Are you just starting out on your road cycling quest and looking for useful, non-intimidating training advice?
Perhaps you’ve signed up for your first sportive and the fear has set in. You’ve got charity money riding on this – it’s vital that you finish!
More than that, you want to have fun and put in a strong performance.
‘Sportiveur: A Beginner’s Guide To Training For, Completing and Enjoying Your First Sportive’ takes new road cyclists from total beginner to successfully completing their first sportive within a matter of months.
Here it is on Amazon:
My Sportive Story
I’d owned and commuted on a bike for years, but when I discovered I had a place on the 100-mile RideLondon sportive, I was both terrified and excited. And then a bit more terrified.
Over the following six months I learnt a lot – about training, the equipment, the bike, the clothing. What to eat and drink. How to stay safe.
Essentially, I discovered what worked and what didn’t, for a busy family man with precious little time and money to expend on cycling.
I wrote Sportiveur to help other novice cyclists counter their fears, heighten their excitement and maximise their enjoyment of their first sportive challenge.
I’m A Founding Member Of The ‘League Of Cyclists Against Information Overload’

From the outside, road cycling may seem complicated and overwhelming: the bike, components, training theory, maintenance and repairs, safety and road etiquette.
Sportiveur tells you what you need to know, in layman’s terms, without any unnecessary (time-consuming…, confusing…) blart.
In this electronic guide, you will learn:
- How to choose the right sportive bike for you
- What clothing you need (and what you certainly don’t)
- How to train effectively and how to fit that training into your busy lifestyle
- What to eat and drink whilst training, both on and off the bike
- What equipment is worth the money and what isn’t
Exactly what you need to know in order to complete your sportive event and have fun doing so.
Worried You’re Not Very Good At Following Training Plans?

Erm, yes. Same here. A busy life, with family and work, rarely allows me to follow a training plan perfectly.
But ‘perfect’ is not required in order for you to complete and enjoy your target sportive.
In my guide I describe my journey towards completing the 100 mile RideLondon-Surrey sportive in August 2013. I reveal my fears, mistakes and missed training sessions, and what I did in order to successfully complete the event in a time that I was proud of.
You’ll discover the volume of training required by a distinctly-average cyclist to complete a 100-mile sportive. [Hint: You might be pleasantly surprised].
Who Should NOT Buy This eBook?
If you own more than one road bike, and you’re a frequent participant in long distance and/or challenging terrain sportives, this isn’t the book for you.
I wrote this book for the novice cyclist looking for straightforward, no-nonsense advice on how to prepare for a sportive, without spending too much money on equipment, and too much time being baffled by quasi-scientific training babble.
About The Author
I am absolutely unqualified to write a guide to road cycling. And perhaps that’s why you should read it.
Seeking training advice can sometimes be intimidating, learning from athletically-blessed coaches that can’t really understand the needs and insecurities of novice cyclists. My athletic ‘gifts’ mean that I’m destined to remain a mediocre cyclist. I feel your pain.
Like you, I don’t have limitless cash for buying bikes, clothing and equipment, or unlimited time in which to train.
I wrote the ‘Sportiveur’ guide to help you achieve more with less.
I’m Here For You
How many authors give out their email address and encourage you to write in with any questions?
(It’s a rhetorical question – I have no idea what the answer is).
But that’s exactly what I do.
I know that my guide can’t answer every single question a novice cyclist might have (although it tries…). Instead, I provide my personal email address in the book, so that you can ask for any help you need. I want help you get the maximum possible benefit from reading and using my book.
How Do I Buy?
All you have to do is click the button below to take you to Amazon, where you can buy the ebook for your Kindle and get instant access.
Now what could be simpler than that?
Thanks for the valuable info Monty. Ride London 2019 will be my first experience of a sportive. I try and get out as much as possible. The problem that I have is I work away from home for 4 days at a time, so when I come home I have to cram all my training into basically 3 days.
I have decided that my best bet is to go for endurance. I try and do at least 30 miles every time I go out. Not sure if this is the right way to go about things as it gives me at least 4 days of rest and then 3/4 days of riding every day i’m home. Not sure what the alternatives are? Any advice would be gratefully received.
Cheers
Lee
Please send info on purchasing your book for beginners.
Lee – I have emailed you.