At last a real mass number sportive event!

Stedman
Stedman Posts: 377
edited February 2012 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
For all those doubters who have stated that mass “CLOSED ROAD Sportives will not happen in England or Wales”, backed by Boris Johnson it look as though it really will happen. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16730893

Comments

  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    As well as cycling, I do a lot of running. I always fancied the London Marathon for the scenery more than anything, but don't want to run that distance. Cycling in the same location on the other hand would be so fantastic I'd do ANY distance!

    This might *just* convert me to an Olympics fan, but I'll still be in my bunker hiding from the 2 week avalanche of hype that will swamp us all come the summer...
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Looks amazing... I bet they will charge 80 pounds to enter....I might hack it, hiding in the peloton. . :D
    left the forum March 2023
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    and personally I would like a respectful entry fee, all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    On the second day organisers expect up to 35,000 amateur, club and world class elite cyclists to race a 100-mile (161km) challenge course.

    should no better
    another illegal event
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • AlistairTR
    AlistairTR Posts: 127
    Sounds interesting.....I'd like to see a lot more detail, but anything that continues to raise the profile particularly in 2013 sounds good.
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  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    I would cycle 100 miles to get away from London. Here's hoping the route is in a straight line and then I might be tempted.
  • Sportive Challenge
    Sportive Challenge Posts: 65
    sub55 wrote:
    On the second day organisers expect up to 35,000 amateur, club and world class elite cyclists to race a 100-mile (161km) challenge course.

    should no better
    another illegal event

    I think it is safe to say what has come out so far is written in very loose terms by journalists who are not familiar with cycling.

    I will be very interested to see how this will work in practice. I read there would be 70,000 people on an 8 mile circuit on the Sky Ride model. One thing is for sure, if they do that you will definitely be able to find a wheel!
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    The bunch sprint should be interesting!
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    sub55 wrote:
    On the second day organisers expect up to 35,000 amateur, club and world class elite cyclists to race a 100-mile (161km) challenge course.

    should no better
    another illegal event

    As this is advertised as a race I suspect that the organisers will ensure that this event will comply with the requirement of the Cycle Racing on the Highways Regulations 1960 and will be legal.
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    JGSI wrote:
    ...all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.


    Why?
  • dandrew
    dandrew Posts: 175
    It'll take forever to get everyone started safely! 35,000 is a lot of bikes! Hope there aren't any multiple pile up collarbone snapping crashes.
    I'd love to ride it but not sure how safe it'll be.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    rodgers73 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    ...all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.


    Why?
    I knew someone would pick up on what I suggested... :)

    Perhaps it would be 'good' for the amateur sport to have participnats who at least have an active interest (paid some subs) into the national organisations and local grassroots associations... thus holding the future up for cycling in the years to come...especially the grassroot side of it...

    is anyone disagreeing?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    JGSI wrote:
    rodgers73 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    ...all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.


    Why?
    I knew someone would pick up on what I suggested... :)

    Perhaps it would be 'good' for the amateur sport to have participnats who at least have an active interest (paid some subs) into the national organisations and local grassroots associations... thus holding the future up for cycling in the years to come...especially the grassroot side of it...

    is anyone disagreeing?

    Don't be silly, you know perfectly well that for this thing to ever happen (and I doubt) a lot of money will be passed from many hands to one hand... it's either going to be free for all and paid by Barclays or else, or charged at an extorsion fee for those who can afford it. It's never going to be a £ 20 sportive for club members and BC associates...
    Finally, remember these are pre-election promises... realistically it will be an 8 miles circuit between Stratford and somewhere dull
    left the forum March 2023
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    rodgers73 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    ...all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.


    Why?
    I knew someone would pick up on what I suggested... :)

    Perhaps it would be 'good' for the amateur sport to have participnats who at least have an active interest (paid some subs) into the national organisations and local grassroots associations... thus holding the future up for cycling in the years to come...especially the grassroot side of it...

    is anyone disagreeing?

    Don't be silly, you know perfectly well that for this thing to ever happen (and I doubt) a lot of money will be passed from many hands to one hand... it's either going to be free for all and paid by Barclays or else, or charged at an extorsion fee for those who can afford it. It's never going to be a £ 20 sportive for club members and BC associates...
    Finally, remember these are pre-election promises... realistically it will be an 8 miles circuit between Stratford and somewhere dull

    You'll have to forgive my rather naive utopian viewpoint this morning.
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    JGSI wrote:
    rodgers73 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    ...all entrants to hold either BC or CTC membership and BE a member of an affiliated cycling club.


    Why?
    I knew someone would pick up on what I suggested... :)

    Perhaps it would be 'good' for the amateur sport to have participnats who at least have an active interest (paid some subs) into the national organisations and local grassroots associations... thus holding the future up for cycling in the years to come...especially the grassroot side of it...

    is anyone disagreeing?


    As its an Olympic legacy event I'd have thought priority should be given to London Council Tax payers :wink:
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    On a more serious note, I have an active interest in cycling but I'm not a member of any clubs or associations. Deliberately so. All the things I've heard about local clubs suggest that there's an elitism that would put me off rather than encourage me. So, I'm not sure the same ethos should be encouraged for what is designed to be a mass participation event (based on the numbers quoted so far anyway).
  • rhnb
    rhnb Posts: 324
    Bear with me on this - maths never was my strong point (and I'm pre-decimal), but reading the article, 70,000 bikes on an 8 mile loop seemed a tad excessive to me, so...

    1 bike = 1.75yds long (roughly)
    So for 70,000bikes, they'd stretch 122,500 yds nose to tail.
    The 8 mile loop is 14,080 yards, so to get them all on that loop nose to tail, they'd have to be riding 8-9 abreast.
    Maybe they're just hoping there'll be a few no-shows ;-)
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  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    rhnb wrote:
    Bear with me on this - maths never was my strong point (and I'm pre-decimal), but reading the article, 70,000 bikes on an 8 mile loop seemed a tad excessive to me, so...

    1 bike = 1.75yds long (roughly)
    So for 70,000bikes, they'd stretch 122,500 yds nose to tail.
    The 8 mile loop is 14,080 yards, so to get them all on that loop nose to tail, they'd have to be riding 8-9 abreast.
    Maybe they're just hoping there'll be a few no-shows ;-)

    sounds no worse than the London to Brighton :)
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  • Sportive Challenge
    Sportive Challenge Posts: 65
    rodgers73 wrote:
    On a more serious note, I have an active interest in cycling but I'm not a member of any clubs or associations. Deliberately so. All the things I've heard about local clubs suggest that there's an elitism that would put me off rather than encourage me. So, I'm not sure the same ethos should be encouraged for what is designed to be a mass participation event (based on the numbers quoted so far anyway).

    Several important points here I think. One of the reasons cycling has taken off with sportives is the informal nature of them in that you don't need to be part of a club or organization. It is a shame you have been put off joining a club but I completely understand why. When I first joined a club (not naming it) I was made to feel about 2 inches tall because I didn't use a full length pump, have any mudguards and couldn't do a 21 minute 10 (I can now though 8) )

    All clubs a different and some are really friendly. Whilst I would never push anyone to join a club I think by not doing so you are missing out on meeting a lot of great people and having some great days out. The club I'm in at the moment couldn't be better. There are several weekly rides and socials that are well attended.

    I think making people join BC or CTC or a club would be a bad idea. The best way forward for the grassroots would be that if the numbers were very high then hopefully a good number of the participants would go on to join the cycling scene in some way. If you forced it on people you could end up with less people involved overall.
  • sunburntknees
    sunburntknees Posts: 272
    As its an Olympic legacy event I'd have thought priority should be given to London Council Tax payers :wink:[/quote]

    Yeah...just like the tickets...oh, wait a minute...

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