Audax Bikes.

[Glover Fan]

Starting to seriously consider taking my audaxing to the next level next year with 200km+ audaxes a big aim in my life, I have a decent carbon 105 equipped bike right now which does 100km just fine, but is not comfortable enough for longer distances. I have no idea of what brand specialize in this area, I also don't know a budget, but I imagine it won't be much over £1000.

So basically chuck brands, dealers (I live in bristol) and recommendations and advice my way, maybe at the end of the year there should be a good discount on the 2011 bikes.

Main plan is to do LEL 2013. I am yet to discuss N+1 with the wife also, so keep it on the quiet, OK?

 

[rb58]

I got a Thorn Audax Mark 3. Love it to bits. Fantastically comfortable over longer distances. Details here DinkyLink

Fantastic service from SJS Cycles/Thorn too. I bought mine in 2009 and they did a sale or return deal then. Not sure if they still do that though. May be slightly over your £1k budget.

They have an ex-demo one on eBay at the moment for £1k (small size I think - 49.5cm?) - another DinkyLink

HTH

 

[yello]

If I were looking for an audax bike today, I'd be looking seriously at carbon fibre; something like the Spec Roubaix, Bianchi Infinito, Cannondale Hi-Mod, maybe even the Scott CR1 (though I think that's more race orientated).... there's a Look too, can't remember the numbers, 566?, 655? 656??

There'd be fine for anything up to 400 methinks, further than that you might be considering luggage options and whether you want to be sticking a Carradice on your carbon seat post etc (yes, I know you can, but its something to think about).

 

[jayonabike]

I recently bought a Dawes Century SE. Steel frame with carbon forks, Tiagra groupset, and can take full mudguards and a rack. I love it, so smooth to ride, the steel frame soaks up the bumps with ease. There's a picture of mine in the steel thread in the photo gallery.

 

[Ian H]

If you're doing regular longer randonnees there's a strong likelihood you'll encounter significant amounts of rain at some point. You might want to think about speccing a frame that takes mudguards.

 

[yello]

If you're doing regular longer randonnees there's a strong likelihood you'll encounter significant amounts of rain at some point. You might want to think about speccing a frame that takes mudguards.

You're right of course Ian, nothing worse than a wet arse and hundreds of km to go, but it doesn't half sound weird spec'ing a bike around mudguards!

 

[Scoosh]

Paul Hewitt in Preston does good audax bikes, as do Condor in Londinium

I have a Condor Fratello

, on which I do 200 and 300 km audax rides. Brooks saddle, steel frame, mudguards, 700x28 tyres

.


I know you're in Bristol but you may be travelling sometime in the next few months ....

I'd also recommend a proper bike fitting, if you haven't already had one; riding in the 'wrong' position becomes more of an issue over 200k than when doing 100k.

 

[PpPete]

I've seen a lot of Condor Fratellos on audaxes and FNRttCs. Those that have obviously think highly of them.

If the budget can be extended, think about titanium too. I'm like a kid in sweetshop at the moment, can't wait for the call from Corridori to say my Yukon is ready.

This is worth a read before you make your mind up, covers a lot of the topics of interest in choosing & equipping bikes in a broad touring/audax/sportive area.

 

[frank9755]

Paul Hewitt in Preston does good audax bikes

Indeed he does! I've got one of these:
Hewitt Alpine Carbon

Pearson in Sutton does something similar.

However for audax it really is not about the bike. But it is about the fit to make sure you can be comfortable on very long rides. I had a fitting with Paul H and I think that was more important to me than getting the new bike. I set my old bike up to the same measurements and I am equally happy riding it.

I would not dream of doing a long audax without mudguards if there was any risk of rain. An American mag did some analysis on PBP finishers and whether they had mudguards or not was just about the only statistically significant predictor of whether they were likely to make it or not!

 

[Glover Fan]

Thanks for all of the advice thus far!!

I really like the look of the Dawes Century SE right now, bit out of my price bracket, but the carbon forks and Tiagra groupset and the classic looking steel frame are really doing it for me right now and you get mudguards as standard! I think at the end of the year this may be discounted pretty well?

The Thorn audax is also another I have been looking at but prices start from £1399, so I can't imagine the groupset would be much cop, but on the other hand, I'd be supporting my local business in Somerset.

As for mudguards, I have got some Crud Roadracers mkII's being delivered today (but they aren't here yet)!! I got caught in a massive shower at the end of the Merry Monk 100km and I was absolutely drenched, not having mudguards made it a lot worse!

As for bike fitting, I would make sure I spent a lot of time getting my biomechanics sussed before splashing out on a bike for long distances.

In the meantime, got my first 200km coming up next month (but don't know which one i'm going to enter yet!!) and ideally would like to maybe have a stab at a 300 before the year is out, but that may have to wait til next year.

Thanks.

 

[Baggy]

It's a shame we didn't ID you at the Doddle - you could have met Chuffy's Dawes SE in the flesh. He had one on test to review for Road.cc (review here) and liked it so much that he now owns one! There is also the Dawes Clubman, which has the same frame but lower specced running gear. You're right that you can usually get a really good discount on Dawes bikes towards the end of the season.

 

[Garz]

+1 for Hewitt's, he even throws in a bike fitting (which alleviates your comfort problems) if you buy a machine from him.

 

[Glover Fan]

I've seen a Tifosi CK7 on ebay brand new for about £750 which looks quite nice, it uses the Campagnolo Veloce groupset, How good is this groupset, how far in the pecking order is it compared to other Compagnolo groupsets and what would be it's Shimano equivalent?

I only ask because as far as Shimano goes I wouldn't buy lower than Tiagra.

 

[evilclive]

If you can bear the thought of an Al frame, Kinesis Racelight T or Tk - well, I like mine. Though I've not used it for long distance stuff - the tandem does any of that - it's never felt like a tiring ride, and that's with the older Al forks.

 

[Banjo]

I am surprised you dont feel happy about doing 200km on your road bike, I am happy enough on my ScottSpeedster doing 200 and its only my lack of fitness that stops me doing longer distance at this stage.

A MTB type mudguard that clips onto the seatpost isnt as good as full mudguard but does stop your back getting sprayed.

Have you experimented with your position on the bike? Possibly raising the bars by flipping the stem may make a difference for you or fitting a better quality seat post or seat.