Discussion
TKF said:
Rides are fun because they're social but it can get a bit repetitive.
I get that lots of people go cycling because of the social aspect but I much prefer to ride alone. I do occasionally go out with friends but more often than not I ride alone. If I was doing longer rides I'd see more value in company but I tend to go for 1-3 hour rides where I don't stop and push myself as hard as I can the entire way.Some Gump said:
Deriding sportives as if they somehow reduce racing is like saying there'd be more club racing if track days didn't exist. It's clearly wrong.
The issue i see is that in an awful lot of clubs, the racers are very elitist and completely up their own arses. I tried 3 clubs before finding a great one that's really inclusive - but part of the reason it's so great and friendly is that the hardcore racers do their own thing and leave the rest alone. When you hear people looking down at the club tters because they only tt and don't race, then the main assumption is that those people are probably that dedicated to the sport because no-one wants to go with them to the pub instead..,
They can't be that great or they'd be in a UCI World or continental team, not lording it up in local cycle clubs. The issue i see is that in an awful lot of clubs, the racers are very elitist and completely up their own arses. I tried 3 clubs before finding a great one that's really inclusive - but part of the reason it's so great and friendly is that the hardcore racers do their own thing and leave the rest alone. When you hear people looking down at the club tters because they only tt and don't race, then the main assumption is that those people are probably that dedicated to the sport because no-one wants to go with them to the pub instead..,
Devil2575 said:
TKF said:
Rides are fun because they're social but it can get a bit repetitive.
I get that lots of people go cycling because of the social aspect but I much prefer to ride alone. I do occasionally go out with friends but more often than not I ride alone. If I was doing longer rides I'd see more value in company but I tend to go for 1-3 hour rides where I don't stop and push myself as hard as I can the entire way.okgo said:
What is the appeal of a sportive over a club run for people then?
It feels a bit like road racing, with the opportunity to ride with faster riders at higher speeds, moving around to find a bunch that's riding at a pace you can hold (or not). Up the top of the time sheets people are giving it their all for their best time, so it is competitive to a degree and Strava gives me a good idea of where I stand among them. Big fish in a small pond, I'm absolutely certain, but I enjoy it all the same. I'm not a member of a club, yet, so I get all that with no commitment or effort. I think an easy way to sum it up is that they make an easy first rung on the ladder. You may not see them as any kind of relation to club runs or 'racing' but they feel a bit like that to a particular set of beginner/intermediate riders, me included. I've done half a dozen now and unless friends or PH are participating I'll be sticking to the closed road events now as I do enjoy those. Beyond that I'm going to give the club thing a go with a view to trying road racing.
Gruffy said:
It feels a bit like road racing, with the opportunity to ride with faster riders at higher speeds, moving around to find a bunch that's riding at a pace you can hold (or not). Up the top of the time sheets people are giving it their all for their best time, so it is competitive to a degree and Strava gives me a good idea of where I stand among them. Big fish in a small pond, I'm absolutely certain, but I enjoy it all the same.
You know it's not a race though? What's the point in racing people who don't think they're in a race? The climbing challenge has thrown up some interesting results, I'm on 6,718m in the last couple of weeks thinking I'd done pretty well having completed the challenge (placed 13,000 out of 110,000 people) but the top 10 are on around 50,000m, some of which have done many less miles than me!
Check it out here:
https://www.strava.com/challenges/may-climbing-cha...
Check it out here:
https://www.strava.com/challenges/may-climbing-cha...
PGM said:
The climbing challenge has thrown up some interesting results, I'm on 6,718m in the last couple of weeks thinking I'd done pretty well having completed the challenge (placed 13,000 out of 110,000 people) but the top 10 are on around 50,000m, some of which have done many less miles than me!
Check it out here:
https://www.strava.com/challenges/may-climbing-cha...
I do wonder how some of the people that win these challenges manage to do the miles. The leader of March MTS has done 7444 km so far. That's an average of 210 miles a day. I don't know how people find the time or have the energy.Check it out here:
https://www.strava.com/challenges/may-climbing-cha...
el stovey said:
You know it's not a race though? What's the point in racing people who don't think they're in a race?
Absolutely it's not a race, but it's not far off a TT for the folk like me who are 'keen to set a time'. Didn't this whole discussion start because there are a set of people who treat sportives as if they're competitive? I'm just trying to shed some light as to why this is the case using my own experience. I'm mostly driven by improving my average speed over a 100 mile distance but I'm quite comfortable about my own motivations, including the childish ones. They get me out there and make me faster and now I'm looking into racing.Devil2575 said:
I do wonder how some of the people that win these challenges manage to do the miles. The leader of March MTS has done 7444 km so far. That's an average of 210 miles a day. I don't know how people find the time or have the energy.
Isn't that the chap who is trying to break a world record?
thelittleegg said:
You don't have to join a club to do one.
I know a few people who ride sportives and they just aren't the sort of people who would be regular club riders.
Most club riders are not regular riders either. Of the 600 in Kingston it was pretty much the same 100 turning up most weeks.I know a few people who ride sportives and they just aren't the sort of people who would be regular club riders.
Ponk said:
If you pick a technical circuit like Cyclopark or Hog Hill you should be fine as the bunch gets strung out. It's when the circuit is too easy that you have problems as the bunch sits in waiting for the sprint. 4th cats get a bad name but if you start in a 4th cat only race you should be fine. There's one at cyclopark this Saturday in fact.
You racing cyclopark tomorrow? I'll be there in the 4ths - racing for repack.. There should be 3 of us! Rolls said:
Ponk said:
If you pick a technical circuit like Cyclopark or Hog Hill you should be fine as the bunch gets strung out. It's when the circuit is too easy that you have problems as the bunch sits in waiting for the sprint. 4th cats get a bad name but if you start in a 4th cat only race you should be fine. There's one at cyclopark this Saturday in fact.
You racing cyclopark tomorrow? I'll be there in the 4ths - racing for repack.. There should be 3 of us! Likewise re how the challenge leaders find the time. Goes to show there are an awful lot of people with no commitments out there.
Like TKF pretty much all my weekends are spoken for either with work ir childcare or both. That goes for weekdays plus evenings too. I have made one TT so far this year. Hence why I don't get a race licence and get more involved in that side of things as I just cant commit to being able to make most of the events...
Like TKF pretty much all my weekends are spoken for either with work ir childcare or both. That goes for weekdays plus evenings too. I have made one TT so far this year. Hence why I don't get a race licence and get more involved in that side of things as I just cant commit to being able to make most of the events...
Ponk said:
I am indeed, 4ths too. Blue and white kit, VC Revolution. Come and say hello.
How'd you get on - I was doing well till I got pushed onto the grass towards the end - finished just off of the bunch as a result... 2 crashes again though! One of our guys got caught up and punctured after the second lap! Oh - and do you have a sticker of a certain French race track on the boot of your car by chance?
Dizeee said:
Likewise re how the challenge leaders find the time. Goes to show there are an awful lot of people with no commitments out there.
Like TKF pretty much all my weekends are spoken for either with work ir childcare or both. That goes for weekdays plus evenings too. I have made one TT so far this year. Hence why I don't get a race licence and get more involved in that side of things as I just cant commit to being able to make most of the events...
Depends how badly you want it in my opinion, as chances are you *could* find the time but choose not to. Riding before work, to work, lunchbreak etc. If you want to ride badly enough there is usually a way. Like TKF pretty much all my weekends are spoken for either with work ir childcare or both. That goes for weekdays plus evenings too. I have made one TT so far this year. Hence why I don't get a race licence and get more involved in that side of things as I just cant commit to being able to make most of the events...
The issue isn't finding time to ride, I have that in abundance, and am regularly doing 150 - 200 mile weeks, the bulk of which is as you say, commuting.
The issue comes committing to events. Every weekday from 5pm onwards is ruled out. Either at work, or if not, then my other half is and I am at home minding 2 toddlers. That's every single weekday without fail as me and my other half struggle to balance two set's of shift's around childcare.
Weekends are 50 / 50, but even then, heavily time constrained for the same reasons and if I do get out it is only locally and for a couple of hours before I have to return either to go to work or take over childcare. Many weekends that I have off from work I don't get out at all, due to the other half working. I haven't even factored in yet family trips to the coast to see her family or weekends away.
I am OCD, over the top and throw myself at whatever I am passaionate about ( road riding being a key example, I only found it three years ago and am on my way now to my third year of around 7k miles ). There is no way I would want to be throwing myself into a sport where I had to continually say "no I can't make that sorry" or "not this weekend I have the kids". To be able to make 1 in 5 events would not suffice for me and it would drive me absolutley nuts!
Those who know me and see my rides on Strava will know I am not shy about putting the miles in, and TT's local to me work well (when I can make them) so I am more than happy to pin a number on my back and have my arse kicked too, but, to delve into the racing route is something I would want to take on when I can commit the amount of time to it that I would want to.
The issue comes committing to events. Every weekday from 5pm onwards is ruled out. Either at work, or if not, then my other half is and I am at home minding 2 toddlers. That's every single weekday without fail as me and my other half struggle to balance two set's of shift's around childcare.
Weekends are 50 / 50, but even then, heavily time constrained for the same reasons and if I do get out it is only locally and for a couple of hours before I have to return either to go to work or take over childcare. Many weekends that I have off from work I don't get out at all, due to the other half working. I haven't even factored in yet family trips to the coast to see her family or weekends away.
I am OCD, over the top and throw myself at whatever I am passaionate about ( road riding being a key example, I only found it three years ago and am on my way now to my third year of around 7k miles ). There is no way I would want to be throwing myself into a sport where I had to continually say "no I can't make that sorry" or "not this weekend I have the kids". To be able to make 1 in 5 events would not suffice for me and it would drive me absolutley nuts!
Those who know me and see my rides on Strava will know I am not shy about putting the miles in, and TT's local to me work well (when I can make them) so I am more than happy to pin a number on my back and have my arse kicked too, but, to delve into the racing route is something I would want to take on when I can commit the amount of time to it that I would want to.
Rolls said:
Ponk said:
I am indeed, 4ths too. Blue and white kit, VC Revolution. Come and say hello.
How'd you get on - I was doing well till I got pushed onto the grass towards the end - finished just off of the bunch as a result... 2 crashes again though! One of our guys got caught up and punctured after the second lap! Oh - and do you have a sticker of a certain French race track on the boot of your car by chance?
I picked a wheel for that left hander at the end of the back straight and the guy on his inside went wide forcing him off the road. I lost places and momentum avoiding them and killed myself chasing back on to the lead 10-15. Finished just off the back of the first group. Somewhere between 15th and 20th I think. Bit frustrating as I had kept myself top 5-10 only to let myself slip a bit on that corner.
A deceptively tough race considering it was a 4th only. I was working much harder than my last race there and I finished in the top ten (just) that time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/310231828
Rolls said:
Yeah - zippy is me! Was actually quite enjoyable apart from avoiding the accidents...
I'm rapidly starting to realise fitness wise I'm fine - it's a case of being right place, right time...
Yup, sounds like we're in similar places. I did a bit too much work early on, plus leading over the line in the last couple of laps wasn't wise. I'm rapidly starting to realise fitness wise I'm fine - it's a case of being right place, right time...
still, we nearly had a group away so you have to give it a go.I've found there have been a handful at every 4th only race that will fly straight through to 3rd cat. That takes up the first few places so I'm fighting about 15-20 others for the second half of the top ten unless I get my positioning/timing spot on.
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