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Audax tips and tricks?

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  • March 8, 2010 at 1:20 pm #12229
    austen

    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 :O ?

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  • March 30, 2010 at 12:30 pm #633693
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    Clubber

    Pics being uploaded as we get
    Pics being uploaded as we get them. The first two galleries are available:

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

    March 29, 2010 at 10:49 am #633691
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    dave atkinson

    austen wrote:had the

    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 :O

    March 29, 2010 at 9:00 am #633689
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    austen

    Set off late as my riding
    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.

    March 29, 2010 at 7:29 am #633687
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    Jon Burrage

    A good day was had, clearly
    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…

    March 28, 2010 at 8:46 pm #633685
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    dave atkinson

    the 200km was fantastic.
    the 200km was fantastic. really lovely route and the women’s institute don’t half make a decent pavlova 🙂

    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 http://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!

    March 28, 2010 at 8:38 pm #633683
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    Fringe

    so how was the 200km
    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.

    March 24, 2010 at 5:37 pm #633681
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    dave atkinson

    Whatever you do, *don’t* look
    Whatever you do, *don’t* look at the metcheck forecast right now… 🙁

    March 24, 2010 at 1:26 pm #633679
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    austen

    After a run across the
    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…

    March 24, 2010 at 1:07 pm #633677
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    Jon Burrage

    I am not going to look until
    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.

    March 24, 2010 at 9:49 am #633675
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    dave atkinson

    Yeah we might get away with
    Yeah we might get away with it. Every time I look the weather has completely changed. yesterday sunday was looking barmy 😕

    March 24, 2010 at 8:38 am #633673
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    MrsK

    Metcheck is just saying
    Metcheck is just saying cloudy at the moment, but I won’t abandon the waterproof socks just yet. I know overshoes probably are better but they look sooooo wrong.

    I’m hoping it’s not too windy cos that bit around the Severn estuary is horrendous for channeling wind.

    We got hugely wet on Saturday and I don’t look forward to repeating it. Is taking a hip flask out of order? 😕

    March 22, 2010 at 10:01 pm #633671
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    dave atkinson

    Quote:i think it kind of

    i think it kind of looks like a perfect british all round bike

    that’s what i’m hoping. while i’d love to be a racer the reality is that even at 15kg lighter than last year i’m still going to have my arse hanging out up the hills and i might as well go for something a bit more comfy and set up for the UK while i’m pootling along back there. that for me means steel, and ‘guards. I love the Salsa Pistola but there’s no ‘guard eyelets and although the ride is superb the Equilibrium gives it a run for its money, and in terms of value it’s a different league. I was hoping it’d sneak under 20lb with pedals but it’s about 20.5lb kitted out as it is.

    Took it out on the long (10 mile) commute today which includes a bit of unsurfaced stuff, some back roads and a nasty climb, and it’s a sweet ride. I love it to bits. Needs shallower drops though but i’ve got that covered, hopefully in time for sunday…

    WEATHER UPDATE: a bit wetter but *much* less windy is the forecast right now. I’d take that 😀

    March 22, 2010 at 5:43 pm #633669
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    Fringe

    Jon Burrage wrote: Are you

    Jon Burrage wrote:
    Are you going to make an appearance earlier to wave off the intrepid (stupid) 215km audax’ers?

    i may well, or maybe i’ll just catch you up 😀

    March 22, 2010 at 4:32 pm #633667
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    vorsprung

    Jon Burrage wrote:Looks like

    Jon Burrage wrote:
    Looks like fun, lovely cold, wet weather for a 215km ride!

    Looking forward to seeing this genesis of yours.

    It’s not until next weekend
    The weather could get [i]far[/i] worse by then 😀

    March 22, 2010 at 3:59 pm #633665
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    Jon Burrage

    good point well made Fringe,
    good point well made Fringe, it appears to be great value for money. Are you going to make an appearance earlier to wave off the intrepid (stupid) 215km audax’ers?

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