Cycle Sportives

Any idea how many people ride it?

I guess I could just go over for a training camp a few months earlier and ride it myself. Better for me anyway in terms of training versus sitting in + shit talking/sinking piss afterwards.

4,300m climbing in 312k

No idea. Sounds like the Dragon Ride Devil Route in terms of distance/climbing but better weather and less riding through suburban Neath.

You've inspired me. Entered, flights and apartment booked. Just need to find out if @Cycliste is doing the 167km one...

I have? Shit, I didn't mean to. I think if you find out early enough you can get pills for that.

Yeah, but then there's a lot of people I'd have to call with the bad news...

Subscribed for the draw for the 2016 Maratona dles Dolomites. Promised my "team mates" to ride it on a bike from the year of it's first edition (1986) in case we are among the happy few that are drawn. :-)

Think I'm gonna do the Tour of Wessex next year. csb.

Don't underestimate it!

Did the mountainous part of the 312 last year - https://www.strava.com/activities/294340697

Was in a fairly slow group of 5 people so took it super easy with plenty of breaks. Wasn't too hard and I don't consider myself particularly suited to huge climbs or massive long days. The hardest part was getting home before dark...

Would be a lot easier in a big bunch, especially the latter 150km.

I know other who have done it and said day three in exmoor was a killer. How'd you find it? Not just the riding but the whole experience?

Here's our account of it http://www.troisv.cc/2010/06/post-tour-of-wessex-post-post-post-post.html. Highlights: revisiting where I grew up, good routes, a challenge, bumping into Cliveo; Lowlights: not brilliant feed stations (this was a few years ago and they ran out of water), not being fit enough, the heat, losing the car keys and parking the borrowed car on the crease of Somerton cricket club.

Hell of the Ashdown entry goes live tomorrow night November 5th at 9:30pm
http://www.hell.gb.com/

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/hell.ashdown/?fref=ts

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Why do all "sportives" have such awful names? Just got an email inviting me to the "Snowball Spinner". Who comes up with this rubbish?

More of a reliability ride from memory but..
http://www.willesdencyclingclub.co.uk/westerley-winter-warmer-10th-jan-2016/

Doesn't the HOTA normally sell out quite quickly?

I've not seen the point of Sportives before, but was quite tempted by this as it's local
http://www.velobirmingham.com/

However, pricing not announced until registration open today (of course the servers have crashed) and it's £75 or (£115) for fast track entry. Closed roads will pump the price up I'm sure, but is this more expensive than Ride London ?

I'll just go and do an Audax instead I guess...

I was also tempted, but they're taking the piss in my view.

RideLondon is c. £50 I believe.

They've been giving it the big 'un for two weeks on email ("there's tons of interest, you'll have to hurry for tickets, better get 'em straight away, if you delay you'll miss out") whilst not releasing the ticket prices, clearly hoping people just panic buy them at that high price. Having drummed up such demand, their server falls over instantly. Good work.

Also, pretty cynical of them to take people's biggest irritation with RideLondon (getting held up) and monetise it, by saying for a mere £45 extra you can start in the first few waves.

£5.75 booking fee for the Fast Track entry as well.

A bit of digging reveals Velo Birmingham is owned/run by CSM Active, a company who seem to mostly deal in brand management and corporate entertainment. Their exec Chairman is one Seb Coe. Seems to be their first go at running a Cycle Sportive.

Still, hopefully some MAMILs paying £75 will help to pay to get some tarmac painted a different colour

Vélo Birmingham is the flagship event of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution, an exciting Birmingham City Council initiative to inspire more people to cycle in and around the City, making Birmingham healthier, greener, safer and far less congested. The weekend’s events, including the BikeFest community festival, will be wholly funded by the event organisers and will help the Council raise awareness for its ambitions to get the City riding. In addition, a proportion of the revenue generated by Vélo Birmingham will go directly towards helping the Council fund the Birmingham Cycle Revolution

The price of these things takes the piss really. I got free entries to Ride London and Dragon Ride last year, and whilst they're good fun, I'd never pay. Happy to pay £20-30 odd for a club organised thing, but big companies like Human Race can do one.

Also, seems that VeloBrum have fucked it somehow

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Yes it ain't cheap...
But if you do decide to enter, remember to say your club is LFGSSCC!
https://endurancecui.active.com/new/events/39387852/select-race?e4p=c7d95359-9594-42af-89af-369faf9d815c&e4ts=1475185189&e4q=2bca83ad-c788-4e28-b0b1-c028cd512cae&e4c=active&e4e=snawe00000000&e4h=aeb761abc0bbc24c0476bf816622e4b2&locale=en_GB&e4rt=Safetynet&_p=8576155712362379

Anyone doing the Dragon Ride 2018? I've not done a UK sportive for a few years and shocked at the prices. The Devil Route 'standard' entry is £92.50 plus an unspecified booking fee. I think I'd rather do an audax.

Liege > Bastogne > Liege this year, entries went on sale today.
Anyone on here will do it ? has done it ? accomodation, transport, etc.

There's lots of nice Welsh audaxes.

anyone here riding the 2018 Maratona dles Dolomites?

~40 folk from my club have entered the long and medium routes of this, including myself. I am not insane so just the 153km for me. I cycled in the Ardennes a bit this year and I vowed never to go back, but here we are.