Sportives are long distance organised events, the cycling equivalent of running the marathon, which involve completing a set route. Sportive events typically range from anywhere between 50 and 150 miles and, although at their most popular in summer, there are events run all year round.

Sportives are a great way of challenging yourself, learning about road riding and getting fit, and can be a great stepping stone into grass roots Road Racing.

A typical Sportive might include

• Transponder timing
• Generous feedstations
• Breakdown recovery
• Fully signed route, perhaps with GPS downloads of the route also available
• Many events have multiple route options, ‘Small, Medium and Large' routes, meaning that the whole event is attractive to a wide range of riders.