Sportive entry fees - RIP OFF !

[jimboalee]

You are, mate, by suggesting that people who do sportives should get on the track and do Devil take the hindmost rides. What a ridiculous suggestion to people who choose to spend some of their money on a supported ride at whatever pace they choose.

You tell people where they're going wrong and then say it's each to their own but then you do have an enviable history of never being wrong

All sorts of shapes, sizes and motivations determine the make-up of a sportive field and the inclusiveness is why many people find them appealing. It's the grizzly old veteran know-it-all feeling around audaxes that deter new and insecure riders from participating in them. I'd suggest you and your ilk are a large part of sportives current success.

Exactly. I'm suggesting.

These events are a big heap of fun.
They are on an enclosed circuit with no cars, buses, trucks or vans to spoil the day. They last just over an hour and three can be ridden in a day. If a rider decides to 'Pack' it is a short walk back to the car. There is way too much competative spirit and if there are spectators, they can see a rider's tactics when they appear.

There are no hills except the lead into the banking and they are way too fast for the nervous cyclist.


The big pity is,,, Sportives have become popular. They are 'demi races/TTs' against the clock but on roads where there are cars, buses, trucks and vans to watch out for. They last four hours and if a rider decides to 'Pack' they have to wait for the broom wagon to transport back to the car. Riders can be in small groups or alone. What spectators? What tactics?

 

[Kestevan]

The big pity is,,, Sportives have become popular......

And there I think is the rub. They are popular because they are offering something the public wants. You can fly the flag for track racing etc all you want, but its a minority passtime, as are Audaxes.

The sportive providers have managed to build up a consumer base of tens of thousands in the space of 3 or 4 years. They're easy to access, require no specialist esoteric knowledge and appeal to a wide range of people.

I'd suspect that the majority of cyclists have no idea what an Audax is, have never heard of AUK and probably never will.

Amongst those that have, I'd also imagine that there are a goodly numbery put off entering by the cliquey, holier than-thou attitude which seems to (rightly or wrongly) emanate from certain elements of the Audax scene.

 

[dellzeqq]

And there I think is the rub. They are popular because they are offering something the public wants.

...to be engraved on the inside of Jimbo's eyelids...

The Audax thing is odd. Imagine the following. You're in a group of (say) seven at the front of the ride. You have a puncture, raise your hand, shout stopping, and pull over to the side of the road. Do your fellow Audaxers

a) stop and give you a hand
b) shout 'see you at the tea stop' and push on
c) pretend they haven't noticed when you catch them up at the tea stop

 

[Tim Bennet.]

In my experience, it's either b or c.

 

[Philip Whiteman]

I'd suspect that the majority of cyclists have no idea what an Audax is, have never heard of AUK and probably never will.

Amongst those that have, I'd also imagine that there are a goodly numbery put off entering by the cliquey, holier than-thou attitude which seems to (rightly or wrongly) emanate from certain elements of the Audax scene.

I am a keen audaxer (and sportiver) and see many positive sides of the activity but you make a few interesting points.

Sadly, on your first point I think that you are probably correct. Audax does need to project itself more as an activity. Where individual organisers really push their events then the fields tend to be large and the events are popular. In other instance, a cyclist may respond, an 'audax what?'. More is required on marketing the activity. It does provide unique challenges not exercised in forms of cycling activity, if only it was promoted a little more! Saying that there are number of national AUK figures that are cognisant of this challenge and they are doing their damned-most to turnaround audax's reputation. It is a collective action issue, AUK, event organisers and event riders are best placed to spread the word that we don't all have beards

On your second point you are equally correct. There is a cliquey element that froth at the mouth as soon as anything counters their orthodoxy. BUT I would challenge anyone to suggest that cliques of any form are absent in other forms of cycling sport/activity either. Even a few sportivers are cliquey as expressed by their resentment towards non-sportive activities. Cliques are present in most of forms of activity.

 

[Kestevan]

Oh I agree, I was in no way trying to make out that all sportive riders are perfect.

There is a definate "Racer-boy" mentality amongst a proportion of sportive riders, especially amogst some of the club riders, where teams in club colours turn out to ride in their own little groups.

However, probably because of the numbers involved, and the fact that "lots" of the riders on any given sportive are relatively new to the sport this seems to be much less intimidating that the Audax scene.

The fact that the major magazines and retailers are pushing the sportive, whilst seldom if ever mentioning Audax, means that the majority of people entering the sport will immediately gravitate towards this style of ride.... I know I did when I started a few years ago.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

the wild wales challenge only used to cost about a tenner, and you got a nice little slate coaster at the end as a memento.

i paid £25 for the ken laidlaw challenge last year, which i initially thought a lot. however, for that i got changing facilities at hawick rugby club, excellent marshalling and backup (not that i needed it), wonderful home cooked food at the (indoor) food stops (plus jelly babies and wine gums on the tables), excellent food at the finish and free photos, polo shirt and medal.

if only they could have fixed the weather… but all in all i thought it value for money. it's run by hawick cc, so maybe that's why it was so good.

 

[Fiona N]

The thing I've noticed about the - how shall I put this? - more serious sportives (i.e. not charity 60-100km rides with loads of newbies) is that the riders are desperate not to be seen with anyone who looks like they might be slower than them.

In the Big G from Beverley, I rode probably 85-90% solo - in fact the only time I cycled with others for more than a couple of minutes was with other CC-ers - despite the fact that I started with a group of three who finished about 10 minutes after me, despite not stopping at the feeding station. The woman, particularly, was about 20 years younger than me, and much slimmer so clearly didn't want to be associated with a somewhat overweight, middle-aged female cyclist so she and her two male companions flogged themselves up the first hill trying to get away. But they weren't that much faster than me and I soon closed the gap which only spurred them to greater efforts. I overtook them through the next village - with the advantage of knowing where the route went - as I wasn't interested in just wheel-sucking but they didn't take the hint and sit in for a while into the head wind but flogged off again. The upshot was that I let them go as it was otherwise going to be a ridiculous situation but overtook them again just before the feed station where I stopped for about 10 minutes with the friendly volunteers. But I overtook them again a couple of miles before the final big climb and didn't see them again until they rolled over the finish line after me looking absolutely knackered. Talk about the evil eye the woman gave me. But if we'd ridden together they would have had the advantage of a strong rider to help them into the wind and I would have got some rest from a solo ride.

I can't imagine riders in an Audax event missing the opportunity to ride with someone going at the same pace to share the work, especially on a particularly windy day. Th contrast between the Big G riders and a 200km Audax a couple of weeks later was marked as in the later event, I rode with 4 guys who were faster than me on the climbs (of which there were many) but were happy to roll down the descents so I usually caught them pretty quickly. Consequently I got a much faster and easier day out and was more than happy to pull my weight on the flatter sections and our rather crazy ride over the last 20km.

So I'd say that Audaxers are rather more inclusive than sportivers who seem desperate to look the part even if they haven't actually got the legs. Mind you, Audaxers know that strong cyclists come in all sorts of unlikely looking packages, experience gained over long hours in the saddle - experience most sportivers haven't got (yet)

 

[adscrim]

So I'd say that Audaxers are rather more inclusive than sportivers who seem desperate to look the part even if they haven't actually got the legs. Mind you, Audaxers know that strong cyclists come in all sorts of unlikely looking packages, experience gained over long hours in the saddle - experience most sportivers haven't got (yet)

It's unlikely that 3 riders provide and accurate base from which to form an opinion on tens of thousands.

 

[Alien8]

Has anybody heard of the expression - "Each to their own"?

 

[rich p]

It's unlikely that 3 riders provide and accurate base from which to form an opinion on tens of thousands.

Agreed - there all sorts everywhere including in the cycling fraternity. Good, bad, miserable, cheerful, determined, competitive, shy etcetera.
I think the point to be made here is that there is no right or wrong - if you want to spend your hard-earned on a £3k carbon blinger and flog round expensive sportives at the back in well-filled lycra, good luck to you. If you'd rather ride a cheap audax in the company of fewer people then that's fine too.
If you'd rather spend your life on your own on the roads or on a turbo listening to Vera Lynn on the gramaphone - then that's fine too.
Do what you enjoy and bollocks to what anyone else thinks would be best for you.

 

[lukesdad]

To put the "rip off " part of the OP into context a little:

TT £7-£12 1 hour riding

Road race £15-£20 1 1/2 hours riding

Mtb XC race £20- £25 1 1/2 - 2 hrs riding

Mtb Marathon £ 30 + 5-8 hrs riding

Sportive £ 10 - £35 6-8 hrs riding

Only the bottom 2 have bolt ons feed stations etc. I think they are extremely good value and is the reason I do so many.
I will do an Audax next year...but, Im not holding my breath in anticipation.

 

[lukesdad]

Agreed - there all sorts everywhere including in the cycling fraternity. Good, bad, miserable, cheerful, determined, competitive, shy etcetera.
I think the point to be made here is that there is no right or wrong - if you want to spend your hard-earned on a £3k carbon blinger and flog round expensive sportives at the back in well-filled lycra, good luck to you. If you'd rather ride a cheap audax in the company of fewer people then that's fine too.
If you'd rather spend your life on your own on the roads or on a turbo listening to Vera Lynn on the gramaphone - then that's fine too.
Do what you enjoy and bollocks to what anyone else thinks would be best for you.

He s right yer know

 

[Philip Whiteman]

I will do an Audax next year...but, Im not holding my breath in anticipation.

I can recommend the following if you wish:

Cheltenham Flyer 200 in April. (120 riders)

Cotswolds Expedition/Outing/Journey in June , 200;100 & 150. (120 on each)

Nutty Nuns/Merry Monks in May, 150 & 200. (100 on the 150; 30 on the 200)

Kidderminster Killer, 200 in September (around 40 riders)

The Elenith in April, 300. (120 riders) - only if experienced with this distance.

They are all exemplars of good practice and I can recommend them.

 

[lukesdad]

Blimey Fiona N must be a serious sportiver ! I never take that much notice