The sportive season will soon be in full swing and every weekend thousands of riders will be taking to Britain’s roads – but tackling your first organised event can be a daunting experience for a new cyclist.

Many riders will be panic-stricken in the lead-up to the event. Have I done enough training? Will I be able to ride in a group? Am I going to bonk? Will everyone laugh at me (and my bike)?

Riding a sportive and enjoying all that comes with it – riding new roads on a challenging course as part of a well organised and supported event, with hundreds or thousands of cyclists for company – should be fun experience. Remember, it’s not a race so there’s not reason to be intimidated.

Still, the key to settling any pre-sportive nerves is, of course, preparation, so here are eight dos and don’t for your first sportive (or, in fact, any sportive). Share your own advice on the RoadCyclingUK forum.