Let’s sum up the whole Audax concept in a few short phrases.
We will finish the ride.
We will stay together as a group in mutual support.
We will go in any weather.
This coming Sunday, we turn the wick up a bit. This is the first of two 65 mile Audax Tune Up Rides. We’ll be starting a bit earlier, and going a bit longer.
As of this writing, the forecast for Sunday looks favorable. But remember that any weather phrase. Do watch the forecasts, and be prepared to dress for the weather.
A note on dressing and other equipment: It is, after all, still early Spring. It could be kind of cool when we start, and become quite warm before we are finished. For that matter, it’s not unusual for us to experience a high early in the day, and have temps drop sharply as the day goes on. Either way, it’s likely that we could have to carry some extra clothing. Give some thought to just how you will do this.
Before going any further, in the interest of disclosure, I tend to favor the concept of using the bike as the beast of burden. I think the weight should be on the bike and not on the rider. Mine isn’t the only opinion on this subject.
Back Packs: Of course a back pack will work, but remember, you have to carry the weight of the pack, and the clothing. With packs you use energy to support your load, as well as to move it down the road and over the hills. This is likely to be a 5+ hour ride. Do you really want to support that stuff on your back for that long? If the answer is yes, then go for it.
Other Options:
Luggage rack and some kind of bag or pannier is another method. The “infrastructure cost” is possibly a bit higher than with a back pack. (Infrastructure cost is the effort necessary to move the stuff that supports the stuff you are carrying. In other words, it amounts to the weight of the carrying system.) On the other hand, you don’t have to support it.)
PIX
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| Pannier mounted on rear rack. |
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| A packed touring Pannier. (Shown with water bottle for scale) |
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| Touring Pannier (side view) |
Large Saddle Bag: Here the “infrastructure cost” is lower, often lower than for a back pack. These are not necessarily as capacious as the rack & trunck or rack and pannier setups, but they are more efficient. On the downside, these tend to cost a bit more. On the positive side again, they can be more readily removed and installed than the rack and panniers.
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| A capacious English touring saddle bag, by Carradice. This one is suiteable for a one or two day tour. |
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| Another view of the large Carradice bag. |
Medium Saddle Bag:
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| A somewhat smaller Carradice bag. This one would be more than ample for a one day Audax. |
A More Minimalist Saddle Bag:
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| Made by Topeak, this bag is quite roomy, not bulky, and very low "infrastructure cost." |
And of course…
If you really and truly need to carry a lot of stuff, there’s this…
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| Trailer by B.O.B. One could go for weeks with this rig, but it's definitely overkill for a one day tour. |
Hey! That last one was for grins. Honest.
What you should carry this trip:
Of course this is somewhat dependent on the weather. But a likely list is
- Arm warmers
- Polypro or light wool base layer
- Windshell (a rain jacket can do double duty here)
- Rain jacket
- Wind vest
- Leg warmers
- A cap with a bill (see tomorrow’s post for more on this)
- Sunscreen
- Some food (it’s going to be about a 2400 to 3000 calorie day. We will stop several times, but carry what works for you.)
- At least two water bottles (or the equivalent)
- Two spare tubes in your size.
- Any spares that are unique to your bike.
- Any meds that you might need
- Phone (Optional. Please do not get into conversations while out on the ride.)
- Camera (totally optional)
- Some money for water and snacks
- Sunglasses
- Riding gloves
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