Bike Chester

[Chislenko]

Anyone doing it?

https://www.bikechester.co.uk/?embedded_webview=true

 

[Chislenko]

Thinking of doing the long route.
Won't decide until next week when weather for the weekend will be available.
After this summer I ain't going out again to get bladdered on 40 miles from home.

Which route you thinking of?

I would do the long one but must admit I have never entered a Sportive in my life. I just feel like I would be paying £35 to ride roads I do regularly for nowt😀

 

[Chislenko]

Yes, paying to ride sticks in the craw a bit.
But, if I was doing an 80 mile ride then food for the day would easily be £20. There are obviously organiser's costs - the number of signs needed for all the junctions must bring a hefty bill.
I'll probably rely on Garmin for navigation but a lot won't so the route must be signed.

Interestingly I looked at an event from Lancaster a couple of weeks ago.

Only £25 to enter. 65 miles round Trough of Bowland. Entry assumed registration. No sign on. Start was unmanned. Go when you liked. No markers. No support. No medical or mechanical backup. No food. No facilities at start/finish. A digital badge would be awarded on receipt of your Strava log. 6 entries!!!

It's the old chestnut. Do you pay for an event on roads you could ride for free?

As a Sportive virgin I may do it just to break my duck.

 

[PaulSB]

Yes, paying to ride sticks in the craw a bit.
But, if I was doing an 80 mile ride then food for the day would easily be £20. There are obviously organiser's costs - the number of signs needed for all the junctions must bring a hefty bill.
I'll probably rely on Garmin for navigation but a lot won't so the route must be signed.

Interestingly I looked at an event from Lancaster a couple of weeks ago.

Only £25 to enter. 65 miles round Trough of Bowland. Entry assumed registration. No sign on. Start was unmanned. Go when you liked. No markers. No support. No medical or mechanical backup. No food. No facilities at start/finish. A digital badge would be awarded on receipt of your Strava log. 6 entries!!!

It's the old chestnut. Do you pay for an event on roads you could ride for free?

Out of interest how would you spend £20 on food during a ride?

 

[cougie uk]

Anyone doing it?

https://www.bikechester.co.uk/?embedded_webview=true

Ooh interesting. Not heard of this before.
It'd put me over a ton for the first time this year anyway and it's a good incentive for that anyway.

 

[PaulSB]

A couple of cafe stops at £5/6 each.
Nibbles and brew before the ride another fiver. Food and drink at the end another fiver equals £20.
Ride from home and it's all there in the kitchen.

I would do one and these days that would be at most. I don't know many where we can stop for that money. In 2022 it can easily hit £7/8 or even £10. Increasingly we see the cafe stop as a treat and something we will reserve for winter.

I don't begrudge cafes the increases necessary to sustain their business and fully understand it but I do find myself more and more priced out of the market. For the good weather months I carry sandwiches and snacks. If everyone else wants to stop I limit my spend to coffee.

The exception is the one stop where we are made tremendously welcome and I'm delighted to help the owner in her great efforts to improve the business. There are too many though who are taking advantage.

 

[I like Skol]

As a Sportive virgin I may do it just to break my duck.

Despite the snobbery and ridicule from some 'proper' cyclists (They're all wannabe racers, why would you pay for something you can do for free, it's poor VFM, etc), IMO Sportives are often a great way to experience cycling in a way you never have before. I've done plenty over the years, including some proper closed road ones and even though I am happy to organise and navigate my own big rides, not everyone is and Sportives can be the start to getting the confidence to do it yourself. Besides, it is often a great day out without any hassle and a good atmosphere.

Ooh interesting. Not heard of this before.
It'd put me over a ton for the first time this year....

Sorry to disappoint but the long route is only 77 miles so falls a long way short of the magical 'ton'.

 

[Chislenko]

Despite the snobbery and ridicule from some 'proper' cyclists (They're all wannabe racers, why would you pay for something you can do for free, it's poor VFM, etc), IMO Sportives are often a great way to experience cycling in a way you never have before. I've done plenty over the years, including some proper closed road ones and even though I am happy to organise and navigate my own big rides, not everyone is and Sportives can be the start to getting the confidence to do it yourself. Besides, it is often a great day out without any hassle and a good atmosphere.

Sorry to disappoint but the long route is only 77 miles so falls a long way short of the magical 'ton'.

Aye but by the time he has ridden from where he lives to the start and back home at the finish it could be 100.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Away on hols, but nice routes. Beeston Castle back in May (both longer rides swing past)

Hope anyone taking part has a great day out

 

[cougie uk]

Despite the snobbery and ridicule from some 'proper' cyclists (They're all wannabe racers, why would you pay for something you can do for free, it's poor VFM, etc), IMO Sportives are often a great way to experience cycling in a way you never have before. I've done plenty over the years, including some proper closed road ones and even though I am happy to organise and navigate my own big rides, not everyone is and Sportives can be the start to getting the confidence to do it yourself. Besides, it is often a great day out without any hassle and a good atmosphere.

Sorry to disappoint but the long route is only 77 miles so falls a long way short of the magical 'ton'.

Yes but it's a good 15 miles or so to the start and I've never liked using a car to go cycling. Seems a strange thing to do.

 

[Chislenko]

Just looked at entering this event.
A lot of personal questions to supply answers to a third party organisation. Medical details, next of kin, past experience with a list wanted of similar rides done in the past. What will they use this info for?
Then at the end a further £3.35 on top of the entry fee, plus £8.75 automatically added - but can be removed - to protect your entry fee if you are unable to make the event.
I was initially given an amount in excess of £45 to pay!!!
Talk about surprised.
OK, I could knock the insurance off but would still be left with nearly £40 to pay.
I'm not as tight as many cyclists but that is waaaaaaaay too much.
Add in the cost of petrol, maybe 4 gallons plus two times Runcorn Bridge/Mersey Tunnel crossings and it becomes a bit expensive
Think I might be giving this a miss.

To be honest DJ I may just download the route and do it myself one day although there probably isn't a road on there I haven't cycled previously.

At the end of the day I can do the ride and still have 40 notes for the pub after😊

 

[si_c]

Maybe organise it as a forum ride, it's pretty local to me, and whilst I've done some of those roads, I've not done all, and it's 12 miles each way to the start from home, so an easy ton ride.

 

[Chislenko]

Maybe organise it as a forum ride, it's pretty local to me, and whilst I've done some of those roads, I've not done all, and it's 12 miles each way to the start from home, so an easy ton ride.

Yes, good idea, didn't know you were local. However having looked at @cougie uk average speed on Strava (we have been on the same segment) I sadly at my advancing years won't be able to keep up!

 

[neil_merseyside]

Yes, good idea, didn't know you were local. However having looked at @cougie uk average speed on Strava (we have been on the same segment) I sadly at my advancing years won't be able to keep up!

If you lead it then it's your pace not his though, and if he zooms off then you just turn off

 

[ColinJ]

Medical details, next of kin... What will they use this info for?

If you fall off/get knocked off your bike, or have a heart attack/some other health emergency?

I, for example, am permanently dosed up with warfarin... it would be rather handy for paramedics attending me at the roadside to know why I was bleeding like a very bleedy thing! ***



*** I actually always wear a medical dog tag with that info PLUS next of kin details on it, but you get the point?