Audax series background
Audax rides are NOT races. Everyone rides to their own limitations and the primary objective to ‘get round’. There are minimum and maximum time limits, which are designed to suit everyone from the fittest of recreational riders, to more occasional riders who have plenty of determination. The routes typically feature lots of quiet, scenic lanes. Most events can be quite hilly, and even the flatter ones usually have one or two challenging climbs.
The name Audax is Latin for “Courageous” and was first used in 1904 in France where this type of event was developed. Audax riding is designed to test the rider’s spirit of self-reliance and resilience to complete the route within the set time limits. Audax events are sometimes referred to as ‘brevets’, meaning ‘test’.
For official Audax UK events, each rider carries a ‘brevet card’ which is stamped at intermediate checkpoints and at the finish. When validated, the brevet card is later returned to the rider as a certificate of their achievement. Some famous Audax’s include London-Edinburgh-London (LEL) and Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). The club has had a good number of participants complete both these events.
The club runs its own series of six Audax events each year starting with the 50km Audax in January and progressing monthly to a challenging 175km in May/June. These are a great way to start with a really achievable ride and progress to longer and longer distances. Please see the calendar for the events planned.
Anyone completing 4 out of the 6 club series of events earns a prestigious club medal, presented at the Annual Awards Evening.
Open Audax
There are many open audax events running throughout the year and many of the local ones are frequently ridden by club members. Examples include Gospel Pass 150km, Barry’s Bristol Ball Buster 200km, Heart of England 300km, Brevet Cymru 400km and the Bryan Chapman Memorial Welsh End-to-End 600km. Open audax events can be entered through the Audax UK website.
Chippenham Wheelers puts on its own open event in support of audax cycling in general. This is affectionally known as the “Flapjack” for obvious reasons. Participation requires entry through the Audax UK website as numbers are limited. Club members are encouraged to volunteer to help make this event run smoothly. More information is published on the website nearer the time.
Club Audax series 2020
| Distance | Date | Start time | Entry fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50km | 19 Jan 2020 | 10:00 | £2.50 |
| Flapjack 100km Audax UK open event | 09 Feb 2020 | 09:00 | Click to enter via Audax UK website |
| 75km | 23 Feb 2020 | 09:30 | £1.00 |
| 100km | 15 Mar 2020 | 09:00 | £3.50 |
| 125km | 19 Apr 2020 | 09:00 | £1.00 |
| 150km | 10 May 2020 | 08:30 | £1.00 |
| 175km | 14 Jun 2020 | 08:00 | £1.00 |
Event details are available in the club calendar, where GPX routes and traditional Route Sheets are made available for download and printing. Please note the club no longer provides brevet cards for the club series.
All club Audax events start and end at the Chippenham Sports and Social Club. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time to register and pay the small entrance fee. Please bring the correct change! On the 50km and 100km events the club provides tea, coffee and cake at the control village hall. On the other events members use local cafes along the route.
Riders have taken to returning to the Social Club for a quick drink at the end of the ride.