Question regarding organised events

myideal

Hi,

This is probably a really silly question, however hopefully someone will know the answer and won't think i'm that silly.

I keep seeing different events and rides that are organised. They all talk about feed stations on the route. Now what I don't understand is how do these work? For example do you have to pay for all the items you pick up? Or will these gels etc be included in the cost of the ride?

Also if they have water, im assuming they don't just give you a water bottle, as otherwise what do you do with your own? I assume its not like the tours where they chuck the bottles at the side of the road when finished, as this would be a right pain for someone to collect all up. :roll:

Hope this isn't too silly of question to ask.

gethinceri

Not a silly question if you don't know the answer, and not all events are the same. Triathlons sometimes give you a waterbottle at feed stations.
In most road cycling events all the food is free and water and or energy drinks are in dispensers for you to fill your own bottles from.

myideal

Thanks

What sort of food do they typically provide? Is it more your energy gels?

sniper68

myideal wrote:

Thanks

What sort of food do they typically provide? Is it more your energy gels?

It varies.
I've done Sportives that have offered everything from Jam sandwiches to Mr Kipling cakes.
Energy gels are a staple and I've had Jelly Babies,fruit,Flap jacks etc.
Water is sometimes in a huge dispenser or 500ml bottles that you just pour into your Bidon.
All food/water has always been "free".

figbat

I did a UK Cycling Events sportive on Friday. At the feed station they had loads of stuff: flapjacks, jelly babies, fig rolls, battenburg cakes, biscuits etc as well as various gels and other energy goods from the sponsoring company. They also had two big vats to fill your bottle from; one just water an the other an energy drink. All included in the price of the event and they were encouraging you to get stuck in and take some with you.

imposter2.0

figbat wrote:

I did a UK Cycling Events sportive on Friday.

Sportive on a Friday?

figbat

Imposter wrote:

figbat wrote:

I did a UK Cycling Events sportive on Friday.

Sportive on a Friday?

It was one prepared and delivered by UKCE on behalf of the company I work for, so it looked and felt like a UKCE event but started and finished from one of our premises and all participants were colleagues. We got time off to do it as it was in support of Paralympics GB.

sniper68

The only downside I've found is the Flavours of the energy drinks.Generally they'll use just one or two and if you don't like it then your stuck with water.At a Sportive last year the only flavour was Vanilla and it was horrible!

bflk

myideal wrote:

Hi,

This is probably a really silly question, however hopefully someone will know the answer and won't think i'm that silly.

I keep seeing different events and rides that are organised. They all talk about feed stations on the route. Now what I don't understand is how do these work? For example do you have to pay for all the items you pick up? Or will these gels etc be included in the cost of the ride?

Also if they have water, im assuming they don't just give you a water bottle, as otherwise what do you do with your own? I assume its not like the tours where they chuck the bottles at the side of the road when finished, as this would be a right pain for someone to collect all up. :roll:

Hope this isn't too silly of question to ask.

The one I did yesterday gave out water bottles, transfer contents into my own and pop theirs in the waste bag. The food was pretty poor tbh apart from the Tunnocks caramel wafers. All contained in the whopping entry price!

The best thing was they had the 'open air urinals' or whatever you call them so no queuing - a surprising number still queued for the portaloo anyway for a variety of reasons ;-)

drlodge

One word of advice - don't eat/drink foods/liquids that you haven't tried before. Nothing worse than trying a gel or drink powder that you've not had before and find it disagrees with you.

step83

Did one club organised sportive oop norf last year, the feed station had tea an bacon barms, ToC had sausage rolls which I happily woofed down an took some for the ride. As DrLodge said, only eat/drink what you know for the reasons stated. If your not sure take stuff with you an use the plain water or tape gels to your frame if you need them.

apreading

Only one I have ever done where you had to pay for the stuff at the feed stations was a British Heart Foundation ride - water was free but everything else you had to pay for. That was 5 or more years ago though, might be different now.

markhewitt1978

myideal wrote:

I keep seeing different events and rides that are organised. They all talk about feed stations on the route. Now what I don't understand is how do these work? For example do you have to pay for all the items you pick up? Or will these gels etc be included in the cost of the ride?

Included in the cost of the ride. Most often it's squares of cake, jelly beans, bananas and some energy gels. Most often you can eat as much as you want of the cake etc (within reason) but some say only 1 gel per person etc.

Also if they have water, im assuming they don't just give you a water bottle, as otherwise what do you do with your own? I assume its not like the tours where they chuck the bottles at the side of the road when finished, as this would be a right pain for someone to collect all up. :roll:

Hope this isn't too silly of question to ask.

They'll have the water or energy drink in a big barrel with a tap on the bottom and you fill up your own water bottle from that. Some I've been on give you actual bottles of water like you'd buy at a supermarket, which seems pointless.

pilot_pete

markhewitt1978 wrote:

They'll have the water or energy drink in a big barrel with a tap on the bottom and you fill up your own water bottle from that. Some I've been on give you actual bottles of water like you'd buy at a supermarket, which seems pointless.

Might seem pointless to you, but quite often supermarkets/ water companies will provide the stuff free as a marketing/ community support strategy, hence why it comes in bottles. We ran a charity sportive recently and Buxton mineral water gave us 500l of bottled water, so that was an expense that we didn't have to take from the final charitable donation. Our feed station was in the middle of nowhere with no tap....!v (near Buxton though, which may have helped )

PP