Velothon 2016

[sleaver]

I did it this year (140km route) and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I'm going to give it a miss next year and maybe do something else. I live in Surrey so it is a bit of a trek and what with the price hike and 6.5% "admin charge", it isn't really worth that trek.

Dropping the 50km route seems to have caused a bit of a stir on social media as well. The organisers are saying "due to lack of demand" but they haven't given anyway of people saying what they would be interested in, not even when you pre-registered. It seems that they are trying to have less road closures (they did close a junction on the M4), but I think it would help if they are honest about the reason. It also seems that the 10,000 "early bird" places sold out rather quickly as well.

There were also problems during this years such as the food stops running out of food. I heard one of the pro team managers saying that it was the worst organised event he had known but then he was having an argument with a steward who was saying he was a bad driver.

The route was scenic though and it helped take my mind off the lack of training what I knew was going to cause my legs to hate me on the hills and I probably talked to more people than on the two RideLondon's I have done. However, there were the "dull as dish water" (phrase borrowed from @Nomadski ) sections of long uphill stretches of dual carriageways around the 100km mark but at least the crowd who could get there, added encouragement.

 

[Dogtrousers]

They had to start the 50k riders first last year (not sure why but I'm sure they had their reasons). The end result of this was that they hiked up the minimum speed to 21km/h, having previously announced something lower. I'm guessing that this years minimum speed of 19km/h is in part owing to the removal of the 50k ride.

Now, I know some people may say "pish" those are pretty low speeds, especially as the course is quite flat apart from the two big lumps. But if someone is entering the ride as a challenge, having not ridden such a distance before, or is just naturally not quick then the possibility of the broom wagon is quite real and those extra couple of km/h are very welcome.

 

[sleaver]

They had to start the 50k riders first last year (not sure why but I'm sure they had their reasons).

From what I remember, it was because of two things. One was that they had to close a junction on the M4 and so wanted that shut for the least amount of time. The second was that they said if the 50km riders went second, they would join with the faster 140km riders when the two routes joined. Well, it was some combination of slow/fastest riders across the two distances joining together later in the route

The end result of this was that they hiked up the minimum speed to 21km/h, having previously announced something lower.

They did actually give the 140km riders more time in the end after so many people complained so it did come back down to around 19km/h. I was reading that some people were phoning them up asking for an earlier start time so they could finish. I think they just delayed the start of the pro race a bit in the end.

Hopefully they have learnt A LOT when it comes to organisation!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I was one of those who arranged an early start to avoid any possible broom-related problems. We trundled round in a dignified 7.5 hours.

I didn't have a problem with the organisation. I don't remember any food shortages, but then I had my own supply of pork pies, so maybe I just didn't notice. It seemed well enough marshalled and planned from where I was. They also arranged some pretty nice weather, for which I was grateful.

All in all I had a great experience, but like you I'm not convinced it's worth the hassle to do two years running.

 

[sleaver]

I don't remember any food shortages,

The riders who started in the later waves were saying that there was no food or water left. When I got the the first in Usk, I just didn't bother because it looked worse than Oxford Street in London at 3pm on Christmas Eve . They were trying to have the left side of the road for the people stopping and the right to go past. But some plonker thought it would be a good idea just to walk into the non stopping side and stop right in the middle with his bike at a right angle to the flow of people

I was in the second to last wave but finished with about 2 hours to spare. Considering the lack of training, I was quite pleased with that.

They also arranged some pretty nice weather, for which I was grateful.

Got to admit that I was thinking it would have been a very long 140km if the weather had stayed like it was on Saturday. I even got a bit of sunburn in Wales. Who would have thought that

The comment about the organisation was more from what I've read online but like you, I didn't think it was that bad.

 

[Nomadski]

I'm doing it again, along with a few other peeps so should be fun. The pull of closed roads is always too great for me to resist!

Hoping for similar weather on the day, couldn't have been any better really.

 

[dickyknees]

I'm doing it again, along with a few other peeps so should be fun. The pull of closed roads is always too great for me to resist!

Hoping for similar weather on the day, couldn't have been any better really.

I'm with Nomadski on this. I thoroughly enjoyed last year as my one and only ever sportive. The attraction for me is the closed roads and hopefully the criticisms of last year's organisation will make it even better!

 

[Dogtrousers]

By the way, it looks like they haven't sold out this year. I've just received an email from them saying "You did it last year, why aren't you doing it this year? Please sign up ... Pretty please" Or words to that effect.

 

[huwsparky]

By the way, it looks like they haven't sold out this year. I've just received an email from them saying "You did it last year, why aren't you doing it this year? Please sign up ... Pretty please" Or words to that effect.

From what I was told by friends who done it the route was quite crap with a couple of climbs thrown in. That's probably why is not selling out again due to people like yourself not wanting to return.

 

[Dogtrousers]

From what I was told by friends who done it the route was quite crap with a couple of climbs thrown in. That's probably why is not selling out again due to people like yourself not wanting to return.

My opinion differs with that of your friends. The route was, IIRC very good, but with one boring chunk of dual carriageway thrown in. But we all have our own opinions

My decision not to return is due to a clash with another event, not as any comment on the route.

 

[sleaver]

My opinion differs with that of your friends. The route was, IIRC very good, but with one boring chunk of dual carriageway thrown in. But we all have our own opinions

Ditto

For me, what didn't help the dual carriageway bit was it was uphill and around 100km in. So my brain was having a battle with my legs. Plus as I was coming to the end of a part time Masters Degree while doing a full time job, my legs were hurting as training wasn't my top priority.

Having said that, I'm still glad I did it and if it wasn't for the fact that Wales is a bit of a trek for me and having to pay to give two cats a holiday in a cattery (although they don't see it as a holiday ) as well as a hotel etc, I would do it again.

 

[Dogtrousers]

... the fact that Wales is a bit of a trek ..,

There is that too.

 

[mjr]

Do they actually want people to take part or not?

Pretty standard for most popular sportives - British Cycling sportives are required to ban recumbents and e-bikes and so on. The general attitude to participants seem to be that if you treat them mean, it'll keep them keen. It seems to have worked for a while, but maybe the recent closure of Kilo To Go means people are tiring of it?

 

[dickyknees]

Weather forecast seems to be better:

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Wales/Cardiff/long.html

 

[Nomadski]

Weather forecast seems to be better:

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Wales/Cardiff/long.html

Unfortunately we aren't doing circles of Cardiff!

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Wales/Abergavenny/long.html

:S