Audaxing

A

AAA points

Audax Altitude Award points. Once a route exceeds a certain level of hilliness it gains 1 point per 1000 metres climbed. If a route has many AAA points it is very hilly

ACP – Audax Club Parisien

the organising body for the PBP

Arrivee

The AUK official magazine. Also the end of a ride…

Audax

From the same root word as “audacious” this first became used as a description for cycle rides in the late 19th Century

Autoroute

The Microsoft Autoroute computer program is used to check the minimum distances on all brevets and perms. Known as the extra member of the AUK committee for this reason

Argos

This is a high end frame builder based in Bristol. It has no connection with the UK catalogue shop of the same name

B

Brevet

Certificate. Also some people call rides “Brevets” as they are used to get the certificate. The “certificate” is the “brevet card” which is carried round the route and stamped

BMB

Boston Montreal Boston. A North American 1200km event with much rain and packs of wild dogs. Apparently this event is no longer run.

BCM

Bryan Chapman Memorial. The best attended 600km event in the UK. Goes “across Wales, twice”

Brooks

A brand of hard leather saddle popular with long distance riders

Beans on Toast

Tinned beans in tomato sauce served on toasted bread. A staple at controls.

BP

Brevet Populaire, a UK only brevet usually with a low minimum speed

BR

Brevet Randonneur, a UK only brevet with finishing time limit extended to the length of the route

BRM

Brevet Randonneurs Mondiaux, internationally recognised brevet with fixed finishing time limit

Bus Shelter

An unofficial sleep stop on many long rides

C

Calendar Events

AUK has a Calendar of what’s on throughout the year

Card

Brevet Card.

Control

Point where passage must be proved

Carradice

Carradice of Nelson make traditional canvas saddle bags

Computer

A bike mounted speedometer/mile counter. Can usually show average speed etc

Chapman

See BCM

Compact- A type of “Chainset”

the front rings of the transmission system that has two chain rings. The size of the rings is smaller than a standard road chainset. The reason it’s called compact is that the smaller 110 BCD allows inner rings down to 34t. An alternative to a Triple for riding hilly courses

D

Devils Staircase

A section of extremely steep ascent on the hilly mountain road to Tregaron in Wales

DIY

perm that allows the rider to “make up” their own route to a set distance

E

El Supremo

aka Dave Hudson. A well liked organiser from the SE of England

Entry

An entry to a AUK event, usually requiring lots of stamped addressed envelopes

F

Finishing Time

The total time taken on a ride. These are not published, to discourage racing

Fixed

A bike with one gear and no free wheel.

Flapjack

A cake made from oats, butter, syrup and sugar

G

Grimpeur

A hilly ride or the rider on the hilly ride

Gator Skins

A short name for the “Continental Ultra Gator Skin” tyre popular with audax riders. These hard wearing, reasonable fast tyres are either hated or loved. The haters don’t like the wet grip or the flint resistance

H

Hypercracker

The Stein Hypercracker is a special gadget for removing a cassette using the bikes own transmission

Hewitt

A custom bike frame maker in the north of England. They employ the audax legend Gethin Butler

I

Info Control

A special question that has to be answered to show proof of passage at a point on the route. For instance “name of pub on left”

J

K

L

LEL

London Edinburgh London 1400km audax event. AUK’s big event held every four years

Longstaff

Custom frame makers in Stoke on Trent. Specialists in tricycles

M

MGM- Madrid – Gjion

Madrid 1200km. Long event in Spain

Mudguards

aka Fenders. See article “The bikes weakest part”

Maximum and Minimum Speeds

The routes must be completed at an overall average minimum speed. This is how the time limits are calculated. The speed must not exceed a preset limit, to discourage racing

Map Trap

a clear plastic holder for maps or route sheet that is attached to the handlebars

Mersey Roads

the UK national 24 time trial event. It is also the ONLY 24 hour time trial in the UK

N

Nuun tablets

expensive electrolyte tablets, just add water. See the article “The Secret Ingredient”

O

Overdistance

Rides are usually stated as being 200,300,400 or 600km. But the real distance isn’t exactly a round number of hundreds. The real distance is more. So the bit over the whole number is the over distance

Omega

a now defunct titanium frame maker popular with UK audax riders

P

Packing

Giving up on a ride. Ie “My bottom bracket failed and I had to pack”

PBP- Paris Brest Paris

the oldest road cycling event in the world and the ultimate for audax style riding

Points

AUK has a competition for who can complete the most randonees in a year. Each ride over 200km is worth one point per 100km

Perms

or permanents. Routes that can be ridden at any time, not just at a specific time as is the case with calendar events

Q

Qualifying Ride

see SR

R

Randonnee

A trek or ramble. Not a race, not a journey, just for fun. Audax rides are kind of organised rambles

Roberts

A maker of custom steel cycle frames based in the SE of England

RRTY

Randonneur Around The Year. Award from AUK for doing a 200km or more ride every month of the year

S

Season

The AUK season runs from Oct 1st to Sep 30th the next year

Scenic

Usually this is a euphemism for a very hilly ride

Stamp

At the control, the brevet card is marked with a stamp to proof passage

Schmidt

A brand of german made electrical generator that is built into the front wheel

Secret Control

Like a control but it is not stated on the route sheet or brevet card where it will be on the route. So the rider has to stick exactly to the given route or they might miss it.

SR

a set of 200km,300km,400km and 600km rides that are used to get a “Super Randonneur” series. All the qualifying rides in the set must be done in a season for the SR. Only holders of a current SR are allowed to enter PBP

Sudocrem

a brand of diaper/nappy creme popular with randonneurs for preventing and treating saddle sores. See the article “Caught Short”

T

Triple- A type of “Chainset”

the front rings of the transmission system that has three chain rings. Gives a very wide range of gears

Thorn

Brand of bike designed by St John Street cycles in Bridgwater

U

Under Distance

see over distance. Under distance is not allowed

V

viamichelin

a route planning website

W

Willesden

a cycling club in London with strong associations with AUK

X

X ray spokes

Sapim spokes that have been xrayed to ensure they have no hidden flaws

X rated event

An event with little or no facilities. It might start in a car park and the brevet card is posted back to the organiser at the end

Y

Young Rider Award

The youngest AUK rider to complete a 200km+ ride in a season gets this Award

Yates

A maker of custom steel frames

Z

ZZZzzzzz

See Bus Shelters