I decided to ride events to test myself in Jan 2011 and use them as a focal point to train and get fitter. Circumstances have meant I’ve only done 5, all mtb, have lost no weight and although I’ve gained some fitness, not in any remarkable way.

I’ve realised the to be properly competitive takes some mtfu and enthusiasm in times of despondance. So together with a busy career, 2 kids the wettest period for ages as we all know – and all that comes with those issues I realise its going to be well, pointless.

So, anyone else travel about and pay the fees for the hell of it, ie taking the ” it’s the taking part not the winning” attitude? Why?

Why not?

I’ve done a few Sportives and a couple of MTB rides with no chance of “winning” (although I was second in the 70 Wild Miles Triathlon once). Mostly it’s just for the craic, plus, the desire not to make a complete arse of oneself acts as a great incentive to get a bit fitter.

I won a race, once – at Big bike bash.

Not gonna win another one. Still doing lots of riding, on my own and with mates, some fast, some slow, many social. Just like riding.

Going to do Mayhem, Torq 12:12 and a few other thing this year. Just like riding really.

I do them to complete, not to compete.

I’m entering a race in late May that I’ve got no chance of winning whatsoever, but if I can actually finish the course then I’ll be happy.

Because I enjoy it. I’ve not won any XC races for 5 years, still enjoy it, although I did have to think if I wanted to buy a licence and shlep all over the country to race for 20th in Expert again!

AlasdairMc – Member
I do them to complete, not to compete.
I’m entering a race in late May that I’ve got no chance of winning whatsoever, but if I can actually finish the course then ill be happy

I’m doing the full length BORS for that reason….

Yeah, I do a fair few just for the fun of it….

Thetford Winter Series
D2D
Thetford summer enduro
Wiggle enduro6
24/12

Group of mates, tents, cups of tea & slabs of malt loaf, catching up, moaning about tyre choice, doing the odd lap here & there.

Love it (apart from in the bad weather, which seems to be always).

I race quite a lot.I’ll never win anything because I do the mtb one’s ss ,I’m crap at cx and the road ones….well I’m 6’3 and 92kg (and 40).
I don’t compete with anyone but myself.I’d rather come stone last and feel as though I’ve ridden well than win and feel like I’ve ridden badly.I finished the dyfi one year in the top 20…and hated every minute of it (so much so I did’nt bother the next year).Next time I did it I stopped and heckled,stopped and repaired someones bike,gave away all my food and got pissed at the disco.I finished 60something and had an AWESOME time.
Also….technically training is cheating.so I don’t train,I just ride bikes (sometimes a lot,sometimes not at all).

Always have, always will (I hope).

Good riding, good company, good atmosphere – what’s not to like?

I have done a few events and like the focus and build up, dont stand a hope in hell of coming anywhere – although id be in veteran ladies category for some rides so there may not be many to compare myself against.

I dont think its about how much you have going on – just about how much free time you can allocate. I have several jobs and 4 kids – all the more reason to make my time my own and immerse myself in something that is purely for me. I think it helps me juggle everything else in my life better.

I love the bearbones events – definitely no competition just bloody good fun, with tea and cake thrown in at the end what more could you ask for!?

I like the riding, I like the process, I like the feeling, I like the doing, and the shiny stuff.
I do it for me, I don’t worry about anything else, ‘cos I like doing it.

I’d never do an event that wasn’t fun just to do. I’ve been within spitting distance of the front a couple of times but I’m never going to win a really contested event.

TBH I think trying to compete would ruin competitions for me. I often seem to be having more fun doing badly than most of the people I see who really want to do well

as im crap at competeing there must be another reason i do it!

for me its a good way to plan my rides and now ive got kids i need that kind of specific events to focus on

Maybe if I thought I had any chance of even getting into the top 100 I might work that little bit harder for it, try to make my way into the top 50….20…..10… I mean if you’re good at it, why not. I can see how that could be the main motivational focus for people.

I’m not very good at it though. I’ve more of a rugby build than that of your average cyclist. So I’m happy to go along and test myself against myself. Talk to a few people. Enjoy the social elements. Soak up some of the energy. And then collapse at the end knowing I’ve put in a good effort to complete a fairly tough ride.

Well I enter races with the intention of using them as a training run when I have a goal race coming up soon, e.g. racing the heptonstall fell race on sunday in lieu of a 15 mile training run, so will be 90% effort rather than 100% say, as I have a 10 mile road race the following weekend that I want to set a pb in…

To the OP… You seem to be searching for a higher purpose to ride your bike other than the simple, yet obvious one… Fun!

I ride my bike for enjoyment. Nothing more. Sometimes that’s a few hours of Singletrack in the woods, sometimes a trail centre, sometimes a race, sometimes even getting out on the road bike! A bit of variety can be good, helping to keep any aspect from going stale. If one aspect does go stale though, change it up, or perhaps drop it for a while. Before you know it, 12 months will have passed and you’ll be gagging to get back into racing!

Just for gods sake don’t forget why you ride a bike… Cos the moment it ceases to be fun, its time to go and do something else!

I love doing events, even though as a 44 year old woman, I’m never going to get on the podium. They are great fun and I like to push myself hard even though I might finish middle of the field at best.
What’s more, I met my lovely partner at Mountain Mayhem in 2010!

For fun, for the craic, and for the sense of satisfaction (afterwards) of having gone as hard as I could.

Given that I ride rather than train I do ok, mainly because I take having fun very seriously.

Part of that is concentrating on what went well, obviously learn from the mistakes but really focus on the good bits. Plus races tend to be on routes I wouldn’t go find and new routes are always good 🙂

I enter quiet a few events, trying not to come last is as much a challenge as trying to win for some 🙂
I like the feel of events villages, collective group of people trying to do the same thing. Trade tents
camping, excuse to see other parts of the UK instead of just enjoying the lakes.

Also being able to go as fast as I can without worrying of stray dog walkers coming up the trail.

I like doing the races for the fun of it. I’ve no chance in winning anything but at least I enjoy it.
I know people who get tied up in the whole competing thing and take the training/competing way too seriously to the extent that they don’t actually enjoy the race.
The whole reason to ride the bike is fun, is it not?

I know people who get tied up in the whole competing thing and take the training/competing way too seriously to the extent that they don’t actually enjoy the race.

mboy – Member
To the OP… You seem to be searching for a higher purpose to ride your bike other than the simple, yet obvious one… Fun!
I ride my bike for enjoyment. Nothing more. Sometimes that’s a few hours of Singletrack in the woods, sometimes a trail centre, sometimes a race, sometimes even getting out on the road bike! A bit of variety can be good, helping to keep any aspect from going stale. If one aspect does go stale though, change it up, or perhaps drop it for a while. Before you know it, 12 months will have passed and you’ll be gagging to get back into racing!

A combo of all this I believe, is me :-/

Today is a classic example. I’m working from home so the opportunity for a lunchtime ride is their. But I’ve a lot of work on and its -3 outside. At the same time I’m conscious of my lack of miles and the upcoming BORS… And am beating myself up with indecision. Not good is it.

Have in the past done a few events, MM D2D etc, and the bit I enjoy least of all is actual getting on the bike and riding.

When I hear riding mates saying “lets do this or that sportive”, my heart sinks

Because it’s fun.

No chance of winning anything at my age.

I realised a good few years ago that no matter how much I trained I wasn’t going to be the next World Cup champ. Or even the next locl race winner. Happily I then discovered that even with increased pie/cake consumption and no training I still rarely came last so now I do the odd event for fun. I enjoy them much more now I don’t really care about doing well.

Yep, research. We organise events so it is good to be a competitor at other events sometimes, see how other people roll and all that. Count how many marshals they have.

When I used to compete I did some events for the training e.g. roadie TTs I never had a hope in hell of winning just to taste the blood and vomit.

I ride a few French “VTT Randos” each year – non-competitive (allegedly), not timed, typically run by local clubs with a choice of circuits all marked in the countryside, all very good natured.

The main reason I do these is to have the chance to ride some different trails. It’s like going riding with a local for the morning with them showing off their best/favourite hard to find trails.

I do them as I like endurance riding, despite being crap at it. and it’s a chance to ride with others.

Kryton – see you on the BORS. I will be on a black Soul riding with my Mrs (she will be on a hwite Juliana). Say hello when you pass.

i used to ride loads of audax events, mainly to ride in a new area, with a load of like minded folk.

I do events/races mainly to ride in new areas.
Oh and for the crack. Will never win one , but I do use them as motivation to ride.
I am competitive with myself when doing them though.
i.e. I will try to finish as fast as I can.
I also enjoy seeing the fast folk bombing past.Chapeau.

Kryton – see you on the BORS. I will be on a black Soul riding with my Mrs (she will be on a hwite Juliana). Say hello when you pass.

Will look out for you (white/turq ASR5 here).

I do races to meet people and socialise, they’re just treated as fun.

I do it to push myself.

Its very easy to bail out of sketchy lines when you are just out for a ride.

In a race you might push the edges of your comfort zone a bit more.

One of the best events I ever did was the Innerleithen Enduro. I think I was second last. But by the end of the event I was a better rider as I had been out of my comfort zone for pretty much the whole event.

yes,for the craic,beer,and cake.oh,and you get to ride in different places.
you mean some people take these things seriously ? 🙄

To get me out of the house! I find I don’t ride as much when I am not doing events. There always seems jobs to be done etc. But when I know I have got to preparef for an event I can find the time.
It also works for arguing with SWMBO When I say I am going for a ride with my mates she always remembers some chore that has to be done RIRHT NOW. However when I am doing events she never says a word!

entered the glentress 7, partly for the fun of competing, but more to make me ride more through the winter, in particular commuting.
On those rainy / snowy / windy days when I consider taking the car, the extra impetus of needing to get some miles in means I ride a lot more.
This makes me feel better in general, and saves loads more money in fuel than the event entry cost.

I compete in everyride I do, even if it is only against myself, and this is a big part of the fun for me. I love racing, events, Sunday rides, my commutes and hard dark winter miles; if I’m getting mybike out why not give it some beans!
I’m lucky I no longer fret about bike choice, diets or training regimes. I know pretty much what works for me and what I can accomodate in my life style. I just love riding bikes and giving it loads.
Seeing some of the OP’s previous posts, I wonder if he views cycling as a project rather than a hobby/ pastime/ obsession or fun. If I went through all the mental rigiours and fretting he gives the subject I would think I may as well race. Why wouldn’t folk compete?

The biggest draw for me is riding something new at race pace, even if it’s just a familiar venue with a course variation. Most people can’t extract a race effort out of themselves during training, plus racing progressed my riding skills initially meeting new obstacles and conditions.

I remember feeling that if a challenging to me section had course tape around it it must be rideable for most classes, so even when if I had decided on the prelap not to attempt it, I usually would in the heat of racing. I also realise now that such sections often aren’t sanctioned as sustainable trail building by IMBA, but infrequently used race courses on private land can get away with them, or used to at any rate. There’s no way I would have ridden something like the Pipeline at Plymouth without the race and effort to get there encouraging me to do so.

A travelling round with camping is also best, even though I hate camping, because there’s something special about the build-up and experience when everyone has committed a day or more to being there. I’ll always remember a stunning Southern XC course, it was somewhere in the SW next to the sea in the sun where you could see the riders over most of the course which ran down and up the sides of a green valley. Sublime to the buzz of Chris King and supporting the pros you’d actually met and chatted with earlier.

So yeah, there’s plenty to enjoy even if you’re not competitive by ability or nature.

I used to do the Gorrick races just because I liked the courses.
Then I realised I wasn’t enjoying it because I wasn’t fit enough to actually race, so quit them.

Do the Bonty 24/12 for the fun of it.

I’ve got 30 road/crit races planned, a lot of which are 8+ hour round trip. Some of them I’m using as training races, learning as much as I can and some I’m going into them looking to win/podium. So far I’ve done 3 ‘b/c’ races, coming 6th, 6th and 5th. I’m lucky as I can claim some entrys/expenses back if they are target races but my whole weekend is taken up with travelling and racing.

I’ve trained hard over winter though and given up a lot to do so, and I will continue to do so over the summer (my big race is the Ras na Mban in September) so i feel its worth it.