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Can someone explain to me why so many folk part with their hard earned cash to cycle a route with a load of strangers, when you could knock the route up yourself (and most likely come up with a better one). I get doing a charity ride, but does any of the money from Wiggle or Evans go to charity?
I passed cyclist on a Wiggle ride in Dorset once. The route took them unnecessarily on a busy main road and cars drivers were looking hacked off at the sheer numbers of riders on the road.
Just curious as I just had a spam email from Evans regarding an up coming Somerset ride.
Most people can't or don't want to find a route especially in an area they don't know.
Mechanical support provided
Food/drink provided
A chance to ride in a group that they don't get if they are not in a club.
A chance to participate in an 'event'
You may not see the appeal yourself, but the massive rise in popularity of sportives in the past few years implies that a lot of people do.
I bet you don't wave cheerily to other cyclists when you are out and about.
I get doing a charity ride
They're not serious. Not like those really serious races.
Riding an 'event', even if it's not a race.
I don't understand why so many people fail to see the appeal, I'm at least honest enough with myself to admit that I *always* ride harder when on the open road with lots of other cyclists around me. Also yes, the feed stations are handy as you can carry less.
Joining big, disorganised groups, chasing people ahead of you, or if you're a bit more honourable, starting first and feeling the thrill/terror of seeing that big group behind you slowly slowly gaining...
Also, and this is harder to explain, being in a timed event with other riders (even if it's not a race, as all the tedious pedants love to point out) almost gives you an excuse to take it all that little bit more seriously, means you feel that little bit less silly doing all those things you see the pros doing on telly even though you're struggling to maintain 17mph... 8)
Try it, if you're confident on a bike around other riders, and don't mind giving into your inner child and just chasing anyone who goes past you, and of course aren't a miserable introvert, then you might enjoy it.
This is STW.and of course aren't a miserable introvert
If you're confident about your bike's condition, can read a map and don't need another t shirt, save £40-odd and sign up for an Audax instead,
flanagaj - Member
Can someone explain to me why so many folk part with their hard earned cash to cycle a route with a load of strangers...
Lots of lonely people out there, some ride bikes, some play scrabble, some go on dates.
Events like this offer a simple route into "being part of something" for some people, that's enough.
Well, that didn't take long.
(even if it's not a race, as all the tedious pedants love to point out
No pedantry at all. Racing on an open public highway is illegal. Closing roads is hard and expensive. Reason for popularity of Sportives solved.
😀scotroutes - Member
and of course aren't a miserable introvert
This is STW.
I mainly ride on my own but a sportive gives a nice change to be part of a group. They also force me to do a longer ride and away from my normal route. I wouldn't do one every week but every 3 months is a nice change
Because using a French word & 'kilometres' makes it sound glamorous?
Incidentally. Do running forums get people popping up saying
" I don't understand the appeal of the London Marathon when you can just step outside your front door, run 13 and a bit miles and then run back again."
I've done a few of the off road Evans ride-it or whatever they are called and the cake at the feed stations is worth the entry fee before you even think about having a nicely waymarked route in an area you don't usually ride. Don't know about the road versions as I don't understand why people want to ride on the road other than to get to the shops or pub
ooOOoo - Member
Because using a French word & 'kilometres' makes it sound glamorous?
Hat.
No pedantry at all. Racing on an open public highway is illegal.
It is? 😯
I better tell all the other organisers, quick!
Its bike riding. With other people who like bike riding. And someone else makes your lunch.
It's exactly why Sportives "aren't races' although everyone treats them like they were.
Cake ...... you get cake
moonsaballoon - Member
Cake ...... you get cake
Gateau, shirley?
We've run a small sportive series for the last couple of years and have been gradually tweaking what we offer and gathering feedback over that period of time. I think for the riders who come on ours, it's a mixture of things:
- riding a route in an area they don't know well (for some), which has been designed by someone who does know the area well. (We seem to get good feedback on the routes and definitely don't use busy main roads!)
- not having to worry about navigation - yes, with a Garmin it's fairly easy, but not everyone who rides a bike has one, and not everyone who has one wants to worry about navigating with it.
- the food - not always a highlight on all sportives but I think it is on some.
- the camaraderie/competitive element/feeling of being part of an event. Not a race, but people are always keen to see how their times compare with others (and yes I know there's Strava, but again not everyone uses it).
- something to aim for/train for/commit to.
I'm sure there are other reasons too... horses for courses though and no-one is forced to enter an event if they don't want to.
How much is the entry fee and how much cake can you eat? Asking for a friend
It's not my thing as I like getting a little lost , have a fair level of fitness and more than anything time on the bike is often my quite time to relax alone
But people enjoy them so why complain about it
save £40-odd and sign up for an Audax instead
No big yellow arrows zip-tied to lamp posts on an audax...
Or smiling men in Hi-Vis hanging around on corners...
Or free cake....
But... weirdos (mostly the good kind).
I do, but recently not so much. Too many team kitted MAMILs who look straight through you when you say hello.I bet you don't wave cheerily to other cyclists when you are out and about.
Argh. That's why I don't see the attraction!and of course aren't a miserable introvert
I think it's great that people do them, but it would be nice if they were not corporate offerings and more of the money went to charity or back into the community.
can read a map
This is STW dear chap!
Same old shit different thread.
I'm intrigued by the running/marathon analogy though.
Oh, I like both sportives and audax, by the way.
I'm intrigued by the running/marathon analogy though.
I stumbled across a quote somewhere once about how we don't run marathons to race each other, but rather to be together.
Guess Sportives are a similar thing though I don't really bother with them myself.
A few guys in work do sportives. They are fully motivated for an 85 mile one next month. Training away planning recce rides. A goal is important when your trying to get fit.
It's a bit like when I used to run. I did the London marathon every year. It gave me a goal, got me out on a cold damp winter morning. I got my finishers medal and my T shirt. I had achieved something and I got a lot fitter.
Ok I could have went out any Sunday morning and ran 26 miles but it's not the same.
Good luck to all who do these it is helping the nations health. Yes I agree audax is cheaper but it's different.
How much is the entry fee and how much cake can you eat? Asking for a friend
Greg Van Avermaat Classic this year in Flanders -
12 euros (after handing back your timing chip)
All the waffles and stroopwafel and cake you could eat
Free bottle of beer.
Wasn't closed road but it was quiet (a bit of shit driving in the last couple of miles). Riding closed road events (Ride100, Tour of Flanders) is worth paying for - they can be a really pleasant road riding experience.
Mrs does that running stuff - has never done a road marathon in her life, and has no intent of doing one. The degree of wht appears to be commrcialism/crowds/running on tarmac/instagram lifestyle of running marathons in foreign capitals doesn't tick boxes for her - yet it does for others.
Give her the chance to run around on Lakeland trails for 26miles in February, snow, damp, wet feet, occasional inspiring views etc and she's well up for that. To be honest, I'd rather ride around in the countryside than on city roads.... and the cost per mile of trail runs tends to be lower (this could be her using a wife-receipt on me..)
So do the STW pedants think this is a race or a sportive, or a race and a sportive?
http://www.golazocycling.com/Tour_of_Cambridgeshire/Gran_Fondo_Tour_of_Cambridgeshire.php
Closed roads, BC licence required, but it's not categorised.
I do road and off-road sportives all the time, usually with several like-minded friends.
One that I did this year for the first time was the Dunwich Dynamo. If you don't know what that is, it's a sportive which starts at 21:00 from Hackney in East London and runs for about 120 miles overnight up to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. The ride is basically free and is also unsupported i.e. no official feed stops.
As luck would have it the route runs quite close to the village I live in Essex so rather than driving to the start we just rode out from home. I worked out that the route for us would be just on 100 miles so I proposed to ride to Dunwich, have a rest and feed stop at the cafe there and then ride home, making the ride a real challenge
Long story short it was an amazing experience and wouldn't have been anywhere near the ame just doing it on our own. If you don't get sportives then you don't get them I guess.
I usually enjoy the sportives, especially new ones I haven't done before and you're not just pounding the same roads week-in, week-out. I think the focal point for training that someone else mentioned also has a lot to do with it. Just riding a route yourself you wouldn't train anywhere near as hard for or look forward too as much.
Also, is the cost such a big deal? People on here spend thousands on their kit, what's a few quid more for a well organised ride that usually has some interesting and challenging features?
I don't understand the appeal of the London Marathon when you can just step outside your front door, run 13 and a bit miles and then run back again
Thats different, its a race.
You can compete against the best in the world, and its a fast course so you can set a PB.
Not quite the same for a sportive is it, although I have heard people saying that the do the Ride London thing because you can get a fast 100mile.
Thats different, its a race.You can compete against the best in the world, and its a fast course so you can set a PB.
What, and you couldn't just roll up on any Sunday and run that course yourself? As for "competing against the best in the World" well, that's just laughable. You might as well say you can compete in the Open championship by playing four rounds at the R&A.
What, and you couldn't just roll up on any Sunday and run that course yourself? As for "competing against the best in the World" well, that's just laughable. You might as well say you can compete in the Open championship by playing four rounds at the R&A.
Speak for yourself. Last time I ran London - championship start - I got to use the same warm-up area as the professionals, line up right behind them and start running on the same gun. Admittedly I did then instantly watch them disappear into the distance, but I did pass the first rabbit at about 11.5 miles as he was cooling down.
http://www.golazocycling.com/Tour_of_Cambridgeshire/Gran_Fondo_Tour_of_Cambridgeshire.php
The age group part of this is a race. A bit like the London marathon championship event(you need a sub 2:45 time to qualify) is a race while the back of the field is more about completing the distance.
Bear in mind that us cat 3 cat 2 riders may be racing but we couldn't compete with the pros. So what gives us the right to criticise.
The only issue I have with them is people bragging about 'winning' them...until you've been shell'd out the back at Redbridge in a 4th Cat crit, you can't call yourself a racer...
In all seriousness - I want my Mrs to get into riding. There's a local sportive next weekend with a 25 mile route, a posh gaff doing the food afterwards and plenty of similar people in a similar position getting out for a spin. I struggle to see what the issue is, my route planning is terrible and always includes a bit of dual carriageway when I've got lost which doesn't seem to appeal to the Mrs for some reason...
I tried the Dragon Ride a few years ago, enjoyed it and could see the attraction.
Not willing to put up with all the associated faff and hanging around to do another one though.
If I didn't do MTB I'd probably be able to channel more of my passion for bikes into sportives or audaxing, but MTBing is more satisfying for me and that gets all the trips away.
I do, but recently not so much. Too many team kitted MAMILs who look straight through you when you say hello.
It sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder about the whole thing, if you don't mind me saying.
I think it's great that people do them, but it would be nice if they were not corporate offerings and more of the money went to charity or back into the community.
There are loads of sportives where the proceeds go to good causes. And loads that are commercial ventures. Are you some kind of pinko commie or what?
save £40-odd and sign up for an Audax instead
Or do both. My last two sportives were both on closed roads, which I'm very happy to pay for as it's an experience I can't get at any other time. Audaxes are cheap, laid back, and usually stop at good cafes.
Audaxes have speed limits though, which is nice if you're out for a steady long ride - not if you've been training hard in the months before to see how fast you can get round.
Have done off-road ones and the closed-road Ride London 100 one, don't see as much appeal when they're on open roads but there's still something to said for riding a good route on new roads with other people.
It gets people out on bikes - some of them might like it enough to join clubs and start racing, some might discover audaxing, some might just carry on doing sportives, some might go back to golf. If they're enjoying it, who cares?
The sportive/road race thing is really just a quirk of terminology. A sportive is a kind of race but it's definitely a really different experience to a 'road race'. I can see why racers are a bit protective of their terminology - getting good at road racing is much harder than getting good at sportives.
As for the OPs question: They're good fun, you meet some like-minded people and the extra support makes you a bit more confident to push the boat out.
Gateau, shirley?
😆
Speak for yourself. Last time I ran London - championship start - I got to use the same warm-up area as the professionals, line up right behind them and start running on the same gun. Admittedly I did then instantly watch them disappear into the distance, but I did pass the first rabbit at about 11.5 miles as he was cooling down.
So what you're saying is you didn't [i]actually [/i]compete against the best in the World?
Audaxes have speed limits though, which is nice if you're out for a steady long ride - not if you've been training hard in the months before to see how fast you can get round.
30kph, including stops, for 300km on a hilly route, is not my definition of "steady".