Forest of Dean Classic

dead sheep

This event is now recruiting but be warned, the 2009 event was less than spectacular.

My only positive comment about the Forest of Dean Classic is the route. Here are the negatives:

- No showers, as promised;
- Poorly stocked feedstations that ran out of food;
- No en-route first aid;
- No outriders;
- Long wait for sag wagons;
- Cycle village promised but not delivered;
- 5 portaloos for 850 cyclists;
- No electronic timing;
- All you get 'free' at the HQ was a tea and a flap jack (miserly compared with an audax!);
- Horrendous queues to get your time slip stamped;
- Horrendous queues to collect a certificate;
- Long queues to collect water at the feedstops;
- Isotonic drinks that we so watered down as to be useless;
- Dangerous junctions without safety signage;
- Incorrectly placed 'km to go' signs. (e.g. '20km To Go' within 5 miles of the finish)

bobhitch

It boils down to what you expect,

If the route is great how are important are the other points?

you could always ; take your own food
have a wee on the side of the road
use your bike computer to time yourself
do you really need a certificate
treat a junction the same way as every other ride
use your computer to measure rhe distance and ignore the signs

most sportives are run on a non profit making basis and if £25 is that much then stick to your own planned routes with your mates. I do probably 4 or 5 sportives a year and enjoy all of them ,good points and bad, and take them for what they are , mass participation rides with an enjoyable social element , the fact that it costs a few quid shouldn't raise expectations

acidstrato

going by the above logic, why bother paying to enter any sportive?

you pays your money, you expect to get what you pay for. if not, why enter? just ride the route off your own back. thats my opinion and I dont think its wrong to expect organisers to deliver what they say they will. otherwise its just lies.

Philip Whiteman

I am afraid that I disagree with Bob's point on sportives working on a non-profit basis - this is true where it is for charity but I am all too aware that many are not. A sportive organise professed to me that he made £6000 quid from the exercise, however he did state that was to compensate for the amount of time inputted to arranging the event. There are a number of other events that are breaking the mold in terms of charging, I cite the Mad March Hare which costt £10 and provided all that the sportiver could desire. Equally, Audaxes are another example. Whilst they provide less (no signage, etc) they prove an excellent day out for a fiver or thereabouts.

As for the Forest of Dean Classic, I entered it last year but will not be doing the same in 2010, say no more. And I remember the toilets and feedstop problems rather all too clearly :roll:

Hugh A

I've done the FoD a few times and think it's a good ride. ok I tend to agree with the criticisms mostly but that didn't seem to matter much on the day. We still enjoyed it if that can be the correct term for a ride with so many quite steep climbs in it so early in the season. Watch out for that right turn just before before the main road though or you'll find yourself with an extra descent and climb like I did once!

dead sheep

Hugh A wrote:

I've done the FoD a few times and think it's a good ride. ok I tend to agree with the criticisms mostly but that didn't seem to matter much on the day. We still enjoyed it if that can be the correct term for a ride with so many quite steep climbs in it so early in the season. Watch out for that right turn just before before the main road though or you'll find yourself with an extra descent and climb like I did once!

To be fair, you are perfectly right in terms of this event providing a good ride. When moaning about this event to a friend the other day, we decided that yes it is a good ride but the rest is not really worth it. So we have decided to turn up on the day and merely follow the route along with the rest of the riders. Clearly we will not benefit from the feed stops (if stocked sufficiently) but we can provide our own logistical support.

Westerberg

I did it in 2009 and for a small sportive I though it was perfectly well managed. My experience hardly bears any resemblance to the OP's description. It was a stunning route - that's what I wanted most. For £25, I don't expect Etape style hospitality.