More and more riders are discovering cyclosportives as the way to get the best out of their bike. The chances are that you've already seen, heard of or taken part in one, but in case you're new to the form, here's the lowdown.
Cyclosportives are something like cyclings answer to the marathon. Long distance, sometimes epic mass participation challenges, open to all comers, cyclosportives are the event of choice for a new generation of road rider. Cyclosportives are performance rides that allow you to focus on your own goals, whether that be achieving a personal best time target or simply getting across that finish line! All of our events offer a choice of different distances, so you can get involved whatever your level.
No, cyclosportives are not races. They take place on open public roads, with large fields of riders (sometimes in the thousands) so different sets of rules and regulations apply than do for cycle racing.
In a cyclosportive, you are not competing against other riders, rather you are targeting your own personal goals. Most cyclosportives offer a range of target time bands for you to aim for, or of course there is just the challenge of completing the biggest ride of your life.
For many riders, this is the whole appeal of cyclosportives; they free you from the competitive pressure, strict rules, regulations and rigid disciplines of pure racing and let you enjoy your riding for your own reasons. And if you are interested in moving into road racing, cyclosportives are a great stepping stone to help you develop your skills.
There are many different cyclosportives in the market, from small club and charity rides to high profile, professionally organised events, and exactly what you get for your entry fee may vary from event to event.
At Southern Sportive we aim to give you the best quality days riding at excellent value for money. We draw on 20 years of cycle events experience to get every detail right, from the best routes, the best course marking, ride support and timing services, right down to the best food to revive you at the end of the day!