Selkirk Sportive - 31st July

[sayek1]

Well, I completed this ride on Saturday and am absolutely disgusted at the poor organisation - £25 is just robbery. The first two water stops (25miles & 50miles) were not in place which meant no liquid replenishment for about three-and-a-half hours. There were two cafes between 25m and 75m but at the first everyone kept saying the water stop must just be round the next corner, so nobody stopped. Once I reached the second I stopped to get water as I was getting seriously dehydrated - luckily the owner was great and said he would fill up our bottles for free rather than charging us for bottles of spring water - outstanding service.

To compound the frustration on finishing my mate had texted me to say he was injured at approx the half-way point. When I asked the finishing staff if they had seen anyone on the course their response was "we haven't got anyone on the course".


The event was not a fundraising event, but was a money spinner for Chain Reaction Cycles. My last event, the Trossachs Ton was brilliantly organised and the support to all the riders was outstanding. This debacle was a shambles and a disgrace - highly dangerous. Why bother paying the £25 if there is nothing for it - I may as well have just ridden the route myself some other time.

I feel very let down - CRC are just lucky that there were no serious injuries, probably due to the weather being cool and wet - had it been hot I am sure there would have been a few problems.

I can't see where to complain to, so I am venting my frustration here.

 

[Scoosh]

Sorry to hear of your woes on this ride. I did it last year, when it was the Gore Bike Sportive, part of the Gore-sponsored MTB series, which had road events on the Saturday and the MTB events on the Sunday.

Last year, it was well organised and run and, although the feed stops were not as good as on the Ken Laidlaw event, they were perfectly adequate (if you like the taste of High 5 stuff ).


If you want to complain, you should do so to the (title) sponsors - in this case CRC ? Tell them the situation and ask them if this is the sort of event with which they are prepared to have their name associated.


Magnatom had a similar bad experience last year on the Rapha Blackpool Sportive and he complained to Rapha.

Check it out here - start at post #24. Sadly, it is not a happy story (unlike mine of the Gore event).

 

[Philip Whiteman]

As somebody has pointed out on the Cyclosport.org website, has there been a breach of contract in terms of promised deliverables? Thought about reporting the organisers to Trading Standards? It's an idea if the event truly short changed the participants. There again if they promised buggar all and delivered buggar all, then there is little that can be done aside from warning potential entrants next year.

Either way these sort of events let cyclosportives down and give them a bad reputation. I feel sorry for the genuine organisers that place a great deal into delivering successful events.




.

 

[scook94]

Wow, I was so close to doing this event but decided to go to the dentist to have 2 teeth removed instead (long story), seems I made the right decision!

 

[Fiona N]

I noticed that the Rapha Blackpool sportive was cancelled this year (notice in CW, I think) - presumably due to the farago last year.

Just as an aside, I happened to meet one of the organisers of the Three Counties Challenge sportive a few days ago. I didn't intially know he was associated with it (we met in another capacity, as it were) but during a bit of chitchat about cycling, I mentioned that I just been to the Big G sportive in Beverley and was impressed by the excellent organisation and how I often heard feedback from other less well organised events which seemed usually to be those run for profit rather than to fund charities, local bike clubs etc. I noted that I'd heard some poor feedback about some of the local (Cumbria) sportives which seem to be trying to build on the popularity of the Fred Whitton. He asked if any of the bad comments related to the '3C' - I didn't realise this was 'Three Counties' and another sportive which could be abbreviated to 3C came to mind, so I said, yes, I thought so. At this he was absolutely horrified - no other way to describe it - and explained that he was on the organising committee (Three Counties is run by Kendal Rotary to support their charities) and as far as he knew, 3C had the best feedback of any sportive on the sportive event listing website. He asked me if I could let him know the specifics of the complaints and he'd look into it - at least for the next running. Subsequently, I realised that 3C was Three Counties not the other one and was able to let him know that I was totally mistaken. But I can't help thinking this is the reaction of a serious organiser - any poor feedback is followed up to determine what went wrong for the riders and what could be done to prevent it happening in future. I hope to be on the start line of the next Three Counties - either riding or supporting - and hope I can encourage some of you lot too.

 

[Veloscot]

I rode the sportive on Saturday and although I really enjoyed the day, I was really livid to find no feeding station at the allocated spot. Luckily I always plan ahead and took enough food/water to get me to the next feed station at the Gordon Arms but plenty of riders I was with hadn't. It's very fortunate that it wasn't a hotter day or everyone would've really suffered. Lots of riders complained about this and I do think the organisers should be given a major ticking off for this. All said it was a great course though and I would certainly hope to ride it again next year. Hopefully we won't get a repeat incident of the lost feeding station.

 

[Scoosh]

Going a bit off topic .

Veloscot and to CycleChat !


Glad you enjoyed the riding part of the Selkirk event. Doing any others ?

Luckily I always plan ahead ....
Ken Laidlaw, perhaps ? There will be CC representation there .

Hopefully we won't get a repeat incident of the lost feeding station.
No chance on the KL . Run by Hawick Cycling Club for cyclists.

 

[Veloscot]

Going a bit off topic .

Veloscot and to CycleChat !


Glad you enjoyed the riding part of the Selkirk event. Doing any others ?

Many thanks for the welcome Scoosh. I'm not doing any more sportives this year. I've already completed 3 (Solway, Edinburgh Bethany and the CRC Selkirk). Think that's enough as these things are getting expensive to enter! Anyway I want to spend the rest of this year focused on Mountain biking. I may do the Skye Mor in May or the Bealach Mor in Sept next year and use the Ken Laidlaw as a preparation ride for the latter. I rode part of the route of the Bealach Mor last autumn and abandoned - it's really tough. I am determined to finish the challenge!

 

[sayek1]

Low and behold, a week after sending CRC an e-mail asking form a response to my comments on their abysmal organisation I have yet to receive a reply.

I would strongly urge people to think hard about any event organised (or sanctioned) by CRC. They should stick to on-line shopping and look at alternative ways to increase their turnover/profits.

Has anyone else had a lack of response from CRC?

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Low and behold, a week after sending CRC an e-mail asking form a response to my comments on their abysmal organisation I have yet to receive a reply.

I would strongly urge people to think hard about any event organised (or sanctioned) by CRC. They should stick to on-line shopping and look at alternative ways to increase their turnover/profits.

Has anyone else had a lack of response from CRC?

I strongly urge you to contact Trading Standards outlining the details and that you attempted but not succeeded in obtaining a resolution from the organisers. They have clearly failed under the Good and Services Acts.

 

[HJ]

Low and behold, a week after sending CRC an e-mail asking form a response to my comments on their abysmal organisation I have yet to receive a reply.

I would strongly urge people to think hard about any event organised (or sanctioned) by CRC. They should stick to on-line shopping and look at alternative ways to increase their turnover/profits.

Has anyone else had a lack of response from CRC?

I have heard on the grapevine that CRC are having words with the organisers to make sure that it won't happen again.

 

[Veloscot]

I have heard on the grapevine that CRC are having words with the organisers to make sure that it won't happen again.

I have seen a formal apology on the CRC Selkirk event website posted a few days after the event. Can't remember the URL or if it's still there!

 

[sayek1]

Hi, I've just looked at then site and finally found a small apology as an afterthought on one of the latter pages.

I guess I am not going to hear anything more - I am not after anything at all, but a simple response from CRC recognising it wasn't an acceptable position. Seems like common decency and good manners are a thing of the past.

 

[Scoosh]

From the website:

Unfortunately we had some problems with the feeding stations which we would like to apologise for and guarantee the riders that the shortcomings will be overcome for the 2011 event.

Now how many folk will enter for 2011 ?

It's a real shame, as it is a good ride and a good route.