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Advice on getting involved in other organisers'
Audaxes
 An
Audax is a non-competitive challenge ride that has to be completed
within a certain time limit. People start together, but cover
the course at their own pace. For more information about what
the events are like, read 'What
is an Audax?' and 'What's
the difference between an Audax and a cyclosportive?'
Audaxes are organised under the rules of Audax UK, which
you can find on AUK's
website. Anyone can enter an Audax: you don't have to
be a member of AUK, or an affiliated club, or anything like
that. However, if you aren't already a member of an organisation
that provides third-party insurance (e.g. AUK, CTC or BC),
you'll have to pay a small extra charge on top of your basic
entry fee, so that you have appropriate cover during the event.
Except where certain ultra-endurance events are concerned,
no requirements are made regarding previous performances:
you don't have to demonstrate that you've already done anything
similar. Nevertheless, it's probably not a good idea to enter
an event that's a lot longer or harder than anything you've
ever done before.
If you want to ride an Audax, the place to start is the calendar
of events that AUK publishes on its website and in printed
form. You'll find events listed all over the country: most
of them involve routes of between 100 and 600 kilometres,
usually using rural lanes through attractive countryside.
Some organisers give brief descriptions of their events, which
are included in the calendar to help you select a ride that
suits you. If no information is given, you can usually phone
or e-mail to get details. Other Beacon members can often give
you useful info about an event as well: ask on the message
board. If you fancy doing a ride with a few pals, you
can also use the message board to see what other people are
planning or invite others to join you at a particular event.
Choose an event that's two weeks or more away (there are
not usually formal closing dates, but organisers do like a
bit of notice). Next, complete the standard
AUK entry form. This needs to be sent to the organiser
(whose address is given in the events calendar), along with
a cheque to cover your entry fee, plus temporary membership
fee where applicable. You also need to send two stamped envelopes
with your own address on them. These are supposed to be C5
(the size that will take a sheet of A4 paper folded over once),
but organisers aren't usually too fussy. The organiser will
use one of the envelopes to send you route details and so
forth before the ride, and the other to send you a validated
brevet card about a month later, showing that you've completed
the event.
Once you've got your route details, you're all ready to go.
But if you're new to Audaxing, you may find it helpful to
read our 'Tips for taking part
in challenge rides'.
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