National championships Sportive problem

Tyresome
Tyresome Posts: 113
edited February 2019 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
I’ve just had an email from the organisers informing me they are having to run the Sportive as an open road event, and I could cancel, swap to the ToC, or transfer to the open road version for a partial refund, so I cancelled. Screw riding a 12000 rider Sportive on open roads for a game of soldiers.

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Because nobody ever rides on open roads...
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    I would guess the rider limit would be cut significantly...
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Is it being run as an open road event because they couldn't get the numbers anyway? It was open for booking in November and after the first couple of weeks there was a 10% discount code available on the website for a long time which to me suggests it wasn't the draw they hoped. I was keeping an eye it as it is an event that is local to me and I had discussed it with the few cyclists at work who all said that at £78 it was way too much so they were holding off too. The thing is that if you live in Norfolk then you don't really need a closed road event, it has plenty of rural roads that are very quiet on a Sunday morning anyway.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've done one closed road sportive and it wasn't much different from a normal Sunday ride. You couldn't rude flat out round blind bends or anything there's still a chance that the closed road hadn't worked.

    As we found out when we met a 4*4 coming the other way.

    Just ride in a quieter area.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Another closed road sportive, another success!!

    Well, this is really going rather well...
    left the forum March 2023
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Another closed road sportive, another success!!

    Well, this is really going rather well...

    Had an email from Birmingham Velo about some more places. £80 plus booking fee for the same roads I use every week. Nah you’re alright ta.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    ChippyK wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Another closed road sportive, another success!!

    Well, this is really going rather well...

    Had an email from Birmingham Velo about some more places. £80 plus booking fee for the same roads I use every week. Nah you’re alright ta.

    Luckily I don't get pestered by them...
    However, I get a lot of emails from the Dragon ride, which I last did in 2008... :D
    left the forum March 2023
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    ChippyK wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Another closed road sportive, another success!!

    Well, this is really going rather well...

    Had an email from Birmingham Velo about some more places. £80 plus booking fee for the same roads I use every week. Nah you’re alright ta.

    Luckily I don't get pestered by them...
    However, I get a lot of emails from the Dragon ride, which I last did in 2008... :D

    Had another one this morning. I’d rather spend the £80 on some new kit. Or beer.

    Dragon ride email me almost daily I think.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    Apparently its all Glastonbury's fault...genuinely thats the reason theyve provided to the local media, they cant find enough people to marshall the course to ensure the road closures stay in place, because they are all off to Glastonbury apparently

    https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/refunds-ov ... -1-5893336

    I take more note of the theyve contacted the 1,600 entrants part personally. barely over 10% full isnt it you get more turn up for the New Forest sportives on open roads, 250 have already cancelled it will be well under 1000 I reckon in the end

    tbh its always struck me as a badly arranged event, it sort of dropped at the same time as BC announced the nationals as an afterthought almost and yet I dont know if people who registered got more info, but I could never get any concrete info out of them on the full route, or why the start time seemed ridiculously late for the distance involved for the average cyclist and the whole point being you were supposed to be riding the same course as the pros were riding later the same day still, so what happened if you fell behind etc etc, it certainly wasnt being managed like Ride London.

    so not surprised its turned into abit of a mess
  • Tyresome
    Tyresome Posts: 113
    They didn’t think this through at all.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Only 1600 entrants, blimey, I suspected it hadn't had as many takers as they hoped but didn't think it was that bad. That Glastonbury excuse stretches credibility a bit, is the country really that short of people capable of marshalling events? If so why wasn't this considered during initial planning? I see the price is now £35.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Boom and bust...they don't grow events organically, with repeated and loyal customers... they just hope to get big numbers with a big bang, bag the cash and move on... often it doesn't work...
    They are chancers and best avoided
    left the forum March 2023
  • alanparsons
    alanparsons Posts: 529
    Route is being announced on Tuesday here in Norwich, this really has been a pretty poorly organised/arranged event.
    We have had the ToB here in Norfolk a few times recently with no need for full road closures, so the County Council were very reluctant to sanction full closure.
    A route going North of Norwich to the coast is a very well worn path that is ridden for free by hundreds of people a week, so very little local interest. The Norwich 100, Tour de Broads (North and South) and the cycle swarm already cater for the long sportive market here at a much lower price.
    As for the excuse of Glastonbury being the reason for change is surely Bullsh*t, I think the fact they couldn't get anywhere near the 15,000 entries is the real reason. Even at £35 I think they will struggle to make 1,500.
    The sportive runs behind the race so you won't get to see any of the pro action, all a bit daft really.
  • alanparsons
    alanparsons Posts: 529
    Route announcement was very vague, it's a pretty uninspiring trip to the North Norfolk coast.
    Travelling anti-clockwise through North Walsham to Cromer, along the coast to Wells (Mens race takes in Holkham), then back via Reepham and Aylsham. Very similar to the Norwich 100 but in reverse.
    Men's race is extended(125 miles) with a loop round the Holkham Estate and a city centre loop in Norwich.
    Women's race is shortened (83 miles) not sure which bits are cut out.
    Really can't see many people being interested in this, especially as it runs behind the Pro races so by the time the sportive arrives the crowds will have disappeared.
    One positive for us locals is the hope that Norfolk County Council might have to improve some of the roads.

    http://www.gbcyclingfestival.co.uk/Routes_Norfolk.php

    TT routes are all in West Norfolk around the Queen's Estate at Sandringham.
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    alanparsons wrote:
    Route announcement was very vague, it's a pretty uninspiring trip to the North Norfolk .

    Agreed and scarily vague considering it's the nationals course route, the womens road race map at 83.5miles is near identical to the sportive map at 100miles they published.

    I'll just spectate the nationals instead,map the route myself and do it for free later, at least as you say the route they pick they'll fix all the potholes :)

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