A Good Question

“Do you have a set pace you try to achieve on the Audax rides? 
I'm wondering if it would be good for me or should I continue to work up to speed and then choose one of these rides?”

The answer is a bit more complex than the question.  First off, I’m not sure if you are asking me about the Tune Ups or the Audax 200K.  So I’ll answer both, but in reverse order.

The Audax 200K is a 125 mile ride.  Audax style riding is a type of touring.  Let’s make a distinction between Fast Recreational (read: simulated racing) and Touring riding styles.  Fast Rec riders are focused on speed, and on competition.  Tourists are more concerned with getting there and having fun along the way.  The Fast Rec rider sees (in order), her computer, the road, and the ass of the next rider.  The Tourist sees the world.  The Fast Rec rider carries as little as possible, and is obsessed with the bike’s weight.  The Tourist carries what is needed to get the ride accomplished, and is more concerned with the bike’s comfort.

About Averages:

The Audax 200K is intended to be completed in one day, somewhere around 10 to 11 hours.  That means an overall average of about 11 mph.  This requires a rolling average of around 15 mph.  The pace is, relaxed, but not slow.  Please remember, we will stop to refresh along the way, and we will be having a “sit down” lunch at the midpoint of the ride.

Rolling Average:  This is the average speed that your bicycle computer reports.  It is the average speed of all the time that your wheels are actually turning.

Overall Average:  A much more accurate measure of what you are doing.  This is the Total Distance you will travel divided by the Total Time of the journey.  If you start at 8:00 and finish at 12:00, you have been traveling for four hours.  If, in that time you covered 40 miles, your Overall Average would be 10 mph.  Of course you might have stopped for an hour.  If so, your Rolling Average would be somewhat closer to 13.3 mph.

But averages are only part of the story.  There is a magical synergy to riding with a group who are dedicated to bringing the whole group to the end together, and to knowing you won’t be “dropped,” or savaged by your riding companions.

About the Tune Ups:

The various Tune Ups are designed to help you prepare for the long ride.  They do help you (and me) evaluate your ability to accomplish the 200K.  But they also train you, and help you become accustomed to a different riding style.  They are done in Audax Style.  No one is left behind, and the group stays together.  The average speeds are a bit lower than the actual 200K, but there is a reason for that.  The terrain of the Tune Ups is actually more demanding than the longer ride.  This is deliberate.  It helps prepare you for the big ride.

Speed is far less critical than general fitness and a willingness to continue.  So, if you are dubious about your ability to accomplish this, by all means, do the Tune Up Rides!!  You will be much better able to gauge yourself afterwards, and they are a fun exercise.

Please let me know if you have ore questions.