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Audax tips and tricks?

by austen
Mon, Mar 08, 2010 13:20
40

I've signed up for my first audax, in fact my first properly long distance road ride, although I've done plenty of longish distance MTB rides/races.

I'm happy with clothing, body and food, but what tips and tricks are going to make me an audax regular?

Currently I'm going to get busy with the highlighters on the route sheets (list type with instructions and distances) to make reading them quick and easy (stolen from motorcycle rallies).

I'm going to mark up some bits of OS map as a backup and as part of the route passes close to home I can calibrate my computer to match the course setter. Bike is fairly comfortable for 3-4hr rides and has mudguards, so I assume will be bearable for a longer outing (how long is 215km going to take?).

I think I'm going to need some way of quickly getting at the route sheet so a map holder could be a good idea, I'll also need to carry a few bits and bobs of food and clothing, so maybe thinking about a bar bag although worried about a clash with bar mounted light etc. Any recommendations for either of these?

What else is going to make this long hellish day of pedalling a joy?

What exactly have I done 13 ?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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40 comments

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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Yeah we might get away with it. Every time I look the weather has completely changed. yesterday sunday was looking barmy 39

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Jon Burrage | 14 years ago
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I am not going to look until saturday evening...Ive got this off road run on saturday, thats going to be hellish if the weather stays as it looks.

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austen | 14 years ago
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After a run across the somerset levels into a headwind a couple of weekends ago I'm hoping for little wind (or a freak South-Easterly). Still resisting looking at the forecast.

Definitely interested in having a look at the Equilibrium too, it could be a good replacement for my Kaffenback (my patience has just about run out with mini-V brakes). The replacement will need to be a little longer in the top tube and maybe a little lighter, I'll just go and check out geometry...

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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Whatever you do, *don't* look at the metcheck forecast right now... 2

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Fringe | 14 years ago
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so how was the 200km LVIS?..didnt get any rain on the 100km..only the occasional geographical embarressment's (but i like to think that was more the route card being a bit vague) and i think the last 10km up and over West Dundry Lane caught a few people out with its gradients.. good ride though.

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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the 200km was fantastic. really lovely route and the women's institute don't half make a decent pavlova 1

went round with jon burrage – chapeau to him cause he did a 20 mile offroad run in the brecons the day before – and a guy called ian who did some sterling pacing work on the flat run in. The 200km finished with an altogether more gradual and serpentine climb up to falfield that on another day might be described as nice, but not today really. plenty of cake left at LVIS HQ when we got back too!

saw austen at the start but not out on the road - how'd you get on chap?

when we got to Glastonbury (145km in) at 3pm we were told that the first chap through had arrived at 1:28pm. on a fixed. chapeau to him too, think it might have been Gary off of www.trackdropouts.com cause he's a bit of a machine by all acounts. Saw cab from the alleycat the other week too and a couple of familiar faces from the exmouth exodus and all.

hang on, got to add my points!

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Jon Burrage | 14 years ago
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A good day was had, clearly Marcus has a sense of humour with the loop of glastonbury tor that included an up and over to add a few feet of climbing.

As with you Fringe, we has very little in the way of rain, the odd splattering but nothing major at all...seemed to come in at about 8pm so a couple of hours after our finish.

Good to meet you Ian, 35kph over the levels on the way in after 190km of riding was tough but immensely useful.

See you all again next year, though I heard Marcus talking about route changes...

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austen | 14 years ago
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Set off late as my riding partners turned up to the start at 7.58 for the 8am start. Then had the embarrassment of my rear rim exploding a few miles in - it was clearly a lot more worn that I thought. Muddy winter commuting doesn't half ruin the bike.

Had a long walk back to clifton carrying the bike before I could wake up the misses to come and pick me up.

Very disappointed not to get round, Rich and Rich made it back at about 7.30pm. Been regaled with stories of the WI cake already this morning and feeling hungry as a result. Sounds like a great day out.

Will be planning to get out and ride the route in the next couple of weeks to make amends.

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dave atkinson replied to austen | 14 years ago
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austen wrote:

had the embarrassment of my rear rim exploding a few miles in

that's rotten luck, sorry to hear it. still, at least it didn't happen somewhere on the remote mendip plateau. or, for that matter, on the descent to wookey hole 13

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Clubber | 14 years ago
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Pics being uploaded as we get them. The first two galleries are available:

http://www.lvis.org.uk/gallery.htm

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