Audax pet peeves!

[Ian H]

Getting boxed in at the begining of a ride and having to listen to other peoples conversations about mudguards/tubeless/oval chain rings/PBP/so and so's riding fixed.

Irodefixedlasttimewouldn'tdoovalringstriedthemoncealwaysusemudguardswasofferedtubelessbutnotfamiliarwiththemareyouridingPBP?

[Adam]

Lanes with gravel, pot holes and grass growing up the middle.

Although lanes without gravel and potholes but with grass are often really nice.

[Martin]

as mentioned upthread the often inability to get to the start of rides in time by public transport; almost always nothing within the orgs' control

other than that there are occasional peeves but nothing that stops me doing the rides 

biggest one is probably having to interact with non cyclists who think I'm mad to want to ride any distance at all (usually easily avoided by not stopping at commercial controls which I try to do all the time)

[veloboy]

As well as flashing rear LEDs (especially the rechargeable type used for urban commuting that are *way* too bright for group riding in the first instance), is...

Flashing front LED lights!!!

[pkht]

Info controls not at the distance indicated in the brevet card.

[FifeingEejit]

Info controls not at the distance indicated in the brevet card.

Isn't that a side effect of advisory routes?

[Kim]

Any 400k ride that starts before 9am  also, any 300k that starts at 6am 

can't understand this, maximise daylight, minimise riding in the dark.

But also minimise sleep.

[Karla]

Minimise sleep and also mean you have to get there the night before.

[quixoticgeek]

Minimise sleep and also mean you have to get there the night before.

Unless public transport works nicely, in which case you can arrive in the morning...

J

[jimmea]

Any 400k ride that starts before 9am  also, any 300k that starts at 6am 

can't understand this, maximise daylight, minimise riding in the dark.

my peeve too many info controls, or info controls very soon after full controls.

I would rather ride in the dark than get up in the middle of the night to travel to an event which is already long enough, That can then add anything up to 3 or 4 hours to the event and arrive and start sleep deprived.

[zakalwe]

The peloton riding before the first control, where I can't keep a steady pace because of all the racers, hangers on, and leapfrogging therewith.

After the first control it's usually fine.

[zakalwe]

Long, steady climbs, followed by extremely steep, technical descents that require constant braking.

[Peter]

People belly-aching about something that is voluntary........

[vorsprung]

People belly-aching about something that is voluntary........

+1

[S2L]

as mentioned upthread the often inability to get to the start of rides in time by public transport; almost always nothing within the orgs' control

other than that there are occasional peeves but nothing that stops me doing the rides 

biggest one is probably having to interact with non cyclists who think I'm mad to want to ride any distance at all (usually easily avoided by not stopping at commercial controls which I try to do all the time)

I did think about moving an event half an hour later, to allow for the first train from London, but to be fair, the train is only allowed to carry 2 bikes or so, it's hardly worth bothering...

[grams]

I did think about moving an event half an hour later, to allow for the first train from London, but to be fair, the train is only allowed to carry 2 bikes or so, it's hardly worth bothering...

Those rules aren't enforced first thing in the morning (or any time, really). Some events have trains full of bikes arriving just before set off time, even though I bet you'd find the same rule if you go hunting for the official bike policy.

[Delph Cyclist]

People from places where trains are every ten minutes complaining about the trains and event start times.  We don't bother with trains up here in Northern/Transpennine land.

[zakalwe]

I moved to Germany a few months ago, and found that they only have a 6-month Audax calendar (March to September).  By mid-April every event in Bavaria (where I now live) was fully booked, except for a single end-of-season 200.

This is taking some getting used to

[arabella]

Any 400k ride that starts before 9am  also, any 300k that starts at 6am 

can't understand this, maximise daylight, minimise riding in the dark.

But also minimise sleep.

we did this one before.
full value riders like to start a 400 at lunchtime so as to have the Sat morning to reach the start and the Sun afternoon/eve to go home again.
poor value (aka faster) riders want to do it all in the same day (see also: finish a 300 in time for the last train home as opposed to needing a 2nd hotel-night)
generally timings seem to suit faster riders better, imo

other minor peeve: official distance (shortest between controls) as opposed to route distance (which includes tweaks to avoid nasty roads and is longer)  nice to know both/which is being used
associated peeve: some tweaks probably aren't required for full value riders as all the motons will have gone away again by the time we get there (BUT: not fair to expect orgs to necessarily work this out.  Though I suppose 'route optimised for average speed of 20kph inc stops may give riders an idea)

as yet unmentioned peeve: headwinds that disappear once you reach the turn

unpeeves (as in CHEERS): rides with overnight accom before/after; rides that you can get to start of on public transport

[Karla]

Minimise sleep and also mean you have to get there the night before.

Unless public transport works nicely, in which case you can arrive in the morning...

J

See "Rides that start before the first train".  These two very much go together. 

[bludger]

unpeeves (as in CHEERS): rides with overnight accom before/after; rides that you can get to start of on public transport

Special unpeeve to the Belgian chap who let me sleep in his grandkids' bedroom after he could see me slinking away to find a farmer's field to doze in!

[quixoticgeek]

Rides with no GPX published by the org...

Gratuitous use of Pavé...

J

[EllysH]

People from places where trains are every ten minutes complaining about the trains and event start times.  We don't bother with trains up here in Northern/Transpennine land.

Remember when I first moved to London seeing people rush for the closing doors on the tube I just couldn't understand the bother, because yeah, where I'd grown up you might wait an hour or so for a bus and it get suddenly cancelled.

That said, now I've been here a few years...

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[perpetual dan]

People that loudly badmouth yacf while waiting for the start.

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[BrianI]

Riders who being more used to Sportives, loudly complaining while on an Audax event about lack of event signposts pointing the right way...