[Closed] The difference between audax riders and sportive riders....

If Audax is so anti-social explain Paris Brest Paris

Sportives attract a mixture of experience, so you sometimes see people who are incapable of riding[s] in a group,[/s]

Some of them can't even get down a hill without falling off, and then phoning for the mountain rescue (a volunteer run service might I add).

That's in France innit? Sportives in France don't suffer from the elitist opprobrium they get in this country either.

London Edinburgh London then.

People like to do things that are advertised .....

Average snow roads audax start line -30-50 folk.

On the adventure show once and suddenly its fully to capacity with folk riding round with sag wagons following them feeding them and fixing punctures for them.

Oh and more non finishers than ever.

London Edinburgh London then.

Struggles to attract volunteers to marshall it, I understand.

Come on, Assos vs faded waterproofs comment was hardly a major insult.

Sportives are a good thing, obviously.

But ripe for a little gentle ribbing surely?

I've done a handful of audax events and enjoyed them but i dont really see the point unless it is the big mile events like Paris-Brest-Paris or that one up the west coast of Scotland that was on the adventure show earlier in the year. For 200 or 300k i'd rather plan my own route and do it as a club run with mates.

As for sportives...i'm not going to pay £30+ to ride something i can do anytime but i will pay that (in reality it is double) for closed road events like the Etape Caledonia or Ride London. They are alot of fun and something different to the ordinary.

I've only started doing Audaxes this year and have clocked up around 2000 miles in Audax rides and 200 miles in Sportive rides. I'm both antisocial and autistic and much prefer Audaxes. The routes seem to be crafted by local cyclists that genuinely want the experience to be as pleasant as possible for the cyclists. Where as one of the two sportives I did, one overlapped with another separate event, both used the same signage, i.e. black arrow on yellow background, got me lost and I ended up doing an additional 20 miles with no apology at the end. Put me off sportives forever.

It was funny doing an audax recently and in the opposite direction came a group of sportive cyclists. My memory of the guy at the front of this group was his wide eyeballs and his manic grin as if he was rushing on pink champagne. None of that from your audax riders.

the guy at the front of this group was his wide eyeballs and his manic grin as if he was rushing on pink champagne.

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Like everything in life, whether you race, ride sportives or audax you'll come across some knobs and some of those will feel the need to stereotype others through some over exaggerated perception of a very small minority.

People are free to ride whatever they want and wear whatever they want without me feeling the need to pass judgement.

It's alwasy the minority that sticks in your mind but on my limited sportifes the riding has been very poor. No consideration for traffic or other people's safety

I've seen way more dangerous riding when racing than I have ever seen in a sportive.

Frankly the image of Audax that springs to my mind is small numbers of antisocial old giffers who don't like sportives because they consider £25 too expensive and don't like other people very much

I've ridden a few Audax events this year. Great routes, which got me exploring a few new roads I hadn't been on before, and some good company to ride with.

The highlight was the National 400, which was a followed a route from Dingwall north to Durness and Tongue, returning through Kildonan, Golspie and Lairg. Fantastic scenery and some good climbing. We had to pay a whole £35 for that, although the entry fee did include 6 hot meals (2 courses in a couple of controls!) served up by some very dedicated and cheerful volunteers at ungodly hours.

I like the simple, low key ethos of Audax. It's a long day (and sometimes night) out on your bike on interesting roads with good company. Sportives can be good fun as well, but kind of fall between two stools for me; they don't have the extreme physical and mental challenge of road racing, but they're taking themselves a bit too seriously to offer the same laid back fun as Audax or touring.

Done both, prefer Audax. Cake whips gels arse every time.

That must've been a Sportive that I did then. I had some kind of 'ankle bracelet' which made me feel like I was on HDC. Plus we got the 1/2 banana & broken biscuit thing as well.
What's an Audax then?

Isn't audax a race for people pretending not to race, whereas sportives are not races where everyone races?

And honestly why would you stop at the cafe? Isn't that reserved for social rides?

In a new category though muppets who want to come and moan about other people's riding eating habits on the internet with a massive chip on their shoulder.

Despite this, [s]audaxes[/s] natural trails remain [s]events[/s] routes that very few people seem to want to do while [s]sportives[/s] trail centres are massively popular.

Having never done either I think I'm in a position to settle this.

Audax and Sportive riders are all ****s.

Now shake hands and go ride your bikes.

Downshep got my original joke, and kcr sums it up for me, personally. In my OP I pointed out how great it was to see so many people out on the Derby sportive routes.

Mikewsmith seems to be having a sense of humour failure about the whole thing, but sportive are for people in their 30s pretending to race and audax are for people in their 60s pretending not to race. 😉

maybe your joke was just hidden by the apparent chip... it might have not been helped by the number of self righteous I only do "Proper" events lot that followed with their tales of how awesome it is to ride for 100's of km in an event that nobody really cares about 😉

I ended up doing an additional 20 miles with no apology at the end. Put me off sportives forever.

Seeing as it was probably costing 50p a mile, surely that's just good value?

I've done one sportive, it was good fun, but unfortunately the stereotypes are true.

F

What's this got to do with Audax and Sportives? I've yet to see any races that follow even remotely similar routes to most of the Scottish Sportive scene, very different sorts of riding and route.

It the people who claim it a race, and people treating it like a race? During my sportive experience there were lot of people treating it like race, baring through yelling at other people riding in poor grouped chucking litter because they are an important racer.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Sportive scene in the UK is skewed. For whatever screwed up 'legal' reasons they are not races. So of course they are always going to be compared like this with Audaxes. Here on the continent a sportive IS A RACE. A different kind of race, but it is still a race with prizes and classifications. People going for a time will not make use of the feed stops. But for their money they will get a stonking meal at the end.

Form what I understand, here in France, Audax exists, but it seems to focus on gaining pointsfor PBP entries. Otherwise most viallges, PTA, clubs etc hold a 'rando' or a 'rallye' . These are similar to Audaxes but are typically more accessible to all: families etc.

chucking litter because they are an important racer

In the defense of MAMILS, it's hardly an issue limited to sportive, there were even SIS gel wrappers on the towpath on Sunday.

Gnarmac is the new sportive.

jimjam - Member

Well if we're generalising......when I worked in a bike shop sportive riders would come in....

...and spend loads of cash on high end kit, rather than treating the shop like a walk in centre for favours and coffee 😉

Like it or not - mamils, weekend warriors, sportive riders and all the other punters those "in the trade" seem to despise are keeping the industry going with their vanity purchases...

Jeeesh - you lot are a miserable bunch of judgemental ****ers sometimes!!
(why am I even typing this?! This is STW - that's the norm!!)

Some sportive riders are numpties. Some Audax riders are numpties. Some train drivers are numpties.
Other's aren't.

You do realise, some people who like to race, ride fast, and could probably beat the pants off you like to ride sportives as it's a bit of fun, and you get to ride new routes with new people. These same people know it's NOT a race, but still ride fast.
Others are slow and all the gear, and DO think it's a race.
Others don't really care, and just hope it doesn't rain.

It's as if you CAN'T really judge a rider/person by the bike they ride or the event they enter after all...

DrP

It's as if you CAN'T really judge a rider/person by the bike they ride or the event they enter after all...

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I used to ride a few audaxes pre gps and always found the navigation a bit tricky.

It was usually a piece of paper full of cryptic instructions like

2nd L SP Upper Mingeworthy.
SO X road
etc.

Which was OK until the paper turned to mush in your jersey pocket, or you forgot to look at it every 50 seconds. (All the proper audaxers had bar bags with those clear plastic wallets). I found the best tactic was to find someone who looked like they had done the route before and follow them.

When sportives started to happen, they were quite refreshing as you could just follow the waymarks. (until some local wag turned them all around)

I suppose audax navigation is a lot easier now that everyone has GPS and internet enabled everything?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Sportive scene in the UK is skewed. For whatever screwed up 'legal' reasons they are not races. So of course they are always going to be compared like this with Audaxes. Here on the continent a sportive IS A RACE. A different kind of race, but it is still a race with prizes and classifications. People going for a time will not make use of the feed stops. But for their money they will get a stonking meal at the end.

Same thing in Spain, they're definitely races.

Half of Audax riders are autistic.

Don't be silly. It's 47.6% as any Audax rider will readily verify 😉

I think Sportives do have a place. For people who don't want to organise and are happy to turn up and ride - all things taken care off.

Audax riders used to have to read a card with real directions! Now GPS makes the differences moot to be honest.

I don't think I've ridden a sportive without cake, have I been riding audax then?

Someone made a comparison with trail centres up there^ and there's some mileage (pun intended) in that. A huge appeal of both trail centres and sportives is easy access to riding in new areas without the faff of navigation and with some of the risk removed. Not everyone wants to race, not everyone wants to navigate. Having ridden the Lincoln GP sportive a couple of times I can tell you that the buzz from racing (figure of speech) up Michaelgate to the finish whilst cheered by the crowds is well worth the entrance fee.

Never tried an audax. I'm sure they're fab 🙂

Have we dissed cyclocross riders yet? 😉

Sportive are popular because they spoon feed the partispant and pander to their ego

Despite this, [s]audaxes[/s] natural trails remain [s]events[/s] routes that very few people seem to want to do while [s]sportives[/s] trail centres are massively popular.

I ride audaxes and sportives. Some are good, some are bad. Some of the people who do them are nobbers, most are not.

D0NK - Member

Sportive are popular because they spoon feed the partispant and pander to their ego

This sounds accurate and aracer beat me to the FIFY

I've never done a Sportive or an Audax... however I"m going to do a Sportive in a couple of weeks. Just because it's probably my last chance this year that I'll get to do a 100+ mile ride... and although it's not on closed roads it should be fun. I don't know how well I'll do, but I'm determined to make it round the full distance 🙂

I expect to finished 150% more ****ier than I started.

Some people (and it certainly seems to be a sizeable minority if not actually a majority) like not having to think about stuff and just follow signs/others

Look at the popularity of pisted ski resorts. This shouldn't be surprising

Love this thread, so much stereotyping going on!

I do think the commercial input/money making is the difference with most Sportives I have encountered based around a high entry fee and greater support for riders.

Audax is a tiny 'grassroots' scene based around minimal costs and people volunteering for the love of that particular branch of cycling. And those at the centre of the sport in the UK really do put so much into making it what it is, for no real financial benefit. You get the 'racing' at the front of the field, and you get the 'I am awesome because I come in 3 minutes before the cut off and make the most of the day and the rest of you don't know what Audax is about' at the back of the field. You get people on carbon bikes, and people on ancient contraptions with 3 gears. You have a whole load of people saying 'speed/time/placings' don't matter (whilst all they talk about it how strong XYZ rider is and how their legs are feeling crap). There is a bit of everything there, some folks are superserious, some are the complete opposite. Some love riding with others and hate being on their own, others can't stand their solitary space being invaded.

The best thing about audax is, if you are completely antisocial you can register a DIY and don't even have to attend an event. (<- this is me)

and this just about sums up the condescending nature of some on STW

Hmm, you just summed up another STW stereotype. I've ridden lots at trail centres and enjoy them (and when I met D0NK he'd just come from riding one). I've also ridden lots of sportives (I've even won one 😉 ) and never ridden an audax, though I see a lot more audaxes in my future and not many sportives (I am after all becoming an old man). No snobbishness about any of them here - it's all good.

There's no racing at the front of the field in most audaxes - the use of a minimum time limit as well as a maximum puts paid to that. I suppose you could still smash it between controls but you'd have to have a couple of coffees before getting your card stamped and heading off again 🙂 Once on an audax with a pub as a control I had to wait for them to open!

Audax riders usually know how to use a bin.

Chapeau.

and this just about sums up the condescending nature of some on STW,

*lee quarry is about 20 hilly miles away, technically rideable but I'm not fit for much when I get there, especially with the ride home forefront in my mind 🙂

"so much stereotyping going on!"
All stereotypes are based on truth, that's how they happen.