Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • First Sportive
  • smartboy
    Free Member

    Just got roped into a Sportive in the Peak District this coming weekend… In aid of a good cause… Family connections etc

    While I do have a road bike, this is my daily commuter and I only have MTB biking kit.

    Not sure what to expect on a 65mile ride. Is it just a case of putting your head down and going for a ‘win’ or are these things a bit more sociable and join small groups for a chat (that’s if people will chat to a ‘rule’ breaker like myself)!

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    siwhite
    Free Member

    No idea re. the sportive – but at least if you’re hopeless and have to push up some hills, your gear will convey the impression that you’re exclusively a mountain biker and therefore have an excuse!

    frogstomp
    Full Member

    Not sure what to expect on a 65mile ride. Is it just a case of putting your head down and going for a ‘win’ or are these things a bit more sociable and join small groups for a chat (that’s if people will chat to a ‘rule’ breaker like myself)!

    All of the above!

    There’ll be a mix of people, from those trying to push themselves (it’s not a race!) to those who are just there for a nice, signed ride in the country.. and everyone in between – enjoy!

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    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    Let the fast ones push on by, you will eventually find someone going at your pace, at which point you have something in common to start a conversation.

    Mind you, I’ve not done a sportive for a few years now having been dabbling with audax, but I’m doing the CW Arrow in a couple of weeks as it goes close to where I grew up….

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    Did an Audax on sunday, we set off with two other riders who were unknown to us, but they disappeared after half a mile (looked behind and they were gone). Caught up with two others & rode along with them for a while but lost them on a hill. never saw anyone else doing our route all day & apparently came back first.
    I struggle to understand why audax’ aren’t more popular as they are ridiculously cheap (less than a tenner) compared to sportives and you get free tea & cakes at the end.
    Is it because sportives are signed so you don’t have to route find?

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    I struggle to understand why audax’ aren’t more popular

    Because we quite like our audax with a maximum of 100-200 riders, and we don’t want everyone else to come along and find what a fantastic, friendly and value for money activity that it is?

    I’m more nervous about local scrotes swapping route signs on a sportive than I am about getting lost on an audax. And I much prefer to stop mid ride at a café, sit down, have beans on toast with a mug of tea and then head off again when the rain has eased rather than stand in the pissing rain with a load of weekend road warriors to grab a “free” gel and a banana.

    edit – actually, whenever I lend a copy of Arrivee to a mate I think may like to try audax they tend to decide that riding from London to Edinburgh and back in four days might be hard work!

    Superficial
    Free Member

    There will be a bit of a mix of people. IME a lot will be trying to race but there will definitely be some dawdlers too. I always find it hard to ride with random people though – they’re either slightly too fast or annoyingly slow. All the people going at the same speed as you will stay 1-2 km in front or behind and you’ll never catch each other.

    I want to do some Audaxes. Sportives are fun but it’s not a race. Except you get a timing chip and there’s a leaderboard at the end. Leads to some people taking it a bit too seriously.

    pondo
    Full Member

    Done a few sportives and they’re great, only done the one audax so far and that was great too, probably more my cup of tea, just not got round to the second. Like many things in life, they can largely be what you want them to be – as far as I’m concerned, they’re both nice, enjoyable rides through decent countryside. I have the slow person’s internal sneer of disdain for those who want to hammer round and set records – you can do that whenever you want, this is supposed to be a bit of fun. I definitely don’t bother trying for the win – after all, there will always be someone quicker, unless you’re very, very quick. I take people as I find em – if they want to chat, I chat back. If I chat at them and they don’t want to chat, that’s fine too. 🙂

    Did the Wiggle Tour of the Peak this weekend just gone, loved the countryside – Winnats beat me but quite enjoyed Cat & Fiddle. Have a great ride – if anyone has an issue with your kit, remember that it’s their issue. 🙂

    joat
    Full Member

    @pondo, were you early enough to be victim of the missing sign which meant we ended up at the top of Bradwell and having to bike back up on one of the steepest hills in the area to get back on course?

    pondo
    Full Member

    Ooo, no – early we were not! One of the sneaking fears the whole way along was missing a sign and having to climb back up. They like a hill round there! 🙂 Missing sign apart, hope you had a good day – we really enjoyed it (Winnats fail excepted). 🙂

    smartboy
    Free Member

    Well I’m hoping for some decent weather on Sunday.

    Have seen the route profile and there’s a fair few hills ahead of me! Shame I don’t have a granny ring on the road bike!

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