How much do people dislike Info controls ?

[Brakeless]

I don't care whether controls are stops or infos. 

What I dislike are intricate routes that zigzag about going nowhere (often because the organiser feels they have to show you every point of interest—rather missing the point of AUK events).  These are inevitably overloaded with controls of all sorts.

may I ask what is the point of AUK events in your opinion?

I would hope that an organiser knows the best routes and points of interest in their area and generally trust their judgement which is never wrong IMX, why would they bother to put the events up otherwise?

I've done Audaxes where I know the roads well and the official route definitely hasn't used the best route available. Saying organisers know the best route isn't always correct.

[Ben T]

I like infos in so far as the absence of them on the same event might entail a shittier route.

But, I don't do them. I want to get on the bike and ride. I don't want to have to remember certain distances where infos are located. I don't want to stop. So I don't. I don't really care about validation either. I know that makes me a heinous shit. I don't care about that either.

I'm the same, I often just don't bother doing them and just crib off somebody else at the next control if I can be arsed. Unless I happen to know the organizer cares about them and/or the event is brm qualifier that is in which case I would do them.

I think they should be at least slightly interesting proportional to how out of the way they are - for instance it's a bit disheartening to have gone a 10km diversion up a big hill only to find the weight limit on that bridge is , wait for it - yep, 7.5 tons. I could have guessed that. Choose an unusual one.

[Martin]

I don't care whether controls are stops or infos. 

What I dislike are intricate routes that zigzag about going nowhere (often because the organiser feels they have to show you every point of interest—rather missing the point of AUK events).  These are inevitably overloaded with controls of all sorts.

may I ask what is the point of AUK events in your opinion?

I would hope that an organiser knows the best routes and points of interest in their area and generally trust their judgement which is never wrong IMX, why would they bother to put the events up otherwise?

I've done Audaxes where I know the roads well and the official route definitely hasn't used the best route available. Saying organisers know the best route isn't always correct.

agreed; and I use personal alternatives where appropriate, but the organiser also needs to take into account traffic and possible weather conditions on the day so may site infos to aid this

[ElyDave]

I don't mind info controls at all, like many others, I prefer them to be things you can remember from a ride past, like the age of a pub etc that you can then write down again convenient point.  Locating them at natural pauses like a village green or a junction would also get my vote.

What I dislike is innacuracy in location, for example info control being a pub name at 34km, it was actually at31 km, so I rode straight past not looking for it and had nothing when I actually got to the distance. 

It doesn't matter that I don't have the info, but it can have you questioning whether you are on route or not.

[T42]

On 1-day Audaxes when shops etc are likely to be open there's little need of info controls. On 400s & 600s I have ridden into control towns at 2 am and had to resort to photos at town signs, receipts from ATMs and sending postcards. For such cases I wouldn't mind info controls, although they have to be scrupulously accurate: searching for the oldest restaurant in Dijon at 2 am is nobody's idea of fun, except maybe a sadistic organizer's.

[toontra]

I prefer info controls to till receipts.  The last thing I want to do on a ride, especially in bad weather, is have to lock the bike, fumble through layers of clothing for money (to buy something I don't want), peel off soaking gloves, etc.

As with others, I'm really not bothered about validation unless it's a qualifying event so tend to take a lax attitude to infos anyway.

[frankly frankie]

I think infos are loathesome things.  I certainly think there could be some limitations placed on their use, eg, not more than 2 consecutive infos, not more than 2 infos per 100km, not less than 20km between infos.

[JonB]

I guess I've always seen them as part of audaxing and don't really mind them, the exceptions being obscure questions and inaccurate distances but overall I think they're fine. I remember the first ride I did when I didn't really have a clue what was going on, somebody had given me a card but I didn't know really know what to do with it then at some point I came across a huddle of riders huddled around a cottage gate, I couldn't figure out what was so interesting and rode on ... the process unravelled as I spoke to people on the ride.

In answer to the original question - whatever makes the route better extra km or infos, struggling to vote as I don't feel strongly enough.

[Chris S]

I like Manotea-style infos 

Eg: "What side of the road is the station on the right?"

"What's the name of the village school in $ village?" (You guessed it, "$ school").

[tonyh]

In the same excellent style:

Davidstow: Name of Creamery?  Davidstow Creamery.

Happy memories.

[whosatthewheel]

  Davidstow Creamery.

That control clearly deserved to be more than just an "info"... 

[Delph Cyclist]

How much do people dislike Info controls ?

Enough to say, hang on, I'll man person a control for you?

[Delph Cyclist]

How much do people dislike Info controls ?

Enough to say, hang on, I'll man person a control for you?

In fairness I've just remembered that two people have done exactly this for this Sunday's Newport 200 and Radway 150. Please say hello and thank you to Terry at Radway and Sue at Newport as they stamp your card.

[Philip Whiteman]

I am aware of a former organiser that was fearful of individuals using smart phones to cheat on information controls.

So rather than use visible street signage or answer obvious questions such as 'name the church', he would use telephone poll identifier disks which were too small to view on Google Streetview.  You could tell when you were arriving at one of these controls by the gaggle of audaxers squinting at the poll attempting to read the numerals.

[Kim]

So rather than use visible street signage or answer obvious questions such as 'name the church', he would use telephone poll identifier disks which were too small to view on Google Streetview.  You could tell when you were arriving at one of these controls by the gaggle of audaxers squinting at the poll attempting to read the numerals.

I didn't actually mind those.  Sure, you had to get off the bike, but telegraph poles are easy to find and the description was clear enough that you knew what markings you were looking for.  Where it went wrong was the junction that had both telephone and electricity distribution poles, and riders who weren't geeky enough to realise which was which.

IIRC it was the same organiser who used the numbers on fire hydrant signs.  Again, clear and easy to find (and generally readable without stopping).  Not entirely streetview-proof, and they didn't always coincide with somewhere sensible to stop in urban areas.

[Peter]

As a colourblind Audaxer I've had too many info's asking what colour a door or wall or whatever is. I've been first rider back on many events so haven't been able to catch other riders up to ask. Fortunately finish controllers are very nice people and it has never lead to an unvalidated ride but technically it could. As stated above info's need to be obvious, easily memorable and available to all.

I was ONCE first back on an audax - a long time ago.  Nowadays, the door is likely to have been re-painted by the time I get there.

[nextSibling]

Around these parts, info controls are often necessary because distances between services of any kind can sometimes be 50 miles or more. A favorite trick of ride organizers is to fix a few zip ties around the post of an obvious road sign. "How many zip ties on the stop sign at the junction of ABC Road?" Done right, riders only have to slow down a bit to get the answer and all they have to remember to fill in their card later is a single number.

[Jacques]

A bit off topic sorry but out of interest, has anyone ever been refused validation for getting an info wrong?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Very occasionally. A few organisers are renowned for being sticklers.

[Veloman]

A bit off topic sorry but out of interest, has anyone ever been refused validation for getting an info wrong?

Got the info wrong (name of house) even though I was on the correct route.  Explained to Org who laughed and said something like "numpty".
Also forgot to get receipt at one control but other folk verified my presence.
Might help being known to the Org or others.

[De Sisti]

A bit off topic sorry but out of interest, has anyone ever been refused validation for getting an info wrong?

I'm more concerned about getting the miles KMs in and updating my own records than worrying about
validation of cards.

[L CC]

I think infos are loathesome things.  I certainly think there could be some limitations placed on their use, eg, not more than 2 consecutive infos, not more than 2 infos per 100km, not less than 20km between infos.

That.

The real question is will the presence of infos put you off?

I have not entered rides with what I considered too many infos. I've also done rides with too many infos and just ignored them. Someone at the end has always filled them in.

I'm with Lee. You're shaving the route and not doing the full distance? Whatevs. It's on Strava, we know you didn't ride it. What's more, we don't much care.
(585km BCM, anyone?)

[De Sisti]

I'm sure on the old Cheltenham Flyer 200 there were at least 3 occasions where one had to get one's card
stamped within the first 60 odd kms.

[mattc]

How much do people dislike Info controls ?

Enough to say, hang on, I'll man person a control for you?

Perhaps we could build a database of all the people that whine about INfo Controls, and would be happy to do something about it? Hmmm, who could best set that up, I wonder ...

[grams]

I've had one returned by the organiser with the control question corrected (and validated). I had a photo of the hydrant in question, with my original answer on it, so no idea what I got wrong.

I also had one filled in for me at a manned control without asking. I wasn't happy about that given I'd bothered to stop to find out the answer but just hadn't written it in yet.