[Closed] Riding a sportive with no entry

a roads a road is a road.....

sportives nothing more than an overpriced [s]audax[/s] open ability group ride !

Of course you can ride it without paying, and they can't stop you from doing it. I trust that you'll make sure that you fill your pockets with food and drinks from the feedstops and use the facilities at the start/ finish which you haven't contributed towards as well.

Depends how much being a douchebag sits with you.I suspect it sits just fine with quite a few folk on here.Just wear a sign saying "Im not doing this sportive I'm just riding the same road at the same time" and I'm sure everyone else who has paid will be very friendly.

I guess that it'd be bad form to use the feed stations (I'm guessing that there is one). Aside from that it's just a normal road ride!

I'm considering doing this. There is a sportive starting a mile away from my house which is overpriced tbh - you have to buy your own food at the feedstops, and it's one of those "we're associated with a charity but they don't get any of the entry fee" type events. I'm very tempted to donate the money direct to the charity and then ride it without an official entry - there's nothing to stop me going out for a ride on my local roads, is there, and as they provide virtually no support en route other than signage (which, being local, I wouldn't necessarily need) I can't take advantage of it! And I can use my own loo before I set off too 😉

tbh rorschach I would be quite happy if the whole "sportive" scene colapsed on its self.

how ever im going to do the alford sportive in a few weeks time because its run by the club my girlfriend rides for and its very reasonably priced compared to many others.

i much prefer riding audaxes - on the most part at least you can trust the riders to not take you out riding in groups.

Just set the whole sportif route up as a strava segment.
Problem solved.

Why would you want to ?

You either do the race (and make no mistake it's a race - it has numbers and you get given a time, some are faster than others = RACE) or you don't. Riding along the route in your own time can be done any time.

Seems a bit daft.

😆

I know it doesnt sit right with me, but the route incoroporates most of my road routes, so what do i do - not ride my local roads because people from far away have paid to ride on them.
edit : i dont want to do the whole route, start at the start and finish at the finish, use the feed stations etc but do want to ride my local roads.

They can't stop you riding the route, but my view is if everyone did this it would end up in chaos.

Just get a gpx of the route an do it yourself on a different day.

Some people will always freeload. Some just use the 'high' price of sportives as an excuse. We run an audax and there are definitely a few people who don't pay the £8 (including Audax UK levy) entry and who still [i]steal[/i] the cakes/etc...

FWIW, if you do it on the same day then you're clearly doing it because they've put an event on so you can try to justify it but really you know that's not the case - they've put an event on, on that route, on that date and you're doing it because of that work. If you really want to avoid freeloading then ride the route another day.

yeah but hels its a race with no winner .... its just like arguing on the internet .... POINTLESS 😀

[quote=Papa_Lazarou ]
Just get a gpx of the route an do it yourself on a different day.
That

Wait til they've gone home?

Or ride it the wrong way round to confuse people.

Bad form IMO. If it's as straightforward as "it's just a ride on a public road that you're perfectly entitled to use" then why not just do it yourself on a different day? Otherwise you're saying the event is bringing something extra so it seems fair to pay up/play by their rules if you want to participate.

teenrat - Member
I know it doesnt sit right with me, but the route incoroporates most of my road routes, so what do i do - not ride my local roads because people from far away have paid to ride on them.
edit : i dont want to do the whole route, start at the start and finish at the finish, use the feed stations etc but do want to ride my local roads.

unless they pay for a road closure they can't stop you riding on the roads

You either do the race (and make no mistake it's a race - it has numbers and you get given a time, some are faster than others = RACE)

err no they aren't. It's like claiming you are racing on the commute into work and overtaking the postie

aP - Member
Of course you can ride it without paying, and they can't stop you from doing it. I trust that you'll make sure that you fill your pockets with food and drinks from the feedstops and use the facilities at the start/ finish which you haven't contributed towards as well.

I thought most events run out of food once the first 1/3 have swept through

lets face it - most sportives are run on popular local routes ...

i mean one sportive COMPANY was so lazy they approached the local club for a route.....

Bad form IMO. If it's as straightforward as "it's just a ride on a public road that you're perfectly entitled to use" then why not just do it yourself on a different day? Otherwise you're saying the event is bringing something extra so it seems fair to pay up/play by their rules if you want to participate

The problem is presumbaly that it's 'taking up' a hundred miles of nice roads in the area, so there's not really much you can do to avoid it completely, and if you can't avoid it, why not just follow the crowd.

Last/only sportive I've done just seemed like a club run on someone elses roads and without seating, good coffee or cake at the stops.

And the Caterham club were having a day out on the same day (and probably paid road tax), maybe cyclists should have kept off the roads (never heard this said on the day, just playing devils advocate).

By all means ride the route, just don't try to pretend that you're not freeloading while doing it - riding part of the route because it's in your area and where you'd ride anyway isn't an issue. Following the whole route is very different.

FWIW, I'd rarely ride a sportive - I think they're usually well over priced and I'd usually prefer to organise the same sort of thing with a few mates. The ones that I do (really only one a year) is a bit different (for me), relatively cheap and fairly well supported for what you pay and very well organised.

I managed to climb Ditchling Beacon about 2 minutes before the earliest/fastest riders on one Sportive were expected through. There were supporters and people with cameras all stood at the top watching me wheeze up the last bit and obviously thinking 'who's that'

It was the first time I'd climbed it and it felt a bit like this.

I was very English about it and 'fessed up.

It's a race. You get a time. Somebody is fastest and therefore the winner. If it wasn't a race, they wouldn't give out times. AFAIK the whole Sportives thing grew as an insurance dodge anyway as cheaper to insure if not officially race. But definitely a race.

probably paid road tax

What road tax? I've been driving for years and have never paid road tax.
If you are going to be the Devil's Advocate, you need to up your game!

Ye do it, you wouldn't not drive on the roads or take your dog for a walk would you, what's the difference? And as far as doing it on a different day I don't suppose that has the same attraction, it's nice getting out on a road with lots of other people and measuring yourself, riding in a group or building morale riding away from people (likewise tho loosing it by getting dropped).

A sportive is NOT a race, it's a social ride on public roads, and therefore something quite doable for free.

Clearly some race. Many (including some who actually do road races too) don't - they ride with their mates, at a reasonable pace but happily stop for cake/etc at the stops.

Or at least that's how most of the ones I've been on have been but I do have a feeling that in the SE in particular that may have changed..

I suppose it depends on how much it is. How much is it?

I'd just go for a ride that day and ride a route that works for your training and time needs and don't think too much about where they will be. If your route coincides with their then so be it. Better still, if you want a nice quiet day out on the bike take where they will be into account and avoid where possible.

But don't abuse them being there and steal their scran - that would be poor form.

hels - Member
It's a race. You get a time. Somebody is fastest and therefore the winner. If it wasn't a race, they wouldn't give out times. AFAIK the whole Sportives thing grew as an insurance dodge anyway as cheaper to insure if not officially race. But definitely a race.

In your head maybe 😉 they are no more racing than competing for a strava segment KOM

If it's BC registered event they need to comply with these rules

4.8 Publication of 'Result'
The only "result" issued shall be a list of riders who have completed the route within the
specified time. Organisers must not publish a list of riders by finishing times or indicate the
order in which riders finished. The appropriate format is alphabetical name order. Electronic
timing facilities are to enable riders to compare their times rather than provide a finishing
order; they provide a degree of safety as well since it allows the organiser to easily count the
riders in and out.
The awarding of prizes cannot be given on placings. The use of a podium would indicate that
the event was of a competitive nature, so should not be used.

I regularly ride the chiltern 100 medio route when I am trying to get my fitness up, but i'm still happy to pay the entry fee on the actual day rather than freeload - but it is a club run & relatively low cost event.

Just for clarification: it is not a race 🙄

Oh and it's not a race but is a "timed challenge" which is enough to make most a bit competitive. I think I've always thought of them as a time trail where it's ok to take pace from other riders. You'll take stock of how well you have ridden by either comparing your time against others, your own previous attempts or the medal standards if they have them. I've always found one of the best bits about them was the tactics to getting your best time- do you start early or late depending on the weather - do you sit with a group that's a bit hot for you or going too slowly or indeed strike out on your own.

Its £25. I was quite prepared to pay this but for some reason the number of entries has gone nuts this year with 1100 people and I couldn't get in

Seems like bad form to me and I wouldn't do it, I just can't put together any rational argument as to why.

I guess one of the reasons for the numbers cap is the impact of all the traffic? I'm assuming they're not just turning away entrants for a laugh.

[i]1100 people[/i]

I'd ride it the week after...

OP
If it bothers you ,just ride round the other way.

I really don't get all the Sportive hate ,it's only people out on bikes enjoying themselves ,and they have also been a big boost for cycling in general.

Yeah, they issues results in spreadsheet format that any old numpty could sort into fastest time, and immediately do.

And nobody cares if they got in ten minutes before their mate do they ??

I am very familiar with BC rules thanks, and it doesn't matter how they hide it and ban podiums. It's a race. So is the Merida/CRC Marathon thingy.

I would be prepared to buy the unproven "it's not a race" theory if Sportives were also banned from giving out or publishing rider results, and the satisfaction of finishing, getting a handshake from the organiser and a badge at the end was enough. But it's not is it ? Everyone wants a time, and why, to compare themselves with others.

RACE.

[i] if Sportives were also banned from giving out or publishing rider results[/i]

they could just set up the whole sportive route as a Strava segment for those who were itnerested in timing themselves 😉

Just do it, just don't post on here about it. Hope you have a good day

ride it the wrong way round to confuse people

I once rode 20 miles of the Dragon Ride the wrong way, waving at everybody 😀

Wiggle Cheshire Cat 2013 is now closed for entries. 3,600 riders

...get changed in a sports hall, ride on public roads, get free energy products that the organisers probably got for free and get a time at the end of it.

A gpx of the route is free to anyone on the website, yet they still got 3600 riders paying up to £34 to enter!!

Well done Kilotogo - keerrrrrching.

I'm with Dicky Boy on this one and also regularly ride roads from my local sportive but would also pay to enter the event.
If I had missed out on an entry for a sportive as the op claims then I wouldn't ride the route the same day along with the riders who have entered I would plan a separate route which hopefully wouldn't coincide with the sportive. I guess the organizers have a limit to the number of entrants due to traffic, safety and insurance reasons.
I took part in a sportive last year and ended up riding with a guy who was riding the route with out entering but said he was unaware the event was happening so was just tagging along even though a tour de france winner and an olympic gold medalist were endorsing the event and it was all over the media like a rash!

A gpx of the route is free to anyone on the website, yet they still got 3600 riders paying up to £34 to enter!!

So quite clearly people ride sportives for more that just riding x distance. I'd say that it's the 'event' aspect of it which draws people and is also the reason that some people choose to ride that route on that day without paying. By all means do it but just don't try to pretend that that's not what you're doing.

hels - Member
Yeah, they issues results in spreadsheet format that any old numpty could sort into fastest time, and immediately do.

And nobody cares if they got in ten minutes before their mate do they ??

I am very familiar with BC rules thanks, and it doesn't matter how they hide it and ban podiums. It's a race. So is the Merida/CRC Marathon thingy.

I would be prepared to buy the unproven "it's not a race" theory if Sportives were also banned from giving out or publishing rider results, and the satisfaction of finishing, getting a handshake from the organiser and a badge at the end was enough. But it's not is it ? Everyone wants a time, and why, to compare themselves with others.

RACE

You are one of those people who gives Strava a bad name aren't you 😉

I road a sportive once as a fast paced training ride, and was on a bit of mission so overtaking lots of other participants. I got a few hangers on and eventually we got a nice chain-gang organised. Half way through there was a junction, one way for the long route, and the other for the short. I pointed left and shouted to the nearest rider "Is this the long route?" He said yes, and so carried on left with the group. 10 miles later and we were at the finish - but there should have been another 30 miles. Half the riders turned off to finish, and the other half carried straight on. I carried on with them only to realise that there were no more route signs. They were just along for the ride, and were doing the sportive for free. And to add insult to injury, the guy that had agreed we were doing the long route was among them. So they messed up my day - ****s.

If there are ever any sportives on my training routes then I'll try and avoid the route, or at least ride the opposite way.

Ride it, take some deliberately different turns to confuse other riders. 🙂

OP isn't cheating the organisers. It's full up, and they wouldn't take his money. As long as he doesn't plunder the feed stations, he can do what he likes, his impact will be negligable with 1100 other riders already on the course, and he's not benefiting from any of the other 'facilities' offered by the organisers - timing chip, food/drink etc, medal etc.

Have fun OP!

are these things not sign posted ? the alford one is.

if they are sign posted why would you ask a random rider for directions?

I don't see it as bad form at all. When you enter, you pay for the changing area, the food stops, the additional assistance in the form of motor bikes helping riders with punctures, the timing and all the freebees/medal/tshirt etc you get at the end. If you don't make use of any of these then you are not freeloading at all IMHO. Pack some sandwiches, and bottle of water. It's a new meaning to Pan-y-agua.

You are riding a road with a lot of other cyclists. Why would you want to? Because it's a bit different and sociable. You may not want to because some of the group skills displayed on such events can be a bit shocking.

You can view it as a race because it's timed, but it's nothing like a proper road race. It's more like a strava race, in that good for willy waving if you are feeling your ego needs a boost. European events are far more like races, but then you get closed roads, mass group starts etc.

The only sportive I did last year was a freeload. There was one organised from silverstone, and it was apart from a long stretch of a busy a road that I avoid, more or less my Sunday morning 'long' . I didn't use any of the food stops, but it was like something out if a weird dream, all these numbered riders along a route that seemed to have been lifted out if my head by some weird thought device....every turn was like "it's not going to turn right here, is it!!!" Even went more or less past my village where I sloped off rather sheepishly, although I had nothing to feel ashamed about.

The whole thing was weird, and its on again this year !

Why would you pay to ride a sportive route on open roads ❓

Clearly lots of dumb people do, and it cannot just be for the "[i]free[/i]" tat you get at the end

[i]Why would you pay to ride a sportive route on open roads[/i]

Interesting route in an area you don't usually ride
No need to map read/worry about goign wrong
Infrastructure to feed/water you at appropriate points
recovery if it all goes wrong
lots of other people to ride with

I've done a few mtb/cx ones and enjoyed them all. It's not like heading out with a map and a vague idea of where you're expecting to go but for a half day/day ride they're pretty good and you get to ride stuff you wouldn;t otherise do/find. I wouldn;t *only* ride thewm but they're quite enjoyable in their own terms.

It's open road? Who cares! I've done it before but I don't interfere with starts, finishes, parking, food stops etc. It's no different to going onto a sportive site and take the GPS route, doing it the day before or bumping into part of the route and riding along.

OP - I guess you know the real answer, but just in case, wwaswas' first comment makes the best sense IMO - why would you want to ride the route when it will be so crowded (that goes for most S'ives and the London marathon IMO)?

Love the, it's not a race, comments. That would be a nice idea to put to the starters in most events down south!! Full team kit, bottles correctly "fuelled" (?)' legs shaven (and cut), areo helmet ready ...... 😉 "out of my way, I'm training for the Etape, don't you know, and I also have a conference call this afternoon!"

Sportive rider? Baaaaaaa baaaaaaa...... 🙂 There's two types that ride Sportives; 1) The brain dead that can't organise their own rides and 2) The hero pseudo racer who thinks it's a pukka race.

I don't ride Sportives and I'm oot. 🙂

Ride the opposite way round and count how many times you hear "you're going the wrong way" or take a different turn to see how many follow?

Just ride the route anyday you feel like.
So what if some people have paid to ride it - more fool them I say.

If it bothers you that much, just call into a local shop to grab something to eat or drink. Better still, take a few bars and two bottles of water with you , that way you will not have to stop anyways.

I think some of you lot need to put your money where your mouth is and actually have a go at racing one of these sportives.

Its easy to chat big words on the inernet, but come and see if you can get a gold medal time at some of the toughest events for older men in the country.

I'd suggest you'll need to fit a compact chainset!

Ride a few Sportives do we Mr Taylforth? Feeling a bit defensive are we? 🙂

The problem is if the organisers are only allowed 1000 entrants for safety reasons what happens if 2000 turn up? If you fell off I take it you'd refuse the first aid services? You didn't manage to enter. Bad luck! Try again next year. The fact remains, one of the things you are paying for is the presence of other people & they are the ones who have paid.

That sportive in Italy yesterday didn't look much like a race, at least not for lots of them. Quite a few we're off and pushing, and a whole load of them didn't even finish. Also, only one of them looked as if he'd ever ridden downhill in the wet before. Bloody amateurs. 🙂

I've done a few sportives they are great if you take them as what they are. A good day out with mates and making new friends along the way. Sure you get a time at the end and you could just time yourself out on a ride but you don't normally get to ride in such large groups unless your on the the tour.

On the ops question just do it another day they will have had a numbers cap for a reason, be it safety or dictated by council or who ever.

I think the cost is high but I like getting out on my own or just a few friends
Don't think 1200 people in the way will enhance my day.
So have never been tempted to tag along.

But I am doing honk this year so I may find I've been wrong all this time
At least as it more an audax event the cost was ony £15

Looks like i have missed out on a place in the tour of pembrokeshire sportive. Can i ride it without an entry or would this be considered bad form? can they stop me riding?

I know it doesnt sit right with me, but the route incoroporates most of my road routes, so what do i do - not ride my local roads because people from far away have paid to ride on them.
edit : i dont want to do the whole route, start at the start and finish at the finish, use the feed stations etc but do want to ride my local roads.

What's the story then? First post says you've missed out on an entry, can/should you piggyback, second post sounds like a bit of backtracking, and says you just want ot ride some local roads that happen to coincide with the route.

I've ridden a local one the day before (the signs were put out 2 days before). I don't see a problem with that. Those that paid and did it one the day had to awful weather too 👿
Riding the full route on the day is bad form though and stopping at the cake stops is essentially stealing if they included in the entry fee.

I think some of you lot need to put your money where your mouth is and actually have a go at racing one of these sportives.

What a load of twaddle, if you want to race get a licence from BC and enter a local 4th cat race and try and stay with the bunch/not get a bit of sick in your mouth. That's racing. if you have tea stops and a shorter route for those who want to take it easy it's not a race, there are no points available, there is no winner.

I think it is more accurate to say that Sportives are not road races or time trials, because they do not operate within the rules or organisational structure for either of these types of competitive event.
Clearly, some participants do regard them as a sort of race.
I can't see any real problem with riding the same roads if the event is fully subscribed, if you are not taking advantage of food stops and other services.

its just a matter of what you want to get out of the day.
riding the route is not the point as far as I can see, its being involved in the event.
If you didnt get an entry and want to ride pay something to the organiser/charity and do it.

We contribute to the etape des dales and many people turn up on the day and ride it without entering, its just a shame we are limited on numbers.

I just hope the riders who do ride on the day without entering have a clear conscience. as the money raised goes to very worthwhile riders.

MrSmith - Member
I think some of you lot need to put your money where your mouth is and actually have a go at racing one of these sportives.
What a load of twaddle, if you want to race get a licence from BC and enter a local 4th cat race and try and stay with the bunch/not get a bit of sick in your mouth. That's racing. if you have tea stops and a shorter route for those who want to take it easy it's not a race, there are no points available, there is no winner.

🙂

Lol at davidtailforth riding his nuts off trying to race a load of people just having a nice day out. I Bet he feels mega when he passes someone who has stopped to have a slice if cake and cup of tea.........

wrecker - Member
Lol at davidtailforth riding his nuts off trying to race a load of people just having a nice day out. I Bet he feels mega when he passes someone who has stopped to have a slice if cake and cup of tea.........

Never raced a sportive then?

The ones eating cake and drinking tea are the ones justifying their own bone-idleness because they can't ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives.

Its easy for them to sit under a tree supping tea and eating cake rather than getting off their arses in their own lives and applying themselves and working hard at something and achieving a gold medal time.

davidtaylforth effortlessly reeling in the bunch.... 🙂

Troll, Definately. Made me laugh though.

I did this last year, set off at the back then rode past the lot within a few miles. Then met two lone riders who were more than happy to sit on my wheel until the halfway mark where they stopped at the food station. I went on and only saw three more riders until the end.
At the finish I took a slight detour to avoid going through the timing area.
Didn't take a thing off them, despite the organisers offering me a gilet, which I didn't accept. despite knowing I was just tagging along.
It was pee'ing down and only a third of the field turned up

Its easy for them to sit under a tree supping tea and eating cake rather than getting off their arses in their own lives and applying themselves and working hard at something and achieving a gold medal time.

oldgit youre my hero for being so strong on a bike and by being better than everyone else on the ride.

Nearly spat my coffee out at that! More Gillian-esque than David...

I've 'raced' a sportive a few yrs ago.. riding a local hilly 100 on my own ("ghetto sportive" style, it starts near the town where I live so I went for a ride..) A group of 5 or 6 kept overtaking me, working as a bunch on the flats. I then gave it the SSer big-ring style on the hills and had 'em somewhere before the top. They caught up, sat behind me at times too, until we went uphill. All pretty even.
Until a big hill 70-odd miles in when they were just behind me as I popped. There was no more mr big-ring climber after that. Didn't see them again.

I learned something from the club guys that day and it wasn't about being too cheap to pay for an entry )

I,m planning on jumping on this ride @ Kendal
http://www.opencycling.com/
save me the hassle of map reading 🙂 not planning on helping myself @ the feed station as I will be looking for a nice cafe/pub.
Will be riding back under my own steam the next day.
I have no shame! 😉

oldgit youre my hero for being so strong on a bike and by being better than everyone else on the ride.

I have many fans, but in this case five riders finished before me. I feel I have to be honest with my fans.