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New Forest ride rerouted over safety concerns

Terrifying (to Forest residents) two-way cycle traffic avoided

The route of a CTC ride in the New Forest has been changed as a result of safety warnings over a clash with a sportive this coming Sunday.

Last week, the New Forest Safety Advisory Group (SAG) called on the organisers of the Wiggle New Forest 100 Sportive and the CTC New Forest Gridiron 100 not to hold their events on the same day unless they can ensure that there is no clash between routes and timings.

The route of the CTC event has been changed so that riders from the two events will not travel in opposite directions on the same road at the same time, a situation the SAG felt would give local drivers dangerous conniption fits.

Wiggle New Forest 100 organiser Martin Barden criticised the SAG for issuing a "premature" press release about the clash that he said just heightened tensions over cycling in the area.

On its website, CTC Wessex said it only realised the extent of the clash on September 23.

“We have been in regular communication with UK Cycling Events since then, unfortunately they are unwilling to make any changes to the Wiggle event.

“So, as we could not agree any sort of compromise, we (with the help and cooperation of the village halls and WI's who make our event possible) have agreed to change our route in the interests of safety."

The new Gridiron route runs in the same direction as the Wiggle sportive and organisers have taken out much of the section where the two routes previously used the road in opposite directions.

Martin Barden, director of Wiggle sportive organisers UK Cycling events thanked the Gridiron organisers for changing their route.

He told the Daily Echo's Katie Clark: “Although we would have liked to have adjusted our route, it was unsafe for us to match the direction of the original Gridiron route”, he said.

“This route was in a clockwise direction meaning the majority of turns would have been right hand turns across a lane of oncoming traffic which is not as safe in our opinion.”

He added: “The only shame is that the Safety Advisory Group issued a premature press statement last week further heightening the tensions in the New Forest towards cycling.”

Chairman of the New Forest Safety Advisory Group, James Knight, said: “We’re pleased that the organisers have acted on our recommendations to ensure that their events can take place as safely as possible.

"The SAG has an important role in advising event organisers regarding the safety of their event in the interest of everyone taking part, as well as the local community.

"Our concerns have been lessened although the public should still be aware that congestion may occur and should take extra care when travelling in the area.”

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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16 comments

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Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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It's been two days now and not one comment has come forward in support of the communities who have had to suffer the problem of 'sportive virgin' cyclists (Gareth said it).

Up until 2012, cycling in the UK, in all its’ aspects, was a real beacon. Our men and women racers were winning all over the world. It inspired families to join in. BC saw the opportunity to get many new members. Retailers saw the opportunity to sell more bikes. Sportive organisers saw the opportunity to get virgin bike-riders into mass-start social rides.

The problem has been that the majority of sportive riders have no experience of riding in a group on an open road. They haven't been taught the real basics of looking after the livelihood of their fellow cyclists. They don't appreciate the safety of other road users or pedestrians. In other words, they have not learnt the meaning of bike etiquette. They have no pedigree. The majority, and I do say the majority, have no respect for anyone-else.

Up until 2012, us real roadmen (proper roadmen.......shame on you, Gareth!), were already having problems with racing on open roads. Police forces all over the UK were trying to push us on to closed roads. In fact, due to the problems caused by sportives since 2012, more of our races will be on closed roads next year and beyond.

We had a real opportunity to be a real biking nation after 2012. All the disparate organisations should have joined forces, rather than forging ahead with their own agendas. There could have been real cohesion......something that even the non-cycling fraternity might have got behind. The BC, the LVRC, The CTC, The Surrey League (and other leagues) plus many other cycling organisations have their own event calendar. If they would just engage with each other, we might have one all-embracing calendar of events, where local communities would be well-prepared for cycling events that will be happening in on their door-step.

O’k, I’m the tree fairy, I’m pompous, plus all the other things, but my comments were intended to pull out your comments. I did hope that there would be some support. At the end of the day, I’m a roadman. A bit old, but I’m still winning road races. I’d like to think that today's the ‘sportive virgin’ riders will one day make good road-men.

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freespirit1 | 9 years ago
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I've pointed it out before it is like the Peoples Front of Judea in here sometimes!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

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brooksby replied to freespirit1 | 9 years ago
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freespirit1 wrote:

I've pointed it out before it is like the Peoples Front of Judea in here sometimes!!

Mind you, I hear that jaguars' earlobes are a great nutrious and low-fat ride snack...

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OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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With cyclists attacking cyclists, who needs New Forest NIMBYs?

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Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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The 'gentlemen' of the CTC have caved in and changed their route to appease Martin Barden and his horde of idiot sportive riders. The local hill-climb has had to shorten their event for the same reason.

How long is it going to take for an established cycling body (BC) to organise some kind of correlation, a calendar of events even, between all of these organisations. When that happens, Martin Barden will have to fall in line and organise his events in a civilised manner.

The New Forest is a peaceful place and it welcomes small groups of cyclists.....pedestrian types, family types and local training groups all year round. Sportives in the New Forest just don't fit.

If you are an experienced roadman, you will give me lots of likes! If you are a sportive rider, you will give lots of the other stuff!

So there you go!

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Chuck replied to Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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Mickyruff wrote:

If you are an experienced roadman, you will give me lots of likes! If you are a sportive rider, you will give lots of the other stuff!

So there you go!

This is really pompous. Have a load of 'the other stuff'.

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Mickyruff replied to Chuck | 9 years ago
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Hello Chucky!

Us roadies have always been pompous, elitist if you like. That's the only way to keep sportive riders like you from creeping up the ladder!

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Leviathan replied to Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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Mickyruff wrote:

That's the only way to keep sportive riders like you from creeping up the ladder!

You think you are on a ladder? The only ladder you will get to the top is is putting the fairy on the top of the Christmas Tree.

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brackley88 replied to Leviathan | 9 years ago
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Think he might be the Christmas tree fairy....

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brackley88 replied to Leviathan | 9 years ago
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Think he might be the Christmas tree fairy....

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parksey replied to Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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Mickyruff wrote:

Us roadies have always been pompous, elitist if you like. That's the only way to keep sportive riders like you from creeping up the ladder!

Wow. Just wow.

I bet you've been spray painting your tacks in readiness for this weekend?

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gareth2510 replied to Mickyruff | 9 years ago
0 likes
Mickyruff wrote:

The 'gentlemen' of the CTC have caved in and changed their route to appease Martin Barden and his horde of idiot sportive riders. The local hill-climb has had to shorten their event for the same reason.

How long is it going to take for an established cycling body (BC) to organise some kind of correlation, a calendar of events even, between all of these organisations. When that happens, Martin Barden will have to fall in line and organise his events in a civilised manner.

The New Forest is a peaceful place and it welcomes small groups of cyclists.....pedestrian types, family types and local training groups all year round. Sportives in the New Forest just don't fit.

If you are an experienced roadman, you will give me lots of likes! If you are a sportive rider, you will give lots of the other stuff!

"Idiot SPortive Riders".... there, right there in 1 line you have made yourself look the idiot.

So there you go!

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brackley88 replied to Mickyruff | 9 years ago
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Mickyruff wrote:

If you are an experienced roadman, you will give me lots of likes! If you are a sportive rider, you will give lots of the other stuff!

So there you go!

Really? Seriously? Other stuff....from a very experienced 'roadman' who welcomes and waves all cyclists from the basket bike lady to the brand new sportive Virgin. Shame on you.

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yarman | 9 years ago
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And the wiggle sportive route means that our club's annual hill climb has to be on a shortened course!

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KiwiMike | 9 years ago
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Let's be 100% clear here: the New Forest Safety Advisory Group's sole aim is to increase the opportunity for cars to overtake as frequently as possible. This has nothing at all to do with cyclists' safety. None. Sweet-nF-All.

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pakennedy | 9 years ago
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Of course there'll be congestion. It's the new forest at a weekend. The tourist cars pretty much gridlock whole chunks... Oh wait...

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