Vote to get the North Mid events back on the A1

[C Jay]

If you have ever ridden the fast A1 courses based around Ranby and would like to use them again please read the following

“As you may already know the Nth Mids CTT committee are considering removing the courses on the A1 from the handbook leaving only the courses at Hatfield Woodhouse and Cuckney, we would be pleased if you would present this to your members for their comments, good or bad, and convey them to Neil Howarth 142 Findon Street, Sheffield S6 4QP, ph 0114 2323538 email:- neil.howarth2008@googlemail.com
THE NORTH MIDS GROUP ON THE WAY OUT?
The need for the North Mids to get back on the A1 has never been greater, dwindling entries for the Hatfield courses due to our riders being fed up with riding on bad road surfaces, abuse from motorists and danger from farm tractors and such. Not only that, clubs cannot continue indefinitely to subsidise these events when they are only attracting 30 or so riders. The A1 from Nornay through to Markham Moor has never been safer, no cutting across fast moving traffic to get into the right lane or risking your life by riding around the outside of the island and having traffic cutting across at junctions. Are vehicles moving faster? Without using a speed check meter there is no way of checking, judging vehicle speeds by someone standing at the side of the road has been proven to be completely unreliable. Then we have traffic counts, Colin Keeton was killed on a very quiet Sunday morning as was a member of the Notts & East Mids group, only two cars were in the vicinity on that occasion. I would appreciate it if all the clubs would let the North Mids committee know your opinion in the hope it will be resolved for next year Would your members like to send a petition to the North Mids CTT committee on behalf of your club asking for a revival of the O25/10 and the O10/2 or alternatively, you may prefer to write to the North Mids Secretary yourself.”
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[Billy Boy]

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[Pocket Rocket]

[Paul H.]

[Tucker]

[dockeca]

I don't know the area, or this stretch of road, but have to be concerned that someone is keen to get back on a major dual carriageway. Locally, there are TTs on the main A3 around Petersfield, which is a 2 lane dual carriageway, and a de facto motorway (it actually becomes one about 10 miles from Portsmouth). these events happen one evening every week, plus opens at weekends. The traffic flows to the ports, Hayling, and general south coast traffic including loads of LGVs off to the ferry, is tremendous - it NEVER lets up. So why does anyone want to ride on roads like this? For a fast time - is it worth risking your life in this kind of traffic for that?
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Doc

"Any views expressed are entirely my own and not representative of any organisation of which I may or may not be a member. Unless I say otherwise."
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[Xavier]

One benefit of the ...a3crg events on the P88x (A3) courses is the signage - the best signed races in the country, including national events. This is the most important thing in my opinion. It's DC events with half a manky sign, so the motorists have no idea there'll be cyclists around which are the most dangerous

Xav

[the boo]

the a1 was fine 25 years + ago but now with trafic all going at least 60mph why would you want to risk it the old roundabout at blyth is long gone ,in my opinion riders young and old need to forget about trying to beat old records and try to set personal best,s on sporting course,s and view their time from the winners and use that as a marker, it does seem to be the older generation who want to ride on the a1 trying to re-live the former years,sadly there gone

[mho]

[Robabank]

[vegetable]

Clubs feel they have to promote on the A1 to bring in the revenue. When some riders find out a course is not a dragstrip they dont enter, race gets cancelled, no income.

[KJ]

[vegetable]

[Will Scarlet]

I think a potential solution to the North Midlands problem is to allow clubs to promote events outside their own district (perhaps limit it to adjoining districts).

North Mids clubs could then potentially use the Tuxford course, which is safer than Blyth because it's all left turns (still partly on the A1, though).

It would certainly give them a greater choice of roads to use for their events. Perhaps the A614 between Five Ways and Ollerton could be used for 10's? It's pretty flat and a wide single carraigeway with a good road surface. I'm not sure if you can fit a 10 course onto it, but worth looking into?

[Mr.B]

jeez. turkeys and christmas anyone

[Dogma Dave]

[Woolfie]

I don't think its as simple as DC bad SC good. Having ridden the North Mids A1 courses a couple of years back and also having ridden the Hatfield alternative courses when the roadworks stopped the 010/2 the only accident in any of the events was on the single carriageway Hatfield course which ended up with a rider being hospitalised. SC courses can have poorer visibility, narrow carriageways and vehicles doing virtually the same speed as on a DC, overtaking problems from oncoming vehicles as well as multiple junctions from left and right. The North Mids A1 events I rode in used to be Sat evenings when the traffic was noticeable lighter. the worst thing about the O10/2 course was the roundabout and that has now gone. My club has tried to put plenty of events on not using the A1 and we struggle to break even every time - unfortunate but thats the way it is. Plenty of us are dubious about DC courses but just as many if not more are excited to turn up and fill the events - Levens , the V718 etc.
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[will10]

[Observer]

CTT needs a serious rethink. Non-standard distances, and like has been said, placings not times. IT can't be the same for every 25, for instance, because the courses are all different, the weather varies, things are NEVER the same. The only place where times are anywhere near valid is an indoor velodrome, and even then the track can slightly alter things. The whole system based on comparing times for a fixed distance on different days in different parts of the country has got to be nonsense, looked at logically. So why persist? Because riders want it? If that's true then they are daft, the comparison is without merit. Ride some REAL races, hills, corners, multilap, when it's who you beat that matters. You could call it a road race, and all start at the same time, there's an idea!
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Just disagree with everyone. It's much more fun.

[Andy H]

Is this thread a joke or something?

The day that testing is banned on Dual Carriageways cannot come soon enough.

I'm sick of being asked at work if ' I was one of the idiots riding up the A1'

For a lot of people this is the only cycle 'race' they ever see. It is beyond stupidity and does nothing but harm to the sport as a whole in my opinion.

We strive to get some respect on the roads - and some people decide its a good idea to ride at 25mph on a 70+mph road and wonder why drivers get upset...