First sportive - comments and questions

[SirDickieBird]

Did my first sportive today - charity ride for local cause.

104km at average speed of 15.8 mph wit has 2 800 ft of climbs. Ended up 32nd out of 43 which isn't great but did go slow for first quarter and spent too long at the first food stop and toilet I think!

Observations:

1. I'm not as slow as I worried I might be.
2. I'm not as quick as I'd like to be.
3. Better at climbing than a lot, but weaker than many too.
4. Need some better shorts - final 10 miles chafed.
5. Enjoyed being in a group albeit one that I tagged along with after a stop. Hope they didn't mind me not going on the front. Think I would have found the pace hard to judge.
6. Having others around to keep up with / pace against was useful after things settled down. Chose slower riders first to ease in.
7. My lack of bike brand knowledge meant I wasn't bothered what other makes were there! No other carreras but it did me proud...
8. Think I was the only one with AstroTurf boots not clipless pedals.
9. Managed the distance fine and not too shabby afterwards. Bit slower than usual in the final stages mind.
10. Made me want to do another one to try and get higher than the top 75%

So...
- are clipless pedals worth it? Probably impossible to say but if I had them today what would have been different?

- best tips for improving speed? Won't be able to take big chunks of time for long rides - regular 1hr sessions will suit

- anyone experienced the Wiggle sportive? Comments?

- would you say it's a decent starting time for 1st 100km? Only been riding regularly since May with a road bike for a month.

 

[jefmcg]

TL;DR

but

104km at average speed of 15.8 mph

That's pretty fast for someone old enough to think Dicky Bird is a good forum name.

Edit: Oh! you're 37. Still pretty good for a first sportive. (Updated after @odav and @Slick had already liked this)

 

[Slick]

I would agree.

 

[SirDickieBird]

Next month's shopping might be for pedals and shoes then?

 

[gavroche]

You are forgetting one important thing: a sportive is not a race so where you finish is irrelevant. On a plus note though, your average is very good over that distance. Well done.

 

[jefmcg]

Realised I was mean.

for a first sportive.

Ugh no, it's just good. I would be eating your dust.

 

[smutchin]

spent too long at the first food stop and toilet I think!

best tips for improving speed

Spend less time at food stops and toilets.

 

[jefmcg]

Spend less time at food stops and toilets.

Serious lols.

Or don't. You could stop caring about your ride time and just enjoy it. And ponder on your choice of forum name.

 

[videoman]

Great result for your first sportive, you will only get better now.

 

[SirDickieBird]

Thanks. I know it's not a race and there's no way I'll be "challenging" the group at the front that raced off like it was but equally would like to set a target too for the next one.

 

[rugby bloke]

Sounds like a good ride for your first Sportive. Increased speed will come from more time on the bike, your endurance will improve, plus things like descending speed will also increase with confidence. Hill climbing can only be improved by climbing hills - sorry !! So as Queen once said "Get on your bike and ride !". Fit it around your schedule.

 

[mikeymustard]

That's a fantastic avg speed so don't go fretting about that.
There are plenty of training plans around the internet which involve a "slow" run one session, intervals another, then a hill session etc. You could fit those into your schedule without too much trouble, but finding time for a long ride once a week would benefit your stamina.
It's hard to fit it all in I know; I marvel at how many hours some people put into saddle time - it's like they don't have a life or something!

 

[mjr]

- are clipless pedals worth it? Probably impossible to say but if I had them today what would have been different?

No. They change the riding profile in certain ways which benefit racing, especially holding the rider in one specific position (useful for time trials if you find your optimal position) or allowing you to trade some efficiency for higher effectiveness (useful for sprinting or following attacks), but they're basically no-change for recreational riding. You gain a bit from generally-better shoes, but stiff shoes good for cycling on flats do exist and one risks failed-to-unclip falls (cue the usual scads of denials than it's a common injury among people on this forum, but that's unlike what I've seen on group rides or sportives, even just last weekend).

- best tips for improving speed? Won't be able to take big chunks of time for long rides - regular 1hr sessions will suit

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/k...eginner-Introduction-to-the-Improvers’-Plan-0 is based around 1hr sessions and leads on to further training plans. I'm critical of many things about HSBCUKBC but they do seem to make reasonable-looking training plans available for free. However, even though it's mostly only 1hr a time, it does still demand a lot of time. Don't feel bad if you need to spread it out more or can't do every ride - I am slightly worried that their plans may encourage burnout and people to give up cycling entirely instead of returning to relaxing riding.

- anyone experienced the Wiggle sportive? Comments?

No comment from me. I've ridden some but not Wiggle. From what I've heard from local group rides, I'd take a GPS with the route in it, as the signs aren't great.

- would you say it's a decent starting time for 1st 100km? Only been riding regularly since May with a road bike for a month.

It's a flying speed that I'd rarely match for years. I doubt you'd miss the finish time cut at many sportives with that. It's not a race, so I wouldn't worry about speed for sportives. If you want to compare yourself with others, find a club intro event and go TTing.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

@SirDickieBird Blimey mate, at your speed I think it's us who should be asking you for advice! Well done, great effort.

 

[smutchin]

To put the speed into some context, assuming the quoted climbing figure of 2,800ft (853m) is accurate, that's a very flat ride - notwithstanding that there might have been one or two proper hills along the way. And probably some wind.

Still a good, strong riding for a newbie, but it does make me suspect that the front riders would have been going considerably quicker - I'd guess likely to be averaging >20mph. I also suspect they won't have stopped at all on a ride of that distance (except for punctures).

If you want to finish higher up the field, fewer and shorter stops are going to make the biggest difference. An average speed of 15.8mph is respectable enough, but I'm assuming that's a moving average; it's the overall average speed that really counts, and even stopping for just a minute or two will make a big difference there.

If you want to get faster, ride more.