Arrivée est arrivé!

[mattc]

And charity rides, some of which are vaguely audax-like, organising events well in excess of 100km.

...but rarely ridden at audax pace.

There are a growing number of "London to <foreign capital> in 24 hours" which are all about 300km. Audax type distances and similar timescales/pacing.

An Audax would be 360km+ (and unsupported). And considerably cheaper.


So no advance on 24h and/or 300km? There's bound to be the odd event out there, but lets be honest, AUK is doing the rump of the work in this area, n'est-ce-pas?

[Polepole]

One thing I am certain of is that the idea of 100k being the incubator for AUK with riders going onto blossom into Super Randonneurs is a myth. Yes there will be examples but proportionally these are very few indeed.
AC

They may be few but they are there!

 I'm hoping to complete a first 600 this year and I started off doing 100k rides. Had the starting point been 200K I would never have even contemplated getting involved in this audax malarkey as it would have been a jump too far. 100K rides for me provided an achievable introduction to audax and I enjoyed myself so much that I'm now hooked! Something like PBP is way beyond my present ability but I still enjoy reading about others experiences. Who knows- by the time the next one comes around maybe it will seem less of an impossibility!  My point is that without the 100K rides I would never even have ridden a 200K much less anything longer!

[mmmmartin]

^ 
This is so blatantly self-evident that I cannot believe anyone can think otherwise. Exactly where are the SR riders supposed to start if not on a 100k?

[Hummers]

One thing I am certain of is that the idea of 100k being the incubator for AUK with riders going onto blossom into Super Randonneurs is a myth. Yes there will be examples but proportionally these are very few indeed.
AC

They may be few but they are there!

Indeed they are.

I've introduced 6 people to Audax and for 5 of them, their first ride was a 100k who went on to or plan to ride longer distances.

The other went straight to 200k (more of a timing issue than anything else) and is planning to do PBP in August.

H

[Hummers]

Thinking about it a bit more, I don't think the starting distance is as relevant as people being inspired and encouraged to ride further.

I am gulity of telling people that if they can ride nk then they can easily ride 2 x nk.   

Surely, articles in Arrivé about preparation for PBP etc. serve the same purpose?

H

[mcshroom]

I wonder if it has something to do with 100km being a good distance to drive to, complete and drive home again from inside a normal day.

I've just attempted my first 200 (timed out but completed the distance eventually) and it was a very long day, meaning that I would have been looking at a B&B/camping if it had been any further away, meaning it would be more expensive and take out the entire weekend.

[Jaded]

Tell me I'd have to do a 200km to be a part of your funny rolled up trouser leg organisation and I'd have ridden it to get away from all you freaks.

[eeymsmo]

Isn't the comparison of total number of 100k's ridden to total other distances ridden in a season a bit of a red herring for the 'feeder event' argument?

The real number you want is the number of riders who rode a 100k before they went on to ride a greater distance. Pretty sure even some of the super high kilometer eaters started off with a 100km event many many years ago. Maybe a question for a future AUK questionairre?

I probably wouldn't have started without 100km rides. The first one I did was enough for me to work out how all the paperwork and routesheets worked. The 2nd was extended by riding to/from the event to get me closer to 200km. And I'll be riding some more local ones through the autumn, but turning them into 200+s by ECEing them (which will also throw the total number argument)

[Jaded]

Quite. I started with a 100 too, I was late to the start but welcomed by the organiser and the controls were very friendly. At the time it was the longest I had cycled in 30 years and was a big deal.

[mattc]

People often ride LEL as their first Audax.

PBP introduced qualifiers to force people to ride shorter Audaxes.


I actually think the <200km rides are more useful as getting people into cycling generally, than as a feeder for the longer Audaxes.

[eeymsmo]

Yep, that they will. But same argument as the 100k one crops up, how many of them then went on to ride an SR the next season?

Aren't PBP qualifiers more to do with making sure that people can actually do the distance rather than ending up with a huge DNF list?

[mattc]

Aren't PBP qualifiers more to do with making sure that people can actually do the distance rather than ending up with a huge DNF list?

That's not relevant here - the point I was making is that people are motivated to enter/ride 1200/1400km despite never riding a 100k audax.

[Jaded]

How many though?

[mattc]

No idea! But you could look at the forum posts about people entering L'Etape before riding 40 miles. Or entering the Marathon before running 5 miles.

Here's a question:
What %age of 100k "newbies" had never ridden 100k in a day before?

[I mention this because I had some v.inexperienced riders on Sunday's club-run who ended up riding about 60 lumpy miles in 5 hours (elapsed).]

[Wobbly]

Tell me I'd have to do a 200km to be a part of your funny rolled up trouser leg organisation and I'd have ridden it to get away from all you freaks.

What Jaded said.

[DrMekon]

For me, joining this forum was what got me started. Barely anyone on here talks about 100kms, so I didn't consider them. The first ride I did more than 40 miles was around JJs (now Terry's) End of Hibernation route, guided by google maps on my phone. The first event I entered was the Mildenhall 300.

I think there are plenty of regular commuters out there who become sportive riders. For instance, on a non-bike forum I go on, a bunch of people do the Wiggle series, the Fred Whitton and the Dynamo. Mostly, they know nothing about audax, despite it being well within their capacity.

[mattc]

Barely anyone on here talks about 100kms, so I didn't consider them.

Excellent, it's working.       

[arvid]

Exactly where are the SR riders supposed to start if not on a 100k?

On a 200 or 300? My first audax was a 300. I already knew I could cycle 200k within the specified time.
Of course we don't even have anything under 200 that's considered audax.

[Fidgetbuzz]

Personal info - may well not be very relevant in finding out how many big mileage AUks started with a 100 - but here goes.

I did ( at about 60) - and used to think it was a very long way. Without the 100 I would never have contemplated a 200 ( just plain absurd -- 125 miles at 60 - dont be silly). Now it is -- can I get 10 consecutive SRs in before I am too old - I just need PBP for my 25,000 award - how old was Jack Eason when he last did PBP - can I get 100 points this year - how long can I keep a double RRTY going?

The 100 was absolutely critical in getting me involved - and as the LEL money man - that is my way of saying thx to all organisers etc., who have given me pleasure - so without the 100 - you would have had to find a different money man ( OK he/she might do a better job - but at least you have one now)

For me the 100 was absolutely critical - and must be kept

[DanialW]

Arrivee would surely have a key part to play. It would be good (in a fly on the wall way) to follow in print a small group of riders from the start of the season in the depths of winter via the 200, 300 & 400 through the year to the end of the 600. I guess some would win through and some would fail that would make it interesting. However to bring balance I'm sure if they wanted to ride a few 100k rides along the way that could be accomodated.  

We're doing just this with Paul Martin's Evans Cycles blog ATM. 

[Jaded]

TBH I thought his blog was a tad boring! 

[Peter]

 Just got the latest issue. Before anyone starts, I know that the main picture in my article about Deepdale and Fleet Moss is not Dent viaduct but one in Thorton in Lonsdale.  I sent both pictures and I'm not sure how the mix-up occurred.  But I know, ok?

[DanialW]

As a fellow OL-er, Peter, I wonder if that means my copy is waiting for me?

[frankly frankie]

[image removed as link currently broken]

Very good, IMO, to see a trend towards more cyclists per picture, at least on the covers - 8 in the last 3 issues - much more attractive than the old single looming portrait style.

OK, perhaps 'attractive' wasn't the best choice of word 

[eck]

OK, perhaps 'attractive' wasn't the best choice of word 

I thought bodach, piloting the tandem,  and scoosh, in red,  both looked good. Two out of three ain't bad.