...whats the difference between an audax and a sportive?
Its not compulsary to have a full carbon bike with Dura Ace/Record/Red groupset to ride an audax.
about £20
sportive, is a race but it is not, so you go as fast as you can with sign posts etc. Audax, you have a max and min speed limit, maps, etc.
Sportive is the continental equivelent.
Odly audax's are measured in km, sportives in miles.
Audax's vary between 100km and multi day epics covering 600km.
Sportives are generaly 100miles with a chicken run at 100km.
Audax's give you a photocopied map and a mug of tea at the end, Sportives have feed stops, timing chips, marshals, recovery trucks, signposts, finishers t-shirts etc.
Audax's cost £5, Sportives £25-35.
Audax's tend to be ridden on touring bikes, sportives on 'sportive bikes', which odly are just the same as touring bikes, but made from carbon, cost as much as a race bike, and don't have rack or mudguard mounts.
Audax has a reputation kinda like marin riders and trailquest types.
good answers, i get it. and i see what you mean about entries. i looked at a sportive on bodmin a few weeks back and the entry was 28quid. just found a 100k run from falmouth in april and the entry is 3.50.
Audax has a reputation kinda like marin riders and trailquest types.
Wow, they're that good ? 8)
[url= http://www.chippenhamwheelers.org/news/2010-02-08/100k-audax-flapjack ]What? No one's mentioned flap jack![/url]
And what about 'Reliability Trials' then? 🙂
Sportives are full of people that think they can tear your legs off, Audaxes are full of people that know they can tear your legs off.
Audaxes are full of people who have been discreetly tearing other peoples legs off for about 40 years....
Hoping to lose my audax cherry in April as one starts just up the road.
Seems to be a lot of interest in them on here at the moment - which SS rigid 29er for an audax........
See this thread as well:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-exactly-is-an-audax
I can highly recommend ours for newbies. Far fewer beards than normal and lots of great cake 🙂
Audaxes tend to have fewer wannabe racers, are cheaper and typically not signposted.
Surrounded By Zulus that's not strictly true though is it
Lots of stereotyping going on here just go out and enjoy yourself whether it's an audax or sportive.
Gary_M - it's true enough. But I agree with your second comment.
Reliability trials are about achieving a set distance in a set time at a 'touring' or 'leisure' pace. They are specifically not a race.
I'm from a family of cycle tourists and when I was in my teens I used to like to ride a 50 in 4 occasionally (50miles, 4 hours). You were disqualified if you were too quick (sub 3 hours from memory). Often a nice social ride, but not one for the racers.
Seems to be a lot of interest in them on here at the moment
maybe i'm not the only one looking for an excuse to add a new bike to the quiver... but don't tell the wife! ; )
i'm sold though. good audax scene in cornwall by the looks of it. bit daunted though that i'll be turning up on a bling badged full carbon frame, full dura ace'd rig. all the gear and no idea as it were!
Surrounded By Zulus comment about tearing legs off is spot on. One further comment, Audaxes used to have a no mudguard, no ride rule, this has been relaxed but is still frowned upon for winter rides but Carradice saddlebags with bricks in is still de rigeur.