When is an Audax not an Audax

[BrianI]

I've only done a few 100k audax events over the past few years. Id like to do a 200, but seeing as the majority of 200s are held on Saturdays, which I tend to work 5 out of 6, not much scope for me apart from permanents / diys.

So what do i expect to get from an Audax? I nice ride in nice countryside away from my local routes. If i find someone going the same pace as ne for a bit, then it's good to share pleasantries have a bit of a chat. But it doesn't bother me to ride on my own either.

If racing club cyclists want to use the event as a training run while chasing strava segments, that is no skin off my nose! As long as i have a nice few hours on the bike, in nice scenery, then that's all that matters to me.

And it's nice to have a folder of completed brevet cards to remind you of the rides!

[tonyh]

Have others had similar experiences?

Thanks Jethro, chat successfully initiated!!

[dim]

Times are changing, and I think the days of doing Audax rides on heavy steel framed bikes with full mudguards will not be very popular in a few years time

Bikes have become lighter, faster, people don't need heavy canvas pannier bags and steel racks , as you can use light bike packing bags such as Apidura and Miss Grape etc

Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap ... no one forces you to ride behind a bike that does not have mudguards

If you wish to treat an Audax ride like a CTC ride, that's your choice, and there's nothing wrong with that, but don't be angry or disappointed if others prefer to ride as fast as they possibly can on the day

[Greenbank]

Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap ... no one forces you to ride behind a bike that does not have mudguards

The mudguard requirement comes from the cafe owners who don't want to host controls where riders come in and dirty the chairs with a muddy arse. It's not to do with other riders.

If the organiser can't make sure the majority of riders have mudguards then the cafe control withdraws its support and the ride possibly drops off the calendar.

[mattc]

Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap ... no one forces you to ride behind a bike that does not have mudguards

The mudguard requirement comes from the cafe owners who don't want to host controls where riders come in and dirty the chairs with a muddy arse. It's not to do with other riders.

If the organiser can't make sure the majority of riders have mudguards then the cafe control withdraws its support and the ride possibly drops off the calendar.

GB is right.

But now you've mentioned it:
that's a bit like not being forced to sit next to the smoker on the bus. I've never seen a guard-less rider act in a way to avoid spraying me with their filth.

I have nothing against riders choosing ANY equipment that suits them (ride one of those archaic fixies if you insist ) - but don't be a dick to others.

[Ben T]

it's your choice whether or not to tailgate.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap ... no one forces you to ride behind a bike that does not have mudguards

If you're a fast rider who doesn't get overtaken, or one who's strong enough to slow down below your pace without problems from losing momentum, that's true.

[mattc]

it's your choice whether or not to tailgate.

Smiley noted!

But its' not always, is it?

(I'll leave it there for now. Let's fix one molehill at a time ... )

[Ben T]

Well... yes. You could slow down.

[citoyen]

that's a bit like not being forced to sit next to the smoker on the bus.

As some wag once remarked, having a "No smoking" area in a restaurant is like having a "No pissing" area in a swimming pool.

Any activity that takes place in a public arena will have an impact on other users of the same space. I'd question whether a lack of mudguards affects others to the same extent as smoking in a confined space, or indeed pissing in a shared pool, but generally, yes, I'd agree that the simple guiding principle is "Don't be a dick". And to veer back towards the topic, not all the dicks you encounter on audaxes are club riders.

[Whitedown Man]

The mudguard requirement comes from the cafe owners who don't want to host controls where riders come in and dirty the chairs with a muddy arse. It's not to do with other riders.

If that’s the case, then why are there some Orgs whose rides are always ‘mandatory mudguards’, summer or winter, and others - even in the same geographical area - whose rides are never ‘mandatory mudgaurds’, whatever the season?

[Greenbank]

The mudguard requirement comes from the cafe owners who don't want to host controls where riders come in and dirty the chairs with a muddy arse. It's not to do with other riders.

If that’s the case, then why are there some Orgs whose rides are always ‘mandatory mudguards’, summer or winter, and others - even in the same geographical area - whose rides are never ‘mandatory mudgaurds’, whatever the season?

Because they know the lanes and can't predict the weather months in advance?

Because the other organisers don't use the cafes that have complained?

[grams]

The AUK system only allows "mudguards required" or not. A lot of organisers will put a more nuanced note in the their info sheet stating "mudguards encouraged" or "mudguards required if wet" or whatever, but when faced with a "mudguards required" checkbox in the calendar system that doesn't allow any nuance, some of them tick it and some of them don't.

[Ajax Bay]

Times are changing, and I think the days of doing Audax rides on heavy steel framed bikes with full mudguards will not be very popular in a few years time.
Bikes have become lighter, faster, . . .
Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap . . .

My front mudguard is to 'guard' me and my bike. My rear mudguard is half for the benefit of those who may wish to take advantage of my wheel, hopefully as a quid pro quo. It's therefore attractive to ride with others with mudguards for that reason, if there are wet patches on the road, let alone when it's raining.
I don't quite get why @dim thinks the world is going to change. Disc brakes facilitate a design of frame which allows wider tyres and mudguards to be fitted. Link below to 'guards that don't need eyes and don't "clip-on".
SKS-raceblade-long-mudguard-sethttp://www.wiggle.co.uk/sks-raceblade-long-mudguard-set/

[hellymedic]

Forcing riders to use mudguards will also be a thing of the past, as many good light bikes don't have mudguard eyes, and the clip on's are crap ... no one forces you to ride behind a bike that does not have mudguards

The mudguard requirement comes from the cafe owners who don't want to host controls where riders come in and dirty the chairs with a muddy arse. It's not to do with other riders.

If the organiser can't make sure the majority of riders have mudguards then the cafe control withdraws its support and the ride possibly drops off the calendar.

Not just café controls. Some controls were/are in controllers' homes and repaying their hospitality with a muddy sofa is RUDE!

[Manotea]

As we've moved on to mudguards, and we did Helmets a little while ago, I'll raise FLASHING LIGHTS (front and rear).

[hellymedic]

As we're talking about mudguards, and we did Helmets a little while ago, I'll raise the question of FLASHING LIGHTS (front and Rear)

Annoying, but unlikely to be an issue on a ride of 100km, which is what prompted the OP...

[Whitedown Man]

Them’s compulsory too now?

[Manotea]

ACP says compulsary NOT.

I think I'll write it into my events specs....

[Greenbank]

But blinking in time to make flashing lights constantly on or constantly off has occupied my Audax brain for many a dark hour.

[BrianI]

I've fixed you're quote for you, dim ;-)

If you wish to treat an Audax ride like a RACE that's your choice, and there's nothing wrong with that, but don't be angry or disappointed if others prefer to ENJOY A SOCIAL LEISURELY RIDE

And with regards to mudguard requirements, would you be happy as a cafe owner at a control with soggy bottomed cyclists muddying up their seats?

[Cudzoziemiec]

But blinking in time to make flashing lights constantly on or constantly off has occupied my Audax brain for many a dark hour.

Those must have been dark hours indeed!

[Peat]

And with regards to mudguard requirements, would you be happy as a cafe owner at a control with soggy bottomed cyclists muddying up their seats?

Not that i'm saying we should excuse/accept inconsiderate behavior, but it seems de rigueur and almost a badge of honor among alot of my cycling acquaintances to come back from a club run looking like they've just competed in a Belgian classic (It isn't for me, I do my own laundry...). And as such, alot of cafes I frequent seem to have done away with soft furnishings in exchange for hard, wipe-able seating.

This thread is suffering from scope-creep. But i like it.

[AK]

As a new member of Audax UK and only just ridden my first audax at the weekend, I have been following this thread with interest. I've come into it from a TT background (and triathlon/running before then). I've been time trialling for the best part of a decade, and while the overwhelming majority of the people are nice enough, smashing myself to bits on a dual carriageway as hard as I can has lost its appeal. I think the thing that has struck me about the audax scene (from my admittedly, very limited experience) is how broad the church is. Those that want to crack on, go fast in a group or solo can, (whether they're riding carbon or not), and those that want the more social side of cycling, can as well. My reason for coming into audax is because that over the last couple of years, I've been so focussed on going faster, I've actually forgotten to enjoy riding my bike, and as I'm a mediocre TT'er at best, this seems a bit daft.  I'm looking forward  to challenging myself in other ways, in other events that are new to me and seeing some parts of the country that I would not have done otherwise.

Oh, and I'm a pro-mudguard kind-of-guy.

[hellymedic]

AK has nailed it.
Go as fast or as slowly (within the time limits) with as much or little company as you want.
That flexibility appeals to me!

Don't muck up other folk and the environment...

..well really, only a dick would; don't be a dick!