Etape Caledonia 2024 starting in Pitlochry.

[dhd.evans1]

Ah right. I did a Wiggle sportive with closed roads but you'd just not trust road closures. Which paid off as a Landrover came around a blind bend in the lanes.

Would those roads get much traffic anyway? I'm sceptical of feed stations too. Great when they work but sometimes there's huge queues and or limited food / drink. Easier to take most of your own like you'd do on most rides.

If you give 'Etape Caledonia', 'farmers' and 'road closures' a Google you'll find a good few articles and pieces on the relationship between the public and the event. That said, the council and event organisers (and volunteer marshalls) strictly enforce the road closures and, for the most part, the public are accepting and adherent to the disruption between 0600-1200hrs on a Sunday.

In my 5(?) rides of the event i've never seen a vehicle or pedestrian on the route during the ride - 2021's unexplained open road ending aside.

I don't envision traffic would have been much of an issue on the route anyway, as you say they're quiet roads, but they are 100% the only roads. So if a Landrover comes belting around one of the many tight, nearly singletrack roads, your peloton will end up scattered into the surrounding fields.

Feed stations used to be good. Tea, coffee, hot food, bananas, flapjacks, sweets... again 2021 was the last one i did and it was as grim as trays of Tesco flapjacks and browning, nearly dead bananas. 2022 and 2023 may have improved it, but i don't have the experience.

 

[T4tomo]

Closing the roads certainly adds to the cost but does make for a enjoyable ride. I've only done one "big" sportive ahead of the the Tour de Yorkshire one year (Scarborough - maybe 2016) IIRC it was £70 ish but closed roads, really good feed stations and organisation plus the 2nd half of the route was on the actual stage route being run later in the day, and you got to finish down the finish straight lined with cheering crowds etc so in the "worth it" bag.

Other than that I've done the odd local charity / organised ride for £20-30, which have had decent feed stations /organisation, although there is an element of you're paying to ride where you might normally ride. We decided against a local charity one this year, cost had gone up yet again.

 

[dhd.evans1]

Closing the roads certainly adds to the cost but does make for a enjoyable ride. I've only done one "big" sportive ahead of the the Tour de Yorkshire one year (Scarborough - maybe 2016) IIRC it was £70 ish but closed roads, really good feed stations and organisation plus the 2nd half of the route was on the actual stage route being run later in the day, and you got to finish down the finish straight lined with cheering crowds etc so in the "worth it" bag.

Other than that I've done the odd local charity / organised ride for £20-30, which have had decent feed stations /organisation, although there is an element of you're paying to ride where you might normally ride. We decided against a local charity one this year, cost had gone up yet again.

^^ This. I'm riding Sportive Kinross again this year (4th time) which is locally organised and run. It was £30 and is not closed roads but the atmosphere before, after and during as well as the on-ride camaraderie with strangers is worth every penny. Plus, i'm sure the entry fee goes to CHAS which is a bonus.

Comparing the two, the Etape Caledonia is a sort of snobby, premium type of event; i've met plenty of good 'uns on the ride but also plenty dicks. The inverse at Sportive Kinross IMHO, although YMMV.

It's vitally important that communities such as CycleChat.net exist to discuss these things and to suss out the best bang for buck vs experience.

 

[Slick]

Ah right. I did a Wiggle sportive with closed roads but you'd just not trust road closures. Which paid off as a Landrover came around a blind bend in the lanes.

Would those roads get much traffic anyway? I'm sceptical of feed stations too. Great when they work but sometimes there's huge queues and or limited food / drink. Easier to take most of your own like you'd do on most rides.

Granted, they aren't motorways, but it only takes 1 to cause carnage.

 

[the_craig]

If you give 'Etape Caledonia', 'farmers' and 'road closures' a Google you'll find a good few articles and pieces on the relationship between the public and the event. That said, the council and event organisers (and volunteer marshalls) strictly enforce the road closures and, for the most part, the public are accepting and adherent to the disruption between 0600-1200hrs on a Sunday.

In my 5(?) rides of the event i've never seen a vehicle or pedestrian on the route during the ride - 2021's unexplained open road ending aside.

I don't envision traffic would have been much of an issue on the route anyway, as you say they're quiet roads, but they are 100% the only roads. So if a Landrover comes belting around one of the many tight, nearly singletrack roads, your peloton will end up scattered into the surrounding fields.

Feed stations used to be good. Tea, coffee, hot food, bananas, flapjacks, sweets... again 2021 was the last one i did and it was as grim as trays of Tesco flapjacks and browning, nearly dead bananas. 2022 and 2023 may have improved it, but i don't have the experience.

I did the 85 miler last year and I had read on here that 2021 was a bit of a shambles. Indeed there wasn't much chat here about it.

I felt it was relatively well organised. The start procedure was a bit awry. Rather than the waves being moved up the high street and let off with a bit of a fanfare, we just kinda rolled off. The route was well signed and there were no dramas with traffic that I was aware of, just the usual dafties who go a bit mental as soon as they pin a number on. I only stopped at one feed zone (#2) and the food offerings looked ok. Although they were charging for rolls and bacon and coffees. I topped up my bottles, had a pee and had a couple of bananas. The weather was typical for Scotland in May, damp, grey and a bit crap.

I just found the whole event cold and lifeless. I did Etape Loch Ness the month before and the atmosphere at that was great. The locals were supportive as was the city and the event village had a great buzz. Whereas there were very few people out cheering and supporting the folks on the Caledonia route. I think they tolerate the event rather than welcome it.

I would say do it. I know I'm being tough on it but it truly is a stunning part of the world. The scenery is worth the entry fee alone.

However, I've done Caledonia, I won't do it again.