Is riding a sportive course the night before wrong?

[Globalti]

....oooh yes, that rear brake cable is far too long.

Are sportives any different to mountain bike trail centres?

 

[martint235]

....oooh yes, that rear brake cable is far too long.

Are sportives any different to mountain bike trail centres?

Never been to a MTB trail centre but I'd assume the centre have to put some time, money and effort into the courses. At the very least they'd have to purchase the land and maintain it. A sportive takes advantage of publicly funded open roads. Some I presume may add marshalling but the ones I've seen near me just stick arrows on lamp posts and then leave them there for a couple of decades.

 

[Globalti]

I meant in the sense that sportives, like trail centres, offer a safe option to people who don't feel completely confident going out in the great outdoors.

One thing is the same.... the shocking amount of litter that cyclists using both facilities will throw by the wayside.

 

[PaulSecteur]

I hate litter louts.

If they carried it with them they must have enough space to take it back too.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I think sportives are a way of turning a solo/small activity in to a big group one without the rider having to do anything like joining a group. A lot of the draw is probably the achievement factor, it's one thing to map our your own route and do it, it's another to force yourself to do someone else's. I think that's the big draw for my wife, you can't just select easy routes and avoid all the hills with a sportive where as you can with your own ride.

On the challenge front it's also a much more concrete thing to aim for. "I'm doing this sportive on this day so need to be ready" is a much better target than "Saturday I'll nip out and do this route" for people who are at the beginning end of cycling that challenge is a really good reason to get better.

There's also the element of being able to see where you are next to other riders without having to do anything serious like starting to race. That is a *thing* for some people. I kind of like to know where I am ability wise just so I can work out what my possibilities are compared to other riders, Strava can do that, but it doesn't really say how far the other riders had gone, or what the weather conditions were that day.

Then there's the odd really special thing. The only sportive that's really hooked me is Ride London and that's really because of the uniqueness of riding those roads closed.

And I agree on the rubbish, I have an 'empty wrappers' pocket that gets filled up and emptied when I stop near a bin. Don't find it that difficult, not sure why others do.

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE="w00hoo_kent, post: 3258329, member: 36674"

And I agree on the rubbish, I have an 'empty wrappers' pocket that gets filled up and emptied when I stop near a bin. Don't find it that difficult, not sure why others do.[/QUOTE]

For the same reason that children like to emulate their football heroes by putting their jersey over their head and running around. Some cyclists like to think sportives are a race and that they are in the TdF so like the pros they copy them as well.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Some cyclists like to think sportives are a race and that they are in the TdF so like the pros they copy them as well.

What kerbs.

That should work on being unique like the rest of us.

 

[ianrauk]

What kerbs.

.

?

 

[PK99]

One of the things that attracts me to Sportives, is the opportunity to ride outside my normal area (Surrey Hills) in (eg) Kent, Hampshire, Cotswolds etc without having to make a "get home in event of a mechanical" plan, or work out route or food stops. Sometimes I do all that stuff for myself or groups, but sometimes it's good to let the organiser look after all that!

 

[w00hoo_kent]

?

Sorry, twats.

 

[winjim]

For the same reason that children like to emulate their football heroes by putting their jersey over their head and running around. Some cyclists like to think sportives are a race and that they are in the TdF so like the pros they copy them as well.

Even the pros are only allowed to litter in specific areas, so it can be tidied up.

(Not saying it always happens that way...)

 

[ianrauk]

Even the pros are only allowed to litter in specific areas, so it can be tidied up.

(Not saying it always happens that way...)

There is usually a cleaning wagon following the race. Perhaps Sportive organisers should do well to do the same thing.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Even the pros are only allowed to litter in specific areas, so it can be tidied up.

(Not saying it always happens that way...)

Yeah, I've often watched a race and thought "look, all the pros are throwing their rubbish away now, must be a litter area". Oh, wait, no, I'll correct that myself. I've often watched a race and thought "look, the pros don't give a toss about the no litter policy, it obviously doesn't hurt them at all because they are chucking bidons and gel wrappers all over the place without a care in the world".

If they want to make it an issue, each bit of litter a pro drops costs everyone in his team 1 second. See how quickly they learn what pockets are for.

 

[winjim]

There is usually a cleaning wagon following the race. Perhaps Sportive organisers should do well to do the same thing.

Might encourage more littering if people think that someone is going to clean up after them. I suggest that anyone spotted littering should be dragged by the ear to their mum's house, who should be told what they've done. They're obviously not grown up enough to have left home yet.

 

[winjim]

If they want to make it an issue, each bit of litter a pro drops costs everyone in his team 1 second. See how quickly they learn what pockets are for.

This. Very much this. I've often thought that about team sports. Collective punishment will soon make the individual behave.