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....... it's 162km long plus riding there and back it'll be over 200km, and I've hardly ridden my bike since the start of June, in fact just 370km in 6 weeks.
I fear it may hurt a bit
Don't worry, the physical pain will be nothing compared to the mental anguish of knowing you've entered a sportive.
😛
“Don’t tell im’ it’s a Race Pike”
“Don’t tell im’ it’s a Race Pike”
What do you mean it's not a race, I wish I'd never paid now 🙁
Sportives are not a race - usually more of a personal challenge - but often ridden against the clock.
That said, I've never seen one yet where the front riders don't think it's a race!
why not just ride the route with the other people using strava to time yourself and save money.
Here we go... Nobody in a sportive knows how to ride in a group/they all throw their gel wrappers into the bushes/they all take it too seriously/it's not a race/just ride the route by yourself for free etc. etc.
Let's get all the sportive thread cliches out the way and get on with encouraging the OP to ride 200km with no preparation shall we?
Go for it OP, start at the back and just draft every wheel you see until the last 10km : D
Let’s get all the sportive thread cliches out the way and get on with encouraging the OP to ride 200km with no preparation shall we?
Go for it OP, start at the back and just draft every wheel you see until the last 10km : D
That's more like it.
The sense of humor failure is strong in this thread 🙂
"I’ve hardly ridden my bike since the start of June, in fact just 370km in 6 weeks."
Tapering?
Good luck. Hope it's somewhere flat.
My training rides for the dirty reiver this year consisted of...
...one 50mile road ride since january.
Thats 200km. Just take it steady it'll be fine.
Sportive not a race where everyone is racing
Audax a race where nobody is racing
Good luck anyway pick some groups and try and get some help around there, hope it's not too hilly
Lol 162k? That’s only a few hours riding, has no one met Steve_b77 Euro bronze 24hr Medalist before?
Pah, piece of cake for a man of his calibre 😉
200k? 3 pockets on a jersey - fill 2 with gels and consume constantly. Fill the 3rd with loo roll and be prepared to jump behind a bush when the gels make their way through. Bibshorts may not be advisable!
‘Loo Roll’
pah, baby wipes ftw!
Go for it OP, start at the back and just draft every wheel you see until the last 10km : D
Nah, start at the front, more wheels to sit on as you drift backwards that way, much easier! But yeah, just have a crack at it, eat well, drink lots, enjoy it and stop when you need to.
Lol 162k? That’s only a few hours riding, has no one met Steve_b77 Euro bronze 24hr Medalist before?
You got me there 😀
hope it’s not too hilly
Nah, 4500 odd ft / 1400 'ish meters
Nah, start at the front
Ooooh no, I made that mistake once, felt I should do it as karma for starting at the back once too often. Took off like a scalded rabbit with the image of several hundred other riders bearing down behind me. Rode out of my skin for the first 30-40km (think I only recently lost the KOM for that section actually, it was quite an obscure route though) then faded, badly, for the remaining 125km.
It is quite good fun right enough, you try NOT riding it like a race when you catch a distance glimpse of the large group chasing you down and the adrenaline kicks in
I wonder if it's the Cheshire 100 sportive, I signed up last night but I'm just doing the 100km as I don't want to burn out before Ard Rock and I average 100 miles a week so it should be a doddle. Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll be fine!
I wonder if it’s the Cheshire 100 sportive, I signed up last night but I’m just doing the 100km as I don’t want to burn out before Ard Rock and I average 100 miles a week so it should be a doddle. Good luck with it, I’m sure you’ll be fine!
Bang on the money, see you there.
Rode the Tour of Cambridge Sportive. A bit of organization and we caught the preceding two races -finished with the fastest time overall for my age. Just get them to ride through and off and the miles evaporate.
I won't be drafting on Saturday and Sunday. 200 km will be the warm-up.
Does it go near Wrexham? Of so wave.
Start at the finish and do it in reverse saying 'hello' to every bike rider you meet going the opposite way. Plus, that 1400m of climbing will all be downhill. It'll be a fun day out.
Does it go near Wrexham? Of so wave.
Nope, it goes East towards the far flung reaches of Cheshire & skirting the Pennines
Full Borat outfit will prevent anyone drafting you. #dareyou
Start slow, ease of a bit in the middle, and then crawl towards the finish.
Avoid energy food/drink you aren't used to at the feed stations, take along food you like if you can carry it, use village shops/pubs/petrol stations to get some proper food in you a couple of times, drink loads, at least a bottle an hour, and take it steady.
Last month a mate and I rode 159 miles with 8000 feet of climbing on the back of very little training. We took 15 hours, averaged 13mph moving speed, two café stops, one pub, and enough assorted flapjack/chewy bars to feed an army.
Oh yes, chamois cream. Definitely use chamois cream!
I’m doing the 100km version as well. I’ve ridden 56km this year and everything else has been shorter (UV intolerance and this f***ing weather has meant no proper rides).
The 100km is pretty flat though, the 100 miler does hit the peaks.
ive not eaten carbs for 4 months so I hope my body knows what to do with them when I get to the feed stations.
Eh?
Sportive not a race where everyone is racing
Audax a race where nobody is racing
A sportive is where the riders say they are racing but they aren't and an Audax is where riders say they aren't racing but they are.
Why do people pay to ride in an open road event! Enjoy regardless.
For the comradery. To have someone to occasionally chat to whilst pedalling 100km. To ride somewhere they don’t normally but without having to plot and plan. To get a medal. To have snack stops without feeling they need to read trip advisor. To not otherwise sit on the sofa or lounger getting fatter and drunker by the minute. To ride our bikes because it’s fun. To take part in an event without the pressure of start times and competing.
And those are my gut reactions to why. However, seeing as the post wasn’t named ‘tell me I’m a fool for riding a sportive’, feel free to draft my wheel if you see a solo female on a purple trek. I don’t mind towing people along when I can.
Following an injury, I did a 200km audax earlier this year with zero preparation. Riding at a steady pace, it wasn't too bad overall though the last 50km were purgatory. You'll be ok.
@golfchick how did your ride go?
I had a good one by all accounts, granted the weather in the Peaks was terrible and at points you could hardly see your hand in front of your face, but I rode to Arley hall, did the event and rode back, totalling 206km with 1450m of climbing or 128 miles & 4757ft in a just over 7 & 1/2 hours, at just under 17mph / 27kph.
The actual 100 miles, I did in just over 5hrs 50mins.
I started with a decent tea of chicken & rice, got up at 6, had a bowl of porridge, then every hour had a small SiS bar or a gel later in the ride, at each of the 3 feed stations I had a banana, a slice of chocolate or lemon drizzle loaf and a handful of salted peanuts. I drank 6 x 750ml bottles of fluid, the first two being SiS Hydro Go and the last 4 being the weak carb drink mix they were offering at the feed station.
Post ride, it was the free burger with Cheese, followed by a 500ml protein shake, then a hefty evening meal an a couple of ciders. Today I feel right as rain, no dehydration, no stiffness or soreness, so the plan works for me.
Enjoy plenty of trips to the loo today.
You ate far more than a small European country.
Was the weather bad or good? Couldn’t tell from the “hand in front of face” comment.
I started with a decent tea of chicken & rice, got up at 6, had a bowl of porridge, then every hour had a small SiS bar or a gel later in the ride, at each of the 3 feed stations I had a banana, a slice of chocolate or lemon drizzle loaf and a handful of salted peanuts. I drank 6 x 750ml bottles of fluid, the first two being SiS Hydro Go and the last 4 being the weak carb drink mix they were offering at the feed station.
Post ride, it was the free burger with Cheese, followed by a 500ml protein shake, then a hefty evening meal an a couple of ciders. Today I feel right as rain, no dehydration, no stiffness or soreness, so the plan works for me.
You need to post that in Renton's thread.
You need to post that in Renton’s thread.
Already have done 😉
Enjoy plenty of trips to the loo today.
You ate far more than a small European country.
Was the weather bad or good? Couldn’t tell from the “hand in front of face” comment.
I'll be rite, nothing unusual for me on a big ride.
The start was a bit overcast and dull with slight drizzle, the middle bit in the Peaks was bloody awful / normal British Summer weather / the end brightened up, sun came out and the temps hit 28deg C, rising steadily to that throughout the day.
A sportive is where the riders say they are racing but they aren’t and an Audax is where riders say they aren’t racing but they are.
I'd add to that "A mass-start bikepacking ITT is where both the riders and the organiser are saying it's not a race but they know damn well it is, they just want to avoid any due diligence"
I really enjoyed the 100km version yesterday, I was the bloke in a bright pink jersey with patterned arm warmers and leg tattoos. It was a decent rolling route and the people I spoke to were nice, TDF on the big screen at the finish was a nice touch.
One lad had a nasty crash turning on some loose gravel on a bend in a dip; grazed face by the looks of things, so I hope he was OK. He was waiting to get picked up when I saw him and he was slowing people down where he crashed, to prevent a repeat performance.
It went well, I enjoyed it. Stuck to my 100km plan, wasn’t tempted by the 100 mile version. I had a dominos the night before and shredded wheat in the morning. I didn’t bother stopping at the first feed station as still felt full enough. Stopped for literally two minutes at the second and grabbed some jelly beans and a few slices of cake and then carried on my merry way. Managed it in 3 hours 20 min which I was fairly happy with but I’d of liked to tip over 19mph. Could of easily finished it faster if I’d managed to find a bunch of riders but I literally only found one wheel the whole way that I could sit on for a few minutes, everyone else I flew by which was a bit disappointing. I did think everyone I cycled past coming the other way was properly miserable, I waved at everyone and barely got a single wave back. Most people riding the route weren’t particularly chatty either. It was a shame that the finish line photos that they said would be taken were ruined by the fact the finish line was on a gravel path which wasn’t really safe to actually ride very well on. It was nice to ride past Jodrell Bank and go past a pub we used to go to as a family and which used to have a humongous metal slide though!
You'll be fine. I booked up for a trip to the Alps road riding then it got cancelled due to work. With a week to go the work got cancelled so got back onto the trip last minute. Then I looked at the day 2 route, not having done much training. Stage 12 TdF. 175km, 16,000ft climbing and I'm your average STW MTBer shape. It hurt but I got around.
You’ll be fine. I booked up for a trip to the Alps road riding then it got cancelled due to work. With a week to go the work got cancelled so got back onto the trip last minute. Then I looked at the day 2 route, not having done much training. Stage 12 TdF. 175km, 16,000ft climbing and I’m your average STW MTBer shape. It hurt but I got around.
Stick that in an envelope and send it to last week?