Want to ride more Sportives and group rides this year but...

kammybear
kammybear Posts: 500
edited January 2017 in Road general
Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer
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Comments

  • Typically:

    Lack of traffic

    Family commitments

    in the absence of those, ride whenever you fancy... sportives tend to start early to make sure everybody is back before it gets dark
    left the forum March 2023
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer

    Get out with your local club. I've never known a clubrun start that early.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    Usually there's a range of start times over an hour or two isn't there, at least for any popular ones.


    Early is the best time to ride anyway. In summer I'll head out for a ride at 5:30 so still get all day with the kids.
  • davep1
    davep1 Posts: 836
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer
    I completely disagree! Getting out at sunrise is brilliant, the light is stunning, there's no other idiots about, and if it is a really hot day, you don't want to be riding around the middle of the day.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    DaveP1 wrote:
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer
    I completely disagree! Getting out at sunrise is brilliant, the light is stunning, there's no other idiots about, and if it is a really hot day, you don't want to be riding around the middle of the day.

    Im sure it is brilliant, however unless they move it alot nearer to midday Ill not be choosing to get up to see it :lol: some of us are just night owls & not very good morning larks, I struggle to get up before 11am at weekends in the winter and I still need cup fulls of coffee to get going, theres no chance of me making even a 10am group ride, let alone some of these crazy 7am ones people do.
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    awavey wrote:
    DaveP1 wrote:
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer
    I completely disagree! Getting out at sunrise is brilliant, the light is stunning, there's no other idiots about, and if it is a really hot day, you don't want to be riding around the middle of the day.

    Im sure it is brilliant, however unless they move it alot nearer to midday Ill not be choosing to get up to see it :lol: some of us are just night owls & not very good morning larks, I struggle to get up before 11am at weekends in the winter and I still need cup fulls of coffee to get going, theres no chance of me making even a 10am group ride, let alone some of these crazy 7am ones people do.

    How old are you dude, 14?
  • We start about 6 in summer, family/wife etc..,
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    As above, join a club. Most club rides start between 8 and 10am. In many cases you get to ride all year for less than the price of a single sportive.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've been cycling for 30 years and only triathlons and time trials have started at 6am.

    No club runs round here start at 6 and no sportives. If you live in a hot climate then an early start makes sense. Not so in Britain.
  • Quit whinging. Get up earlier....
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer

    What exactly is so nice about a late morning ride?
    Seems the least special time of day to me.

    Sportive and club rides rarely have to start at 6am
    Whats wrong with 8/9am starts?

    You just could not organise a sportive in the afternoon (unless it was a night ride), and a large group ride would just mess up everyones day too much.

    Its not as much a factor for cycling as it is for running, but meals become an issue if you have odd start times.
    Cheltenham Half used to start in the afternoon. Madness lol.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Garry H wrote:

    How old are you dude, 14?

    Thats what I was wondering.
    A damn lazy one at that too!
  • Opposite problem down here in that most clubs start at 9.00 which is a complete waste of hours of good riding, especially in the summer.
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Opposite problem down here in that most clubs start at 9.00 which is a complete waste of hours of good riding, especially in the summer.


    this ..... my kid and family take up far too much time, I would love it if rides started 4:30 to be fair, then I could be finished and back home for 7

    even with zwift the earliest of morning rides is 05:30 .... that's pushing it, would be nice if there were a few more 4-5am ones
  • kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer

    Where's I'm the opposite, if they started late morning / afternoon I wouldn't bother, too late in the day I want to get my ride done get home and still have some of the day left.

    But the main reason is to avoid the worst of the car traffic, as ever.
  • Opposite problem down here in that most clubs start at 9.00 which is a complete waste of hours of good riding, especially in the summer.

    I have that issue with my club, not that I go on a massive amount of rides. They leave at 9.15am, this time of year that's ok as it's only just getting light. But during the summer I aim to be on the road for 7am - earlier if I've got a long ride planned. There's been a few occasions where I've been on my way home and met the club riders on their way out!

    Means I can get a decent length ride in and still be back home for lunch with the wife & kids plus afternoon out.
  • Opposite problem down here in that most clubs start at 9.00 which is a complete waste of hours of good riding, especially in the summer.

    I have that issue with my club, not that I go on a massive amount of rides. They leave at 9.15am, this time of year that's ok as it's only just getting light. But during the summer I aim to be on the road for 7am - earlier if I've got a long ride planned. There's been a few occasions where I've been on my way home and met the club riders on their way out!

    Means I can get a decent length ride in and still be back home for lunch with the wife & kids plus afternoon out.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    awavey wrote:
    DaveP1 wrote:
    kammybear wrote:
    Why the hell does everyone want to start at silly times like 6am! It's Saturday/Sunday FFS!

    Late Morning/Afternoon and evening rides are so much nicer, especially in Summer
    I completely disagree! Getting out at sunrise is brilliant, the light is stunning, there's no other idiots about, and if it is a really hot day, you don't want to be riding around the middle of the day.

    Im sure it is brilliant, however unless they move it alot nearer to midday Ill not be choosing to get up to see it :lol: some of us are just night owls & not very good morning larks, I struggle to get up before 11am at weekends in the winter and I still need cup fulls of coffee to get going, theres no chance of me making even a 10am group ride, let alone some of these crazy 7am ones people do.

    Choose a venue ~ 100 miles away, then start at 7pm - ride to the venue, have breakfast, do the sportive then ride home again ... if you're a night owl then a night ride should be fine!
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Opposite problem down here in that most clubs start at 9.00 which is a complete waste of hours of good riding, especially in the summer.

    I have that issue with my club, not that I go on a massive amount of rides. They leave at 9.15am, this time of year that's ok as it's only just getting light. But during the summer I aim to be on the road for 7am - earlier if I've got a long ride planned. There's been a few occasions where I've been on my way home and met the club riders on their way out!

    Means I can get a decent length ride in and still be back home for lunch with the wife & kids plus afternoon out.

    Whilst that suits some, it doesn't suit all - 7am start would mean that either my wife or I go on the club ride - if we both want to go then grandparents would need to get up early too ... 8am is early enough to drop off a mischevious toddler ...
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    I'm generally up when the sun comes up so cant see an issue with early starts, club runs always are around 9-10AM if your not up then your either a student, dead or have some debilitating disease.

    Get an alarm clock an get up.
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    you could always start your own club .. there must be loads of other lazy people that want to get up at midday and then ride ?
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    What sportive starts at 6am ?
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    fat daddy wrote:
    you could always start your own club .. there must be loads of other lazy people that want to get up at midday and then ride ?

    I would imagine that one drawback with starting a Can't be bothered to get out of bed cycling club is that having a published ride start time of "Sometime in the afternoon but highly dependent on when I get up" would mean that actually getting a group for the group rides might be a tad difficult?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    If you are that lazy, why are you even road riding?

    Get a fixie.
    Perfect for sleepy heads who might forget/be too lazy to pedal.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    Does seem a bit of a random thread.

    I can see it from both sides, but I guess the majority of people are probably up early, and a fair proportion will have children.

    Pre children I would have probably been looking at a 09:00 start, to get back in time for lunch, or have lunch out on the ride somewhere.
    Post children, I'm normally on the turbo or on the roads by 6am, my earliest start was 4:45 in the height of summer, which is superb, as the roads are empty (Didn't see a single vehicle for the first 25 miles) and it's light but still a good temperature.
    More of a struggle to drag myself out when it's cold and dark, but if I get the bike prepped, lights fitted, and all my gear ready the night before, it's not a problem, as long as I get an early night.

    If you despise early starts, and would like to do more group rides, then the only way is to speak to your local club\join their facebook page, and see if any like minded individuals want to start at a similar time.

    If you are genuinly a night owl though, then personally, I would be strapping on the lights after dinner, and riding out late evening across midnight, then you can get up as late as you want the next day having completed your ride.
    I have considered trying this to get the miles in actually, but not yet given it a go.

    You might even find you get more takers for this, as it's a bit more accessible to most people, especially those with family, as the littleuns will be in bed, and they may be able to get out for a few hours.

    I might put a message on my club page actually, and see if there is any interest.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    fat daddy wrote:
    you could always start your own club .. there must be loads of other lazy people that want to get up at midday and then ride ?

    I would imagine that one drawback with starting a Can't be bothered to get out of bed cycling club is that having a published ride start time of' 'Sometime in the afternoon but highly dependent on when I get up' would mean that actually getting a group for the group rides might be a nad difficult?

    Another is that with that level of commitment, a high proportion of those that thought it was a good idea in the first place, would get up early (10.30 ish), start something else, and think, fook that!
  • Fenix wrote:
    What sportive starts at 6am ?

    RideLondon - that was a bit of a pain to get to while it's still dark.

    Can't think of any others. Most of them have start times from early to about 9am, and you can always start later than your allocated time.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Fenix wrote:
    What sportive starts at 6am ?

    RideLondon - that was a bit of a pain to get to while it's still dark.

    Can't think of any others. Most of them have start times from early to about 9am, and you can always start later than your allocated time.

    Exactly, so it does not start at 6am for people that don't want to.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    ??? But if you don't start promptly at 6am then surely winning it becomes tougher??? ;-)
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    RL was easy to get to - I rode in from Clapham Common - it wasn't dark as such but I did need a front light. Quickly joined the throng of riders as we got closer to central London.

    The worst part really was trying to sleep on Clapham Common (in my van) - party going on meant my night was disturbed. The next worst part was not leaving enough time to get to the start for when I said I'd meet my friend who I was riding with - I thought I'd left plenty of time, but average speed to the start was significantly reduced due to traffic ... thought central london would've been quiet (bar a few cyclists) - hmm was I wrong!