New to sportives - a few questions

nasahapley

Hi all,

I've recently got an entry to my first sportive, booked the B&B and am about to commence training for it in earnest. I can't wait for the big day, but am glad it's still a few months away so I can get the miles in beforehand! A few newbie questions I'm sure you experienced sportive riders can answer:

1. I know sportives aren't really races, but if I was to start relatively late (an hour before the elite mob), will there still be banter and the chance to get to know folks, or do the later leavers generally take things a bit more seriously? I want to leave later in order that I can get some decent sleep!

2. If I show up with my Camelbak MTB 100, which I always use for long rides, will anyone talk to me at all?!

All answers gratefully appreciated,
N

EdHarris

Most sportives have feeding stations where they offer food full of energy like bananas, oranges and busuits. They also have tanks full of water where you can fill up your bottles. I've seen people using camelbak systems on sportive before, it's not a deadly sin at all but might get uncomfortable and hot/sweaty; I suggest (if you haven't already) to get two bottles and cages on your bike and stop to refill at the feeding stations as it's more comfortable and possibly more conveinient.

As to starting? Start when you like, I'd imagine people will be starting throughout the "starting period", and you'll find some chatty people and maybe form a chain-gang.

Enjoy your sportive, I certainly got the bug from doing my first one and it was what really got me into road cycling (I did my first on a MTB). Which one are you doing?

shockedsoshocked

Don't worry about meeting people to chat to. When I did my first sportive I just ended up talking to everyone that rode with me briefly (apart from a few Ferry Hill Wheeler lads. Not that they were rude it's just I couldn't keep pace with them and talk at the same time).

skavanagh.bikeradar

Yep, just say hello to people - you've got two chances and usually they'll chat back. Like a poster said above, you'll probably fall in with a small group of familiar faces at about your speed anyway. On my first one I got along well with Big Yellow Fella, Blue Anorak, Cannondale and Man In Red as we yo-yo'd backwards and forwards for about 8 hours.

If you are doing something like the Fred Whitton where you can start whenever you like but you are on your own you can do what I did and hover by the man with the dibber at the start, wait for a group to turn up and tack onto the back of it. Provided they aren't all racing snakes you'll be fine. Unless you are a racing snake too of course.....

nasahapley

Cheers for the replies guys, some encouraging stuff there. It's the Fred Whitton I'm doing, I'm familiar with quite a lot of the route anyway so thought I'd try to get a place. I'm planning on starting at 8, when I understand loads of people do.

A racing snake I certainly ain't! At 6' and 13 stone I'm no rocket but I seem to get by in my adopted Yorkshire Dales. I've got a time in mind but to be honest if I make it up Hardknott in one go I don't care how long it takes!

bahzob

Good luck. Dont think you will find any difficulty meeting up with and riding with others. Its one of the joys of sportives.

Re Camelback, I wear one and if you find it comfortable to wear for a long ride would say use it. It makes it easier to take frequent sips of water which is important on a long ride and gives a fall back in case you lose a bottle (sods law the only time last year I did not take it, thats exactly what happened to me).

bahzob

Good luck. Dont think you will find any difficulty meeting up with and riding with others. Its one of the joys of sportives.

Re Camelback, I wear one and if you find it comfortable to wear for a long ride would say use it. It makes it easier to take frequent sips of water which is important on a long ride and gives a fall back in case you lose a bottle (sods law the only time last year I did not take it, thats exactly what happened to me).