My First Sportive

AndyCr15 · 4 Sep 2019 at 20:17

My first sportive is this weekend, I just wondered if anyone can give some advice on things I need to know? What I can expect? How the morning will go etc?

It's only a 50km one, so hopefully less than two hours and I doubt I'll need to worry to much about gels and things, but still. Any tips are welcome.

Shimmyhill · 4 Sep 2019 at 21:44

You usually get a rider pack telling you what you must have (helmet, tubes etc) and where feed stations are, I would take some sort of bars with me as I tend to eat every hour or so if it’s going to be more than a couple of hours - don’t have to eat but good to have as sometimes you need them, I only ever take gels these days if I need some instant bonk avoidance as once you have one you find another one is needed quickly so a last resort!

Get good sleep, decent breakfast and enjoy it - don’t be tempted to go out hard and have a good warm up before upping the pace to what you normally ride at.

Are you riding solo? It’s always good to get in a group and will make the riding easier and time pass quicker in my experience - I did one on Sunday and was ill the weds/thurs before and just felt awful the whole 50 miles, I ended up riding a good portion of the last bit with someone I’d never met before but she dragged me along and made it much easier than when I was on my own!

Ohh, if you can load the route as while signed you can miss them or as I did on Sunday find a sign missing/removed and add some distance!

AndyCr15 · 5 Sep 2019 at 06:45

Thanks. Yes, will be riding solo. Again, it's only 50km which I've done before on my own, so I'm not too concerned by that.

This is the one I'm doing, but I don't see how I can get the course in advance, unless I'm missing something?

Bear · 5 Sep 2019 at 06:53

It says they will release the GPX of the route close to the day, so I guess any time now. Simmyhill's advice is good if you are doing long distance but for 50km I wouldn't even bother with carrying food.

The only thing that is important to me is to remember to look behind you before you make a manoeuvre round slower riders or take care as others that aren't used to riding with lots of other people move without looking and cut you up etc. crashing can seriously ruin your day.

AndyCr15 · 5 Sep 2019 at 07:11

Bear said:
It says they will release the GPX of the route close to the day, so I guess any time now.

Thanks, I mailed the organiser, politely asking when it might be available.

AndyCr15 · 8 Sep 2019 at 05:44

I got the route a couple of days ago, surprisingly hard to get it imported to Strava. Big as Strava is, it's not actually great at a lot of things. Have you seen they're dropping support for connecting sensors?! Basically telling everyone to use the Wahoo app to record your activity and import it in!

Anyway, the big day is here and it's not started well. I've not been sleeping great the past month, waking too early. I got an early night last night, then woke up at 3:20am and couldn't get back to sleep...

Figured I might as well get up and have breakfast. I did get a really good sleep the night before, so hopefully I wont be too badly effected.

Wish me luck!

xdcx · 8 Sep 2019 at 08:13

Good luck @AndyCr15

Enjoy and let us know how you get on

AndyCr15 · 8 Sep 2019 at 12:04

Thanks. It went really well, I think...

It's funny, I thought it would be like when I thought I'd gotten good at Counter Strike. Playing with my mates, I whoop them. Even going online I did okay. Then you join something competitive and get your ass handed to you. Actually, I realised that probably the quick and experienced cyclists were probably doing the 100k or 150k and I was probably with the families having a day out etc in the 50k. The pace started very slow, so I just left everyone and chased two guys that had gone off ahead, but then as the junction for the 50/100/150, I followed 50k and they both went on. It was quite a lonely ride then, but I still had a big smile on my face most of the way. I passed several people who I think had set out in earlier groups.

It was quite chilly, but you don't really notice it once you're moving. There was a food stop about 18 miles in, which I probably ate far too much at, but I'm sure I've burnt plenty off through the morning, so I wont worry about that

My average heart rate was above 140, which I've not done in some time, so pleased with that. I think I gave it everything I could. Having said that, when I got to the end, I could easily have kept cycling. I think I should probably have signed up for the 100k. Never mind, next time!

As the weather tales off, this is a nice end to my cycling summer. Really pleased with my progression, when I think back to where I was as I started 6 months ago. I wonder how much difference it will make next year if I move to a road bike? (I think I was the only one on a hybrid)

UTmaniac · 8 Sep 2019 at 12:11

Nice one, that's a very respectable pace on a hybrid, for a course with just under 50 feet of climbing per mile.

xdcx · 9 Sep 2019 at 14:01

Well done pal!
The bug has well and truly bitten now

Shimmyhill · 9 Sep 2019 at 16:08

Nice one, very good pace on flat bars - mark your place on the roadmap...

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AndyCr15 · 9 Sep 2019 at 22:01

Thanks all.

Ha ha, I've not done 50 miles yet, I've not fallen off clipped in... yet... but I do have a trainer and Zwift

Turns out I was fastest over 50km buy a good 7 minutes.

Also, just picked up a carbon road bike I will likely buy off a friends girlfriend.

Shimmyhill · 10 Sep 2019 at 08:07

Tick off n+1