Women Only Leeds and Reading

[Bluebell72]

Hi All,

Although I'm not new to cycling, I'm new to any kind of 'event' riding. I'm more a soloist!
I thought I could ease myself into the big group type of things with one of these - a bit less pressure?


http://www.ctcchallengerides.co.uk/CTC_Leeds_womens_only_sportive.php

http://www.ctcchallengerides.co.uk/CTC_Reading_womens_only_sportive.php

I have never got over the shock of showing up to run my first 10k to find everyone else lycra-clad, vaselining themselves up, and wearing compression tights, while I wore a M&S t-shirt and adidas strides.

Ha ha, still wasn't the last to finish though!

Any advice for what to do, not to do on the day - and what to bring??? Thankyou!

 

[Spinney]

I've only ever done 1 sportive, but I didn't find it pressured at all. Sure, there were groups of lycra-clad roadies doing about twice my speed, but I bimbled along happily at my own pace, walked up the two steepest hills (with several others!), was't too far off the 'silver' time, and had a great ride.

What I'm saying, in a roundabout way, is I don't think you need to limit yourself to women-only events. Sportives are not supposed to be races. And you can easily ignore the few who try to make them into such.

 

[funnymummy]

I rode in my first Sportive last month, i've done loads of the Evans rides with my children, but decided was time to go for a solo speedier ride... Did feel very nervous looking at all those snazzy carbon bikes & toned legs in lycra.
I had a brill time, met some great folk, got some great advice, got overtaken by lots of folk, but managed to do a bit of overtaking too - Give it a go. Its great fun ...Can't wait for my next one now

 

[Fiona N]

Hi Bluebell
I'll second what Spinney says - most sportives, even the hardest, bring out such a mixed bunch from the toned lycra-clad would-be racer youths to the elderly tortoises (of both sexes) that you can pretty much always be sure of a welcome.

Moreover, I've found women can be far more unfriendly than men if you don't 'look the part'. I'm now a somewhat overweight, definitely middle-aged female rider and fairly frequently have the experience of passing a (usually much younger and slimmer) woman all decked out in Assos or similar on a high-end off-the-shelf bike with nary a 'hello' or any acknowledgment of my presence. Sometimes the one woman in a bunch of blokes is similarly unwelcoming. This is a big contrast to the guys, even the young, fit and well-turned-out 'club runs', who'll wave a greeting across the road or be quite happy for me to tag along in the bunch if they're going my way. Round here, most cyclists wave and greet one another in passing, so these woman really seem odd and stand-offish.

I suspect, though, that CTC women-only rides will be welcoming to everybody (except men ) as they're likely to bring out more of the first-time sportive riders and less confident women than those with 'pretensions'.

 

[Bluebell72]

Thanks for your responses!