First sportive

AllanES

Hi, new(ish) to cycling, new to Bike Radar and.....new to sportives
I'm hoping to take part in my first one in a few weeks time. Doubtless I'll have lots of questions but here's one to start with......

I know it's not competitive but I'm also aware of the Gold, Silver, Bronze timings/results. My question is - does stopping (at a feed station for example) count towards your overall time for the sportive? Or is there some way that that's removed?

Thanks guys.

BelgianBeerGeek

G'Day Allan

Yes, the stops count. You will be timed from the off to the moment you get back, so what you do in the meantime is up to you!

Good luck.

AllanES

I thought that might be the case! So, a quick drink and some jelly beans and on my way again I suspect! :-)

JayKosta

There will probably be plenty of 'fit and competitive' riders who are trying to win the various awards and prizes. I recommend NOT trying to hang-on with a group of riders who are much faster than you - it can cause rapid fatigue and make the remainer of the ride unpleasant.

If you can get with a group that is going along at a nice comfortable pace, you'll have more fun and will finish with a decent time.

Also, avoid groups that have unpredictable riders. When you are riding near to each other it is vital that you and the people around you don't do anything to cause a crash.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA
'rubber DOWN, skin UP'

AllanES

Good advice Jay!
I'm used to riding on my own so I'll need to be aware of others around me to avoid unnecessary incidents!

I'm used to taking part in running races/events so I know the folly of trying to set off at too fast a pace & chasing others. I'm more interested in enjoying and making the distance.....but it would be nice to finish in the silver category rather than bronze :-)

Bobbinogs

Bear in mind that Gold/Silver/Bronze are totally arbitrary to each event and utterly meaningless in real life. The tangible difference is usually a different coloured piece of cheap paper with "Gold" written on it...that you will crumple on the way home and end up tossing in the bin shortly afterwards. Hence, forget the whole nonsense of it all and set yourself the right challenge. If you are riding a 100m route that is hilly, have you ridden one before? If not, then finishing will be your target. Have you ridden a ride like that in under 7 hours, if not that is a nice target, etc.

Pace, pace, pace. Be realistic and stick to it. If you are in the last 20 miles and feel you have a lot left in the tank then open up but that is the time to do it. Skipping on water breaks and food stops is folly for most...and decent well spaced/stocked food/water stops is a large chunk of what you have paid for.

Enjoy your ride, and don't forget to smile for the photos (for god's sake don't show the pain ).

AllanES

You're right Bobbinogs - my first objective should be to finish and enjoy the ride. And get my money's worth at the feeding stations! :-)
I know the gold/silver is pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things. So I'll try not to get sidetracked by all that.
There's an 80m and an 80k route on the day and I'm going to aim for the 80k just an easy(ish) introduction to the world of sportives.

lakesluddite

Allan - some Sportives take the time from beginning to end, but some can account for time taken at feed stops, it depends on what timing system they use.
I did one last weekend in the Dales and the one feed stop had electronic sensors to 'check in' and 'check out' again, thus only counting the time actually spent on the road as your overall time.
It might be best to check with the organisers what system they are using before planning your stops, and as said before, taking on nutrition is very important - missing one feed stop might mean your time is even worse due to fatigue.

AllanES

LakesLuddite wrote:

Allan - some Sportives take the time from beginning to end, but some can account for time taken at feed stops, it depends on what timing system they use.
I did one last weekend in the Dales and the one feed stop had electronic sensors to 'check in' and 'check out' again, thus only counting the time actually spent on the road as your overall time

Yes, I did wonder if it might be like the triathlon transition idea where time spent in transition can be measured in addition to the individual components. If its not mentioned at the briefing then I'll check.