Irresponsible advice?

First.Aspect

So, there is a 2000+ rider sportive in the Scottish Borders on Sunday.

There is a weather warning for high winds at the exact time of the event. The Met Office say:

Mr. Meteorologist wrote:

A period of strong winds is expected to develop across Scotland and northern England from late Saturday, most likely to peak on Sunday morning, before easing through Sunday afternoon.

Whilst the expected gusts (widespread 45-50 mph and isolated 60 mph) are not exceptional for these areas of the country, increased outdoor activity at this time of year will lead to a greater likelihood of disruption.

Please be aware of the potential for localised disruption to transport and susceptible outdoor activities.

The organisers say:

Mr Chirpy McChirp wrote:

There will be another forecast Friday morning, but at the moment there is nothing forecast which would suggest anything awful.

QUESTION: Given that the route goes above1300ft in places, am I losing my mind or is this really a bit sh!t and irresponsible from the organisers?

Garry H

How about people taking some responsibility and deciding for themselves whether to participate or not? I live in the area and regularly ride that course. It's mostly rolling, with one stiff climb, and a fair bit sheltered in valleys. It's taking a liberty charging folk to ride it in the first place.

Come back when it's sunny, I'll take you around for free

fat daddy

It's the weather .... It could do anything by then ... I think if I was mr chirpy I would advise considering bringing light weight wheels and not the 50mm+ aero ones

DeVlaeminck

That's a decent Summer day round there isn't it ?

First.Aspect

Garry H wrote:

How about people taking some responsibility and deciding for themselves whether to participate or not? I live in the area and regularly ride that course. It's mostly rolling, with one stiff climb, and a fair bit sheltered in valleys. It's taking a liberty charging folk to ride it in the first place.

So do I, but not in the company of 2000 distracted novices on damp roads dodging bits of tree.

Besides, this is "referendum" thinking is it not? I signed up late last year and started near the back. Most of the people I was passing wouldn't know how to fix a flat, let alone decide for themselves whether it was safe to ride in extreme weather.

Garry H

DeVlaeminck wrote:

That's a decent Summer day round there isn't it ?

Decent? It's bloody gorgeous.

First.Aspect

DeVlaeminck wrote:

That's a decent Summer day round there isn't it ?

More or less.

Garry H

So you're not riding it this year?

First.Aspect

Garry H wrote:

So you're not riding it this year?

Not in that weather, no. If that's still the forecast by Saturday, I'll ride the course then instead of collecting my number.

I was caught up in the fiasco last year when that guy wrapped himself around a stone wall and had to be airlifted from Talla. Can a helicopter even fly in the conditions forecast?

fenix

It's Thursday. Anything can happen in between. I'd not be cancelling anything yet. Bet it doesn't turn out that bad after all.

Garry H

Probably not.

Didn't hear about that accident. I knew the guy that got killed riding it a few years ago though. Although I believe that at that time, it was a different course, descending the steep side of Talla.

First.Aspect

Fenix wrote:

It's Thursday. Anything can happen in between. I'd not be cancelling anything yet. Bet it doesn't turn out that bad after all.

I've been monitoring throughout the day. Forecasts have been getting progressively worse, not better.

I don't think that they should cancel it either. But they shouldn't be suggesting that 100 kph gusts are going to be safe.

Exactly how windy would it have to be before they considered it "awful"?

cougie

Just looked up one forecast and wind looks to be around 25mph. There's plenty of forecasts around. God knows which you'd go with.

thegreatdivide

It's to be pretty rough on Sunday. A very big low will move in across Scotland late Saturday night and give the majority of the North a lot of wind with sustained gust of +40mph. On the plus side there's no rain expected.

In other weather news - the jet stream is probably going to plummet southwards mid week dragging down Arctic air, with single fig temps expected in parts of the country... :shock:

Thick Mike

But but is it a tailwind?

First.Aspect

Well, in the interests of completeness.... I sent the organizers a very stiffly worded letter and got a defensive reply. But.....

... latest forecasts are *slightly* less bad, with winds peaking towards the end of the event now.

To the organiser's credit, the most recent output is rather more responsible, and mentions things like debris, riding close together and so on. I'd like to think that they've taken on board my concerns and no doubt those of others and that, if if we really are looking at 100kph gusts, they would be sensible.

sopworth

Garry H wrote:

How about people taking some responsibility and deciding for themselves whether to participate or not? I live in the area and regularly ride that course. It's mostly rolling, with one stiff climb, and a fair bit sheltered in valleys. It's taking a liberty charging folk to ride it in the first place.

Come back when it's sunny, I'll take you around for free

Totally agree with you here, Garry. If someone was to rock up to an cycling event in the Scottish Highlands without looking at the weather then they deserve to get caught out. How would you know how to dress?

slowbike

sopworth wrote:

How would you know how to dress?

To the left .... always ...

chris_bass

cougie wrote:

Just looked up one forecast and wind looks to be around 25mph. There's plenty of forecasts around. God knows which you'd go with.

he probably would

First.Aspect

sopworth wrote:

Garry H wrote:

How about people taking some responsibility and deciding for themselves whether to participate or not? I live in the area and regularly ride that course. It's mostly rolling, with one stiff climb, and a fair bit sheltered in valleys. It's taking a liberty charging folk to ride it in the first place.

Come back when it's sunny, I'll take you around for free

Totally agree with you here, Garry. If someone was to rock up to an cycling event in the Scottish Highlands without looking at the weather then they deserve to get caught out. How would you know how to dress?

You would certainly not want people rocking up to an event in the Highlands which was taking place in the Borders. That would be about as Scilly as the Channel Islands.

darkhairedlord

As for rocking up..... Jeez isn't it all butane cannabis these days?