Sportive banditry

[lukesdad]

Agreed.

However, compare these two events. A mate of mine rode a 150k sportive in Cornwall this weekend. He said he had to queue for ages to get water because there was one barrel serving about a thousand riders. £25 a head.

I rode a 600k audax. £17 with a youth hostel booked out for riders to get their heads down for a few hours, three halls booked for controls and volunteers manning all of them lavishing riders with care and good humour. Not a rider in sight gurgling down energy gels just because Cycling Weekly says you have to.

Now its becomming clearer.A member of the iffy handshake and pointy mudguard brigade

 

[jimboalee]

If you want to do a bit of 'Banditry' ( make an arse of yourself ), come to the Warwick Town Centre cycling races. Pay a fiver for a one-day BCF membership and enter the Cat 4 race.

Wear your 'way-out' jersey from the other side of the world (or the other end of the country) and ride your 15 lb Scott.

IF you are victorious, you will get to shake hands with Hugh Porter and get your mugshot on the BCF website.

Come along in early September.

At the start, shout "I am Bonker". You will have me on your wheel until the last turn off Jury Street, and then see me ride past you to take the flag.

 

[Joe]

I've done quite a few sportives and mostly enjoyed them. It's a good chance for a long ride where I don't have to worry about directions (so much) or finding water and it's fun to ride with a lot of other riders.

I find their compulsory helmet rules annoying though. Given that they're on public roads and I could turn up and ride in the bunch anyway it seems ridiculous.
I guess signing on and queing at feed stations requires cranial protection!

 

[PaulB]

That would explain why sportives are selling out in days and have seen a resurgence of interest in sport cycling. I think your hole analogy is a bit hollow.

SOME sportives sell out in days and deserve to do so. Others are appallingly organised and clearly exist to exploit the enthusiasm of cyclists. The Rapha thing in Blackpool last year for instance was bitterly criticised by anyone foolish enough to enter and, of course, anything organised by that company that does the Manchester 100 and Manchester to Blackpool events. They should go to the wall, Sugging people the way they do. And lastly, who the hell decided the organisers should be invested with the power to tell people they cannot ride on sections of their sportive, like they own the roads for the day?

 

[amaferanga]

Sportives attract more riders than audax despite the fact that they usually cost a lot more. That speaks for itself.

I have ridden audax, sportives and races and as someone who enjoys riding fast and challenging myself I quickly got bored of audax. Sure you can ride an audax fast, but all the nonsense with info controls and queueing at cafes to get your little card stamped is just a bit.... well silly IMO.

This persistent whinging about sportives from audaxers based on cost and telling us that audax is somehow better because you get this and that for your £1.50 is extremely tedious.

 

[MacB]

Sportives attract more riders than audax despite the fact that they usually cost a lot more. That speaks for itself.

I have ridden audax, sportives and races and as someone who enjoys riding fast and challenging myself I quickly got bored of audax. Sure you can ride an audax fast, but all the nonsense with info controls and queueing at cafes to get your little card stamped is just a bit.... well silly IMO.

This persistent whinging about sportives from audaxers based on cost and telling us that audax is somehow better because you get this and that for your £1.50 is extremely tedious.

not an Audax fan then?

 

[amaferanga]

not an Audax fan then?

I gave it a good try (even did PBP), but its not for me. I just hate the endless nonsense sprouted by some audaxers towards sportives. If I'd rather spend £25 on a sportive then that's my choice. I don't whinge if an audaxer spends £25 on a new set of mudguards or some sandals

 

[Kablinsky]

It really is a case of each to their own. If some think that sportives are too expensive then don't partake. Personally I don't mind paying. I like the atmosphere at sportives and riding the courses as fast as possible. That's where the enjoyment is for me but I'm no racer so sportives are ideal.

 

[SheilaH]

I gave it a good try (even did PBP), but its not for me. I just hate the endless nonsense sprouted by some audaxers towards sportives. If I'd rather spend £25 on a sportive then that's my choice. I don't whinge if an audaxer spends £25 on a new set of mudguards or some sandals

There is that element in audax, the mean old buggers who bring their own teabags to cafes and ask for a (free) mug of water. The further back in the field you get the weirder it is. I can't say I've heard a lot of whining about sportives from audaxers, but then maybe I've not been in on the right conversations.

 

[Threelionsbrian]

I gave it a good try (even did PBP), but its not for me. I just hate the endless nonsense sprouted by some audaxers towards sportives. If I'd rather spend £25 on a sportive then that's my choice. I don't whinge if an audaxer spends £25 on a new set of mudguards or some sandals

Where can you get sandals for £25 obviously not spd sandals

 

[Threelionsbrian]

i've only done the Dartmoor Classic luckily very well run and no queues for food/water; or was that because i got lost and was so far back

I wouldn't be happy paying to queue though.

 

[jimboalee]

Print out some sponsor forms for a charity of your choice.

Make up some names and addresses and write £5 in the 'donation' column. Take it round all the people at work who give you grief about being a cyclist and tell them you are doing a fast 'sportive' for charity.

Deduct "Administration expenses" from the collected monies.

 

[Kestevan]

I've done a few sportives, and usually enjoyed the experience. They've taken me places and I've met people I'd never have found on my own.
The availablity of a feedstop and a broom wagon add to the sense of security, and in most cases I think it's been money well spent.

Having said that...we looked at doing the local tour of the pennines sportive tomorrow with the wife. She's only just started road riding so we would be looking at the 60km route. Entry fee is £25 each..... sorry but not going to happen, £10 or £15 quid would be expensive but might have tempted us, £50 is just silly to ride on roads I ride every other weekend.

We will still go out and ride, may even weave our way across some of the sportive route, but the £50 will go somewhere else.

 

[MacB]

We will still go out and ride, may even weave our way across some of the sportive route, but the £50 will go somewhere else.

may I proffer my paypal account for that £50:-

macb@greedyguts.co.uk

 

[Philip Whiteman]

I've done a few sportives, and usually enjoyed the experience. They've taken me places and I've met people I'd never have found on my own.
The availablity of a feedstop and a broom wagon add to the sense of security, and in most cases I think it's been money well spent.

Having said that...we looked at doing the local tour of the pennines sportive tomorrow with the wife. She's only just started road riding so we would be looking at the 60km route. Entry fee is £25 each..... sorry but not going to happen, £10 or £15 quid would be expensive but might have tempted us, £50 is just silly to ride on roads I ride every other weekend.

The ability to ride to places new is clearly an advantage of organised events. Saying that, for around £20 less, an audax will achieve the same result minus your preference for a broom wagon.