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Birmingham to host 100-mile, closed road sportive for 15,000 ridersBirmingham.jpg

Birmingham to host 100-mile, closed road sportive for 15,000 riders

Next September's Vélo Birmingham will be launched at the Cycle Show later this month - pre-register now...
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Sep 05, 2016 12:00
7

Birmingham will host a 100-mile closed road sportive next September, with 15,000 cyclists expected to take part.

Details of the event, Vélo Birmingham, are being kept under wraps for now, with the official launch taking place at the Cycle Show at the NEC on Thursday 22 September.

If you want to be one of the first to know about what's planned, you can pre-register now on the Vélo Birmingham website.

Vélo Birmingham
Birmingham
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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Velodan68 | 7 years ago
1 like

Having riden RL three times and Velothon Wales twice I too am frustrated by all the newbies but seriously we shouldn't be overly sniffy about these events. Just hope that you get a nice early start time to increase your chances of avoiding the masses and then be patient and enjoy the closed roads. More cyclists on the road must be encouraged and if these events inspire peope to get on their bikes to give it a go then we should embrace it.

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rjfrussell | 7 years ago
0 likes

It's an interesting trade-off.  Did Ride London for first time this year.  Great riding closed roads.  Not so great having to share closed roads!  Not sure where the balance lies.

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Simon E | 7 years ago
1 like

I suppose this is the consequence of putting events on in big city centres at a time when sportives are very popular. I don't get why everyone is so keen to pay through the nose to ride in a massive peloton of thousands and the accompanying stress - watching out for those who can't ride for toffee, the wheelsuckers or the aggressive wankers who shout "Hold your line you f..king chopper" for no good reason.

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Leviathan replied to Simon E | 7 years ago
1 like

Simon E wrote:

I suppose this is the consequence of putting events on in big city centres at a time when sportives are very popular. I don't get why everyone is so keen to pay through the nose to ride in a massive peloton of thousands and the accompanying stress - watching out for those who can't ride for toffee, the wheelsuckers or the aggressive wankers who shout "Hold your line you f..king chopper" for no good reason.

No, red, lights. 

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handlebarcam | 7 years ago
4 likes

Vélo Birmingham is a rather unimaginative name. They could call it the Etape du Bullring. Or the Gran Fondo Cemento e Piscio.

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Wolfshade replied to handlebarcam | 7 years ago
0 likes

handlebarcam wrote:

 Or the Gran Fondo Cemento e Piscio.

 

That sounds like my kind of strava award 3

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1961BikiE | 7 years ago
0 likes

I suppose that these closed road event sneed big fields to raise the cash to cover the road closures. Having witnessed what to me seemed like chaos at Ride London I think the fields in reality are too big. Add to that the number of folk who have little or no experience of riding in groups and problems will arise.

I've registered but will have to think whether or not I take it any further.

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