Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Velo South - Cancelled

Whilst this is very disappointing, I am not surprised given the potential weather. 

 

Full details on their website here https://www.velosouth.com/ or on Twitter

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

Add new comment

27 comments

Avatar
Shades | 5 years ago
2 likes

It never fails to amaze me how much effort people can put in opposing something; put the energy into something more beneficial.  If it's something that will permanently affect you, fine, but a 1 day cycle event!!  Including recruiting QCs!  I bet you 99.99% of the residents were 'no problem, we'll work around it'.  I don't run but there's a city half marathon once a year that shuts stacks of roads; I just make a note of the date and plan accordingly.  Why do we pander to these vocal minorities in this country?  Our Lib Dem MP usually turns up supporting these NIMBYs.

Avatar
Shades | 5 years ago
3 likes

The mentality of Cumrew.  I have relatives living in the countryside and they seem to demand the convenience (ie everything close to hand) of city living, so everything (getting a newspaper, children requirements, etc etc) involves a car journey.  The time and mileage they rack up thundering around the lanes is epic; don't get in the way on a bike.  No wonder this lot go into 'meltdown' when there's a short period of road closure.  People move to the countryside to 'get more exercise'; I reckon I get more in a city through walking, cycling etc to achieve what I need to do (as of today I haven't been in a car for 3 days).  I can base that on fact due to visiting relatives.

Avatar
workhard | 5 years ago
0 likes

No way could the setup have been done in that weather nor would it have been reasonable to ask the volunteers to get soaked. Right call made at right time, and the three refund options are excellent

Avatar
Skytriker | 5 years ago
4 likes

Your one and only post was the best laugh I have had for a long time, Cumrew. I heard that you clowns are claiming victory, but it was the threat of seriously bad weather that did it. Not even your money and a whole slither of QC's (if that's not the collective noun it should be) could control the weather. And even if you prayed to your imaginary god, she would probably send down a thunderbolt or two to teach you selfish leeches a lesson. As I couldn't cancel my hotel, I used the opportunity to visit friends. The hotel management were very upset at losing the majority of their cancellable bookings for the weekend. I spent a lot of money, but I spent it in Portsmouth, to ensure that your miserable community got nothing out of me.

Avatar
enrique replied to Skytriker | 5 years ago
0 likes

Skytriker wrote:

... I heard that you clowns are claiming victory...

Unnecessarily harsh... 

Avatar
Kadinkski | 5 years ago
4 likes

I was able to get refunds for hotel and train because I cancelled 48 hours ahead of time. I wish other event organisers would have the balls to make early decisions - its 2018 and short-term weather forecasts are reliable. To hope that the forecasts and wrong and wait til the last minute to cancel is monumentally stupid.

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

15mph winds and heavy rain showing on the BBC weatherforecast for tomorrow.  Cancelled too early, in my opinion. Perhaps rolling road closures coupled with fewer riders might have been a better approach. I'm pretty sure that this is how the other sportives I've done (except for RideLondon) are done without any catasptrophes

Avatar
MattEdd replied to Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

15mph winds and heavy rain showing on the BBC weatherforecast for tomorrow.  Cancelled too early, in my opinion. Perhaps rolling road closures coupled with fewer riders might have been a better approach. I'm pretty sure that this is how the other sportives I've done (except for RideLondon) are done without any catasptrophes

 

Velothon Wales is run on totally closed roads, think the longest closure is about 10 hours apart from the centre of Cardiff which is done closed all day.  Despite the horror stories of tacks etc. when I rode it last year the crowds were nothing but encouraging.  I agree that it was cancelled too early though.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
5 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

15mph winds and heavy rain showing on the BBC weatherforecast for tomorrow.  Cancelled too early, in my opinion. Perhaps rolling road closures coupled with fewer riders might have been a better approach. I'm pretty sure that this is how the other sportives I've done (except for RideLondon) are done without any catasptrophes

Yeah, hindsight is great isn't it, IF the weather was going to continue and they left it until the day before to cancel people would be kicking off big time. You have no idea frankly, cancelling when they did was the best decision all round all things considered and with due respect to the safety of those participating which is paramount.

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey replied to Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
2 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

15mph winds and heavy rain showing on the BBC weatherforecast for tomorrow.  Cancelled too early, in my opinion. Perhaps rolling road closures coupled with fewer riders might have been a better approach. I'm pretty sure that this is how the other sportives I've done (except for RideLondon) are done without any catasptrophes

 

Sorry, but you're wrong.  I live two miles off the south east corner of the route, and the rain through started about 4 pm on Saturday and went throughout the night.  The roads were awash with water and there would have been wwind-blownw debris too.  Spithandle Lane can be difficult for one or two cyclists, but trying to get hundreds down there at the same time?  Never mind Ducnton Hill with a significant tail wind...

Avatar
Chris Hayes replied to Daveyraveygravey | 5 years ago
0 likes

Sorry, but you're wrong.  [/quote] Technically, I'm not wrong - the BBC weatherforecast may have been, but i just read it.  Reading your post it seems to me that you're saying that it rained heavily the night before.   Many cyclists brave rain all the time: myself included. Tell me about the 40mph winds on Sunday.  

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey replied to Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Chris Hayes wrote:

Sorry, but you're wrong. 

Technically, I'm not wrong - the BBC weatherforecast may have been, but i just read it.  Reading your post it seems to me that you're saying that it rained heavily the night before.   Many cyclists brave rain all the time: myself included. Tell me about the 40mph winds on Sunday.  

[/quote]

 

Yeah I didn't type that very well; it rained all Saturday afternoon, through the night and til about 1 pm on Sunday.  It was also cold, I think real feel was 7 degrees.  Yes, the winds were not as strong as the forecast, but the roads were awash.  I walked to the local shops at 11 am and it was miserable; I was glad I hadn't been standing in a pen for 30 minutes at 6 am, to then try and negotiate Sussex lanes with a lot of other cold and wet folks.

Avatar
Organon | 5 years ago
0 likes

I do wonder were all the entry money will go? Will everyone get a free entry to another event, and if so how will the organisers pay for it? Ride London was done a few year ago in the aftermath of a Hurricane (Bertha, I think) but without the hills on the course. Perhaps this kind of event is too late in the year.

This is probabaly an insurance decision, not due to local pressure. It would have been interesting to see what happened to the 'walking protest.' It isn't wise to step in front of a moving cyclist. Perhaps Cumrew will volunteer next year.

Avatar
The Rake | 5 years ago
5 likes

Thanks Cumrew. As the representative of the "locals" - their "spokesman" if you pardon the pun - who were all pro cycling and cyclists but anti-CSM, can you explain what drove you to make your first post here today on a cycling website? Will you come back soon and tell us about the alternative not for profit ride you intend to create? Also I'd like to join your community walk on Sunday now my bike won't be needed. Can you tell me where you plan to meet?

Avatar
Joe Totale | 5 years ago
7 likes

First post eh? 

No mention of all the local businesses such as hotels and restaurants who will now be losing out on all the money they stood to make with 30,000 extra visitors to the area? 

Also marooned in your houses? Nearly all the roads used would have been closed for 5-8 hours maximum. 

https://www.velosouth.com/the-route/road-closures/

I know Stop Velo love their cars a bit too much and can't stand anything else on the road but surely you can live without them for 5-8 hours?

Also aren't you Stop Velo guys organising your own cycling event which you claim will be much better? When will we get some details about it? 

Avatar
Simon E replied to Joe Totale | 5 years ago
7 likes

Joe Totale wrote:

marooned in your houses? Nearly all the roads used would have been closed for 5-8 hours maximum.

There are other roads they can use. And "marooned" is not an appropriate word to use anyway.

Cumrew wrote:

church-goers

Ha ha, is that the best you can do? Truly pathetic.

Your post is a classic example of selfish NIMBYism.

Did you move to rural Sussex from a large city dreaming of a nice place in the countryside? Perhaps you should ask the business people of Yorkshire what they think about having the Tour de Yorkshire (which brought £98 million to region this year) and other events in their area. What do Perth & Kinross council say about Etape Caledonia?

"The event brings huge economic benefit to the area every year and showcases Perthshire as a top cycling and visitor destination."

Why do you think TfL do a huge job putting on RideLondon every year? The people of London cope just fine. If Londoners can do it why can't you?

 

Avatar
Joe Totale replied to Simon E | 5 years ago
2 likes

Simon E wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

marooned in your houses? Nearly all the roads used would have been closed for 5-8 hours maximum.

There are other roads they can use. And "marooned" is not an appropriate word to use anyway.

 

I quite agree, I was only using the same language that Cumrew was using, should have put the word marooned in quotation marks. 

Avatar
Rapha Nadal | 5 years ago
19 likes

Hello to the resident who has signed up to make a single post!

Tell me; do you also cry into your wax jacket when the Festival of Speed is on?

Whilst the weather is nice & sunny right now, I have just gotten back to the office after a torrential downpour driven in by high winds.  You may not realise the weather is changeable (Michael Fish, anybody?) and that the forecast for your locale (at the time of checking), on Sunday, has quite a bad forecast.

You'll be aware of the liabilities involved, and the requirements of the organisation and their insurers for participant safety.  You cannot always ensure that a large number of people will be safe in higher than normal wind speeds and driving rains with no amount of contingency planning being able to stop the weather..

Let's move on then to the people, apparently, "marooned" in their homes and laugh at this stupid comment.  I mean, if something comes in the post advising of disruption for a period of no more than 24 hours then perhaps read it?  Should an invitation be received to attend a planning meeting concerning the event then perhaps attend? What's stopping you from planning ahead?  Bone idleness, sheer arrogance, or pehaps both?  If you have the money to appoint representation by a QC then you have more of it than sense and to think that a collective group of QC's has had time to put together a strong case to oppose this event in such a short space of time is fucking laughable.

As much as you may wish for this event to not rear it's head again, I think you may be sorely disappointed when it's rearranged.

 

Avatar
Cumrew | 5 years ago
1 like

Vox populi - the company that organises this says it's been cancelled because of the weather but I suspect they have succumbed to the amount of protest from local residents in the South Downs.  The sun is shining and the forecast looks great.  There are a lot of people very motivated to stop this with a lot of resources and a lot of QCs to represent them.  The South Downs is where people live - horses, businesses, farmers, church-goers and a 140,000 people - all marooned in their houses while 30,000 cyclists treat the place like Disneyworld.  The way the private company went about organising this event was a disgrace.  No wonder opposition increased the more people heard about it.  I very much doubt this velo will ever see the light of day again.

Avatar
srchar replied to Cumrew | 5 years ago
14 likes

Cumrew wrote:

church-goers

lol

Malcontents worshipping at the altar of sloth and obesity. Their fat, wheezing kids will be so proud.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to srchar | 5 years ago
2 likes

srchar wrote:

Cumrew wrote:

church-goers

lol

Malcontents worshipping at the altar of sloth and obesity. Their fat, wheezing kids will be so proud.

I recall a similar objection to one of the UKCE New Forest events - because it was taking place on - heaven forbid - Palm Sunday!

Avatar
Morgoth985 replied to Cumrew | 5 years ago
3 likes

Cumrew wrote:

 a lot of QCs to represent them. 

Really?  It's a sportive, not a new constitution.

Avatar
srchar replied to Morgoth985 | 5 years ago
6 likes

Morgoth985 wrote:

Cumrew wrote:

 a lot of QCs to represent them. 

Really?  It's a sportive, not a new constitution.

I think it stands for Querulous C*nts.

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey replied to Cumrew | 5 years ago
2 likes

Cumrew wrote:

Vox populi - the company that organises this says it's been cancelled because of the weather but I suspect they have succumbed to the amount of protest from local residents in the South Downs.  The sun is shining and the forecast looks great.  There are a lot of people very motivated to stop this with a lot of resources and a lot of QCs to represent them.  The South Downs is where people live - horses, businesses, farmers, church-goers and a 140,000 people - all marooned in their houses while 30,000 cyclists treat the place like Disneyworld.  The way the private company went about organising this event was a disgrace.  No wonder opposition increased the more people heard about it.  I very much doubt this velo will ever see the light of day again.

 

I thought the organisers were CSM?

 

You are a gullible fool, you have been taken in by the lies and propaganda put out by one person and 3 or 4 mugs that joined in.  "Marooned in your houses" - really?

It was 15,000 cyclists max too.  So you can't even get simple facts right.

 

Why not join in?  Or why not get a chair out and enjoy the sights and sounds of people enjoying themselves, instead of being a negative, moaning misery guts.  Your attitude and the handful of people opposing it are typical of why this country is going down the pan.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Daveyraveygravey | 5 years ago
0 likes

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Cumrew wrote:

Vox populi - the company that organises this says it's been cancelled because of the weather but I suspect they have succumbed to the amount of protest from local residents in the South Downs.  The sun is shining and the forecast looks great.  There are a lot of people very motivated to stop this with a lot of resources and a lot of QCs to represent them.  The South Downs is where people live - horses, businesses, farmers, church-goers and a 140,000 people - all marooned in their houses while 30,000 cyclists treat the place like Disneyworld.  The way the private company went about organising this event was a disgrace.  No wonder opposition increased the more people heard about it.  I very much doubt this velo will ever see the light of day again.

I thought the organisers were CSM?

You are a gullible fool, you have been taken in by the lies and propaganda put out by one person and 3 or 4 mugs that joined in.  "Marooned in your houses" - really?

It was 15,000 cyclists max too.  So you can't even get simple facts right.

Why not join in?  Or why not get a chair out and enjoy the sights and sounds of people enjoying themselves, instead of being a negative, moaning misery guts.  Your attitude and the handful of people opposing it are typical of why this country is going down the pan.

I'd thought they were trying to imply that the cancellation due to bad weather was down to the number of protests made by the local gammons ("voice of the people").

(Sorry if I missed the whooshing sound...  )

Avatar
srchar replied to Daveyraveygravey | 5 years ago
6 likes

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Why not join in?  Or why not get a chair out and enjoy the sights and sounds of people enjoying themselves, instead of being a negative, moaning misery guts.  Your attitude and the handful of people opposing it are typical of why this country is going down the pan.

When you dig a bit deeper, you usually find that the thing people like Cumrew are _actually_ pissed off about is how shit their own lives turned out. They then become fixated on preventing other people having fun, particularly the sort of fun they don’t understand, and especially when it’s the sort of thing they wish they were fit/clever/rich/whatever enough to do themselves.

Avatar
davel replied to srchar | 5 years ago
3 likes

srchar wrote:

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Why not join in?  Or why not get a chair out and enjoy the sights and sounds of people enjoying themselves, instead of being a negative, moaning misery guts.  Your attitude and the handful of people opposing it are typical of why this country is going down the pan.

When you dig a bit deeper, you usually find that the thing people like Cumrew are _actually_ pissed off about is how shit their own lives turned out. They then become fixated on preventing other people having fun, particularly the sort of fun they don’t understand, and especially when it’s the sort of thing they wish they were fit/clever/rich/whatever enough to do themselves.

Exactly this.

You've really landed in a bag of dicks if you thimply mutht wegithter on a site you have nothing to do with, to post a message you suppose will piss some of its members off.

Well done cumrew. Is anybody happy with the way you've turned out?

Latest Comments