Bristol Belter

[Monsieur Remings]

Decided after doing the Wiggle Super Series Mendips instalment and the Cheddar Cyclosportive last weekend, both cracking events apart from the weather, that I'd have a go this sunday at the Bristol Belter and this time do the short course to give the legs a different experience to the 90 and 100 mile epics mentioned above.

However, is anyone doing this on the forum and has anyone tried to pay online? Blinking hell what a pavlova - you get redirected to some active marketing network thingy that just doesn't make any sense. Have tried signing up but there is no link to what I want. Anybody out there had a go at this and know what to do? Would appreciate it if you'd let me know.

The course looks like a good one.

 

[the_mikey]

I don't recall any difficulties in paying, I'm supposed to be riding this one tomorrow (110km standard), but I'm torn between the belter or a ride with another group. I will decide this evening!

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Good luck paying online...

 

[the_mikey]

Good luck paying online...

Looks like the pay-online option has been disabled in not the most graceful way, leaving only pay on the day as an option, I'm not sure if that's intended but it's quite common for the pay online option to close up to a week before the event, for whatever reason (I suspect it's because the organisers don't want to be dealing with a rush of admin issues or to deal with problems in the last few days before the event).

Try contacting them via email or phone..

email: ride@bristolroadsportive.co.uk
Tel: 0117 9532698 or 07834 005835

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Looks like the pay-online option has been disabled in not the most graceful way, leaving only pay on the day as an option, I'm not sure if that's intended but it's quite common for the pay online option to close up to a week before the event, for whatever reason (I suspect it's because the organisers don't want to be dealing with a rush of admin issues or to deal with problems in the last few days before the event).

Try contacting them via email or phone..

email: ride@bristolroadsportive.co.uk
Tel: 0117 9532698 or 07834 005835

Yep, have done mate and they were very good at getting back to me, fair play to them. I wasn't, how can I put it, in the best of moods over the situation last night but they'll waver the £5 surcharge if I explain that I had issues with the online entry.

Like yourself, hadn't decided on whether to go or not...looking forward to it now and thanks for the links above mate.

 

[the_mikey]

I'm almost ready for this, just got to prepare food and drinks for tomorrow. Another early start..

 

[the_mikey]

Well that was wetter than I was expecting..

Anyone else witness the road rage driver in a 4x4 beeping their horn aggressively and attempting to drive into a group of cyclists on Valley Road near Weston In Gordano?

 

[oliglynn]

Well that was wetter than I was expecting..

Anyone else witness the road rage driver in a 4x4 beeping their horn aggressively and attempting to drive into a group of cyclists on Valley Road near Weston In Gordano?

What a washout! started around 9am in very light drizzle, and having though "nah, won't take the rain coat, there's no heavy rain forecast" I set off, oblivious to the swim ahead...

Seriously, 2 hours of some of the most unrelenting heaviest rain I've ever experienced whilst out on my bike, and a p****ure in the middle of it to boot, I thought the day would be a write-off. Fortunately it cheered up immesurably as we got into Cheddar all drowned and demoralised, with the sun even showing its head for the first time. After that, despite being soaked it was a reasonable ride, although a bit wet and perilous on some of the descents!

Didn't see the 4x4 rage you describe, but you usually get some idiot drivers losing their rags and giving people cr&p like that somewhere on every sportive - I trust no damage was done...

 

[the_mikey]

What a washout! started around 9am in very light drizzle, and having though "nah, won't take the rain coat, there's no heavy rain forecast" I set off, oblivious to the swim ahead...

Seriously, 2 hours of some of the most unrelenting heaviest rain I've ever experienced whilst out on my bike, and a p****ure in the middle of it to boot, I thought the day would be a write-off. Fortunately it cheered up immesurably as we got into Cheddar all drowned and demoralised, with the sun even showing its head for the first time. After that, despite being soaked it was a reasonable ride, although a bit wet and perilous on some of the descents!

I showed up expecting a bit of cloud with the threat of sun, not rain! I came wearing kit for mostly dry, mild weather. By the time I reached Bristol Airport I was pretty wet, my legs were complaining and to top that off, I had my first puncture in a long time. Repaired that, made it to wrington hill and the other tyre went, both with bits of glass again

, also a rider just ahead of me ended up sliding off the road on the descent from Wrington Hill, after all that drama I lost all my enthusiasm and limped back to Bristol at 13mph.

 

[the_mikey]

[QUOTE 1556511"]
the_mikey, you were not dressed in white, with a white bike and a red flashing light on were you? I didn't do the Belter (Cheddar Sportive last week, Tasty Cheddar next week), but took MissUser76 climbing in St Werurghs instead. We saw lots of you guys, including this forlorn white clad cyclist, bimbling along looking very downcast on the way back to Bristol (I think through Backwell). MissUser76 chirped in with "He doesn't seem to be enjoying it as much as the others, and he's going the wrong way!" Oh, the insight of kids

Well done though chaps, living at the bottom of it, I know what Shipham hill especially is like in the wet, a real buttock clencher at speed
[/quote]

Yes, that was me!