I love the fact you post the unvarnished truth rather than just edited highlights that make you look good. I hesitate to say "warts and all" because there are no warts here, but I dig the honesty and willingness to say "hey, I wasn't as strong as I thought I was" or whatever it is. I'm sure many of us have those thoughts, and as I've indicated on some other videos they have prevented me from trying certain things. I very much respect your approach to having a go at things that aren't knowingly comfortable. Also I just like the way you talk about things. It's great commentary

Kudos to you for recording this. I did the ride solo. Once I got my head round being overtaken by almost everyone, it was okay and I did the full 247k. Survive and Arrive was my mantra in the end.

Great riding with you boss, those potholes are something else aren't they!!

Great to meet you at feed stop 3 Max. And thanks for mentioning 'Via Roma Cycling Events' (a number of rides that came through after you also mentioned how spicy the start was)

Kudos on posting a video that shows the tough times and not just the high times. I figure (hope!) we all go through rides like that and it was impressive to see you stick at it and reassuring to hear the demons from someone else’s head, telling them to quit. Good work, all around.

First time watching your channel. So impressed you were brave enough not to sugar coat the experience and showed the reality - bravo. I got into cycling 10yrs ago, but have never done a ride like that and it felt like my longest ride ever of (only) 42 miles almost killed me. These days I love commuting on my brompton and trying to go as fast as I can on that. Re strengthening your legs, I'd thoroughly recommend training in barefoot shoes eg vibram fivefingers. I row in them and my legs are sooo much stronger now. Climbing - even on my brompton - is much easier. As well as going fast! Good luck, mate.

Great video. Love the honesty. Just hit subscribe! 👍

Come and cycle with me that will make you feel better. Had and still feel like you described. So I cycle on my own.

I know how you feel, a few years ago I was the one on the front. Since becoming a dad I've been running and now back to cycling again I sometimes feel like if you can't hold the wheels then you aren't in the cool gang anymore. Prob just in my head though. Because when I was dishing out the punishment there was always a quicker group you couldn't quite reach.

Hi Max, You seem to have the same problem that I had with the the nose of the saddle dropping. I got in touch with Winspace and they told me to torque the clamp to 14Nm rather than the 12 that it shows on the torque spec list that they supplied me with. That worked for me. Give it a go!

Great to see someone being honest, cycling is hard

Love the honesty. Forget about the stats and keeping up appearances - just ride your bike for the ultimate pleasure. After all it’s supposed to be a stress-reliever 😊

Well done Max. Impressive. Good observation about the start. Also I guess nutrition strategy is important as putting in so much effort. Makes the Red Kite Ride you mentioned for later this year interesting as just as just as hilly.

Just subbed - looking forward to see the channel grow! Well done for finishing bro. Looked like a slog.

Subscribed! I really enjoyed this video. I have never done a ride like this as I am far too self conscious, being a larger guy I would never be able to keep up with those groups, they were going at a monster pace. I’ve signed up to the dragon ride next year and already training for it as I am a bit worried that I’ll really struggle otherwise.

Great ride mate, love and admire your honesty. I'm an Aussie living in the Philippines - at age 57 I'm fit for my age (I think) but I can't begin to compete with younger rides. I experienced what you have on this ride, it took me a while, but learn to just CHILL - Now I ride more by myself I find I explore, see more and enjoy much more. I've subscribed - can't wait to watch your other videos. Cheers mate, convict Jono

New subscriber, great video. Remember your only human and it's ok to take on a challenge and do it your way.

Hi, Ride for yourself. There will always be someone faster. They may have more time to train, they might be younger and recover better. Enjoy your ridesas i enjoy watching them.

Awesome Effort Max (170k 😳 still awesome)..Keep on Keep’n… You are going to get better… You’ve got the Drive! 👍🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️💪

few things to bring up: firstly, a lot of these are my local training roads and it's so good to see them through a completely different light! secondly, when you have those moments, although it might be difficult, compare yourself to you a few months/years ago- would they have been remotely close to doing what you can do now? thirdly, look to the future too, it has been helpful for me at least to reframe these moments as targets for how strong you want to be, and although you might not be quite there yet, the journey of training can be enjoyable too. i'm in a sort of similar position to you, started racing road this year, been a CX rider from when i was tiny but i am a junior currently albeit a shit one so i don't know if any of this is remotely helpful but i hope it is!

Well done Max it's hard to gage how quick people are when you don't know them. I wouldn't choose to do a Sportive on my own. I cycle with my husband husband. Don't beat yourself up over it, take it at your own pace and enjoy it 😊

Chapeau buddy for the content and honestly of this vlog. Most of us have those sorts and feeling at some time but we’re programmed to try and hide them not realising they’re perfectly normal. Keep up the brilliant content 👍

Great effort fair play sometimes you just need to enjoy the bike sod the pace great content as usual.

I think you’re an excellent rider dude.. great vid well done for being honest during the vid.. your better than what you think you are buddy 😊 🚴🏻👍💪 Pete

As a keen road cyclist I’ve always ridden alone as I don’t have the confidence to ride in a group as I find it a very obnoxious sport. I used to acknowledge riders who were also out but find that 90% of them just ignored you, so I sadly don’t even bother now.

I did a similar 200km ride a few weeks ago with a group on one of the PAS Midsummer rides, my takeaway was more along the lines of its crazy how strong you can get if you stick to it. Though I'm in 3rd year of riding now so perspective may change over time.

I attempted Chase the Sun last month and had to bail out at halfway because of dehydration trying to follow people that were fitter and faster than me and not looking after myself. Think you just have to go at your own speed on these events and if that lines you up in a group all the better if not solo and enjoy the day out.

You did great Max it was a mega early start . Did you drive from London ? You were up mega early !!! That’s partly the reason you were struggling . You were tired , you didn’t fail , you just need to align you expectations

Great video, enjoyed that. Familiar feelings...

You mentioned two folks going off into the verge, absolutely not worth it. It was a great decision to pull back and do the shorter route.

bro - i will say this now, comparison is the thief of joy. The moment you only compare against yourself the more fun cycling is.

i ride most of the time by myself, and feel pretty solid, until I ride with a mate and his wife who are ex pros. nothing to make you feel awful like watching someone ride away from you

Man , I’m just up the road , if I had known I would have come and says hi

180km is still a huge achievement, well done 🎉 Ps what saddle bag is that?

Very good

How fast was the group? Your ftp is just under 4w/kg from the looks of it. Monsters showing to a non race event 😅

Don’t beat yourself up mate, me and thousands of others would love to be as fast as you

the thing is mate, if you're doing just enough training to survive a 40 minute criterium, then giving a 250km sportif a go might be a bit ambitious. You sort of have to prep your body and state of mind to spend 7-8+ hours on a bike saddle by doing 4-6 hour rides 4-6 days a week for about a month+. We all know the large amount of hours and miles UCI pro riders spend on the bike and I'm sure even they would be somewhat knackered after 250kms whether its at race speed or just a training ride.

Ride at your own pace or find a group that you feel comfortable with . Either way there will always be someone faster than you and slower than you . Enjoy cycling and never feel bad for not being able to keep up .

.Best cure? Do a 50 mile riad bike TT .You are racing yourself..Great for your self esteem! Try it!!

Hadn't quite realised that you almost rode past my house! Hope the Cotswolds roads weren't too brutal for you. Side note, I live in a nice bungalow with a double garage and a full Zwift setup on the one side ;o)

Honest video. It's very easy to get into a rut of ever increasing challenges, of punishing yourself to do more, going on group rides and not enjoying it. I hit the same wall recently. The routes my club took were on poorly surfaced narrow lanes. Some of the riding made me feel unsafe, this was caused by the conditions and the riding of others, trying to keep up when I wasn't in the mood. I stopped for a while and rode alone. I needed to reset. Ending your ride by taking the shorter route worked for you. And was therefore the right decision. Admitting it was also right.

Love those glasses. Anyone know the brand? Thanks in advance

comparison is the thief of joy......find your tribe and stop putting so much pressure on yourself. cycling should bring you enjoyment not misery

Don’t be down on yourself. Cycling is about enjoying the ride not killing yourself trying to keep up with people who won’t help you.

There are always better riders. That's life! Stop giving yourself such a hard time and just enjoy riding your bike for you.

Sometimes the mindset needs to be "enjoy it, not endure it".

Bring back riding with the girls. Lot more fun actually. 🤣

Been watching your channel for a while and you seem to be a pretty good rider, but on this occasion, you seem to have misunderstood what a sportive is about. It's about personal goals. You kept going on about being unable to keep up with the group. You weren't riding with your mates, you were riding with a group of strangers randomly thrown together by starting at the same time. Like many riders, you set off far too fast (because you thought you should ride with this group of strangers) and paid the price.