Sportive question

[Mummy3monkeys]

When I first started riding seriously in July, my goal was to ride the 30 mile round trip to work by next summer, and I have already done that. So my next goal is to enter a sportive, local charity one next August. My concern is my speed averages 12.5mph, and I'm not sure this is fast enough to take part. At this pace, It will take me approx 6hrs to do the 61 miles, is this acceptable?

Are there any limits, do I need to worry? I currently ride a mtb, and am saving for a road bike. Hubby is convinced both the new bike and the fact that I will have been riding 2-3 times a week for a year will increase my speed. I however need some convincing. Plus I have yet to get over the 30mile mark, but that is a psychological barrier, which I intend to break through.

Thanks

 

[Katherine]

When I first started riding seriously in July, my goal was to ride the 30 mile round trip to work by next summer, and I have already done that. So my next goal is to enter a sportive, local charity one next August. My concern is my speed averages 12.5mph, and I'm not sure this is fast enough to take part. At this pace, It will take me approx 6hrs to do the 61 miles, is this acceptable?

Are there any limits, do I need to worry? I currently ride a mtb, and am saving for a road bike. Hubby is convinced both the new bike and the fact that I will have been riding 2-3 times a week for a year will increase my speed. I however need some convincing. Plus I have yet to get over the 30mile mark, but that is a psychological barrier, which I intend to break through.

Thanks

Wow, you're doing really well. I don't think you need to worry about the average speed at all just building up the miles. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[TissoT]

Its a sportive ... Not a road race
Though riding 61 miles on a mtb would be a task ... A road bike may/will speed you up

 

[Tin Pot]

To enjoy a sportive you need to ride with people of a similar level as yourself, otherwise they eventually leave you behind or vice versa.

In my opinion.

 

[MikeW-71]

Are there any limits, do I need to worry?

No, and no.

Ride them at your own pace and enjoy yourself. If you are getting a road bike, you'll probably add 2mph almost immediately and find it easier to do longer distances.

Sportives can be boring however. If you don't get into a group that happens to be going your pace at the start, you can end up riding in no-mans-land all by yourself all the way. That's what happened to me on 3 of the 4 that I've done so far

 

[DCLane]

Don't worry. If it's a 61-mile ride and you're on an MTB I'd suggest slick tyres.

Otherwise don't worry about it ... and enjoy. 12.5mph on an MTB is a decent speed anyway.

 

[Pale Rider]

Worth doing just for the new experience of taking part in a group event.

As @DCLane says, 12.5mph is a decent average for an MTB, so I wouldn't worry about trying to go much faster on that bike.

By the way, you say the 60 mile event will take six hours, five X 12 is 60, so I reckon you will get around in nearer five hours.

A lot of the roadies will probably be faster than you, but there will almost certainly be some who are slower, some at a similar speed and some who have breakdowns or fall off.

So there's no need to worry, you won't be in anybody's way.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

When I first started riding seriously in July, my goal was to ride the 30 mile round trip to work by next summer, and I have already done that. So my next goal is to enter a sportive, local charity one next August. My concern is my speed averages 12.5mph, and I'm not sure this is fast enough to take part. At this pace, It will take me approx 6hrs to do the 61 miles, is this acceptable?

Are there any limits, do I need to worry? I currently ride a mtb, and am saving for a road bike. Hubby is convinced both the new bike and the fact that I will have been riding 2-3 times a week for a year will increase my speed. I however need some convincing. Plus I have yet to get over the 30mile mark, but that is a psychological barrier, which I intend to break through.

Thanks

Don't worry, you'll be fine, you're doing great already on your mb; continue riding, maybe increase the distances by 5 miles at the time.
When you get the new bike it will feel much easier, but as @DCLane said, you can do a 60 mile sportive on a mb fitted with slick tyres.
I did my first one on a 5 speed, had a great time.
Even if you end up riding yourself, there are always small challenges to keep it interesting, like beating lycra cladded roadies up hills

 

[DCLane]

Even if you end up riding yourself, there are always small challenges to keep it interesting, like beating lycra cladded roadies up hills

True - the sportives I've done in the last couple of years have had too many Sky-wannabe's on their latest Pinarello's who get off and walk at the first sign of a hill.

 

[Eribiste]

All the above, plus at your current level of endeavour, which is good, you've got a solid base to train from between now and August. My general tips are to build up gradually to be able to do say fifty miles by about June. That'll get you used to the distance, pedalling along in your own rhythm, singing songs to yourself to while away the miles. Don't forget, it's quite alright to stop and look at the scenery from time to time as well!

On the big day, please ignore all the carbon mounted hotshots taking off at 20 mph! Start steady, even a little slowly for five miles or so. Get your rhythm going again, do your fifty, then just add the extra ten. Have a water bottle, and use it. Carry sweets, flapjack bars or whatever, and give yourself a reward every ten miles or so, or the next hill, or mini-goal of your choice. Most sportives have a mid point break somewhere too, with cake, which breaks the ride up into portions.

You'll probably see a variety of bikes too; my first 60 miler was done on a 20kg Pashley Roadster Sovereign. The range will probably be from dubious bso's (bike shaped objects) to the latest 2015 Specialized S-Works. You'll keep up with quite a lot of them.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

the last sportive i did was a wiggle 103 miler...there was a guy in his 60's doing it on a brompton.......

you will be left behind by the majority of roadies....many of whom are the hares to my tortoise.....racing from one feed station to the next just to spend ages crashed out on the grass drinking ebergy drinks to excess anbd looking cool....

if you can distance that lot from your mind and ride your own ride without feeling 'inadequate' for want of a better word (because you arn't) then you will enjoy the day....not everybody is equal on these events....there are all ages, bike types, sizes, fitness levels. Mostly roadies, moslty of the skinny roadsnake variety, but just let them go.....most of them will have respect for you on an MTB anyway....good luck

 

[Mummy3monkeys]

Awww, thanks guys, for all the advice and encouragement, will do as you have all advised and enjoy it.
I won't be completely on my own, hubby will be doing it with me. He is pretty good at riding at my pace, even though he can easily do 18mph.
I am stubborn and determined, and will keep my training up.
I guess I was just checking that there was no time cut off where they say you must finish by.
Some of the comments about the super speedy made me smile.

 

[DRHysted]

Ride what you like, at the speed you like. You are there to enjoy (and challenge) yourself, not for what others think of you.
I ride the carbon beauty in my avatar, but I still get passed by loads of others (now I can overtake some back too). My average speed on one sportive this year was 13.9mph and people were still finishing when I was going home.

 

[mjr]

I guess I was just checking that there was no time cut off where they say you must finish by.

The only sportive I've heard of having a time cut-off that was at all challenging is Ride London, where they want to clear the course for the pro race that follows... http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/prudential-ridelondon-details-announced-34218 says 9 hours for 100 miles (it was cut short to 86 miles this year by bad weather) - I think that's 11 1/9 mph, so 12.5mph should have got you round OK.

Other than that, +1 to most of the above. I feel that starting after the wannabes is a good idea because they go out too hard, some overtake badly (no shouts, no bells and going for gaps that just aren't there) and may cause crashes that you don't want to get involved in and you'll only be scalping them later on when many of them run out of steam or their string and glue bikes with paper tyres fail while my tank keeps a-trundling on...

 

[winjim]

True - the sportives I've done in the last couple of years have had too many Sky-wannabe's on their latest Pinarello's who get off and walk at the first sign of a hill.

Pinarello-scalping is a fine pastime. Oddly enough, I couldn't give a toss about passing / being passed by any other make of bike.