Author Topic: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb  (Read 10280 times)

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #25 on: 18 November, 2011, 02:08:38 pm »
Still, at least now the facilities are there, there'll be other years, and without the olympics-related interest...

This is the factor that really grips my shit.

I have a deep interest in cycling that stems from several years before Team GB got good.

I want to enjoy the facilites of the Olympic Velodrome to satisfy my long lasting interest in cycling, whilst the Olympic fervour is developing and whilst the Olympics are taking place.

I suspect many band wagon jumpers and hangers on* are preventing this.

*I understand that proabaly as many tickets have been obtained by folk with the same passion as me.

rocks

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #26 on: 18 November, 2011, 02:25:28 pm »
This is the factor that really grips my shit.

And how, pray tell would you propose the tickets were distributed?

If the issue was that 75% of the tickets had gone to MPs/dignitaries or corporate entertainers, I would understand your beef, but as I understand it, a small allocation has gone to local borough residents/British Cycling members/sponsors, and the rest went on to the free market.

The velodrome is, by definition, a low capacity venue which would inevitably sell out very quickly. If you weren't quick enough to get in there on time, I'm not sure how you can blame that on anyone else.

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #27 on: 18 November, 2011, 02:46:03 pm »
I'm not necessarily proposing any other ticket allocation system, though my feelings about the original Olympic lottery system is that it sucked the big one- allowing people to apply for as many tickets as they wanted as opposed to maybe limiting it to appications of 4-6 tickets per household on the first round so that maybe more people got the chance to recieve tickets.

What I'm doing is having a rant because I can't get tickets as a cycling fan who wants to watch cycling.


rocks

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #28 on: 18 November, 2011, 02:53:23 pm »
I have considerably more sympathy for reservations over the ticket allocation system for the Olympics, which clearly favoured those individuals with sufficient budget to 'risk' applying for excessive numbers of tickets (a work colleague of a friend of mine applied for over £50k worth of tickets - ended up with about £750 worth).

Personally, I would have liked to have seen a weighted system which allowed everyone to apply for, say, 10 sessions, which they would rank order in terms of preference.  Then in the ballot, their first choice event they would get 10 'chances', second choice nine and so on down to one 'chance' for their lowest preference session.  I think something along these lines would have resulted in a far fairer distribution of tickets amongst those interested in the various sports.

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #29 on: 18 November, 2011, 03:02:26 pm »
Whatever system was adopted would attract criticism from someone somewhere.

I have no doubt that I could get tickets for something. I just don't want to get tickets for something I have no interest in watching. To me that is like paying to get into a venue during construction to watch paint dry.

I shall continue to sit in the corner grumbling about not getting tickets to anything I want to see either before or during the Olympics.

red marley

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #30 on: 18 November, 2011, 04:31:10 pm »
If the issue was that 75% of the tickets had gone to MPs/dignitaries or corporate entertainers, I would understand your beef, but as I understand it, a small allocation has gone to local borough residents/British Cycling members/sponsors, and the rest went on to the free market.

The velodrome is, by definition, a low capacity venue which would inevitably sell out very quickly. If you weren't quick enough to get in there on time, I'm not sure how you can blame that on anyone else.

I feel frustrated by the process largely because of a lack of detail on what precisely was available. I am a local resident and tried applying for tickets within 60 seconds of them going online early for locals. No luck. I tried the same once they went on general sale, but again no luck.

As I understand it, with both of these sales, they became sold out within a minute of release. It does then beg the question as to how many were actually available after BC and VIPs had taken their allocation.

The reality seems out of kilter with the publicity.

Tim

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #31 on: 18 November, 2011, 05:56:43 pm »
Hmmm, so the tickets were too cheap if the demand is that high. If they doubled the price I suspect they would still sell out...

robgul

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #32 on: 18 November, 2011, 06:13:04 pm »
Hmmm, so the tickets were too cheap if the demand is that high. If they doubled the price I suspect they would still sell out...

Indeed - mine were via the BC "member benefit" option .. and were only £10 a throw for 7 hours worth of cycling (the Saturday daytime session) - that's stupidly cheap for sitting in the 4th row (OK, I have to add on about £30 for train fares for my (young) wife ...£20 for me  :thumbsup: )

The upside to me personally is that YES I get to see and feel the Velodrome with what should be some good events (and going to Revolution a couple of weeks beforehand) - and not the circus that's going to be the big "sports day" in August ... about which I don't really give a toss and believe that back in 2005 Paris, France really won the Olympic decision by coming second.

Rob

red marley

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #33 on: 18 November, 2011, 08:09:55 pm »
Hmmm, so the tickets were too cheap if the demand is that high. If they doubled the price I suspect they would still sell out...

Who knows? I still don't know if there were only 20 tickets on sale or 5980 of them.

I just can't help feeling I've been taken for a ride (and not the good kind).

christel

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #34 on: 01 February, 2012, 07:20:01 pm »
Hi all, I'm a Belgian Track lover. My friends's son is participating in the World Cup in london in February. We plan to come over but there seem to be no tickets any more. Is there anyone who has 3 tickets for sale (for Omnium, Friday and Saturday). This would mean very much for us.

Thanks for your feedback.

Christel

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #35 on: 09 February, 2012, 10:11:06 am »

red marley

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #36 on: 09 February, 2012, 10:40:32 am »
And again, all snapped up within seconds of release. Grumble grumble.

JT

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #37 on: 13 February, 2012, 11:04:02 am »
Two tickets available for Sunday's session. £40 each plus £5 for postage.

Please PM me if you're interested.

EDIT: sold
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Speshact

  • Charlie
Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #38 on: 15 February, 2012, 06:26:05 pm »
Put 'Olympic Velodrome' into Transport for London's Journey Planner and you get directions to Herne Hill Velodrome!

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #39 on: 16 February, 2012, 11:54:11 am »
Tickets that we bought for Saturday still haven't arrived in the post >:(

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #40 on: 16 February, 2012, 12:11:11 pm »
Tickets that we bought for Saturday still haven't arrived in the post >:(

Did you buy in the initial release before Christmas, or the latest one a week or so ago?  The reason I ask is that ours (bought in the first release) arrived a couple of weeks ago.

robgul

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #41 on: 16 February, 2012, 01:27:17 pm »
Ours for Saturday, purchased in Nov, were printed on 17 Jan and have been here since about 23 Jan.

Rob

fuzzy

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #42 on: 17 February, 2012, 11:52:03 am »
Tickets that we bought for Saturday still haven't arrived in the post >:(

Did you buy in the initial release before Christmas, or the latest one a week or so ago?  The reason I ask is that ours (bought in the first release) arrived a couple of weeks ago.

Purchased in the recent release.

Arrived yesterday :thumbsup: (Thank Dog)

andygates

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #43 on: 17 February, 2012, 10:28:02 pm »
Is it just me, or is there already a hint of Holy Ground about this place?
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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #44 on: 17 February, 2012, 10:40:58 pm »
It looked epic on the telly. Can't wait for revolution to come to Glasgow.
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Pingu

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #45 on: 17 February, 2012, 11:00:15 pm »
Bit of an Eddie the Eagle moment earlier.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #46 on: 17 February, 2012, 11:32:59 pm »
Gold in sprint and pursuit for GB women!
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marcusjb

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #47 on: 18 February, 2012, 12:13:12 am »
Home now. What an incredible evening. The venue is staggering. Brilliant atmosphere and lots of great action.

I hope anyone else going this weekend has as much fun as we did tonight.
Right! What's next?

Ooooh. That sounds like a daft idea.  I am in!

Chris S

Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #48 on: 18 February, 2012, 01:01:58 am »
Fidgetbuzz picked me as his "OAP" friend (Oldies rates) and took me along for this evening's events.

What a brilliant atmosphere. Deafening at times - esp the Women's Team event. I liked the live Twitter feed on the main screens; "#twclondon - Check out the German's thighs. Are they for real?"


IMAG0307 by Pelotonhound, on Flickr

More rubbish mobile phone snaps here: Clickity

Fidgetbuzz

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Re: London 2012 Prepares - Track Cycling in Feb
« Reply #49 on: 18 February, 2012, 01:04:54 am »
ChrisS and myself back in Norfolk now - great evening, and at modest cost too - geriatric tickets, free program, dirt cheap parking £2 for the evening in Westfield.
Golds for the girls - and the fun of the omnium elimination for the last race.
What is not to like !!
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