Birmingham Skyride / Cycle Rage

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Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
Anybody go on the Birmingham Skyride yesterday? It completely ruined my usual Sunday afternoon cycle!

Normally cyclists are considerate road users - you have to be just to stay alive.

Yesterday the roads just south of the city center were full of brats aimlessly meandering all over the place and the parents wern't much better.

It was the first time I'd experienced Cycle Rage!
 

rh100

Well-Known Member
I didn't go in the end - I looked at the map and it looked like it was just a run from Cannon Hill to the back of the bull ring - didn't really inspire me tbh. The map showed pictures of places like Telecom Tower but the road map went nowhere close - where did the route actually go?
 
Anybody go on the Birmingham Skyride yesterday? It completely ruined my usual Sunday afternoon cycle!

Normally cyclists are considerate road users - you have to be just to stay alive.

Yesterday the roads just south of the city center were full of brats aimlessly meandering all over the place and the parents wern't much better.

It was the first time I'd experienced Cycle Rage!


Too many so called cyclists on Skyride with car driver mentality.Probably never ridden in close formation before. Always got to be one place in front. I am alright Jack attitude. Was same in Glasgow Skyride.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
I went and thought it was excellent, but then if your aim was to get around the course in the shortest time you wouldn't enjoy it.
The aim of the Skyride was to get people who wouldn't ordinarily ride on the roads out on their bikes. Thats's why there were lots of small children weaving around the roads and people with limited bike handling and observational skills.
I thought it was excellently organised, the only thing that spoilt it for me were the wannabe racers showing off.

My lad got to meet Juan Antonio Flecha from the Sky team, as did many other youngsters, pretty inspirational stuff.

paul
 

pepecat

Well-Known Member
Route went from Cannon hill park, past the cricket ground along the pershore road, across belgrave middleway to sherlock street, then up past the wholelsale market and the (ex?)ice rink up the side of the rag market, along the pedestrian bit near st martin's, then back through the interior of the rag market and back out onto sherlock street and pershore road. Cut through calthorpe park and up through cannon hill road to get back into the park.

It was a good event, but there were kids (and others) weaving around all over the place and you couldn't really go at a decent pace. But, as upsidedown said, the aim was to get people out on their bikes and enjoying cycling - maybe for the first time - so it wasn't really the kind of place to get going at a decent speed.
 

rh100

Well-Known Member
A bit disappointing then, Birmingham city centre has much more to offer than the back end of the Bull Ring.
 

Maz

Guru
I went on the B'ham SkyRide. Yes, there were plenty of inexperienced cyclists and kids weaving around and zig-zagging. That's the whole point - to encourage people to get cycling. Bring it on, Let them ride where they want, the more the merrier. If you want fast-paced, lane-controlled cycling, forget about SkyRide - that's not what it's about.
 

Saddle bum

Über Member
Location
Kent
All those who have done the London-Brighton will know the feeling of abject terror from riding in a collection of newbies with no bunch riding skills. Add kids to the equation and it becomes a horror story.
 

Maz

Guru
All those who have done the London-Brighton will know the feeling of abject terror from riding in a collection of newbies with no bunch riding skills. Add kids to the equation and it becomes a horror story.
Over that distance between London & Brighton, you should be able to break away from the kids riding with stabilisers. Are you drafting them?
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Over that distance between London & Brighton, you should be able to break away from the kids riding with stabilisers. Are you drafting them?

Don't joke. I drafted a rambler up Nunburnholme hill on the Big G sportive.... ;)
 
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