Do Friends Ride Together in a Sportive?

[JtB]

I've never ridden in a Sportive but I have to say they look real fun.
Out of curiosity, how do groups of friends generally ride in Sportives?

 

[ColinJ]

Shouldn't it really be more a case of what you would like to happen, rather than what other people choose to do?

I have done both. The mate I usually went with was a lot fitter than me so he would shoot off at the start and hang about for an hour or so for me at the finish. Not too bad for him on a sunny day, but he wasn't quite so happy when it was cold and wet!

I have done other events with people who rode at my pace so we stuck together.

 

[ianrauk]

Don't do sportives. But when doing Audax rides with friends we stick together.

 

[coffeejo]

I think it depends on you and your mates. I did one with a friend who has a different riding style to me - she's consistent whereas I'm more of an over-excited puppy so I'd dart ahead, start flagging, drop back, ride with her for a bit, ride on, start flagging ... etc. But we waited for another at the top of steep climbs and when we started to get hungry (we took sandwiches and sweets to share). It rained towards the end of the day and I got rather cold so we didn't finish together as I pushed on to keep warm. Other than the cold finish, I liked riding that way as we saw each other often enough to share the good times but neither had to feel guilty about being better on the climbs (her) or able to push on a bit more on the flat.

 

[yello]

Depends on the friends. If you can stick together then cool but if not, no worries. It's not like there aren't plenty of other riders to wheel suck ride with.

 

[Soltydog]

If you want a more social ride, then yes with mates, but if you want a fast (Gold) time & your mates can't ride as fast then go solo. Last couple I've done including today I've been a billy no mates anyway
The previous one, about 8 clubmates all rode. We stuck together for a good distance, but the climbs soon split us up. Decide with your mates beforehand what the plan is & then there's no upsetting anyone

 

[aberal]

It's a bit of both, as others have said. Good intentions to ride together at the start soon dissipate as different fitness levels and competitiveness kick in. I've waited on and been waited for by friends and it's usually better to ride big distances with someone else if you can. Assuming you really don't care what you're timing chip days at the end of the day.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just got back from Velo Wales in a small group of widely varying ability. We rode together some of the time. We split up at other times. Sometimes one or more of us waited after a hill, sometimes not. Sometimes I'd stop to take photos or adjust clothing and then chase. We met up at feed stations. So the answer is: Do whatever you feel like.

 

[jazzkat]

I've only done two sportives. On the first one my mate and I stayed together until the first hill (after about 1/2 mile) where upon he buggered off into the distance only to be seen 7 1/2 hours later at the end. The second my friend (a different one) waited for me at the top of the hills. In fairness to both friends neither time had we discussed riding together, we just set off together.
I'm not a big fan of sportives anyway, seems like a lot of fuss about nothing. It's not really a race, just a load of folk pretending to race.
IMHO if you want to race, stick a number on your back and do it properly.

 

[vickster]

My friend and I will do London-Surrey 100 together, she'll kill me on the hills though and will need to wait! Hopefully we'll get the same start time or it may become more complex

 

[screenman]

It is a pretend race, FIGHT.

 

[HarryTheDog]

When I used to do sportives they were usually done with memebers of my cycling club, we would usually end up splitting up into various groups along the way naturally depending upon abality. When I did them with my son and he was a minor at the time we stuck close all the way. Once he was older we would stick together until one or the other told the stronger one to go on.

 

[Butty1972]

I don't have any friends, only enemies who are still alive.

 

[BigAl68]

Having only ever done one organised event two weekends ago at Eroica me and my mate stuck together so we could ogle all the vintage goodness on show. He left me on the climbs however as I am slow and I left him on the descents as he is a bit terrified of descending.

 

[doonhaemer]

I make new friends with others who are riding at my pace, I would adjust my pace a little to keep a group together; i.e put in an effort to keep up sometimes and ease back a bit if I am off the front (which is a rare event). We sometimes start as a club group, but they don't slow down much If I'm not keeping up.