Are the Dragon Ride organisers listening?

bendertherobot

itisaboutthebike wrote:

must have been so quick they couldn't register me.

Yeah you and quite a few other people. No time = no fee. I'd complain to Trading Standards............................I mite be doing so shortly.

Did you eat anything?

Krys

I've now emailed the organisers three times and have yet to hear anything. If this was a product I would be returning it as not fit for purpose. Forced to do Medio Fondo not Gran Fondo and no time, etc etc...

I want a refund, and I may well go down the small claims route/trading standard route if I can summon up the energy. And they can deduct the price of two bananas I ate if they insist

Krys
http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/?p=1925

welshside

I had a reply from the timing company, but nothing from Dragon..

I doubt you will get your money back but free entry next year...??? Thats what im asking for.

BigGar35

Well I had a couple of split times last week but no finish time. Now my name has disappeared altogether!

itisaboutthebike

Well I had a couple of split times last week but no finish time. Now my name has disappeared altogether!

+1

benno68

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/search.tlx

type in my number 2071 and check out my number - doesn't look "bent around the bars" to me and still didn't function at any time check.

I can't see how the timing company can now miraculously "recover" times for riders.

I quite like the idea of requesting a free entry for next years event though, as I'm in Cardiff I haven't got far to go.

Dominic Baker

It occurs to me that, If I was one on the Dragon organisers (Breakaway Cycling I beleve) I would by now be in some sort of contractual and payment negotiations with the timing company.

I imagine that there would be a reduction of some if noit all of the fee paid to the timing compay, especially as we see the organisers being careful to establish the the blame for the fiasco being firmly with the timing company.

Would it be safe for us all to assume that the organisers will pass on the reduction in cost to us CUSTOMERS?

I feel petty strongly about this, as I feel that business is (not incorrectly) identifying a good market here, and looking to make some good money from it. I don't mind that, but I do mind if theyt just take the money and run, and assume they are not governed by the same rules as other businesses.
We have now waited a week for our times, and the communication has been very light from the organisers. it is the organisers who should be communicating to sort the mess out, not the timing company.

shm_uk

Ah well, that's life, sh1t happens...

Mendip rouleur

I had this reply today from Mr Lusardi:



I'm sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your recent Dragon Ride.

I take issue with your comments that our organisation is inept.

There was plentiful signage from the motorway to the car parks, an additional car park was indicated on the pre ride information sheet you were sent with your rider numbers and on the website. There was also public and on road parking within the village of Pencoed. It will take time to park thousands of cars that all tend to arrive at a similar time, we are no different to any other major sporting event in this aspect. We use experience car park marshals, I do not accept your comments that any additional marshals would have got cars parked any quicker.

We did have additional toilets in the car park this year, more will be provided next year. Your female partner could have used the toilets at the start area as these did not appear to have lengthy queues.

As regards the start prprocedurewe are restricted by the police and local authorities to start groups of 100 at 2 minute intervals. We will try to get this increased for future events, look at starting earlier and getting Gran Fondo riders to leave first. It is inevitable that riders will have to wait to get started


The split time was advertised as closing at 13.30. All the feed station closing times were based on this. Had we allowed riders onto the long route after 13.30 they may not have received emergency cover or marshals may have left their posts and the feed stations may have closed. Your circumstances were not unique, in past years riders have been advised not to proceed onto the long route once the split time has passed.


Whilst I apologise that you were unable to complete the Gran Fondo route and had to ride the Medio Fondo instead, riders who chose this option paid the same as you did to enter.


Lou Lusardi
Event Director

---

Wiggle Dragon Ride Wales
33 Highbury Crescent
Bridgend
South Wales
CF31 4RD
UK

Pseudonym

there we are then - the riders are to blame....

Krys

There was of course plenty of indication at the car park toilets that there were more toilets by the start line, right? That didn't have exactly the same kind of queues that you were already standing in?

4 toilets + one urinal thingy for 4000 riders....

on-yer-bike

Benno68 wrote:

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/search.tlx

type in my number 2071 and check out my number - doesn't look "bent around the bars" to me and still didn't function at any time check.

I can't see how the timing company can now miraculously "recover" times for riders.

I quite like the idea of requesting a free entry for next years event though, as I'm in Cardiff I haven't got far to go.

They cant recover times. They are waiting for all the riders who have some idea of their times to send them in. All they are doing is adding these to the list. So, if you want to be top of the leader board just say you did it in 5 hours javascript:emoticon('8)'). I posted my time rounded to the nearest minute, and that is what has been put up

on-yer-bike

lycrabrain wrote:

Vega 165 wrote:

When you enter any sportive you should realize that anyone can enter regardless of experience so complaining that inexperienced cyclists are getting in the way is nonsense IMHO.

If cars passed as close as some of the club groups pass slower cyclists we would be shaking fists at them.

Spot on! I'm 58 and one of the slower riders but I have cycled all over Europe for over 30 years. I do these events as a fitness goal usually alone or with my two sons as company. I get pissed off being hemmed in to a potholed gutter by groups of 10 - 20 club types, slavishly draughting each other for a good finish time. I now move out about a metre to give myself room to avoid damaging a wheel when these cheats try to bully me over. On descents I always give myself room like the pros so overtakers can take their chances to gain vital seconds.

Why are they cheats just because they want to do a good time? Im 56 and I probably passed you in one of those groups. I cant recall forcing any rider into the gutter. Its more a case of having to cross the white line to get round you slow riders wandering all over the road having a chat.

benno68

on-yer-bike wrote:

Benno68 wrote:

http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/search.tlx

type in my number 2071 and check out my number - doesn't look "bent around the bars" to me and still didn't function at any time check.

I can't see how the timing company can now miraculously "recover" times for riders.

I quite like the idea of requesting a free entry for next years event though, as I'm in Cardiff I haven't got far to go.

They cant recover times. They are waiting for all the riders who have some idea of their times to send them in. All they are doing is adding these to the list. So, if you want to be top of the leader board just say you did it in 5 hours javascript:emoticon('8)'). I posted my time rounded to the nearest minute, and that is what has been put up

My cycling buddy was using his Garmin and we went around together so I used his time and sent it in. I'm now on the list, look at the top ten results, some dubious times in amongst them!

Brakeless

Mendip rouleur wrote:

I had this reply today from Mr Lusardi:



I'm sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your recent Dragon Ride.

I take issue with your comments that our organisation is inept.

There was plentiful signage from the motorway to the car parks, an additional car park was indicated on the pre ride information sheet you were sent with your rider numbers and on the website. There was also public and on road parking within the village of Pencoed. It will take time to park thousands of cars that all tend to arrive at a similar time, we are no different to any other major sporting event in this aspect. We use experience car park marshals, I do not accept your comments that any additional marshals would have got cars parked any quicker.

We did have additional toilets in the car park this year, more will be provided next year. Your female partner could have used the toilets at the start area as these did not appear to have lengthy queues.

As regards the start prprocedurewe are restricted by the police and local authorities to start groups of 100 at 2 minute intervals. We will try to get this increased for future events, look at starting earlier and getting Gran Fondo riders to leave first. It is inevitable that riders will have to wait to get started


The split time was advertised as closing at 13.30. All the feed station closing times were based on this. Had we allowed riders onto the long route after 13.30 they may not have received emergency cover or marshals may have left their posts and the feed stations may have closed. Your circumstances were not unique, in past years riders have been advised not to proceed onto the long route once the split time has passed.


Whilst I apologise that you were unable to complete the Gran Fondo route and had to ride the Medio Fondo instead, riders who chose this option paid the same as you did to enter.


Lou Lusardi
Event Director

---

Wiggle Dragon Ride Wales
33 Highbury Crescent
Bridgend
South Wales
CF31 4RD
UK

And I was expecting

Dear Dragon Ride Participant.

We are sorry that we took money off you for a timed event and failed to provide it.

We will be offering you a full refund as we did not honour the contract that we legally entered into when we took your money.

Yours
etc etc

Ron Stuart

Should trade discriptions be involved on point number 2 of this?.... http://bicycling.about.com/od/thebikeli ... y_ride.htm

deal

Mr Lusardi wrote:

As regards the start prprocedurewe are restricted by the police and local authorities to start groups of 100 at 2 minute intervals. We will try to get this increased for future events, look at starting earlier and getting Gran Fondo riders to leave first.

There were groups much smaller than 100 riders starting, as has been pointed out previously if they had actually sent people in groups of 100 everyone should have been on the road by 9:15. This failure was further compounded by rampant queue jumping which was not properly addressed.

Mr Lusardi wrote:

Whilst I apologise that you were unable to complete the Gran Fondo route and had to ride the Medio Fondo instead, riders who chose this option paid the same as you did to enter.

This doesnt change the fact that people did not get what they had paid for due to the aforementioned problems. If I were to order a book online but be sent a different book I certainly wouldnt be happy, even if I was informed that people who did order the 2nd book paid the same as you did.

crown_jewel

I am American, and therefore uninformed, but I do not quite understand the level of anguish here. I get the point that the timing chips failed but don't most riders use Garmins or other computers that would give you a time for the event? Is it just that the personal times cannot easily be posted?

nferrar

Yeah they definitely weren't starting 100 riders at 2 minute intervals, I arrived at the start area at bang on 8am and actually cross the start line at 9:33am, whilst there was already a big queue at 8am I doubt there were more than half the field in front of me given how long the queue was stretching behind me by the time I started.

dru

well, the thread is titled 'are the dragon organisers listening'.....

''aparently not at the moment - because they are on holiday until 4th July(!)

....well, I suppose this at least expalins why I'm still awating for my name, result and gold standard certificate to be available after submitting garmin information etc,

Krys

Judging by the responses (and lack of them) received from the organisers so far, I think the sad thing is that apparently we were all to blame. We should have turned up earlier, parked outside the venue, not needed the loo, and timed ourselves. Which presumably means that this year's lessons will not be learnt, and that next year's event will be just the same. I really hope that enough people have heard about it so that it doesn't sell out next year, but even if a few hundred of us have been vocal enough in our disappointment and don't sign up, that barely makes a dent in their attendance/profits, and there were apparently plenty in the wings waiting to take our places.

BigGar35

Well my times have reappeared but there still no finishing time. Crazy. The Garmin is telling me how long I took but it would still be nice to have it made official. Have given up now. Actually enjoyed the ride but the mess at the start and the timing issue will make me think twice before doing it next year.

vs

Two words for Lou:

DARTMOOR CLASSIC

Gooner69

Went down today and handed out some leaflets/did a little promo work for the rat event in Sept.

Firstly this (DC) had to be the best smoothest organised event village i have seen.

Secondly it was well marshalled, and easy to follow the route (we drove sections)

Thirdly the North Devon Rat route is still prettier

Congrats to the MDCC on a superbly sorted event.

Krys

I totally agree with you. Everything that The Dragon did wrong, the Dartmoor did right - it was brilliantly organised.

There were toilets in every car park, and loads at the start village - there were more for just the ladies that in total at the Dragon! There was plenty of well marshalled parking. There were marshals at every proper junction on the route. The food stop was lovely, well stocked, and had toilets. There was even an extra water stop because of the weather! There was no massive queue at the start - we arrived at 6:30am and were away by 7:10am. The goody bag is great - medal, trophy, bottle, and nice t-shirt!

Oh, and the timing worked...

Proof that you can't blame the number of riders for your shortcomings...

nferrar

How many riders on the Dartmoor Classic though? Sure a lot of Dragon's issues are fixable given a bit more thought and investment from the organisers but for an event with nearly 4000 people I'm pretty sure there will always be queues (whether it's for parking, toilets or the start).

Krys

Around 2500 I believe... quite a few, no? The Dartmoor Classic is not a small event.

I think the Dragon ended up with 3600...

Anonymous

Vote with your feet and wallets folks.

applebrown

Did last weekends dartmoor classic,what a brilliantly organised sportive..........Take a look Mr Lusardi.