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Sportives without a car?

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  • March 6, 2015 at 4:29 pm #23421
    MatthewH

    Hi – firstly, apologies if anyone thinks this has been covered well elsewhere…

    I’m interested in a few sportive rides this spring/summer, in the run up to Pru 100 and beyond.

    I live in London and, like many of us, have no access to a car – was wondering if anyone has any tips/advice they could share about rides accessible by public transport, or possibly just an extra day’s ride & a b&b away?

    I’ve never really ridden large organised rides, just go out in packs of two or three and since moving back to the UK a year or so ago have finally got myself in a position to have free weekends and the desire.

    Cheers!

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Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
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  • March 12, 2015 at 11:05 am #834997
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    cycling_on_a_shoestring

    Quite late in the season, but
    Quite late in the season, but a short ride from penzance train station is the Lands End 100 in october, really spectacular route, well worth the trip, and the train journey has some pretty amazing views between plymouth and exeter too. http://www.tempusleisure.org.uk/default.aspx?page=587

    There’s also the plymouth gran fondo, also on the penzance/paddington line in May.

    March 11, 2015 at 6:30 pm #834995
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    harman_mogul

    snappyandrew wrote:I’m in the

    snappyandrew wrote:
    I’m in the same situation but the problem I find is that the trains don’t run early enough on the Sunday… I would suggest you join a club though. Sunday club rides are great.
    +1 for this suggestion. Ride to the rendezvous, next no downtime, 100 km (more in summer), back home early afternoon in time to…do whatever else you might like to do. And you will find companions to ride events when the fancy takes you.

    March 11, 2015 at 6:03 pm #834993
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    fenix

    Maybe join a club and share
    Maybe join a club and share transport to some events ?

    March 11, 2015 at 4:34 pm #834991
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    consciousbadger

    Train is great but a lot of
    Train is great but a lot of sportives take place on a Sunday which means fewer trains. It can sometimes be hard to get to the start on time. Some alternatives are B&B the night before close to the start, or hire a car or join a car club.

    The alternative is don’t do the sportive, but do the same/similar route yourself on a different day, which gives you more flexibility in terms of mode of transport. Sportives are getting very expensive so I’d avoid them to be honest (with one or two exceptions for the really great events). Do your own thing or stick to audaxes.

    March 11, 2015 at 4:20 pm #834989
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    pruaga

    Another Dorking based event
    Another Dorking based event is Cycling Weekly Surrey Cyclone:
    http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/cycling-weekly-surrey-hills-cyclone-sportive/

    March 7, 2015 at 6:12 pm #834987
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    andyp

    The SRS events rides are
    The SRS events rides are usually crackers. I’ve done a few based out of Burgess Hill. Ridden there from London, ridden the sportive, ridden back. Or you could get the train to Brighton and nip over the Beacon…

    March 7, 2015 at 3:53 pm #834985
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    Judge dreadful

    I’m doing the prudential ride
    I’m doing the prudential ride London 100 in August. I’m riding my bike to the Travelodge at Waterloo, from Southampton, on the Saturday, staying over night Saturday and Sunday, then riding back to Southampton on the Monday. When I lived in Fulham, I used to ride down to Ashurst in the new forest, do the Wiggle Sportives, stop overnight in one of the myriad of hostelries round that way, then ride back to Fulham the following day. It helps with the post sportive stiffness no end, and I always found I recovered more quickly doing it that way.

    March 7, 2015 at 3:06 pm #834983
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    sergius

    Thanks JonD, I think I ran
    Thanks JonD, I think I ran into them riding up Ranmore Hill when I was on my way home 🙂

    March 7, 2015 at 9:16 am #834981
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    snappyandrew

    I’m in the same situation but
    I’m in the same situation but the problem I find is that the trains don’t run early enough on the Sunday. Hoping to Chiltern 100 with the train but most events can be a bit tricky. I would suggest you join a club though. Sunday club rides are great.

    March 7, 2015 at 12:27 am #834979
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    JonD

    sergius wrote:JonD wrote:Best

    sergius wrote:
    JonD wrote:
    Best check details on the web, but there’s the (Sutton & Cheam CTC ?) Hilly50 tomorrow – only 50km but hilly 🙂 Starts from Rykers cafe at the bottom of Box Hill, nearest station Boxhill & Westhumble.

    On sunday is the Surrey Rumble, run by Twickenham CC, goes from Cobham.

    First is mebbe a fiver, the second 17..

    Any more details around this? Website?

    I live in Sutton, everytime I look into what’s nearby there’s naff all in the way of cycle clubs that I can find. They are all either racing (not interested), or quite far away.

    Oops – half right – Cheam & Morden/CTC South West London
    http://www.cyclingswlondon.org.uk/

    hilly50 is linked on the lhs, but takes you to:
    http://cyclingswlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

    and sunday:
    http://www.twickenhamcc.co.uk/tcc/surrey-rumble/

    Re the OP – have a look on cyclechat too.
    http://www.cyclechat.net/forums/cyclechat-and-informal-rides.47/

    One guy who also posts here -and who’s taken a break from it this year I think – was running ‘Friday Night Ride To The Coast’ – leaving midnight from Wellington Arch (opp. Hyde Park Corner), to places like Southend, Bognor Regis, Brighton, Whitstable. But I think a few other forum members have take over for a few rides this year. Nice routes, and pretty clear in the wee hours, does tend to mess yer following days up a little (YMMV) and I found myself getting chilly waiting for a large-ish group at regroup points…guess I needed to take more clothes ! There was a requirement for CTC membership, but the ‘Fridays’ was set up as an affiliated club to assist that, with affiliated CTC membership/insurance at something like 19 quid (and the cost of joining the Fridays was a couple of quid IIRC).

    March 6, 2015 at 11:17 pm #834977
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    PonteD

    If the event is is close
    If the event is is close enough and they do a shorter route, then cycle out, do the short sportive, then cycle home. I did this last year, I cycled 20 miles to the start, chose the 60mile route, then cycled 20 miles home. You still get in the century and the last few miles are on roads you already know.

    March 6, 2015 at 11:10 pm #834975
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    Al__S

    much as I’m an advocate of
    much as I’m an advocate of train travel… if you’ve got a licence, a small hire car really isn’t that expensive for a weekend. Might need to take the wheels off, and it won’t be fun to drive, but often cheaper than a late-booked train. if you can find a friend even cheaper.

    March 6, 2015 at 10:42 pm #834973
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    sergius

    JonD wrote:Best check details

    JonD wrote:
    Best check details on the web, but there’s the (Sutton & Cheam CTC ?) Hilly50 tomorrow – only 50km but hilly 🙂 Starts from Rykers cafe at the bottom of Box Hill, nearest station Boxhill & Westhumble.

    On sunday is the Surrey Rumble, run by Twickenham CC, goes from Cobham.

    First is mebbe a fiver, the second 17..

    Any more details around this? Website?

    I live in Sutton, everytime I look into what’s nearby there’s naff all in the way of cycle clubs that I can find. They are all either racing (not interested), or quite far away.

    March 6, 2015 at 10:14 pm #834971
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    MatthewH

    Cheers all.
    Cheers all.

    March 6, 2015 at 10:13 pm #834969
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    MatthewH

    crikey wrote:Get the train to

    crikey wrote:
    Get the train to Manchester then ride home?

    Hmm, maybe Sheffield…

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