Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Any suggestions for an audax / randonneuring bike

Hello,

This must have been asked a hundred times and, sorry, I've not done any searching yet... but if anyone has the patience, here goes.

I'm thinking of swapping my Cannondale CAAD 8 road bike (I'm not much of a speed merchant) for something to do Audax/Randonneuring – which I've never done before. I've done marathon running and long distance mountain treks and now I'd like to do some endurance cycling.

The Cannondale is pretty comfortable (both by reputation and from my own limited 30-ish mile rides), but it's a racing frame/geometry and having no other experience of road bikes I don't know what I should be looking for. Particularly confused by seemingly sage comments I've read, such as: 'Pretty much any road bike will do' and '... get a cyclocross bike..'

With a budget of up to £1200.00 (preferably £800.00-1000.00) what would you suggest I look at?

Thanks.
MF.

I think you have the horse in front of the cart. ;) I would suggest you save your money and start doing some brevets first. You're going to want to find out for yourself how you want to do it. Your Cannondale can make a perfectly fine Randonneuring bike. All it may need is a little tweaking. Like raising the bars a little bit. Comfort is going to be the overriding criteria and buying a "Randonneuring bike" may or may not be more comfortable for you. Once you've started doing a few longer brevets you can decide what kind of accessories you may want to use. Those accessories may or may not warrent a new frame. In the mean time spend some money on a good lighting system for a start. Once you've done a few longer rides, you'll have a much better idea of what you will want and what your requirements are.

I say keep the Cannondale for now. Prepare for and ride some 200k rides. If the bike still works for you after 200k, it's your randonneuring bike. There are a couple of reasons to get a rando specific bike -- fenders and front rack.

Let's be honest - the idea of getting into something different is partly an excuse for buying a new piece of kit... at least that's my confession and I think I read it between the lines of a lot of posts on these forums (bikes, boats, guitars, whatever).

Anyway, good advice and reassuring; every time I look at, and ride, my Cannondale I can't think of a nicer bike. That might change after 200k, but at least then I'll be in a position to make an objective decision and not an irrational one.

Thanks guys.

Let's be honest - the idea of getting into something different is partly an excuse for buying a new piece of kit... at least that's my confession and I think I read it between the lines of a lot of posts on these forums (bikes, boats, guitars, whatever).

Anyway, good advice and reassuring; every time I look at, and ride, my Cannondale I can't think of a nicer bike. That might change after 200k, but at least then I'll be in a position to make an objective decision and not an irrational one.

Thanks guys.

For all, please let me give you our heartfelt apologies. We failed you.

Getting a new piece of equipment is always a good excuse :) but you will want to find out for yourself what your parameters are going to be. The last thing you want is for someone here to recommend their idea of the optimal randoneuring bike only for you to go out and buy it and then be disappointed. If you can't think of a nicer bike than the Cannondale I would definitely stick with it until you come across something that you want it to do that it can't do.

In the mean time you can get all sorts of rando type goodies for it that will take care of that itch in your wallet.

This is only slightly off topic. In early Spring of 2008 I did my first century, on a 12 year old Specialize Epic Comp (carbon fiber) I'd purchased used six years earlier. A month later I bought a Specialized Roubaix for my weekend riding. Then in June of this year I bought a Bianchi Volpe with full fenders, rear rack, and panniers, because I have an 18.5 mile commute to work. I have cheap LED lights on it because almost all of my commute route has street lights, so the lights are for being seen, not seeing.

Now I find myself on this LD site and reading about all you maniacs doing insane rides, and it's killing me. I want to do it! I have decided to start with a ride from my house in St Pete, on the West Coast of Florida, to my mom's house on the East Coast. It's 152 miles one way. I spent two hours mapping out a route on bikely.com (uses Google Earth - very nice).

So now comes the final decision: Do I go on the Specialized Roubaix racing bike, or the Bianchi Volpe touring bike? I want to do the whole 152 miles in one day. Being in Florida, the cold is not a problem this time of year, but daylight is: The dawn's early light is coming in about 6:35 AM, and it's pretty much dark by 6 PM.

Specialized Roubaix - Pros: ultra light and very fast, with extraordinary comfort for a racing bike (but a hard-assed saddle!). Cons: no racks, no lights, no fenders, skinny racing tires, and I can only bring what I can stuff in my pockets (but there will be plenty of stores and food sources on the route and $ is easy enough to carry).

Bianchi Volpe - Pros: Comfortable, 28 wide puncture proof tires, lights (although, only for being seen), fenders, panniers capable of carrying food, water, or whatever. Cons: heavier and slower, requiring more energy to move it 152 miles.

For what is to you guys a paltry 250K ride (but for me would be a personal record), which bike would you take and why?

Why don't you put the comfortable seat on your Roubaix, that would fix that little problem. I'd take the bike that was the most comfortable. I wouldn't bother with fenders unless it was raining...knowing me, not then either...;) If you can do sub 6hour centuries, you don't need to worry about lights. ;) If you are riding at night, good lights are important!

So now comes the final decision: Do I go on the Specialized Roubaix racing bike, or the Bianchi Volpe touring bike? I want to do the whole 152 miles in one day. Being in Florida, the cold is not a problem this time of year, but daylight is: The dawn's early light is coming in about 6:35 AM, and it's pretty much dark by 6 PM.

Based on your century time, you have some idea of your time for the 150 miler. If your expected time means cycling without the sun, here is my rule of thumb.

Start in the dark and ride into sunrise. Sunrise will give you an adrenaline boost. It's a real bummer to see the sun go down before you reach a destination. Admittedly, that's more likely for distances longer than 150 miles, but the days are short right now.

Check the time the bars close. Give the drunks at least an hour to get home, before you start out.

You will be going east - into the sunrise. It will be difficult for motorists to pick you out, if you are riding around sunrise. Check your route for shoulders; I use Google Earth. Also wear bright clothing and have a bright rear tail light running, until the sun is out of your eyes and those of the motorist behind you.

If I'm doing a longish ride (over 100 miles), I'll take my touring bike because it's the most comfortable and dependable bike I have. In your case, I wouldn't hesitate to take the Volpe.

Why don't you put the comfortable seat on your Roubaix, that would fix that little problem.

Yes! First thing I did when I brought my new Roubaix home was to put my (heavy) 30-year-old Ideale Competition 90 leather saddle on it. Had ridden it 40 miles "on the way home" with the OEM saddle - very painful!

I rode the 203 mile Seattle-to-Portland on my Cannondale Synapse carbon fiber (it's very similar to the Roubaix.) I also have a touring bike. I had attempted the STP the prior year on the touring bike. For a one-day ride where you don't have to carry much, I'd much rather ride the lighter bike. I did switch the saddle. I put the brooks b-17 on the synapse. I carried everything I needed in my jersey pockets. If you think you need to carry more, consider a handlebar bag and/or a saddlebag (I have a midsized carradice pendle bag that attaches perfectly to a brooks b-17 saddle.)

I think rando specific bikes are really cool. But, until I am fit enough to do 400+ km brevets on a regular basis, I'm sticking with the cannondale synapse for long one-day rides. As far as lights go, I'm riding with a magicshine ($80) and dinotte (on my helmet - $150) combination, and a couple of planet bike superflashes for the rear. They all run on batteries with a max runtime of about 3 hours on high. Three hours of riding in the dark is enough for me.

I like light bikes, but Im going to be using a rando specific bike next year. My current bikes needs to be refurbed, and it looks silly all dressed up like a rando bike anyway

Hello,


I'm thinking of swapping my Cannondale CAAD 8 road bike (I'm not much of a speed merchant) for something to do Audax/Randonneuring – which I've never done before. I've done marathon running and long distance mountain treks and now I'd like to do some endurance cycling.


Thanks.
MF.


If you were good with the CAAD 8 road bike, perhaps take a look at Cannondales with the CAAD 8 'cross frame. More relaxed than the road frame.

Not sure what the model would be where you are, but in the US, the top of the CAAD 8 cross line is the Cyclocross 5. It's about $1,300 US with CAAD8 frame, carbon fork, 105 group.

Pros - Good frame, solid spec in terms of group. 10 sp. 105. Triple or compact option. Ready for a rear rack w/ decent chain stay length for a cross bike.

Cons - Seat post, stem and bars are low-end and remarkably heavy. (Seat post is about the same diameter and weight of a battleship gun.) Wheels are a mystery - 32-spoke "Maddux Hand-Builts".

I rode the 203 mile Seattle-to-Portland on my Cannondale Synapse carbon fiber (it's very similar to the Roubaix.)


I think your Synapse is similar to the CAAD8 (although you might have a sloping top tube?)... anyway, one thing I wondered about is whether I can get a 28c tire on the CAAD8. What do you use on the Synapse?