Dour bloke behaviour on sportives

redddraggon

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

Sportives are legal races! They give the opportunity for like minded people to rip it up and feel good about/boast about their achievements.

Sportives ARE NOT races (except if you are talking about ones on the continent)

ThreeLionsBrian

redddraggon wrote:

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

Sportives are legal races! They give the opportunity for like minded people to rip it up and feel good about/boast about their achievements.

Sportives ARE NOT races (except if you are talking about ones on the continent)

That is why i said legal "Races". Of course not they are gentle potters around the countryside! the timing chip just tell you how long your potter took. :twisted:

redddraggon

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

Sportives are legal races! They give the opportunity for like minded people to rip it up and feel good about/boast about their achievements.

Sportives ARE NOT races (except if you are talking about ones on the continent)

That is why i said legal "Races". Of course not they are gentle potters around the countryside! the timing chip just tell you how long your potter took. :twisted:

They are not "legal races" though.

ThreeLionsBrian

redddraggon wrote:

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

redddraggon wrote:

ThreeLionsBrian wrote:

Sportives are legal races! They give the opportunity for like minded people to rip it up and feel good about/boast about their achievements.

Sportives ARE NOT races (except if you are talking about ones on the continent)

That is why i said legal "Races". Of course not they are gentle potters around the countryside! the timing chip just tell you how long your potter took. :twisted:

They are not "legal races" though.

FFS legal in the sense they get around the law!

ThreeLionsBrian

Unofficial race, is that better.

Bunneh

Next time I'm going out I'm gonna be all miserable; then I can get someone saying on here 'saw that bloody bunneh fella with his stupid bright yellow bandana on, he ignored me and I feel hurt and now depressed and and and...CRY!'

*deep breath*

I don't feel too good :shock: :P :x

symo

Hate it when I see Gel wrappers around Dartmoor after the classic. Especially if I wear an MDCC top as everyone knows we organise the "timed event" around Dartmoor.

I will ask if someone else needs a hand but to be honest, you came out to ride 100+ miles and you didn't double check you had a tube and pump, FFS do you want to borrow a jersey too?

Also I am trying to move as rapidly as possible so I especially love it when you are behind someone and are blocked in and the person in front decides to stand up and climb without maintaining speed by standing on the pedals but now applying force. I also love it when people automatically change to the lowest gear at the slightest hint of up hill, thats good, especially when they charge forward on the flat or downhill afterward like a maniac just to pass you which they were so effective at going uphill.

Riding in a club teaches you group riding and also how you affect people behind because the torrent of banter that follows means you never want to hear it again.

berliner

Maybe you should try entering a / participating in a gay sportive. Probably much friendlier.

Louie Spence for race director.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UxcIrNK0h8

ThreeLionsBrian

"Timed Event" yup that'll do nicely Symo.

Well done on your excursion to foreign shores. Don't take the p*** out of my climbing skills though :oops:

I am not offending CTC rides as they cater for a very large portion of cycle rides and reliability rides offer the "Century" at a more relaxed pace. They often help with punctures, even here the cyclist in my book should be competant or have his/her own back up if not.

verylonglegs

Rick Chasey wrote:

what brakes wrote:

if i pass a cyclist i always nod or say high or lift my hand, if someone has stopped i always ask if they are ok? just incase they have a puncture or has hit the wall or someother prob!

TREAT PEOPLE HOW YOU WISH TO BE TREATED!

I get irritated when people try to socialise with me on sportives.


Sure I'll give the odd grunt of thanks when I've taken more than my fair share of tow, or a dazed '"i'm finished", when I drop off but I'm not there to make new friends. I'm there to cycle, and enjoy what only a cyclist can enjoy - the mutual help between cyclists not based on anything beyond the fact it's more convenient for riders of similar strength to share an effort.

Treating people like you want to be treated is all well and fine, as long as you don't expect much.

Also, does this part of the forum show, if nothing else, that just because you have one thing in common - you enjoy cycling - you otherwise have no reason to like them more or less than any other stranger. Can't see why because they're 'cyclists' there should be a different treatment.

Have to say I agree with what you say and really don't understand why not wanting to share inane prattle with someone you've never met makes you dour, I just happen to be quite comfortable with my own company and a solo bike ride is how I like to spend some of my leisure time. I've had to change my planned route before on a weekend ride in order to escape someone!

Also slightly tongue in cheek for those that like to force your way into others lives...what's makes you so sure you've got anything interesting to say?

Wamas

pneumatic wrote:

I always like the way people check you are ok when you have a mechanical issue, especially in France, where it seems de rigeur.

However, a couple of years ago, I was half way up an Alp completely stranded after my chain came off and wrapped itself around the mech in a horrible cludge that wouldn't budge.

It was 6.30 am and I was in a bit of a lather about it. All of a sudden, this bloke breezes up on a bike and asks "Ca Va?"

"Non!" I shouted back, "J'ai un grand probleme, c'est foutu (f*cked)"

"Bon!" he called back, and p1ssed off up the road!

I'm sure it wasn't spite; he was just asking out of politeness and heard the answer he was listening for!

He probably didn't understand/ or didn't hear what you said.

markos1963

GiantMike wrote:

On the recent Norwich 100, I regularly looked round to see a trail of riders behind me, never once taking the lead or helping out. The longest stint was about 10 miles along the coast into a headwind. It's nice to put the hammer down and drop them though!

Oh how I know how you feel. I was on that ride and got seperated from my clubmates by some numpties whw had pushed into our group and when they couldn't hold our pace they were all over the road. I had to ride 10 miles solo into the wind on the coast and every time i looked behind there were riders sitting on my tail doing nothing to help. I just dropped onto the drops went into TT mode and left the lazy sods.

I think club riding does help but only for the experience of riding in big groups, as in all walks of life you'll have c&^ks spoil things be it in a club or solo.

I wouldn't normally stop for a punctured rider in a sportive unless I was riding with them. FFS it says in most info packs to bring the kit with you and if you can train enough to ride 100 miles you could at least learn to change a tube. I would always stop for what looked like a more serious problem.

I enjoy chatting to new people and don't have a problem with it as long as I can get my breath to be able to!

Anonymous

I think on a sportive, when you have paid up, trained, paid for accomodation etc, that you have to ride your own ride. Whether that means head down and off or poodling and chatting to others its all fair. You will get people who sit on your wheel, just means you are fitter than them, just give it a grunt and drop them, thats what I try to do. Experienced riders will usually take turns I have found. On the recent Romney marsh sportive I got caught at Rye by 2 riders and we worked well together for about 10 miles, after which we split, both guys were wearing club colours and the through and off occured naturally after the initial hello's.

Sportives are not races, but I think the "Timed Event" moniker is a good one as people tend to want the best time possible.

Littering is not acceptable.

I'd stop if someone is hurt, but not for a mechanical, thats up to the individual concerned to sort out. Carrying spare tubes etc is an individuals responsibility and is usually pointed out on the organisers information section.

You have to accept some bad riding etiquette and just get on with it, some people won't know how to ride politely or efficently in a group, give them the benefit of the doubt or a wide berth, you signed up knowing you will encounter some numpties.

Basically, some people will be dour, they may be having a bad time, not fit enough and worrying or just plain nackered and not happy. Giving the benefit of the doubt is overlooked a lot nowadays.

Thick Tester

Anyone paying to enter a sportive should have their entry validated on the line by a hot iron to the forehead scarring the entrant with the word 'MUG'

Le Commentateur

Maybe organisers need to remind these people they are not in the TdF,
and they are average joes.

Ah, but that's not how organisers tend to promote these events... rather the reverse, it's about massaging the ego of the punter in return for £££. To simply go out for a reasonably challenging bike would be looked down on as mere recreation, whereas a sportive, though essentially just a long bike ride, has an aspirational element (the "training" beforehand, the Beacher's Brook novelty elements in the route (like a 25% climb up a farm road), the event paraphenalia of signage, timing chips, feed stops, etc) that flatters the rider that they are doing something out of the ordinary.