What about Audax. You get a GPX route to follow, a group to ride with and it costs between £5 and £10. There are plenty of them spread around the country, so always one’s local to you and you can ride one every week if you want and are prepared to travel a bit. I’ve ridden loads of them, mostly 100k’s, but a few 200k’s as well.
Funny you should mention that Trevor, neither of us have done an Audax but when chatting about this episode after recording we both had our eyes opened to it. We actually have a popular Audax location near us in Alfreton, so we're going to give one a go and report back! Seems a very welcoming, low cost, good community spirit kind of vibe. I might give the 600km one a miss though :D thanks for the comment
Yeah even an acknowledgement would have been nice. But I guess neither Dan have ridden one so it doesn't necessarily spring to mind for them. I've ridden plenty of Matt's Sportive HQ events over the years and always enjoyed them. However, this was before the pandemic. People forget about what happened during that short period of time; it was the birth of the gravel bike, more self-sufficiency on the road because places shut etc - the landscape changed overnight. All the road bikes sold out, all the footballers taking to the quiet roads, buying their very first bike, all that was in the stores on and offline were gravel bikes until they sold as well. And thus the gravel adventure, epic, glorious gravel all that was borne from nowhere - and then ultimately the death of the road sportive. Of course, we could talk about the appalling behaviour of UK drivers, lack of infrastructural investment and politics. To end, it looks like I will be attending to road sportives this year, the Lincoln GP and look hey a 200km sportive from them as well - the Giant Lincoln Tugby Challenge. People are riding further... ooo open another topic right - multi-day bikepacking adventures. There is SO much variety now post pandemic that wasn't there before or was seen as less accessible.
@@BikepackingAdventures yes we just didn’t think of Audax, we were trying to talk about this from our own perspectives so it just didn’t come to mind. I’d expect it would be the same for a lot of the cycling world as well tbh, but we’re going to dip our toes in and see what we think :). We try and steer clear of driver / politics & religion 🤣
Yeah the stripper down, cheap sportive is the Audax. I used to do a lot of sportives, but switched to Audax as you get essentially the same product - mass participation, often some food and they're generally a lot longer
Having raced on the bike since 1980 TT and road racing I’ve seen a massive change in the sport Sportive’s used to be called reliability rides and cost £1:00. TT is still a good value for money event and now is the only cycle event I do club events are even better value and plenty of them and easy for beginners to enter I used to also do a few running 10k 1/2 marathons and maybe it’s me being a Yorkshire lad but the price of some events nowadays seem a bit steep but loads of club events at a reasonable price and park runs are even better as they a free great for us pensioners 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The only one I do regularly is the Tour de Mǒn in Anglesey as it’s a UK holiday island we make a weekend of it as a family. I just go off on my bike on the Sunday 😂
I think you're spot on about road safety, notable increases in accidents in recent years. Also, the conditions of most roads in the UK means most roadies are basically doing gravel anyway
Agreed - I think doing an event on open roads gives you a false sense of security too, like pinning a number on in any way makes us safer. I keep thinking to myself why don't I ride the gravel bike all the time :D
Your spot on its the cost accommodation if the events are far away it really becomes expensive I used to ride the wiggle and cycling weekly sportives between 2014-2024, and to be honest, you need a gravel bike for the roads their appalling surface plus I feel much safer away from the roads on gravel now, lucky I'm in the South Wales forests to ride. Great content as usual.
Ahh yes I did a Wiggle one too, my first 50 miler if I remember rightly. I feel like for the now massive accommodation cost, I'd rather pay more and do a "bigger" event. With the South Wales forests on your doorstep, you'd have to be VERY tempted to go further afield wouldn't you. Thanks for the comment :)
I enjoy some early season sportives, as a target to maintain good diet and training routine heading out of Christmas along with good training before a cycling trip later in the year (Mallorca etc), being in the north west the velo29 events work well for me.
We still have quite a few sportives in Scotland - I think a big appeal for these is closed roads for the event with lots of other cyclists - I'd love to do a few of them but I don't drive so the overall cost of doing them is restrictive (and even getting there can be tough as the trains only allow a certain number of bikes).
That's cool Dave, none of ours are really closed roads, so it sounds better up in Scotland! Trains with bike limits really restrict things don't they, I've done a couple of "train out, ride back" adventures and I can only really go with one other person because of the bike limits. Thanks for the comment :)
I was booked to do the Struggle Dales Sportive last year, add accommodation etc, it worked cheaper and better to go to Spain and have a weekend there instead plus you have added bonus of better weather and roads, so I did that instead. Plus, like Dan said, you can just do the route or similar without a company involved
Club time trialling brilliant, open time trialling not worth the extra money, especially national champs. I've done the National 25 & TTT and it felt no different to a club event, bar the £30 entry
You’ve explained ‘the spirit of gravel’ UK Road Sportive is dead, too risky for large companies now I think. For the first time in years I considered doing a Sportive yesterday, all those I’ve done in the past don’t exist anymore.
Haha the spirit of gravel, man. I think Sportive companies don't market as well as gravel events too, less content online etc. Yes I can't find any of the ones I did either, not even under a new brand. I've sometimes thought about organising one, but I don't think it sounds sensible financially
@@TriathlonDan even if your looking at their website design as well. All the gravel websites are glossy full screen videos playing on loop in the background; surrounded by nature, not a car in sight riding 5 abreast whatever. They create a background story, to bring you into their community, to create this "thing".
fantastic show guys, and very informed views. cheers
Thanks :)
What about Audax. You get a GPX route to follow, a group to ride with and it costs between £5 and £10. There are plenty of them spread around the country, so always one’s local to you and you can ride one every week if you want and are prepared to travel a bit. I’ve ridden loads of them, mostly 100k’s, but a few 200k’s as well.
Funny you should mention that Trevor, neither of us have done an Audax but when chatting about this episode after recording we both had our eyes opened to it. We actually have a popular Audax location near us in Alfreton, so we're going to give one a go and report back! Seems a very welcoming, low cost, good community spirit kind of vibe. I might give the 600km one a miss though :D thanks for the comment
Yeah even an acknowledgement would have been nice. But I guess neither Dan have ridden one so it doesn't necessarily spring to mind for them.
I've ridden plenty of Matt's Sportive HQ events over the years and always enjoyed them. However, this was before the pandemic. People forget about what happened during that short period of time; it was the birth of the gravel bike, more self-sufficiency on the road because places shut etc - the landscape changed overnight. All the road bikes sold out, all the footballers taking to the quiet roads, buying their very first bike, all that was in the stores on and offline were gravel bikes until they sold as well. And thus the gravel adventure, epic, glorious gravel all that was borne from nowhere - and then ultimately the death of the road sportive.
Of course, we could talk about the appalling behaviour of UK drivers, lack of infrastructural investment and politics.
To end, it looks like I will be attending to road sportives this year, the Lincoln GP and look hey a 200km sportive from them as well - the Giant Lincoln Tugby Challenge. People are riding further... ooo open another topic right - multi-day bikepacking adventures. There is SO much variety now post pandemic that wasn't there before or was seen as less accessible.
@@BikepackingAdventures yes we just didn’t think of Audax, we were trying to talk about this from our own perspectives so it just didn’t come to mind. I’d expect it would be the same for a lot of the cycling world as well tbh, but we’re going to dip our toes in and see what we think :). We try and steer clear of driver / politics & religion 🤣
Yeah the stripper down, cheap sportive is the Audax. I used to do a lot of sportives, but switched to Audax as you get essentially the same product - mass participation, often some food and they're generally a lot longer
Audax’s are unreal value and well ran in my experience
Having raced on the bike since 1980 TT and road racing I’ve seen a massive change in the sport
Sportive’s used to be called reliability rides and cost £1:00.
TT is still a good value for money event and now is the only cycle event I do club events are even better value and plenty of them and easy for beginners to enter
I used to also do a few running 10k 1/2 marathons and maybe it’s me being a Yorkshire lad but the price of some events nowadays seem a bit steep but loads of club events at a reasonable price and park runs are even better as they a free great for us pensioners 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great input! Club events are a really good "vibe" as well aren't they :)
The only one I do regularly is the Tour de Mǒn in Anglesey as it’s a UK holiday island we make a weekend of it as a family. I just go off on my bike on the Sunday 😂
Fair enough, if you're already there it's rude not to!
You should have a look at the Dales Divide. Around £90 for 600km over a weekend.
Will do!
I can't be doing with paying to ride on sportives that are on open roads I can ride on anyway for free... especially in The Peak District.
We're spoilt aren't we!
I think you're spot on about road safety, notable increases in accidents in recent years. Also, the conditions of most roads in the UK means most roadies are basically doing gravel anyway
Agreed - I think doing an event on open roads gives you a false sense of security too, like pinning a number on in any way makes us safer. I keep thinking to myself why don't I ride the gravel bike all the time :D
Your spot on its the cost accommodation if the events are far away it really becomes expensive I used to ride the wiggle and cycling weekly sportives between 2014-2024, and to be honest, you need a gravel bike for the roads their appalling surface plus I feel much safer away from the roads on gravel now, lucky I'm in the South Wales forests to ride. Great content as usual.
Ahh yes I did a Wiggle one too, my first 50 miler if I remember rightly. I feel like for the now massive accommodation cost, I'd rather pay more and do a "bigger" event. With the South Wales forests on your doorstep, you'd have to be VERY tempted to go further afield wouldn't you. Thanks for the comment :)
I enjoy some early season sportives, as a target to maintain good diet and training routine heading out of Christmas along with good training before a cycling trip later in the year (Mallorca etc), being in the north west the velo29 events work well for me.
Good stuff, there is value in having "something in the diary" isn't there. I'll check out Velo29!
We still have quite a few sportives in Scotland - I think a big appeal for these is closed roads for the event with lots of other cyclists - I'd love to do a few of them but I don't drive so the overall cost of doing them is restrictive (and even getting there can be tough as the trains only allow a certain number of bikes).
That's cool Dave, none of ours are really closed roads, so it sounds better up in Scotland! Trains with bike limits really restrict things don't they, I've done a couple of "train out, ride back" adventures and I can only really go with one other person because of the bike limits. Thanks for the comment :)
I was booked to do the Struggle Dales Sportive last year, add accommodation etc, it worked cheaper and better to go to Spain and have a weekend there instead plus you have added bonus of better weather and roads, so I did that instead. Plus, like Dan said, you can just do the route or similar without a company involved
Spain or UK isn't a tough decision is it Rob!
@ one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make lol
the gravel rally 2 day timed with nine timed segments race long to day out on the bike
Just seen this! Looks great!
@TriathlonDan Great event this will be my third year this time I imagine Dan Evans will be trying to defend his title 4 years in a row
Be interested to know your thoughts on time trialling.
Club time trialling brilliant, open time trialling not worth the extra money, especially national champs. I've done the National 25 & TTT and it felt no different to a club event, bar the £30 entry
You’ve explained ‘the spirit of gravel’
UK Road Sportive is dead, too risky for large companies now I think. For the first time in years I considered doing a Sportive yesterday, all those I’ve done in the past don’t exist anymore.
Haha the spirit of gravel, man. I think Sportive companies don't market as well as gravel events too, less content online etc. Yes I can't find any of the ones I did either, not even under a new brand. I've sometimes thought about organising one, but I don't think it sounds sensible financially
@ its absolutely not sensible! The risk vs reward, you’d be better off going into the second hand Chinese frame market 😂
@@TriathlonDan even if your looking at their website design as well. All the gravel websites are glossy full screen videos playing on loop in the background; surrounded by nature, not a car in sight riding 5 abreast whatever. They create a background story, to bring you into their community, to create this "thing".
VELO29 have a very good selection of road sportives to choose from if that’s something that interests you