles apart, and then promptly cancel the card thinking it had been stolen.

that comment clearly illustrates your psychic powers :)

I tend to begin with enough £ to see me thru' the day.
That's missing the point.  The ATM is being used to prove passage. £10 is the minimum withdrawal.  Not all cashpoints will just provide a balance on a paper report.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #22 on: 13 August, 2010, 07:38:36 pm »
What was the practice before ATM's were prevelant?

border-rider

Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #23 on: 13 August, 2010, 07:40:21 pm »
What was the practice before ATM's were prevelant?

Fewer perms were ridden; people got receipts from shops & garages, parking tickets etc.  Sometimes postcards were used,  but I never really understood the validity of that

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: What's an audax ?
« Reply #24 on: 13 August, 2010, 07:46:13 pm »
The postmark used to be much more local than nowadays. Postcards were the ultimate fallback in the event that you couldn't get a stamp or receipt.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...