Are sportifs wrong?

Dr U Idh

I'm really just trying to point out that the OP doesn't have any moral high-ground to stand on. If hes not comfy around other riders, it's his responsibility to steer clear of them, not moan about it.

Eau Rouge

Dr U Idh wrote:

Is it OK for articulated lorries to follow each other at 60mph on the motorways to get a similar benefit then?

They do it all the time, don't they? They even swap positions in front every now and then by overtaking at about a 5mph speed difference. Being bigger, they don't have to be quiet as close as bikes, of course.

oldwelshman

Dr U Idh wrote:

I'm really just trying to point out that the OP doesn't have any moral high-ground to stand on. If hes not comfy around other riders, it's his responsibility to steer clear of them, not moan about it.

Maybe so but your making silly points, have you ever seen a 45 ton bike and rider?
The lorries cannot see ahead but when bike riding you can its the potholes that you cannot see.
You did not answer some ones question, have you ever ridden in a bunch ?

graham1871

I see where Dr U Idh is coming from - you have to accept that Sportives have a large percentage of "fun riders" - that's the whole appeal that anyone can turn up. I put myself in that group as I'm not in a club, wouldn't have the time to join a club, but enjoy doing 3 or 4 sportives each year. That's been my only experience of large group riding and due to lack of experience I take extra care and often shy away.

On that basis you have to assume, unless you've spoken to them, the person in front is not an experienced rider. They are not going to deliberately do something stupid but lack of experience might cause unexpected behaviour...

Shame you can't get recognised "Provisional" plates like those who've just passed their driving test. I'd wear one if it keeps the elite happy. Really!

Having said all that, I'm still yet to see any incidents or problems on a Sportive. So perhaps it's just not a problem anyway. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves and that's part of the appeal too - different types of riders all riding together.

vorsprung

Nickwill wrote:

THe trust between cyclists riding in a group is one of the special things about the sport. Accidents rarely happen.!

.............but surely that's the point here.

If sportives are attracting new people
and the new people have no experience of group riding
then sitting on their wheel is going to be considerably more dangerous than on a club run

I don't think that's being a cycling snob. It's just a recognition of the way it is

nickwill

vorsprung wrote:

Nickwill wrote:

THe trust between cyclists riding in a group is one of the special things about the sport. Accidents rarely happen.!

.............but surely that's the point here.

If sportives are attracting new people
and the new people have no experience of group riding
then sitting on their wheel is going to be considerably more dangerous than on a club run

I don't think that's being a cycling snob. It's just a recognition of the way it is

This argument is getting a bit circular. I do pehaps 5 or 6 sportives a year, and I've never seen an accident involving a clash of wheels. On a personal level, I've always been wary of drafting and being drafted by cyclists I don't know. A lot of the hillier harder sportives seem to have a fairly high proportion of club riders which may be why I Haven't been witness to any of these sorts of incident.

Anonymous

I've seen some really dangerous riders in events, but in every case its been some idiot 'going for a time', I don't mind anyone trying there best on a ride but when it puts others in danger that's when I draw the line, on the FWC in 2007 some ars* near took me off my bike descending Honister, he overtook me on the steepest ramps when a car was coming up! And when he realised he was going to hit the car he cut me right off...I let him know how i felt but he just sped off dangerously again...getting those precious seconds!...for what?...Bugger All apart from bragging to his mates he did an event in 'that time'....

So in my experience some bad riders are maybe 'good riders' who don't give a jot about others as long as they acheive a certain time?

blorg

Worth bearing in mind that bunches in a sportive are really far milder and relaxed than what you see in a race whatever they are doing; I have seen far more serious crashes racing cat4 & cat3 (my current level) than I have ever seen in sportives. Maybe not that many people doing stupid things, but when they do, it matters...

Damien_KW

A couple of people have said that they don't have the time to join a club.

I don't understand this at all - my club costs about £30 a year to join, and then every Sunday you can turn up to a great group ride with like minded people, ride out to the local countryside, often on routes you'd never discover by yourself... and there's no commitment on your time beyond that. You don't have to go every Sunday, you don't have to go through some sort of initiation ceremony, you don't even have to buy the club kit if you really don't want to.

In the past, if you became interested in cycling you'd join a club, ask advice, learn how to ride, build up fitness, then enter some events. Now I think a lot of people bypass the joining a club bit, for whatever reason. But I doubt you could argue that joining a good club is far more valuable than the paltry membership fees they charge.

There is a skill and etiquette involved in riding in a bunch - for reasons of safety as much as anything else - and a club is a great place to learn. And its likely you'd meet people doing the same sportives that you're planning to do too.

symo

My club costs £15 a year, I joined not for insane racing but the regular Sunday ride, if I want for £2 a week I can have properly timed TT as ofApril right through till November and then there is the Thursday chain gang which is a high paced sprint around Devon with all levels catered for. It also provides me with subsidised transport to events (I have free travel to the Tour of Wessex) plus I am surrounded by riders who have been nothing but encouraging from when I first started to ride over a year ago.

From my club I have learnt how to ride a few mm off the front but that is something that takes a lot of trust. I need to know the person is going to signal potholes in advance and not brake suddenly without telling me. One of the reasons I am dreading L2P is that I won't have the same trust of the people in the Cat 4 group as I do with those of the MDCC.