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In the mid 90's I used to race cross country and always did a couple of races a year. Up until the past few years I've always done a couple of sportives a year. But I just can't raise the enthusiasm for them any more.
There was a big closed road gran fondo in my home town last month, 75 mile event - I should have been excited by this but just couldn't be arsed.
Just read that there's a sportive starting in Dalbeattie and as I have a caravan in Kippford I should want to do this as it starts 2 miles up the road.
I'd like to do them but I just don't see the point, I look at the routes and both of the above are roads I can and do ride pretty much every weekend.
I love riding my bike, its not about motivation, it's possibly an age thing. My wife always says 'yeh that sounds good, you should do that', and because they're local to me I probably should but I just can't muster the enthusiasm.
Pointless post really, but there you go.
Possible lack of motivation (for events) due to a few factors - amount of commuting you do, events on roads you know well, and in the case of the Gran fondo - pretty uninspiring roads at that.
Do they still do the hardrock at dalbeattie every october? always quite fancied that.
I can understand that which is why I generally don't do sportives, but how could you not jump at the chance of 75 miles with zero nobheads in vans to spoil your day?!I look at the routes and both of the above are roads I can and do ride pretty much every weekend.
Sportives are pretty boring really.. Halfway between a race and a social cakefest.
Buy a CX bike and do some proper racing again?
but how could you not jump at the chance of 75 miles with zero nobheads in vans to spoil your day?!
Because generally the roads I ride at weekends are very quiet so don't really have any issues with drivers. Did a ride last weekend from Kippford and once I was off the main road I must have seen about 5 cars over 20 miles.
I think uninspiring routes might be part of it, neither of the sportives I mentioned are very exciting. It's not mileage related as I still ride at weekends, just can't be arsed with organised events now.
Buy a CX bike and do some proper racing again?
Already have a few 🙂 and I ride them off road at weekends too.
Maybe at nearly 50, I'm just too old to be bothered about competition.
The thing that makes events special is the people. But then misanthropic, grumbling old gets can do audax, a group event you can do largely on your own, except for the odd group grumble in whatever 70s throwback tearoom you happen to have the finish/grumbling committee meetings at.
I know the feeling. I started the year off the back of a good winters training, got decent mileage in and was flying come the first few crits. Then a weekend of back to backs, a big crash and illness wrecked it all.
I went on the turbo this morning to do an ftp test. I stopped halfway through, I just couldn't face hurting myself that much for mediocre numbers. I've no desire to race in a bunch that seems insistent on trying to knock me off nor do I have any desire to hurt myself for 3 months just to get my fitness back.
I still love riding bikes, but I think I may be done with racing..
I quite like the odd (maybe 2 or 3 a year) enduro, but if I was pushed, I'd rather have a those weekends in the mountains with mates.
Priorities change innit.
I did one sportive, that was enough for me.
Lost interest in enduros, prefer to spend my riding time out in the hills with friends.
Only stuff I'm likely to enter this year is grassroots XC - local short course events or longer ones like the Grizedale MBC.
Used to do 10 under, Selkirk marathon, bit of CX, GT7 as a solo. Used to be the highlight of my year.
Now the cost in money and time (Dad now) and the repetitiveness of them means it's just not worth it.
My few 'big days' are now Audax or DIY 200k MTB rides. More time riding per day, much less cost.
You need to eat more steak (not bertie's) and drink more red wine.
It's just swings and roundabouts, sometimes you jsut need a change of focus
Do they still do the hardrock at dalbeattie every october?
Yes still on, 8th October this year. But it's a run/ride - not sure it always was.
Priorities change innit.
Yeh that's true, when I'm at Kippford I'd rather go for a walk through the woods with my wife and retire to the anchor for lunch and a couple of pints than pay to ride 75 miles with strangers.
More time riding per day, much less cost.
This is the also a big factor for me.
The thing that makes events special is the people.
and
the repetitiveness
One question I've been asking myself a lot recently is "why do I ride?" It's a question that I've spent some pretty deep thinking time pondering... and come up with more than one answer...
We used to ride a lot of events but do many less now - what we do is choose interesting events, or ones we like.
In the last 12 months we've ridden Tuscany Trails, Tour of the Cornfields, OMM bike, Paris-Roubaix, Gravel Dash, Greg van Avermaet Classic amongst others. Have got Gran Fondo Eddy Merckx this weekend, Exmouth Exodus in August and then Tuscany Roads in September.
I'd rather cut my legs off than do RideLondon - as an example of a local ride.
I think you've got to change your riding up and try new events/challenges to keep these things interesting. But its also quite natural for interests/motivation to change.
Reckon i've got about another year or 2 of really pushing myself for endurance racing or challenges, then probably a period of just maintaining decent fitness and riding more socially. Maybe join a local club etc.
Don't you do the fairly big commute all week? Surely that will knock some enthusiasm.
I stopped racing at about 50 cos I was only ever mid-low pack finishing and realised the stress and effort just wasn't balanced out by fun.
cos you grew up?
For me it is the crowds, I realised that I really don't like cycling in large groups.
I will do the odd uplift day but other than that, I try and stay away from busy places.
Yeh that's true, when I'm at Kippford I'd rather go for a walk through the woods with my wife and retire to the anchor for lunch and a couple of pints than pay to ride 75 miles with strangers.
Absolutely, Sometimes a local ride on mellow riverside trails and a pint or 2 at a nice pub is what I prefer.
Maybe join a local club etc.
Christ no.
Don't you do the fairly big commute all week? Surely that will knock some enthusiasm
I do but as I said I still ride at weekends, and still absolutely love it. I have lots of enthusiasm for riding, just not events.
And as above clubs aren't for me, I've been asked to join a couple but always politely declined 🙂
Sounds like your quite happy with what you're doing, but feel the need to justify, to yourself perhaps, that events are no longer cutting it?.
Ride on, sir.