Reminders for the Audax Riders (200, 300) on Jan 18, 2020
12/14/2019 | Carmela Pearson
Friends, for those joining us in the Audax Rides on January 18, PLEASE READ THROUGH ALL THE REMINDER POINTS BELOW. It is very important that you go through each of them. Please be guided accordingly. Thank you!
Reminders for the 200km and 300km Audax Rides (Subic):
1) WHAT IS AN AUDAX? All participants are expected to know what they are getting themselves into before signing up for this ride. Everyone should read through the Audax: Are you in it for the long ride? to fully understand the nature of our rides. This is not a race but a self-sufficient ride on an unmarked course. Everyone should go through the audax.ph website before the ride. Reading is a virtue! *wink*
2) Just like any other Audax rides around the globe, participants are expected to go through the ride information details and to fully understand the nature of our rides prior to joining. Please make sure you have read the information posted in the audax.ph website. The website has already been updated with the latest information about this ride.
3) Know what randonneuring is about: RANDONNEURING is a style of bicycle riding that requires COVERING LONG-DISTANCES OVER AN UNMARKED COURSE OF CHALLENGING TERRAIN within a generously allotted time period of almost continuous riding. There will be no marshals to point you to the right direction. This is a self-sufficient ride and route has been given prior to the ride. It is the responsibility of each participant to navigate through the route on their own.
4) Due to the ASEAN Paralympic Games happening in Subic, the start location of the ride is at the Olongapo City Hall. Please read through the article. January 18 Audax Start Location: Olongapo City Hall, for more information about this change. This is approximately 3km from Mango Valley. Please see below location map. It is very important not to crowd the start area. Again, START of the ride is at the Olongapo City Hall. FINISH will be at Mango Valley via the Dewey gate. Cue sheet is still valid with just a minor change on start location.
5) You can have your special needs (food and drinks) put in the support vehicles on stand-by at the control points. Please bring your bags at the onsite registration on January 17 or on January 18 before 3AM. LABEL YOUR BAGS PROPERLY.
6) STARTING IN THE DARK. We will start on-time. Please ensure you have the proper bike lights for the ride as we will start at 4am. DO NOT LEECH ON SOMEONE ELSE'S GOOD LIGHTS. If you don't have lights, head on to your friendly bike shops and get those lights NOW!
7) To give back to the local community, Zambales residents get a 20% discount from registration fees. Please show your valid government-issued IDs in the onsite registration.
8) ON SUPPORT VEHICLES: Support vehicles are allowed but DO NOT USE THEM TO GET AHEAD OF OTHERS. No drafting behind your support vehicles. Tell your drivers to be mindful of other cyclists on the roads. Once you ride the support vehicle, please have the decency not to have your brevet cards stamped and not to tell others that you're a finisher. In other words, NO CHEATING! PLEASE DO LEAP FROGGING versus DIRECT FOLLOW.
9) Distance may not be exact but we tried to create the best route given the convenience of control point locations and road quality. Expect it to be +/- 5% of the total distance.
10) Not in the cue sheet: you may pass through the Govic highway to avoid the busy town of Iba, Zambales.
11) The infamous steel bridge in Audax Subic is approximately at the 72nd kilometre. This has put down a lot of cyclists, myself included. No matter how many times I have done this route, this bridge can still be very dangerous with its many gaps. It is also extremely slippery when wet. Please take caution and be extra careful during this stretch.
12) This is a non-profit ride and our registration fees go to the logistical costs and accreditation dues that we pay to Audax Club Parisien on a yearly basis. We had to pay 8,200++ Euros this January 2019 alone. Some have been asking for items (finisher shirts, certificates, etc.). One joins the audax not because of the items one can gain but rather for one's own personal satisfaction of finishing. As much as I want to provide a lot of things for the participants, I am bound by these rules set by ACP.
13) As much as we want to give everyone finisher medals, I cannot. The audax finisher medals are all imported from Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and are standard across all ACP-accredited countries. I don't include this in the registration fees because I don't want to burden the riders of this extra cost. For those who would like to have a medal, there is an option in the registration forms. I have a very limited number of medals for this ride. We will give priority to those who will pay for them in advance upon advance registration. Should you not finish the ride for some reason, we would be happy to return your medal payment.
14) THIS IS NOT A RACE. To enjoy the roads and the beautiful Zambales and Pangasinan countryside, pedal at a comfortable speed that you can maintain for the duration of the audax. Besides, this ride is better treated as an endurance ride that will not only burn fat but will also nurture a friendly atmosphere. :)
AGAIN, please make sure you have read through all the references and information shared on what the audax is about. We are still seeing a lot of questions posted that could have easily been answered IF ONLY PEOPLE WILL READ. "Reading is a virtue." Questions that can be answered through the website will not be entertained anymore.
The organisers behind these rides ride these courses themselves. We understand what each and everyone will go through. This is a very challenging ride but definitely very doable. Just ask those who have finished this ride in the past. Make sure you are mentally and physically prepared for this one.
