The reset button has been pressed and it’s time to kick off a new year, bursting with opportunities,
events and races to get our teeth stuck into. In the South West alone there are dozens of cycling
events to suit any standard and discipline. Here is a short list of sportives to add to your calendar
in the local area and a little further afield.
20 May - The Somerset 100
The Somerset 100 is a justifiably popular event, not least for its relaxed approach to a mass entry
sportive. With low entry fees and no timing chips, the primary concern of the Somerset 100 is to
have fun. With three routes of 30 miles (ish), 100km and the 100 mile ‘Century’, riders are not
required to commit to any distance on the actual day. This event is a great place to start if you’ve
never done a sportive before with none of the pressure sometimes laid on by timed sportives. Just
turn up, get on your bike, and enjoy the open roads.
26-28 May - Tour of Wessex
Multi-day sportive events are rare in the UK, and we’re lucky enough to have one of the best on
our doorstep. The Tour of Wessex is made up of three stages and entrants can choose between
324 miles, 221 miles, or even ride an individual stage which themselves have two different route
options. Every stage starts and finishes at the Huish Episcopi Academy, Langport which makes the
event logistically simpler than many other multi-day events. This is about as close to feeling like a
pro as you’re going to get without spending half a year’s salary on a European adventure, so
what’s stopping you?
1 July - Bike Bath
For a day of cycling to remember, you can’t go far wrong with Bike Bath, one of the largest single
day cycling events in the South West which attracts more than 1,000 riders every year. With routes
for all abilities, including families and children, riders will experience the best that the Cotswolds
and Mendips have to offer, not forgetting the record-breaking Two Tunnels and the infamous
Cheddar Gorge climb. It’s without doubt a massive challenge, but one that will live long in the
memory.
15 July - Great Weston Ride
For a fabulous ride from Bristol to Weston-Super- Mare on the coast, the Great Weston Ride takes
in some of the spectacular roads traversing the Mendips and Somerset Levels over 57 rolling
miles. Whether raising money for charity or just enjoying the mid-July sun (hopefully!), you’ll set off
from Long Ashton Park & Ride any time before 0930, and wind your way coastward for some well-
deserved fish and chips.
29 July - RideLondon-Surrey 100
One of the UK’s most famous amateur cycling events also happens to have closed roads and
welcomes over 20,000 riders to the lumps and bumps of the Surrey hills every year. The
RideLondon-Surrey 100 is one of few which also hosts a weekend festival of cycling which
includes the Brompton World Championship, a closed road free ride in the centre of the capital,
and men’s and women’s professional road races. This is definitely a bucket list event which is
worth the travel.
If you’re looking for an upgrade, or a good start, in your cyclo sportive career, we’ve got loads to
offer in our winter sale. Check out the Trek Lexa, a women’s entry-level road bike with a reliable
and efficient build, optimised for smoothness and power. For a step up in both specification and
price tag, look no further than the Cannondale Synapse 105 Disc, a fierce beast with buckets of
potential. Or for a world-beating carbon fibre racing frame wrapped in great value Shimano
components, you can’t do much better than the Giant TCR Advanced 3 with its whopping 30%
discount.
Make 2018 the year of the bike, snap up a brand new steed and fill your calendar with exciting
events to take part in or spectate. Let’s make it a good one!
