Sabotage of New Forest sportive

[Biff]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10721885.Saboteurs_target_cycle_event/

The rise in the popularity of organised events seems to be equalled by the opposition raised to said. Last year it was tacks liberally spread across roads in (I think) Yorkshire, this year the residents of parts of Surrey were up in arms, now this. Is it really just NIMBY motorists who resent having to wait 2 minutes safely to overtake or is the behaviour of a great many cyclists really not up to standard?
And how are cyclists detrimental to flora and fauna? I understand the concerns about the rounding up of wild ponies, but how many toads or bluebells were destroyed?

[TimC]

There seems to be a serious failure of PR between, in this case, the Wiggle ride organisers and the local residents. There's no doubt that an event of this size can appear to overwhelm a relatively quiet country area, and that the perceived inconvenience can easily outweigh any economic benefit (which is probably moot at best when there are few spectators and the particpants' needs are met by the organiser). Somwhere, communications weren't adequate to prevent a conflict of timing. The Wiggle ride is an imposition form outside, and it must do better to ingratiate itself with the locals. Plenty of sportives and other mass-participation events do get on well with their temporary neighbours; Wiggle needs to work harder to overcome opposition in the New Forest - or move the ride elsewhere.

[LEE]

It's the New Forest "Gridiron" 100k this weekend.

That's 1000 riders I think (advertised in the New Forest Tourist Guide as well).

I was going to meet a mate down there but I may give it a miss now. 

[Exit Stage Left]

The accompanying picture to that story shows a car with a bike rack. What rules are there about supporting riders? The impact might be from cars as much as bikes.

[Lady Cavendish]

I did this ride yesterday. That picture is taken right by the entrance of the car park by the start/finish- those riders are all just finishing. I'm sure that car with the bike rack will just be going home......

Everything went fine down there yesterday, I can't speak for Saturdays ride, but there were no problems yesterday. I was actually surprised by the lack of huge groups of riders all over the road, everyone seemed to be riding pretty sensibly in single file most of the time.

[L CC]

And how are cyclists detrimental to flora and fauna? I understand the concerns about the rounding up of wild ponies, but how many toads or bluebells were destroyed?

Litter. The audax I did yesterday overlapped with a sportive. On that section of the route (no blame, just co-incidence, and volume of numbers from both rides) I saw 2 arm warmers (not a pair), 3 inner tubes, at least half a dozen gel wrappers and the same number of banana skins.

There is probably less impact on the verges of suburban Suffolk than heath in the New Forest.

[Kim]

Litter. The audax I did yesterday overlapped with a sportive. On that section of the route (no blame, just co-incidence, and volume of numbers from both rides) I saw 2 arm warmers (not a pair), 3 inner tubes, at least half a dozen gel wrappers and the same number of banana skins.

That sort of thing really pisses me off.  I can accept that some of it is dropped accidentally (I can't believe anyone actually wants to discard their arm warmers, hi-vis jackets, gardening gloves, bungees, screwdrivers, USB cables and whatever else you find on the road, but you'd hope that cyclists would be sick enough of riding past endless streams of litter to not want to contribute to it.  As for banana skins, is it really that much effort to throw them in the ditch/hedge?

Of course, in the real world, the people chucking tubes and gel wrappers are probably the same ones lobbing the McDonalds wrappers and dirty nappies from their car windows.   

[vorsprung]

I had a Wiggle sportive go past my house.  There was no forward warning of it, no notices like the tour of Britain.  The night before various yellow arrows appeared on the corner next to my house.  I assume a hundred+ riders went past at some point, I was out all day!

If there were more riders, bunched and on a narrow road I would imagine that this kind of surprise could be a bit of a nuisance

Add in litter and poor bike handling and it's not really surprising there are complaints, and that's not even taking into account the odd rider who might be rude or an inconsiderate road user.

[ian.r.mcdonald]

I did the Cat and Fiddle Rourke ride on Sunday- and as ever it was a great ride with what looked like a 1000+ riders

even on such a well run and pleasant ride- I noticed (after 7 previous rides) a definite increase in cars sounding horns etc although not justified in most cases.

We even had a biker  (I am one too!) complaining at the Cat and Fiddle summit about riders blocking him- I did not bring into the fairly heated discussion the fact that he had a small (illegal) number plate and what looked like a race can fitted

The growth of cycling is great- but agree that we need to watch in which way its going

[LEE]

Litter. The audax I did yesterday overlapped with a sportive. On that section of the route (no blame, just co-incidence, and volume of numbers from both rides) I saw 2 arm warmers (not a pair), 3 inner tubes, at least half a dozen gel wrappers and the same number of banana skins.

There is probably less impact on the verges of suburban Suffolk than heath in the New Forest.

I can't say I'm bothered by discarded fruit but Gel wrappers and inner tubes, tossed into the hedgerow, boils my blood.
They should be thrown out of their cycling clubs if found to be doing it.

I live, walk and cycle in an area full of (what you would think are) deserted country lanes.  Most car drivers probably think they are litter-free.  That's far from the truth.  As a cyclist and walker I'm amazed at the amount of cans and bottles in the hedgerow.  Depressing really.  I bet you can't walk more than 20 yards without seeing litter.

My 300k Audax through the Forest of Dean was a real eye-opener.  So much litter.  I can only assume people go there to enjoy the beauty, have their MacDonald's Happy mean and Coke then throw the whole lot onto the verge.  Probably the same c***s that complain about the litter next time they visit.

To think that cyclists would add to it is abhorrent.

Shit...I need to go and lie in a dark room for a few minutes.

[TimC]

Litter. The audax I did yesterday overlapped with a sportive. On that section of the route (no blame, just co-incidence, and volume of numbers from both rides) I saw 2 arm warmers (not a pair), 3 inner tubes, at least half a dozen gel wrappers and the same number of banana skins.

There is probably less impact on the verges of suburban Suffolk than heath in the New Forest.

I can't say I'm bothered by discarded fruit but Gel wrappers and inner tubes, tossed into the hedgerow, boils my blood.
They should be thrown out of their cycling clubs if found to be doing it.

I live, walk and cycle in an area full of (what you would think are) deserted country lanes.  Most car drivers probably think they are litter-free.  That's far from the truth.  As a cyclist and walker I'm amazed at the amount of cans and bottles in the hedgerow.  Depressing really.  I bet you can't walk more than 20 yards without seeing litter.

My 300k Audax through the Forest of Dean was a real eye-opener.  So much litter.  I can only assume people go there to enjoy the beauty, have their MacDonald's Happy mean and Coke then throw the whole lot onto the verge.  Probably the same c***s that complain about the litter next time they visit.

To think that cyclists would add to it is abhorrent.

Shit...I need to go and lie in a dark room for a few minutes.

I'll bet that most of them aren't in a club! As for general countryside litter, I have a couple of hundred yards of hedge next to a minor road. We live about 4 miles from the nearest fast-food place or supermarket, yet we get a significant amount of stuff thrown from passing cars and, sadly, bikes. This road features in many, many club rides, sportives, charity rides, and general, non-aligned cycling - and even, I dare say, the occasional Audax. I've yet to find an inner tube, but plenty of co2 cartridges, banana skins, and gel wrappers.

[mattc]

I really hate seeing discarded inner-tubes. They're not really any worse than other forms of (non bio-degradable) litter, but they do rather scream CYCLIST DROPPINGS!

(We never get gel wrappers round here, we're clearly not on the right kind of routes. Riding up Alpe D'Huez was a bit of an eye-opener in that respect ...       )

[Socks]

It seems similar to car drivers complaining about cyclists jumping red lights.  OK, a minority of cyclists jump red lights; a minority of cyclists throw litter. 

So do a minority of car drivers - I can always tell which roads are popular routes between takeaways and built up areas, because of the volume of cartons and other crap thrown from passing vehicles into the roadside verges.

So whatever form of transport, there is a minority of tossers?

[hatler]

And as the Australian government advertising campaign so succincly put it, "DON'T BE A TOSSER!"

[Kim]

It seems similar to car drivers complaining about cyclists jumping red lights.  OK, a minority of cyclists jump red lights; a minority of cyclists throw litter. 

So do a minority of car drivers - I can always tell which roads are popular routes between takeaways and built up areas, because of the volume of cartons and other crap thrown from passing vehicles into the roadside verges.

So whatever form of transport, there is a minority of tossers?

So the best we can hope for is that the inner tubes and banana skins start to be as common as the nappies and McDonalds wrappers?

[JBB]

I did this ride yesterday. That picture is taken right by the entrance of the car park by the start/finish- those riders are all just finishing. I'm sure that car with the bike rack will just be going home......

Everything went fine down there yesterday, I can't speak for Saturdays ride, but there were no problems yesterday. I was actually surprised by the lack of huge groups of riders all over the road, everyone seemed to be riding pretty sensibly in single file most of the time.

It was not without incident; I heard of 2 at the Cycling Club evening last Tuesday from other riders/residents. The choice of route seems bizarre if you want to coexist with locals. To start the ride with a right turn onto an A-road for instance; this quickly causes gridlock on the main road for miles  - the alternative would be to go left and then take the Beaulieu route. Additionally it took no account of the clash with the time trial element of a local road race - Glen Longland memorial. Add to which gridlock on the A36 when a 30 strong group totally
ignored their responsibility to give way ending up with people in the ditch.

The litter I see is mainly signs that are not collected - I'm tempted to collect them and post them back with no stamp.

I'm concerned that one day I will get the backlash from this when I'm out on my bike in the Forest.

[LEE]

So the best we can hope for is that the inner tubes and banana skins start to be as common as the nappies and McDonalds wrappers?

Maybe I'm being inconsistent here but I don't have an issue with banana skins and apple cores.

Maybe it's because banana tress and apple trees are responsible for most of the world's discarded bananas and apples.

Come to think of it..I've never seen a discarded banana peel.  Red-Bull cans? Yes..plenty of those (it's the Chav's breakfast drink of choice), Neon green plastic bottle?  yes..they stand out beautifully from the hedgerow (what are they?  another Chav "wake me up" beverage?).  3-piece Suites?  yes, Televisions?  yes.  Banana peel?  no.

I'll happily trade discarded 3-piece suites for an occasional banana peel.

[Kim]

I'm not suggesting that biodegradable waste is anywhere near as bad as all the plastic crap, but seriously, you've never seen a banana skin on the road?!?

Oh, wait - Hampshire - they probably get eaten by roadkill.

[mattc]

I'll happily trade discarded 3-piece suites for an occasional banana peel.

+1

I've seen a small number of nana skins over the years - but i've seen more fast-food wrappers. And I've seen more red-bull cans. etc ...

[L CC]

I think it's the way it was so clearly cyclist spoor that depressed me.

[Salvatore]

Come to think of it..I've never seen a discarded banana peel.

Null points for you then.

 Banana skins from Arrivée c 1992

(sorry wrong sub-forum)

[teethgrinder]

21 years on and I still can't cycle past an old and festering banana skin without thinking, "Aha! A Graham Moult!"

[Jaded]

Banana skins from the Guardian.

[YahudaMoon]

Banana skins from the Guardian.

Two years? Orange peel and banana skins - 2 years

Someones talking sh*t
Of what no stats for sh*t


I guess the The John Muir Trust would expect you to hold it in 'touching clothe till you find a proper sh*t disposal system

[LEE]

I'd never throw a banana peel or apple core onto the ground, in open view.  Biodegradable or not, that's just unsightly litter.

However I am guilty of throwing them into deep undergrowth/hedgerow.