This Week's "Comic"

[Whitedown Man]

Ah, the smug sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing the Comic describe 312km as "super long", a "huge test of endurance" 

[hubner]

Depends on what speed one rides the 312km, I would have thought.

[marcusjb]

Totally - if it's one of the long sportives like the Mallorca one, the speed people get around it is quite inspirational and not to be mocked.  Proper tough challenge and, in most ways, much harder than riding a bike a long way at a moderate pace.  Cut-off for Mallorca 312 is 14 hours - it's not a big number of Audax riders who get around a 300 (not an entirely flat one either) in that sort of time typically.  Fastest times are the low 9 hours......

I'd love to do it one day, but only if I could train properly and get quicker for it. 

[Phil W]

Is the comic cycling weakly?

[mattc]

For a less gifted rider to complete a 300km in 15hours  (let alone a 400km in say 25hours) is much more of an "endurance challenge" than 9 hours ridden flat out.
Peeps will argue that round in circles, but I'll stand by it! (I've done races at 10miles, 12h and 24h,  so have some relevant anecdata to draw on).

On the other hand ... yes, a hillly 312km is a proper long bike ride. What's absurd is a commentator ignoring the long and varied tradition of similar (and harder) challenges on Planet Audax.

And finally ... the Mallorcan 312 looks a really good event. But I read about it in Cyclist (IIRC?) - the Comic should be covering such things, not obsessing about the various Etape incarnations and "epic" 90 milers in Leics.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Totally - if it's one of the long sportives like the Mallorca one, the speed people get around it is quite inspirational and not to be mocked.  Proper tough challenge and, in most ways, much harder than riding a bike a long way at a moderate pace.  Cut-off for Mallorca 312 is 14 hours - it's not a big number of Audax riders who get around a 300 (not an entirely flat one either) in that sort of time typically.  Fastest times are the low 9 hours......

I'd love to do it one day, but only if I could train properly and get quicker for it.

Ah!  But how many of those 9 hour riders stopped for bacon butties at breakfast, a baguette and soup for lunch and a beer and fried chicken for tea.  One has to keep up appearances.

It did give me a smug feeling but also one of annoyance - that the likes of Alwyn and many others are putting huge efforts into a 1500 rider 1400km event on the Comic's doorstep (well LEL must go somewhere near the Comic, certainly nearer than Mallorca) - and it probably wont get a single column inch or photograph. 

Never mind. I will continue to think about a small hill called the Galibier 540km into my event for the year 

[TigaSefi]

Totally - if it's one of the long sportives like the Mallorca one, the speed people get around it is quite inspirational and not to be mocked.  Proper tough challenge and, in most ways, much harder than riding a bike a long way at a moderate pace.  Cut-off for Mallorca 312 is 14 hours - it's not a big number of Audax riders who get around a 300 (not an entirely flat one either) in that sort of time typically.  Fastest times are the low 9 hours......

I'd love to do it one day, but only if I could train properly and get quicker for it.

Thank you for telling me it is 14 hours for the cut off. I am hoping to do 12 hours for Mallorca. I just need to get over the first bit REALLY quickly! 

Are we talking CyclingWeekly here?

[Jasmine]

Totally - if it's one of the long sportives like the Mallorca one, the speed people get around it is quite inspirational and not to be mocked.  Proper tough challenge and, in most ways, much harder than riding a bike a long way at a moderate pace.  Cut-off for Mallorca 312 is 14 hours - it's not a big number of Audax riders who get around a 300 (not an entirely flat one either) in that sort of time typically.  Fastest times are the low 9 hours......

I'd love to do it one day, but only if I could train properly and get quicker for it.

I think some of the speed comes from being in Mallorca.  I've been there early season the last 2 years and I can easily average 3-4 mph faster there than I can in the UK.  The roads are much smoother and the temperature seems to make the air easier to push through.  I've had a few windy days there, but if it is a headwind in one direction, there's a tailwind the other way, unlike in Wales, which has the mysterious all direction headwind.

A lot of the riders ride in groups too, which on the non-climbing (and not downhill) sections will give a definite advantage.  I was surprised last year to see whole package holidays based on going there to train for it for a week, then riding with a group.  It's definitely an achievement to finish it, but a hilly 300 in the UK would, to my mind, be tougher.

[IJL]

I think a lot of magazine coverage is market driven and the sportive market has some serious money.  I rode one last year for the first time and was amazed at the number of people riding pro tour spec bikes and wheels.  In contrast the audax worlds two favourite products have not changed since Noah did the original testing.

Each to their own, and I like the low drama approach.

[De Sisti]

Ah, the smug sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing the Comic describe 312km as "super long", a "huge test of endurance" 

Flippin' 'eck. Not the old: "Them and us" again?

[mattc]

Ah, the smug sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing the Comic describe 312km as "super long", a "huge test of endurance" 

Flippin' 'eck. Not the old: "Them and us" again?

or he's just encouraging such commenters to aim a bit higher. No harm in that!

[zigzag]

Ah, the smug sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing the Comic describe 312km as "super long", a "huge test of endurance" 

i'm planning to ride this in a couple of weeks, if my riding partner is up for it.

it is a long and testing ride for one day, especially if you push yourself to get around as quickly as possible.

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

[marcusjb]

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

Feck!

You can now get Audax points for the Vatenrundan (thanks to the new regulation).  Well, except if you go that quick! 

[Whitedown Man]

Ah, the smug sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing the Comic describe 312km as "super long", a "huge test of endurance" 

Flippin' 'eck. Not the old: "Them and us" again?

or he's just encouraging such commenters to aim a bit higher. No harm in that!

My tongue was firmly in my cheek, but no emoticon ever adequately substitutes for the absence of an irony font ...

... still, it's gratifying that the voice of the mainstream cycling world regards cycling 300km as an achievement (even if it takes me an unimpressive multiple of the times achieved by the faster guys)

[LiamFitz]

... still, it's gratifying that the voice of the mainstream cycling world regards cycling 300km as an achievement (even if it takes me an unimpressive multiple of the times achieved by the faster guys)

And long may it remain... it's the one remaining thing my super fit 24 year old still believes is beyond his powers.  If only he knew...

[Bledlow]

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

Feck!

You can now get Audax points for the Vatenrundan (thanks to the new regulation).  Well, except if you go that quick!

It's Vätternrundan. No 'the' because the definite article in Swedish is tacked on the end, & it's already included. Like that article in the latest Cycle about 'the' Birkebeinerittet (same rule in Norwegian) which mentioned 'the' Jotunheimen (the Jotunheim), etc.

Sorry if this seems pedantic, but it sets my teeth on edge, like 'the' Algarve.

[Veloman]

&

That really sets my teeth on edge. So idle and shoddy, particularly in a posting criticising others.

Sorry if this seems pedantic.

[mattc]

PIN number

[jsabine]

&

That really sets my teeth on edge. So idle and shoddy, particularly in a posting criticising others.

Sorry if this seems pedantic.

I quite like use of the ampersand, especially the slightly archaic &c rather than etc. I think in some ways it goes along with the ligatures we so rarely see too.

[marcusjb]

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

Feck!

You can now get Audax points for the Vatenrundan (thanks to the new regulation).  Well, except if you go that quick!

It's Vätternrundan. No 'the' because the definite article in Swedish is tacked on the end, & it's already included. Like that article in the latest Cycle about 'the' Birkebeinerittet (same rule in Norwegian) which mentioned 'the' Jotunheimen (the Jotunheim), etc.

Sorry if this seems pedantic, but it sets my teeth on edge, like 'the' Algarve.

Thank you for the correction.  I hope your writing to the cycle magazine and explaining there error.

Very important to get these things right.

[Reg.T]

 

[Ella]

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

Feck!

You can now get Audax points for the Vatenrundan (thanks to the new regulation).  Well, except if you go that quick!

It's Vätternrundan. No 'the' because the definite article in Swedish is tacked on the end, & it's already included. Like that article in the latest Cycle about 'the' Birkebeinerittet (same rule in Norwegian) which mentioned 'the' Jotunheimen (the Jotunheim), etc.

Sorry if this seems pedantic, but it sets my teeth on edge, like 'the' Algarve.

Thank you for the correction.  I hope your writing to the cycle magazine and explaining there error.

Very important to get these things right.

Good news about the points.

VR with dad this year, talked to him last night and explained that it's utterly different to riding a 300 Audax.

When we did it in 2014 all my friends pronounced it "Vatter-run-den".

[frankly frankie]

fwiw, one of the sweedish guys on hgwi audax - he did 300km vaternrundan in 7h40m

Are the surfaces that good?  The first time I read about this event (long time ago) much of it was gravelly.

[marcusjb]

The record for the ride which can't have a the is 6 hours and 33 minutes - I reckon the surfaces must be okay.  Feck - just worked it out, average of 46kph! (it was set by what looks to be a semi-pro team).

[Gus]

The record for the ride which can't have a the is 6 hours and 33 minutes - I reckon the surfaces must be okay.  Feck - just worked it out, average of 46kph! (it was set by what looks to be a semi-pro team).

Yes the surface is superb and the food along is plentyfull
 The high speed groups start at aprrox. 9,30am and must complete in max 9 hours. Us mortals start during the evening or night and have up to 24 hours to complete.

If you take the Norwegian "den store styrkeproven" 540 km ride , the record is below 13 hours and it includes ~3800 meters of climbing.