Velo Birmingham 2017

slowmart

So the organisers position the event as "get in quick before the places go" and then don't have enough bandwidth to cope?

Concurrent users crash the site?

This makes me think either the provision of services was poorly scoped out or there was a technical issue. Either one points to a lack of planning and poor execution.

Did fat Sam place the contract or is he behind the event?

I think I'll keep my cash in my account until I see some substance behind the event, rather than a dodgy website and comms which fail to detail the cost.

Anyone else smell fish?

Anonymous

It stinks and the whole thing is super creepy.

VmanF3

This whole event is just wrong on so many levels. Read the Facebook comments for a laugh!

dov2711

Absolute farce with regards the registration to the point of being funny. They must be regretting the decision to put Frank Spencer in charge.
The indignation on the price is interesting as I think the intention is to price out locals who can do local events at their leisure. It's the tourists that fill the hotels and buy the commemorative gear.
It's like the more expensive and shorter Etape Caledonia which for some reason gets a far easier ride as its seen as a bucket list event.

Anonymous

It is a race at least though right?

DeVlaeminck

VmanF3 wrote:

This whole event is just wrong on so many levels. Read the Facebook comments for a laugh!

Yeah what is wrong with those people - just because they couldn't enter today - enter tomorrow then.

scary-bob

I thought I'd make my first Bikeradar Forum post on this matter after lurking around in the background for a while.
I was intrigued by this event initially, especially as I am quite local to Birmingham.
After the registration farce of yesterday I just hypothetically clicked on the 'enter now' button (I have no intention of taking part as I agree with all of what is being said on the subject) and it would still happily take my money and let me enter, some 14 hours after the registration opened (for the second time!!).
I'm wondering what happened to the event that was going to sell out quicker than tickets to Glastonbury!!

kingrollo

Just for a bit of context - I signed up for the bloodwise birmingham bikeathon this year. As I signed up the web site crashed. I phoned they confirmed they had my money and I was on the ride. I was asuured my t-shirt and rider pack would be on thw way shortly. Nothing phoned again - they didn't my size of t - shirt - so i told them - waited once again - nothing phoned again was told they wait until they have so many until sending a batch out - should be with me in a couple of weeks......still nothing - phoned they couldn't send my stuff as they didn't know my t-shirt size...

I told em where to stick it ....

This was £40 and not on closed roads - It was run by such a bunch of dopes Im surprised it ever got off the ground....

I didn't like the sign up quick up thingy either - the price is high - but nothing compared to some of the kit gadgets that we don't really need - I read (on this forum) to 'do things not buy things' which I think is a great philosophy (so ill be the one without carbon wheels !)

Only a Ginger

I've signed up for it...

I'm mainly done it for the closed road experience...hoping it'll be massively more fun sharing roads with bikes, going in the same direction, than with cars etc.

Hopefully the organisation on the day is better than the build up...

scary-bob

Only a Ginger wrote:

Hopefully the organisation on the day is better than the build up...

Could only be better IMO!

SpongeArtist

Signed up to enter, excited. Read it was £75 thought it sounds a little pricey. Went to pay and the website was down. had 3 emails from them saying all will be ok at 6pm then was told it was sold out online. If they couldn't get the simple admin right what hope do they have on the day? Blessing in disguise i think and i've saved £75 + hotel...

Anonymous

Anyone think they will be offering discounts like VelothonWales did last time?

kingrollo

Don't think its sold out is it ?

Edit - the link still asking you to choose price options so still open (apparently 11,000 have signed up) if and its a big if that figure is correct then it looks like it will sell out...

carbonclem

kingrollo wrote:

Don't think its sold out is it ?

Edit - the link still asking you to choose price options so still open (apparently 11,000 have signed up) if and its a big if that figure is correct then it looks like it will sell out...

Facebook say 11k riders signed up, so no, but thats a good start!

People are very trusting aren't they?

ic.

11,000?

Strewth.

thegreatdivide

CarbonClem wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

Don't think its sold out is it ?

Edit - the link still asking you to choose price options so still open (apparently 11,000 have signed up) if and its a big if that figure is correct then it looks like it will sell out...

Facebook say 11k riders signed up, so no, but thats a good start!

People are very trusting aren't they?

You've got to love the tin hat brigade. If you bothered to Google the event you'd see that it's backed by Birmingham Council and the affiliated Birmingham Cycle Revolution as well as Herefordshire and Worcestershire Councils who've brought in CSM Active to organises the event for them. This isn't some ropey open road £10 for the cakes 'sportive' starting off in a pub car park. But you crack on with your conspiracy theories pal.

lettingthedaysgoby

First post here.

Well, I signed up for it and paid my 75 quid. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I live in Birmingham and like to support local events. The closed roads part really appeals to me also.

Just a few minor issues I have to get out the way though:

1 - The last time I was on a bike in any meaningful way was almost 20 years ago
2 - I am mildly overweight and extremely unfit
3 - I don't own a bike

So, the next 12 months are somewhat of a personal challenge

galatzo

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

First post here.

Well, I signed up for it and paid my 75 quid. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I live in Birmingham and like to support local events. The closed roads part really appeals to me also.

Just a few minor issues I have to get out the way though:

1 - The last time I was on a bike in any meaningful way was almost 20 years ago
2 - I am mildly overweight and extremely unfit
3 - I don't own a bike

So, the next 12 months are somewhat of a personal challenge

Glad your getting back in to cycling but for me your another reason why I wouldn't do this (not just you personally mate).
There will be a lot of people with poor bike handling skills/manners (newbies and mamils) and thinking they are in a race and can do what the hell they like, it'll be like the Sa Calobra in April (by that I mean riding etiquette of course).
I'd rather take an early Sunday morning on quiet but not closed roads round my way than this.
Closed roads are great but with the right crowds. I did one in Austria and it was truly amazing if completely, 12 hour, exhausting.

joenobody

Interesting to see people questioning the price. I took part in a triathlon last weekend - I won the entry in a Twitter giveaway - that I complete in a little over 90 minutes. It would have cost £70 to enter. Admittedly there were far fewer people taking part and a swim + run venue to pay for, but it makes this look a lot more like value for money. I can't imagine this is a cheap event to put on, and I'd imagine that some of the money will go to their chosen charities (I'm assuming they're not expecting to have riders generating the donations only through sponsorship).

Anonymous

My problem is about the sneaky/creepy way its done, more than the actual cost.
The cost does seem a bit rip off, rather than value for money though.

As for the people who are questioning the cost, don't forget people are often oddly tight about all things cycling related.

thegreatdivide

Galatzo wrote:

Glad your getting back in to cycling but for me your another reason why I wouldn't do this (not just you personally mate).
There will be a lot of people with poor bike handling skills/manners (newbies and mamils) and thinking they are in a race and can do what the hell they like, it'll be like the Sa Calobra in April (by that I mean riding etiquette of course).
I'd rather take an early Sunday morning on quiet but not closed roads round my way than this.
Closed roads are great but with the right crowds. I did one in Austria and it was truly amazing if completely, 12 hour, exhausting.

What the actual fu*k! If this is seriously how you think then you need to have a word with yourself. What a pathetic elitist post. I bet you tell your mates you're a 'serious cyclist'.

Anonymous

Entering a 100 mile sportive without a bike or having ridden one for 20 years is whats pathetic.

ugo.santalucia

thegreatdivide wrote:

Galatzo wrote:

Glad your getting back in to cycling but for me your another reason why I wouldn't do this (not just you personally mate).
There will be a lot of people with poor bike handling skills/manners (newbies and mamils) and thinking they are in a race and can do what the hell they like, it'll be like the Sa Calobra in April (by that I mean riding etiquette of course).
I'd rather take an early Sunday morning on quiet but not closed roads round my way than this.
Closed roads are great but with the right crowds. I did one in Austria and it was truly amazing if completely, 12 hour, exhausting.

What the actual fu*k! If this is seriously how you think then you need to have a word with yourself. What a pathetic elitist post. I bet you tell your mates you're a 'serious cyclist'.

Possibly, however, in my limited experience of closed roads sportives (Etape Cymru), it's the only case where I have seen more than one person lying on the side of the road with a visibly serious injury... it might be a case or maybe closed roads sportives are actually less safe than open road ones... the poor record of RL 100 speaks for itself.

My feeling is that people take way more risks descending if they assume there is nobody coming up the road. Etape Caledonia is relatively flat, so it might have a better record in that respect.

lettingthedaysgoby

Carbonator wrote:

Entering a 100 mile sportive without a bike or having ridden one for 20 years is whats pathetic.

Well, that's certainly made me feel welcome, thanks.

thegreatdivide

ugo.santalucia wrote:

[My feeling is that people take way more risks descending if they assume there is nobody coming up the road. Etape Caledonia is relatively flat, so it might have a better record in that respect.

And as if by magic...

thegreatdivide

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Entering a 100 mile sportive without a bike or having ridden one for 20 years is whats pathetic.

Well, that's certainly made me feel welcome, thanks.

Don't worry. This is a standard response from him. He's a real cyclist too.

Anonymous

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Entering a 100 mile sportive without a bike or having ridden one for 20 years is whats pathetic.

Well, that's certainly made me feel welcome, thanks.

I wish you all the best mate, but just completely disagree with your stated solution to your stated problem.

Its in many ways like entering a marathon without owning a pair of trainers or run for 20 years.
Personally I would get some trainers, have a jog around the block, and enter a 5k first.

Anonymous

thegreatdivide wrote:

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Entering a 100 mile sportive without a bike or having ridden one for 20 years is whats pathetic.

Well, that's certainly made me feel welcome, thanks.

Don't worry. This is a standard response from him. He's a real cyclist too.

Can you tell me exactly where I have rated myself as a real cyclist if you know so much about my posts

galatzo

thegreatdivide wrote:

Galatzo wrote:

Glad your getting back in to cycling but for me your another reason why I wouldn't do this (not just you personally mate).
There will be a lot of people with poor bike handling skills/manners (newbies and mamils) and thinking they are in a race and can do what the hell they like, it'll be like the Sa Calobra in April (by that I mean riding etiquette of course).
I'd rather take an early Sunday morning on quiet but not closed roads round my way than this.
Closed roads are great but with the right crowds. I did one in Austria and it was truly amazing if completely, 12 hour, exhausting.

What the actual fu*k! If this is seriously how you think then you need to have a word with yourself. What a pathetic elitist post. I bet you tell your mates you're a 'serious cyclist'.

Far from a serious cyclist as you put it but a well mannered one when out on the road I like to think.
If you put 15000 cyclists together my opinion is that there will be more incidents/crashes likely than a normal Sunday morning. I'm not being elitest or snobbish (I have only done the one Euro Sportive and it was amazing) just saying why I wouldn't want to do this event, the closed road is of course appealing but the negatives far far out weigh this.

paul2718

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

First post here.

Well, I signed up for it and paid my 75 quid. Yes, it's a lot of money, but I live in Birmingham and like to support local events. The closed roads part really appeals to me also.

Just a few minor issues I have to get out the way though:

1 - The last time I was on a bike in any meaningful way was almost 20 years ago
2 - I am mildly overweight and extremely unfit
3 - I don't own a bike

So, the next 12 months are somewhat of a personal challenge

Good for you! This is a big part of what these events are about.

But the other part is the opportunity to ride 100 miles on closed roads at a decent pace in groups. Getting a bit of the race experience. And this is incompatible when mixed with a large number of beginners. Last year's RL my team started at 6.06 and it was a brilliant experience. This year for some unknown reason 7.38 and it was miserable and dangerous.

So when they announced the costs I decided £115 was taking the mickey.

Regardless the route looks good, harder than the RL100 and passing through some beautiful countryside.

(I'm almost talking myself into it...)

Paul