The Most Ridiculous Complaints Received by Organisers

[Gareth Rees]

Conversely, on some 200 this year, we got a warning at the start that there was a veritable mountain of gravel on the routesheet route and that we should divert round here and there.

That was John Juckes' Haslingfield 200 in March. There was gravel all across the road, but no more than a typical gravel path. (It was nice to be told about it at the start.)

John did ask me at the end whether I had any complaints, which I think was very sporting of him given how long he had been waiting for me.

[Jasmine]

Which bit of diagonally across Wales twice doesn't look hilly?

 

Anglesey?  That's flat.

[The Seldom Killer]

Personally I love the 'sting in the tail' bits of an Audax, it really really riles the whingers which makes me chuckle.

I just don't see why all the organisers feel the need to do it.

These days I get a bit worried if I roll up to the finish without having diverted via the local Ventoux and wonder if I'm accidentally trying to finish at some different village altogether.

[Martin]

Personally I love the 'sting in the tail' bits of an Audax, it really really riles the whingers which makes me chuckle.

I just don't see why all the organisers feel the need to do it.

These days I get a bit worried if I roll up to the finish without having diverted via the local Ventoux and wonder if I'm accidentally trying to finish at some different village altogether.

anybody who doesn't want to do Ditchling Beacon at the end of my event this year is welcome to switch to the alternative wimp-out (if you call 2089m of climb wimping out)

there will be a £35 admin fee to do this though....

[Peter]

Personally I love the 'sting in the tail' bits of an Audax, it really really riles the whingers which makes me chuckle.

Whingers might try some of the Saddleworth AAA's.  They start with a sting in the start, go on stinging through 20 or 30 1 in 7's connected by flat bits for the next 190k, via cafes with toilets 3 floors up (learned from Salem, Hebden Bridge), information controls where you might be required to ask the local psychopath the names of his parents and get him to repeat them if your biro won't work, until the necessary drop to base is provided by a 10k down hill section with 30 cattle grids and a level crossing.  If that wasn't enough, we're hard up here and you are quite likely to be passed by some crazy man on fixed, whistling and playing a ukulele.  And even before you start, you know that D** has been round it the day before in slacks and a sweater, smoking a pipe and towing a harmonium.  But  "whingeing"?  I should think not!

(Ok, I lied about the level-crossing.)

 

[Redlight]

The first time I rode the Invicta 200 I had to put up, for about 5 miles, with a sportive rider moaning about the lack of arrows showing him which way to go. I pointed out the route sheet holder on my bars and suggested he obtained one rather than keeping his in his back pocket or trying to ride one handed while reading it.  Funny enough, haven't seen him since.

[Scoosh]

Disclaimer - in my limited experince as an organiser, audaxers are a very polite bunch who are more courteous than they have any right to be.

However, now the fun bit.....

A rider on my 200k in March this year complained offered as a suggestion (knowing that you were a first time Organiser) at the finish that I should really have  it would have been very nice if you could have checked if either  which of the two cycle paths on the Forth Road Bridge (@ 195k) were closed for repairs, so that I could erect a sign at about 190k informing riders whether to take the path on the East or West side of the bridge, thus avoiding a 20 yard detour the need to carry bike down the steps under the bridge and back up the other side - also stated to have been probably the hardest bit of the whole ride !  I said that this was an excellent suggestion and asked that next time the event is run that he detour on his way to the event to put the sign up.

This was the same rider who also insisted at the finish that I deduct 3 minutes from his finish time of 13hrs 258mins as I wasnt around to stamp his card instantly when he pitched up (as it was way after 9pm I was in a cupboard looking for a brush to clear the place up and go home).  In the end I gave him an additional 5 minute time penalty for his lip.    I understood him to be insisting in a jocular manner, as it was his first ever 200 

I was there when this rider came in ... so I know 

Hope this rude, whingeing, dough-heid hasn't put you off organising other events ....

[Manotea]

Disclaimer - in my limited experince as an organiser, audaxers are a very polite bunch who are more courteous than they have any right to be.

However, now the fun bit.....

A rider on my 200k in March this year complained offered as a suggestion (knowing that you were a first time Organiser) at the finish that I should really have  it would have been very nice if you could have checked if either  which of the two cycle paths on the Forth Road Bridge (@ 195k) were closed for repairs, so that I could erect a sign at about 190k informing riders whether to take the path on the East or West side of the bridge, thus avoiding a 20 yard detour the need to carry bike down the steps under the bridge and back up the other side - also stated to have been probably the hardest bit of the whole ride !  I said that this was an excellent suggestion and asked that next time the event is run that he detour on his way to the event to put the sign up.

This was the same rider who also insisted at the finish that I deduct 3 minutes from his finish time of 13hrs 258mins as I wasnt around to stamp his card instantly when he pitched up (as it was way after 9pm I was in a cupboard looking for a brush to clear the place up and go home).  In the end I gave him an additional 5 minute time penalty for his lip.    I understood him to be insisting in a jocular manner, as it was his first ever 200 

I was there when this rider came in ... so I know 

Hope this rude, whingeing, dough-heid hasn't put you off organising other events ....

I've spent some time attempting to educate the Mini Manoteas on the subtle but important distinction between, "The xx is broken/slow/rubbish" and "I'm having a problem with xx can you help me".

[Euan Uzami]

Personally I love the 'sting in the tail' bits of an Audax, it really really riles the whingers which makes me chuckle.

I've seen tongue in cheek/friendly whinging but I've never actually seen a true, serious, bee-in-the-bonnet full-on whinge, I obviously need to do more audaxes then because I feel I'm missing out on the entertainment value of this.

[rob]

The first time I rode the Invicta 200 I had to put up, for about 5 miles, with a sportive rider moaning about the lack of arrows showing him which way to go. I pointed out the route sheet holder on my bars and suggested he obtained one rather than keeping his in his back pocket or trying to ride one handed while reading it.  Funny enough, haven't seen him since.

I remember that bloke.   He entered on the line after ringing me the previous night and bombarding me with questions for half an hour.   He had shrunk his routesheet to a tiny size and couldn't read it while riding.   Then it rained.....

He whinged continuously at Hythe and I gave him shorth shrift.   Saw him on the Kent Corners later that year where he seemed to have more of a clue.

On the first event I ever organised, a 400, one rider belted through the early controls and spent a night in a B&B, missing the cut at the night and breakfast control, but making the limit at the finish.   He complained very loudly when I refused to send his card for validation.    

[Simonb]

The first time I rode the Invicta 200 I had to put up, for about 5 miles, with a sportive rider moaning ...

Was that last year's Invicta 200? And was he the one who kept throwing empty energy gel packets into the road, and shouting at everyone? I kept well away from him. What a twunt.

[The Mechanic]

I always complain to the organiser because they always find routes that are up hill all the way round and have a head wind for the whole ride.  How do they do this?

[eck]

I always complain to the organiser because they always find routes that are up hill all the way round and have a head wind for the whole ride.  How do they do this?

It's a "given" in audaxing that, if you are not sure of which direction to take at a junction, the correct choice is the one that goes uphill, or into the wind or, ideally both. 

[urban_biker]

I always complain to the organiser because they always find routes that are up hill all the way round and have a head wind for the whole ride.  How do they do this?

It's a "given" in audaxing that, if you are not sure of which direction to take at a junction, the correct choice is the one that goes uphill, or into the wind or, ideally both. 

And lets face it - if you get it wrong its always easier to get back to where you started.

[Giraffe]

I always complain to the organiser because they always find routes that are up hill all the way round and have a head wind for the whole ride.  How do they do this?

First year as Events Sec: 200k with about 150k into the wind. It was a circular route and my 'companions' blamed me for letting the Org. run it that way round.