Southern Sportive For Spring 2009?

Ricardo H

I havent raced since i was a junior back in 1992. I started riding back on the road last spring after mtb'ing for a few years.
I've decided i need a goal to focus on over the winter so i am going to do a sportive next spring.
Any reccomendations? need something that is going to test me but not shatter my moral. Something in Sussex, surrey or kent would be best.

ridgerider

The Mad Jack Fuller audax around a lumpy part of East Sussex in mid Feb offers a indication of how your winter training is going. The weather often plays a big part of the day!

EdHarris

Take a look at http://www.srs-events.cc/ they've a new spring sportive on the 15th March starting in Buress Hill in Mid Sussex. Their August route last year was a good tour around Sussex and Kent.

Ricardo H

do you need to be a member of a club to be able to enter a sportive?

richa

Ricardo H wrote:

do you need to be a member of a club to be able to enter a sportive?

Nope. Just go for it.

SRS Events

Ricardo H and everybody else is welcome to enter the Burgess Hill Cyclosportives entries open on the 2nd of December via the Everyday Cycling website.

The Burgess Hill Springtime Classic Cyclosportive 15/03/09

The Burgess Hill "Rumble" Cyclosportive 30/08/09

http://www.srs-events.cc


Help us raise money for the Sussex Heart Charity

http://www.sussexheartcharity.org

Bike2work

I too am thinking about signing up for a cyclosportive. But I'm not sure.

I'm 46 years of age and restarted cycling about 4 years ago after a gap of about 20 years. I'm doing only about 2300 miles per year, mostly commutes. Longest ride so far was the Great Yorkshire Bike Ride (72 miles in June, fairly flat despite being in Yorkshire). I really enjoyed this.

I do fairly frequent rides of 20-50 miles during spring and summer when the evenings are longer. Total ascent on these rides average about 20 metres of ascent per mile, ie 1000metres on a 50 mile ride (sorry to mix up SI and imperial). My average speed on these rides 13-15 mph depending on hills, weather etc.

I have a flat-barred Spec Sirrus. I have family scattered around England and many cyclosportive rides start near a relative which could be helpful.

Questions;
Will I have sufficient speed to be credible ?
Do I need to find a team to go cycle with ?
Will a flat-barred bike do or should I indulge myself for some drop-barred carbon ?
Anything else I need to know ?

Many thanks for any advice.

Bike2Work

SRS Events

Hi "bike2work",

QU 1 "will I have sufficient speed to be credible.

Both the Burgess Hill Springtime Classic 15/03/09 and the Burgess Hill Rumble 30/08/09 have different distances and cut off average speeds. You will have to have a look at our website to gauge the terrain, our highest cut off average speed is 11mph.
Seeing that you have ridden over 65 miles you should be fine riding the Springtime Challenge at 53 miles as there are a few feed stations and if you make sure you put the miles in before the event you should do fine although be warned there are a few hills. You may or may not even decide to do the Classic but I wouldn't recommend it if your unsure as it is a bit hilly to say the least.
Obviously how well you do with regards to the time is how well you train for the event. Although I would stress that Cyclosportives are not races and there is nothing wrong with taking your time and enjoying the ride with other cyclists. Remember everybody is a winner on a cyclosportive whatever time they do.

Qu2 do I need to find a team to go cycle with

Your needs are your own bike2work but if you get 4 other people to enter the same event as you on our events we give a 10% discount for groups of 5.
As for riding with other people it is obviously more fun riding cyclosportives with friends as long as those friends are of the same ability or at least not trying to race you off their rear wheel. Also if you are riding with others it can be a bit easier as you can shelter behind them on the road as you ride saving a bit of energy as you "draft" if your feeling tired.

Qu3 Will a flat barred bike do or should I indulge myself for some drop-barred carbon

Oh dear oh dear Bke2work 20 years ago did you need carbon bars to enjoy your cycling ? Answer NO
If I was you I would indulge in some drop bars but don't worry if they are not carbon, its really not needed. If you haven't used drops for a while you might want to consider some stretching exercises to make you more supple to get down on the drops and make sure you get used to riding with them before you enter an event. I would say though that in our last event there were a few people with flat bars and one of those a lady rode the Classic route which is 95 miles she was impressive.

Qu 4 Anything else I need to know.?


Well not having met you I can't comment but if you come up with any other questions please do not hesitate to ask.
I don't think you will want to know this as such but our Cyclosportive is raising money for the Sussex Heart Charity http://www.sussexheartcharity.org

Check out our website here http://www.srs-events.cc

You have brought up an issue here and its made us realise we need a page on our website which explains how to get ready both in mind and body, oh and bike for a Cyclosportive. I will work on that if I get the time.
I might put it on our facebook page or blog see the website for links, It might take a while to produce though as its all go in the office at the moment with other events we are organising.

All the best
Rupert

Ricardo H

I am almost certain that i am going to do the spring challenge (53 miles) down in burgess hill. one or two of the hills look a bit tasty but i will do a bit of a reccy in the new year so i know what i have let myself in for.

Like i said in my original message if I do'nt enter an event now i wo'nt have the motivation over the cold wet winter months to get out on the road.
If i could handle 100 mile + winter chain gangs as a junior I'm sure i can do this event. Surely i cant have lost that much fitness in 16 years !!!!

SRS Events

Well Ricardo, from time to time I hear ex professional cyclist talk about muscle memory and how it got them around an event that they had just entered with no training after being off the bike for years.
I have no idea what muscle memory is but lets hope your muscles remember how to propel the bike forward at least for 53 miles. It is wise though I have to say to jog that muscle memory with a bit of training, I am sure you as well as your muscles don't want to have a rude awakening with the "bonk" at 40 miles. There is no point in killing yourself on the day much better to train well and ride the event with a degree of comfort.

As for entering early as one of the organisers I would of course say that its a good idea but really it is a good idea! You don't want to do all that training and find that you can't enter do you? We have a limit on the Springtime Classic Event in March of 500. The Burgess Hill Rumble in August will have a few more.

Oh by the way if you do manage to get into the area for a bit of a reccy then why not email me at SRS Events and I will take you around some of the or all of the route.
I have to say due to event organising commitments that I will be relying on muscle memory to take you around the route but I should be able to make it.

Rupert

E-mail srs.events@ntlworld.com

ps if your flying by the time you decide to do the reconnaissance I will get some faster members of the team to go around with you. thats not a threat

Chriscommuter

Ricardo, Bke2work,

I'm nearly 50 and have never raced, but started doing Sportives last year.

A really good, gentle and early one is the Twickenham Cycle Club Surrey Rumble.

There are 2 distances and you don't even have to decide which you are doing until about 20 miles into the ride. There are only a couple of hills and its only £8 to enter. A great introduction if you have any worries or doubts.

The Burgess Hill ride is quite tough...!!

Chris

Chriscommuter

Ricardo, Bke2work,

I'm nearly 50 and have never raced, but started doing Sportives last year.

A really good, gentle and early one is the Twickenham Cycle Club Surrey Rumble.

There are 2 distances and you don't even have to decide which you are doing until about 20 miles into the ride. There are only a couple of hills and its only £8 to enter. A great introduction if you have any worries or doubts.

The Burgess Hill ride is quite tough...!!

Chris

Ricardo H

bit more difficult trying to bike2work with a concrete mixer and wheel barrow on your back !!!!!