Northern Rock Cyclone entry?

AndyD2574

Just gone on line (late I know) to enter the 100 miler and entry is shut.
What do you suggest to get an entry or is it a no hoper?

geordiefella

you have PM

gsk82

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

AndyD2574

Got sorted.
Cheers

AndyD2574

gsk82 wrote:

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

eh? what do you mean?

gsk82

AndyD2574 wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

eh? what do you mean?

just a minor incident last year that peeved a few people off at the time. i'd imagine peter won't be doing something similar this year and allow people to go away with a good impression of the event.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12628093&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

geordiefella

peter is fully aware thank you very much. Lets knock this on the head shall we....

mark1984

I'm gutted that there are no spaces left for 104mile ride also. Does anybody know whether they deal out cancellations?

simply left entry too late. grrrr

The Mechanic

I have an entry to the 104 mile event but am not riding. I haven't told the organiser yet though.

Peter Harrison

gsk82 wrote:

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

note your comment and sometimes wonder why I bother when I could be out riding my bike!

wiffachip

Peter Harrison wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

note your comment and sometimes wonder why I bother when I could be out riding my bike!

Peter

Cos the majority of participants fully appreciate the effort you go to and really enjoy the event. There's alway one. Keep up the good work.

Forecast for the weekend's promising, everything crossed

AndyD2574

wiffachip wrote:

Peter Harrison wrote:

gsk82 wrote:

i'd suggest shutting gates that you don't even realise you've past and making sure other do likewise, otherwise you'll get a snotty email from the organiser

note your comment and sometimes wonder why I bother when I could be out riding my bike!

Peter

Cos the majority of participants fully appreciate the effort you go to and really enjoy the event. There's alway one. Keep up the good work.

Forecast for the weekend's promising, everything crossed

Peter...........you have been a star so far in organising my entry!
I am looking forward to what will be a spot on event!!
Cheers

leeroy72

Looks like the weather is going to be nice too on Saturday gents...enjoy!! 8)

Next year I'll be on the ball signing up to this one!!

nolf

You could just ride the route...?

Don't use the feeds, as you haven't paid for them!!!!! But you can fill up in any of the many towns the race passes through.

AndyD2574

BRILLIANT day and great event!! Cheers Peter for organising a top sportive!!

Got a bronze time of 6.35 so happy with that seeing as I dropped my chain 3 times (and totally got it jammed in my frame so got HUGE scratch on frame).

Weather held out but was proper windy!!

Burnt legs today but happy!!

andy_from_embsay

I thought the event was ok, but the feed stations on the 104m route were a bit lacking in stuff - a few energy bars and bananas - would much prefer the option of a sandwich or something as supplied at other rides. My wife did the 63m route and felt the gap between stop 1 and 2 was too big, given the speed of many of the riders - they were almost 3hrs between these points.

And (not the event's fault) a bloody parking ticket for parking on a grass verge that was apparently "an estate road", despite the fact there are no houses on it! Left a very sour taste - won't be back.

Buckled_Rims

I had a great day as well I only did the 63 mile route. Shame we didn't have a gold, silver and bronze to aim for

This is the first time I had done the Cyclone despite living only 10 miles away. Parking was horrific and I just went to the "park and ride" and there was hundreds of spaces left. I thought it was a good hard route. The Ryals were much easier then I had been led to believe.

Hopefully I'll be back to full fitness and do the 100 route next year.

Thanks.

speshsteve

my 1st sportive, I did the 104m route and thought it was a fantastic intro to sportives. Really well organised and from my perspective it all seemed to run like clockwork. I'm simply staggered that people don't turn up more prepared nutrition wise. I've done MTB and running events as well as some adventure racing and the emphasis is on you in this area. Makes me laugh when people suggest a larger "choice" at fed stations....baffling in my view if you have a preference sort yourself out!

I turned up with plenty of time and parked right next to the start, i figured with 3000 riders it might get a bit busy........

andy_from_embsay

Clever old you, Steve, glad to have provided some amusement - I too did bring some of my own stuff, so no need to be "simply staggered", but if this is your first event you won't be aware that at other rides they offer a lot more choice such as sandwiches, a wider range of energy products etc.

Maybe if you do some other events you'll have a bit more to compare it with, rather than simply commenting from your position on that rather high horse you seem to be sat on.

speshsteve

Just felt compared to other disciplines I've done this was really well run your right though this was my first sportive so fair comment

Steve

amaferanga

None of the 4 sportives I've done have had sandwiches at the feed stops. Which sportives supply sandwiches?

cumbriamike

And (not the event's fault) a bloody parking ticket for parking on a grass verge that was apparently "an estate road", despite the fact there are no houses on it! Left a very sour taste - won't be back.

Sorry to hear that Andy.

I was very lucky not to suffer the same fate. My wife who hadn't done the ride parked on the verge for a few minutes after meeting me at the finish. She went back to get something and by sheer luck saw the traffic wardens and moved our car.

I would have been so angry, lets face it after cycling over a hundred miles, getting a ticket for daring to park on a verge is ridiculous.

I have to say that I never want to see an apricot Geobar again and that the parking arrangements were an absolute shambles. We left home at 5.45am and to not be able to park nearby is not good enough.

Anyway with so many sportives to choose from and the likes of the superbly organised and user friendly Fred Whitton with its home baking etc I won't be back either.

As for

None of the 4 sportives I've done have had sandwiches at the feed stops. Which sportives supply sandwiches?

Do you want a list?

andy_from_embsay

amaferanga wrote:

None of the 4 sportives I've done have had sandwiches at the feed stops. Which sportives supply sandwiches?

Cumberland Challenge (with baked spud, beans and pie at the finish), Richmond 5 Dales, Etape du Dales, Columbia Chemo Classic (they provided soup as well as it was a bit chilly in November) just in the last few months. Whilst not a sportive (but perhaps closer in feel to the Cyclone) the Great Yorks Bike Ride does a full lunch stop and home made cakes from the WI at one of the stops!

It's not a massive issue, but one of the reasons the Richmond ride is so highly rated is the catering and variety of stuff - yesterday there was one type of energy bar or bananas - as I said I now turn up expecting there to be not much choice so carry some of my own stuff, but I guess I've been spoiled in recent months.

amaferanga

Fair enough (but I don't remember seeing sandwiches at this years Richmond sportive nor do I remember sandwiches at the 2007 Cumberland Challenge). I guess people want different things from food stops - for me I use them as a back-up if I don't carry enough of my own food to see me through. I'd actually be happy to pay a bit less to enter and only have water (and maybe flapjack) at the feed stations. I did the Cairngorm Mountain sportive yesterday and didn't stop at any of the 3 feed stations.

Yorkman

Richmond do sausage rolls and cheese filled pastries.

And if you abandon your car where you were told not to, what do you expect?

Website was clear, well in advance, that parking nearby was very limited and so to use the nearby park & ride.

andy_from_embsay

Yorkman wrote:

Richmond do sausage rolls and cheese filled pastries.

And if you abandon your car where you were told not to, what do you expect?

Website was clear, well in advance, that parking nearby was very limited and so to use the nearby park & ride.

As I wrote, the daft parking regs aren't the event's fault - just frustrating to have signs that say "no parking on estate roads" (with no indication as to which roads are included) then getting a ticket for parking on a grass verge that is (a) plainly not part of a road nor (b) apparently on said estate - my understanding of a housing estate is it generally has houses on it - where we (and lots of other people) parked had a field on one side and a 15' hedge with some houses behind it (we assumed they were the aforementioned estate).

Having travelled from some way away we didn't know the area so when we saw lots of people parked on the verge, well off the road, we assumed it was ok. Silly old us - fine now paid and email sent to Newcastle CC (who apparently have form for this sort of nefarious revenue raising) - but that sort of thing puts people off an event, as it has me.

I-S

An excellent well run event. Regarding parking, the last minute instructions I received stated the following:

Cyclone Parking - Saturday.
There is a limited amount of parking at Newcastle Falcons. Wherever possible you are advised to either get dropped off or ride to the start.
Once the Car Park at Newcastle Falcons is full you will be directed to an overflow car park at the Great North Park. This is the Park and Ride for Newcastle. Cars can be left in the Car Park at no charge. It is then a 1.5ml ride to the Start. The route will be signed and there will be marshals to direct you. This Car Park will remain open until 9.3pm.


Ride 1.5 miles for free parking and avoid a ticket as instructed?

litterali

Andy, your experience of parking is pretty typical for the City council, unfortunately.

As for WI cakes and sandwiches you should've been in Stamfordham village hall today - fantastic - the ladies do a fabulous job (not sure whether they're WI or not) and it all adds to the friendly spirit of the event. I don't think you can buy that kind of support; in my experience it takes time to build such goodwill and so it's best not taken for granted.

As for a feed station Elsdon cafe's half way round and pretty good for choice, but like many things I suppose it all depends upon what you want/expect.

fluff.

Comparing it to the only other one I've done of these this year in the Kilotogo Cheshire Cat.

Registering: preregistered for both, took seconds in each case. Had to wander round Newcastle with a funny looking wrist tag for a night though.

Marshalling/ Signage. Can't fault either event, seemed a few more marshalls at juntions on the cyclone but not by alot. The split in routes was slightly unclear on the cyclone, just 2 different coloured arrows, there were plenty of people around to check with though.

Timing. Well it worked, prefer the standard way of things with a chip on the bike rather than you though. And the first timing check on the cyclone was oddly positioned halfway down a hill, looked all the world like a big pile up as you approached it. Oh you got a little slip with your time on the cyclone, instead of having to look it up a few days later online.

Feeds: Very similar stuff. Cheshire cat had apple pies, vienesse whirls and bananas. Cyclone, geobars and bananas, and both had energy drinks and water. Can't remember the last one I've done with a big selection of food (maybe the Leek one a couple of years ago), seems the way on these bigger events is just to buy huge amounts of boxes of 1 or 2 items.

Goodie bags: A buff and some adverts on cheshirecat. A t-shirt , a bottle, adverts, a mars bar(!) and a bag to stick it all in on the cyclone.

Post event food: Same for each, in a selection of chips and burgers and the like you had to pay extra for.

Parking: Can't comment as I rode to the start of each.

Price: The Cyclone was 8 quid cheaper at 20, made the kilotogo event look overpriced.

Anyway I had a good day yesterday, and the whole weekend In Newcastle was good fun. Shall be doing again next year I hope.

andy_from_embsay

I-S wrote:

An excellent well run event. Regarding parking, the last minute instructions I received stated the following:

Cyclone Parking - Saturday.
There is a limited amount of parking at Newcastle Falcons. Wherever possible you are advised to either get dropped off or ride to the start.
Once the Car Park at Newcastle Falcons is full you will be directed to an overflow car park at the Great North Park. This is the Park and Ride for Newcastle. Cars can be left in the Car Park at no charge. It is then a 1.5ml ride to the Start. The route will be signed and there will be marshals to direct you. This Car Park will remain open until 9.3pm.


Ride 1.5 miles for free parking and avoid a ticket as instructed?

Exactly the same instructions we got, which I read and understood. And I'll say it again - us getting a parking ticket is nothing to do with the organisers. My beef is with the council for putting up misleading signs that don't make it clear which roads they refer to. As we're not from the area we just thought we got lucky and found a spot.

AndyD2574

In my opinion, and its only my opinion - far too much whining about sandwiches!!!!

Great event / great course / great parking as I got there at 7am / good food at the stops / Great crack / well organised / well signposted / will definately be back next year.

I say again cheers to Peter for a good day!