First 600k Audax



wheelsgoround

New Member
Nov 12, 2003
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I am probably going to enter a 600k Randonee on June 12th (haven't quite made up my mind yet)

This would be my first 600k. My furthest ride so far is just over 300k (10 days ago) and I finished in 14 hours without feeling too tired or sore at the end so I think I have the basic fitness for the 600k

Anyone out there got any tips?

My main area of concern is night-time riding and sleeping. If I feel OK I plan to just keep going but I guess tiredness will set in at some point and I will have to get my head down for a few hours. I thought I would take a lightweight bivvy bag with me just to cover me while I lie in any convenient field/churchyard/garden or whatever. Also my navigation during daylight hours isnt great so I dont rate my chances of sticking to the route in the dark.

Any advice (apart from *dont do it*) ?


Ian
 
Wow, what a response :)


Well, I'm entered for it now so I'll just see what happens

Somebody, anybody, wish me luck


Ian
 
Originally posted by wheelsgoround
I am probably going to enter a 600k Randonee on June 12th (haven't quite made up my mind yet)

This would be my first 600k. My furthest ride so far is just over 300k (10 days ago) and I finished in 14 hours without feeling too tired or sore at the end so I think I have the basic fitness for the 600k

Anyone out there got any tips?

My main area of concern is night-time riding and sleeping. If I feel OK I plan to just keep going but I guess tiredness will set in at some point and I will have to get my head down for a few hours. I thought I would take a lightweight bivvy bag with me just to cover me while I lie in any convenient field/churchyard/garden or whatever. Also my navigation during daylight hours isnt great so I dont rate my chances of sticking to the route in the dark.

Any advice (apart from *dont do it*) ?


Ian

holy ****, 600k! how long dyu reckon thatl take you?

good luck!
 
Originally posted by dailuggs
holy ****, 600k! how long dyu reckon thatl take you?

good luck!

hells teeth man thats some serious going,
how many people are looking to take part in it?
 
Originally posted by dailuggs
holy ****, 600k! how long dyu reckon thatl take you?

good luck!

Thanks !

The Audax events all have minimum and maximum speeds - in this case 15km/h and 30km/h. That means the you are not allowed to complete the 600k in less than 20 hours or more than 40 hours. The upper speed limit is to prevent people riding it as a race. The lower spped limit seems pretty easy but the 40 hours includes all stops for eating, resting etc.

I'm not worried about my time; I just want to finish it within the 40 hours. I reckon it will take me at least 30.

Ian
 
Originally posted by LeoDV
hells teeth man thats some serious going,
how many people are looking to take part in it?


Don't know how many are entered this year; last year there were 45 riders.

This is just one of serveral 600k events on the calender. There are longer rides too. The Classic ride is the Paris-Brest-Paris which is 1200k. You get a "generous" 90 hours to complete that. It's a massive event with about 4000 entrants and is only held every 4 years. Next one 2007. (If you are tempted, you have to complete a 200, a 300, a 400 and a 600 in the same year as the event to qualify)

Audax is real good fun for anyone who likes long rides, fancies a challenge but doesn't want to race.


Ian
 
For anyone who is interested here's a brief summary of the ride:

There were about 30 starters. Set off at 6am Saturday. Rode about 400k by about midnight and desire for sleep took over. Rested for an hour but couldn't sleep so cracked on for another 100k then another attempt at sleep. Was just dozing off when the others said "come on, we're going" so pushed on for the final 100k, finishing at noon on Sunday. 30 hours in total.

Enjoyable ride except for the busy stretches and all the 4-wheeled idiots on the road.

Many thanks to Rob Gray who I rode with almost all of the way (most of it with me hanging on his back wheel)


Ian
 
wheelsgoround:
>For anyone who is interested here's a brief summary of the ride:

I just made an oblique reference to this thread in response to Velvet's first 50mile. Sorry not to have responded sooner - I'm very interested, just not qualified to offer advice. However, anyone that attempts this kind of distance deserves huge encouragement. Well done indeed for completing the ride.

I'd love to get a 600 in before the end of this year, seeing as it's LEL next year, but I doubt I'll get the opportunity. I haven't even done my first 200 yet. :(

>There were about 30 starters. Set off at 6am Saturday. ... 30 hours in total.

Wow. That sounds pretty fast to me. So how much sleep did you get in total? Not much from the sound of it. And how much time did you take for rest/food-stops overall?

Most importantly: would you do it again?

d.
 
Dave

Thanks for your comments. In answer to your questions:

"Wow. That sounds pretty fast to me. So how much sleep did you get in total? Not much from the sound of it. And how much time did you take for rest/food-stops overall?"

Total time on bike: 24 hours giving an average speed of 25km/h.
Total time off bike: 6 hours. There were, I think, 10 stops in total for food, drink, toilet, rest; varying from 5 minutes to 60 minutes. I was actually lying down for about 2 hours in total but didn't manage to go to sleep (some of the others were able to sleep, even in the sitting position)

"Most importantly: would you do it again?"

Yes, certainly. Not, I think, this particular event because too many of the control points were 24-hour garages which become pretty tedious (not to mention expensive, considering the amount of food/drink you have to consume) and because the scenery wasn't anything special (I find a large part of the motivation is in the scenery)

Good luck with your rides this year. Don't know if you have done a 600k before but it's just a matter of "getting the miles in"; once you have done a 200k you have the basic stamina - if you then gradually build up through 300k, 400k then the 600k (which seems out of reach) is very do-able.

Maybe see you in the Edinburgh-London next year

Ian
 
wheelsgoround:
>Total time on bike: 24 hours giving an average speed of 25km/h.

Blimey. That really is good going over that kind of distance. Especially for your first time.

>Yes, certainly. Not, I think, this particular event because too many of the control points were 24-hour garages which become pretty tedious

Shame. My [limited] experience of Audax so far has featured some superb catering. I think I've been spoilt.

>Good luck with your rides this year.

Cheers.

>Don't know if you have done a 600k before but it's just a matter of "getting the miles in"; once you have done a 200k you have the basic stamina

I'm probably going to be doing my first 200 this weekend (Canterbury). I had entered the L2B but a) I don't know if I can be bothered to trek up to London on the Saturday night, b) I don't fancy pottering along at walking pace along with the crowds, and c) it would be daft to miss the one event in the Audax calendar where I could ride to the start line from my home.

> if you then gradually build up through 300k, 400k then the 600k (which seems out of reach) is very do-able.

Yeah, I've done an imperial century recently so 200km doesn't seem all that much further. The next step is to find a 300km that I can get to easily and that my wife will let me have "time off" for (to be fair to her, she is very generous about these things). Time being a significant consideration, chances are I won't have got enough miles in to feel up to attempting a 600 this year, but we'll see...

>Maybe see you in the Edinburgh-London next year

Hope so!

d.