Maybe we just weren't elitist enough for the ride?

[jiberjaber]

@Stevec047 just another option, The Suffolk Byways 117km from Blaxhall (just past Ipswitch) is on this weekend, though you have to be quick to register as entries close today

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/17-105/

A very nice route and was my first ever Audax

 

[mjr]

You also get a brevet card, which is quite glossy. Under a strong enough light it could be considered shiny.

My brevet card got a foil sticker applied when I completed. It is definitely shiny.

Here is a picture of me NOT signing-on for an Evans 'Ride-it' Event which I rode with my buddies (who had helmets and entered).
I have not been smited by the cycling gods for this act of defiance.

I stopped riding along sportives with friends because the last one that I did, I was almost smote by the cycling gods. At least, they seemed to act like they were gods and were cycling in a way that almost smote me off the road. I'm sorry to say that around here at least, I feel there are too many dangerous riders on sportives and organisers are doing absolutely fark all to reduce the risk they pose to others: is it really enough to impose irrelevant clothing and bike requirements and give a short talk with safety topics muddled up with stuff like feed station locations on the start line when everyone's chatting with each other and chomping at the bit to get riding? No noticeable monitoring out on the course, no invitation to submit rider camera videos and no sanctioning of unsafe riders that I've ever heard about.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Some AUK audaxes also give out bling for completion

The only one I have is for completion of LEL - which is not your typical audax.

 

[GilesM]

Here is a picture of me NOT signing-on for an Evans 'Ride-it' Event which I rode with my buddies (who had helmets and entered).
I have not been smited by the cycling gods for this act of defiance.
It was a great ride, well organised, all kinds of peoples and I wasn't the only Brommie-rider either.
Cycling is a broad-church from grannies riding to the market on their shoppers to full team-kit cyclewankers pretending to be Contador. There is almost something for everybody and if there isn't something for cyclist like you, then don't bitch, go start something yourself.

View attachment 375793

Love the hat in the picture, if that was the required head gear for sportives, I could be interested.

 

[Ajax Bay]

You might have done: there was an 'Adrian' stalwart behind the desk (I finished at 22:26 on Thursday!). A few hours sleep and then back out volunteering, seeing the 'bulge' in, and the Friday afternoon and evening clearing up.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Love the hat in the picture, if that was the required head gear for sportives, I could be interested.

Available from 'Look Mum No Hands'.

 

[GilesM]

Available from 'Look Mum No Hands'.

Thanks, that's a very cool website, I got myself a North Wave cap to replace some of my more well matured ones a few months ago, but I can hear the Look Mum No Hands ones calling to me.

 

[Tim Hall]

The only one I have is for completion of LEL - which is not your typical audax.


View attachment 375799

Thirteen pages and we finally get to the point of the thread. It's all a ruse so Ajax Bay can show off their LEL medal.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Thank you, @Tin Pot .Edit: @Tim Hall . As ruses go that's of Agatha Christie complexity. Shiny. Shiny. (They produced 10% of them in gold colour too - but in true audax manner, the gold ones were dished out at random (perhaps @User can confirm).) I am pleased to have completed the ride - brought into sharp relief by my serious 'off' a month ago - glad that was after MP1K and LEL.

 

[Cronorider]

My brevet card got a foil sticker applied when I completed. It is definitely shiny.


I stopped riding along sportives with friends because the last one that I did, I was almost smote by the cycling gods. At least, they seemed to act like they were gods and were cycling in a way that almost smote me off the road. I'm sorry to say that around here at least, I feel there are too many dangerous riders on sportives and organisers are doing absolutely fark all to reduce the risk they pose to others: is it really enough to impose irrelevant clothing and bike requirements and give a short talk with safety topics muddled up with stuff like feed station locations on the start line when everyone's chatting with each other and chomping at the bit to get riding? No noticeable monitoring out on the course, no invitation to submit rider camera videos and no sanctioning of unsafe riders that I've ever heard about.

CAUTION!! DANGEROUS RIDERS!! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

 

[Tin Pot]

Thank you, @Tin Pot . As ruses go that's of Agatha Christie complexity. Shiny. Shiny. (They produced them in gold colour too - but in true audax manner, the gold ones were dished out at random (perhaps @User can confirm).) I am pleased to have completed the ride - brought into sharp relief by my serious 'off' a month ago - glad that was after MP1K and LEL.

Hmm? What did I do now?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Hmm? What did I do now?

Sorry. Post #190 above edited (@Ti)

 

[Donger]

Well, first sportive now finally done. (Cotswold Autumn Classic). I enjoyed it. To be fair, my earlier worries about it being an "alpha-male-o-thon" were not realised. My main observations would be that:
(1) In most audaxes I've done, 75% of the riders seem to be silver-bearded 50-somethings like myself (or older), while 75% of the riders in the sportive seemed to be in their 20s, 30s or early 40s. It was therefore faster, and I was closer to the back of the field.
(2) I don't think I was imagining it when I say there seemed to be much less social interaction between riders than on the audaxes I've done. It wasn't unfriendly or elitist .... I just think most people were simply concentrating on getting round as fast as they could. Nothing wrong with that ..... just doesn't float my boat.
(3) The route was beautiful, and the route marking was excellent, with direction arrows very easy to follow. I did the 100km route without a satnav and with no need to refer to any map. In audaxes you have to be much more self-reliant.
(4) Copious amounts of food were provided at the mid point and at the end. More than in any audax I've done.
(5) It cost £28. Most audaxes are between £5 and £7 to enter. We encountered several club rides heading in the opposite direction. Many of the riders seemed to me to have the smug look of people who were having exactly the same amount of fun as me, but for £28 less.