Tag: UK Sportives

The Chilterns are the playground for this Evans Cycles RideIt off-road event that promises a dramatic ride with beautiful tree-lined trails and some single-track to keep you on your toes. Throw in some flinty descents, quick tough climbs, and fast ridge top trails, and this should prove one incredible day of riding.

Icknield Community College, Watlington, is race HQ (map here) with three routes on offer of 15, 25 and 35miles all costing just £17.50 and including electronic timing, mechs and broom wagons, feed stations and a free High5 Race Pack if you sign up four weeks ahead of the ride. Registration on the day opens from 8am with the short and medium routes setting off between 8.30 and 10.30am and the longer route from 8.30 until 9.45am.

Full details and online entry to the RideIt Watlington Off-Road at evanscycles.com

Now in its 6th year, the Bethany Edinburgh Sportive is an event for serious amateurs, which involves a ‘super challenge ‘route of 102miles plus a shorter 72miler for those who think they may not be able to complete the longer stretch within the 8-hours time limit.

Riders leave from Lasswade High School, Bonnyrigg (map here) and head south over the Moorfoot Hills to Innerleithen where the long and shorter routes split. The long route takes a spectacularly scenic route around the borders taking in some 8000ft of climb and the formidable Witchy Knowe. For the shorter route, riders return to Lasswade from Innerleithen via the River Tweed and Gala Water valleys then both routes meet again just west of Selkirk. All riders return to the High School over the Moorfoot Hills.

Four feed and water stations will be on hand offering the riders refreshments along the way and the end of the event promises that: ‘riders can relax with well-deserved pie and a cuppa…’

Registration opens between 7am and 9.25, with start times staggered at 2 minute intervals in groups of not more than 14 from 8 to 9.30am. Entry fee, open until June 5, is £30 – event details for the Bethany Edinburgh Sportive can be found at edinburghsportive.btck.co.uk and online entry at entrycentral.com

Take on this fast and flowing South Chilterns challenge and ride through where the Thames cuts the Chilterns at Goring, up into the jagged profile of the stunning (and often challenging) Chiltern Hills, on a mix of surfaces to test your pace, performance and handling. The Woodcote Wildwood offers three options to cater for a range of riders: The 40km CX with a maximum gradient of 14% and 620m of height gain, the CXX at 60km also with a gradient of 14% but climbs totalling 862m and the full CXXX an 80km challenge with 1207m of climbing (and, again, that maximum gradient of 14%). Exact terrain mix varies but is generally 60% Road (mostly back lanes), 25% fast tracks (fire road/farm track), 10% bridleway and 5% singletrack (semi-technical off road).

Support/feed stations are on route for both the 60 and 80km options (drinks only on 40km) and the event has the usual support and mech vehicles to make sure everyone gets back. The Woodcote Wildwood also offers electronic timing, free Torq energy drinks and free energy snack allocations at feed stations and finish. Registration opens 8.30am at Langtree School, Woodcote (map here), with first ride away at 9.00am – entry for the 80 and 60km routes is £20, and a mere £16 for the 40km CX.

Full details of the Woodcote Wildwood and online entry at cxsportive.com

Started way back in 1998 the Westerley Winter Warmer was devised and developed by Westerley club member Keith Shorten and until 2012 it was run as a club event. Now this great Buckinghamshire ride is open to all and, with the date moved forward to avoid clashing with the established Chilterns Classics series of reliability rides, there are two versions on offer here. The main route at just over 107km in length (66miles) has approximately 1300m (4275ft) of climbing whilst the 58km ‘lite’ version (with 596m/1950ft of ascent) misses out the bigger climbs but retains the challenging ascent of Cryers Hill from the Hughenden Valley. Both events are ‘reliability’ rides, which have a target speed range of 12.5mph – 18mph, which equates to about 3 and a half – 5 hours for the full ride and 2-3 hours for the shorter version.

HQ for the event, the Chalfont St Peter Scout Hut (map here), will be open from 8am with first riders away by 9am. Entry costs £10 on the day or £8 in advance for the longer route and £5 / £4 for the shorter one. Full details and entry at westerley-cycling.org.uk

Sportives are thin on the ground at this time of year, but worry not and put away that turbo trainer (or leave it in the garage where it’s always been) and take a ferry to the Isle of Wight for the Wiggle Super Series Wight Winter Sportive. There are two route distances on offer, the ‘Standard’ 42miler and the ‘Epic’ 61mile option – both starting and finishing from just outside Yarmouth ferry terminal.

Rides start with an anticlockwise direction towards the colourful cliffs of Alum bay and the Needles, picking up the military road with its dramatic cliff-side views, then throwing in a couple of big climbs before heading towards the centre of the island. Rolling hills and spectacular views are compliment with ‘festive’ feed stations with mince pies and hot drinks (but no mulled wine, boo!)

Entry for both the ‘Epic’ and ‘Standard’ including ferry is £39 (£28 without ferry) and you can expect all the usual niceties – full route marking, mech support, chip timing – which come with the Wiggle know-how. Details and online entry at ukcyclingevents.co.uk

Starting at Biggin Hill in the London Borough of Bromley with HQ at Fairchildes Primary School (map here) this Evans Cycles Sportive RideIt! Event takes in some of the best country lanes through Kent, exploring Edenbridge and Westerham and with The North Downs featuring heavily. There are four routes on offer: Fun at 15miles, Short at 30miles, Medium at 50miles and Long at 70miles – the longer rides promising to be tough but with those climbs more than made up for by swooping descents and spectacular views.

Fully way marked routes and waterproof map provided, along with GPS files published in advance, chip timing, mech and broomwagon support and well stocked High5 feed stations. The Fun route costs £5 with all other distances coming in at just £15 and (accompanied) children under the age 16 riding for free.

For further details on the Evans Cycles Sportive RideIt! Biggin Hill see: evanscycles.com