[Closed] Sportive, sportive, sportive, and new road cyclists

And breathe dear.

What could be more boring than someone going on about Sportives - again?

Somebody call me ? !!!

No capitals or swearing 2/10 must try harder.

Now, i'm as tolerant as the next person, [b]but[/b]...

Always a classic opener.

Now,[b] i'm as tolerant as the next person[/b], but, i'm sick to the back teeth with 'new' road cyclists.

Maybe not.

reclaim the streets!!

reclaim the streets!!

...or buy a CX bike. If you see any of these vermin, you can just dive off down a bridleway. Obviously, you run the risk of bumping into some mountain biking scum, then.

I used to ride my bike to get away from these people.....

Then you need to get faster so you still can.

TBF I have become the cycling world chatline at work, virtually every other customer wants to talk bike. I've even been out to visit two top customers to sort their bikes out during work time with the companies consent. I'm in the electrical trade.

Yeah, you'd think some Brit had won the tdf in the last couple of years the way all these new to cycling people bang on 😉

Think of it all as cycling - they do it - you do it. It's all good!

OP probaly keeps getting dropped on the climbs...... I'd think about cutting a bit of fat out of your diet & maybe doing some long zone 2 rides. That way when the pace of the peleton picks up towards the end, you'll be able to keep up. HTH

OP have you got two lads, say about 9 and 11. You could place them on blind corners and get them to pull out on unsuspecting roadies. The roadies might bang an elbow and tear their pants. Oh and if said roadie contacts you directly asking for monnies..ignore them.
😀

Yesterday I did 121 miles solo with 4,500ft of climbing at an average speed of 16.7mph.
My bike weighs 20lbs. My average HR is 136, zone 3.7. Average temp was 27 C.
What more would you like to know?

GSOH?

No , but FSH

What more would you like to know?

What you wearing?

Now, i'm as tolerant as the next person, but, i'm sick to the back teeth with 'anti' new road cyclist threads.

My new Canyon came today actually, it's 17lbs for 62cm! I still don't quite understand how to adjust the brakes. Here's my first ride:

http://app.strava.com/activities/69733043

I bought it because it's called "Ultimate Al" and my name is Alastair. My average power was 159w. I learnt how to pronounce sportive last week, I'm going to start spelling it "sportif" to sound cooler though.

Thanks.

Have you fitted a bidon yet?

OP sounds like a hipster who is upset that other people have started listening to his favourite band 😀

Can someone print up some "I Liked Cycling Before It Was Cool" t-shirts?

I don't even know what that means. Google image search suggests it's one of these:

[img] [/img]

Seems like overkill, using a bottle for the moment.

What you wearing , lol this thread is heading off in a whole new direction I was not exspecting
People on bikes is good evenjifnsome need alittle education

[quote=Toasty ]I don't even know what that means. Google image search suggests it's one of these:

Seems like overkill, using a bottle for the moment.
http://www.rapha.cc/bidon?locale=UK
http://www.bicyclepartswholesale.com.au/contents/en-us/d71_bicycle-water-bottle-cage.html

What more would you like to know?

How come you rode 121 miles but only managed 4500' of climbing?

because footballers dont go on about their results..... oh wait, match of the day twice a week and they even show you goals scored by the losing team.

What i love about cycling, and the british media is that altho cycling is huge just now, SPOTY 2 out past 3 years, the biggest sporting event in the world, british success is major yet all we get is a small paragraph 8 pages down in the sport section yet football gets 6 pages dedicated to a possible transfer request of a 4th division footballer, and its no even football season.

because footballers dont go on about their results..... oh wait, match of the day twice a week and they even show you goals scored by the losing team.

What i love about cycling, and the british media is that altho cycling is huge just now, SPOTY 2 out past 3 years, the biggest sporting event in the world, british success is major yet all we get is a small paragraph 8 pages down in the sport section yet football gets 6 pages dedicated to a possible transfer request of a 4th division footballer, and its no even football season.

Just tell the newbies it's not real cycling unless they're on a real bike

When's the next sportive? 🙂

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8610692074_664fee74d0_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8610692074_664fee74d0_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

"I used to ride my bike to get away from these people....."

Maybe you should ride faster.

How come you rode 121 miles but only managed 4500' of climbing?

I'm like a biking Moses, but instead of parting the sea, I melt the mountains with my speed. Or was that Muhammad? Or maybe Hannibal and his elephants.

Excellent news more cyclists, should hopefully mean my LBS stay in business longer. The more people cycling the less driving cars.

And how much longer do we have to tolerate the roady/mtb debate, it's been over 20 years, there will be peace in the middle east before this stops being banged on about, let alone the 26/650b/29er debate just to keep it spicey.

OP - were you never a "new" road cyclist? We had a new guy join our mtb rabble 3 weeks ago. He's a bit slow and his bike is from Tesco, but, do you know what - he loves it!! Great!!

[quote=radoggair]because footballers dont go on about their results..... oh wait, match of the day twice a week and they even show you goals scored by the losing team.

What i love about cycling, and the british media is that altho cycling is huge just now, SPOTY 2 out past 3 years, the biggest sporting event in the world, british success is major yet all we get is a small paragraph 8 pages down in the sport section yet football gets 6 pages dedicated to a possible transfer request of a 4th division footballer, and its no even football season.

Totally with you on the football thing.

I have good friends who are into it, but nonetheless, it is the most godawfull 'sport' known to man. When I say 'sport', I really mean excuse to get pissed and sing some primary school song with sweary bits with 10,000 other like minded numpties.

Tribal bull where you hate someone else because they live on the other side of the same town as you, and wear stripy scarves with a different coloured stripe from yours.

If the hand of the great spaghetti monster came down from the heavens and struck this game of off the face off the earth, it would be no loss to civilization, not one iota.

Football isn't the problem, people are 🙂

Totally with you on the football thing.

I have good friends who are into it, but nonetheless, it is the most godawfull 'sport' known to man. When I say 'sport', I really mean excuse to get pissed and sing some primary school song with sweary bits with 10,000 other like minded numpties.

Tribal bull where you hate someone else because they live on the other side of the same town as you, and wear stripy scarves with a different coloured stripe from yours.

If the hand of the great spaghetti monster came down from the heavens and struck this game of off the face off the earth, it would be no loss to civilization, not one iota.

[img] [/img]

right page 2 and where is the sportive content, I've waded through petty grumbling, whinging, jealousy, "IM A PROPER ROADIE", football haters, and drivel so far and there is not whats promised.

All it turns out to be is a thread about how unfair everything is
[img] [/img]

Tossers

OP there will be road riders looking at you as a slow amateur rider.

My new Canyon came today actually, it's 17lbs for 62cm!

Where's the "my new bike" picture thread? Sounds ace

i'm pleased i've found out i'm slow. It's humbling to lfinally know, but, at the same time liberating. Stw, i thank you.
I should say, i'm not anti new cyclist. I know it's exciting and all, but, i just don't need to know every moment of path to cycling nirvana.

Where's the "my new bike" picture thread? Sounds ace

My grass is far too long for that sort of thing, I'll ride somewhere pretty and take a picture after the weekend (as I'm away).

there will be peace in the middle east

Now that's just crazy talk.

Can someone print up some "I Liked Cycling Before It Was Cool" t-shirts?

Here you go...
[img] [/img]

http://velolove.cc/t-shirts/95-i-was-cycling-before-it-was-cool-t-shirt.html

Audax is the new Sportive anyway

Speaking of which:
http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com/

just look forward to the winter, when all the NEW bike riders have hung up their wheels for the winter.
a time when the roads are wet/cold/slushy/icy/QUIET.
a time for US proper bike riders.......or dont you ride through the winter...... 😉

Audax are great cheap as chips and you get a route on a bit of paper so the country doesnt get littered with arrows and pointless warning signs about junctions ahead (just incase you missed the red and white ones on posts put up by the council!)

I smell troll.

Audax is the new Sportive anyway

Speaking of which:
http://www.londonedinburghlondon.com/

I didn't know you were doing that, you are a dark horse...

I like football

Who do you support?

I didn't know you were doing that, you are a dark horse...

Alternating between quietly confident, and bricking it. My first Audaux, so in at the deep end....

Here you go...

*ordered* 🙂

Cheers

Huddersfield Town fan

Who do you support?

The mighty Rams!

What you smell is someone who cant see the point of lining someones pocket with 25 quid to be spoonfed a route you could do on your own .Its the cost and the spoonfeeding /bum wiping nature of them I dont like.At least on an Audax you pay your 8 quid have to think to follow the route and if you break down they may have given you a taxi firm number!Either do Audax or enter a 4th cat race I dont get sportives especially the competitive sportive riders

Bristol Rovers .Hey so far we all look like real fans ,no glory hunters yet!

What you smell is someone who cant see the point of lining someones pocket with 25 quid to be spoonfed a route you could do on your own .Its the cost and the spoonfeeding /bum wiping nature of them I dont like.

[quote=zilog6128 ]It was good to have a lot of riders to ride/chat with as well since I had turned up on my own. As others had said though it was difficult to find evenly managed groups and most groups I only rode with for a few miles at a time.
That's one of the things I like about the Sportives I've done, chatting to lots of different folk on the way round. I suppose you never meet the "competitive" ones that way though 🙂

Well just hope much history with road cycling do you need to have before you have accumulated some sort of credibility?

I only really ride road bikes for commuting and with mates on the odd weekend and have done for about the last five years, I've ridden MTBs for the last ~25 years or so.

I don't do sportives or audax' and I'm not in a road club, I'm basically just an MTBer who also owns and enjoys riding a road bike.

I'm also deeply suspicious of "elites" based on nothing more than time served. But I'm quite sure I don't get to be in the gang yet anyway, thank ****...

Lately I'm seeing more roadies out and about, my only real judgement on any rider is weather or not they return a nod/smile or stare ahead in grim stoney silence, you get both sorts of behaviour from newbies and the "proper" roadies.

Which just tells me there's as much chance of someone who's been riding 30 minutes being a prick or alright as there is someone who's been at it 30 years...

Yeah people at work are suddenly acquiring an interest in cycling and shock horror they want to talk to people who've been at it a bit longer and pick up whatever they can.
What sort of git hog's the knowledge and tries to discourage people from taking up something they enjoy themselves. I can think of nothing more miserable and antisocial.

I wrote a [url= http://www.greatbritishbikerides.co.uk ]whole book of UK[/url] roadie rides in order to liberate cyclists from the sportive. I've never understood why you would set out to ride a classic route on a day that is shovelling down with rain, with a group of mamils and pay for a banana and some route signs. I like to pick my weather and company and get a time that is mine, worked for by my legs and not the man on the front.

But many others do understand why, I guess they do it for the time and the feeling of being part of a "race". However, no sportive is like any road race I've ever done. Strangely I see the re-introduction of groups of cyclists to the roads as a positive thing. It would be a worthy culture change if drivers accepted that Sunday's the day they may encounter a group of fat blokes in tight clothes puffing away in front of them.

[quote=cookeaa ]Well just hope much history with road cycling do you need to have before you have accumulated some sort of credibility?
I only really ride road bikes for commuting and with mates on the odd weekend and have done for about the last five years, I've ridden MTBs for the last ~25 years or so.
I don't do sportives or audax' and I'm not in a road club, I'm basically just an MTBer who also owns and enjoys riding a road bike.
I'm also deeply suspicious of "elites" based on nothing more than time served. But I'm quite sure I don't get to be in the gang yet anyway, thank ****...
Lately I'm seeing more roadies out and about, my only real judgement on any rider is weather or not they return a nod/smile or stare ahead in grim stoney silence, you get both sorts of behaviour from newbies and the "proper" roadies.
Which just tells me there's as much chance of someone who's been riding 30 minutes being a prick or alright as there is someone who's been at it 30 years...
Yeah people at work are suddenly acquiring an interest in cycling and shock horror they want to talk to people who've been at it a bit longer and pick up whatever they can.
What sort of git hog's the knowledge and tries to discourage people from taking up something they enjoy themselves. I can think of nothing more miserable and antisocial.
Very good post. There's far too much elitism wrapped up in the whole roadie "club" culture. No wonder people are looking for ways of riding with other like-minded folks without having to deal with that lot.

^Bought that book a few weeks ago. It is a very pretty book and quite inspiring. It won't liberate me from sportives though. I have no desire to participate in road races but I do like being part of an event. As for route-finding, sometimes I like to ride somewhere new without having to think or worry about making the wrong turning.

As for bad weather, if I want a good long day out in the saddle I have to pick a day and stick to it, not wait for good weather.

Alternating between quietly confident, and bricking it. My first Audaux, so in at the deep end....

This should mean that even novice riders should be able to complete London Edinburgh London unsupported.

Do long, multi-day rides get easier after the first couple of days?

Done a few 300+km training rides, and am averaging about 27kph moving/ 23kph total. Last one I did also had 3500m ascent in it and I got home feeling capable of keeping going.
My preferred technique is to get going and keep going. Stop every 80km/3 hours (which is conveniently where the control points will be), sit down, eat a sandwich and piece of cake, have a cup of tea, head off again asap. Like that I can potentially go for a helluva long time. One of the first big rides I did was riding home in Northumberland from the in-laws in Essex. 600km in days, first day was 375km and took me 18 hours. Solo riding across the fens into a headwind, sun-stroke, and onset of exposure later on as it got cold when the sun went down. Back on the bike 7 hours later and rode the remaining 225km.

Well 12hr tt riders do 200 to 300 mile for the half day .Im at the crap end of that, 216 /224 worst to best rides but thats for one day .With a bit of training 175 should be attainable

I always prefer to spend little time at controls .I clock in grab some food and water use the toilet and get riding again.Half an hour in control is at least 6 miles lost.I also find it better to take short breaks otherwise I cool down and my legs dont want to work after

What you smell is someone who cant see the point of lining someones pocket with 25 quid to be spoonfed a route you could do on your own

Meanwhile, down at the velodrome.. left, left, left, left again, left, then left, left, and left, then left... 😉

Are you riding my session on Aug 11th ?

I'd love to but it's my kid's birthday. Dad duties.

Do long, multi-day rides get easier after the first couple of days?

Yes, most people have their worst day on Day 3.
After that it sort of picks up as the body suddenly resigns itself to the fact that it has to ride a bike again.

What's entertaining on Sportives or long days out is watching everyone cane off like an idiot at the start. 3 hours later you ride past them as they're weaving all over a climb looking like Voeckler on a bad day out.

What you smell is someone who cant see the point of lining someones pocket with 25 quid to be spoonfed a route you could do on your own .Its the cost and the spoonfeeding /bum wiping nature of them I dont like.At least on an Audax you pay your 8 quid have to think to follow the route and if you break down they may have given you a taxi firm number!Either do Audax or enter a 4th cat race I dont get sportives especially the competitive sportive riders

This is why Audax UK has more members aged over 70 than under 40 while sportives seem to go from strength to strength.

Or perhaps people feel the need to be cosseted as they worry about the rigours of navigating/repairs/traffic etc and feel safer going for the softer option?

This sums it up:

I have no desire to participate in road races but I do like being part of an event. As for route-finding, sometimes I like to ride somewhere new without having to think or worry about making the wrong turning.

This in the day when probably the majority of keen roadies ride with a Garmin (or similar). I'd happily ride with the Audax beardies but you won't find me on a Sportive.

Yes, but that is the point: there are people who like 'extreme' sport (like riding for 12 hours solid) but most people don't. The Audax/sportive debate is funny because the amount of support you see for Audaxes on the Internet is in inverse proportion to its popularity, likewise with sportives.
Edit: I wonder, with my cod psychologists hat on, that it might well be something to do with the fact that people who enjoy riding huge distances on their own could be the sort who have problems with empathising with what other people might feel about the subject.

Are there only two groups then?

No, some people like to ride Spaudaxes but we don't like to talk about them. Beard, sandals & Lycra doesn't even bear thinking about.

Audifs are where it's at for 2013 - [b]SPLITTER!!!![/b]

Are there only two groups then

Out of interest. How crap can you be and still have it be worth turning up to a cat 4 race? I'm not completely rubbish, I can stick with fast-ish groups on club runs, and had been pondering doing one. If I can't hack it will I have a miserable time or be a massive burden for the organisers?

I've only ridden one sportive but I quite enjoyed it. It gave me the opportunity to ride through a lovely location (New Forest) with a good friend I hadn't seen much of. We had a good chat, enjoyed the ride, and didn't have to keep stopping to check maps. I didn't realise people treated them as a race.

There's far too much elitism wrapped up in the whole roadie "club" culture

@DavidB (or anyone that owns his book) - that looks like a good book, and would make a great present for a friend of mine. Are there (m)any routes in the South/South East? As much as I'd like to think we'll get to Skye etc the realist in me says not for a long time.

Edit: Just downloaded the GPX bundle, looks like yes so that's a birthday present sorted - nice one!