Author Topic: Arrivée est arrivé!  (Read 471334 times)

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2400 on: 06 December, 2018, 11:03:56 pm »
I'd see Audax as contract cycling. Signing up to complete the distance within the allotted time is the USP. If you can't fail, what's the point?

Graeme

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Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2401 on: 06 December, 2018, 11:22:28 pm »
Did my article make it in there?  If so, could someone send me a piccy please, I'd like to see how it turned out.

Nice article Bunbury. 300km Audax event in Japan while touring the world. Very audacious.

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2402 on: 07 December, 2018, 12:39:14 am »
Let's put it this way:

the furthest cycling activity from Audax is indoor cycling on a stationary bike, the second furthest is cycling around a track and the third furthest is Everesting.
Everesting does not recognise Audax, in the sense that you could climb 8848 vertical metres (or whatever is the altitude of Everest) as part of a randonnee but that would not count, so why should the Audax UK magazine endorse this activity with a cover quoting even George Mallory?

Because it's audacious?

As a lapsed Audaxer who's done some of the big rides [BCM/LEL/PBP] the concept of Everesting is an interesting one.

It's probably easier to ride an Audax that does 8848m+ climbing than it is to Everest a single climb to cover the same altitude gain.

Let's put it this way:-

If you don't get that then, in my opinion, I don't think you don't really get what Audaxing is about. EDIT: Double negative removed

[ I didn't when I first started Audaxing. I do now. ]
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2403 on: 07 December, 2018, 05:57:56 am »
To me a day-long spin class sounds far more arduous than Everesting or, say, Mille Penines; at least mentally.  :demon:

I don't think Naish Hill is even 2 miles long but she did ride 125km in total.

I think arduous and audacious are not the same. The challenge of riding long distance outdoors is not limited to turning the cranks n times, the challenge of cycling indoors is all about turning the cranks n times.

If we accept stationary cycling or "almost stationary cycling" as forms of "long distance cycling" worth celebrating on a magazine cover, then things have changed quite a lot

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2404 on: 07 December, 2018, 06:22:22 am »
Not Audaxing at all. They may have met up only at controls. I have not checked the perm but guess there are precious few of them on that route..
They were followed pretty much all the way. There is a mention of ‘... drove behind providing rolling protection from traffic’. Not Audax.
I guess they can only publish what they’re given.

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2405 on: 07 December, 2018, 07:04:38 am »
Because it's audacious?

As a lapsed Audaxer who's done some of the big rides [BCM/LEL/PBP] the concept of Everesting is an interesting one.

It's probably easier to ride an Audax that does 8848m+ climbing than it is to Everest a single climb to cover the same altitude gain.

Let's put it this way:-

If you don't get that then, in my opinion, I don't think you don't really get what Audaxing is about.

[ I didn't when I first started Audaxing. I do now. ]

It's not about what it's easy and what it's hard and it's not even about whether it is Audax or it is not, clearly it is not, but that is immaterial, we had cover prictures of people touring around the world, and that was great.
I am not even saying that Everesting is not interesting, I thought about going up and down Bwlch-Y-Groes myself.

What I am saying is that IT IS NOT a form of long distance cycling, simply because you are not going very far at all and you don't have to face the challenges of long distance cycling, here's a few...

-being stranded with a mechanical a long way from any help
-having to negotiate foul weather a very long way from any shelter
-navigating your way to the next control/village/refuge for the night
-managing your time so that you get to X before the control closes/before it gets dark/before the forecasted storm approaches
-making sure you carry enough food and water until the next control/village/gas station

Since AUK and therefore Arrivee promotes long distance cyling (which is all of the above and more), which is our very own USP, why should it promote Everesting, which is going up and down a mile stretch of road n times and is none of the above?  :P


LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2406 on: 07 December, 2018, 07:08:34 am »
I think arduous and audacious are not the same. The challenge of riding long distance outdoors is not limited to turning the cranks n times, the challenge of cycling indoors is all about turning the cranks n times.

I agree but Arrivee has always included some non-brevet stories which can be interesting glimpses into other worlds for tunnel-vision points chasers. As long as the recent balance of articles doesn't become the norm and audaxers continue to write some interesting articles, the magazine should remain worthwhile.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2407 on: 07 December, 2018, 07:28:09 am »
I think arduous and audacious are not the same. The challenge of riding long distance outdoors is not limited to turning the cranks n times, the challenge of cycling indoors is all about turning the cranks n times.

I agree but Arrivee has always included some non-brevet stories which can be interesting glimpses into other worlds for tunnel-vision points chasers. As long as the recent balance of articles doesn't become the norm and audaxers continue to write some interesting articles, the magazine should remain worthwhile.

Agree, but as I have said a bunch of times, the keyword is not "audax" or "brevet" but "long distance cycling"... whatever fits into that description, it's Arrivee material

I appareciate in the process of going up and down a mile of road, one could clock some considerable mileage, but distance and mileage are not the same thing.

frankly frankie

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Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2408 on: 07 December, 2018, 09:09:15 am »
Of course they are the same thing.
But there's no need to split a semantic hair over this, if you want to point to why Everesting is wrong an an audax magazine, just use the audax requirement to not use the same stretch of road more than once in an event.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

hillbilly

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2409 on: 07 December, 2018, 02:38:24 pm »
I've noticed a trend away from reporting on audax events in the past year or two, particularly calendar events, and towards overseas tours and general endurance cycling events (and DIY rides). 

Is that because we aren't sending in enough articles singing the praises of UK based randonneur events, or is it an editorial decision? 

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2410 on: 07 December, 2018, 03:39:13 pm »
I've noticed a trend away from reporting on audax events in the past year or two, particularly calendar events, and towards overseas tours and general endurance cycling events (and DIY rides). 

Is that because we aren't sending in enough articles singing the praises of UK based randonneur events, or is it an editorial decision?

I suspect the former.
The only obvious editorial decision seems to be to promote long distance cycling among women, which is a good thing (as long as it doesn't become an obsession).

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2411 on: 07 December, 2018, 05:48:48 pm »
...
Agree, but as I have said a bunch of times, the keyword is not "audax" or "brevet" but "long distance cycling"... whatever fits into that description, it's Arrivee material
...

Long-distance cycling and cyclo-climbing - don't forget about the Ordre des Cols Durs
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2412 on: 07 December, 2018, 05:54:23 pm »
I've noticed a trend away from reporting on audax events in the past year or two, particularly calendar events, and towards overseas tours and general endurance cycling events (and DIY rides). 

Is that because we aren't sending in enough articles singing the praises of UK based randonneur events, or is it an editorial decision?

I suspect the former.
The only obvious editorial decision seems to be to promote long distance cycling among women, which is a good thing (as long as it doesn't become an obsession).

My guess, based on nothing more than a couple of conversations a long time ago is that there is a mix of things going on here.

The magazine depends heavily on stuff that gets volunteered but sometimes it's a bit dull if I'm honest.  How many times can you read "My first 200!"? Worthy as it may seem and chapeau to the usually somewhat surprised author, I'm not sure if that many of us want to read largely identical tellings of the same story.  And then there is the other story from the seasoned rider running over six pages describing in minute detail their gear choice and the rider's temporary companions at various stages of their flat and uneventful 300k.  The story might be illustrated with a picture of other riders' bums as they cycle up the road or a plate of food captioned "The full English really hit the spot!"

In the past there was a tendency to publish stuff in full which meant that a trip to the shops got the full War and Peace treatment without the love interest or the undertones of social change.

So, I for one, welcome the attempt to plan out a magazine that features something else apart from a homage to catatonia. I now know more about everesting and veganism that I did before. I like the attempts to have a more balanced representation of the audaxing community and hope that we see more of that. Well done for including a medic - perhaps that's overdue and maybe we could get someone to give us some training advice (who has ridden audax).

I'm sure the editor would welcome more copy from audaxers.  I bet a conversation with him might result in a few creative tweaks to tell our stories in a fresh way. He's bound to be interested to hear directly suggestions about topics to cover - he's probably following his instinct about what we'd find interesting so steers on topics and thoughts about how to get them written must be a good idea.  Personally, I would love to hear more about adventure racing and how audaxers experience these events, I'd be fascinated to know about some of the technical issues that come up (i'm experimenting with tubeless and would love to know what other people think) and to hear the outcome of the steel vs alloy debate that's been flying around on twitter.

L

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2413 on: 07 December, 2018, 07:01:46 pm »

Tomsk

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Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2414 on: 07 December, 2018, 08:30:08 pm »
How about the editors [or organisers, anyone really] commissioning more articles? Interviews like the ones in the current edition for example? Technical stuff from the builders/designers of Audax-type endurance bikes, custom/'boutique' through to the big companies?

halhorner

  • Cycling Weakly
Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2415 on: 07 December, 2018, 10:00:52 pm »
Liam F is spot on. At the end of the day anyone submitting articles to Arivee is (I presume) a randoneuer and therefore part of our community so I for one am interested to hear their stories, even (especially?) if they are beyond the confines of traditional audax events. We are a broad church after all.

mattc

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Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2416 on: 07 December, 2018, 10:13:49 pm »
what the heck is the "Two riders" interview for?
 
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2417 on: 07 December, 2018, 11:24:15 pm »
I think that people read less than they used to, and reading's the main way that you learn how to write. There are so many other ways of connecting with a subject; blogs, facebook, videos and places such as this.

There are still people who want to describe a voyage, and write well. They'll have a hierarchy of desired outlets, starting with being paid by a mass circulation magazine, and cascading  through larger club magazines such as Cycling, and down to Arrivee.

So Arrivée will end up as a mix of specific Audax articles, and better-written articles on themes related to long-distance cycling.

Perhaps there should be a set assignment in each issue, for publication in the next issue. You could start with 'The Spirit of Audax'. For me it's declaring what you're going to do in advance, within a defined timescale, and working towards that goal, during a specified period, coping with the conditions you are presented with. That formula generates the bedrock of Arrivee articles, especially PBP and LEL pieces.

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2418 on: 08 December, 2018, 07:46:39 am »
Obviously we all different reasons for reading Arrivee, in my case I want to know about rides and events I might be interested to do myself.

If I want to know about tubeless tyres or steel frames or everesting, there is a wealth of information available on the internet... that's where I normally go.
I don't mind the all article about "something else", but ultimately I want to know about what AUK does and what my options are

Karla

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Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2419 on: 08 December, 2018, 07:58:44 am »
Obviously we all different reasons for reading Arrivee, in my case I want to know about rides and events I might be interested to do myself.

If you want to ride a randonnee in Japan, thanks to Arrivée you now have several handy hints for how to do that ;)

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2420 on: 08 December, 2018, 08:02:55 am »
Obviously we all different reasons for reading Arrivee, in my case I want to know about rides and events I might be interested to do myself.

If you want to ride a randonnee in Japan, thanks to Arrivée you now have several handy hints for how to do that ;)

indeed...  :thumbsup:

I find that long events tend to have at least one write up on some blog on the web, some are really good. But shorter events often don't, so Arrivee is the only chance to read something about them.

For example, there's plenty of info about the BCM, we don't need yet another writeup about it, but at the time when I signed up for "Momma Mountain Views 137km" there was nothing on the web...

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2421 on: 08 December, 2018, 08:13:17 am »
The Australian* 1200 article is possibly the sort of most use to me: multi-day events - and those involving considerable logistics - have the greatest "risk" i.e. I stand to invest a lot of time-and-money into something with a lot of unknowns.

I cannot easily dip my toe into an event like that - it's all in! So all information is appreciated.

( It is also IMO one of the better written ride reports in a while.  :thumbsup: )


*In reality I very much doubt I will ever fly to Australia, let alone for a brevet, but at least the info is there and the principle applies!
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

whosatthewheel

Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2422 on: 08 December, 2018, 08:30:30 am »
I also think moving away from ride reports means inevitably polarising opinions and ending up in a scenario very much like a forum, where folks rant forever about utterly pointless things... a few common examples of common culprits that litter the WWW

1) the magic properties of titanium (and high end steel) frames
2) Keto Vs Atkins Vs Vegan
3) Is FTP the only number you will ever need?
4) Helmets and high visibility... the jury is out

One of the USP of Arrivee is that it is a fairly "rant free" magazine (helmet saga aside), with a lot of positive and inspiring stories... and so it should be.



Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2423 on: 09 December, 2018, 08:32:35 am »

If I want to know about tubeless tyres or steel frames or everesting, there is a wealth of information available on the internet... that's where I normally go.


Yep - but getting an audaxer's perspective is always good.


Re: Arrivée est arrivé!
« Reply #2424 on: 09 December, 2018, 09:27:38 am »
where folks rant forever about utterly pointless things

Isn't that what being a human being is all about?  ;D
Garry Broad