Doing Sportive on Hybrid ??????

[jefmcg]

To quote another thread .... http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/richmond-park-clockwise-or-anti-clockwise.118933/post-2874652

 

[SteCenturion]

Of course you can OP, I've done sportives and audax's on a mountain bike with slicks.

Sportive & Audax dude - what's the bloody difference ?

No seriously - I mean, I read like a man posessed, 4 cycling mags a month - but, nowhere have I seen le difference' explained.

I am not a complete 'Rodney' either - just don't get it.

Cheers.

I mean - Dudess of course.

 

[Rustybucket]

I did Ride London last year on my Boardman Hybrid - think I had 28 tyres on it thou.

Again agree with everyone that you should get some slimmer tyres thou

 

[MarkF]

Easy, why not? I tour on a hybrid, 100km day after day on 35mm M+'s. I'd still be tempted to throw on cheap set of 28/32mm's for your sportive tho'..........

 

[the_mikey]

At sportives I've seen hybrids, MTBs, folding bikes, tandems, even a BSO or two. Yet to see a tricycle though...

 

[Julia9054]

I did my first 100km on my Specialized Arial before I got my road bike. Like yours, it has front suspension (It didn't occur to me I could lock it at the time) but I have 32 slicks on it.
It was hard work and my companions on road bikes dropped me for the last 20kms but perfectly possible.

 

[Herbie]

Hi All,

just like to throw a question around and see if i can get some response.

Can i ride a 100KM sportive on my hybrid Specialized Crosstrail Comp with 700 x 38 tyres and front suspension, although that will be turned off.

If you don't think i can what would you all suggest i do to change the bike so i can ride above sportive ( and no comments like skip it or refurb from top to bottom guys)

Keep the answers within the remit of my bike

just go for it and enjoy it

 

[jefmcg]

Please stop replying to the OP. He did (or didn't do) the sportive 18 months ago!

Does anybody have a training plan to build up from 75 miles per week up to doing a 100 km sportive in June 2012

and he's obviously moving on quite happily, as he posted recently....

Hi All,

Looking at doing a guided or self guided tour of Alpe d'Huez and other southern alps next year and wondering if you have any recommendations for tour companies that do this sort of thing or if any of you have tips etc for DIY'ing it

in appreciation of your views

 

[jefmcg]

Sportive & Audax dude - what's the bloody difference ?

No seriously - I mean, I read like a man posessed, 4 cycling mags a month - but, nowhere have I seen le difference' explained.

I am not a complete 'Rodney' either - just don't get it.

Cheers.

I mean - Dudess of course.

Sportives are organised, profit making rides, usually reasonably expensive with timing chips and sign posts. Audaxes are much cheaper, volunteer run rides with no route marking: instead you get a route sheet listing turns and landmarks. Rides aren't timed as such, you just have to finish within a time limit, and the time keeping is stamps on a card or shop receipts or even GPS tracks.

The quote I like is "Sportive riders pretend they are racing; audax riders pretend they are not"

 

[Pale Rider]

Please stop replying to the OP. He did (or didn't do) the sportive 18 months ago!

@paulb55 how did you get on?

 

[AnneOver]

Hello! I was on the hunt with a pretty similar question...
With the notion of the old saying "a bad workman always blames his tools", I was wondering how much impact the bike you use would affect a century cycle?

Now, I've had my current bike since I was about 15 years old... it's a mountain bike- pretty standard. I have a bike computer fitted and can generally trudge along at about 10 miles per hour on average I reckon...so with this in mind it could be a pretty long ride! I can get the bike just over 20 MPH at best, but as soon as I hit around 18 MPH, on top gear, the pedals loosen and it's hard to push the bike for any more speed.

So I guess my questions are:

1. what kind of speed is generally acceptible on a bike? (I ideally want to finish the century this june- 2014- in less than 10 hours!!)
2. Is it worth investing in a hybrid? (this one is a potential purchase... http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bike...atures?url=us/en/bikes/town/fitness/fx/7_2_fx

Thank you for your time! I look forward to your opinions
Would also be good to know how other people have done on previous century rides?!

 

[Pale Rider]

A new hybrid will be lighter and the tyres will roll significantly faster than your old mountain bike.

Are you near a bike shop?

A brief test ride will give you a good idea of the difference.

There's nothing wrong with the Trek, but any hybrid will do for test purposes - they all roll at about the same rate.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hello! I was on the hunt with a pretty similar question...
With the notion of the old saying "a bad workman always blames his tools", I was wondering how much impact the bike you use would affect a century cycle?

Now, I've had my current bike since I was about 15 years old... it's a mountain bike- pretty standard. I have a bike computer fitted and can generally trudge along at about 10 miles per hour on average I reckon...so with this in mind it could be a pretty long ride! I can get the bike just over 20 MPH at best, but as soon as I hit around 18 MPH, on top gear, the pedals loosen and it's hard to push the bike for any more speed.

So I guess my questions are:

1. what kind of speed is generally acceptible on a bike? (I ideally want to finish the century this june- 2014- in less than 10 hours!!)
2. Is it worth investing in a hybrid? (this one is a potential purchase... http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bike...atures?url=us/en/bikes/town/fitness/fx/7_2_fx

Thank you for your time! I look forward to your opinions
Would also be good to know how other people have done on previous century rides?!

Hi @AnneOver and .

The bike you use will make a difference to your century ride and of the two mentioned I'd suggest that the Trek you've linked to would be the better bet. If for any reason you wanted or needed to stick with the mountain bike you could try fitting different tyres (something quick rolling such as Schwalbe CityJet in 26x1.5) and from your description it sounds like the bike might benefit from taller gearing too (perhaps fit a 48/38/28 crankset).
I did my first century last June so have experience of what you've got to come and reckon that ideally you need to be able to average between 12 and 13 mph if you want to do it in less than 10 hours as various stops (food, drink, photo, navigation stops etc) will add to the time quite surprisingly.

Is your target 10 hours for a specific reason? If not, you could set out early and take as long as you need to at that time of year.

My report on the century ride is here: LINK if it's of any interest to you. (You might need to scroll down the page a bit to get to the write up).

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hello @AnneOver I did my first (and only) century last September in just over 10 hours.
Was on the road for about 12 hours: like Phil says, allow for rest stops and for getting lost (who, me? ) and for being stuck behind a slower rider on a narrow canal track
I rode my Boris, 14kg. with front suspension (locked), Marathon original tyres 2.00 fat and slow but comfy.
I'm no road racer but was still able to pedal some more next day.
Good luck for your century!

 

[jefmcg]

My first century (112 miles) was the Dunwich Dynamo overnight on a bike I already owned and commuted on. Took a little over 12 hours, including some time lying on the grass eating a bacon sandwich and a 45 minute tyre change and midnight snack. Disturbingly though, no "comfort stops" were required.

This is a photo taken of my ride on the beach. Strangers called me "brave", which is the real advantage of using an unorthodox bike.

.