Well, after the recent Audax thread, I’ve decided to enter my first 100kM in May.
Any veterans willing to give a noob any advice? What would be a recommended packing list? Nuts and tubes? This is also a good opportunity to post all your Audax pics, bikes etc!

62 mile ride so same as any other day ride ,couple of tubes you need to be self sufficient and a bit of food .Will probably be cake at a couple of controls .If using gps take the paper route sheet have it on you bars and correlate both .Mainly in case the gps throws a wobbly you still know where you are .Dont blindly follow the person in front always go by the route sheet .I have seen people go miles of course or follow a cyclist not on the event .Check the timings of the controls and dont hang around at the first one if you are a bit slow .That puncture that took you 20 minutes to fix could see you miss a control and not finish!.They are great fun and the 100k events are ideal as a noob ,good luck

Won’t be using GPS, or at least I hadn’t planned on using it. Would you recommend a map holder for the route sheet?

I did my first local audax last December and from what I can tell you will need at least two panniers packed to bursting with God knows what, several gallons of water, enough clothing for a week, plenty of food and ample facial hair.

Personally for 100k I would take a bottle of water, snack, GPS/ route sheet, Clothing to match the weather forecast, money, puncture stuff and a phone or basically what I would take on a club run.

Money for cafe stops – entry is cheaper than a sportive but cafe controls balance that out.

Something waterproof to keep route sheet and brevet card dry. Pencils for writing answers to info controls down.

Two tubes, levers and pump, charged mobile phone, clothing as appropriate. Water bottle, chewy bar for emergencies.

If the distance is new to you, go off steady. Quite common to see carbon worshipping Mamils being leapfrogged by old codgers on ancient steel tourers. There will be at least one stand out character or moment that will make you chuckle. My favourite was an older couple in a tandem with a fresh looking pheasant strapped to the rack.

Where are you riding? Need to pull my finger out and enter something before the year disappears completely

Only done one audax. Here’s my setup:

Beginning:

Middle:

[img]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/9495448093_bf81c58db2_c.jpg[/img]

End (4 days later):

The ‘cafe’ stop requirement can be fulfilled by proof of purchase, have done many audax’s using Co-ops & Freddo bars, so you can keep costs down to an absolute minimum if you like.

A problem with cafes is that if you come with a large group of riders, service will be slow due to the numbers, minimal time spent at controls esp on a 100, or the start of a ride will be advantageous, as you never know if you will have mechanicals / get lost later.

For 100km, would add a small lock in addition to what you would carry on a normal ride, panniers are useful if you are going to pick up stuff on the way, I also saw a couple (not to a tandem) with a pheasant near Longnor on a 100 last year

I’m doing my first one on Sunday, a flat 200km. Unfortunately, the weather forecast looks bobbins with a strong headwind on the way out and heavy rain most of the day. Hey ho, no such thing as the wrong weather etc etc etc.

For 100km, would add a small lock in addition to what you would carry on a normal ride, panniers are useful if you are going to pick up stuff on the way

Not be facetious, but we are talking about a 60 mile ride aren’t we? What would you be picking up on the way?
(again, not meant to be spiteful, just enquiring about how others live their lives!)

DrP

Might pick up the shopping on the way round drp save two trips out 😉

LOLZ..

Good plan!

DrP

OP, you’re not thinking of the Hop Garden 100 by any chance are you? I’ve been planning to enter it as my first audax too.

Not be facetious, but we are talking about a 60 mile ride aren’t we? What would you be picking up on the way?
(again, not meant to be spiteful, just enquiring about how others live their lives!)

DrP

Guess it depends if I have any dinner sorted for after the event, have bought potatoes, eggs (ridden over 200km with no breakages) food wise. Farm shops are pretty cheap, various Rapha and Altura clothing found on route (all returned to owners during/after events).

Just because an event is 60miles/100km, doesn’t mean you don’t have to ride the the same or similar to get there & back. Unless it’s a hilly ride, I struggle to justify driving to anything under 200kmm

Fair enough- hadn’t given it much thought to how you’d get there and back..

DrP

OP, you’re not thinking of the Hop Garden 100 by any chance are you? I’ve been planning to enter it as my first audax too.

The very same! I was looking at the Fairies Bethersden one as well, but clashes with holidays.
I thought 100km seemed a reasonable distance to do as a first effort, I just think the confusion came about seeing how much stuff people do seem to take!
As for the stops, am I right in understanding there is more involved than just getting your card stamped e.g. some sort of eye-spy/nature quiz?

For controls, you have 2 types, proof of passage, either a stamp or receipt i.e. the cafe stop, the 2nd type is info, normally it will be something like how may miles to somewhere on a sign post, or who is the Rev or name of a church, or details from a post box. Telephone boxes used to be used, but there aren’t may left now, so don’t seem to be used anymore. The questions should be simple and easy to find the answers.

Ah I see, I hadn’t realised the cafe/cake angle was such an institution! This is sounding better and better!
As far as GPS goes, I’m just thinking about a basic app based map. Paper backup perhaps?

For an, apparently, non-competitive pastime all this talk of Controls seems a bit out of place. Little in the way of Trust in the Audax community then?

Plenty in the way of trust in the audax community. They are called information controls. Information that may well be visible on Google Earth.

Yeah, I rode 100km to find the name of a street sign, then 100k back again.

With hindsight I could have spent 10 hours in a pub with wifi!

Spend some time checking the route instructions on a map or app – whichever you prefer – because they may well make no sense when you first look at them. They certainly won’t when they are soaking wet and falling apart in your pocket 👿 Freezer bags make handy waterproof pouches.

Don’t wear a pair of Rapha 3/4 shorts without padded under shorts if you want a pain-free undercarriage on the subsequent day.
Other than that, make time for cake and enjoy the lack of f*ckwittery that occurs on Sportives.

OP, you’re not thinking of the Hop Garden 100 by any chance are you? I’ve been planning to enter it as my first audax too.

That got my interest, having grown up in the land of hops. Been thinking of trying an audax, have that earmarked as a long ride day (have got the Ride 100 in August). Tempting….

100km? worse than the hora thread,

I think I’ve got to enter now. I’ve wanted to try audax for a long time but haven’t really had a suitable bike until recently. No excuse now though 🙂

Has anyone done the Rhondda Traverse? Its close to me and was thinking of this as a first audax.

rhondda has 2100m of climbing … a little lumpy 😉

As with any ride of decent length, bring: something to eat (there’s usually at least one cafe stop or an industrial tray of home-made flapjack being served out of the back of a car somewhere too), something to keep you warm and dry. And something to fix your bike if it breaks.

Definitely go through the map beforehand, and try to get an idea of the route, and an understanding of the route sheet. Those things may as well be in Chinese as far as I’m concerned. If you do follow the route sheet, make sure your bike computer is reading in kilometres. Otherwise you’re just going to be scratching your head at every junction when you need to turn at XXkm. And of course make sure it is reset to zero at the start.

Ive seen people doing 100km with twin rear panniers, ive done 200km with nothing more than my normal ride kit plus a few energy bars. It depends on your needs, the route, the weather etc.
Remember if you break down there won’t be a broom wagon to pick you up, you’re on your own I’m afraid.
Great fun and LOTS of food at the end, just wish I could eat some of it!

Use your common sense. Depending on your ability and course profile you will be riding for 3-5 hours plus cafe time. If it might rain take a waterproof, if forecast is good don’t. Take a bit of food and depending on distances to controls 1 bottle of water should be sufficient. You can fill up at cafe’s or buy a bottle and keep a receipt if using a store. Usual tools and spares are enough.

I have decided to have a go at the 200/300/400/600km events this year which I will undertake in England, Wales, Scotland and a Ireland / Northern Ireland cross border one. Will need a sleep in the long one! Not been above a 300km before though.

Main thing is to enjoy it, the people are nice and a lot less knobbery than in sportives.

Funny you should say that. Most of the “knobbery” I’ve seen around Sportives is from Audaxers whinging about them.