Cycling Events for fun/fitness?

jonnyboy77

Looking for some info/pointers on how to get into some non-competitive type events for cycling. My aim is to have some fun and improve fitness.

I currently have a hybrid and mountain bike, but I am hoping to get a road bike to add to that in the next 6 months.

I guess I'm looking for something akin to the light hearted 5/10km runs you see organised all over the place (Richmond Park for example), but geared up for cyclists of some variety.

I'm not keen on the competitive angle, but I imagine most events will at least be timed etc.

Can anyone help shed some light on this, and may be post some links to websites etc?

Thanks

Jon

asprilla

You want Audaxs or Sportives.

Like fun runs but for cyclists.

iPete

Check out the Wiggle Super Series or Evans Ride It! sportives..

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/cycle/7/Events/

http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-it/spor ... -ride-info

http://www.cyclosport.org/

jonnyboy77

These all seem to be events I would really want to complete on a road bike, would that be a fair understanding?

I looked at the Dunsfold Cyclosportive

http://southernsportive.com/?go=sunday& ... ventid=307

This has a short route of 74km and a Bronze time of 3h20m (avg 13.75 mph) which I don't think I could do on my hybrid, and certain I'd not manage on the Kona!!

I'll take a look at those links too, thanks!

EDIT - I have now seen the MTB sportives too! I like the sound of the 44km Fun routes!

Jon

tailwindhome

jonnyboy77 wrote:

These all seem to be events I would really want to complete on a road bike, would that be a fair understanding?

Depends on the route and how quickly you want to complete it.

I completed my first ride at the weekend. One girl did the same ride (60 mile) on a British Eagle MTB which she had found in a stream.

Don't put off entering one until you buy the 'right' bike

il_principe

TailWindHome wrote:

jonnyboy77 wrote:

These all seem to be events I would really want to complete on a road bike, would that be a fair understanding?

Depends on the route and how quickly you want to complete it.

I completed my first ride at the weekend. One girl did the same ride (60 mile) on a British Eagle MTB which she had found in a stream.

Was it LiT?

rolf_f

Il Principe wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

jonnyboy77 wrote:

These all seem to be events I would really want to complete on a road bike, would that be a fair understanding?

Depends on the route and how quickly you want to complete it.

I completed my first ride at the weekend. One girl did the same ride (60 mile) on a British Eagle MTB which she had found in a stream.

Was it LiT?

Can't see LiT sitting on anything she found in a stream

jonnyboy77

TailWindHome wrote:

jonnyboy77 wrote:

These all seem to be events I would really want to complete on a road bike, would that be a fair understanding?

Depends on the route and how quickly you want to complete it.

I completed my first ride at the weekend. One girl did the same ride (60 mile) on a British Eagle MTB which she had found in a stream.

Don't put off entering one until you buy the 'right' bike

I am determined to try something, I think I may need to find a friend who'll take it on with me though, I'm more likely to see it through that way! ... off to press gang colleagues or friends!

- Jon

Aidy

I did my first Audax (a long long time ago now) on some sort of clunky mountain bike. Not even a decent one.

I seemed to survive okay.

That said, we did it again another year (on better mountain bikes ) and heard someone in the crowd proclaim loudly "Look. They did it last year."

pastryboy

Charity rides where people turn up on everything from fancy carbon to BSO's to fixies to rollerskates.

www.bike-events.com

dugliss

I recently did an Evans ride on a hybrid and loved it

Jay dubbleU

Evans normally have a 'fun' ride of 30 miles - did the Chilterns on as my first sportive - lots of people on hybrids at this distance

sc999cs

The audax website can be found at www.aukweb.net. Have you considered a social cycling club?

jonnyboy77

sc999cs wrote:

Have you considered a social cycling club?

I have made a few brief searches but not turned up much - I'm not finding a lot of free time to ride at the moment (8 month old baby at home!) which was part of the reason for trying to find some events to do.

I'd really like to find some local cycling friends, I guess a social cycling club would be ideal and would encourage me to do more on a more organised basis.

If anyone knows of anything in the Richmond/Twickenham area I'd be interested to know about it. As I say, at the moment I only have the hybrid and MTB, so I'm not sure I'd fit in to well with the Road brigade at the moment

I'm looking to plan to attend a couple of organised rides before the year is out, and I did find details of Swinley Forest for some organised MTB rides too. All information greatfully received,

Thanks

Jon