Audax Ride Preparations: Bike Choices

Each year, as this particular activity looms onto the horizon, I do my level best to supply helpful information.  What is rendered below is hardly to be considered the ultimate in wisdom, but it the sum total of what I have learned, by research, observation, and personal experience.

It is my fond hope that riders new to distance/endurance/touring type riding will find this helpful.  I rather think there may just be a tidbit of some worth for the more experienced rider too.

This is about what works best for this particular kind of ride. 

What Does Not work:

I’ve found this to be a necessary warning.  While I don’t try to discourage folks from doing what they think works for them, long (and sometimes bitter) experience has shown that the following do not do well on this ride, or on the preparation “Audax Tune Ups.”

• Mountain bikes.  (More, it does not matter if a mountain bike has had the tires replaced with thinner slicks.  It’s still a mountain bike.  It’s still not efficient.  It’s still a bad idea.)
• Comfort bikes
• Cruiser
• Hybrids
• Flat bar road bikes (sometimes called “Fitness Bikes”)

In short, just about any kind of bike with a flat or straight handlebar.  I’ve seen it tried a lot of times.  It doesn’t work.  Period.  Use the right tool for the job.  Or more bluntly,  “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”

What Does work:

Almost any kind of drop handlebar road bike will do, IF you are comfortable on it for longer periods of time.  That means it pretty much has to fit you well, and the saddle has to work well for you.  If you are not sure about your fit, have it done.  Get a good sound professional bike fit done.  If you are not sure about your saddle, come out and do the Audax Tune Ups.  After riding 45 miles (or 65 miles) you will know whether you have saddle “issues” or not.  (If so, come see me at Bicycles Unlimited, and we’ll discuss options.)

Why? 

The purpose of this little discussion is to recommend the best choice for this kind of endurance/light touring riding.  Read this if:

You have a bike and don’t plan to replace it, or to get another bike:

You don’t have a bike:

You are considering the purchase of a(nother) bike:

Here’s my recommendation:

You can do this kind of ride on almost any road bike.  It’s not really so long as to require a dedicated touring type bike.  I would recommend bikes with more relaxed geometry, as opposed to all out racing machines. 

We have had folks do this on time trail bikes, and they’ve done okay, but unless you are deep into training for IronMan type events, I’d suggest avoiding this choice.

A “light tourist” is not a bad choice.

It most certainly can be done on a cyclocross bike, but I’d go for slightly narrower (and smoother) tires.

Tourists are a bit heavy for this particular kind of riding, but will work.  They tend to have more relaxed geometry, and their carry-capacity is hard to beat.