Audax Ride Updates

To begin with, let’s clear some things up. When I suggested that one could use the Audax Ride as part of training for the Cheaha Two Day Tour, some folks got the idea that I meant we should ride the Audax 200K as if it were the Cheaha ride. Not at all.

This coming weekend’s Audax 200K will be challenging enough. Plan to ride your light bike, carry only what you will need for the day. The idea was, you could use this ride as the “backbone” of a longer, harder week of training to prepare for Cheaha. I’ll discuss that a bit more in tomorrow’s post.

Weekend updates for the Audax 200K: First off, we are going!! Yes there is a weather forecast. Of course there is a rain chance. It’s like this, we’re back to a more “normal” weather pattern for North Georgia. You can pretty much expect to always have some chance of rain. How much should you worry about this? Not much at all.

I do advise carrrying the following along for the ride

• Sunscreen
• Shorts lube
• A rain light jacket
• A cap that can be worn under the helmet (a cyclist’s cap is about ideal for this)
• A helmet rain cover (optional)
• A dray pair of spare socks (optional)
• A bit of cash (for munchies at store stops)
• Sunglasses
• Smiles and a few jokes

The temps are forecast to rise to the mid 70s after a start of mid 60s. Here’s some basic advice on dressing for the ride. Dress warm enough for the beginning of the ride, but don’t overdo it. Wear the minimum necessary to deal with the temps for the first two hours. It will get warmer, but slowly. (Remember, anything you wear, you will carry all the day long.) Bring the rain gear I suggested. There’s a good chance that, sometime in the day, we will deal with a “pop up shower” or two. At the temps we’re sxpecting, that isn’t bad at all.

I hope you are all looking forward to this about half as much as I am. It should be a really prime day on the bike!