Is it just me or what?

[roadrash]

Being part of a big bike ride with fellow cyclists I haven't met before, and at the same time supporting a worthy cause, or even I cause I don't think is all that worthy, I understand. But paying money to ride my bike to provide a profit for a company or individual???? I just don't get it. Am I missing something?

i dont see the problem ...if you dont like the idea then dont do it ....it really is that simple

 

[Get In The Van]

I'm doing my first Sportive next April, i'm looking forward to it. doing it out curiousity as much as anything. see what its like, if i find its not my thing i'll probably not do another.
each to their own is what i say, just because its not someones thing doesn't mean that someone else won't like them.
as for the payment, if someone has taken the time to get all the logistics together, get supplies for x amount of riders, supply a team of mechs, then i don't mind, saves me doing it, all i do is turn up, sign on and go

 

[Tynan]

i like audax, I like the cheapo turn up and get on with it ethos and I like that it's so low key and almost secret

and discovering splendid village halls with old people offering cake

 

[PpPete]

Sprtive - pay, turn up ride, follow signs, get brought back to finish if something happens.

Audax, join, errrrrrrrrrrrrr, 200k ride not for me errrrrrrrrr ive googled it and still have no clue, although the bit about till receipts got me really confused.

'Tis true, Audax is not well publicized.
However you don't have to join (just pay an extra £2 for insurance for each event if you don't)
200km is just the first of the randonneur distances, there's 300km , 400km, 600 km 1200 km . But seriously, some of the most popular events are 100km

Till Receipts are not always required. Didn't need a single one on today's ride.

For my £8, I got...
Cup of tea, choccy biccy and banana at start
then at 30 km, ham sandwich, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, more tea, another choccy biscuit
at 70 km, two helping of beans on toast, three cups of tea, tinned apricots & rice pudding.... had to leave before they pressed any more food on me and rendered me immobile.
at 107 km, more apricots, a slice of rasberry roulade, a slice of a nutty roulade, could have helped myself from the cheese board if there was any room, a banana or three, and more choccy biscuits (as many as I could carry) for the ride home.

 

[StuAff]

'Tis true, Audax is not well publicized.
However you don't have to join (just pay an extra £2 for insurance for each event if you don't)

And if you're a CTC member (affiliate members included) you don't need the extra £2 either.
My own take: I've done a few sportives and a couple of audaxes. And lots more rides on my own or socially of 100+ miles (which had no entry fee at all, of course!). Despite (mis)adventures on the audaxes, they were great fun, the whole self-supported thing is no bother to me as I do enough high-mileage stuff solo to know what I need to do in terms of prep etc. I will be doing more- not many starts within riding distance (I don't drive and Sunday trains run too late in the morning) so not too many, but when I can, I will. I've done a few of the UK Cycling Events (Wiggle series etc) sportives and they were well-organised, good routes, well-stocked feed stations, the included 'extras' (OK, you're paying for them, but...) were a bonus (bottle, High 5 samples, magazine for the train home, etc). I'd happily do more in future, the only reason I didn't this year was clashes with FNRttCs and socials. Definitely more expensive than audax, but the better value ones are not that pricey if you make use of the 'freebies'. Certainly some organisers are taking the proverbial though, and continental ones remain better value.

 

[DCLane]

I've done a pile of sportives this year and one audax. They're not that different - although I like the nature of sportives. They're non-competitive but with a challenge.

Next year I'm doing less (2 so far) because I'm trying the triathlon route. Like @CopperCyclist I've been shocked by the price of them. Basically, audax and sportive costs are the same in comparison. As long as you're not doing one of the really expensive ones (Dragon Ride / Etape / etc) then there's not really much of a price difference between them.

Oh, and I am doing the Dragon Ride next year. That's my one expensive sportive, the Etape Pennines was the one this year.

 

[Philip Whiteman]

I have no qualms about paying £30 for to a commecial sportive organiser providing they give riders free food at the finish, good controls, clear route signage, broom vehicle, medical support, timing chips that work, marshals where required.

Unfortunately, such excellence is rare to come by these days.

 

[ianrauk]

i like audax, I like the cheapo turn up and get on with it ethos and I like that it's so low key and almost secret

and discovering splendid village halls with old people offering cake

Or one I did in March. A vicarage offering up free bacon rolls.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

'Tis true, Audax is not well publicized.
However you don't have to join (just pay an extra £2 for insurance for each event if you don't)
200km is just the first of the randonneur distances, there's 300km , 400km, 600 km 1200 km . But seriously, some of the most popular events are 100km

Till Receipts are not always required. Didn't need a single one on today's ride.

For my £8, I got...
Cup of tea, choccy biccy and banana at start
then at 30 km, ham sandwich, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, more tea, another choccy biscuit
at 70 km, two helping of beans on toast, three cups of tea, tinned apricots & rice pudding.... had to leave before they pressed any more food on me and rendered me immobile.
at 107 km, more apricots, a slice of rasberry roulade, a slice of a nutty roulade, could have helped myself from the cheese board if there was any room, a banana or three, and more choccy biscuits (as many as I could carry) for the ride home.

I couldn't buy that much food for £8!

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Here is what you will get on my events:

The 123km Sunrise and Snowdrop Express (£5.50):
- Beans on Toast, cake and coffee (no extra charge) at GHQ
- Two en-route cafe controls (food for purchase)
- GPS downloads
- Online entry
- Route cards
- Validated rides for audax points and competitions
- 260 other riders for camaraderie
- but no way markers, rescue vehicles or timing chips

The 200km Kidderminster Killer and 120km From Clee to Heaven (£7.50):
- Free light breakfast, bananas, tea and coffee
- Cake, cake and more cake. Bacon butties included in the cost at GHQ.
- Online entry
- GPS downloads
- Route cards
- Validated rides for audax and altitude award points and competitions
- Tremendous views along a tried and tested route
- 120 other riders for camaraderie
- but no way markers, rescue vehicles or timing chips.

Profit= £0.00

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The old Sportive vs Audax debate.

I've had fun doing both. Different sort of fun on each though, the few Sportives I've done have been much busier, more commercial (ups and downs to that) more edgy and seem to include a lot of quite aggressive riders on high end kit with not much clue - I'm being charitable - about ride etiquette or how to ride in a group or, indeed the highway code. And who don't respond well to the fat bloke on the tourer passing them on the climbs. Now that said I've only ever entered because a mate has asked me to. i've not done one on my own as faux racing doesn't appeal.

Audaxes are, imo, a lot more chilled out, homespun (ups and downs to that), seem to attract more mature riders, have better cake, and generally are filled with the Corinthian spirit of the best of amateur sport. You learn new skills which are useful in your cycling life, you get to meet all manner of slightly eccentric people, and if you join Audax UK you get a proper old school magazine.

 

[Peteaud]

Would I be right in saying (and i am trying to say the right words) that an Audax will have more experienced and faster riders then?
Where as a sportive is more of a free for all.

Or, if I did an Audax, would i get well and truly left behind?

 

[frank9755]

In a word, no.

The differences between audax and sportives are not well understood.

It starts with the names. If audax was called what it really is, long-distance cycling, then it would be a bit clearer. The French call audax rides randonees. As do the Americans and many others. That's a better term - especially for French speakers as it means something to them.

Sportive is an abbreviation of randonee cyclosportive which would probably be best translated into English as sporting audax, or sporting long-distance bike ride. But it doesn't get translated and we get another foreign word which doesn't give much clue to its meaning.

Then the other dimension to it is the difference between amateur and professionally organised sporting events. In the UK, audax is an amateur discipline organised by volunteers for the love of the sport whereas most, but not all, sportives are organised by professional events companies to make a living (sometimes using charities as a way to boost their margins). Most of the distinctions that people draw between audax and sportives are not to do with the type of ride but are really to do with this amateur vs professional dimension. Amateur sportives organised by cycling clubs are, in many ways, more like audaxes in their overall feel and the level of entry fees.

You get fast and slow riders as well as novices and experienced riders on both types of rides. Both can be very hilly.

 

[Angus444]

'Tis true, Audax is not well publicized.
However you don't have to join (just pay an extra £2 for insurance for each event if you don't)
200km is just the first of the randonneur distances, there's 300km , 400km, 600 km 1200 km . But seriously, some of the most popular events are 100km

Till Receipts are not always required. Didn't need a single one on today's ride.

For my £8, I got...
Cup of tea, choccy biccy and banana at start
then at 30 km, ham sandwich, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, more tea, another choccy biscuit
at 70 km, two helping of beans on toast, three cups of tea, tinned apricots & rice pudding.... had to leave before they pressed any more food on me and rendered me immobile.
at 107 km, more apricots, a slice of rasberry roulade, a slice of a nutty roulade, could have helped myself from the cheese board if there was any room, a banana or three, and more choccy biscuits (as many as I could carry) for the ride home.

Pete, I felt as though I'd put on a stone just reading that!!

 

[400bhp]

just ride your bike-what it's called is unimportant.