Evans ride-it sportives

dugliss

Has anyone done these at all? I`m thinking of maybe doing the 60 mile road route on Sunday but was wondering if it`s gonna be a bit "too serious" for my level. I`d be doing it on my Boardman hybrid and would expect to do it in around 5 hours. Looking for something similar to London to Brighton distance but without the millions of people and hassle to raise money. Would this fit the bill or would I be out of my depth?

mroli

Done one - enjoyed it, mixture of ablities - you'll be fine. Have a good time!

richred_uk

I'm planning on doing the Hatfield one Sunday my head says do the 30 miler but my heart says do the 60 miler. Seeing as I'm doing it on a Dahon folder I'm hoping it won't be too serious I'd be hoping for about 5 hours for the 60 miler too so if you fancy someone to meet up with, let me know.

Rich

sc999cs

If you just want to ride, and not race, have you considered looking for audax rides in your area? More info at http://www.aukweb.net/

tempessuk

HI richard
i,m from hatfield & done the 60 mile last year nice route some nice hills
i,m not doing it this year cos i,m away but if you fancy going out sometime your welcome
i,m training for a 100 mile sportive

coopster_the_1st

dugliss wrote:

Has anyone done these at all? I`m thinking of maybe doing the 60 mile road route on Sunday but was wondering if it`s gonna be a bit "too serious" for my level. I`d be doing it on my Boardman hybrid and would expect to do it in around 5 hours. Looking for something similar to London to Brighton distance but without the millions of people and hassle to raise money. Would this fit the bill or would I be out of my depth?

I did the 60 miler around Dorking in June. Some people took 8 hours to do that!

It is not that serious and anyone serious will just fly off ahead. Evans Rite-it seems to be some of the cheaper sportives and with the short and fun routes, they are aimed at the newbie sportive person.

The Wiggle sponsored sportives are more serious in terms of kit that turns up but there are still people doing it on hybrids.

spasypaddy

i did it last year, and would do it this year if i wasnt working in one of the stores on sunday. you get all kinds of people doing it and everyone is on different gear so dont worry about what you are riding.

you'll find others that are riding at a similar pace to yourself and you will just tag along together. its a great experience and a wonderful way to get into sportives/longer rides.

if you are already capable of doing 30miles then go out and do the 60. it might be a challenge but you'll find that with others around you that you wont notice the extra miles. just remember to pace yourself

Gussio

Do it - you won't come last

outofbreath2

Hubby and I are doing 60 miler on Sun too. I like the Evans ones, this'll be our 3rd this year. Hoping to do better than the Chilterns 60mile and we still didn't come last (I held him back). You'll be absolutely fine.

I managed that with barely any training so I've actually put in some miles in the interim to try and improve. Main aim is to not walk up Blissford Hill and complete New Forest Rattler in August.

Our first Evans in Woking we only did the short route (not the fun one) and that was on the hybrid - we cycled to and from the venue so I managed about 50 miles that day. But I found that distance was on the cusp of being a bit uncomfortable being in one position.

Then I bought the road bike...

I may be competent enough for the Wiggle ones next year, because agree with above poster, they seem a bit more serious.

dugliss

Sounds good then. I managed 45 miles out on my own last Sunday so I`ll have a go at the 60 and see what happens!! I was a bit worried as I did a duathlon about 14 years ago and everyone turned up with top bikes and all the gear whilst I had an old peugeot roadbike that I`d bought from the local paper for a tenner. I was very tempted to jump back in the car and go back home!!

coopster_the_1st

outofbreath2 wrote:

I may be competent enough for the Wiggle ones next year, because agree with above poster, they seem a bit more serious.

You are competent enough now to to the Wiggle sportives. The Evans one I did was harder than either of the Wiggle sportives I have done of the same distance.

The only difference I noticed was the more expensive kit used in the Wiggle sportives but that just makes it more fun when you go past them on old/low end kit :twisted:

CiB

The Evans Ride-It in Rochdale + some decent Pennine hills in January was good. You'll probably encounter some decent club riders, and some porky blokes struggling along the flats. A mix of all sorts. If you're as bad as you think you are it won't matter as each rider will only pass you once anyway, and everyone will have cleared off home by the time you finish. Or maybe you'll find that it's not that difficult.

richred_uk

dugliss wrote:

Sounds good then. I managed 45 miles out on my own last Sunday so I`ll have a go at the 60 and see what happens!!

Snap - I did 45 miles in the same area as the Sunday route last Sunday (although I punctured about 15 miles in and had to change the tube on my own for the first time). I'm hoping that doing 45 means I can cope with 60 as that's what I've booked in for lol. TBH I was more proud of changing the tube for the first time than doing the miles

Rich

iPete

dugliss wrote:

Sounds good then. I managed 45 miles out on my own last Sunday so I`ll have a go at the 60 and see what happens!! I was a bit worried as I did a duathlon about 14 years ago and everyone turned up with top bikes and all the gear whilst I had an old peugeot roadbike that I`d bought from the local paper for a tenner. I was very tempted to jump back in the car and go back home!!

Its all about the under dog status :twisted:

You'll be fine, I went to an aforementioned wiggle sportive, my bike cost the same as most peoples wheels and it isn't a a bad bike! The fun bit was continually overtaking people and putting in a gold time. If you can manage 45 on your own, then it should be easy if you find the right group, its all good fun remember...

WesternWay

I am marginally tempted... I seem to be doing the Dunwich Dynamo this year, and whilst I constantly commute 24 miles/day I simply don't do longer rides.

I went out and did an enjoyable but leisurely (I stopped for beer at Richmond) 63 miles last weekend... I can't work out whether it would be better to rest my legs this weekend, or go out and do another 60 or 90.

Decisions, decisions.

spasypaddy

WW do it! i was going to do it but i have to work i was going to do dunwich dynamo but its my mates birthday so forgot i was booked up

WesternWay

spasypaddy wrote:

WW do it! i

I am very tempted... I guess I will find out what the family are doing and if I can go...

I am a bit worried about how tired my legs will then be a week later... I know that for some people these mileages are not far, but they seem it :-)

George

outofbreath2

richred_uk wrote:

my head says do the 30 miler but my heart says do the 60 miler. Rich

Well done for losing your tube virginity. My heart, head and legs say do the 30-miler but my OH says do the 60.

DUGLISS - Dont be worried. Don't ever worry about doing a sportive, they are for everyone. I keep telling myself that...

COOPSTER - thanks!

Will go out for a gentle couple of hours tomorrow, then start panicking in time for Sunday.

Maybe see you back here Monday.

spasypaddy

you'll be fine.

Cafewanda

WW, why not do the ride to RP and back to give you an idea? In any event, you've got to do the DD as I'm counting on you (and any other forumites) to tow me next year

You'll be fine. Remember to stretch your legs. Helps reduce stiffness.

WesternWay

Cafewanda wrote:

WW, why not do the ride to RP and back to give you an idea?

That is what I did last week, took the long route to RP and back again to give me my 63.

Cafewanda

Without the 'break' this time :twisted:

WesternWay

Cafewanda wrote:

Without the 'break' this time :twisted:

I don't like the sound of that :shock:

Cafewanda

Nothing untoward, honest! Only stop for a few mins to drink/eat/loo break on the round trip where necessary.

richred_uk

Did it

57 miles in there or thereabouts 4 hours on my Dahon Espresso - I did enjoy dropping a few carbon roadies towards the end when I got my second wind - at about 47 miles in my legs felt dead and there were a couple of long climbs to go, but once I got to about 52 miles I started to come alive again.

My official time should go up tomorrow (#98) and I'll be keen to see if I beat 4 hrs or not - had to really push it at the end but couldn't quite remember my start time lol. If I started at 8.34 I missed it, if I started at 8.38 then I should have hit it.

Now it's time to search out the right C2W roadie and do some more of these - 'twas fun.

Rich

richred_uk

:evil: 4 hours and 32 seconds average speed 14.2 mph - 32 seconds!!!!! that's going to niggle me for ages.

WesternWay

richred_uk wrote:

:evil: 4 hours and 32 seconds average speed 14.2 mph - 32 seconds!!!!! that's going to niggle me for ages.

Well done though, very good... How was it?

I am doing Dunwich this weekend, which seems to have coincided with my body feeling rubbish, not enjoying my cycling and generally being a bir crap.

richred_uk

It was pretty good - no groups seemed to form though - lots of 1's and 2's, which made it harder work, but on the other hand meant I didn't feel bad holding someone up or having to drop someone.

Well signposted although the map was a little fiddly as they had done it double sided rather than all fitting on one side of A4. Decent Drink station/ food provision (although I was already carrying the kitchen sink with me already as one guy pointed out lol).

I had re enforced to me that I need to train on hills though - on the flat/ descent I can catch and pass quite a few roadies, but on the climb I'd be dropped like a stone.

Oh, and keeping well fed and watered helps massively - no post-ride cramps, and enough energy to ride the 7 miles home after!

Good luck for Dunwich - hope it helps break the funk.

Cafewanda

WesternWay wrote:

richred_uk wrote:

:evil: 4 hours and 32 seconds average speed 14.2 mph - 32 seconds!!!!! that's going to niggle me for ages.

Well done though, very good... How was it?

I am doing Dunwich this weekend, which seems to have coincided with my body feeling rubbish, not enjoying my cycling and generally being a bir crap.

Maybe have a day or two off the bike? Be a shame to let the prep go to waste.

richred_uk

Cafewanda wrote:

Maybe have a day or two off the bike? Be a shame to let the prep go to waste.

Good Point - I didn't totally come off my bike, but eased down my miles just before the ride - my 'normal' 32 mile daily commute was taken down to 22 on the Thursday, 5 on the Friday, and nothing on the Saturday.

Think that helped a lot.

dugliss

Hey Rich, well done on that time, you said earlier that you were expecting about 5 hours!! I did it yesterday too, took me just over 4 and a half hours. I enjoyed it but what I learned mostly was I`m nowhere near fit enough for 60 miles!! Really need to do plenty more miles to do this again as I really suffered after 40 miles. I reckon the only people I overtook were the ones that had stopped to eat!! Not to worry, I finished it so I`m quite happy with that