Bike Events struggling?

[calvinhobbes]

z4RRSchris said:

loads of them are 100% doped up to the eye

That's a strong assertion. In the absence of effective testing, you're reduced to assessing performances and comparing them to your own efforts or those of known good riders. That means looking at rides that stretch the bounds of credibility. Personally, over the past 10 years or so of masters racing, there's only 2 or 3 instances where I've been convinced that riders are doping and maybe a handful of others where I've had some suspicions.

Your accusation of 'loads of them are 100% doped' is misjudged, IMO.

Of course, if you extend this accusation to masters riders outside the UK, then I can absolutely agree with that!

[ukbabz]

When I started riding I found the events to be good rides and a training goal. However when I look now, most sportives don't look any more challenging than a Sunday club run so don't entice me to riding them. There are some exceptions like the Dragon ride which I've done twice, and the Fred Whitton which is on my to-do next year if I get in. It's a tough balance to keep keen riders interested and yet appeal to newer riders too.

[Gruffy]

JEA1K said:

Snap

I don't think there is a 'problem' in the UK like some parts of Europe where they juice for club runs () but I would guess its more prevalent in older riders than younger.

It would make sense if doping were more prevalent in young neo pros (with more to gain) and masters (who can afford to dope and struggle accepting athletic decline). But I'm inclined to be generous and say that athletic outliers are more likely to still be racing masters.

[JEA1K]

Gruffy said:

and struggle accepting athletic decline

For some reason I love that line

Maybe its close to home for me

[Master Bean]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

Daveyraveygravey said:

daydotz said:

Rule Britainna at goodwood has been cancelled as well

...Eroica...

Uvavu.

Back on topic... I think this is largely a roadie phenomenon. MTB events appear to be going from strength to strength.

The st attitude of UK drivers towards cyclists seems to be driving roadies off road. I was nearly knocked off last Friday on a roundabout as the driver pulled onto the RAB in front of me. First time on a road in a couple of years and I'd cycled 1 mile max on road as I was coming back from an xc loop. The road bike can stay covered on dust... It's just not worth the risk for the reward.

My local mtb sportive has been cancelled due to low numbers. I think you just git unlucky on the roundabout. You can ride a hundred miles without a problem on the road.

[Donbot]

Master Bean said:

My local mtb sportive has been cancelled due to low numbers. I think you just git unlucky on the roundabout. You can ride a hundred miles without a problem on the road.

Then ride 5 miles and feel that you are surrounded by tossers. Bad driving seems to arrive like busses.

[upsidedownmark]

Probably depends a little where you are. I think it's a good ride if the tosser count is <= 2. It's never zero.

As for events, getting older, slower, less competitive, makes racing a bit 'eh...'
Can get routes, and know I can ride solid miles, why pay for a sportive type ride.

These days I'd rather just toddle off on my own, or with some folks I know/trust.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

Master Bean said:

I think you just git unlucky on the roundabout. You can ride a hundred miles without a problem on the road.

I think location has a lot to do with it.

I live rural N Yorkshire and the combination of angry tourists and doddery old folks generally guarantees a near miss.

If I'm heading to the woods on a sunny aeakend in the car, I'll always pass some roadies out having fun. If there is a lot of traffic, you can guarantee someone will squeeze the bikes to get past.

I've even been hooted a few times over the last year for waiting to overtake as we were into blind bends

COVID seems to have turned the population of the UK into a much less nice bunch.

[Gruffy]

JEA1K said:

For some reason I love that line

Maybe its close to home for me

I made a commitment at 30 to be fitter every year. I've managed it so far but this year (at 43) is looking shaky. I've had a very tricky 2022 and lost 50W since the start of the year. I didn't think that was possible. I don't think I can regain that quickly enough to hit my goal but I'm not ready to accept that it's downhill from here.

[OutInTheShed]

Funny reading this thread.
In my sport of dinghy racing, people keep banging on about how our sport is doing everything wrong and losing numbers, while cycling is doing everything right and is booming.

Personally I think I'm not alone in not doing many events this year because I have a backlog of things I didn't do in 2020 or 2021 because of the pandemic.
I also did quite a lot of 'sport' so I'm happy to do less this year. Not to mention that things were still a bit 'unknown' in Feb/ March when we'd normally be planning the year.

[JEA1K]

Gruffy said:

I made a commitment at 30 to be fitter every year. I've managed it so far but this year (at 43) is looking shaky. I've had a very tricky 2022 and lost 50W since the start of the year. I didn't think that was possible. I don't think I can regain that quickly enough to hit my goal but I'm not ready to accept that it's downhill from here.

Before this year, I was in the same mindset, I had almost admitted defeat seeing my numbers steadily decline and my sprint had got weaker which was always my strong point. But after a different approach to my offseason, at 47 and have a very similar FTP as I was at 42 and have increased my max power.

I've had to adapt my training based on my age (training smarter, not juicing before anyone asks)

[yellowjack]

ukbabz said:

When I started riding I found the events to be good rides and a training goal. However when I look now, most sportives don't look any more challenging than a Sunday club run so don't entice me to riding them. There are some exceptions like the Dragon ride which I've done twice, and the Fred Whitton which is on my to-do next year if I get in. It's a tough balance to keep keen riders interested and yet appeal to newer riders too.

This is, I think, where I'm at with event participation. The only sportive/organised event I've ever done on the road was the last RideLondon/Surrey. Perhaps because of it's perceived prestige? Other stuff I've looked at and it usually just doesn't appeal to pay for a ride I'm quite capable of doing by myself. Money for signage and route maps? I've an OS map(s) that'll do that job. Money for feed stations? I have pockets, and there are shops out there. If I think I'll need more food and fluids than I can carry I'll work a route around a garage/bakery/village shop/takeaway. So yes, for the most part the organised sportives are too expensive (for me anyway), and either too easy (local charity rides, etc) because they're trying to be inclusive (nowt wrong with that noble aim btw) or they're tough and logistically challenging to get to the start of (Dragon/Fred/etc).

MTBing for me is different. Getting spat out the back of a laps XC race means you still feel like you're "in a race" even at the end (albeit a few laps down on the leaders), whereas I imagine dropping out the back of a road race leaves a person demoralised and grimacing just to hang on to the end. So I do pay to enter MTB races, but mostly ones that are local or have some "fun" element to them that ensures a wider spread of abilities on the race and a bit of a party atmosphere.

The Eroica Britannia is cancelled though? That's a shame. It's one of only a few events that I harboured an ambition of taking part in at some point in the future...

[lost in espace]

Have a business timing and helping organise running races. The niche stuff is doing OK, but everything else is well down. The longer the distance, the more impacted is the race. Lots of races cancelling and people getting out of the business.

[james0]

Yidwann said:

Masters in Downhill has the same problem, not from doping but it was more stacked with ex Elites than seniors. I was hoping to move into some more chilled racing and on the first outing had my ass handed to me. Ah well.... Vets from next year, and I have been eyeing up downhill bikes again.

If it's anything like Enduro, the Vets will be the same.
Actually the last one I did, I don't recall an elite cat.

[Yidwann]

I am not sure Enduro has had an Elite Category like Downhill does, because its not UCI affiliated it just goes on age,

[Foss62]

yellowjack said:

This is, I think, where I'm at with event participation. The only sportive/organised event I've ever done on the road was the last RideLondon/Surrey. Perhaps because of it's perceived prestige? Other stuff I've looked at and it usually just doesn't appeal to pay for a ride I'm quite capable of doing by myself. Money for signage and route maps? I've an OS map(s) that'll do that job. Money for feed stations? I have pockets, and there are shops out there. If I think I'll need more food and fluids than I can carry I'll work a route around a garage/bakery/village shop/takeaway. So yes, for the most part the organised sportives are too expensive (for me anyway), and either too easy (local charity rides, etc) because they're trying to be inclusive (nowt wrong with that noble aim btw) or they're tough and logistically challenging to get to the start of (Dragon/Fred/etc).

MTBing for me is different. Getting spat out the back of a laps XC race means you still feel like you're "in a race" even at the end (albeit a few laps down on the leaders), whereas I imagine dropping out the back of a road race leaves a person demoralised and grimacing just to hang on to the end. So I do pay to enter MTB races, but mostly ones that are local or have some "fun" element to them that ensures a wider spread of abilities on the race and a bit of a party atmosphere.

The Eroica Britannia is cancelled though? That's a shame. It's one of only a few events that I harboured an ambition of taking part in at some point in the future...

I see it slightly differently. The organised non-competitive road events provided a bit of extra interest and more of a day out and, I think, introduced a lot of people to long rides.
The now cancelled London-Cambridge was a huge event in the past, with buses and lorries laid on to transport bikes and riders either to the start or from the finish, village halls and pubs along the route selling bacon rolls and home made cakes etc. and bands and food tents at the finish.
The same applied on a slightly smaller scale to a number of other rides operated in recent years under the ‘Bike-Events’ banner. The first couple of 100 mile rides I did were the Herts 100 and the Suffolk Coast 100.
I am not a particularly single minded cyclist; this time of year I will maybe do 50 miles on a Sunday morning, and average about 1500 miles a year, but I question whether I would now be cycling at all if someone hadn’t persuaded me to do the London-Cambridge over a quarter of a century ago.
Just as the numerous village 5Ks and 10Ks give people inspiration to start running, I think these organised rides have done the same for cycling - so I think it is sad to see them seemingly disappearing.

[z4RRSchris]

i did a few sportives when i was starting out, the chiltern 100, and the ditchling something or other.

now i wouldnt pay to ride open roads, closed roads different (ride 100 was fun, but i wouldnt do it again)

[lauda]

I also did a few sportives when I started riding. The problem I think they face now is that on-bike route mapping and directions are so good and widespread and apps like Komoot and Strava make it really easy to find routes. Hardly any events are closed road so it's difficult to see the value in paying £40-50 just to have a couple of feed stops with some fig rolls.

I'd rather just ride with a few mates using a recommended route from Strava and use the money for a pub lunch halfway round and a few beers at the end.