sportive etiquette?

geoff_ss

popette wrote:

What if the person is your partner?

On the Cheshire Cat I started the ride with my husband but after a mile or so, I realised that he wasn't with me any more. I just kept on going - we were doing different routes so I wasn't going to see him again on the day - I hadn't said goodbye or have a good ride or anything. I felt a bit bad but not that bad.

Perhaps it's time to get a tandem That's the perfect solution to unequal strength in an otherwise harmonious partnership.

Geoff

funckchicken

to be honest i don't really mind if people wheelsuck me. it doesn't really affect my time or slow me down. it they weren't there behind me i'd have to be riding on my own at the front anyways.

Tom Butcher

But isn't a sportive partly about group riding ?

I think I'd probably invite others to take a turn. I had one situation at the Autumn Epic a couple of years ago when two of us were towing a group of about 9 or 10 on that flat section before the final climb. After several miles of this the other guys legs went and mine weren't far off. I swung off to drift back and let the others come through only for the guy behind to grab his brakes!

Tried explaining all he had to do was roll through and straight off but he wasn't having it - sometimes all you need is that 30 seconds or a minute off the front and you can do another decent turn.

funckchicken

I had one situation at the Autumn Epic a couple of years ago when two of us were towing a group of about 9 or 10 on that flat section before the final climb. After several miles of this the other guys legs went and mine weren't far off. I swung off to drift back and let the others come through only for the guy behind to grab his brakes!

this is just really a misjudging of your own personal pacing and the situation you had there i think.

if your legs nearly went before the final climb it is because you went too hard at the front trying to pull a group of 10 along and assuming that the others would or could come through to do their turn. the simple solution is to ease off.

if you are in a paceline which is working together and people are sharing the work then up the pace and do your turn by all means. but you need to establish early on whether the riders will come through to do their turn by initially only doing a shortish turn at the front and then giving someone else the early opportunity to come through. if they don't come through then you know where you stand and before you empty the tank.

Chubby on a compact

I had a similar situation on this year's Cheshire Cat. After about 8 miles me and another guy had passed several groups and then looked round and we must have had about 70 riders behind us. We did manage to get a small group doing through and off. There were a couple who had never done this before and were quite pleased that someone was showing them what to do. However there are not many sportives where you can do this especially on the hilly events.

Tom Butcher

By paceline I'm assuming you mean through and off. There was no through and off going on. There were two of us pulling a group along and no matter how much we had slowed they still weren't going to come through - hence one guy actually braking to avoid hitting the front.

I was quite willing to keep towing them as much as I could but we'd all have got home faster if they'd been willing to roll through and give me and the other guy working 30 seconds respite now and again. In the end all that happened was I did have to slow the pace to save a bit and then just attacked them on some small rise before we reached the last climb because I didn't feel like towing them any further.

cougie

Classic ! The guy behind braked ? What a nob.

We had a bit of a group going at the aqueduct with about 35 miles to go, then one of the guys on a v flash bike thought he'd attack. No idea why. He went on the flat, and then round the next corner was a small hill. We didnt increase the pace, but caught him up anyway, and then we'd regrouped on the descent.

Next thing I know - he was struggling off the back -on the flat. If he hadnt have wasted his energy with his silly attacks - he should have easily been able to stay in the group.

30 miles from the finish is a long way to ride solo unless you're very strong.

teagar

One way is to gradually increase the pace untill you're both not talking but busy breathing. Then as you pull away a small gesture will suffice.

I'm always too intimidated by people to talk to them too much, nor grab a wheel. I'm only really comfortable taking someone's wheel when I know they're slower than me, but then It's only usually for a breather, before pushing on.

Odd really, I'm a pretty confident guy, like to think of myself as a ball-breaker, but I get really intimidated by other roadies when i'm on my bike!

I'd say just push on.

Jaeger

Lots of interesting views.

Also, how hard do people tend to ride on a Sportive?

On a typical 70-80 miler I would try to stick around 75 - 80% MHR (145-155bpm for me). Would you push up to 85/90% if doing through and off?

I'm asking because I personally would be wary of doing this too early in a long ride. Just wondered what I should realistically push to to 'do my share' on the front, without blowing up too early.

cougie

I dont think I'd go up to 90% - apart from on hills were sometimes its unavoidable.

I think 80% is fine and its nice to be able to sit in and get a little bit of a rest from time to time if the ride permits.