I am a bike snob and there is no helping me, just stood watching them all pass cringing at the bike set ups and ALL the crunchie noises from the drive chains. Took all my will power not to dig out the multitool and stop people to set up their gears properly… 😳

I just get irritated with all the groups of 2 and 3 MAMILs on busy roads these things bring, who think they are god’s gift because they’re ‘competing’, excellent way to ruin any relationships with drivers further! They should be kept on quiet roads – nicer to ride and less conflict.

IMO of course.

acutally I don’t think they do any timing in this one. The longest route is 25 miles, still loads of lycra clad guys doing warm up climbs etc this morning… The crunchie ones were the shorter routes, families etc… (bikes probably not been out since last years event. Funny watching all the day tripper traffic getting held up by too many bikers for them to get ancy with though.

At least they are getting out, and probably getting out of their comfort zones.

LOL at those that think it’s “racing”.

I think the ‘breakaway’ just went passed, team colours etc…

For a small town the GMSR gets a pretty impressive turn out to be honest easily 100+ riders. But yeah, the serious roadies are amusing. Wonder if they felt over dressed when on the start line between a 6 yr old on a BMX and the Flinstones fancy dress bike… 😀

LOL at those that think it’s “racing”.

I bet there’s a strava segment or two, Al, and you don’t get more competitive than that

I’m guessing you’ve not done any road races?

Where is this event happening?

and

what does MAMILs stand for? (awaits silly replies)

Yep; it’s much better to be gods gift to cycling on an internet forum, we rock!

The event is in Nidderdale to be honest its in the middle ground between sportive and fun ride.

Middle age Men in Lycras

Just looked at the route, that ‘breakaway I mentioned did make pretty good time…

Surely as a bike snob you should be aware that it is a crunching drive train the chain is merely part of the bigger parcel that is doing the crunching!!

Also they are Cyclists not bikers. Bikers have engines.

Suggest live and let live, they are riding bikes and all bike riding is good!

I did the wiggle steeplechase one today.
getting overtaken by a chain gang on a blind corner was a particularly clever moment. The car driver looked very worried at it on a just over Singletrack road.
There were more than a few idiots and it amazes me there are not way more accidents to be honest having seen that lot

There’s something going on in Edinburgh today… Part of the pedal for scotland? Anyway, it’s going right along the main road here, and it’s quite funny watching people getting stuck at all the millions of red lights. Never happens to Wiggo!

Spanish ones they always close the roads – any particular reason they can’t/don’t do that in the UK?

They probably don’t close roads here because the event won’t / can’t stand with the police charge! also the loca community won’t stand for the disruption!

Hell of a lot more people on most of our roads, at least around here.

There was one in Petersfield today too. Didn’t notice the bikes – road bikes all look the same to me.

Surely as a bike snob you should be aware that it is a crunching drive train the chain is merely part of the bigger parcel that is doing the crunching!!

No it wasn’t the crunching of a full power shift. Its was the mangled crunching of 50 bikes with uncared for drive chains searching for a stable gear to get up the high street.

This was the start of the shorter family/amature event. Team colours ‘pros’ went out of town a different way. Has to be said the first of those guys back into town made a very respectable time given the brutal steep climbs on the route.

There was one in Petersfield today too

I did that one, it was a bloody fantastic day 🙂

I detest sportives ,we went for a ride and took a map .Went a bit away from home and had breakfast .We can read maps and dont need to pay 25 quid to blindly follow some yellow arrows

excellent way to ruin any relationships with drivers further!

Fk ’em. Seriously. It’s a free country and people just need to relax a bit. (sorry njee, not a dig at you, just the general idea anyone needs to aplogise for any use of a public road, a slow tractor, a bike, a horse, any of them)

I detest sportives ,we went for a ride and took a map

Do you know, I do that too mostly. But sometimes its fun to ride hard in a group (I know I could join a road club, but I don’t ride that much as I’m a runner mainly see)

Having said that, there are some uber competitive knobers on them

Having said that, there are some uber competitive knobers on them

Agree +1

Don’t knock the GMSR

It’s been around for ages ( started in 1993 ) and has raised over £400,000 for McMillan

Last year it had 400 riders

Going to do my first propper Sportive a week on Sunday and after reading this and what the BIL said about the Manchester 100k, its going to be a MAMIL and knobber fest. No doub’t I’ll fit into one of the catagories at some point but just going to ride my own ride and see what its all about.

Last year it had 400 riders

Well I saw number 5 hundred & odd on it today on my way back from a ‘proper’ ride. I’d never even heard of it till I came through Pateley!
All manner of bikes too, from what I saw.
Don’t knock it, good cause.

Did the Hell of the North last week along with plenty of other mamils.
I did it not because i wanted to ride in a group or try and set a time,i did it because i wanted to try and cover a tough 101 mile.
£5 to enter and all types of abilities,and bikes from £200 to £5000.
Most mtb’ers could never cover this distance on a road bike so anyone doing 101 mile should have a little pat on the back regardless of what they wear or bike they ride.

True to form, the STW *BICP vent their spleen against people who actually get out and ride. How about you stop GAF about what others do and burn off some of the pie?

* Biffers In Car Parks.

Well said palooka, never ceases to amaze me the hatred that “real” roadies have for sportives, would be much better if all these ” Lycra clad mamils” stayed at home judging people from their keyboards. Miseries.