New Sportive guide book

[robgul]

Stumbled across this   Cyclosportives: A Competitor's Guide: Amazon.co.uk: Jerry Clark, Bill Joss: Books - a useful read - lots of tips.

Rob

[mattc]

"competitor" ?

Are these races on the public highway?   

_{[to be honest, when I saw this thread title I was expecting a spoof.]}

[GrahamG]

I guess they're talking about the furrin ones, which are definitely races.

[rogerzilla]

So are the UK ones, if we're honest.  Gold, silver and bronze finishing categories and people on racing bikes.  They're not exactly stiopping to take photos.

[Alouicious]

Guide item 1/.

"Read, understand and obey the Highway Code of the country you are cycling in."


"68
You MUST NOT

. carry a passenger unless your cycle has been built or adapted to carry one
. hold onto a moving vehicle or trailer
. ride in a dangerous, careless or inconsiderate manner
. ride when under the influence of drink or drugs, including medicine

[Law RTA 1988 sects 24, 26, 28, 29 & 30 as amended by RTA 1991]"


That just about shags up every sportive in this country.   

[Datameister]

That just about shags up every sportive in this country.   

But not every Sportive Rider 

[Frank9755]

So are the UK ones, if we're honest.  Gold, silver and bronze finishing categories and people on racing bikes.  They're not exactly stiopping to take photos.

They don't need to - they have photographers to do that!

[Euan Uzami]

That's one of my pet hates about sportives, which is one of the reasons I gave up doing them - the photographers. I wouldn't mind but they are only doing it to make money by selling the photos back to you. They only ever take picture of riders going up hill.
I can just about cope with being reminded that it is a money-making venture at point of entry, and even at the start and end. But during the ride, that just crosses a line.
By contrast, the only photographers that have taken photos of me on audaxes have been doing it simply for posterity or to put in arrivee. And they take pictures on descents too.

[mattc]

I'm with you Ben, but on the other hand some riders lap this stuff up!


(And can I get in a pre-emptive strike; yes, I know PBP has similar commercial photography. )

[The_Mikey]

So are the UK ones, if we're honest.  Gold, silver and bronze finishing categories and people on racing bikes.  They're not exactly stiopping to take photos.

I did on a couple of sportives,  enjoyed the view for a few minutes!

[corshamjim]

I would be happy to stop and take a photo of the other cyclists, but all of them are usually somewhere ahead of me.    The reviews all sound enthusiastic so there must be something in this book, but personally I'd rather be out riding than sat at home reading.

[Greenbank]

Does the book come with a free t-shirt, cost £75 and is wrapped in cellophane which the reader then discards on the floor of the book shop and barges their way past a whole load of people to the door?

[Martin 14]

That's one of my pet hates about sportives, which is one of the reasons I gave up doing them - the photographers. I wouldn't mind but they are only doing it to make money by selling the photos back to you. They only ever take picture of riders going up hill.
I can just about cope with being reminded that it is a money-making venture at point of entry, and even at the start and end. But during the ride, that just crosses a line.
By contrast, the only photographers that have taken photos of me on audaxes have been doing it simply for posterity or to put in arrivee. And they take pictures on descents too.

Yep we have to work to make a living too, do you go to work for nothing?

[Euan Uzami]

That's one of my pet hates about sportives, which is one of the reasons I gave up doing them - the photographers. I wouldn't mind but they are only doing it to make money by selling the photos back to you. They only ever take picture of riders going up hill.
I can just about cope with being reminded that it is a money-making venture at point of entry, and even at the start and end. But during the ride, that just crosses a line.
By contrast, the only photographers that have taken photos of me on audaxes have been doing it simply for posterity or to put in arrivee. And they take pictures on descents too.

Yep we have to work to make a living too, do you go to work for nothing?

bit of an old thread, but...

if you want to make a living (out of me, anyway) then put some actual work in and take some pictures on descents (or even, the flat). With a decent SLR it takes virtually no skill to take a quality picture of a target moving at 5mph - it will look perfectly clear on auto mode. It takes a lot more photography skill, fiddling with shutter speeds, exposure, etc to take a picture of a target moving at 20mph+, but if you do, the result is much more rewarding.
Most audax photos I've seen are better and more interesting than sportive photos, which tend to be just yet another one grimping up a steep hill 

[Exit Stage Left]

The best photo of me on an Audax this year was taken by an 'Etape du Dales' snapper where the route of the Fleet Moss 200 crossed close to the Dentdale railway viaduct climb. I'm not likely to do a sportive, as I'm very slow, and it's a bit mainstream for me.
I do prefer the unusual, and it's unusual to be captured by a pro on an Audax, so I quite happily paid for a HD file, it reminds me how much weight I have to shift.
I've got other pictures of me riding in 24 Hour TTs taken from a motorbike, which have motion blur on them, which is nice, but it needs riders to be accessible for a long period, the weather to be good, and there to be a small number of participants.

[Martin 14]

That's one of my pet hates about sportives, which is one of the reasons I gave up doing them - the photographers. I wouldn't mind but they are only doing it to make money by selling the photos back to you. They only ever take picture of riders going up hill.
I can just about cope with being reminded that it is a money-making venture at point of entry, and even at the start and end. But during the ride, that just crosses a line.
By contrast, the only photographers that have taken photos of me on audaxes have been doing it simply for posterity or to put in arrivee. And they take pictures on descents too.

Yep we have to work to make a living too, do you go to work for nothing?

bit of an old thread, but...

if you want to make a living (out of me, anyway) then put some actual work in and take some pictures on descents (or even, the flat). With a decent SLR it takes virtually no skill to take a quality picture of a target moving at 5mph - it will look perfectly clear on auto mode. It takes a lot more photography skill, fiddling with shutter speeds, exposure, etc to take a picture of a target moving at 20mph+, but if you do, the result is much more rewarding.
Most audax photos I've seen are better and more interesting than sportive photos, which tend to be just yet another one grimping up a steep hill 

I take your your point, but its not usually the photographer that gets a say in whats printed ...........never covered an Audax, but as I'm riding my first this coming year and if I'm not stuggling for time I may just get to take some

[Martin 14]

The best photo of me on an Audax this year was taken by an 'Etape du Dales' snapper where the route of the Fleet Moss 200 crossed close to the Dentdale railway viaduct climb. I'm not likely to do a sportive, as I'm very slow, and it's a bit mainstream for me.
I do prefer the unusual, and it's unusual to be captured by a pro on an Audax, so I quite happily paid for a HD file, it reminds me how much weight I have to shift.
I've got other pictures of me riding in 24 Hour TTs taken from a motorbike, which have motion blur on them, which is nice, but it needs riders to be accessible for a long period, the weather to be good, and there to be a small number of participants.

Great image too!............but I promise any Audax pics will be posted here for free

[Euan Uzami]

I take your your point, but its not usually the photographer that gets a say in whats printed ...........never covered an Audax, but as I'm riding my first this coming year and if I'm not stuggling for time I may just get to take some

I was talking about taking pictures to sell back to the riders, as opposed to a guide book.

But even for a guide book, if all the photos you offer them are of grimping up hill, then the publishers havne't got much choice have they. I don't mind the odd one, if it's good, i bought one off a chap camped up the izoard for example, but generally climbing photos are ten a penny and if you take some non-climbing photos of riders to sell to them then you've got much less competition and far more chance to show off talent.
The  only reason photographers used to annoy me on sportives is it's just the constant reminder that you're a customer, rather than just somebody out for a bike ride.

[Martin 14]

I take your your point, but its not usually the photographer that gets a say in whats printed ...........never covered an Audax, but as I'm riding my first this coming year and if I'm not stuggling for time I may just get to take some

I was talking about taking pictures to sell back to the riders, as opposed to a guide book.

But even for a guide book, if all the photos you offer them are of grimping up hill, then the publishers havne't got much choice have they. I don't mind the odd one, if it's good, i bought one off a chap camped up the izoard for example, but generally climbing photos are ten a penny and if you take some non-climbing photos of riders to sell to them then you've got much less competition and far more chance to show off talent.
The  only reason photographers used to annoy me on sportives is it's just the constant reminder that you're a customer, rather than just somebody out for a bike ride.

I've never sold stuff to riders at any event I have covered, although I have sent a few to those that requested pictures for free ( of the digital variety), these days most of what I do is for my own portfolio.........but I do try to mix it up:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=66761.0

[telstarbox]

By coincidence I found this in my local library. It's still useful for non-competitive long-distance rides with plenty of tips on nutrition, stretching, mental focus etc.