Etape Cymru ?

Rodrego Hernandez

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

Brakeless

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

I don't think you can comment if you weren't there, people had paid good money on the expectation of being able to ride closed roads, At various places the marshalls who were meant to be stopping traffic were actually waving cars onto the route. I have ridden about 40 sportives all over the UK. This had the worst organisation of any sportive by far and I've yet to read one complaint from anyone that hasn't been justified.
The organisers should by now have been in touch to offer some form of compensation to the entrants but they have done nothing.

Rodrego Hernandez

Brakeless wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

I don't think you can comment if you weren't there, people had paid good money on the expectation of being able to ride closed roads, At various places the marshalls who were meant to be stopping traffic were actually waving cars onto the route. I have ridden about 40 sportives all over the UK. This had the worst organisation of any sportive by far and I've yet to read one complaint from anyone that hasn't been justified.
The organisers should by now have been in touch to offer some form of compensation to the entrants but they have done nothing.

I'd rather survive one of these rides by being careful and taking responsibility for my own actions than be the ride who blindly rides into a parked car 'because it shouldn't have been there.'

hatone

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

'Heard of' - did this or didn't this happen?

Sounds like you were unprepared with no route map and were riding recklessly if you nearly hit a car.

Feedback like this just makes you sound bitter with the day and is all avoidable by being properly prepared. The organisers obviously have a lots to learn but then so do the people riding these events.

Yes it did happen and I sincerely hope the rider involved wasn't too badly injured.

I object to you saying I rode recklessly. May I suggest you pursue the facts before you spout such accusation.

The fact is this, the car I encountered was in the wrong lane, which split the traffic via cones in the middle of the road. This of course happened on a blind bend and since the car was travelling at slow speed I was able to take avoiding action.

Lastly, route maps are not necessary if the signage is thoroughly clear and frequent, as in most sportives. The signage in this event was pi$$ poor, something I'd have expected they figured out as being an important feature in all cycle events, whether closed roads or not.

Hibbs

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

You'll never win a sportive with that attitude.

dead sheep

Hibbs wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

You'll never win a sportive with that attitude.

Mind you he would have a problem; in the first place he would need to enter a race and not a sportive to win anything.

Rodrego Hernandez

Hibbs wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Never expect closed roads. Ever. Not overseas and certainly not here.

There is always the chance you will encounter traffic even on closed roads and sods law dictates it will be at the most dangerous location. I'd rather take it easy and avoid that car / tractor / ambulance than expect closed roads and be moaning about hitting an obstacle!

You'll never win a sportive with that attitude.

I can't believe I made such an elementary mistake. Time to brush of the Cervelo R5ca, cancel the rest of todays patients and go sprint through some red lights.

deadhead1971

colinsmith123 wrote:

If you were to join your local bike club you'd be able to ride a sportive for free every weekend. Give it a try, find out where your local club, and go for a ride. if you can get around those climbs you won't have too many problems riding with a club.

Sound advice, thanks Colin.
I'm aware of two local clubs, Rhyl CC, and VC Melyd.
I've been a bit hesitant to get involved, feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep up etc. I'm going to train over winter on my heavy old MTB and go for it next spring.
Cheers.

stanthomas

hatone wrote:

...The marshalling was sparse and many of them were unable to speak English ...

Perhaps you should have tried Welsh

simon_e

deadhead1971 wrote:

've been a bit hesitant to get involved, feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep up etc. I'm going to train over winter on my heavy old MTB and go for it next spring.

They won't bite!

If you don't ask you won't find out. Why miss out on half a year's group riding?