Community Story

We, the randonneurs — one passion, one ride!

History of Audax

The Beginning in Italy (1897)

The term Audax comes from Latin, meaning “bold.” The concept was born on June 12, 1897, in Italy, when a group of cyclists rode a 230-kilometer route from Rome to Naples in just one day.

At a time when road conditions and bicycle technology were still very limited, this achievement was seen as extraordinary and courageous — forming the foundation of the Audax philosophy: endurance, bravery, and the spirit of pushing one’s limits.

At the end of the 19th century, sports and tourism culture began to flourish across Europe. In France, cyclists joined hikers in exploring nature, leading to the founding of the Touring Club de France on March 31, 1890 — a hub for enthusiasts of active travel and exploration.

In 1904, the legendary Henri Desgrange, also known as the founder of the Tour de France, introduced Audax France, adapting the Italian model. Desgrange later granted authority to the newly established Audax Club Parisien (ACP) on November 30, 1904, to approve and oversee the organization of brevets (long-distance certifications).

Since then, ACP has become the heart of randonneuring culture — long-distance cycling without external support, built on the spirit of self-reliance and personal discipline.

Under the Audax Club Parisien (ACP), the brevet system rapidly evolved. Initially, only routes of 200 km were recognized as official brevets; cyclists who successfully completed them earned the title of “Audax.”

Later, 300 km, 400 km, and 600 km events were introduced, featuring a group-riding format with an average pace of 18 km/h under the guidance of a ride captain.
By 1921, more than 4,500 French cyclists had successfully completed Audax brevets.

In the early 1920s, a difference in vision emerged between Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and Henri Desgrange. An editorial conflict between the newspapers L’Auto and L’Echo des Sports led Desgrange to withdraw ACP’s mandate to approve Audax brevets.

As a result, two major movements were formed:

  • L’Union des Audax Françaises (UAF) — preserved the traditional style with a fixed pace (22.5 km/h) and ride captains who could not be overtaken.

  • Audax Club Parisien (ACP) — developed a freer system, allowing riders to set their own pace and strategy. This format became known as Brevets des Randonneurs Français (BRF), which later evolved into the global standard Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM).

ACP went on to organize the first 300 km brevet on June 11, 1922, followed by the 400 km brevet on July 22, 1923, and the 600 km brevet on June 30–July 1, 1928.

Audax continued to evolve, introducing the 1,000 km distance on August 15, 1934, three years after the first Paris–Brest–Paris (PBP) event opened participation to non-professional cyclists.

The PBP event, first organized by Le Petit Journal in 1891, later became an icon of the global randonneuring community and a prestigious event under the auspices of the Audax Club Parisien (ACP).

ACP also played a key role in establishing the Fédération Française des Sociétés de Cyclotourisme (FFSC) in 1923, now known as the FFCT (Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme) — the main federation for cycling tourism in France.

Since 1976, the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) has expanded its reach globally through the organization of Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) in various countries, including Indonesia.
This model emphasizes the philosophy of unsupported endurance cycling — long-distance rides carried out independently, relying on resilience, strategy, and community spirit.

In Indonesia, this spirit is embodied by Audax Randonneurs Indonesia, the official organization affiliated with ACP, which hosts numerous national and international brevet events — ranging from 200 KM to 1000 KM, including the legendary Super Randonneur (SR) series and participation in the Paris–Brest–Paris 1200 KM.

Core Values Audax

1. Endurance

Audax instills the spirit of endurance as the core foundation of every journey. Every kilometer ridden is not only a test of physical strength, but also of mental resilience — the determination to keep moving beyond one’s limits. For a randonneur, endurance means the ability to persevere through weather, time, and challenging terrain, while maintaining the integrity and unwavering spirit to reach the finish line.

In Audax culture, self-reliance is the core of the randonneuring philosophy. Each participant takes full responsibility for themselves — from navigation and bike maintenance to energy and time management. Without external support, a randonneur learns to rely on strategy, preparation, and composure in the face of challenges. This value shapes the resilient and disciplined character that defines the Audax community worldwide.

For Audax, sportsmanship means respecting every rule, fellow riders, and the spirit of honesty in every journey. There are no personal victories in Audax — only the collective achievement of completing the challenge with integrity and strong ethics. This value reflects the philosophy that true courage lies not in speed, but in the commitment to honesty and fair play through every kilometer ridden.

Behind the individual spirit of a randonneur, Audax always fosters a deep sense of camaraderie. Every journey becomes a moment to support one another, share experiences, and build collective enthusiasm among fellow cyclists. This value of solidarity makes the Audax community more than just a club — it is a global family united by the spirit of exploration and brotherhood.

Audax views every journey as a form of exploration — not only of new routes, but also of discovering the best version of oneself. Through each brevet, participants learn the values of calmness, perseverance, and the beauty of the journey itself. This spirit of exploration fuels an endless sense of adventure and curiosity, making Audax a symbol of courage — the will to keep moving forward, breaking the boundaries of distance and time.

Vision of Audax

To be a long-distance cycling organization that fosters a culture of endurance, discipline, and the spirit of exploration in Indonesia, aligned with the global values of Audax Club Parisien.

Mission of Audax

  1. Organize randonneuring events that are safe, sportsmanlike, and meet international standards.

  2. Encourage public participation in long-distance cycling with a spirit of self-reliance.

  3. Expand the network of endurance cycling communities in Indonesia and around the world.

  4. Serve as an educational platform for developing ethics, discipline, and endurance in cycling.

  5. Contribute to promoting a healthy, eco-friendly, and sustainable lifestyle through cycling.

Goals of Audax

  • Establish Indonesia as an active part of the global randonneur community under the Audax Club Parisien (ACP).

  • Foster the spirit of unsupported adventure among national cyclists.

  • Provide an official platform for 200KM, 300KM, 400KM, 600KM, and 1000KM brevets recognized internationally.

  • Build the reputation of Audax Randonneurs Indonesia as a regional icon of endurance cycling in Southeast Asia.

SEJARAH AUDAX :


Pada tanggal 12 Juni 1897, sekelompok pesepeda Italia menjalani rute antara kota Roma dan Napoli yang berjarak 230 kilometer, dalam waktu satu hari. Mengingat sulitnya kondisi untuk bersepeda pada waktu itu, upaya ini dianggap “audacious” (sangat berani).

Di Perancis, pada akhir abad ke sembilan belas, untuk pertama kalinya beberapa turis bersepeda bergabung dengan para “hiker”. Terciptanya “Touring Club de France” (Klub Wisata Perancis) pada tanggal 31 Maret 1890 adalah hasil dari penggabungan tersebut. Dalam tahun 1904, Henri Desgrange, pendiri Tour De France setahun sebelumnya, mendirikan Audax France berdasarkan model Audax Italiano. Desgrange kemudian memberi wewenang kepada Audax Club Parisien (ACP) yang baru berdiri pada tanggal 30 November 1904, untuk memberi persetujuan kepada brevet-brevet yang diselenggarakan berdasarkan aturan-aturan Audax di Perancis. Sejak awal, klub ini sangat sukses. Semua anggota ACP adalah turis-turis bersepeda yang berpengalaman dan menguasai olah raga bersepeda jarak jauh. Mereka sangat mahir sebagai “kapten perjalanan” dan memandu kelompok-kelompok bersepeda dengan kecepatan 18 kilometer per jam yang, sampai tahun 1945, dianggap merupakan kecepatan yang paling tepat untuk bersepeda. Pada waktu itu, hanya jarak 200 kilometer yang dianggap sebagai brevet, bila berhasil menyelesaikannya seorang pesepeda berhak untuk diberi gelar “Audax”. Selain brevet yang diakui, perjalanan bersepeda yang berjarak 300 dan 400 kilometer juga diselenggarakan oleh ACP. Rute 600 kilometer baru muncul beberapa tahun kemudian. Sampai tahun 1921, sebutan “Audax” sudah diberikan kepada kurang lebih 4.500 pesepeda Perancis.

Le Velo Dalam tahun tersebut, Victor Breyer (Catatan: seorang mantan wartawan Paris-Velo dan pernah menjadi kolega Henri Desgrange; Breyer adalah wartawan yang melakukan riset dan menelusuri rute asli Paris – Roubaix), yang pada saat itu adalah editor surat kabar L’Echo des Sports, mengadakan suatu event hiking yang sudah beberapa lama ditangguhkan, yaitu Polymultipliee. Breyer meminta bantuan dari ACP yang pernah membantu dalam penyelenggaraan event ini dua kali sebelumnya, pada tahun 1913 and 1914. Bantuan yang diberikan oleh klub kepada L’Echo des Sports, yang merupakan pesaing surat kabar L’Auto, membuat Henri Desgrange menulis tajuk rencana dalam surat kabar tersebut yang mencabut hak ACP untuk menyetujui brevet-brevet Audax. Hal ini menyebabkan perpecahan dalam organisasi. Beberapa kapten perjalanan dan hiker meninggalkan ACP dan melanjutkan menyelenggarakan event-event mereka dengan pengarahan dari L’Auto. Mereka mendirikan L’Union des Audax Cyclistes Parisiens (UACP) yang kemudian menjadi L’Union des Audax Francaises (UAF). Kini, UAF menyetujui brevet-brevet yang dijalankan dengan kecepatan tetap 22,5 kilometer per jam dengan panduan kapten perjalanan, yang tidak boleh disusul oleh para peserta. Perjalanan bersepeda ini dikenal sebagai Brevets Audax. Sementara itu anggota-anggota yang masih loyal terhadap ACP segera mengadakan event-event Brevets des Randonneurs Francaises dengan jarak antara 200 dan 600 kilometer, dimana tiap peserta dapat memilih sendiri kecepatan bersepeda. Event pertama berjarak 300 kilometer diadakan pada tanggal 11 Juni 1922; event pertama 400 kilometer diadakan tanggal 22 Juli 1923; dan event pertama yang berjarak 600 kilometer telah diadakan pada tanggal 30 Juni dan 1 Juli tahun 1928.

Abernat 1920 Event pertama yang berjarak 1000 kilometer diselenggarakan beberapa tahun kemudian, yaitu pada 15 Agustus 1934, tiga tahun setelah event Paris – Brest – Paris yang pertama dimana pesepeda non-profesional diizinkan berpartisipasi. Pada tahun 1991, klub merayakan seratus tahun Paris – Brest – Paris, event ini pertama kali diadakan oleh Le Petit Journal pada tahun 1891. Kejadian lain yang patut diperhatikan adalah didirikannya Federation Francaise des Societes de Cyclotourisme (FFSC) pada tahun 1923 yang mengelompokkan klub-klub di Perancis yang bidangnya adalah turisme bersepeda. Gaston Clement, salah satu anggota dan pendiri ACP adalah ketua pertama organisasi ini. Federasi ini dalam tahun 1942 kemudian menjadi Federation Francais de Cyclotourisme (FFCT) yang masih tetap menjadi asosiasi utama turisme bersepeda di Perancis sampai sekarang.

Dewasa ini, Audax Club Parisien adalah salah satu klub bersepeda yang terbesar di Paris dan Perancis. Sejak tahun 1976, brevet-brevet yang disetujui oleh ACP sudah diselenggarakan di banyak negara di luar Perancis. Brevet-brevet ini dikenal sebagai “Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux”