Ireland At 25.4 km/h

UPDATE: There now is an official Audax Ireland website and, as one of the people behind it, I probably won’t have much time to update this site anymore.  Thanks to everyone who’s visited over the past couple of years.

This is not the official Audax Ireland website – inasmuch as such a thing exists, you can find it in the Audax section of Sorrento CC’s website. This site is my own personal take on randonneuring and brevet riding in Ireland. I aim eventually to have a full index of the routes complete with routesheets and maps, along with any other information that might prove useful such as the best places to stop for a full irish breakfast along the way. Subscribe to the RSS feed to be notified of news and updates. See the Calendar for a full list of upcoming rides.

Randonneuring? Audax? Brevet? Speak English, Man.

Randonneuring comes from a French term roughly equivalent to the English concept of “rambling”.  In French it can equally apply to travelling by foot, on horseback, by kayak etc. but in English it’s generally used in the context of cycling, for long, non-competitive, social rides.  Most Irish cycling clubs hold an annual randonnée.  Audax is a form of organised randonneuring where riders attempt to complete (often fairly challenging) routes within set time limits.  The name comes from an attempt made in 1897 to ride the 230 kilometres from Rome to Naples within the hours of daylight – the successful riders were described as “audace” (“audacious”) by the Italian press and the name stuck.  On an audax, each rider will carry a card to be stamped at various control points along the way – the completed card can then be breveted (certified) by the governing body and hence is known as a brevet card, and the ride as a brevet ride.

Fascinating Stuff…But What Are The Rides Actually Like?

First off, they’re long.  The minimum distance for a brevet is 200km, and the other standard distances are 300km, 400km, and 600km.  Although these distances may sound imposing, the time limits are quite generous, and even the longest rides are well within the capabilities of the average, moderately fit cyclist given reasonable preparation.  The 200s are quite well-attended but the longer rides might only attract 5-10 riders.  The upside of this is that you quickly get to know people and the rides are very friendly affairs, with the starting group usually staying together for most of the day.  The routes favour quiet country roads and take in some of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of the Irish countryside.  The longer rides inevitably involve some riding at night which can be a very unusual and special experience.

Unlike big sportives such as the Sean Kelly Challenge, the rides are not marshalled and typically the route is not marked on the road – you navigate from the routesheet provided by the organiser.  Particularly on the longer rides, you often have to take care of feeding yourself at cafes and shops along the way.  Consequently the entry fees are minimal, usually no more than a fiver to cover administrative costs.  This might sound like a lot of hassle but in practice it’s pretty straightforward and the more experienced audaxers will be happy to guide you through your first few rides.

For many of us, the big international brevets provide the motivation and focus to keep riding.  The longest-established of these is the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris.  Held every four years, it is considered the biggest cycling event in France outside of the Tour de France, and spectators line the route to cheer on the 5,000 participants.  It will next be held in 2011.