Hi, doing a sportive for the first time this weekend (Dartmoor Classic), and I really, really can’t be @rsed. I’ve done two 70 miler training rides in the last month and didn’t enjoy them at all. Felt like all I’d done was spend 6 hours staring at the road and wishing my bum wasn’t aching so much.
could do with some motivation for the weekend, tell me it’ll be great!
cheers
A

I’ll buy you a pint at the end?*

* I won’t really.

Buy a better saddle.

They’re meant to be fun, so if you really really think you wont enjoy it then I wouldn’t bother. That said though, you’ll feel really pleased with yourself when you’re finished, you’ll probably end up riding in some groups which always makes the miles go past quicker and is good fun and if it’s nice weather you can enjoy the scenery on the way past.

yeah thought about a new saddle, are those ones with the holes down the middle any good then?
was hoping that I’d find a group to ride with to releave the monotony and benefit from a bit of slipstreaming, there seems to be a headwind on dartmoor regardless of you direction…

Be glad your not doing the 100 miler. The extra 40 loop is soul destroying.

I’m quite looking forward to the short route this year.

I’m doing a 200km one this Saturday, with some nice big Pyrenean mountains in the middle – really looking forward to it 🙂

Anyway, view it as two 35 miles rides.

The run up to princetown is a bastard with mostly climbing. After that its an easy run home.

haha, oh but I am…. I did the loop round the north of Tavistock the other weekend. on the map it looked quite nice, it wasn’t, it just seemed to be a constant uphill grind. the 65miler looks good. maybe I’ll wuss out and do that one instead..

I have to 2nd the why bother comment, if its not youre bag just do something else…

Edit this is the motovate bit:- I find the sense of acheivement is better than the actual riding in bigger distance stuff, check out the MM thread its a a similar story for most I beleive.

(I only do offroad stuff, inc sportives)

well I signed up as i’d been enjoying road biking over the winter and doing the odd 30-40 mile sunday morning cake and coffee mission with a mate. Given the Classic is on my doorstep I thought I’d give it a go, plus a mate said it’s brilliant.
it has made me ride a hell of a lot more, so I’m definitely fitter, so that’s a bonus.
hey ho, suck it up adam..

Two things I’m remembering:

A) As Mark Cavendish says – there is always an end.
B) I know ill be ecstatic at the end and please I did it, but down in the mouth if I didn’t do it.

Right then, think of the sense of achievement & the comradely (spell check?) of the ride, enjoy the scenery & see how fast you can do it.

It’s a risk changing your saddle now unless you get a chance to put an hour or 2 on it…

I did a 100 miler this weekend… a ‘hilly’ course. I really enjoyed it, probably because I had plenty of road miles in my legs. I was really looking forward to it and consequently, enjoyed every minute of it.

Ironically, I am down to do an enduro in a couple of weeks as a pair (8 hour) and I am not looking forward to it at all. The course is dull and repetitive (someone posted a brilliant description of riding at Thetford in the MM post). I will no doubt ‘endure’ it but ultimately, it is all down to enjoyment. If you aren’t looking forward to it you probably won’t have any fun.

OTOH you might just wake up on the day and think a six hour road ride is just what you want to do. Oh yes, while you are on the road, you are allowed to look at the scenery. 🙂

Also it’s much more fun riding in a sportif enviroment as there’s loads of people about i.e. people to try and overtake, keep up with, no lose in the distance to quickly.

I’ve done a few 100 milers and they are much better than just doing it on your tod (I do a 150 mile route on my own to visit my dada every year and that gets a bit dull until you hit the cotswolds hills, I just look forward to the subway at Frome)

thanks folks, I know it’s a frame of mind thing, as most things are really. Need some of Linford’s PMA or whatever it was he used to win them there running races….

just think… with all those other nonces in lycra you won’t feel like everyone is looking at you and your bits.

should still stay away from schools, mind…

best bit about the classic.

the last 17 miles or so are pretty much downhill all the way. once your over doccombe hill as you come out of morton then you can relax a bit.

hope the weather is kind…

Go MTBing instead?

yeah, weather can be sodding miserable up there. keeping an eagle eye on the weather charts this week!

keeping an eagle eye on the weather charts this week!

I wouldn’t bother. if its anything like a normal dartmoor day then you’ll get all the weather over the 100 miles.

last year we had fallen trees, fog, rain, hail in the morning and then cooked in the afternoon.

I really, really can’t be @rsed

Don’t do it then,just fake an injury and do something you really really can be @rsed/want to do.
Doesn’t sound like your cup of tea.

HTH

Rag it round and see if you pick up a couple of like minded souls to share the effort…

Feeling any more enthusiastic yet? the weather forecast is looking ‘character forming’ for tomorrow….