The Annual Lunacy (aka "I Don't Do Winter") Challenge Chatzone

[Dogtrousers]

I'd still like to go for SR (Super Randonneur), which for those who don't follow Audax, is a set of validated rides of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km with a single Audax year. Longer rides can be substituted; because the average speed required is lower for rides of 700km and over, I'm thinking that a DiY 700 might be easier than a 600 as it can be spread over three days. Just thought I'd put that out there.

I'm thinking of aiming for the junior version - MR (Moderate Randonneur). It's actually called "Randonneur 1000" but I like my name better. That's 1000 km of audaxes, including a 300, 200 and 100 with the balance of 400 made up how you like, probably 2x200.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I'm thinking of aiming for the junior version - MR (Moderate Randonneur). It's actually called "Randonneur 1000" but I like my name better. That's 1000 km of audaxes, including a 300, 200 and 100 with the balance of 400 made up how you like, probably 2x200.

Ooh, I didn't know about this - do they have to be calendar events or can they be permanents too (like RRtY)?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ooh, I didn't know about this - do they have to be calendar events or can they be permanents too (like RRtY)?

Here's all I know:

Randonneur 1000. If you think you can stretch to 300km, you should instead be aiming for a 100, 200 and 300km all at Randonneur speed, topped up by more events totalling another 400km, all in one season, which will make you a Randonneur 1000. So, a 100, 200, 300 and 400 would be OK - so would a 100, 3x200s, and a 300. Note that on a 300km event, there will almost certainly be a few hours of night-riding, and good cycle lighting is essential.
( http://www.aukweb.net/handbook/awards.htm )

The "season" referred to is "1st October though to 30th September of the following year."
( https://www.audax.uk/about-audax/faqs/ )

Do Permanent rides count towards Awards and Championships?
Yes. The only proviso is, in the case of Championships, you cannot gain more points in Permanents than in Calendar Events.
( https://www.audax.uk/about-audax/faqs/ )

Or for an alternate description
The Randonneur 1,000 award was introduced by AUK in 1996 and consists of the series 100 km BP, 200 km BR(M), 300 km BR(M) plus another 400 km worth of events (eg a 400 or a 100 + 300 km or 2 x 200 km etc), all completed in the same Randonneur year. You can substitute longer distances for shorter, but only rides up to and including 400km may be used and you must ride at least four events.
( https://www.audax.uk/results/achievement-awards/randonneur-awards/ )

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Here's all I know:

Randonneur 1000. If you think you can stretch to 300km, you should instead be aiming for a 100, 200 and 300km all at Randonneur speed, topped up by more events totalling another 400km, all in one season, which will make you a Randonneur 1000. So, a 100, 200, 300 and 400 would be OK - so would a 100, 3x200s, and a 300. Note that on a 300km event, there will almost certainly be a few hours of night-riding, and good cycle lighting is essential.
( http://www.aukweb.net/handbook/awards.htm )

The "season" referred to is "1st October though to 30th September of the following year."
( https://www.audax.uk/about-audax/faqs/ )

Do Permanent rides count towards Awards and Championships?
Yes. The only proviso is, in the case of Championships, you cannot gain more points in Permanents than in Calendar Events.
( https://www.audax.uk/about-audax/faqs/ )

Or for an alternate description
The Randonneur 1,000 award was introduced by AUK in 1996 and consists of the series 100 km BP, 200 km BR(M), 300 km BR(M) plus another 400 km worth of events (eg a 400 or a 100 + 300 km or 2 x 200 km etc), all completed in the same Randonneur year. You can substitute longer distances for shorter, but only rides up to and including 400km may be used and you must ride at least four events.
( https://www.audax.uk/results/achievement-awards/randonneur-awards/ )

Thanks! Time to start planning methinks...

 

[Fiona R]

Epic stuff again @Cranky Knee Girl and congratulations on a hard-earned RRtY. Don't the Audax guidelines imply that flashing rear lights are inappropriate for group riding? But there seems to be an assumption from most road users that cyclists should use flashing lights (I always have one flashing, one fixed) so you can't really win.

What can this possibly mean I wonder?



I'd still like to go for SR (Super Randonneur), which for those who don't follow Audax, is a set of validated rides of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km with a single Audax year. Longer rides can be substituted; because the average speed required is lower for rides of 700km and over, I'm thinking that a DiY 700 might be easier than a 600 as it can be spread over three days. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Yep, have you seen Adam Watkins’ you tube videos, he’s done two 700s recently with 2 full nights sleep, but he’s mega fast! I still can’t quite work out if SR is a possibility, but up in Scotland or Scandinavia in June is possibly the best idea for me.

Flashing light thing is hard, I had both on but not such high intensity, I have v sensitive eyes hence why I dropped back.

 

[Fiona R]

I'm thinking of aiming for the junior version - MR (Moderate Randonneur). It's actually called "Randonneur 1000" but I like my name better. That's 1000 km of audaxes, including a 300, 200 and 100 with the balance of 400 made up how you like, probably 2x200.

I know that’s on my radar, enough daylight in high summer, bad planning this year but I did do 260km on one ride so reckon I can churn out a 300km

 

[Fiona R]

In addition, I think it’s only for PBP (Paris Brest Paris) qualification year that SR has to be calendar event if PBP your aim.
I saw someone did their 600 following the coast up northern France to Netherlands with 4 hours in a formula 1 en route, planned for a tailwind. Get a big enough town every couple of hours for easy fuelling.

 

[bluenotebob]

I think it’s only for PBP (Paris Brest Paris) qualification

The route of the Paris-Brest-Paris was close to me this year.

I was on my bike in early September when I joined a main road about 10km north of my village and I stopped dead. I’ve never seen so many cyclists before – bikes as far as the eye could see. All heading west into the wind up a gentle slope, and moving silently at a funereal 14kph.

I’d no idea what I’d witnessed until that evening when a friend emailed me to say that all 6900 cyclists in this year’s PBP had passed his house.

I’ve cycled 8200km this year and all of it on my own. Call me anti-social if you want, but the idea of being surrounded by thousands of other cyclists for several days fills me with horror.

Chapeaux to anyone who finished it – the challenge for me wouldn’t have been the daunting 1200km, as much as coping with the thousands of other cyclists !

 

[Aravis]

I'm thinking of aiming for the junior version - MR (Moderate Randonneur). It's actually called "Randonneur 1000" but I like my name better. That's 1000 km of audaxes, including a 300, 200 and 100 with the balance of 400 made up how you like, probably 2x200.

The trouble with the 1000 is that it looks so much like a consolation prize for those who can't manage an SR. At risk of sounding pompous, I'd rather make a serious attempt at SR and fail than start off by settling for the 1000. If I were to succeed it would be a once in a lifetime achievement; probably I don't have much time left when I can realistically contemplate such things. If I fail and end up with the 1000 I'd be happy to tell the story. Am I inspiring y'all?

Yep, have you seen Adam Watkins’ you tube videos, he’s done two 700s recently with 2 full nights sleep, but he’s mega fast! I still can’t quite work out if SR is a possibility, but up in Scotland or Scandinavia in June is possibly the best idea for me.

I haven't seen this, but I knew my thinking on 700 wasn't going to be revolutionary! The simple maths is that in return for riding 100km further you get an extra 10½ hours, so if you start at, say, 11am you need to finish by 3:30pm two days later. At a 12mph moving speed you then still have over 16 hours non-riding time available. With those start/finish times, and translating into miles, a split of something like 125/185/125 is something I can relate to much more easily than the 190/185 or equivalent which would be needed for a 600.

If I have a strength, it's being able to manage almost completely without stops other than the essential, even on rides beyond 150 miles. So given better health than I had during spring this year, even at my speed it might just be achieveable.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The trouble with the 1000 is that it looks so much like a consolation prize for those who can't manage an SR.

That's pretty much how I see it, except I'd replace "the trouble with the 1000" with "the attraction of the 1000"

600 is out of the question for me and thus SR too, so it's nice they've put the 1000/MR the menu.

I may aim for the 1000 but I doubt I'll get it. I DNS most audaxes I enter for one reason or another.

 

[lane]

i did the R500 this year which is 50,100,150,200 if anyone is looking for anything even easier! Of if you fail the 1000 you would get the 500.

I am a bit of a slow burn on Audax. Did my first 100km audax in 2011 and my first 200km in 2012. I enjoyed the 200km so much it took me until 2019 to do another one!

Problem with longer distances in Audax, at least as far as I can see, you really need to be up to 200km by spring if you want to work up to say 600km later in the year and the same to a lesser extent even to get to 300km. And I am in the "don't do winter challenge" for a reason. I think this will perhaps limit what I ever achieve in Audax. Still lots of 200km and less rides worth doing because they are good rides rather than anything else. On the other hand I have always thought a 300km would be a good achievement........

But most of the calendar 300s are a bit early in the year for me so would probably be a DIY or ECE a 200km I guess.

 

[ColinJ]

Blimey... I have just been reading the autumn/winter edition of Arrivée... One crazy guy inspired cyclist wrote about becoming an Ultra RRtY - completing TEN 200 km audax rides a month for a year!!!

 

[lane]

I reckon anyone who can do RRTY must have a good chance of building up to longer rides in the summer and having a go at an SR.

However I know people who are a lot better than me and have done a lot more than me but still not bagged a SR. It ain't easy.

 

[Fiona R]

^^^ You're all summing up lots of my thoughts. Oh the surprise when I found out I'd done Brevet 500, Brevet 1000 and Randonneur 500 without even knowing it. The first two can be done over however many years, doesn't have to be an audax year (Oct-Sept) Then there's the AAA altitude round the year aka RAAAtY, AAA awards can be on calendar rides from 50km. An audax buddy is impressively nearly through his with a mixture of calendar hilly 200s and his own route of a hilly "approved AAA" 100km when it needs to fit in some months.

To see well enough I will have to head north at some point for a bash at anything longer.

 

[Fiona R]

The route of the Paris-Brest-Paris was close to me this year.

I was on my bike in early September when I joined a main road about 10km north of my village and I stopped dead. I’ve never seen so many cyclists before – bikes as far as the eye could see. All heading west into the wind up a gentle slope, and moving silently at a funereal 14kph.

I’d no idea what I’d witnessed until that evening when a friend emailed me to say that all 6900 cyclists in this year’s PBP had passed his house.

I’ve cycled 8200km this year and all of it on my own. Call me anti-social if you want, but the idea of being surrounded by thousands of other cyclists for several days fills me with horror.

Chapeaux to anyone who finished it – the challenge for me wouldn’t have been the daunting 1200km, as much as coping with the thousands of other cyclists !

PBP doesn't appeal to me for that exact reason, I did Ride London in 2016 as a relative novice as a middle aged woman it's easy to get a ballot place (which isn't fair but heh ho). The ride was easy as I'd done a 2 week hilly Scottish tour two weeks previously, but coping with the crowds was awful, the selfish riding of time trial types jeopardising everyone else. Being totally on your own is fine, on your own in wall to wall sea of cyclists seems far more lonely. It was surreal. It was an experience but never again.