[Closed] "Move aside I'm doing a sportive" Rant

2/10

I came here expecting a RaNt!!!

Amateur

I always Strava my rides so I can use the Flyby facility to see who's annoyed me and then visit them with a set of Bombers at my leisure

Failing that leave them a passive aggressive comment when they post it up - which as they're "racing" in their sportive theyre bound to

Probably...............

2/10

Very generous I'd take that OP if I was you.

I'd score you more harshly.

Poor effort .. No random capitals, swear filter avoidance, good spelling and punctuation. Wouldn't read again.

That came out more of whine really didn't it?

Well, if you will ride on the Criterium du Dauphine course...

I was aggravated yesterday too.

Minding my own business going up a climb, a lady takes my picture. Puzzled I look at her and she says that there is a sportive coming through later in the day, and its a 'practice' shot.

Bloody sportives.

I have a top with 'Cock off, Gelboy' on the back for just such occasions.

Rather than 'screaming at you to move' which I doubt was it not more likely that they were warning you of more riders to come?

And how did you not see them coming, did they hurtle round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road?

Which sportive was this?

I suppose I am too nice to rant properly.
Hi Gary I don't want to name the event. There were tons of people riding just normal. I was unlucky to meet a mad group. Who were at least 8 riders filling the whole road wobble braking on a blind bend. Just nob head "gel boys" I suppose. And I did Strava it, and they popped up, so I know who they are and all that.

Can I change this from a rant to a meh. Or is it too late?

Yesterday I was sat at the back of a sportive tootling along sunning myself when a group of riders flew past and obviously not associated with the event. How DARE they!!! Don't they know good money has been exchanged to use these roads?

I was out enjoying myself and some other people enjoyed themselves nearby. Bloody other people.

Who were at least 8 riders filling the whole road

We don't have pelotons in this country. It is "the bunch". 😉

I was out enjoying myself and some other people enjoyed themselves nearby. Bloody other people.

I reckon it was a variation of this.

http://www.lepetitdepart.co.uk/index2.html

We don't have pelotons in this country. It is "the bunch".

^ is it chevrons?

slowoldman - Member

We don't have pelotons in this country. It is "the bunch".

You know those diagonal lines that form in cross winds? What do we have to call those now?

A skein.

bloomin' French, don't even have a word for entrepreneur (I may have written this before so sorry for the deja vu)!

Pity you weren't going up the hill in a big SUV then the abuse could reall begin

would they have shouted the same at a car?

if you want to race ffs enter a race. the outriders will keep you safe - as will the race rules as the marshalls will have you disqualified if you consistantly cross the white line.....

A skein

Like it! 😀

Is that an open road sportive for 30 quid?

Good job I was not in a car. They would have all rode into the front of it and smashed themselves to bits.
I did a sportive a few weeks back and it had a few technical hills in it. they had put marshals on them too make sure nobody threw them selves at the scenery and worked a treat.

Maybe these guys need to go race and get it all out of there system. It's a fun event and there is nothing to prove. Why take your brain out when riding a Sportive?
I just don't get it.

Is that an open road sportive for 30 quid?

You could also pay £45 for an open trail sportive: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=2460

Just to avoid any arguments about favouritism, I've done both.

Minding my own business going up a climb, a lady takes my picture. Puzzled I look at her and she says that there is a sportive coming through later in the day, and its a 'practice' shot.

Hey! If it was some roadies sportive you can now probably buy a jpg file for about £15!

I was out last week on the tripster and emerged from a tunnel at slow speed under the M3 (that I had coasted through with Hope hubs in full notification buzz mode) to see a horse in front of me by about 30 yards cantering down the furrowed slope towards me.

I pulled over to the side as the middle aged woman riding it tried to slow it down (she was on the edge of control - I could tell from the way her breasts were bouncing around under her t-shirt...), and then she had the gall to say "that was close".

I let it go as it was a nice day.

Boo TurnerGuy!

I logged in to give you 8/10 as I chuckled out loud reading your post and you go and delete it...

It's too traumatic thinking about those old breasts bouncing around 🙁

put it back though.

Not a patch on a small group thinking they were forming a breakaway / steaming through the pack on the last (road) sportive I did, they came up on the right, nudging the white line shouting rider as they barreled past looking like rite knobs.

The course then entered one of the many unpaved sections, and to everyone's delight the same 3 riders were at the side of the road fixing punctures

Good job I was not in a car. They would have all rode into the front of it and smashed themselves to bits.

I think you should tell the event organiser, if it was anything like that bad. It puts the whole thing in jeopardy if people behave like that. There will be people itching to ban things like sportifs and and accident caused by reckless cycling would be a perfect excuse

I found myself cycling against the flow towards the end of the Le Petit Depart yesterday. It was fine, people were friendly. Got a bit tired saying "afternoon" every 30 seconds.

I stopped to give one of the riders my spare gel - he looked like he needed it more than me.

I bumped into - almost literally - the Peak Epic yesterday going the wrong way up and down some of my favourite local back lanes. They were mostly fine to be honest, though quite a lot of them seemed focussed and a little miserable or maybe just focussed on being miserable. It was hot and I guess they were tired.

I found myself wondering if there should be a central sportive register where you could check whether your local area was about to be over-run by a mass phalanx of riders.

I don't have anything against sportives, I've done the Whitton and a few others, but it'd be nice to be able to avoid them more easily. Some of the riding scares me.

A good rule of thumb to know is there is a Sportive on the roads round Box Hill is if the day begins with an S then it is likely that there is one.

Usually fine, but one event has decided spray painted route marks on to the road across most of Surrey. Often very close to the ones from last year that have still not worn off.

Come the end of Summer some road signs are decorated with several abandoned route marker signs.

I like seeing people out enjoying themselves and don't object to them using public roads to do so. Its just the graffiti and litter by the organisers that I find unnecessary.

You know those diagonal lines that form in cross winds? What do we have to call those now?

That'll be an 'enchilada' I believe...

BTW, up there's ^ a blatant rip off of Bush's French/entrepreneur comment - made in all seriousness. Gotta give him his (moronic) dues (-:

That kind of behaviour made me (mainly) switch from sportives to audaxes. Audaxers seem to be more chilled out and friendly and cake >>> energy gels 😀

boblo - Member
...

BTW, up there's ^ a blatant rip off of Bush's French/entrepreneur comment - made in all seriousness. Gotta give him his (moronic) dues (-:

yup, I was channeling Bush as I typed it

That would be a breakaway not a peloton.

😆

It's bloody terrible round here from as soon as the snow goes until mid summer.
The weekend after the snow goes we start getting swarms of people riding around in blobs. All over the road, random wiggles, speed changes and so on. As time goes by they all buy their new bikes. All aeroed to f××× (to save a claimed 1 second per 10 km at 50kph), they all seem to have coaches and 5 training sessions a week. Then the Vattern Rundan happens at midsummer They all walk bandy legged for a week and brag about their sub 12 time (11:59:59.99). And the fact that they raised about 5 quid for charity.

Them it all goes quite again. Empty roads and almost endless top end carbon wunderbikes for sale with 70mm stems, 80mm of spacers and a 10" wide comfort saddle........

TBH if I'd spent that much time and money on kit and training (some people i know have spent near enough 8 thousand quid all told), then paid near enough £150 to do the event (which except for riding through the sunrise is as dull as dishwater) I'd make damn sure i could get round in a shit load less than 12 hours.

bah +12 has extra value for money.

I just dont get it.

So post the event and name the riders, they only annoyed you, its not a hanging offence.

I know its sometimes unavoidable but if you know theres a sportive on it best to avoid small roads in the opposite direction a group will quite happily travel at 40kmh not racing just getting on. I'm sure they'll have been on full alert for traffic.

edit: ghosty ups the rant standards.

is this the 5 minute troll or the full half hour ?

is this the 5 minute troll or the full half hour ?

I've told you already.

a group will quite happily travel at 40kmh not racing just getting on.

Until I caught the back markers up on the sportive yesterday I was doing 35kmh along the flatter section on my own and that was trying not to raise a sweat in the heat. A group working together will zip along without any trouble whatsoever. Given that the OP says they were going downhill ...

+1 to naming the event.

Going to get in touch with organisers and suggest they stick some marshals on there next time or something. As mentioned. This kind of stuff can spoil it for future events. And we don't want folk getting hurt. I will not name the event on here though as it is not a good idea. I am going to have squiz at what's on next time I head out. At least going in same direction will save neck ache from all the nodding and waving.

Good job I was not in a car. They would have all rode into the front of it and smashed themselves to bits.

Racing on public roads is illegal no?

Racing on public roads is illegal no?

No, is not illegal. However you do have to satisfy various requirements including risk assessment, marshalling, lead cars, insurance, etc and organisers usually liaise with the police and local authorities.
Sportives avoid dealing with all this stuff by declaring they are not races...

I hope it's not illegal. As I do it most weekends throughout the season.

I've passed loads of riders caught up in road races. We always warn and give them plenty of space. Not caught a sportive "race" yet. Road races are normally 45 kmh or more. Does that get me a gold? (rather than 39th and midpack in a poor excuse for a sprint?).