If you've ever ridden a sportive on your own then you will know that their are two alternatives for how you get to ride it. Two alternatives; no real choices! Either you get to ride round with others or, as I did when I rode my first, the Shropshire Devil three years ago, you get to spend the day on your own. That day it was cold, so cold that it didn't rain, it snowed - not much, but it snowed. I'd decided that I would find a group and stay with them. At the start I became aware that I was near a team from Liverpool University; great thinks I, I'll hook in with them. 2 miles of hanging on the back later I gave up. I could do the sportive at my pace or fail before the first feed stop at theirs. I spent the rest of the day working my way up to groups that looked useful; standard pattern; a few miles on my own, see a group, a couple of miles to chase them down, arrive at a hill and find that I'd lost them, a few miles on my own... On a club ride I'd have stopped and waited. We don't do that on sportives. Why not?
Last weekend I rode the Evans RideIt Wiltshire Downs Sportive - snappy title guys. Great weather, cool but not cold, no wind, clear, sunny, what more could I ask for? In the run up to it I'd been expecting to only do the 60 mile version; since the cricket season finished I'd done a few 50 mile rides but no 'long' ones. Once I saw that weather forecast it was inevitable that I'd do the 80. For sure I told myself even as I was doing the first 20 miles of the route that I would make a choice as I approached the ride split but, in truth, I'd made the call two days before. So 80 miles when I've only been training for 60 - this would be fun.
Hitching in with a group at the start is easy. There was I, waiting at the tape to be first away in the second wave, when the starters called me through with the first; "You heard the safety talk? OK, go". For the record, I'm now in discussion with Evans as their note taker didn't get my number and I therefore appear as DNS (did not start) - this I find mildly annoying; it doesn't matter, but somehow it doesn't seem fair. Anyway, ideal position to select ride partners from. Having learned from experience I don't hook in with the fast guys these days; I look for a 17-18mph on the flat group. Having ridden through half the first wave I found myself losing ground on the other half. Time to bridge over. Chase down complete I found a possible pair. We arrived at a hill. They fell out of the back door. Back on my own - oh, so be it. A couple of miles later they chase me down on the flat. Ah good. We ride together, we meet a hill, repeat. 5 miles later we're back together. Another hill. Finally I managed to drop in behind them on the rise and we stay together for a distance. Now this might seem an obvious move but, unless you're a way better bike handler than I am, it's hard work staying safe riding slower than you want, a short distance behind someone you don't know, who has a habit of changing pace and going in 'not straight lines'. Ah the experience that we take for granted on club rides. Calls of 'hole', 'slowing' and so on are just what happens - part of keeping us out of hospital. In the sportive situation I tend to assume that other riders are going to make these calls - I'd be better off assuming they won't. Still, Andy and his mate who's newish to cycling serve well; I've found a riding group. And let's be honest here, it's me I'm criticising, not Andy's mate. Whenever the issue arrives on a club ride I whip round the side, cycle up the hill and then wait for others at the top. Even when I did match pace with them it wasn't that I'd done anything clever, it was just that the hill wasn't as steep and we were far better matched for pace on it. The first two were much steeper - see the pic below - those two pointy 'thorn' type things at the start of the medium/long rides - followed by the ramps.
Feed stops - good or bad? I always get amazed on club rides that some of a group will only eat at a coffee stop in the middle. I'm a hamster, always have been. When mountaineering I always went for eating 'little and often' so when it was pointed out to me pretty early in my cycling career that I'd do much better if I ate on the way round, it seemed an obvious point. It was definitely one of the things that made the early step from 35 to 45 miles being a comfortable ride. On a recent club ride I sat down with my cup of coffee at Banwell Garden Centre (good café - recommended http://banwellgardencentre.co.uk/contact-us/) and, leaning back in the chair, realised my pockets were still rather full. I duly pulled out a couple of remaining energy bars, a breakfast bar, a couple
of gels and a Mars bar - I like to have a selection of stuff available so that I can have 'what's right for now' when it gets to eating time (every 50 minutes - in theory). The snakes at the table (snakes - eat once every few months) looked at my stache with horror. I looked at their cakes with equivalent discomfort. Anyway - feed stops. Having ridden a few sportives I'm coming to the conclusion that the 30 mile feed stop is badly placed. Seems to me that when we pull over at 30 miles we're all pretty much in a strong place. Those doing the 60 mile routes are still fine, those doing 100 mile routes are cruising. Can I put in for a 40 mile standard? We tucked into the offerings, refilled bidons and 'used the facilities' but nobody, truly - nobody, looked like they needed a break. Sunday's second feed stop, 58 miles into the 81, was a different picture. Granted it was at the top of a long hill out of Marlborough (Hackpen Hill), but the conversation was different - how much left was a common theme. By then it wasn't so much of a feed stop as a rest from the saddle for a few minutes. Rather typically for my experience of second feed stops - placed in a car park; no loo. Perhaps we just don't drink enough when riding... Perhaps those trees on the top were intended as 'enough screen'? No.
And just how focused on the road are we? The picture shows the descent off Hackpen Hill. When riding it I was oblivious to the existence of the white horse, far too concerned about getting the corners right on the drop down. Across the Somerset levels I regularly see deer, herons, buzzards... When the going gets tricky the cyclists see tarmac! Perhaps I should start a local craze for carving peat horses.
Evans may say I didn't start - but I did finish. Granted there was a patch from about 65 through to 75 miles where I was wishing the miles away but, given that I was 15 miles of training length short, I'll take that. I would have appreciated it if at least one of the four riders that used me as a tow-hook in that least section had done some work on the front before they disappeared but, as two of the four fell out backwards and the two that went off forwards I later caught and finished prior to, I guess they were in a worse place than me so perhaps they can be forgiven. That's that then: sportives done for this year - I don't fancy being committed to some wet, windy nasty in November or December. If there's a convenient hole in the weather I may go for something out of a youth hostel. My son and I have a sort of plan to do a thing - maybe out of Ilam Hall. That's the great thing about loose plans; no commitment, so you don't have to back out, just not finalise any arrangements if the weather is against you.
So, with thanks to Evans Cycling for a pleasant ride on Sunday (and a few aches on Monday) I shall draw this to a close. If your interested - the activity file for the sportive itself can be found here...
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/938101570 Perhaps it could be your season closer next year?
Happy miles.
Dave
Last weekend I rode the Evans RideIt Wiltshire Downs Sportive - snappy title guys. Great weather, cool but not cold, no wind, clear, sunny, what more could I ask for? In the run up to it I'd been expecting to only do the 60 mile version; since the cricket season finished I'd done a few 50 mile rides but no 'long' ones. Once I saw that weather forecast it was inevitable that I'd do the 80. For sure I told myself even as I was doing the first 20 miles of the route that I would make a choice as I approached the ride split but, in truth, I'd made the call two days before. So 80 miles when I've only been training for 60 - this would be fun.
Hitching in with a group at the start is easy. There was I, waiting at the tape to be first away in the second wave, when the starters called me through with the first; "You heard the safety talk? OK, go". For the record, I'm now in discussion with Evans as their note taker didn't get my number and I therefore appear as DNS (did not start) - this I find mildly annoying; it doesn't matter, but somehow it doesn't seem fair. Anyway, ideal position to select ride partners from. Having learned from experience I don't hook in with the fast guys these days; I look for a 17-18mph on the flat group. Having ridden through half the first wave I found myself losing ground on the other half. Time to bridge over. Chase down complete I found a possible pair. We arrived at a hill. They fell out of the back door. Back on my own - oh, so be it. A couple of miles later they chase me down on the flat. Ah good. We ride together, we meet a hill, repeat. 5 miles later we're back together. Another hill. Finally I managed to drop in behind them on the rise and we stay together for a distance. Now this might seem an obvious move but, unless you're a way better bike handler than I am, it's hard work staying safe riding slower than you want, a short distance behind someone you don't know, who has a habit of changing pace and going in 'not straight lines'. Ah the experience that we take for granted on club rides. Calls of 'hole', 'slowing' and so on are just what happens - part of keeping us out of hospital. In the sportive situation I tend to assume that other riders are going to make these calls - I'd be better off assuming they won't. Still, Andy and his mate who's newish to cycling serve well; I've found a riding group. And let's be honest here, it's me I'm criticising, not Andy's mate. Whenever the issue arrives on a club ride I whip round the side, cycle up the hill and then wait for others at the top. Even when I did match pace with them it wasn't that I'd done anything clever, it was just that the hill wasn't as steep and we were far better matched for pace on it. The first two were much steeper - see the pic below - those two pointy 'thorn' type things at the start of the medium/long rides - followed by the ramps.
Feed stops - good or bad? I always get amazed on club rides that some of a group will only eat at a coffee stop in the middle. I'm a hamster, always have been. When mountaineering I always went for eating 'little and often' so when it was pointed out to me pretty early in my cycling career that I'd do much better if I ate on the way round, it seemed an obvious point. It was definitely one of the things that made the early step from 35 to 45 miles being a comfortable ride. On a recent club ride I sat down with my cup of coffee at Banwell Garden Centre (good café - recommended http://banwellgardencentre.co.uk/contact-us/) and, leaning back in the chair, realised my pockets were still rather full. I duly pulled out a couple of remaining energy bars, a breakfast bar, a couple
of gels and a Mars bar - I like to have a selection of stuff available so that I can have 'what's right for now' when it gets to eating time (every 50 minutes - in theory). The snakes at the table (snakes - eat once every few months) looked at my stache with horror. I looked at their cakes with equivalent discomfort. Anyway - feed stops. Having ridden a few sportives I'm coming to the conclusion that the 30 mile feed stop is badly placed. Seems to me that when we pull over at 30 miles we're all pretty much in a strong place. Those doing the 60 mile routes are still fine, those doing 100 mile routes are cruising. Can I put in for a 40 mile standard? We tucked into the offerings, refilled bidons and 'used the facilities' but nobody, truly - nobody, looked like they needed a break. Sunday's second feed stop, 58 miles into the 81, was a different picture. Granted it was at the top of a long hill out of Marlborough (Hackpen Hill), but the conversation was different - how much left was a common theme. By then it wasn't so much of a feed stop as a rest from the saddle for a few minutes. Rather typically for my experience of second feed stops - placed in a car park; no loo. Perhaps we just don't drink enough when riding... Perhaps those trees on the top were intended as 'enough screen'? No.
And just how focused on the road are we? The picture shows the descent off Hackpen Hill. When riding it I was oblivious to the existence of the white horse, far too concerned about getting the corners right on the drop down. Across the Somerset levels I regularly see deer, herons, buzzards... When the going gets tricky the cyclists see tarmac! Perhaps I should start a local craze for carving peat horses.
Evans may say I didn't start - but I did finish. Granted there was a patch from about 65 through to 75 miles where I was wishing the miles away but, given that I was 15 miles of training length short, I'll take that. I would have appreciated it if at least one of the four riders that used me as a tow-hook in that least section had done some work on the front before they disappeared but, as two of the four fell out backwards and the two that went off forwards I later caught and finished prior to, I guess they were in a worse place than me so perhaps they can be forgiven. That's that then: sportives done for this year - I don't fancy being committed to some wet, windy nasty in November or December. If there's a convenient hole in the weather I may go for something out of a youth hostel. My son and I have a sort of plan to do a thing - maybe out of Ilam Hall. That's the great thing about loose plans; no commitment, so you don't have to back out, just not finalise any arrangements if the weather is against you.
So, with thanks to Evans Cycling for a pleasant ride on Sunday (and a few aches on Monday) I shall draw this to a close. If your interested - the activity file for the sportive itself can be found here...
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/938101570 Perhaps it could be your season closer next year?
Happy miles.
Dave
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