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Do all sportives ge...
 

[Closed] Do all sportives get this kind of hammering by the locals?

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- crazylegs, do you live near the NF ?

Sadly not but I'm aware of the "issues" going on down there.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 5:04 pm
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My slightly sarcastic responses would be something along the lines of...

1. there are roads works with traffic lights on Lyndhurst Road Landford any cyclist going through a red light will be film and reported.

I completely agree that all vehicles should stop at red lights, I assume you'll be applying this monitoring and reporting effort even handedly and will also be reporting anyone jumping the lights in a motorised vehicle.

2. Lyndhurst Road Landford is a 30 and 40 mph limited area. Any cyclist caught above the speed limit on our speed camera will also be photograph and reported.

Given that the typical Tour de France stage is ridden by professionals at the peak of physical fitness at less than 30mph and that Lyndhurst road does not appear to run downhill at any significant incline I think it unlikely that many casual cycle enthusiasts will be troubling your speed cameras.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 5:22 pm
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crazylegs, can I have a copy of your email ? - I might turn up to their speed-camera party if it's in Landford.

perhaps I could take along a video camera of my own


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 5:42 pm
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It makes me giggle!

I'm off down there on Sunday to promote the big bike bash, a whole weekend of cycling in the new forest with no roads in sight!

Its also rather cheap... £50 for an adult, £100 for a family for a whole weekend of fun and camping too!

(Sorry for the shameless plug!)


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 6:01 pm
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Scardy... Will send it over later. Out at the moment, can't access that email from the phone.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 6:07 pm
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They've BOUGHT a speed camera? Just when did nimbyism become an actual hobby? I wish this was near I would have endless fun with an encouraging banner standing in front of the miserable ****ing twunts. Also asking them every time a cyclist went past how fast they were going.

"How fast was that one?"
"21"
"What about that one?"
"24"
"That one?"
"19"
"Woah he was going fast what was he doing, 35, 40 45?"
"25"
"Why are you here again?"

Pretty sure you own personal camera wouldn't count for anything without it having been properly calibrated etc given previous "get me off my speeding ticket" threads.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 6:20 pm
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Pretty sure you own personal camera wouldn't count for anything without it having been properly calibrated etc given previous "get me off my speeding ticket" threads.
oh, absolutely not, but they'll likely present the local "newspaper" with some pics and lists of speeds regardless


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 7:30 pm
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maybe we could run a side event to see who could get the fastest recorded speed 😆


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 7:39 pm
 Drac
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Newcastleton Sportiv is supported by the locals. Then again the roads it uses I seen a handful of cars driving the route to check signs about 30 minutes in front of the riders.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 7:42 pm
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You cant get done for speeding on a bicycle as there is no legal requirement to have a speedo,I think you can get done for riding furiously though !


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 7:50 pm
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NIMBYism certainly seems to get more rampant the further south you go.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 7:51 pm
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I'm in Hove and I don't want any of that NIMBYism round here.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 8:00 pm
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Its similar to Hurtwood in some ways. New money from London moves out to the countryside after a few years of big city bonuses enabling expensive property purchace. Immediatly start throwing weight around about activities the 'their' backyard as if they have worked the land for hundreds of years and inherited it from their great great grandfather.

Shame really as its a nice bit of the country but the Verderererers get alot of say . 'Its a working Forest'. right , lets remove tourism and EU / UK Gov grants and see how well your Forest works then shall we.

I have some knowledge of the set up of the Wiggle Sportives and they are not simply turn up , cable tie 3 dozen signs round some lamposts , relieve Joe Public of £18 and make a few cups of Tea.
Many weeks of work goes into route planning. Working with local council and the Police to ensure safety of everyone involved and the public.
Risk assesments are carried out , due dilligence and all that malarky.

Shame, as has been mentioned , the reluctance of a few local people to let somebody else enjoy themselves within 20 miles of their house puts a downer on the event.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 8:39 pm
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maybe we could run a side event to see who could get the fastest recorded speed

Just confused myself trying to work out if it would be irony if even people who were trying could not exceed the legal speed limit for the nimbys and their [s]electronic cockwangle[/s] speedgun.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 10:01 pm
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A sportive is not a race, at [b]all[/b]

A race is a race

A sportive is just a big organised mass ride, where you happen to be timed


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 10:51 pm
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****in' hell, when did cyclists become such arseholes? It is not our god-given right to use the roads as we wish. Look at this: "Perhaps if you had proper control of an animal that gets spooked and throws it's rider into a hedge because it caught a glimse of a plastic bag it didn't like the look of!". I for one do not want to be associated with such an idiotic ignorant stance. I've done all those damn Stortives, here and abroad, and I'll say it in BOLD, it's a ****ing race, if it aint why have timing chips? Or why not just get on your damn bike and do it on your own? And to be honest, what is the point riding around the New Forest - at least do something with some proper damn hills. Cycling really is the new golf.


 
Posted : 11/04/2013 11:56 pm
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*' hell, when did cyclists become such arseholes? It is not our god-given right to use the roads as we wish. Look at this: "Perhaps if you had proper control of an animal that gets spooked and throws it's rider into a hedge because it caught a glimse of a plastic bag it didn't like the look of!". I for one do not want to be associated with such an idiotic ignorant stance. I've done all those damn Stortives, here and abroad, and I'll say it in BOLD, it's a * race, if it aint why have timing chips? Or why not just get on your damn bike and do it on your own? And to be honest, what is the point riding around the New Forest - at least do something with some proper damn hills. Cycling really is the new golf.

How can you say it is a race when it doesn't even require you to [u]have[/u] a racing license, let alone sign on with it, and gain points.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 12:10 am
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No fear, Norman is actually a very good mp (he is mine...) and will laugh with scorn at these ludicrous propositions!!! Ok not publically but he is not an idiot.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 12:39 am
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and I'll say it in BOLD, it's a **** race, if it aint why have timing chips? Or why not just get on your damn bike and do it on your own?

Hey chap, nice trolling . looser .
Btw , Thats not BOLD. They are capital letters .

[b]knobber[/b]


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 6:50 am
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For everyone saying that the objections are because the event is too big, bear in mind that this sort of response by locals to bike events is not restricted to sportives.

At last year's [url= http://www.bathcycleraces.co.uk/ ]Bath Cycle Races [/url]series, some of the NIMBY locals chose to express their displeasure at having a short loop of park perimeter road closed for a couple of hours by parking their vehicles on the course, in places where they would endanger the competitors.

I've organised relatively small cycle events for families where car drivers have acted aggressively towards participants.

It's another symptom of "cyclists" as a group in society being ranked somewhere between new age travellers and locusts.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 9:10 am
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"SevenPillarsofIgnorance" - either you don't know what you are talking about or you are a very poor troll -= maybe both


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 9:15 am
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SevenPillarsofIgnorance - appropriate name cos you're either thick as shit or trolling. Or both.

This kind of NIMBYism isn't restricted to the New Forest although down there it's exacerbated by the ancient feudal rights and class system of "verderers" and "commoners".

Get the same at the Etape Calendonia but it's noticeable that it tends to be confined to the newer events.

The Fred Whitton doesn't get any of this angst at all yet that's 1500 cyclists on narrow country lanes and the locals actually welcome it. One day of disruption (although realistically not much worse than any other large event or sunny Bank Holiday in a tourist hotspot) and it's offset by the amount of money that the area gets in revenue as people stay over, eat in local restaurants, even something as simple as filling up the car at a local services.

The NIMBYism is always lead by one loudmouth self-appointed local "name" - often just a retired busybody with nothing better to do although such people, by their very nature tend to have worked their way up to a position of "influence" on the local parish council or they are the deputy editor of the village newsletter or something.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 10:01 am
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It is not our god-given right to use the roads as we wish.

It is if you are a cyclist and stay within the law. As subjects of her majesty cyclists have the inalienable right to cycle on the queens highway, motorists are merely licenced and this privalidge can be revoked at any time.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 10:37 am
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It's beyond me what the appeal of doing a 'sportive' is (is it for people scared to ride on their own?).

But we're all citizens of our country and all have equal access to our country's roads. I don't see motorists have any right to whinge about congestion caused by cyclists when almost all congestion is actually caused by cars.

Everyone has the same rights, and responsibilities.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 11:01 am
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mduncombe
MOT's for all road users...

Cant see a horse ever passing an MOT! Imagine if a car manufacturer produced a car where the steering was via a couple of leather straps, was a bit vague with lots of play and a tendancy to have a mind of its own.

I've taxed worse.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 11:04 am
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http://www.anorak.co.uk/350241/news/cycling-carnage-and-a-runners-stampede-in-the-new-forest-what-really-happened.html/

Vizzit's 'PR' woman in identity crisis? 🙂


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 1:55 pm
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It's just absolutely bizaare that someone who's business is promotign visitors to the New Forest chooses to be so anti everything anyone does once they actually get there.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 1:59 pm
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It's beyond me what the appeal of doing a 'sportive' is (is it for people scared to ride on their own?).

But we're all citizens of our country and all have equal access to our country's roads. I don't see motorists have any right to whinge about congestion caused by cyclists when almost all congestion is actually caused by cars.

Everyone has the same rights, and responsibilities.


Presumably you'd be happy if somebody organised a car race with 2000 entrants using public roads?


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:15 pm
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Presumably you'd be happy if somebody organised a car race with 2000 entrants using public roads?

That analogy falls down on several levels but if correct road closures were in place (as happens in Grizedale Forest and some of the Welsh forests/mountain roads) then yes, I would be happy to see a car race for one weekend a year.

Equally, I'm quite happy that the London Marathon has 20,000 participants on public roads. And that public roads around me are chock-a-block Monday to Friday with mindless car-driving commuters...


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:24 pm
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Presumably you'd be happy if somebody organised a car race with 2000 entrants using public roads?

Sounds like rush-hour in any area every weekday.. it's a free country )


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:25 pm
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[i]Presumably you'd be happy if somebody organised a car race with 2000 entrants using public roads? [/i]

there's a London to Brighton every other weekend durign the summer;

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

there's even quite a large cycle ride;

[img] [/img]

There's always a few whining in the local paper but most people see it as both part of the fun of living in a place others like to visit and part of the pleasure of living there.

Oh, and there's a marathon this weekend. 12,000 runners to frighten the horses plus approx 100,000 spectators.

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:30 pm
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Marathons are different as they use closed roads.

Good to see the universal support of all open road races, regardless of format. 🙂


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:35 pm
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[i]Marathons are different as they use closed roads.[/i]

So Mrs Vizzit would be happy if Wiggle got the roads closed for the day?


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:36 pm
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[i]Good to see the universal support of all open road races[/i]

Except, bar the marathon, none of them are actually races.

Just people enjoying their hobby on a Saturday or Sunday.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:38 pm
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No idea. It does amaze me you can organise a race without closing roads. I'm all for it, but it is really bizarre in our nanny state.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:39 pm
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It does amaze me you can organise a race without closing roads.

a) it's not a race, it's a Sportive.
b) every weekend up and down the UK, there are dozens of proper road races, almost all of them run on open roads (admittedly there are marshals, NEG motorcycles, Lead Car, etc creating a "race bubble" but basically, it's an open road.

Even the Tour of Britain runs on a rolling road closure.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:51 pm
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I've concluded that 5thelefant is trolling on this thread.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 2:54 pm
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So Mrs Vizzit would be happy if Wiggle got the roads closed for the day?

Nope.

If you look at the link to anorak, you'll see she has also complained about cross country runners causing ponies to stampede.

She also said she has never seen anything like the stampede before, so I'm assuming she somehow manages to miss the drift, where all the Forest ponies are rounded up.


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 3:07 pm
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I live near a start point for another one of Wiggle's sportives and generally the issue's with the traffic trying to get in or out rather than the cyclists themselves!

Doesn't bother me in the slightest though and I'm not about to pickett the event just because it takes me an extra minute or two to get anywhere. I just wish there were more localish off-road events.

Why did everyone have to go and get so intolerant? There's much more important things going on in the world than a few people getting together and riding their bikes around for a bit.

As for the race / sportive mix up seems someone needs to read up on their definitions and besides with the likes of Strava every ride is potentially a 'race' and therefore you don't even need a timing chip - they'll be getting that banned next!


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 3:09 pm
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[i]Nope.

If you look at the link to anorak, you'll see she has also complained about cross country runners causing ponies to stampede.[/i]

I should have put a 😉 in my post.

😉


 
Posted : 12/04/2013 3:12 pm
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Great work, whoever made this.

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 13/04/2013 12:52 pm
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I did a lol.

Please put those up that's ace.


 
Posted : 13/04/2013 1:00 pm
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It does need a bit of give and take and the most obvious bit of public opinion seems rather anti. Of course I doubt anyone here is interested in all those who live I the New Forest who are not complaining. That would be the thing to be seen doing would it? Nope , we are only interested in those who whinge.
I do see the point to some extent of the objectors. We get the Forest Classic?? sportive round here and the riding is bloody awful. Many of the riders seem to think that they are immune to traffic laws, common sense and courtesy. Its hard to complain about objections when the riders do themselves little good.
Comparisons with other activities are pointless.
I am not convinced that the supposed money that reaches the local economy is of value. None reaches me and I doubt little goes into the pockets of those who really need it.
Like I said it takes give and take and most sportives in my experience give very little. Sad really.


 
Posted : 13/04/2013 1:51 pm
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Mr A - that's excellent !

Just been out with my daughter to watch the ride (in the car, we're not daft).

G.R.I.M.

All riders looked thoroughly miserable (but were polite & moved over as we came up behind and many waved thanks for us waiting before passing)

No sign of NIMBY encampments - presumably too wet for them 🙄


 
Posted : 13/04/2013 2:02 pm
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(must admit, mattsccm, the idea of wiggle putting up a feed station within 100yds of a pub - which is how it looked according to the signs I rode past on Friday - isn't going to endear them to local businesses)


 
Posted : 13/04/2013 2:08 pm
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