You’d think partaking in your first sportive and getting a t-shirt for your accomplishments would be enough to showcase your dedication to cycling wouldn’t you? Well, I well and truly went that extra mile last weekend, fainting beforehand, bang in the middle of the Bike and Triathlon Show 2014 as soon as Chris Hoy left the stage, causing a minor drama in front of the North West’s entire cycling community, before proceeding to complete the 42 mile ride! Quite cringey indeed but I can now say that I not only completed my first sportive but did so having fainted oh so embarrassingly 18 hours beforehand. Now there’s one dedicated cycling drama queen…
This year’s Bike and Triathlon Show at Manchester Central sat alongside two sportive rides organised by Red Kite Events – one of 42 miles and the other of 80. Having ridden routes of over 30 miles in the past and already had/(endured) some sufficient hill training cycling in the Yorkshire Dales, I felt ready for my first sportive and so opted for the 42 mile route (so inappropriately named the ‘short route’). All booked in and ready to go, I figured what better way to grab some pre-sportive cycling inspiration (and free goodies) from those in the know than attending the show.
Impromptu fainting aside, (as by-product of simply not eating enough or perhaps sampling far too many cliff energy samples), the show was phenomenal. Exhibitors included the biggest and best bike brands with names including Trek, Boardman and Planet X, far and wide sports nutrition brands such as High 5 Sports Nutrition and exclusive sports clothing brands ranging from Victor & Liberty to Z3r0d. The show really proved to be a fantastic resource for gaining some invaluable intel and sourcing some fantastic fitness products for mountain bikers, road cyclists, runners, triathletes and families alike. It also had some great entertainment features including a fabulous interview with Chris Hoy and the Street Veledrome – the UK’s only pop-up track racing cycle event, which really was a great watch as cycling enthusiasts of all ages and levels gave it a try!
With so many fitness and cycling enthusiasts in one room, it really was a great inspiration for the ride the following day. Heading out of Manchester to the Peak District, the route spanned a range of streets, A- roads and quiet country roads – all of which were brilliantly marked out with coloured arrows so we never went off track. Though the city and A-roads got quite busy with traffic, there really was a buzz to starting off at a location as renowned as Manchester Central and it was a great feeling riding through the city so early on a crisp and still, sunny Sunday morning. Once into the countryside, the views were stunning as we passed through gorgeous little Derbyshire towns and villages with names as innovatively thought out as Hadfield, Padfield and Hayfield!
Though the route involved 1120 metres of climbing, the climbs were gradual and spaced out enough to ensure they never felt overly challenging – and the views across the peaks provided a great distraction from my burning pair of quads! Another great distraction was the feed station at 22 miles at Hayfield Village Hall, where one of the lovely organisers put on a gorgeous spread of fruit and Eccles cakes and a much needed cup of tea. Though fitness junkies and hard competitors may agree that this feeding break is an unnecessary aspect of a sportive under 50 miles, it really did break up the ride and gave us bags of energy for the second half. So much so, we completed the second half of the route in nearly half of the time that we completed the first!
Though we had planned to complete the route in 4 hours, my boyfriend and I completed it in 3 hours 36 minutes at an average of 12mph, which I thought was a great achievement (particularly having fainting the day before). After putting the training in, I found it completely achievable, so much so, I’m planning my next sportive to be 50 miles or more! Hats off to Red Kite Events for a fabulous first sportive experience and a big thank you to all of those wonderful people that came to my rescue at the show. Another super weekend spent enjoying the British countryside on my bike topped off by the scrumptious, celebratory meal I subsequently enjoyed with my fellow cycling enthusiasts! What better way to enjoy a guilt-free beer, pie and chips and get a free t-shirt?
Lets Go Ride a Bike 