With due recognition to the recent post on Audax. Just out of interest, what is a Sportive?
I have an armchair understanding of Audax (which I might try and undertake one day), and the French Etape du Tour (which I won't), but could someone in the know elaborate on what is involved in a Sportive, especially in terms of this country? It sounds somewhat more competitive than an Audax?
The cycling press keeps reporting how popular these are becoming in the UK?
Thanks
A Sportive.....What is it?!
Untill someone gives you a better answer. An Audax is a comparitivly easier, more laid-back affair. You generally have time for cafe stops and lunch and dont have to worry about your finish time unless you want to for your own pleasure. There is a time limit but normally your difficulty would be doing the distance rather than meeting the time. Also you are given a set of directions to follow a long time in advance and are left to your own devices by the organisers.
I have never done a Sportif but I hear that you follow signs on the road and that there will be more support and control from the organisers.
I have been looking at a Sportif to be run here next (oh no its this year now) year. I worked out that if I applied my best ever speed for a 100k Audax I would have to maintain that for the 200k Sportif just to avoid disqualification. I finished the Audax with hours to spare.
I have never done a Sportif but I hear that you follow signs on the road and that there will be more support and control from the organisers.
I have been looking at a Sportif to be run here next (oh no its this year now) year. I worked out that if I applied my best ever speed for a 100k Audax I would have to maintain that for the 200k Sportif just to avoid disqualification. I finished the Audax with hours to spare.
I did the 200k Dragon Ride in Wales in 2007. Some guys are pretty competitive and cane the whole course, others take it at a more leisurely pace. The number of people taking part is also massively greater, so, unlike audax, you are guaranteed people riding alongside at all times. Feed stations are set up on the side of the road, allowing you to regularly replenish water bottles and take on quantities of energy foods (mainly bananas and fruit cake). I recommend Dragon Ride for good scenery, tough climbs and fast descents. To that end, most people will be on lighter weight sports bikes as opposed to audax/tourer type.
again, because of time and commitments, I'm more of an armchair expert, but close friends do both.
As someone has said, the audax is a more relaxed affair and is predominantly ridden by touring cyclists. Bikes are typically galaxies/thorns etc, altho' the racing machine is becoming more common, as the rules must have mudguards and lights has been relaxed. Terrain could be either hilly or fairly flat. Costs to ride are pretty minimal.
The sportive is undertaken by more of the racer/ex-racer type. Bikes are typically what might be lined up for a road race and terrain is usually chosen to make a "classic" route (which usually means v. hilly). For example, "phil & Friends" is undertaken by the racing fraternity and boasts Holme moss, Winnatts etc. Some sportives are now cashing-in on the racing market and are charging £20 entry fees where you get a tee shirt and bottle. You need to be very fit to handle distance, speed and terrain for these.
As someone has said, the audax is a more relaxed affair and is predominantly ridden by touring cyclists. Bikes are typically galaxies/thorns etc, altho' the racing machine is becoming more common, as the rules must have mudguards and lights has been relaxed. Terrain could be either hilly or fairly flat. Costs to ride are pretty minimal.
The sportive is undertaken by more of the racer/ex-racer type. Bikes are typically what might be lined up for a road race and terrain is usually chosen to make a "classic" route (which usually means v. hilly). For example, "phil & Friends" is undertaken by the racing fraternity and boasts Holme moss, Winnatts etc. Some sportives are now cashing-in on the racing market and are charging £20 entry fees where you get a tee shirt and bottle. You need to be very fit to handle distance, speed and terrain for these.
I regularly do both Audax's and Sportives and yes an Audax is a bit more laid back and you have to follow a written route sheet and get a brevet card stamped at various checkpoints.
A Sportive has a signed route to follow and electronic timing chips are increasingly being used.
You cannot be disqualified in either event but an added aspect of a Sportive is that you can achieve either gold, silver or bronze awards depending on how fast you complete the ride according to your age and sex.
Audax just gives you a finishing time but does not publish these.
An Audax entry fee is a lot cheaper than a Sportive but on an Audax you have to pay for your own food and drinks during the ride whereas on a Sportive they are provided which in my experience works out roughly equal.
They are both enjoyable in slightly different ways and I don't think you have to be super fit to handle either depending on route and terrain. I have ridden both on my old steel touring bike which has also taken me to Poland and done LEL and on other lighter race bikes so you don't have to have a racing snakes bike.
A Sportive has a signed route to follow and electronic timing chips are increasingly being used.
You cannot be disqualified in either event but an added aspect of a Sportive is that you can achieve either gold, silver or bronze awards depending on how fast you complete the ride according to your age and sex.
Audax just gives you a finishing time but does not publish these.
An Audax entry fee is a lot cheaper than a Sportive but on an Audax you have to pay for your own food and drinks during the ride whereas on a Sportive they are provided which in my experience works out roughly equal.
They are both enjoyable in slightly different ways and I don't think you have to be super fit to handle either depending on route and terrain. I have ridden both on my old steel touring bike which has also taken me to Poland and done LEL and on other lighter race bikes so you don't have to have a racing snakes bike.
Spotive
Cheers folks for the clarification.
Without wishing to open the general debate about car and cycle, us/them situations, how do these Sportives go down with the local populace and Police? I imagine that a number of touring cyclists, a la Audax, is less of a problem, but if Sportive attendees have a race bred attitude, keen to push on (and race?) are there many complaints when such numbers of riders mass? I take they are not on closed roads?
Without wishing to open the general debate about car and cycle, us/them situations, how do these Sportives go down with the local populace and Police? I imagine that a number of touring cyclists, a la Audax, is less of a problem, but if Sportive attendees have a race bred attitude, keen to push on (and race?) are there many complaints when such numbers of riders mass? I take they are not on closed roads?
I have not noticed any difference in attitudes from the general public whether riding an audax or a sportive.
In all the sportives I have done the riders are set of in groups of approx 25 to 30 max so there is very rarely a large group riding together but I have in fact done an audax where all 100+ riders have left at the same time.
In both, groups ranging from about 3-4 to 8-10 tend to assemble at various points in the ride.
I have often joined up with several different groups during a ride depending on how long I spend at a check point.
You get 'fast riders' doing audax as well as 'touristy types' doing a sportive.
In all the sportives I have done the riders are set of in groups of approx 25 to 30 max so there is very rarely a large group riding together but I have in fact done an audax where all 100+ riders have left at the same time.
In both, groups ranging from about 3-4 to 8-10 tend to assemble at various points in the ride.
I have often joined up with several different groups during a ride depending on how long I spend at a check point.
You get 'fast riders' doing audax as well as 'touristy types' doing a sportive.
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birdy
An acquaintance of mine, nearing 60, turned up for a Sportive and noticing that everyone else was wearing the de rigeour lycra shorts, tops, aerodynamic sun glasses, rigid soled shoes and riding featherweight bikes realised he'd signed up for the wrong event. He finished a commendable last. But he's got the bug and has since improved his time considerably.
Personally, I prefer to ride our tandem alone. (something wrong there!)
Personally, I prefer to ride our tandem alone. (something wrong there!)
If you factor in the amount you spend on food during the audax they tend to come out pretty close to each other on cost.
Also you are paying for the route to be signed and in quite a few cases now sag wagons and roving motorbike marshalls.
The Poor Student is an X rated event anyway and so very cheap to enter.
The majority of audax are now costing about £4.00 to £5.00 to enter which is fine and good value and I enjoy them but I still end up spending about the same as I do on a sportive.
Also you are paying for the route to be signed and in quite a few cases now sag wagons and roving motorbike marshalls.
The Poor Student is an X rated event anyway and so very cheap to enter.
The majority of audax are now costing about £4.00 to £5.00 to enter which is fine and good value and I enjoy them but I still end up spending about the same as I do on a sportive.
I did the Highclere Castle sportive last year on my steel tourer and missed out on gold standard by 9 mins (I'm 58 )but my friend who is 62 beat me by 3 mins. 
I just couldn't hang onto his wheel long enough.
I just couldn't hang onto his wheel long enough.
Auchmill wrote:An acquaintance of mine, nearing 60, turned up for a Sportive and noticing that everyone else was wearing the de rigeour lycra shorts, tops, aerodynamic sun glasses, rigid soled shoes and riding featherweight bikes realised he'd signed up for the wrong event. He finished a commendable last. But he's got the bug and has since improved his time considerably.
Personally, I prefer to ride our tandem alone. (something wrong there!)