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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
Audax 2012
(472 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Whoop whoop! Well done, chaps and chappesses!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Starters I saw were Smudge, Fimm, Crowriver, Dr???? (appologies Duncan), and myself. Sorry if you were there but I didn't meet you. We all finished around the same time except for Crowriver and Duncan who I didn't see at the finish. Perhaps there were really fast?
Dave C
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ahem! How could you forget me Dave, after I nearly took you out on that fast descent!
Impressed with the extensive contents of DaveC's tool roll - including required new brake blocks!Really good day out. Fair bit of rain for the first couple of hours but dried out and sometimes sunny for the rest. Pretty blustery all the way round.
DrAfternoon and I powered (?) in from Auchterader although the Col du Boness at the end had us toiling.So many cakes at the end we even got to take soem away.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Oh man so sorry, I even saw you ride in from the train station. Appologies. I picked up a peice of metal on that desent and couldn't use my brakes, which is why I flew down that hill.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Had a fantastic day. My first proper experience of team riding and lots of brilliant folk. Tough south westerly wind and some evil short climbs, although I loved the long one up from Dunning.
Great to meet you all.
Duncan
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ah! DrAfternoon, you're Duncan who I spoke to on the train! I totally failed to make that connection. I also failed to speak to riffian, as far as I know...
Anyway, I had a grand day out. After some inital pishness, the weather cleared to a sunny if windy day. I loved the views north from the descent to Dunning and over Auchterader. (I should really have stopped to take more photos...) Many, many thanks to DaveC and his mates who let me tag along all the way from the top of the Dunning climb to the finish and introduced me to the gentle art of Audax cafe stops - I very much appreciated the draft and enjoyed the ice cream (and the sit down to rest).
It was nice to meet Smudge and Smudge's mate as well. Sorry for disappearing off fairly rapidly at the finish but I decided I didn't want to wait half an hour for the next train. (It was just as well I did, really, as I was just about legal riding to the station and not at all legal (no front light) cycling home...)
Just one question - is 3 women out of however many starters typical?
Posted 12 years ago # -
@fimm, I counted three female riders at the finish, and none of them was you, so there must have at least four.
Audax does seem to be a tad male dominated, I'm not sure why. Certainly there's no discouragement of women, quite the opposite in my limited experience. The Three Glens had a slightly different mix of riders than the shorter rides I've been on: a higher proportion of "serious cyclists" and veteran Audaxers, more like a 200k event in fact. Apparently there were 87 entries, but I don't think that many riders actually started, seemed more like about 60+ to me. I dare say the weather put some folk off. I didn't mind the rain so much but that headwind was a right pain at certain points, slowed me right down. I'm slow enough as it is!
In my case it was nearer to 200k as I managed to miss the turning in Bo'ness and went to Linlithgow the long way round...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hi Fimm,
Your welcome to ride with us again. You didn't hold us up and a greater bunch of riders means less time on the front doing the hard work. I wouldn't want to ride alone as it would be lonely and boring. We do enjoy our cafe stops and the reason we ride is so we can enjoy a nice cake or two ;-)
In Audaxing its not a proscribed route. The riders decide the route themselves. The route card is a recomendation only. The mandatory points are the controls and info points. The route you ride is your decision. The route on the card is the shortest route, but in some cases not the most desirable, hence our detour through Alloa and Clamannan, avoiding Skinflats.
We're out again in early Nov for the Guy Faulkes (Buddest retreat) and you'd be welcome to join us.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Just read the official stats on the Audax Ecosse FB page and it seems there were 24 riders who did not start out of 90 entries. 3 did not finish.
I wouldn't want to ride alone as it would be lonely and boring.
I seem to be riding on my own most of the time on Audaxes. I can't keep up with the fast riders, and I'm (usually) a bit faster than the slowest ones so I occupy the "lonely zone" 2/3 down the field much of the time. Which is fine, just me and the (largely deserted) open road. The only problem being that you have to navigate by yourself, you can't rely on someone else who knows the way. I don't have a GPS so a good route sheet is essential
I was nearer the back much of the time on the Three Glens, that damn wind was hard work. Got tired of the leapfrogging game after a while though and hooked up at different stages with a group from West Lothian Clarion CC and a pair of riders (also from WL area).
Posted 12 years ago # -
That's a much better route actually. Riffian and I (and we also had the company of a very good chap called Aiden) stuck to the card, and that's the least pleasant section through there. Good to know that you get to be flexible.
Is there a route link for the Guy Fawkes somewhere? I'm tempted.
Edit- I found one here:
Posted 12 years ago # -
It was quite interesting wheeling through middle of the oil refineries and chemical works at Grangemouth though. Such a contrast with the hills of Kinross-shire!
@DrAfternoon, if you go back through this thread I posted a link to the route profile of the Guy Fawkes Buddhist Retreat. If you thought the Three Glens was lumpy.....I presume the reference to Buddhism is because of the similarity to the mountains of Tibet? ;-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
@crowriver, there was the woman stoking the tandem and a woman in Law Wheelers kit, and then there was the family - were they actually riding? The kids didn't look all that well wrapped up to me (says someone who doesn't have children herself...)
I was going to write a long post on Women In Endurance Sport but I have to do some work...
@DaveC, thank you for the invitation and I will think about it, though I hadn't particularly considered doing anything else like that this year. I did get the "there is no fixed route" aspect of Audax - it is something I quite like, actually, that you can decide to go a different way to avoid a hill or because you think it is prettier...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Like Crowriver John and I seemed to occupy the "lonely zone" about 2/3 of the way back. Leg one (Linlithgow to Milnathort" was nice despite the weather, though from the Hill of Beath climb onwards my companion was finding it tough on the legs.
He wont mind me saying, he's a big bloke and having discovered at that hill that he couldn't get the inner ring on his triple (bike just out of TBC after a service and chainset change, reason for problem as yet unidentified) the hills were a bit of a problem for someon of his size with 3/4 knackered knees.
For once I was finding the hills to be fine, (very,very glad I'd fitted a "compact" chainset the night before!) but turning into the headwind on leg 2 (Milnathort - Common of Dunning) the work started. Again, John was suffering on the hills and by now his legs were rubbered, I was... ok, but suffering terribly in the headwind, I actually really enjoyed the sunny climb up the hill from Dunning as we seemed to be out of the wind!
At the control at the top of the hill we were warned that it was a long descent and we'd be best to layer up, this proved to be a mistake as after having to pedal all the way down the hill(!) I was both overheated and my legs were near shot :-( (we briefly reached 30mph during a lull in the wind on that hill only for the next gust to shove us back down to 15 :-o )
Through to Auchterarder was more of the same, it would be a beautiful ride on a calm day but with only two of us taking turns on the front and both with "dead" legs it was a real grind, the cafe in Auchterarder looked mobbed (going by the number of bikes outside!) so we bought from the supermarket (and remembered to keep the receipts!) and ate in the sun before pushing on, we both had the newbies worry over our low rolling speed and the unknown roads ahead (40 miles to go and not that far ahead of the cut-off time)
The remainder out to Stirling was more of the same, but the turn away from the headwind and onto known roads was bliss, all of a sudden we were rolling along at 17-20mph for minimal effort and enjoying the sunshine and respite. (We stuck with the posted route throughout)
The "Col du Bo'ness", was no great drama after the previous challenges, though we did do the "walk of shame" at one point.
Great cameraderie from all the other participants, great views and on another day it would be a beautiful route, but I think for next time John wants all his gears and I want a calmer day!
Oh and more mortal people who don't travel at athletes speed ;-))Posted 12 years ago # -
@crowriver, there was the woman stoking the tandem and a woman in Law Wheelers kit, and then there was the family - were they actually riding? The kids didn't look all that well wrapped up to me (says someone who doesn't have children herself...)
I did not see the bairns after the start, so not sure if they even began the ride. The tandem stoker plus two other women were at the finish that evening, and I met them a few times en route, leapfrogging plus the occasional chat riding in a temporary group. They seemed to know each other through the Clarion CC. Some folk had to cycle up to Beecraigs camp site after the event: rather them than me!
I was going to write a long post on Women In Endurance Sport but I have to do some work...
I look forward to reading it once you have time.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well done to all on Sunday as conditions not good. If you persevere eventually you'll get a good day ( I am waiting on this to happen myself). There was the mull it over of a few year back on Easter Saturday?that I remember kaputnikman and Dave Just Dave did in glorious sunshine and calm? Of which I am very envious but even then Inthink I would be on main road into Oban in darkness on a Saturday night.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I was talking to my freind on the bus home this evening. I think I'll do it as part of my attempt at my first SR this (new) season.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Fimm- I was in the Portovelo top at the start, we briefly chatted.
In my limited experience of Audax there were more female participants on this ride than usual. It's heavily male dominated - I've probably seen only one or two female participants on any other Audax.
Weather wise it was the worst one I've done. Well, maybe the Erit Lass last year was worse for wind.
Next one for me will probably be Tour of East Lothian (100k Musselburgh 17/2/13).Posted 12 years ago # -
"Next one for me will probably be Tour of East Lothian (100k Musselburgh 17/2/13)."
I always get the impression that this is a bit too early in the year for 'beginners' with a high probability of unpleasant weather, questionable road surfaces and slightly steep bits...
Posted 12 years ago # -
@chdot, from hazy memory there was only one really nasty "steep bit" ;-) and weatherwise, it's Scotland, nothing is guaranteed ;-))
It was my first audax* (in rain and adverse winds) and I still want to do more :-o :-)
* Ahem, though I've only done three
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ah riffian, you were Mr Portovelo. I remember.
I don't have a problem with there not being many women around (I work in IT, we're a bit of a minority here, too). It was just such a small number of women that was a bit unexpected... and I wondered if that was typical.Posted 12 years ago # -
@crowriver, having thought a bit more I'm not sure I have any great insight to offer. If we're saying 63 people finished on Sunday and 4 of them were women, that is 6%. Looking the results of the three other events I've done this year, the two sprint triathlons had 28% and 31% female finishers, while 19% of the marathon finishers were female. I'm more surprised at the latter stat, to be honest. I guess there's a whole bunch of reasons around different rates of participation in anything like this and then there's the complication of fewer women cycling anyway... none of which is directly related to Audax.
I just want to make it clear that I felt totally welcomed on Sunday - there was no sense whatsoever that I shouldn't be there because I'm female or anything like that - apart from the fact that I was in a really small minority. And that's self-perpetuating, of course. I'm just interested in why, that's all.
(The nice man at the first checkpoint who addressed me as "lad" isn't the first and is unlikely to be the last to make that mistake...)
Posted 12 years ago # -
At least four women as far as I know, but there could have been more, I've no idea.
(The nice man at the first checkpoint who addressed me as "lad" isn't the first and is unlikely to be the last to make that mistake...)
Ha! Must be your short hair. Somehow that scenario brings to mind stories of women dressing as men to become cabin boys and officers at sea in the British navy...
If it's any consolation I'm pretty sure there were more women (but still not that many) on the shorter audax events I've done this year, all 100k. I distinctly recall two teenage girls (14/15 at a guess) finishing the Grantown Gallop in August. Chaperoned by their fathers, mind you.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well I'm entered in the New Season Brevet on the 20th October. It takes us south from Galasheils to wards and breifly into Gods Own Country before returning from the Wedding capital of the borders.
Is anyone planning on entering this?
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1749108
Dave C
Posted 12 years ago # -
Has the control for this changed to actually in Gretna? In the past we used Gretna Services which means it's shorter and quicker to go via Chapelknowe, so no need to enter "enemy territory" or dodge the usual load of pissed-up wedding goers in Gretna.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Dunno but I was wondering if I could avoid Langham and the A7 by riding this route:
http://edinburgh.cyclestreets.net/journey/4984200/
But I expect we may have a control/info point to force us to use the A7 for the part on the route. If not I'm tempted to ride this route. I'll have to compare the amount of climbing involved as its around 2700m of climbing as it is.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hmm this planner has a 'nice' [term used very loosely] climb up to around 600m, so an extra ~25m of climbing taking us to around 300m of climbing over 200km! GULP!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
You do need to go into Langholm as there's a control there. The A7 is actually not too bad and there's a cyclepath alongside using the old A7 for about 50% of the way.
Posted 12 years ago #
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