Perfect time to hit the trails, but all i have been doing is scanning the internet for a Road Bike so i can enter some Sportive’s Wiggle ones etc. i do have a Hybrid bike a Specialized Sirus with flat bars but it looks like a bit of a no no for these type of events, also wearing lycra shorts on their own is a bit daunting.
Are Sportive’s generally a good atmosphere ?
Do you think Road & off road go together well or just stick to Mtb ?

also wearing lycra shorts on their own is a bit daunting

You can wear a jersey with them too.

Just ride what you want – there are all sorts at sportives.

And yes, MTB and road go together. You might find yourself sticking to one over the other at times, but there you go.

Are Sportive’s generally a good atmosphere ?
Do you think Road & off road go together well or just stick to Mtb ?

Yes and yes. And you could just do one on the hybrid, if anyone does actually sneer at you it’s because they’re a ****, and not your problem.

One compliments the other a bit.
Sportives are a a bit like letting off a marmite grenade in a lift though.

It’s not a race just a long ride that has timing. So it’s not a race.

Road bars/set up is much nicer for me than flat bar. I only did one sportive and it was mostly the same as my usual solo fri/sat road ride. Didn’t really ride with anyone so not that social just keep doing my own pace.

Lycra just do it on the road.

wearing lycra shorts on their own is a bit daunting.

Don’t then? or do. You’re thinking about stuff too much!

I did a sportive on sunday, there was anything from bromptons to full-sus MTB’s with everything in between.

Run what you got, wear what you like and have fun.

its not a race as I “politely” reminded the grumpy old roadie who barked orders at me about ‘holding the line’…

Yes Lycra short’s with a Jersey ! 🙄

You can certainly ride a sportive on a hybrid – plenty do and as above also ride on far less ‘suitable’ bikes too.

You’re over thinking it really. Road bikes are great and I love all kinds of riding be it mtbing, road, CX whatever. Give a sportive a go and see what you think. If you like it, consider getting a road bike which IMO is much more enjoyable on the road than most hybrids (better position for riding long distance on the road).

As to kit, wear what you want but roadies (and mtbers) wear lycra for a reason and it’s not (usually) to show off their packages 🙂

my last 4 rides over past week or so – 3 on road 1 on mtb. Trails are sodden, roads are dry if pick the right time. Lycra all the way, with baggies on top on mtb 🙂

Yes Lycra short’s

shorts

with a Jersey !

What are those tops road cyclists wear called?

its not a race as I “politely” reminded the grumpy old roadie who barked orders at me about ‘holding the line’…

This.

Call it what you will, but lots of people will be riding as hard as they can in order to post a good time, so it’s often hard to distinguish from an actual ‘race’. In fact this is why I enter (and enjoy) sportives, it is the only way I get motivated enough to ride at 100%, if I’m just out with mates I find it hard to bury myself the way I would in a sportive.

Having said that, there’s no obligation to get trapped in the roadie club/group mentality, just let them get on with it and do your own thing, or ride in a smaller group, or solo.

I remember spending a good portion of my first Bealach Mor Sportive chasing a distant figure further down the road. When I (eventually 😳 ) reeled him in and paused for a chat, I realised he was at least 60 and riding a £350 Ridgeback Velocity hybrid, so yeah, any bike goes.

Stick some 25mm road tyres (<£10 on CRC) on your hybrid you’ll go much faster – still not as fast as a road bike though.

just to say that ‘holding the line’ is nothing to do with racing and more to do with riding safely in a group on the road, at whatever speed that may be, something that people who aren’t used to riding in close proximity to others need to be reminded of at times, if perchance a little more politely

in response to the OP
– just get on your bike and do it, lycra shorts are generally more comfortable on the road, it’s what they’re designed for after all, and why most everyone wears them
– sportives are what you make of them
– yes, they compliment each other well

its not a race as I “politely” reminded the grumpy old roadie who barked orders at me about ‘holding the line’…

I instructed some riders to hold their line through corners during the Velothon Wales. It was because they were drifting all over the place and forcing people either off the road or into street furniture to crash and break their collarbones. You can’t apex corners when there are people on the inside!

What JoB and molgrips said. If you’re new to road riding it’s a good idea to listen to grumpy old roadies, they’re old because they’re good at not getting run over and/or crashing.

just to say that ‘holding the line’ is nothing to do with racing and more to do with riding safely in a group on the road, at whatever speed that may be, something that people who aren’t used to riding in close proximity to others need to be reminded of at times, if perchance a little more politely

I instructed some riders to hold their line through corners during the Velothon Wales. It was because they were drifting all over the place and forcing people either off the road or into street furniture to crash and break their collarbones. You can’t apex corners when there are people on the inside!

this was in the middle of a long steady climb, on a wide section of road with great visibility in both directions, where I’d moved out onto the far right of the road to see where my some of my group were. his group that weren’t going much faster passed to my inside with plenty of space. he was just a miserable ****…

thanks for clarifying, the general point still stands 🙂

@molgrips – but it’s not a race as unless it’s classified as one it’s illegal to race on the public highway. 🙂

That said It’s dangerous when less experienced riders take the best/wrong line so even if you’re not racing it can be an issue.

I always just try and deliver any ‘advice’ in a friendly and jokey way to make it less hassle.

he was just a miserable ****…

That is entirely possible, and possibly quite likely 🙂 But you should always look before suddenly changing direction even if it’s a slow climb. Very easy to knock other riders off.

That said It’s dangerous when less experienced riders take the best/wrong line so even if you’re not racing it can be an issue.

Yes.. saw half a dozen accidents requiring ambulances on the Velothon and innumerable near misses, and people weren’t really racing. Just so many bikes all around, and people not looking around them.

But you should always look before suddenly changing direction even if it’s a slow climb

I agree entirely. but I’d been riding in that road position for about 30s watching behind me to see where my group was.

anyhow. back on topic. sportives are great, just don’t take them too seriously…

how about the cyclecross sportives ?

I instructed some riders to hold their line through corners

I think this is maybe where folk get het up about it. In these events no-one really has any right to ‘instruct’ – I’m sure in road traffic law it’s probably only the Police who can do this ?

Asking yes, but instructing often can come across as a bit high and mighty 🙂

…although I do totally agree with you ! 🙂

personally sportives are great way to push yourself if u ride mainly alone as at least you can focus on chasing people down (or get destroyed by others as you realise your not as fit as u think!!)

In these events no-one really has any right to ‘instruct’

Instruct, advise, implore, whatever. All I said was ‘hold your line’ in a neutral way to let someone know that I was behind them and what they had to do. I could have said ‘look out’ or similar but that would not have given them by information so they would have ended up looking around to see why and that’s not what you want in a bunch. No arrogance or haughtiness was involved.

Riding in a bunch works a lot better when people talk to each other like this, just like you would on a football team. No point getting uppity about someone calling for a ball. “Yours? Who gave you the right to claim balls?” and so on would be ridiculous.

^^^ I don’t disagree, and having done a fair amount of road bunch riding, clarity in direction/commands is definitely the key. The problem though on Sportives is when there are mixtures of disciplined groups using such terminology/methods and folks just out for a ride, who get knarked at the ‘roadies’ barking orders around and blasting through them. I have done Etape Caledonia a few times and some of the interactions, behaviours and crashes have been pretty unpleasant at times 🙁

Cool, I think this discussion is a pretty good way to put someone off doing a Sportive. 😆

Honestly isn’t this a mountain bike place? Shouldn’t lycra be a burning at the stake offence?

I may be a little out of touch, but it is still an obscenity surely?

Sorry if any road cyclist may be offended by this opinion.

Downhiller pretending to be a roadie

I’m pretty sure that most mtbers are broad minded enough to be able to deal with lycra and IME plenty wear it…

I did the first Bealach Mor on my SS Pompino. It was quite well organised, and plenty nice folk.

Unfortunately there some folk to whom it was a dead serious take no prisoners race.

I think it would be more fun if you have a group to ride with, and there were plenty folk doing just that.

I haven’t done a sportive since.

I think I’d sooner do an Audax though.

Mtber in lycra. This could go on a while…

Having ridden the London Surrey 100 last year and seen a lot of ignorance about how to ride on the road in groups I think this year’s, with a lot more riders, might be interesting….

Cool, I think this discussion is a pretty good way to put someone off doing a Sportive

Doing one put me of doing them 🙂

If downhill racing was about speed not style then all downhillers would ride in Lycra…

If downhill racing was about speed not style then all downhillers would ride in Lycra…

They did for a while then it was banned – apparently it made people faster and this was bad.

Riding lycra on a downhill bike is a crime, at the very least against style.

tyrionl1 – Member
Riding lycra on a downhill bike is a crime, at the very least against style.

If I was going to do that downhill malarkey, I’d want a full set of motorbike racing leathers including airbag.

Those downhillers must be the most unprotected athletes in the world. Just as well they’re stuffed with gnar.

I rode two massive peak district MTB rides at the weekend, yesterday and this evening i’ve done two hilly road rides. The road riding makes me a much stronger mountain biking and i enjoy the my mountain biking more for it.

jonba – Member
If downhill racing was about speed not style then all downhillers would ride in Lycra…
They did for a while then it was banned – apparently it made people faster and this was bad.

When it got to the point that there was nowhere to put the armor/pads and people looked like they were going to get really hurt for the sake of 0.1s it was nicely agreed that everyone would go back to non lycra/pinch an inch clothing. The sport is still about racing, everyone has the same rules and has the same application. You are confusing racing with speed records.

The road riding makes me a much stronger mountain biking and i enjoy the my mountain biking more for it.

Totally agree with this. I do both, though not too seriously, and I find the road riding helps with my endurance but I seem to get higher heart rates on mtb (on very steep climbs).