Who’s riding road bikes these days?

[Splatter Paint]

A quick 40 miles around the block today in preparation for the Kent Classic Sportive next week.

I’m guessing I won’t see many of you there?

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Do that quick 40 mile loop twice and you've done a sportive without paying a penny for the privilege.

 

[jim haseltine]

$10 for cheap plastic end plugs? US or Canadian? Either way that's a rip. Push in plugs start at less than £2 here and expander plugs at around twice that price.

 

[Philoldsmobile]

I rode a sportive on Saturday. The riders on the 100 & 50 mile routes were predominantly over 40s men. There were plenty of riders in their 50s and about a quarter of the field were women, but I only saw two people under 30.

What’s happening? Is the sport too expensive to get into (at face value)? A sportive is now £40 ish, plus £20 of fuel to get there, lunch etc. it is an expensive day out.

Most of the field were on mid-upper end bikes with a good mix of Ti and carbon, with Ultegra probably the most popular groupset. There were lots of low-range, 32t cassettes and a lot of disc-braked bikes. I’d say virtually everyone was riding sub-30kph. The sector of road cycling I saw probably would see no benefit at all with the latest aero bikes the industry is focusing on.

It is quite sad really not seeing younger riders at these events. So where are the young’uns? Not interested? Racing instead? Can’t afford it? All of the above?
SP

I'm really keen on doing a sportive or two next year. I have a Vitus Razor (2022 model) as well as an Elswick Turbo 12 (approx 1983) and a 1965 Viking Conquest. While I'll start out on the Vitus, I very much like the idea of doing one on the Viking or Elswick, just because... well.... why not? If they are non competitive I don't see a disadvantage to bringing out some steel. I will be doing the Eroica Britannia in 2023 on the Viking, and if he can fit on it (he is very tall) a friend will be doing it on the Elswick.

 

[Splatter Paint]

It turned out that a closed road marathon was being run on the same route as the sportive! Although the organisers allowed the bikes on the run course, I decided to start early, get round and go home before the marathon started. The first 30 miles or so I was going strong and then I eased off in the last twenty after clearing the marathon. I did the middle distance of 50m due to head cold.

Not a bad ride for a Sunday morning, although it was only 5 degrees at the start .

 

[Augustus]

I was always MTB or a CX bike off road in the UK. When I emigrated to the pre-Pyrenees it didn't take long to swap off road for tarmac. I rode road bikes mainly and a CX bike on the off road trails here. Road was blissful - perhaps one car an hour. Then one day that was one car an hour too many and I won't be riding bikes again now. And looking back, MTB was about escape from people in the UK, here it felt like an escape even on a road bike.

Now there's a room full of redundant ti bikes to do something with at some point.

 

[legrandefromage]

Post apocalypse rain ride