2009 Sportives

[Kablinsky]

welcome Kablinsky (nice traditional Essex name that lol)

never ridden a sportive myself but use to ride lots of Audax and charity rides. Worth taking a look at Audax as well http://www.aukweb.net/cal/index.htm
London Paris sounds fantastic but I reckon you'l need some serious stamina for that . Good luck.
ps what part of Essex you from ? spent my youth there Ilford,Chigwell Hainault, Leytonstone,Wanstead, Redbridge . Bet its all changed now though

Thanks for the link. Also spent my (wasted) youth in Redbridge / Barkingside / Loughton. Don't get back there much. I'm out in Rayleigh now. I only started cycling a couple of years ago so am making up for lost time. Gutted I didn't take it up years ago.

PS: The nickname is a long story that I won't bore you with.

 

[Soltydog]

I've never ridden a sportive, but I'm not due to be working for Big G – Grimpeurs des Wolds Cyclosportive on 25th july, so i'll have a bash, but not sure what distance yet. Any other east Yorkies having a bash?

 

[ontheroadtofrance]

Mad March hare in my sites training and thinking of entering some Audax events

 

[Kablinsky]

I'd like to get away for a weekend and do one of the rides with some decent climbs in 2009. I'm based in Essex so the shorter the drive the better. Any suggestions from previous riders?

 

[peanut]

I'd like to get away for a weekend and do one of the rides with some decent climbs in 2009. I'm based in Essex so the shorter the drive the better. Any suggestions from previous riders?

your best bet would be Sussex I guess. The Downs should provide plenty of hilly events and its not far away. Beautiful scenery and the coast

 

[Yanto]

Never done a sportive but a mate of mine did three last year and is trying to persuade me to join him in 2009. The ones being considered are The Cheshire Cat, Dave Lloyd Challange and Wild Wales. Anyone ridden any of these? I'm not good on steep hills to be honest, and there are plenty of those involved in these three events! Better start practicing hills then I guess!

 

[RedBike]

and there are plenty of those involved in these three events! Better start practicing hills then I guess!

Are there any steep hills ?
- I think you'd better look at the routes!

 

[Yanto]

Thats not what I said

 

[copper585]

I've never ridden a sportive, but I'm not due to be working for Big G – Grimpeurs des Wolds Cyclosportive on 25th july, so i'll have a bash, but not sure what distance yet. Any other east Yorkies having a bash?

hi saltydog - i rode this in august this year and the reboot ride that the local clubs did in oct, great ride found some new hills and roads never knew about, hopefully going to do it again this wed or thurs if weather reasonable as its a great training ride.unfortunately can not do next year as on hol shame they shifted the date only just miss it.

as for other sportives next year already entered cheshire cat (never ridden round there so looking forward to that), also gonna do polka dot challenge, white rose poss, ryedale rumble and tour of peak.

i wanted to do fred whitton and etape du dales but think may be too much so will hopefully do them in 2010 along with dragon ride.

on another note i rode from ladybower up snakes pass down into glossop,turned round back up and over and back to car last week for first time.never ridden this area what an awesome ride! did it in 1hr 50 mins anybody any idea what distance this would have been and was that a reasonable time? any comments appreciated thanks.

 

[Tarbo]

Never done a sportive but a mate of mine did three last year and is trying to persuade me to join him in 2009. The ones being considered are The Cheshire Cat, Dave Lloyd Challange and Wild Wales. Anyone ridden any of these? I'm not good on steep hills to be honest, and there are plenty of those involved in these three events! Better start practicing hills then I guess!

I done my first sportive this year. Done the David Lloyd Challenge, the 76 mile route and I found it hard going. I only started road biking at the beginning of the year as I’d always stuck to my mountain bike. Then got a road bike to commute to work as the mountain bike was hard work, next thing you know I’m doing more road biking than mountain biking.

The problem was that I’d underestimated how hard it would be. I’d regularly do 30 miles on a mountain bike and thought that 76 miles would be a doddle . How wrong I was !!
Since then I started to put the miles in. Regular 60+ miles every third Sunday with some decent hills. (The horseshoe pass and the road to the Brenig Resevoir for example).

Found the Wild Wales a lot more easier due to putting the miles in. Then done the Cat & Fiddle last October, and that wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. Since then I’m not getting out as much as I’d like due to the Mrs working most weekends. I think the moral of this story is, that if you want to do these rides, get some miles in the legs and get some big hills under your belt, you’ll enjoy it more.

BTW, I only have a 39/53 on the front and most of the lads I ride with have compacts. Which may go some way to explain why I’m last up the hills. At least that’s the excuse I’m sticking with.

 

[Yanto]

Tarbo - thanks mate I appreciate your advice. I have been doing 3 rides a week, the longest being 70 miles, although it is on fairly easy roads. The problem I have is going up hills, which I realise will only improve by going up more and more hills! As you said, I think the distance will not be a problem but its the kind of terrain that will be the tester. I have done the Horseshoe Pass on a number of occasions as it is only about 8 miles from where I live. I ride a compact and still struggle, but can get to the top without getting off! More practice on hills for me then!

 

[a_n_t]

Then done the Cat & Fiddle last October, and that wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be.

c+f isn't hard at all, it just drags on abit! Much steeper [but shorter] climbs in the vicinity though.

 

[colly]

c+f isn't hard at all, it just drags on abit! Much steeper [but shorter] climbs in the vicinity though.

Hi Ant !

How does it compare to Holme Moss and the climb up to saddleworth?

 

[a_n_t]

i'd say somewhere inbetween! It's longer and abit steeper than the saddleworth climb but not as steep as holmemoss, either way.

 

[craigwend]

I've never ridden a sportive, but I'm not due to be working for Big G – Grimpeurs des Wolds Cyclosportive on 25th july, so i'll have a bash, but not sure what distance yet. Any other east Yorkies having a bash?

The whole weekend looks good...

http://www.thisishullandeastriding....urism-gear/article-535007-detail/article.html