2018 saw the 3rd running of the Cotswold Cogfest Sportive and my first entry to the event.

The event had a great vibe from the start, partly due to being part of a school fundraising project full of great staff who really put on a great day.

The registration was easy and had the usual rider number to zip tie to your bike.

The ride briefing gave a good overvew of the course though riders may have been distracted by the person in the cow costume giving high fives on the start line (cows roam freely on the local common land in the summer)!

Out on the ride the choice of 30 or 60 mile route gave a fairly flat (considering how hilly the area can be) loop. Signage was OK, the arrow markers could have been a bit bigger and brighter.

The feed stations were pretty much on the nail distance wise as planned. The highlight were the home made cakes and brownies etc available. This really added to the fund raising feel of the event and gave far more character than the usual energy gels.

Once back at the ride HQ (Minchinhampton Primary School) there was a real festival feel. Family rides take place in the afternoon and a childrens second hand bike sale was also on. Event t-shirts were also a bargain on the day and had a great bike riding cow design. I really enjoyed the event and have to say the fundraising heart of the sportive gave it an extra sparkle. Come along to the next Cogfest!