Pacing for a (flat) century sportive - advice needed
barrybridges
Posts: 420
I'm down to ride the Norwich 100 this Saturday.
This is the first organised sportive I've ridden in the UK - and I'm assuming it's pretty different to a 'proper' sportive given it's more a mass charity ride type event.
Anyway, my question/dilemma is this.
I can comfortably ride 100 miles, but I'm not sure what to expect in terms of other riders and pacing myself with them.
On my own, I'd aim to break 6 hours with some steady riding, but I think I'd also be comfortable in a faster group, riding as a bunch.
In these sorts of events, do groups form like this? Or does it depend on the event?
In other words, I'm unsure whether to tag onto a fast group and aim for sub-5, or expect that groups won't form and aim for sub-6 on my own.
This is the first organised sportive I've ridden in the UK - and I'm assuming it's pretty different to a 'proper' sportive given it's more a mass charity ride type event.
Anyway, my question/dilemma is this.
I can comfortably ride 100 miles, but I'm not sure what to expect in terms of other riders and pacing myself with them.
On my own, I'd aim to break 6 hours with some steady riding, but I think I'd also be comfortable in a faster group, riding as a bunch.
In these sorts of events, do groups form like this? Or does it depend on the event?
In other words, I'm unsure whether to tag onto a fast group and aim for sub-5, or expect that groups won't form and aim for sub-6 on my own.
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Posts
That's good to hear. I'm happy riding in a bunch, regularly in a chaingang and no problems there. I was more unsure - having never done a sportive here - whether it would be difficult to find a fast group to tag onto.
100 miles is a bit of an awkward distance, I think, in that you can treat it as a fast 5 hours or a well-paced 6 hours, but there's a big difference between the two.
If you're rolling at 17-18mph you'll find plenty of other riders willing to pair up and share a bit or work on front, invariably you'll find yourself on your own for some segements, but not for long
Numbers are way down this year though, the decision to roll on a saturday a key factor
My (limited) experience of sportives is that lots of riders aren't very good at riding in bunches, so be careful! My advice is to hook up with a group in the same local cycling club colours, as they're more likely to know what they're doing.
Stick with club riders, so go out early and not play catch-up as you won't. The 75 lot are likely not club riders and so will not have the knowledge nor discipline to ride in close formation.