Route Sheet Guide

Here is a brief guide to help you understand those cryptic abbreviations and terms used on the Audax Ireland Route sheet.  You may want to print off, and keep with your route sheet, as an aid to help you on your first Audax events.

To navigate the route you will need some way of calculating your current distance, this can be either a cycling computer, and smartphone or GPS unit.

Tip: If using a smartphone or GPS unit it is a good idea have a cheap cycling computer 
as a backup in case if failure of your main unit.Always remember reset your 
computer and/or device as you start the event otherwise your distance will not 
match and navigation will be difficult.

Reading a route sheet

Basics

The route sheet will have a number of pages of instructions to help you navigate the event. It is rare to see and Audax events marked or signed, so it is impotent to you understand how to use a route sheet. GPS units do take a lot of work off navigating a route, but reliability can still be a problem so be prepared to be able to fail back to your route  sheet.

Each line on the sheet is an instruction that will have a number of parts; including distance from last instruction, total distance, and the action(s) to be carried. There maybe other bits of information; road signs, names of towns, or warning to help improve navigation of the route. Start, Finish, and Controls will always appear in black. The organiser may also provide details on were the control is located if at a business like a shop or garage, or car park if maned controls are in place.  This information will also be provided few days before the event by email and normally again at the start of the event by the organiser.

Tip: Some organiser may or may not provide a printed route sheet for their event. This will be 
clear in the instructions emailed before the event.The organiser will provide a soft copy 
that you will print, if one if not provided. You can also personalise the sheet with your own notes or comments, 
basically what ever details will help you during the event. Either laminating the sheets or placing 
a zip bag is always a good idea, being Ireland it may rain.

How to interpret an instruction

Note: When the GPS instructions differ from the route sheet the sheet 
should be treated as correct

What to do if there is no instruction for a junction or cross roads

The normal rule to follow is there is a junction or cross roads an there is not instruction to turn off the current road, continue in a forward direction, without turning. it is normal practice for organisers to only add changes in direction, impotent or confusing junctions into the route sheet.

Full list of abbreviations used by Audax Ireland

Shorthand

English meaning

Description

Visual

CAPITAL LETTERS

Place name

Town or village through which you pass-through

sp

Sign Post

@

at

An action to take, before the @ symbol, and the road feature after @ symbol. For example R @ mini-O. Turn right at mini roundabout.

imm.

immediate

Follow this instruction, straight after completing another direction instruction. For example: At a staggered junction, you may turn L, then imm. R. when crossing a main road.

T

T Junction

Where a minor road terminates at major road. You must give way or stop. You will need to turn left or turn right.

SO

Straight on

Continue, in a forward direction, without turning.

R

Turn Right

Turn to the right, from your current direction of travel.

L

Turn Left

Turn to the left, from your current direction of travel.

X

Cross Roads

A place where another road crosses the road you are travelling on.  You will need to stop or give way.

TL

Traffic Lights

Red, Amber, Green lights, used to control traffic flow on busy roads. You can go on green, and should stop for amber / red.

2nd

2nd exit

Indicates the exit to take at a given roundabout.

Y

Y junction

Junction of three roads, or typically a junction of one road at a point with another road where that road changes direction at a bend.

RAB

Roundabout

A type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is slowed and flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. Note that you go left round a roundabout

MRAB

Mini-roundabout

A smaller roundabout, usually with just paint, or a raised circular surface to indicate its presence.

(N1)

(N1) In brackets – R or N road that you are crossing

StX

Staggered Crossroads

Where a minor road crosses main road, and continues on the other side, but maybe offset to left or right by a few metres on the other side.

LC

LEVEL CROSSING

Railway level crossing that intersects the route.

 List of all Irish warning traffic signs see : http://www.drivingschoolireland.com/signs-warning.html

 


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Long-distance cycling in Ireland