Author Topic: Audaxing - Where did it start for you? (Read 18186 times)

LEE · « **on:** 06 May, 2015, 10:26:19 am »

Bigger

These things still keep turning up in the post so I guess I must still be Audaxing.

Back in 2007 I was looking for a way to get motivated into longer rides. I went for a ride with the local CTC but it felt a bit too genteel.

They did however mention an "Ordacks" ride they were organising so I entered their Watership Down 100. The rest, as they say, is history and I'm looking at my 2nd PBP shortly.

The first I heard about PBP was in 2007 when people I had met on my first rides were returning from it. To say I was impressed is a huge understatement. At the time I couldn't imagine the jump from a 200 (of which I struggled around 3 in 2007) to 1200km.

In 2007 I couldn't even spell "Ordacks veteran" now it appears I are one.

urban_biker · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:22:54 am »

Before that, I remember sending you a link to the audax UK website in around 2006 suggesting we take it up.

I wasn't really serious!

Frank9755 · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:28:11 am »

Watership Down 100 was my first one as well! In May 2010.

I'd read about audax but it all sounded a bit too demanding for me. I worked up from CTC rides to going out (and joining) a local club in early 2010 and, suddenly, 100km seemed like it might just be achievable. However, I was more apprehensive before that ride than any audax since.

I'd heard of PBP back in 2009 but thought that it was so far removed from my capability that it might as well be in an another world. I then rode round a 200 with Ray Kelly of Willesden in July 2010 and he inspired me to have a shot, so I did.

caerau · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:32:23 am »

Dr Fosters Winter Warmer 2013 for me.

On the day of its creators funeral rather sadly. Hence I get to ride all Dave Lewis' rides without actually ever having met him which is a shame.

I booked it as training for a sportive I was planning to ride (The Dragon Ride which morphed into the Tour of Pembrokeshire when I didn't get through the ballot). It was googling about the 'fairness; of the ballot and seeing other people moan about it which introduced me to the word audax. Never ridden a sportive since though the Tour of Pembrokeshire was pretty cool to be fair

321up · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:37:05 am »

Dorset Coast 200km in 1990 was the first for me (A.)
We went down to ride it again this year as my Audax 25th anniversary ride.
I've also ridden the Watership Down 100km at least once.
C. did her first in Oct 2012 - Over the Trent to Dance and Pray 150km

Jaded · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:47:30 am »

Jack and Grace Cotton, Jan 2007. I'd done some social forum rides such as the Tunnels Ride and a ride with windy.

I arrived 20 mins late and played catchup but made it round.

mcshroom · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 May, 2015, 11:54:10 am »

In 2010 Iread Andy Allsopp's thread on Cyclechat that later became 'Barring Mechanicals' about LEL09 and thought it sounded like an adventure (though also completely mad). A year later I spotted a local 200 (Clarten Owwer Caldbeck) and decided to have a go on my birthday. I finished 1 hour and 42 minutes after the cut off

Later in the year I had a second go on a flatter 200, the 'Clumber to Humber', where I somehow avoided all the thunder showers while in controls and got round in time.

Ian H · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 May, 2015, 12:24:35 pm »

I was intrigued by the Audax United Kingdom small ads in the back of The Comic in the 80s. Rode a few 100s and 200s. Joined AUK in 1993 and got the first of several SRs.

Clemo · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 May, 2015, 12:33:23 pm »

I rode something I vaguely remember in the late 80's but then rode a 300 out of Cheltenham in 1992 after being talked into it by a mate, I remember seeing the late Neville Chanin somewhere around Leominster, he sailed by and I never saw him again all day I finished around mid-night in a small group including my mate.

wilkyboy · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:13:00 pm »

Dunwich Dynamo 2012: I followed a couple of "experienced" guys in the early dawn with B17s and Carradices, a case of "if they can, so can I". I managed to get lost in Great Dunmow (which has an odd bypass through the middle), but still finished in just over eight hours, which I was quite pleased with.

On getting back to Uncle Google, I found this article about Dan and Chloe's 2003 PBP experience on Moultons when looking up "long distance little wheels". As that was in 2012, I cursed (having missed PBP year), added "UK" to the search and found Andy Allsopp's Barring Mechanicals, which led to LEL -- I thought "I can do that". For LEL training rides I found Audax UK, which led to Tomsk's Boudicca's Revenge 200 perm (13hrs in headwinds and driving rain), shortly supplemented with a Norfolkshire ECE with ~~Peter Pan~~ Fidgetbuzz

And the rest, as they say, is ... an RRTY affliction that I can't seem to shake

Update 18 Sep 2015: and I've now ridden both LEL (2013) and PBP (2015) on the aforementioned little wheels

hellymedic · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:27:22 pm »

I read 'Brest or Bust' I think by John Nicholas, in the International Cycling Guide (Tantivy Press) sometime in the early '80s.
I was inspired but thought this sort of thing was way beyond me.
A boyfriend in the late '80s had many copies of Arrivée in the bathroom, which I rather liked.
My New Year's Resolution in 1993 was to join AUK and do a randonnée. I was building up Big Miles by myself at this time.
I cycled from Hillingdon to Lillieshall for a Sports Medicine Course and probably met Dave Lewis at one of my overnight stops.
Bought myself 5 years AUK membership for my birthday in June 1993 and did Bernie's Short Flat One (300) as my first AUK event.
Completed my first SR by doing WCW on the eve of my next birthday.

rob · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:30:20 pm »

Doncaster Cleethorpes 200k in 1993. Rained most of the day. Horrible headwind on the way back. Finished just under 12hrs.

IanDG · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:36:34 pm »

I rode the Shenstone 160km in 1996 and then the Shenstone 200km (Castleton Classic) in 1997 and another 200km event that started from somewhere near Kidderminster.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:37:06 pm »

Was talked into Audax as ‘a nice ride in the countryside’ by the wife of a bike shop owner.

It was a novelty following a routesheet to get a card stamped and answering questions.

It was indeed a nice ride in the countryside, so I took it up to collect the medals and badges. I limited myself to only the medals and badges obtainable by ‘one day rides’ as her indoors got a bit moany when I stayed out late.

Twenty years on, I still haven’t got the Brevet 3000, Randonneur 4000 and RRtY badges. They’ll come. I have to weigh up ‘hobby vs homelife’.

Bledlow · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:37:11 pm »

I started doing some local CTC group rides in 1989, as a change from riding around the countryside on my own. Stuck to shortish rides at first, because I was unfit. Worked my way up to >100 km rides, then in 1992 decided to do this 'Audax' ride I'd heard of, that some of those I was now riding with were planning to do. It was called the Dorset Coast . . .

Damn, that was hard! I knew nothing about planning my food intake, & suffered for it, needing a blood sugar recovery break in the afternoon. But some time after the last checkpoint (cafe in Dorchester, where I filled up with beans on toast & a couple of mugs of tea) I found myself riding with someone I'd never met before, & who'd just told me it was his first 200K, as well, & one of us (I forget who) said "We're going to finish this, aren't we?" And it was true. We did. About 8 pm. It had stopped hurting by the time we checked in.

I've only done a few proper 200K audaxes, & none longer (though I've ridden to the start of local ones), but I plod on.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:38:28 pm »

Quote from: IanG on 06 May, 2015, 01:36:34 pm

I rode the Shenstone 160km in 1996 and then the Shenstone 200km (Castleton Classic) in 1997 and another 200km event that started from somewhere near Kidderminster.

The Cutnall Green 200 ? or the Wall Heath 200 from near Wombourne ??

IanDG · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:45:59 pm »

Cutnall Green possibly as I remember it starting somewhere between Halesowen nad Kidderminster. The route headed in the direction of Craven Arms, Clun and Knighton IIRC

bhoot · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 May, 2015, 01:58:49 pm »

Stevenage

Kim · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:02:50 pm »

My first Audax was Gerry's Autum Brevet in 2011, which I dragged a full-value CrinklyUncle round, intermittently in the company of various other forumites. He went on to complete LEL in 2013, while I went on to have a couple of years of rubbish health and knee problems that detracted from my cycling.

Anyway, that doesn't really count, as I'd completed countless other ~100km rides, and a couple of Dun Runs by that point, so it served mainly as an introduction to brevet cards and info controls. I did my first 200 - The Silly Suffolk - in the company of fboab and Chris S a couple of weeks later, which was a proper Audax with points and everything. It remains the only time I've seen Dunwich Beach by the light of a dynamo.

It's widely accepted that this was all CrinklyLion's fault.

Aunt Maud · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:05:54 pm »

I haven't started yet, I'm just warming up.

Although what sealed it for me was the St Germain ride last summer, that was good clean fun and a proper day out with a no-nonsense bunch of seasoned randonneurs.

I found out the other day that I'd ridden the Euro Diagonale route Copenhague-Dunkirque, although it was a long time before it was a brevet. That was about 1992 but proper organised brevets was last year at the 3Down as a warm up for the BCM, after reading the Rapha BCM story.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #20 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:18:29 pm »

Read about PBP in the mid-80s amd gave up waiting for a local Audax to be organised sometime in 1992. Drove 1000km down to Sydney to ride the nearest 300km with 'Animal' (he rode on aerobars due to having a wrist in a cast). In 1993, I took a team down to the Opperman (Arrow) on the NSW/ Victoria border. In 1994, I started organising supported brevets locally, up to 1000km. I've ridden brevets most (possibly all?) years since then.

Somnolent · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:20:16 pm »

Read "Barring Mechanicals" in its original online version as a series of posts on CycleChat.
Rode Dave Hudson's "Well Fed 100" in about May 2010
(not dissimilar to his later 'Tour de Didling' rides - with multiple visits to the gazebo of culinary delights)
Then John Ward's New Forest Century, and another 100 with littl'un on back of the tandem.
All this was somewhat peripheral to our E2E of that summer but I'd clearly caught the bug because I ended the year with Postie's Wylye & Ebble 200 (only completed that with timely encouragement from LEE)

citoyen · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:37:05 pm »

I'm not sure how I discovered audax but it was probably via the uk.rec.cycling newsgroup. First ride was the Invicta Grimpeur 100 in ~~2006~~ (Edit: just checked the official records and in fact it was 2004). I was in my early 30s and rediscovering cycling after some years off. Had never heard of audax before but used to enjoy going on gratuitously long rides as a teen and it seemed like exactly the kind of thing I was looking for (wasn't really interested in racing or TTs). I thought I should build up gradually to the longer distances and wasn't planning to do anything longer than a 100 in my first year, but I did the Kent Corners 200 just a couple of months later. By 2007 I was already looking longingly at PBP, but although I'd struggled round the Kennet Valley Run 200, Invicta 300 & 400 qualifiers, failure to complete the Beast From The East 600 showed that I wasn't quite ready for the step up.

Didn't actually complete my first SR until 2011 (finished BftE at the second attempt) but didn't do PBP that year either, for various reasons.

Quote from: Ningishzidda on 06 May, 2015, 01:37:06 pm

Twenty years on, I still haven’t got the Brevet 3000, Randonneur 4000 and RRtY badges. They’ll come. I have to weigh up ‘hobby vs homelife’.

Having attempted the Poor Student twice (with a 50% completion rate) I have decided that RRtY is not for me.

plod · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:39:33 pm »

Since reading about Audax on the STW forums, I thought it might be for me. I'm big about the journey and long epic adventures but no so much about the speed. I saw the rapha movie about the BCM and new for sure it was for me. I'm not so great with the unknown social situations, so took a while before I roped a few friends to join me on one (Trefil Trafail last September) I've been hooked ever since 9 months into RRTY, BC last weekend, BCM in a few weeks and hopefully SR cymru before the end of the year.

P Walsh · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 May, 2015, 02:42:13 pm »

In the late 1990s I did Dave Lewis's Glamorgan Glory 100 and quite liked it. The only bit I disliked was the run in to Cardiff at the end, which took the very direct route of a dual carriageway that feels like (but isn't) motorway.

I also did Nik Peregrine's Gospel Pass 150, a mini epic of a ride.

Dave Lewis and Nik Peregrine are two of the many great characters who helped to establish audax riding in the UK. I know a lot of riders out there feel some gratitude for that.