Velo South - West Sussex 23/09/2018 (Closed Road 100)

[GrumpyGregry]

Is that a banjo I hear being plucked menacingly in the background?

I'm more worried about shotguns

https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopvelosouth/about/

From which one could get the impression that the TRRO's are not yet a done deal.

Hope no one of this parish is stirring the pot.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Is it me, or my browser, or are some posts coming and going on this thread?

 

[smutchin]

Is it me, or my browser, or are some posts coming and going on this thread?

It's not just you.

 

[Nomadski]

This is the priciest sportive I've ever done all things considered, but am looking forward to it. Regardless of time, just cycling on closed roads in beautiful countryside is the best fricking thing ever. Looking forward to navigating the tick tacks.

 

[Racing roadkill]

We’ve had the direct threats now, someone threatening to do what the idiots did during the Velo Birmingham, re: oil and nails. It didn’t work then, it won’t work now.

 

[Racing roadkill]

 

[Nomadski]

He looks like a golfer.

Beware of golfers.

 

[Racing roadkill]

They pay road tax and insurance, and we ( “idiot cyclists” ) don’t, don’tcha know.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sighs. Obviously a company as large and well connected as CSM, mindful of the challenges around Velo Birmingham last year, and having taken such significant learning from that event that the route has been radically revised for the 2019 version with no promised event this year, and with all their resources and skills will have ensured that

• all the relevant local communities bodies in affected places have been appropriately consulted well in advance
• all impacted residents have been communicated with directly at least once
• all the TTRO's are signed off and in place
• all the County councillors, and not just the officers and those on the Highways Committee, are onside
• the Sussex/Surrey Roads Policing Unit are aligned
• et cetera

and wouldn't be so lame as to assume that their size and connections will let them bulldoze this through whilst they go through the motions? Because they are doing a grand job of creating an image that the latter is taking place.

I've no doubt the event will be run; WSCC have rightly bought the benefits case; however CSM's approach, and the attitude of a minority of the entrants on social media, feels unduly antagonistic so the longer-term consequences hereabouts will be "interesting".

as I said upthread, enter this one, you may not get a second chance! I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It's not just you.

And it's not just in here.

Seems Velo South posts come, and then go, on all manner of social media platforms.

Maybe there's a surfeit of second thoughts or some sensible admin/moderating going on by someone somewhere?

We can but hope.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I guess we won’t be getting the sort of reception we did riding through Bewdley then?

 

[Racing roadkill]

There’s a small minority of the locals who are properly getting ants in their pants now, threatening ‘protest marches’ and all sorts.

 

[Shadow]

I've no doubt the event will be run;

This, precisely. I reached the same conclusion weeks ago.

I do hope the revolting locals will back down on their dangerous threats and everyone can go about their business peacefully and having respect for others. But I fear @GrumpyGregry may well be correct thinking it will only be once. It would be a great shame if this was the case as with a little more thought, a less divisive route could be mapped.

 

[smutchin]

But I fear @GrumpyGregry may well be correct thinking it will only be once.

Good. Roads are for being clogged up with cars 365 days of the year, not for being clogged up with bicycles one day of the year.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Good. Roads are for being clogged up with cars 365 days of the year, not for being clogged up with bicycles one day of the year.

Every two years would be as much as the rural gammons could take, I reckon, and the route would need to vary.