Two chaps I know entered the Fred Whitton and having been training for the ride on their Fatbikes. They are raising money for a Local Hospice but have just received an email telling them that they will not be allowed to take part on their Novelty Bikes as its dangerous for other riders and disrespectful to the late Fred Whitton!!!!
Me personally i,m a bit angry with the organisers with their attitude towards so called inappropriate bikes even though so called normal mtgs are allowed
There was a fella doing it last year on a modified chopper.
Surely they can just turn up and ride anyway? Collect chip/number as usual. Stick them on. Ride.
How will they be able to stop them from riding their [s]attentionwhore[/s] fatbikes bikes on a public road?
There was a fella doing it last year on a modified chopper.
Think that's the way to go... Ditch the Fatbikes for something even more unsuitable...
Butchers bike / delivery bike full of ice and beer up front... One of Benders dh specials.... hipster single speed with 30cm bars..
Im doing Ride London on my Fatty for Unicef [s]and because Im an attentionwhore[/s]. Should be a right larf.
It's probably because they have disc brakes & the organisers are worried the sight of the rotors will scare all the road bike riders away
Interesting ...I did the Fred on a rocky mountain element 29 disc brakes and a change of tyres to Sammy slicks , same year two blokes on freeride bikes 2.5 tyres but plenty of 29ers to be honest all probably safer than some of the roadies downhill......
Seems a bit hard if some dim wit wants to make life hard for themselves. Possibly they see the ponderous nature clashing with the majority of riders? Like lots of things, mild variations cause no issues but a point is reached when variations just stray too far from the original and a line has to be drawn. Maybe that's the case here?
I do assume that the riders concerned have actually asked for the reasons. Rather pointless shouting about it without that is it not?
More to the point though, its their ball so they can make the rules and its sod all business of anyone else. Go and play with another ball maybe?
I'm surprised fatbikes would be banned when the faq says mtb and tandems are ok. It advises slicks though.
The race is for a charity and they are doing it for charity, excellent point on tandems some ponderous moments there, for me it is a shame they did not allow them to take part.
If they can do it within the time limits then crack on.
If they can stand up for over 100 miles then I'll lend them this 🙂
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If anything, I reckon a fat bike would be safer on some of the descents of the Fred Whitton.
Don't see how having massive tyres makes it unsafe for anyone, to be honest.
Fatbike fraternity are livid on FB 🙂
probably thinking "jesus they'll still be on the road at sundown and we've got better things to do than wait for them" I don't blame them
Penny Farthing for the win.
Fatbike fraternity are livid on FB
Isn't this exactly the kind of attention they crave? 🙂
How do you know if someone at a race is on a fatbike?
Oh don't worry, he'll tell you
😉
What are the organisers thinking? Just doesn't make any sense tbh.
Stick a set of fat not fat wheels on and you will sneak in unnoticed. 😆
They'd have to going some to make the time cut offs, I reckon.
On one hand, I think Fair play if they can do it. On the other, I kind of sympathise with the organisers if they want to keep it a serious, committed event and deter novelty entrants who take places that a more serious athlete could use (and be more likely to finish the course)
They have been training in the local hills for months so know what the expect and riding carbon fat with racin tyres so will not be hanging about!
http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/fatbike-fred-whitton
This is sad, particularly for the hospice, and reinforces the 'miserable roadie' stereotype.
It's a sportive, not a race, and there are hordes of bimbly people on random bikes riding it every year. I rode it on moustache bars, and have'nt been troubled by an Angry Ghost Fred as a result..
Ah, give a man a clipboard and a blazer and he'll invent rules for everything....
Pratts.
As mentioned...
Race? It's a Sportive on non closed roads amongst other traffic.... Technically, it's not a race...
Nice point about mtb and tandems being ok.
In a tit for tat move ,road bikes have been banned from the Iditarod.
In a tit for tat move ,road bikes have been banned from the Iditarod.
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Idiots (organisers that is), so long as they're capable who gives a rats ass what they're riding.
If it were me, I'd turn up on the day, ride the route and do my own timing. Bollocks to them. Then everyone is happy.
In as much as old blazer wearing farts get to whinge, fat bike riders get the attention, charity get the money. Everyone gets exactly what they want.
I can't see what's wrong with using Fat Bikes, it's a bicycle isn't it, and no more unsuitable than a Chopper I wouldn't have thought?
They are obviously serious about it from the training they've been doing and are raising money for a worthy cause.
Sounds a bit like the UCI who do anything to stifle inovation and progress?
Are the organisers going to refund their entries? If so, it's a win/win for the charity. It's not like the timing is particularly relevant on a fat bike, so just turn up and ride carrying your own cake.
It's interesting how a mountain bike is not disrespectful to Fred, but make the tyres a bit bigger and it suddently becomes an offence.
roadies won't allow it because there would be no excuse why they got beat on a fat bike.
main cause of roadie suicide.
Rich - 'fatbikes vs roadies' has good click-through potential. Getting barred could get them more noticed and raise more donations via social media than doing the ride .. just don't spin it as a negative of the event, just 'one of those things, fair enough .. but any donations appreciated for 2 riders daft enough to try it' then go and ride the route another day to clinch it.
It's the organisers choice what they allow to enter surely ?
It would be like people turning up to a park run on a bike !
It would be like people turning up to a park run on a space hopper !
It would be like people turning up to a park run on a space hopper !
More like turning up to a park run on a pogo stick? They'd be left for dead by any proper self respecting roadie, but I expect the organisers want to avoid the embarrassment of half the field being beaten by the fatties.
FunkyDunc - MemberIt's the organisers choice what they allow to enter surely ?
Nope, STW by-law 175.32.5.8 clearly states that the rules of any event are secondary to the wishes of any STW member with a penchant for niche goods.
Left for dead by everybody, probably which kind of fits in with the charity.
They could use it as a tag line "Left for (the nearly) dead"*
*wife is director of clinical services at a huge hospice, oncology nurse specialist, PhD palliative care and loads more ~ she came up with that little cherub.
FunkyDunc - Member
...It would be like people turning up to a park run on a bike !
No, it's like them turning up wearing welly boots. Still a run.
Do it naked.....that'll get their goat.
In fact, do it on a goat
In fact do a goat.
Yep, right across the fat rubber
From their website
Can I ride a mountain bike ?
Yes, slick tyres advised
Are Tandems allowed ?
Yes
Own goal, organisers.... you really get my goat ...
Own goal in what way? Are they struggling for entries this year? Probably getting more coverage from folk whinging than they would've if they'd said yes.
I'm going for cut offs and while its pretty informal they don't really want to turn it into a 'novelty' event. And I know the guy whose organising this year and he's a bit of a 'triple and trouser clips' sort of a bloke. If you get my meaning.
Edit: he's a sound guy (and clearly committed to the cause) but there's not a lot of craic in him
