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The wife is fuming. A close relative of hers (and mine now by marriage I suppose) has fairly recently got into cycling as a means to fitness. Fair play to him, I say, as although he's lost little to no weight, he's still getting out there and doing something, and thats to be encouraged.
But: he completed a high-profile cycling event yesterday, Sunday (clue: it was on a road), and posted a rousing picture of himself on FB, bike aloft, with a frankly very good indeed time considering his fitness and considerable bulk. My skeptical missus checked the official finish times, and his actual time is 2 hours slower.
It seems that he's minused out all the stopping and break times he took, and may even have had his Garmin on auto-pause (sub 5 mph) for some of the hills.
I'm ambivalent- let him have his moment, he's out there doing something, what the heck, its just a sportive. Whereas my missus has to sweat for every second and minute to try and get PBs, and feels its just unsporting.
?
Get him signed up on STW, sounds like the demographic?
It's only FB. I'm told there may be other untruths in that realm.
Would I do it? No.
Would i get pissed off about it, if a guy i was faster than looked like he was faster than me? YES.
I think you need to persuade your wife that the close relative is cheating no-one but himself, and that measuring oneself against folk like that is a waste of energy.
Aiming for PB's is like time trailing isn't it? You're only out to beat yourself, and there's better things in life to worry about that this.
You do it to give yourself the best average speed, but having the auto pause on for hills is fooling yourself.
I don't get why your wife is fuming. Not worth getting worked up over really is it 🙂
If the stop times are standing in queues for portaloos and water, I say fair enough.
Bear in mind that much of his time might have been standing on Leith Hill cos of this (I was there for an hour)
Fwiw, my riding time was 5:40, course time 7:03. With an hour on Leith Hill, that's 4*5 mins water/pee breaks. I'm happy to say my 'time' was 5:40
Unless there's no good reason as above or he's trying to claim sponsorship or bragging about beating you/etc I really would just ignore it. Does it really matter? Cliché but he'd only be cheating himself.
Hmm, having consulted the guide on all things road, it seems unclear, perhaps [url= http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/comment-page-8/#43 ]Rule 43[/url] takes care of it?
Clock starts when you cross the start line and only stops when you cross the finish line.
Though as has been said, it's not a race so who cares.
Or.... invite him out for a ride at his proclaimed average speed 💡
If he's saying "I did this faster than you" then yes, annoying. But:
codybrennan - MemberWhereas my missus has to sweat for every second and minute to try and get PBs, and feels its just unsporting.
It's his personal best however he measures it, and if he does any more and measures it the same way he'll have to sweat just as hard to improve it.
If this bothers you there's something missing
When comparing times, get her to do the same (take out the standing time). Beat his time and post her time on his FB page. Beaten by a girlie...that'll learn him 😀
Pretending that it is your wife that is bothered is very poor form.
folk have many different motivations to cycle.
i local guy i know needs to have an event circled on his calendar to focus his training - if he doesn't have than he doesn't go out on his bike at all (due to lack of motivation).
i think this approach totally misses the point of cycling - general fitness, adventure and long days out in nature. but then, he'll think its me thats got it wrong...
If I'm ever asked I'll tell people a ride time and a total time. Maybe ask as a comment what his total time was including stops?
take him out at the weekend, rip his legs off and post the strava on facebook.
If you're that bothered.
Thanks all 🙂
It actually IS my missus that's bothered- I'm thinking, why bother, lets encourage him? (she's got previous fall-outs with him that are adding to her feelings)
What's bugging her underneath this is that both he and my 11 year old did a 50 mile sportive last year, and my 11 year old only stopped once for 10 mins and posted a time of about 4:45, whereas he stopped for a 1:15 (3 cake stops) and posted a time of 4:00.....which was actually 5:15, in my missus eyes.
My official time for that event was 5:19, My Garmin time was 5:16, but I have auto pause on and the difference is accounted for by 3 short stops to swap water bottles round and squeeze sweat out of my helmet pads!
Either way I was well chuffed and set out do do the whole thing without any 'proper' stops.
I guess both are valid times in a way, but it's a bit disingenuous to claim the shorter time if you needed to have significant stops possibly.
Guess the best way to sort is to congratulate him on his 'great effort' with a screen grab of the official timings 😉
Maybe she should post something on his Facebook pointing out that the "official time" on the website seems to be incorrect and that he may want to contact the organisers to have this "corrected" 🙂
If the stop times are standing in queues for portaloos and water, I say fair enough.
If you just stopped for a, say, ten minute rest by the side of the road would that count? How many rest stops help with the average speed when actually riding the bike sections?
I think the right thing for your missus to do is reply to the post pointing she is confused because the website says he did it in x:xx instead. And maybe post a picture of some Bombers and some soggy slippers. 😛
50 mile sportive last year, and my 11 year old only stopped once for 10 mins and posted a time of about 4:45, whereas he stopped for a 1:15 (3 cake stops)
[b][i]3[/i][/b] cake stops over 50 miles!?
I'm known to have a bit of a 'problem' as far as baked goods are concerned but even I wouldn't do that!
Was it a cycling sportive or a cake eating sportive?
It would be even better to post an 11 year old girls time that beats his. Stalk his every event and post the competing times. He'll stop posting up after a couple of humiliations 😀
Sounds like the bigger issue may be her living vicariously through your son 😀
Total time with breaks average speed without
Was it a cycling sportive or a cake eating sportive?
I'm liking the sound of a cake-eating Sportive, tell me more!
FWIW, on the rare occasions I bother posting times from events like that, I'll post "5hrs riding time, 5.30 total time" or whatever.
maybe he needs educating that his time is the official time minus any major enforced stops such as the one at Leith Hill.
part of the challenge of setting a good time is not stopping, not just completing the ride. if you were doing the marathon you wouldn't stop for a pie half way round.
I got a puncture yesterday but don't subtract the time spent fixing it from my time (but do inform people that's why I was 15 mins slower).
I'd call him out on it.
***ing tragic but no doubt the mentality of many Sportive racers.
In a timed event the clock starts when you cross the start and stops when you cross the finish line, thats it. I'm with your wife OP by now I'd have already posted a facebook comment with his correct time.
2 hours of stops - did he take a picnic and blanket with him? What the hell would you do in 2 hours of stop mincing around in your cleats? Credit to him though - I'd struggle to get going again at a good pace with stops that long.
That would struggle to register on my give-a-shit-o-meter.
Why is she bothered what time he did? Did she post up a 'legit' time which he is claiming to have 'beaten'? Otherwise trawling through the official results to find something to be upset about looks a trifle...issue-driven.
It's a bloody sportive.
Perhaps she should go nuclear and post a question asking him how he manages to still be such a chubby sod despite clearly being a cycling god.
cake-eating Sportive
We run one of those. Well, we charge a lot less than a sportive and you have to pay a small amount for the cake but it's certainly as focussed on the eating as the riding...
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It's a bloody sportive.
it not just a sportive though - that's like saying the London Marathon is 'just a fun-run'.
brakes - Member
It's a bloody sportive.it not just a sportive though - that's like saying the London Marathon is 'just a fun-run'.
2 hours of stopping...are you suggesting it's a race? "challenge"?
By that same logic, I can run 200m in about 30s. Then I need a long break, for lying down and vomiting. Then I can do another. And another. Maybe over the course of a few days, allowing for rest breaks. But, subtracting the time spent not actually running, I am now the marathon world record holder at 1:45.
Seems reasonable?
By that same logic, I can run 200m in about 30s. Then I need a long break, for lying down and vomiting. Then I can do another. And another. Maybe over the course of a few days, allowing for rest breaks. But, subtracting the time spent not actually running, I am now the marathon world record holder at 1:45.Seems reasonable?
I can run it in 29s. Loser!
it not just a sportive though - that's like saying the London Marathon is 'just a fun-run'.
It is though unless you're on the pro start line.
2 hours of stopping...are you suggesting it's a race? "challenge"?
perhaps it's more akin to a time trial, where drafting is allowed.
Maybe strava has something to do with this? The bold, highlighted time shown is moving time, then below estimated average power, energy output, speed, average and max and calories is the elapsed time.
As a newcomer to cycling, he could be mistaken for thinking this is the time people use?
The Op's wife isn't cross with me BTW...I hope not anyway 😆
brakes - Member
2 hours of stopping...are you suggesting it's a race? "challenge"?perhaps it's more akin to a time trial, where drafting is allowed.
And stops. Are you for real? Bring back druid!
"Timed mass group ride with stops and drafting."
it not just a sportive though - that's like saying the London Marathon is 'just a fun-run'.
I can't see anyone subtracting their "stopping time" from their official race time and claiming that's their time for the London marathon!
People time themselves on sportives.....for real?
Out of interest, why wouldn't they? If you do it and want to see how you do even if just against yourself, you'd time yourself. I can't see any issue with trying to keep up a decent average. People like to achieve things if only personal goals.
What's an issue is if you act like a **** while doing that or maybe if you brag about your average after. Particularly if you didn't really achieve it... 😉
And stops. Are you for real? Bring back druid!"Timed mass group ride with stops and drafting."
just relax. some people take great pride and enjoyment setting good times for events without the stress of racing. no need to pour hate.
People time themselves on sportives.....for real?
Well, seeing most of them give 'awards' for gold, silver and bronze times (often adjusted for age - i.e. 7hrs 10 for a senior, 7hrs 25 for a vet etc) it would be a bit weird if you didn't.
Posting any kind of time is a naive really. It's kind of quaint in a very patronising way, you're first foray into riding a bike over a set distance while someone holds a stop watch. But it really isn't a race and the London Marathon isn't remotely comparable since a running race and a bike race are totally different events (drafting etc).
Your time is what it is either with or without stops subtracted but it doesn't mean anything to anyone who has compete in either a categorised road race or a time trial. we all know it means very little (like Strava). If you want to get respect and admiration you have to enter an actual race.
Your wife sounds really bitter. Tell her to focus on herself and never mind what anyone else is doing.
take him out at the weekend, rip his legs off and post the strava on facebook.
That'll sort it!
Its alway nice to put some "Big I am" back in his box.
I've done it with a couple of rad gnar work colleagues, great fun.
Its alway nice to put some "Big I am" back in his box.
Doesn't that make you a "Big I am"? 😉
May I draft a new entry to the rules.
[b]The time shall be the total elapsed time[/b]
Auto stop shall not be used. Time shall not be deducted for traffic lights, mechanicals, calls of nature or similar short stops. The exception is any cafe stop involving table service.
I reckon there's a cutoff though. On my old commute there was only one set of traffic lights but if I got caught on them at red, it'd take about 2-3 minutes to get through them. Given I did the route very regularly, I reckon I'm safe in saying that if I got stopped (so got 2-3 minutes rest), it didn't improve my overall time on the ride (auto-stop on my computer).
Now, if you extend that out, eventually it would obviously be a benefit if you take it to extremes - the 200m/marathon example - but I don't reckon that 'reasonable' stops on a ride make all that much difference to your capability to hold an average. In fact, for me, I find that stops probably make me slower as I cool down and legs stiffen, etc so restarting is crap.
Holding bike aloft - one wonders, how many other 'rules' was he breaking?
In my experience, the average number of rule infrinements is significantly higher on sportives than on any other events.
As an aside, the only way true path to education is to get yourself out on the sunday club runs. This is the way that behaviour such as the OP's issue can be corrected.
Oh, unless it's a TT time is irrelivent. Racin' is racin' and ridin' is ridin'. Just enjoy it.
Rorschach - MemberPeople time themselves on sportives.....for real?
Why not? I time myself on my commute.
Total time with breaks average speed without
Spot on. For sportives it's always Total Time which is significant but for tracking my own performances (on any ride) I use Moving Time from Garmin Connect to calculate my average speed on the ride.
I don't use auto-stop either because there's no need and I can't stand the Garmin beeping at me all the time (although I have to put up with my mate's one doing so!)
In my experience, the average number of rule infrinements is significantly higher on sportives than on any other events.
You seem to be suggesting this is a bad thing.
Given that the rules are only taken seriously by the terminally dull/stupid/serious/insecure, this is surely a very positive thing 😆
Rorschach - Member
People time themselves on sportives.....for real?
You may be surprised to learn that some are even qualifying events for the Amateur World Championships, so yes, timing is actually quite important to those events.
Now get back under your bridge and keep telling yourself they're not a race.
Total time is total time including breaks, cheating yourself otherwise especially as it's a sportive not a race. But then again WGAF?
I time myself on the loo....but that's different.
There's a world Amateur Sportive Championships....really?
Races are easy to spot,everyone starts together and the first one home wins.
The rest are (at best) time trials.
Indeed... does it really matter? On the few sportives I've done I have noted my overall time and my actual riding time and average speed. They are two diferent things, each of interest to me. On weekend rides I only record my riding time and average but in a competitive event the overall time is what matters.
Don't criticise the poor relative just at the time when he's happy with what might have looked immpossible a year or two ago.
Clock starts when you cross the start line and only stops when you cross the finish line.Though as has been said, it's not a race so who cares.
I'd be inclined to agree...
So he doesn't want to count all the Cake-stops, never mind, in a real race he'd be "found out", but it wasn't a real race was it...
The bigger questions to ask are, firstly why is your Missus treating Sportives as serious competition? And why has she got such a problem with this fella?...
If it get's the bloke in question out riding and gives him a bit of a boost in the exercise and confidence stakes then what's so terrible about a bit of minor self-delusion?
Taking into account the tragic news about the guy on leith hill I'd tell your wife that it doesn't really matter. Good work from everyone who got round safely and great to see so many people enjoying bikes.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-33755413 ]Leith Hill incident[/url]
To be fair that might be a pretty reasonable reason for 2hrs worth of inactivity - must have created a lot of waiting. And makes completing in one piece seem like a reasonable objective.
Are there really Sportive World Champs?
Jeezo. Only on here could a topic like this go in the way it has. Who cares? Even if it is 'cheating' he is probably claiming to be finishing 14,322nd out if 25,000. It's a sportive. People like to time themselves, it gives them a sense of achievement. Nobody else gives two hoots.
I got a puncture yesterday but don't subtract the time spent fixing it from my time (but do inform people that's why I was 15 mins slower)
15 minutes to fix a puncture? Did you stop half way through for a cake?
I got a puncture yesterday but don't subtract the time spent fixing it from my time (but do inform people that's why I was 15 mins slower)
15 minutes to fix a puncture? Did you stop mid-repair for a cake?
Someone should tell Josh Ibbett that he could rest for as long as he wants and subtract the time when he reaches Istanbul...
Go on then, what was his previous infraction?
We're all itching to know what her beef is with him.
Could he naively taking his time from his Strava btw? Surely nobody would knowingly lie about a sportive finishing time?
Or maybe I'm the naive one.
I did the Dragon ride last year and couldn't have done it without the stops. 😆
Although my Strava moving time was 8h16m, my official time (and in fact the Strava time for the event route segment which of course is based on elapsed not moving time) was 8h33m, and that's all I ever told anyone I did. If you reduce an "event" time when you've stopped for whatever reason you're being deceitful, IMO.
@nemesis.
The LVIS audax is brilliant- can you post here when the 2016 opens for entries?
TIA
I wonder, is this the reason why you aren't 'allowed' to publich audax times?
@nemesis.
The LVIS audax is brilliant- can you post here when the 2016 opens for entries?
TIA
+1, though I abandoned it this year half-way through due to the ridiculous gale-force wind. I've pretty much given up on sportives - too much poor riding and £40 for a timing chip and free jelly babies doesn't feel like good value.
I did the Exmouth Exodus on Saturday night - free to enter with proper grub at the stops, full English at the end, and donations to charity. If I wanted to time myself, I could've used my garmin.
I did the Exmouth Exodus on Saturday night - free to enter with proper grub at the stops, full English at the end, and donations to charity. If I wanted to time myself, I could've used my garmin.
+1, it was great, especially the cakestravaganza at the scout hut! And the disparity between my moving time and elapsed time before I arrived back at my front door is just comical 🙂
LVIS audax entries open on [url= http://lvis.org.uk/about/ ]Barry Jaeger's birthday[/url]. 😉
The weather this year was a bit silly but most years have been decent enough. That said, the icicles on my BB after the 2013 edition were an interesting talking point
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+1, it was great, especially the cakestravaganza at the scout hut! And the disparity between my moving time and elapsed time before I arrived back at my front door is just comical
I haven't even looked at my Garmin, but I expect I'd be the same. Having done the biblically wet Exodus last year, this one was a real treat - zipping along the Somerset Levels with the full moon lighting our way. Including the ride to the start, and back to Exeter at the end, I clocked 221km. My legs are properly sore today...
Thanks all. My wife can be a strange and complex woman at times....
As said, my own feeling is (after years of gently nagging him as his weight crept up): good on you for getting out there and doing it, and I'd never discourage him at this stage as he really is keen. And he's (IMO) a nice bloke.
I'll chalk this up to my wife's canny ability to pretend she's forgotten a grudge until the payback moment arrives.
I missed last year but heard it was awfully wet! This year was fantastic though and I'll definitely be back next year, I might even try and make a round trip of it and ride up from Exeter to Bath on the friday, stay over night and then ride back with the group on Saturday, that'll screw my 'event time' somewhat 😈