The Inevitable Bike Radar Live Thread
- Thread starter TVC
- Start date
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I am Spartacus
Über Member
- Location
- N Staffs
,,, You’ll need to produce a photo ID, passport or driving licence PLUS a household bill, and sign an indemnity.
to ride on the circuit.. ? household bill ....wassa all about?????
not that I am going.. too expensive
to ride on the circuit.. ? household bill ....wassa all about?????
not that I am going.. too expensive
I am Spartacus said:
I will be asking them why.
I bought my tickets over t'internet so my acknowledgement gets me in, but it looks like all those who ordered over the phone aren't getting their tickets delivered on time.
Also it seems that for the 100 mile ride they haven't reccied the course properly, some guys who know the area are saying that on a couple of the descents the road condition is very dangerous with huge potholes, cow muck and loose gravel on stupidly steep sections.
It's shaping up to be a tidy little mess.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
Shall we offer to organise a ride for them? B)
itisaboutthebike
Über Member
- Location
- Somewhere up his own jacksey
GOOD POINTS :
1. Good Route ( see below)
2. Friendly riders
3. T-shirt
4. Medal
Despite the bad points below I did enjoy myself once on the ride.
(not too fussed about 3 & 4 tho)
BAD POINTS: (sorry but there are lots of these - in no particular order of priority)
1. Numbers on jerseys (and the front ?). When I asked at sign on whose idea was this they said it was the police. Er since when have the police known anything about cycling ? Numbers (like every other sportive ive ridden) should be on the front of the bike - easy to spot. But not easy to spot if the number is on the front of the jersey (or the back) if you're in a tuck position or you're taking you r gilet/rain cape off or on during the ride.
2. Price - I entered early for £25. I certainly wouldn't have paid £25 for it. £45 smacks of profiterring. Oh sorry they were in for a profit weren't they ?
3. Start fiasco - why were we hered into a pen hanging around for over 1/2 an hour for some guy to tell what we'd already read on the route sheet ? They should have got us onto the racetrack asap and off that crappy ground.
4. Feed Stations - these were poor compared to other sportives I've done. At the previous w/e's Tour of Wessex there were ample supplies of bananas, fig rolls, and even tuna and egg rolls at the halfway feed ! ( I did see some rolls at the Ilam feed but wasn't sure whether these were for us or whether we had to pay for them..............luckily I always carry a couple of piece of fruit cake on 100m sportives just in case). I thought it was poor for £25, and I'd have been mitely p*ssed off if I;d have paid £45.
5. Unclear Info - the info implied that some of the food at the feed stations was to be purchased.
6. Some of the decsents were very dangerous - there are equally challenging climbs in the area with safer decsents. I would hate to think what it would have been like if it had been wet.
Will I ride it next year ? Unless the organisation is imroved, probably not. Plus as they're my local roads I ride them most weekends anyway.
1. Good Route ( see below)
2. Friendly riders
3. T-shirt
4. Medal
Despite the bad points below I did enjoy myself once on the ride.
(not too fussed about 3 & 4 tho)
BAD POINTS: (sorry but there are lots of these - in no particular order of priority)
1. Numbers on jerseys (and the front ?). When I asked at sign on whose idea was this they said it was the police. Er since when have the police known anything about cycling ? Numbers (like every other sportive ive ridden) should be on the front of the bike - easy to spot. But not easy to spot if the number is on the front of the jersey (or the back) if you're in a tuck position or you're taking you r gilet/rain cape off or on during the ride.
2. Price - I entered early for £25. I certainly wouldn't have paid £25 for it. £45 smacks of profiterring. Oh sorry they were in for a profit weren't they ?
3. Start fiasco - why were we hered into a pen hanging around for over 1/2 an hour for some guy to tell what we'd already read on the route sheet ? They should have got us onto the racetrack asap and off that crappy ground.
4. Feed Stations - these were poor compared to other sportives I've done. At the previous w/e's Tour of Wessex there were ample supplies of bananas, fig rolls, and even tuna and egg rolls at the halfway feed ! ( I did see some rolls at the Ilam feed but wasn't sure whether these were for us or whether we had to pay for them..............luckily I always carry a couple of piece of fruit cake on 100m sportives just in case). I thought it was poor for £25, and I'd have been mitely p*ssed off if I;d have paid £45.
5. Unclear Info - the info implied that some of the food at the feed stations was to be purchased.
6. Some of the decsents were very dangerous - there are equally challenging climbs in the area with safer decsents. I would hate to think what it would have been like if it had been wet.
Will I ride it next year ? Unless the organisation is imroved, probably not. Plus as they're my local roads I ride them most weekends anyway.
itisaboutthebike.
In reply to your points:
1. I see the point of having the number on the rider, on my last sportive organised by a triathlon group we had small numbers on our helmets, it's just so if you're out cold in the road they can get an idea of who you are. I pinned my number to my front and regretted it, most guys seemed to stick it over their back pockets which was a more sensible idea.
2. Totally agree - I would not have entered if they wanted the full £45.
3. That was entirely pointless and stupid given that there was almost 2 miles of perfectly good tarmac right next door.
4. Yep, Kirk Ireton with one drink dispenser and a 10 minute queue was frustrating, so I stashed as many gel packs and bars as I could grab to make up for it.
5. I only stopped at Kirk Ireton (100K for me).
6. I heard people with local knowledge grumbling about this on other Fora. On the 100K we only had to contend with tractors on single track roads - and a stuck removal van.
I've already noted my views on points 3 & 4 on the Bike Radar forum. I may do it again next year if I see an increase in the size of the whole show and evidence that they have improved organisation of the ride.
In reply to your points:
1. I see the point of having the number on the rider, on my last sportive organised by a triathlon group we had small numbers on our helmets, it's just so if you're out cold in the road they can get an idea of who you are. I pinned my number to my front and regretted it, most guys seemed to stick it over their back pockets which was a more sensible idea.
2. Totally agree - I would not have entered if they wanted the full £45.
3. That was entirely pointless and stupid given that there was almost 2 miles of perfectly good tarmac right next door.
4. Yep, Kirk Ireton with one drink dispenser and a 10 minute queue was frustrating, so I stashed as many gel packs and bars as I could grab to make up for it.
5. I only stopped at Kirk Ireton (100K for me).
6. I heard people with local knowledge grumbling about this on other Fora. On the 100K we only had to contend with tractors on single track roads - and a stuck removal van.
I've already noted my views on points 3 & 4 on the Bike Radar forum. I may do it again next year if I see an increase in the size of the whole show and evidence that they have improved organisation of the ride.
Just checked over on the Bike Radar Forum and it seems the 100K ride was actually 68 miles long (my computer packed up just after the start - don't ask!), I thought the last 18 miles from the final feed station was a bit long 
At least it made my average speed look a bit more respectable.
At least it made my average speed look a bit more respectable.
itisaboutthebike
Über Member
- Location
- Somewhere up his own jacksey
The cycle computer I found about a mile from the finish of the 100m ride was registering 103 miles, so I suspect the 100m route was actually 104 ish miles.
All good training for the slaying the Dragon and the Marmotte............
All good training for the slaying the Dragon and the Marmotte............
I thought the route was OK - I take the point about some of the descents but they aren't dangerous if they are ridden with a bit of care. There are potentially dangerous descents on many sportives - there are several descents on the Fred Whitton that were worse than anything on this. I suppose the difference is the Fred Whitton descents or Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose and necessary to get the epic climbs in - the Bike Radar sportive didn't have a similar excuse.
itisaboutthebike
Über Member
- Location
- Somewhere up his own jacksey
Yes , any descent is safe (in the dry) if taken at a snails pace.
But if it had been wet then its difficult to take those descents at a snails pace. And also , becuase some were single track (with grass up the middle) it's difficult to aviod any gravel/wet cow poo on the line that you're riding.
If there had been some bad accidents , then people would have been wagging fingers at the organisers.
But if it had been wet then its difficult to take those descents at a snails pace. And also , becuase some were single track (with grass up the middle) it's difficult to aviod any gravel/wet cow poo on the line that you're riding.
If there had been some bad accidents , then people would have been wagging fingers at the organisers.
