71 miles at the burgess hill springtime classic. (4h39m for those who would like to mock me!)

bottom line, I don't think this road biking malarky is for me.

fun bits = going fast in a group, it was a new experience to ride in a group and I was amazed at how fast you can go on the flats when there are a few of you working together.

bad bits = dropping a group/being dropped means you're on your own, and BORED – nothing to take your mind off riding in a straight line. I realise theres a lot of tactics/brainwork at a racing level, but is there anything interesting at a sportive level, or am I just not quick enough?

before any roadie fans jump at me – I'm really glad I tried it, good experience and achievement (I was aiming for 5 hours), but I don't think I could ever get over the boredom. Maybe I'll feel different once my back is back to normal…

BTW the event was excellently organised – great value, friendly, good signage and marshalling, very welcome feed stations. recommended if you're, er, that way inclined. 🙂

I did a few sportives last year and mostly rode at my own pace. I found that seeing another rider/roders in the distance made me work a wee bit harder to catch and eventually pass them. Repeat this over the course of a 70-80 mile sportive and it has a remarkable effect on average riding speed.

I guess it's also best to choose interesting places to ride. When I did the Skye sportive, I was on my own for some very long stretches, but the place is so wonderful it was great cycling there anyway.

good job, its sometimes not about the pace but the fun you have. Road gives another great dimension to cycling.

memories are slowly getting fonder through my slightly drunk fug at the moment. good day, cracking sussex/kent countryside. Not much banter on the bikes though.

I need to work on getting a position on the bikes I can hold for longer periods though. My back is in pieces!