Purpose of Sportives

[chillyuk]

What is the purpose of Sportives?

Reliability trials, time trials and races I can understand. As I understand it a Sportive seems to be simply a ride round a signed route, with little point other that arriving back at the finish line in one piece. Have I missed something? The reason I ask is that I like the look of the Even's ones they organise and am thinking of having a first try at a short course Sportive, 30 miles, this one, (Link to event). I know I can comfortably do 30 miles, short enough to not be a problem but long enough that I will know I have done a ride.

 

[ferret fur]

Essentially they are about riding in a group & trying to get the best time possible. I.E they're a pseudo-race for a lot of people. However quite a few will just treat it as a nice ride in the countryside. It's what you make it.

 

[aberal]

They're a non serious fun day out with like minded people. Essentially they should be hard enough to offer you a challenge, so if a 30 mile ride isn't a challenge to you then I'd suggest not doing it. Do an 50 or 80 or 100 mile one instead. Also, they're about giving yourself a goal to work towards. I'm doing a 79 mile ride in Kinross next week which is longer than I've ever cycled ever, followed by the Etape Caledonia at 83 miles and 3 times the ascent 3 weeks later. Without those goals it would have been easy to stay in over the winter and sit by the fire. Instead I went out on my bike. Like the man said, it's what you make it.

 

[totallyfixed]

Funnily enough I was out on a training ride yesterday morning when I encountered riders on the Rutland sportive, I caught a group of 4 or 5 and as I came alongside the first words of the guy I came alongside were "are you in the race too?" [I guess it wasn't obvious because I was the only cyclist apparently in 650 wearing a cap and on fixed].
My reply was "what race", at which I was just given a funny look, fortunately we were just hitting the bottom of a hill so I left them. Now if more and more riders are treating this as a race because they will not enter real races then I say this is dangerous and a little further on I witnessed many riders taking chances crossing a busy A road, I guess in order not to lose time.
I suppose I don't really get paying lots of money to do something that is free, Oh well if it gets more people onto bikes I suppose it's a good thing, but then who is teaching them how to ride?

 

[the_mikey]

Like a previous poster had suggested, to me it's a goal to work towards, also it's a change of scenery, cycling on roads I certainly wouldn't find myself cycling along at any other time, with other like minded people, so a mixture of cycling, challenge and a little bit of comeradery too.

 

[corshamjim]

I do sportives partly for the challenge, and partly because it's nice to be pampered once in a while. On a sportive I don't need to worry too much about navigation, don't need to carry much food and drink with me and can just enjoy the route - which on most sportives is well thought out with good views etc,. I never have any goal speed-wise except to make it around before the sag-truck.

 

[funnymummy]

Like a previous poster had suggested, to me it's a goal to work towards, also it's a change of scenery, cycling on roads I certainly wouldn't find myself cycling along at any other time, with other like minded people, so a mixture of cycling, challenge and a little bit of comeradery too.

Yep, that just about sums it up for me too
Just bcak from a weekend doing the New Forest Spring Sportive - Fantastic scenery, course was fabulous & I met some great people

 

[Garz]

Corshamjim has pretty much summed it up.

However chillyuk and totallyfixed some do treat it as a race. Dependant on if it is being timed then you could argue that as long as it is not a mass start then the danger is going to be the same as riding in groups or on your own so this is a pretty poor weighted point. A 30 mile sportive is not exactly challenging is it? If you haven't ridden one yet then I suggest you give it a go before you dismiss them.

You don't have to like sportives, and yes there are some buffoons who take part in them and treat it too seriously but as long as they keep the entry fees reasonable I have no problem doing two or three per year especially if I get to see a part of the country I have not explored yet.

 

[GrasB]

So where do these multi-day sportives where the riders have transponders for timings fit in? I was sooo pi**ed that due to family 'problems' I couldn't go on one (that's annoyed at the fact I missed it, not the reasons that caused it) & is isn't running it this year due to lack of sponsorship

 

[chillyuk]

Thanks for the replies. May I say my original question was serious and not rhetorical. In response to Garz I was not dismissing them. I agree 30 miles isn't a very long ride, although I rarely ride more that 20 miles at present. The reason I chose 30 miles was that if I did latch onto a group and get towed along at faster speeds than I am used to, if I get dropped off at least I know I will get back to the finish, even if somewhat slowly. I have only recently switched from a hybrid to a road bike and am still getting used to riding that. If I enjoy the event, regardless of the distance, then I will do some more training and look for something more challenging later in the summer, maybe a 50 or 60.

I have done long rides, but not for over 30 years. Back then I regularly did rides of up to 100 miles, but I will never get back to anything like that!

 

[aberal]

I have done long rides, but not for over 30 years. Back then I regularly did rides of up to 100 miles, but I will never get back to anything like that!

Yeah, go for it - hope you enjoy it. My first Sportive was the Bealach Beag, which is relatively short at 43 miles, but it remains one of the hardest rides I have ever done in my life. To pick up on the point that it takes you to places you have never been to - in spite of living in Scotland for every one of my 51 years and living in Inverness for 4 years, I had never, ever, been to the Applecross Peninsula. It was stunningly beautiful and without me signing up for the Sportive, I would never have gone there, far less cycled it. So why don't you spread your wings a little - try the Bealach (or something like it?) And why won't you go back to 100 miles? I am 51 and for the last several years rarely cycled more than 30. In the past often cycled 50-60 but that was my limit. But today cycled 70, further than I have ever done and I intend to do my fits 100 miles at some point this year, hopefully in the next several weeks. So why won't you go back to the 100 milers?

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I enjoy riding with other, but not as a club run, as you can cycle at your own pace, plus someone else sorts the route, provides me with drinks and food and works out the time for me.

I could do it all myself but I can't be arsed!

 

[silverfox]

Funnily enough I was out on a training ride yesterday morning when I encountered riders on the Rutland sportive, I caught a group of 4 or 5 and as I came alongside the first words of the guy I came alongside were "are you in the race too?" [I guess it wasn't obvious because I was the only cyclist apparently in 650 wearing a cap and on fixed].
My reply was "what race", at which I was just given a funny look, fortunately we were just hitting the bottom of a hill so I left them. Now if more and more riders are treating this as a race because they will not enter real races then I say this is dangerous and a little further on I witnessed many riders taking chances crossing a busy A road, I guess in order not to lose time.
I suppose I don't really get paying lots of money to do something that is free, Oh well if it gets more people onto bikes I suppose it's a good thing, but then who is teaching them how to ride?

You arrogant prat!

 

[Albert]

In my limited experience, they are friendly, well organised with a variety of excellent routes to suit differing abilities. They don't feel like races, but can be a little competitive if you wish.

They offer a chance to ride with different people from all over the country - a nice change from the same old faces, if you are in a club and (for me) a nice change from my solo rides.

They are also, in my experience, done by people from the less, shall I say, anal end of the cycling fraternity.

I recently took part in my first Audax, which was even more relaxed.

 

[Garz]

Quite accurate Albert!

You arrogant prat!

When I first read it I was thinking but not wanting to say this. If you are a hardcore rider then you wouldn't have dodged the hill eh!