Category: Events

Organised by Evans Cycles, Ride It Bristol is back again after the success of last year’s inaugural event. The sportive promises the perfect winter outing to suit all levels; starting just south of Bristol, the event offers four options, from the ‘Fun’ 15-miler to a full 70mile route.

The first part of the Ride it Bristol route takes participants towards the coast, before heading south towards the Mendip Hills. Cheddar Gorge is one of the many challenges before a final stretch through the stunning Chew Valley. There is no getting away from the fact that this is ‘hill country’, but the beautiful English countryside and the relatively quiet roads still make for great riding.

As with the other Ride it events there’s plentiful support staff, feed stations, route marking and GPS rider aids. Prices range from £7.50 to £25.00 and there will be an additional admin charge of £3.00 for those who turn up on the day (assuming it’s not a sell out.) Children go free if accompanied by an adult.

Ride it Bristol registration will open at 08:00 on the day at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre. The Fun, Short and Medium Rides will start from Hengrove Promenade and the Long event will start from Hengrove Park – all at 08:30. Distances are 15miles (24km) for the Fun ride, 30miles (48km) for the Short, 50miles (80km) for the Medium and 70miles (112km) for the Long run.

Further detail and entry for Ride it Bristol at evanscycles.com or get the latest news on Facebook.

When the winter months are (almost) over the Puncheur Sportive provides an early-season tester of 65 tough miles with a summit finish thrown in for good measure. It’s a great way to get a good indication of your early-season form. That summit is the top of Ditchling Beacon, just north of Brighton, which provides the finale of the 8th running, sell-out, event. As always the route is carefully planned and fully signed along picturesque unclassified roads and quiet B roads.

The charm and challenge of the Puncheur has always been setting and maintaining a good tempo along rolling roads, and to sustain that rhythm on the short climbs.

Distance is 65miles (105km) with total climbing of 5,577ft (1,700m) and a half way feed station, featuring the famous Infinity Foods, comes with the price. Medical support and broom wagon are also provided. Registration opens at 07.45 at the Ditchling Recreation Ground.

The £26 Puncheur entry fee includes electronic timing from SportIdent. The ‘just for fun’ targets to aim for are 5hours, 4.5 and sub-4hours (Bronze, Silver and Gold respectively) for the boys and an additional 20minutes on each target for the ladies.

The Puncheur is always a sell-out, as it’s limited to 500 riders, so to avoid disappointment book your place now at sientries.co.uk and visit the event website at puncheur.co.uk

As the organisers say: ‘You’ve done your winter miles, now it’s time to push up your heart rate.’ – So, will you?

If you’re looking for a Long Good Friday to balance all that chocolate then head to Folkstone on the March 25 for a day out across the lanes of Kent and East Sussex.

For its second year The Good Friday Sportive organisers, iCycle Events, have revamped the original route to offer a wider variety of rides for cyclists of all abilities. The choice of routes comes in three flavours, the 38mile (61km) Mini, the Midi at 75miles (121km) and the 100mile (161km) Maxi. Climbing adds up to 455m, 770m and 1,014m respectively.

All routes start from Folkestone Rugby Club on the edge of the Kent Downs, and follow fully signed routes out into the countryside. The terrain is described as ‘undulating’ but they have thrown in some testing climbs and technical descents. The 20mile run into the finish at Hythe offers some ‘head down TT style riding!’ according to the organisers, but bear in mind it’s along the Kent marshland coast – it’s very flat and very windy.

Costs are modest by most standards at £25 for the Mini and £29 for the Midi and Maxi. For that you get an extensive package of support and goodies on the day including support from a team of mechanics, medical cover, medics, motorcycle marshals and even a broom wagon. Out on the road you can expect ‘well stocked’ feed stations located in village halls (read ‘coffee and cake.) At the finish you’ll get a medal, a complimentary massage and a hot meal – Bargain.

You can get more detail on The Good Friday Sportive, check out the routes and download GPX files at icycleevents.co.uk and book online at endurancecui.active.com

Part of the Wiggle Super Series the Wiggle Royal Flyer is billed as a ‘classic autumn sportive, perfect for the shorter days, based in the wonderful surroundings of North Norfolk.’ Two routes are available, 43 and 70miles, both providing spectacular views of the Sandringham Estate and its surroundings.

The Wiggle Royal Flyer starts and finishes at Fakenham Racecourse and the gently rolling course then takes riders eastwards via the villages of Guist, Hindrigham and the stunning St Mary’s Benedictine Priory at Binham. The organisers want to encourage young riders so all under 16s ride for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Facilities include

• Event centre facilities and parking
• Mechanical support
• Full route marking
• Rider public liability insurance
• Free energy drink and snacks
• Electronic chip timing
• Bike wash facilities
• Web results service
• Emergency support
• On-site catering
• Event photography
• Event massage
• Pick-up wagons

Prices for the Wiggle Royal Flyer start at £33, full details at ukcyclingevents.co.uk

Not quite as scary as it sounds this late season event is now in its fourth year and has been a sell out in each year so early booking is recommended. The course weaves through the scenic roads below the South Downs, and loops around the stunning Devils Punch Bowl before heading for the hills of the North Downs.

The Devils Punch is deliberately shorter than a lot of sportives to reflect the time of year and to widen the appeal – it is, however, still a challenge, and includes a couple of ‘awesome’ hills taking in some of the best views of Hampshire and Surrey. There are two route options – the Epic of 119km (with 1,395m ascent) and the Standard of 82km, which of course features a little less climbing with 1,000m ascent.

Starting at Treloar College in Holybourne, near Alton, registration opens at 07:30 with the event starts at 08:00.

Facilities include:

• Event centre facilities and parking
• Mechanical support
• Full route marking
• Rider public liability insurance
• Free energy drink and snacks
• Electronic chip timing
• Bike wash facilities
• Web results service
• Emergency support
• On site catering
• Event photography
• Event massage
• Pick-up wagons

Full details of the Wiggle Devils Punch Sportive at ukcyclingevents.co.uk