3 Pistes! Same happened to me last year, I am now an enthusiastic 3P convert. Might have to hurry to get a place on that as well though!
Different event altogether: longer, higher, harder, no closed roads. Thoroughly enjoyed it last year, although I have thoroughly enjoyed the Etape C several times now, and would happily do it again.
I got the Etape Caledonia email on Saturday at 11 a.m. Ask any cyclist, which time of the week are they
most likely to be out on their bikes, and about half would say Saturday morning.
3 Pistes! Same happened to me last year, I am now an enthusiastic 3P convert. Might have to hurry to get a place on that as well though!
Different event altogether: longer, higher, harder, no closed roads. Thoroughly enjoyed it last year, although I have thoroughly enjoyed the Etape C several times now, and would happily do it again.
:roll: HIRE CAR SHARE??? :roll:
I've just booked my travel using BA air miles to Edinburgh airport. Arriving Edinburgh 10.20 Saturday 9th may from Gatwick, leaving Edinburgh on Monday 11th on the 0940 to Gatwick. Does anybody want to share hire car fees?
Thanks!
Nicholas
Did they ever take up my request that you could register on the morning of the event? For me, Pitlochry is just too far to drive there and back just to register so I ended up booking an hotel half an hour away only so I could register the day before which took all of about 2 minutes.
The route, by Highland standards, is nothing special so I haven't bothered doing it again.
Did they ever take up my request that you could register on the morning of the event? For me, Pitlochry is just too far to drive there and back just to register so I ended up booking an hotel half an hour away only so I could register the day before which took all of about 2 minutes.
That's the whole point - it's to encourage people to stay in the area and spend money.
See you at the 3 pistes instead?
Nope, still have to register the day before. I suspect the only way they got this past the local council was to attract business with day before registry. Frankly, as there a distillery nearby and I love single malt and haggis, this (to me) is a total bonus.
Annoyingly, the sleeper train from Euston (which is expensive but saves a hotel fee) only leaves on Friday's and you must advance book bike carriage or hope that the guard lets you hide your bike in your sleeper.
Luckily, I have BA airmiles, but the local hotels aren't cheap (if you can find one with availability). Fortunately, with a hire car, I can stay out of town and found a £60ppn self catering place 1 mile's walk from a decent pub in the next village along.
Did they ever take up my request that you could register on the morning of the event? For me, Pitlochry is just too far to drive there and back just to register so I ended up booking an hotel half an hour away only so I could register the day before which took all of about 2 minutes.
That's the whole point - it's to encourage people to stay in the area and spend money.
See you at the 3 pistes instead?
But I do live painfully close to the area already and visit it the rest of the year too. I should add that, in my suggestion, I proposed that I'd even be willing to pay for late registration (as I recognise that it's part of the whole deal to bring money to the economy). It's not as if you can move for people anyway nor find anywhere close to stay.
I haven't heard about the 3 Pistes - will go look now. Ironically, the only event I've signed up for so far this year is the Tour of Cambridgeshire (or whatever it's called) - wanted to encourage my elder bro, who lives in Newmarket, to get out on his bike and train for it so I said I'd do it with him. Other than that, I'm planning on some Randonnes in Belgium/Luxembourg too.
3 Pistes looks great - I've done much of it going the other direction. One of our group cycled the whole route from Inverness to Livingston (180miles ish IIRC). There's some brutal climbs and brutal winds (as there was the day we did it).i will check the dates (I think it's the week before Cambs). It's only half the elevation of AD6 in the same distance.
Anyone got an idea of how strict they are at keeping people in their starting pens? My other half is starting 30 minutes after me despite trying to get the same for both of us.
Anyone got an idea of how strict they are at keeping people in their starting pens? My other half is starting 30 minutes after me despite trying to get the same for both of us.
Everyone would be entirely happy for you to start 30 mins late. The other way round? Not likely that anyone official will try to stop you, but seeing people barging in ahead of their slot leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of the thousands of people patiently waiting their turn.
My experience is that the starting for this event is the worst organised part of the event and is utterly shambolic.
The location for each wave is poorly defined, which means people with the same wave number can struggle to get anywhere near each other for their wave start.
Insufficient space is left for people to get to their start wave with 10-15 minutes to go and there are almost always people with start numbers in the 2000s who insist on waiting for their start time right at the front, blocking everyone behind from getting to the start, when they are trying to get everyone for the first two waves to the front.
Just stick together in the mad crush and you'll hopefully start together.
Sorting out the organisation would be really easy, you simply marshall riders in the left hand lane with the right hand lane for getting to the front. Spread down the road far enough for different waves, 200 bikes three to four wide will require 100m per wave, you'd fit 20 waves into the high street with the rest having to wait to join the main queue. 10 marshalls with signs show which waves go where and slowly move up the street as waves move off. Someone to shout at out of position riders
For some reason they have chosen not to previously
Taon24 - quite right, the start is a shambles, and your suggestions are spot on. If only it were run by a professional company used to such things - oh, wait ......
My marathon running sister was unbelieving of how chaotic the start was allowed to be. And it's chipped so it doesn't even make that much of a difference. Now, the lovely Tour de Lauder start is just a joy, and that is not even chipped. But then, everything about the TdL is lovely.
rollemynot
Posts: 436
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"I like riding in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar."
Alternative suggestions, anyone?
Different event altogether: longer, higher, harder, no closed roads. Thoroughly enjoyed it last year, although I have thoroughly enjoyed the Etape C several times now, and would happily do it again.
I got the Etape Caledonia email on Saturday at 11 a.m. Ask any cyclist, which time of the week are they
most likely to be out on their bikes, and about half would say Saturday morning.
CHEAPER ;-)
Twitter @3pistescycle
INSTA @tourclownunder
I've just booked my travel using BA air miles to Edinburgh airport. Arriving Edinburgh 10.20 Saturday 9th may from Gatwick, leaving Edinburgh on Monday 11th on the 0940 to Gatwick. Does anybody want to share hire car fees?
Thanks!
Nicholas
The route, by Highland standards, is nothing special so I haven't bothered doing it again.
See you at the 3 pistes instead?
Annoyingly, the sleeper train from Euston (which is expensive but saves a hotel fee) only leaves on Friday's and you must advance book bike carriage or hope that the guard lets you hide your bike in your sleeper.
Luckily, I have BA airmiles, but the local hotels aren't cheap (if you can find one with availability). Fortunately, with a hire car, I can stay out of town and found a £60ppn self catering place 1 mile's walk from a decent pub in the next village along.
But I do live painfully close to the area already and visit it the rest of the year too. I should add that, in my suggestion, I proposed that I'd even be willing to pay for late registration (as I recognise that it's part of the whole deal to bring money to the economy). It's not as if you can move for people anyway nor find anywhere close to stay.
I haven't heard about the 3 Pistes - will go look now. Ironically, the only event I've signed up for so far this year is the Tour of Cambridgeshire (or whatever it's called) - wanted to encourage my elder bro, who lives in Newmarket, to get out on his bike and train for it so I said I'd do it with him. Other than that, I'm planning on some Randonnes in Belgium/Luxembourg too.
"I like riding in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar."
Middle of the pack - so hopefully I can overtake more than be overtaken, with the odd draft for good measure
"I like riding in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar."
https://challengerworldresults.com/ftpa ... Times.xlsx
It says wave times on the homepage - my iPad won't open it but my laptop will.
It takes an age to download the excel file - pm me your name and I will search if it doesn't work
"I like riding in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar."
The location for each wave is poorly defined, which means people with the same wave number can struggle to get anywhere near each other for their wave start.
Insufficient space is left for people to get to their start wave with 10-15 minutes to go and there are almost always people with start numbers in the 2000s who insist on waiting for their start time right at the front, blocking everyone behind from getting to the start, when they are trying to get everyone for the first two waves to the front.
Just stick together in the mad crush and you'll hopefully start together.
Sorting out the organisation would be really easy, you simply marshall riders in the left hand lane with the right hand lane for getting to the front. Spread down the road far enough for different waves, 200 bikes three to four wide will require 100m per wave, you'd fit 20 waves into the high street with the rest having to wait to join the main queue. 10 marshalls with signs show which waves go where and slowly move up the street as waves move off. Someone to shout at out of position riders
For some reason they have chosen not to previously
My marathon running sister was unbelieving of how chaotic the start was allowed to be. And it's chipped so it doesn't even make that much of a difference. Now, the lovely Tour de Lauder start is just a joy, and that is not even chipped. But then, everything about the TdL is lovely.
Turn up, ride on lovely closed roads, go home.
taon24 - why don't you email the organisers with your suggestions?
SFT - How many people ride on the open road Tour de Lauder? A tenth of the Etap Cal?
"I like riding in my car, it's not quite a Jaguar."