Evans Ride It Sportive - Advice please.

greggbaker
greggbaker Posts: 55
edited October 2012 in Road beginners
Hi, just got back into cycling about 3 months ago and have loved exercising again after knee re-build 10 years ago and turning into a fat knacker!!!
Anyway, been out roughly 2/3 times a week and getting better times, losing a bit of weight and feeling stronger. I average about 15/16mph on flat roads over an hour and going at it like a time trial (pretty much flat out and blowing out of my hoop at the end :) )
I realise from reading on here that I need to increase my mileage and go slower (too driven and still think i'm a fit 21 year old) and concentrate on cadence etc.

Back to the point, I've seen an event I am very interested in entering on December 2nd. Its the Evans Ride It Dorking sportive. It has a fun ride of 15 miles which I can do as I've done 15 miles a few times recently, but there is the next step up which is the 30 mile ride, which I fancy having a crack at but not sure if I'm ready?? I'd be most grateful if people could give their opinions on what they thought. Head says 15, heart says go for the 30 even though it'll be the longest I've riden?

Many Thanks.

Comments

  • Enter the 30 miler and decide on the day. Evans do not mind if you change the distance just make sure that you tell them at the finish.
    In the meantime go out and ride a couple of 30 milers and see how you feel. Bear in mind that the sportive will be a bit 'hilly'

    Good Luck.
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • Yea, you gotta do the 30.

    But once you have and then have learnt the route, you don't need to pay Evans £12.50 ever again and you can go up Box Hill when their sportive doesn't. :)
    17 years commuting up and down the King\'s Road and i still don\'t get faster...
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Just look at the 30 as a 15 + a 15 which you know you can do :-)
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • I done the Evans Sportive in Epping the other week, the most I had ridden was about 34miles, couple of mates came with me that are new to cycling (like you a few months) and we went for the 60miler and sorted, it was not as hard as I thought, just pace yourself and remember it's not a race, use it for training
  • smidsy wrote:
    Just look at the 30 as a 15 + a 15 which you know you can do :-)

    LOL Quality :lol:

    Thanks all.
  • elderone
    elderone Posts: 1,410
    you have a month or so until the sportif so do cpl weeks at 20 mile and then next cpl at 25 mile then you will be bang on for the 30 and it will not be such a leap in distance just a progression.
    best of all enjoy the day.
    Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori