Looking for a cheap winter sportive? Try a reliability ride

This traditional winter warmer can offer a cheap and friendly way to test your off-season fitness

Otley reliability
(Image credit: Future)

Picture the scene: you spent much of November and December in the pub or at the very least just chilling out. Christmas has been and gone, yet the first road races are still a good couple of months off. There's always cyclo-cross but the mud is no place for a roadgoing type such as yourself. So what do you do? The answer could be a reliability ride.

If that sounds a bit fusty and old-fashioned – or just plain odd – don't be put off. These non-competitive group rides, also known as reliability trials, could be considered the precursor to the modern sportive, and have a lot going for them. They tend to be friendly, for starters. They're a great way to motivate yourself to get out in the cold for a proper challenging ride; and they're cheap. A fraction of the price of the average sportive in fact, with entry fees from around £5.

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