What is a Sportive?
Many people misinterpret what a sportive is. Sportives are personal challenge rides allowing you to test your legs without the hassle of having to plan a route yourself. Routes usually range from 20 to 100+ miles, with events running more or less every weekend up and down the country.
Sportives are a great way to take your cycling to the next level if you are a regular commuter, take part in led rides, go on weekend rides with friends or simply looking for an opportunity to get out on the bike where all you have to worry about it turning up.
Some key features of a sportive are:
- Pre-event entry is available for most sportives allowing you to plan for the event, and receive communications from the event organiser before the day
- Start and finish location, with most sportives offering pre and post food or drinks
- Scenic routes across the country, allowing you to discover and enjoy roads you never knew existed
- Fully sign-posted route, taking away the worry of planning and navigating your way around a route yourself
- Manned feedstations along the way to allow you to have a rest, refuel and chat to other riders at the event
- Multiple ride distances to choose from, allowing you to pick based on what you want to do
- The majority of sportives offer chip timing so you can see how long it has taken to complete a certain route - This helps if you are using sportives as a training aid for another upcoming goal or event
- Event contact details for you to use whilst out on the route, offering peace of mind one of the event team will be on hand should you need
- The majority of sportives offer a particiaption medal, goody bag or certificate upon completion for you to show friends and family you took on and completed the challenge!
Interested? Let British Cycling help you find an event right for you…
Sportives are great to ride if you are looking for a challenge yourself, or looking for an event you and fellow cyclists are looking to take on.
Club riders, Breeze Champions and riders, Guided Ride Leaders, commuters, every day cyclists, returning cyclists etc, all take part in sportives. They are attractive to a wide audience due to the nature of the events.
Some ride for health reasons, some for the social side, some to challenge themselves or train for another event, and some to raise money for charity.
Whatever the reason, our sportive calendar helps you find your perfect ride with hundreds of events to choose from nationwide. Simply enter your search criteria on the filter options to discover the available rides which may suit you. View and enter events online to secure your place on the event you fancy. It's that easy!
Most sportives on our calendar are also given a grading score, so you can compare the level of challenge across multiple events to choose one perfect for you.
Find others to ride with…
- You can search over 1500 British Cycling clubs
- Find like minded cyclists near you on through Ride Social
- Not ready for a sportive yet? Find a led ride here to build up confidence on riding on the road then take on a sportive as a group.
Are you a regular cyclist or riding a sportive in the near future?
British Cycling membership is the ideal way to ensure you are both covered and prepared for your sportive or when out on a ride. Some other member benefits can be seen below:
- Regular email, filled with advice, inspiration and prize draws
- Third party liability insurance for your riding with no excess to pay
- Huge cycling, outdoor and tech discounts on the Member Rewards Hub
- Free legal support and advice from our expert team
- Access to your member dashboard to plan your year, and keep track of the events in your diary
