New Sportive in the Cairngorms

daowned

The UK's highest event (632m)- Finish on Scotland's Alpe D'huez! This route takes you from the heights of Cairngorm through the north of the Spey valley. This lesser known area has stunning scenery and quiet roads. It undulates through forest and moorland before the final climb to the finish. Another classic is born.

Cairngorms Sprotive

wakemalcolm

Round by the Bridge of Brown's pretty grim moorland - count me in!

Ullapool and future tdf stage 1 (I wish) round Skye sounds interesting.

Foz72

All rather depends whether you consider that only Sportives are 'events'. If you tend to think that Audax are 'events' as well, you have to think about the Snow Roads 300k in June. Pretty sure that crosses the Devil's Elbow road at 665m.

Anyway.....Speyside. Good roads, good idea.

pneumatic

Streuth, that looks awful! I've got cramp just thinking about it.

Oh dear! I think I'm tempted!

Noodley

OK, I have said it before and I'll say it here again:

Putting the word "sportive" does not justify the price. Audax has far more "serious" routes and people need to start thinkng a bit more about what they want from cycling. Do you want to spend lots of cash to appear "cool"? Fine. Or do you believe in cycling as an accessible sport for people with differing levels of ability. Note: audax speeds limits are not slow - I checked average speeds for the Bealch-na-ba sportive last year and only the top few would have been faster than the upper limit (and only then by a few minutes). My ride in the bealach-na-ba was a "pootle" to get out on a route I thought would prove a challenge and which would be different this year due to the change of date - my time attracted some derision from a few people I have ridden with but I cared not. I invited those who derided my time to ride with me on the Snow Roads 300km. I rode the Snow Roads alone.

I am not wanting to appear as "having a go" at sportives as I think sportives fulfil a certain role in the market. I would ask to think a bit more about placing too much faith in the title of an event.

Noodley

Foz72 wrote:

All rather depends whether you consider that only Sportives are 'events'. If you tend to think that Audax are 'events' as well, you have to think about the Snow Roads 300k in June. Pretty sure that crosses the Devil's Elbow road at 665m.

Anyway.....Speyside. Good roads, good idea.

Sorry I missed that post. Yes, Snow Roads takes in Cairn O'Mount, Cabrach (fairly easy but worth mentioning I suppose), The Lecht and Glenshee. Oh, and the bit between Lecht and the Deeside road, which is a bugger. And Glenisla, which can hurt a bit after 250km. Total climbing is 4800m, but a lot of the route is fairly benign. When it climbs, it climbs.

pneumatic

I take your point, Noodley, it must be a bit irritating to see the rise of Sportives when there are perfectly good Audaxes already established. . .

but

I may not be alone in finding Sportives attractive because of the sense that they are open to all-comers (they have a "come and have a go" image), they are marshalled (at least the good ones are), they are festive (loads of participants) and, compared to other forms of contemporary entertainment (watching football or rugby, a day at the health spa or a night out on the sauce) the prices are not outrageous.

I may not be alone (without ever having done one!) in imagining Audaxes to be rather serious-minded, exclusive and narrowly promoted. I think I would be a bit intimidated just turning up out of the blue. I think skinny old men with beards would be looking at my chainset and smirking inwardly.

I am probably wrong, but I and others like me need to be persuaded of the joys of audax.

noggincp

like the look of the Skye ones

wonder if it'll be windy :?:

Tomfl

The cairngorm route was a route i was realy looking forward too having missed this years Bealach ,however now i have have seen the route i will be travelling elsewhere to spend my £30,.Why because i live in Grantown and the route is the wrong way round and too short,also the major climbs with exception of cairngorm are missing.Most of the route is on busy double track roads and the climb to the bridge of Brown is from nethybridge which is just a long bo ring slog,please Strathpuffer look at your route and think again because the area has great potential maybe with the imput of local knowledge it could be a classic

nwallace

noggincp wrote:

like the look of the Skye ones

wonder if it'll be windy :?:

The only question you ever need to ask about Skye is "Is my accommodation water proof?"

I remember this area as being a bit lumpy, the drop from the Kilmaluig road to Uig Ferry is steep with an Acute corner at the transmitter. But the map suggests that's the only serious lump and any difference in spot heights on the route being no worse than Fife.

I could talk my self into doing the route of the Skye Beag.

Noodley

pneumatic wrote:

I take your point, Noodley, it must be a bit irritating to see the rise of Sportives when there are perfectly good Audaxes already established. . .

I have only started audax this season so I am not a dyed in the wool old beardie - however, I have seen some people with beards this year - and there is certainly no "exclusiveness". I have found quite the opposite. There may be an "image" of audax but it is very open to "all comers" and probably more than sportives as there is an in-built "go fast" element to sportives. There will always be people in any sport who try to "protect" the "uniqueness" of certain disciplines and this may come across as "exclusive" or "old beardy men on steel bike with pungent knob cheese" Much in the same way as some sportive riders appear to be obsessed with speed and appearing tough when, in reality, they ain't that fast and couldnae batter a fish.

I am not trying to create a divide, and I enjoyed the bealach-na-ba this year and last year. "Value for money" wise: well, depends what you mean by value - does someone sticking up signs "add" £25 of value? I'm not sure. Each to their own I suppose. I'm just wary of the move towards the image of the "hard" sportive - higher, tougher, harder. Bollocks.

DaveyL

daowned wrote:

The UK's highest event (632m)- Finish on Scotland's Alpe D'huez! This route takes you from the heights of Cairngorm through the north of the Spey valley. This lesser known area has stunning scenery and quiet roads. It undulates through forest and moorland before the final climb to the finish. Another classic is born.

Cairngorms Sprotive

I know you're just quoting, but it's not the UK's highest event. The Corrieyairack Challenge goes over the Corrieyairack Pass at 775 m. That one *is* a challenge...

wakemalcolm

Tomfl wrote:

The cairngorm route was a route i was realy looking forward too having missed this years Bealach ,however now i have have seen the route i will be travelling elsewhere to spend my £30,.Why because i live in Grantown and the route is the wrong way round and too short,also the major climbs with exception of cairngorm are missing.Most of the route is on busy double track roads and the climb to the bridge of Brown is from nethybridge which is just a long bo ring slog,please Strathpuffer look at your route and think again because the area has great potential maybe with the imput of local knowledge it could be a classic

Tomfl

If that's your opinion, don't write to us, write to the organisers! Have to concede, I have friends in Aviemiore and I'll be seeking their opinion on the route before commiting.