How does timing work ?- Sportives

brin

btw, should I go to the bog before starting just joking... honest!

Cheers

yes

Buckled_Rims

Dabber wrote:

btw, should I go to the bog before starting just joking... honest!

Cheers

Serious...yes. You'll be surprised at how many hide in the hedge rows and bushes as you cycle past

andy_wrx

Stanley222 wrote:

holker wrote:

Is it a national standard or up to race director?

It is NOT a race!

Indeed, it's not a race, but considerable numbers of newbies don't understand this and treat it as a race, riding on wrong side of road round corners, not stopping at junctions or red traffic lights, etc.
This is the downside of sportives.

Remember it's not a race and the Highway Code does apply to you...

Buckled_Rims wrote:

5. Confirm yourself in the HQ and you'll receive a timing necklace or wrist band. Also, you'll get a handlebar race number.

No, that number is not a 'race number', it's a number so the photographer can identify you and flog you photos...

No 15. should actually read
- 15. Go home and wait for sportive website update to see if there's any pictures, even though you never buy one !

on-yer-bike

holker wrote:

Another question, how are gold, silver standards set? Is it a national standard or up to race director? Is it different for different age groups and sexes? How does amount of ascent affect it?

They are set by the organisers and depend on the toughness of the course. A flatish course could have an average speed of 19+ mph for gold whereas a tough course like the Southdowns Sportive had an average speed of 16.5 mph including stops.

Some sportives take age and sex into account. (I dont mean stopping for a shag in a field)

holker

Thanks to Brian B and Buckled Rims for replies to my queries.

Quick question for others. If it's not a race why is it timed?

nickwill

holker wrote:

Thanks to Brian B and Buckled Rims for replies to my queries.

Quick question for others. If it's not a race why is it timed?

Because for some of us, the idea is to get inside a certain time. Perhaps it's nearer to an informal ultra long time trial than a race. Mass participation marathons are timed for the same reason. Admittedly they are a race at the front end (unlike sportives), but not for the bulk of the field.