Just signed up for my first Sportive!!

[levad]

I have just signed up for the 86 mile route from Wantage on the Sunday Sportive series. This is my first event and I only have a week and a half to get ready. Can anyone give me some advice?

I currently commute a 26 mile round trip on a reasonably hilly route, the longest hill is 1/2 mile and is 10% for the last third. I commute every day and my average speed is about 16.5 mph.

The farthest I have ridden in a day is around Jersey, about 46 miles, on a hired hybrid.

 

[Hugo15]

Give your bike a good check over before the event. Check the tyres and remove any bits of flint. Make sure the tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure.

Make sure you have a decent breakfast. Porridge is my fuel of choice.

Start steady. You can always quicken up in the second half of the ride but if you start too fast and have blown by half way then it is going to be a looooooong second half.

Make sure you start eating and drinking early in the ride, a little bit often.

But most of all have fun and enjoy it!

Good luck and post a report of how you got on.

 

[Will1985]

Start steady. You can always quicken up in the second half of the ride but if you start too fast and have blown by half way then it is going to be a looooooong second half.

+1. Also, you're more likely to be riding in a group for the first half, but it will gradually split as people speed up/slow down/puncture. Don't worry too much about the higher speed in a group either - it's bound to be faster.

 

[simon_brooke]

Porridge for breakfast is definitely good. I'd also recommend a good slow-burn carbohydrate meal the night before. Pack some cereal bars, or best of all some Soreen malt loaf - excellent slow-burn carbohydrate you can eat on the move. Sugary things and gels give you an instant hit but they don't last long so I would advise avoiding.

I used to take water or water/fruit-juice mix on long rides, and I used to get awful cramp. I've switched to using 'sports drinks' - the kind that come in powder form, and you mix - and now I don't get cramp. Recommended.

Take cable ties and a bit of duct tape - useful for running repairs; a magic link which fits your chain, and, ideally, a chain tool with which you can remove the remains of a broken link (I've never broken one but I've repaired other people's!). A good multi-tool is worth it's weight in the proverbial. Make sure your spare tube is in good condition and that you have in addition a repair kit and a pump THAT WORKS! These days I tend to take a gas inflater and a couple of cartridges as well.

Route sheets don't like rain. They become soggy and, if printed on an ink jet, the ink runs. Make sure you have a waterproof map case. One mounted on the top of a handlebar bag is ideal.

And one last tip I learned on the Exmouth Exodus this year: take a spare baselayer, wrapped in a zip-lock waterproof bag. If you get soaked to the skin and hypothermic, changing into a dry baselayer can be really helpful!

 

[levad]

Thanks for the help so far. I fitted a new chain, gear cables and bottom bracket a couple of weeks ago. I think I need to adjust the cables now they have settled in. I have porridge every morning so may just have a larger portion. I have already started feeling apprehensive but do intend to enjoy it. I plan to go for a 50'ish mile spin on Saturday to check that I can stay in the saddle for that length of time.

 

[bonj2]

Route sheets don't like rain. They become soggy and, if printed on an ink jet, the ink runs. Make sure you have a waterproof map case. One mounted on the top of a handlebar bag is ideal.

he's entered a sportive, not an audax. he won't need a routesheet as it'll be signed.

 

[levad]

Well, that's that done then.

Summary:
Sunday Sportive - Wantage
142K completed in 5 hours 40 minutes

Good points
Managing most of the hills
Riding with groups of people rather than my lonely commute
Riding the furthest I have ever done
Finishing in a Silver medal position
Taking some Malt Loaf and Jelly Beans with me
Reaching 47.2mph - my fastest speed ever

Bad points
Chain coming off the front rings 3 times
Failure of the air to stay in the front tyre - stopped and replaced tube, the rear was evacuated of air when I got home, I don't know when that happened! I changed from 700x28 to 700x25 tyres yesterday but kept the original tubes. I think these are rated for 32+ tyres so I suspect I had pinch failures and need to get the correct size inners.

Would I do another one?
The jury is still out. I might look into these Audax things.

 

[Kestevan]

Do you have a beard and sandals already, or will you be aquiring a set specifically for the Audax?

 

[jimboalee]

Do you have a beard and sandals already, or will you be aquiring a set specifically for the Audax?

142 km in 5 hrs 40.....

Not bad for his first sportive, but still pretty rubbish.
That's only 25 kmh 15.6 mph

A half decent Audax Randonneur will get round a 200km better than this.
The UPPER speed limit is 30 kmh for heaven's sake.

 

[Jonathan M]

Well, that's that done then.

Summary:
Sunday Sportive - Wantage
142K completed in 5 hours 40 minutes

Good points
Managing most of the hills
Riding with groups of people rather than my lonely commute
Riding the furthest I have ever done
Finishing in a Silver medal position
Taking some Malt Loaf and Jelly Beans with me
Reaching 47.2mph - my fastest speed ever

Bad points
Chain coming off the front rings 3 times
Failure of the air to stay in the front tyre - stopped and replaced tube, the rear was evacuated of air when I got home, I don't know when that happened! I changed from 700x28 to 700x25 tyres yesterday but kept the original tubes. I think these are rated for 32+ tyres so I suspect I had pinch failures and need to get the correct size inners.

Would I do another one?
The jury is still out. I might look into these Audax things.

Well done, enter another now, aim for a slightlylonger distance, and give yourself time to prepare. I'm somewhat jealous as my year has been ruined by ill health and I can't see me gaining anywhere near enough fitness after >1 stone weight gain to ride a decent distance at a decent speed up decent hillsanywhere in the forseeable future.

Go ahead and enjoy yourself man, with more notice of an event you'll aim to do more specific training and enjoy yourself more.