How many sportives do you get in each year?

07Lapierre

NamelessPhil wrote: »

Sportives are why I turned to audax events. All of the distance, none of the crappy jerseys or goody bags, no spurious charity fund raisers and audaxes are a great way to see the countryside.

Come over to the darkside ... it's lovely! Audax Ireland

Eh you pay to cycle on your own? With no support? No marshals at junctions etc.

Weepsie

I've to date done 2. Meath Heritage and Blanch Wheelies hospice cycle. I'd like to have done more, but the ones I've wanted to do have fallen when I'm away or working a lot. I do an independent cycle with friends, and friends of friends every year for the past couple of years for charity around 300k over 2 days and that's as close as I get.

That and getting to the start point for some of them will add on more than would be enjoyable as I don't drive and they're all cheap (some are great value).

Audax is calling to me, as I tend to cycle alone anyway but again, nearly always seems to be a day I've to be somewhere else

terrydel

man_no_plan wrote: »

I don't get an invite?

Ah go on so, 4 is enough for a quorum!

NamelessPhil

07Lapierre wrote: »

Eh you pay to cycle on your own? With no support? No marshals at junctions etc.

You're not necessarily on your own. It'll teach you how to navigate. You won't have bunches of numpties all over the roads. You'll develop an appreciation of garage forecourt cuisine and there are some fine cafes around the country. Some of the best people to bodge and help you out of a mechanical are audaxers, if you have to bring your own kit with you, you certainly know how to use it!

It's great, there are some fantastic quiet routes around the country that no sportive would ever go down.

07Lapierre

NamelessPhil wrote: »

You're not necessarily on your own. It'll teach you how to navigate. You won't have bunches of numpties all over the roads. You'll develop an appreciation of garage forecourt cuisine and there are some fine cafes around the country. Some of the best people to bodge and help you out of a mechanical are audaxers, if you have to bring your own kit with you, you certainly know how to use it!

It's great, there are some fantastic quiet routes around the country that no sportive would ever go down.

Nice try, but your not selling it to me!

BTW i understand why some people don't like sportive's, but my main reason for doing them is the charity element.

Wishbone Ash

07Lapierre wrote: »

Eh you pay to cycle on your own? With no support? No marshals at junctions etc.

...not to mention no foodstops, being alone in the dark and pouring rains for hours on end and then near the end of a 300k you remember that you've forgotten to get proof of passage at a control point 8 hours back, or that there were information controls that you've just become aware of......

....and then your Garmin battery dies!



What's not to like about Audax!

07Lapierre

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

...not to mention no foodstops, being alone in the dark and pouring rains for hours on end and then near the end of a 300k you remember that you've forgotten to get proof of passage at a control point 8 hours back, or that there were information controls that you've just become aware of......

....and then your Garmin battery dies!



What's not to like about Audax!

Oh I'm Sold! Cant believe i've been missing out on all that!

NeedMoreGears

I'd usually do 5 or 6. It's nice to have a target to aim at every now and then.

This year will be

Tour De Foothills
Orwell Randonnee
Mick Byrne 200
Tour of Meath
SKT

I'm having a half-hearted debate with myself about the great Dublin bike ride thing, but I probably won't bother

Wishbone Ash

I do shift work and work every second Sunday so it limits my availability but so far this year I've done:

Haul de Naul
Donegal Bay CC Spring Sportive
Orwell Randonee
Carlow CC Slieve Bloom Challenge
Lap de Gaps for DSI
Mick Byrne 200
Mizen to Malin
Wicklow 200
McNally Swords CC Leisure Tour

Booked:

An Post Tour of Meath
Tour of Kilkenny
Tour of Kildare

secman

None

Did them in some previous life.... the only one I did since back on bike over ladt 4 years was murntown to Hook and back about 3 years ago 100km. Left house at 8 am and didn't get back till 5:30 pm. Just turned me right off , loading car up etc driving home sweaty... etc . Whereas I could do one from house and be home by 12 ish.
And no near misses and avoiding newbies on bikes. No offence to newbies..:)

Mercian Pro

Eight last year with the Rebel Tour the best and the Louth Coastal Tour the worst.

Nine so far this year with the Donegal Bay Sportif the highlight so far. Enjoyed the Mick Byrne and Wicklow 200's as it had been a very long time since I had covered that distance. Doing the Meath Heritage Tour on Sunday and will hopefully get to a few more in the months ahead.

Any thoughts on what makes a great Sportif? For me the scenery, value for money and the friendliness of the organisers all rate highly. I'm less pushed about marshalls at every turn, goody bags, jerseys or medals.

Wishbone Ash

Mercian Pro wrote: »

.....Any thoughts on what makes a great Sportif? For me the scenery, value for money and the friendliness of the organisers all rate highly. I'm less pushed about marshalls at every turn, goody bags, jerseys or medals.

It's hard to beat good scenery on a sportive (Donegal Bay Sportive comes to mind) but I suppose that's an unfair ask on organisers in parts of the country where it's limited. (The Tour of Louth comes to mind - the section Dundalk- Dunleer-Ardee-Dundalk has little appeal and I wonder if it's due to laziness on the part of the organisers rather than route is through the many available minor roads).

I enjoy a good food stop where seating is available where possible rather than eating fig rolls, bananas etc. from the back of a van.

I'm not pushed about goodie bags/freebies especially jerseys/T shirts and medals/certificates - if the event is to raise money surely more would be raised if these were cut out. (Also not practical if cycling to/from the event).

secman

Having said zero.... just got roped into doing DAA charity cycle on 17th September
. Our company are one of the sponsors on the Jersey and ah sure you can represent the company.. it's around North county Dublin... way off my beaten track... it's just a 80 km.

terrydel

secman wrote: »

Having said zero.... just got roped into doing DAA charity cycle on 17th September
. Our company are one of the sponsors on the Jersey and ah sure you can represent the company.. it's around North county Dublin... way off my beaten track... it's just a 80 km.

Representing any company I've ever worked for would be the last thing I'd want to do :P

smacl

Usually do the Orwell Randonee and WW200, primarily to get my ass into gear for the summer. Like others here I do the vast majority of my cycling solo from the house, and favour the beat up rustic l-roads wherever they're an option, or even light off road. Cycling in big groups on major roads holds no appeal, so if I was to do more organised cycling I'd tend more towards audax than sportifs.

lissard

Approximately one a month for me from late April through to September. Find it a good way to motivate myself as I'm no racer. This year I've done the following:

- Orwell Randonnee
- W200
- Paddy Martin Randonnee
- Martin Codyre Cycle

All in Wicklow and on my doorstep but plan on going further afield for the Rebel Tour in September.

siochain

andy69 wrote: »

I love doing them - try to get as many as I can in during the year. If they're within say 2hrs from home then I'll head on over to them. Weather dependent of course .

We make a weekend of it with some of them (like Burren and Waterford for example).

So far this year...
- Pat Jones Edenderry
- Orwell Randonnee
- An Post Sligo
- Tour of the Heartlands
Missed the Mt Leinster this year as I was away training for Marmotte, but have done the last 5 of them I think.
- Mick Byrne
- An Post Burren
- La Marmotte

And planned then is...
- An Post Meath this weekend
- Tour de Kilkenny
- Tour of Kildare
- Leinster Loop
- An Post Waterford
- Pat Colgan Tullamore
- Humpy Hundred Carlow
- An Post Rebel Tour

...probably one or two more before the end of the (my) season in October.

The joys of childfree living! ha!

Any date yet for HH Carlow ?

siochain

andy69 wrote: »

I love doing them - try to get as many as I can in during the year. If they're within say 2hrs from home then I'll head on over to them. Weather dependent of course .

We make a weekend of it with some of them (like Burren and Waterford for example).

So far this year...
- Pat Jones Edenderry
- Orwell Randonnee
- An Post Sligo
- Tour of the Heartlands
Missed the Mt Leinster this year as I was away training for Marmotte, but have done the last 5 of them I think.
- Mick Byrne
- An Post Burren
- La Marmotte

And planned then is...
- An Post Meath this weekend
- Tour de Kilkenny
- Tour of Kildare
- Leinster Loop
- An Post Waterford
- Pat Colgan Tullamore
- Humpy Hundred Carlow
- An Post Rebel Tour

...probably one or two more before the end of the (my) season in October.

The joys of childfree living! ha!

Any date yet for HH Carlow ?

andy69

siochain wrote: »

Any date yet for HH Carlow ?

I have it in my calendar for the 4th Sept, which unfortunately clashes I think with the Reservoir Dogs spin. Nothing on their FB page except that last year it was on the 6th Sept, so that sort of matches the same weekend for this year. Hopefully we might get one on the Saturday and one on the Sunday....would make for one hell of a weekend! The Carlow HH is really a fantastic route....surprised to be honest that it's not a much bigger event

siochain

andy69 wrote: »

I have it in my calendar for the 4th Sept, which unfortunately clashes I think with the Reservoir Dogs spin. Nothing on their FB page except that last year it was on the 6th Sept, so that sort of matches the same weekend for this year. Hopefully we might get one on the Saturday and one on the Sunday....would make for one hell of a weekend! The Carlow HH is really a fantastic route....surprised to be honest that it's not a much bigger event

Hope there's no clash the climbing in both is appealing , ta

fryup

07Lapierre wrote: »

Nice try, but your not selling it to me!

BTW i understand why some people don't like sportive's, but my main reason for doing them is the charity element.

my main reason for doing them is the social element as well as improving my fitness levels

Red Belly

So far this year:

Tour de KK
LA Marmotte
Ruta del Murrintowneo (Wexford)
1.5 Ride (Bunclody)
Ww200
Kilbeggan Festival Cycle
Mb200
Mt. Leinster Challenge
CAS day 13
Orwell Randonee
Blackstairs Challenge
SERC 3 Peaks

Hoping to do Leinster Loop, Pat Colgan, Reservoir Dog, Tour of the Midlands, St Martins (Wexford).

Now that I look at that list, I'm clearly nuts.

rb

Pantanifan84

Done my first sportive of the year today. But not my first one ever. Usually do three or 4 a year. Support local clubs that support our clubs throughout the year. An Awful lot of people cyvling three abreast, jumping lights. Generally acting the git and giving cyclists a bad name. One idiot done it on a tt bike. Quite suprise he wasn't pulled up fir this. Had Words WITH Guys That Broke The Lights. ..answer was "but I want to do it in a good time" days like today put me off sportives to be honest