Evans Ride it Series

Robi45

Hello All
Im thinking about an end of season sportive courtesy of Evans Cycles (Chilterns sportive). Ive never done one of their events before and remember hearing very mixed reports in the early days (2008-9 time). Has anyone participated in one recently, this season or last? Would be good to hear first hand experience of route, signage, quality of feed stations etc. and general organisation.

Thanks!

bigpikle

done a few in the last couple of years and all have been great - good routes, good organisation, feedstops etc. Cheaper than most as well - enjoy!

me-109

Did the Thirsk Yorkshire Moors one last year. Very good and challenging. Well signed. Plenty of stuff available at the feeds. Shame it wasn't on this year.

mattbabs

I did the Leeds ride in February. It was a freezing cold day but the ride was well organised and very good value for money. I started early but there seemed to be plenty of stuff at the feed stations and you also got a box of gels/bars from High 5 if you registered early. Most people couldn't carry it all so they held onto it at the finish for you. The maps were good and the route well sign posted. Also they kept well away from main roads as much as possible and you only had to cross busier roads a couple of times.

apreading

Best Sportives I have done. Not too big like some - less riders and more friendly riders, more informal feel and staff are good for a laugh. Well planned and signed routes, great feed stations with just what you need. If you sign up 4 weeks before you get a bunch of free High5 stuff that offsets some of the cost, but actually they are cheaper than alot of other Sportives anyway...

markhewitt1978

mattbabs wrote:

I did the Leeds ride in February. It was a freezing cold day but the ride was well organised and very good value for money. I started early but there seemed to be plenty of stuff at the feed stations and you also got a box of gels/bars from High 5 if you registered early. Most people couldn't carry it all so they held onto it at the finish for you. The maps were good and the route well sign posted. Also they kept well away from main roads as much as possible and you only had to cross busier roads a couple of times.

I did Leeds as well; indeed it was freezing 2C my bike computer said. I also did Langholm in nicer weather. Both very well organised with good and obvious signage and good feed stations. Well recommended.

Robi45

Thanks all. Looks like I better give one a go! Cheers.

gethinceri

Doing the Wales one on Sunday, £15.00 with £10.00 of free High 5. I'll let you know.

apreading

Even better, when I do them with my son, he is free - so £15 with £20 of free high 5! They always seem to give you extra high5 on top of the normal box too. I got so much I give the stuff away now!

simonhead

The guy that organises them was on here the other day on the riding without paying thread, standing up for the rides. I think they are by far the best value of the commercial events and the ones i have done have been really well organised, signposted and stocked at feed stations. The routes are generally pleasent and offer a challenge to suit pretty much everybody.

apreading

Didnt see that thread on riding without paying, will see if I can find it.

It wasnt an Evans one but another Sportive earlier this year, someone I know wanted to do and invited me to come along. When I went to register it was full, so I told him I couldnt. He said no problem - he couldnt get on either but a mate of his was on so would have all the course notes etc and we could just ride along. Needless to say, I declined - doesnt seem right to me.

Certainly at the price Evans charge and what you get for it, I couldnt understand anyone cheating on them...

markhewitt1978

simonhead wrote:

The guy that organises them was on here the other day on the riding without paying thread, standing up for the rides. I think they are by far the best value of the commercial events and the ones i have done have been really well organised, signposted and stocked at feed stations. The routes are generally pleasent and offer a challenge to suit pretty much everybody.

Indeed, and unlike the Wiggle ones they usually offer a short 30 mile route, if you're not feeling up for the longer ones, or like in Leeds just wanted a short ride with friends as it was too cold for longer.

gethinceri

Did the Wales Ride It! On Sunday, as above cost £15.00 with £10.00 worth of High 5 for early booking. Route adequately marked, masses of grub available at feed stops, knowledgable and generous staff.
My furthest distance yet, 122 kms which is 40 kms more than my previous furthest.
Tough route for my level but I made it to the finish although I did have to stop once for a spew and once for a brown wee.
I highly recommend them.

nunowoolmez

I find the Evans ones to be extremely well run & by far the best value for money sportives gking. The staff & organisers are MUCH friendlier & professional than their main competition Wiggle. The organisation is great & they don't try to put themselves on some sort of pedestal, like the Wiggle sponsored UKCE ones do. With them it is all style over substance, with Evans, they stick to the basics.

I try to do the King Of The Downs ride every year & that is quite tough, but enjoyable. The courses are well put together & the feed stations are spot on too. For half the price of most others around, you can't go wrong.

markhewitt1978

They said in the "riding without paying" thread that there will be 12 additional events in 2014. They are notable at the moment for having nothing in the North East of England, the closest was Leeds in February (freezing) and Langholm about 2 hours away in Scotland.

deanstacey

Hi Mark
We'll try to get to the NE ( We did do in our early years ) next year. The problem has been not enough weekends to cover the country. I'm waiting for the nod, and then it's full steam ahead with planning/finding new venues.

Dean

badgerbeaver

nunowoolmez wrote:

I find the Evans ones to be extremely well run & by far the best value for money sportives gking. The staff & organisers are MUCH friendlier & professional than their main competition Wiggle. The organisation is great & they don't try to put themselves on some sort of pedestal, like the Wiggle sponsored UKCE ones do. With them it is all style over substance, with Evans, they stick to the basics.

I try to do the King Of The Downs ride every year & that is quite tough, but enjoyable. The courses are well put together & the feed stations are spot on too. For half the price of most others around, you can't go wrong.

+1

If like me you do a few Evans Ride It events and then do some other random ones it cna be a shock, especially to the wallet. For me at least, the Ride It events are the best thing about Evans

t4tomo

Gethinceri wrote:

Tough route for my level but I made it to the finish although I did have to stop once for a spew and once for a brown wee.
I highly recommend them.

I'm not so sure on your recommendations, but I will look out for an Evan's ride it near me.

markhewitt1978

deanstacey wrote:

Hi Mark
We'll try to get to the NE ( We did do in our early years ) next year. The problem has been not enough weekends to cover the country. I'm waiting for the nod, and then it's full steam ahead with planning/finding new venues.

Dean

Thanks Dean. I assume the 2014 dates currently posted are not the entire story then?

Hopefully there will be something in the North East until then I'll have to content myself with; Wiggle Northern Angel, Wiggle Hell of Hexham, Great North Bike Ride, Durham Big Ride, The Beast, Virgin Cyclone, Wiggle Thirsk.

deanstacey

HI Mark.

Not the full story.

We have had to wait for the budget to be approved before steaming ahead and working out the other events. This was done at the weekend, so we are now working on them. Obviously travelling the country looking for venues takes time, so we are hoping for a month or so to get them sorted.

All the new web pages for booking should start going live next week ( Hopefully !!)

Ta
Dean

markhewitt1978

Thanks Dean, I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us

markhewitt1978

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Thanks Dean, I look forward to seeing what you have in store for us

Which by the looks of things is nothing much in the North; entered Leeds already but that's the only one that's nearby; even that's a fair way to go.

nunowoolmez

No 'King Of The Downs' either. Poor. That was one i always enjoy, shame they decided to scrap it.

markhewitt1978

nunowoolmez wrote:

No 'King Of The Downs' either. Poor. That was one i always enjoy, shame they decided to scrap it.

King of the Pennines was on their provisional schedule for 7th September so perhaps the "King of" events got lost in translation to the new calendar?

markhewitt1978

Evans have now firmed up their calendar for 2014, quite a few new events on there

markhewitt1978

The "King of the Pennines" event has changed to be called the HOY One Hundred Sportive - and the price has gone up from £28 to £35 as a result.. However they haven't put the new page live yet so you can still enter for the £28 price (I just have) I expect that will end sometime today.

deanstacey

Hi Mark.

You seemed to have sneaked through when we accidently had the link to the new (secret) event page showing.

The extra £7 entry fee is a pure donation to Sir Chris's nominated charity and not an increase in entry just because SCH is now associated with the ride.

So, the right thing to do is wait for all the info to be announced and support SCH's charity.

We have removed KotPs from sale.

Thanks
Dean

apreading

deanstacey wrote:

The extra £7 entry fee is a pure donation to Sir Chris's nominated charity and not an increase in entry just because SCH is now associated with the ride.

That sentence doesnt make sense - unless it is an optional donation then it is an increase in entry and it is because SCH is associated with the ride.

deanstacey

What I meant was we have not just added the extra on because SCH is involved, there is a reason for the increase and that is a charity donation.

Dean

charliew87

Did the long Kent ride yesterday. Probably the nicest day of the year, so great day for it. The roads in the woods were in terrible nick, twigs, mud, stones & general crap everywhere and a few bits of standing water, including one bit which was a foot deep and led to soaked feet. But not complaining, it’s been a bit damp of late after all. Good food stations as ever and a track pump was a massive help when I got to the first one having had 3 punctures in the first 10 miles which wasn’t much fun.

pipipi

I did the medium Kent ride. I'm glad it was sunny.

Some awful downhills with potholes ruts gravel mud (and my own 'brown sauce') but that's country lanes for you. A good feedstop. And nice to see what a Cyclopark looks like. And a fantastic feeling of accomplishment after a dormant winter and first long ride after breaking both collarbones.

Thanks Evans. I'd much rather do two Evans than one Wiggle!

And how do they make any profit because I got given two types of High5 race packs with loads of sachets.