Cycling UK Forum

Seen a lot of people getting excited about Sportives around my way but they all seem surprised when I mention early season reliabilities to them.
Normally a quarter of the cost, to ride a similar route, but with the added benefit of a lot of old school riders around for advice and encouragement.
Highly recommended (as long as you are already comfortable riding in a group)

If you're not sure what one is, think a mixture of an addax, but in a big group, which has the possibility of becoming a big burn up if you find yourself in the headbangers group, so er on the side of caution and choose a slower more sedate group to start with!

There's a map of them here http://bikesy.co.uk/features/rides/uk-r ... mate-list/
Highly recommended way of supporting traditional cycle clubs

100km in 3.5 hours (the Otley One - I don't know if that is typical as I only looked at a few northern ones) seems a bit quick for me.

Difficult to tell too if you would be shunned if you don't have a polystyrene habit.

Modern reliability rides are not like old CTC reliability rides e.g. 50 in 4 or 100 in 8, where you had a fairly narrow window of time in which to finish demonstrating your reliability by not finishing very early or late. My local club had its event last weekend. 50 miles, good weather, the first bunch finished in less than 2.25 hours and at 3 hours the hall was being cleaned for closing up as the very last straggler got back. Not a Carradice saddlebag in sight and very few mudguards but paradoxically plenty of daytime lights even though it was a good day. A training ride by another name.

The nearest to me recently was cancelled due to ice. The next two nearest I see on the posted list are both at stupid o'clock (8.30am) on Sundays and one seems to be run by plastic fans, as is one I expect to happen nearer but don't know if it is this year. Nope, I don't see the attraction. I'll just keep going to the usual group rides, which continue over winter, building to the Ride to the Snowdrops on 24 Feb.

The ones I've ridden turned into unofficial road races with echelons in crosswinds and a nuisance to other road users (I hasten to add that I did not participate in these, just watched them as they rode past). Our club used to promote one but because of the above issues, we've discontinued it. I won't be doing any, not really my thing anymore.

I used to ride the old Beeston Road Club 100 in 8, but we used to treat it as a long club run, including a cafe stop. The fastest groups would get around in under 5 hours ( = 20mph).

I rode a plethora of reliability rides in East Sussex in the early 80's and South Wales and Fife in the late 80's ... i loved the atmosphere ... fast guys and girls off first and a pleasant ride for the rest of us ...
Although in my 20's and an avid TT rider i enjoyed the company on these rides..
Mistakenly i thought Sportives would mirror this period of my cycling life ... they don't .. but i still enjoy them ....
(I don't actually pay to enter them ... just ride the route with my own start and finish points).
The famous Yorkshire series of "reliability rides" do not seem to be in the sprit of reliability riding ... low cost sportives / chain gangs ... ?
Been there, done that ...