On April 19th 2023 We headed off to race the 63rd edition of The Wally Gimber cycle race. Unfortunately the race was cancelled after one of the competitors was involved in a collision with a car on the course. This isn’t the first time this has happened, but hopefully it will be the last.
We need to find a new way to move forward with cycle racing in the UK. There have been lots of suggestions how we can do this. In this video I share my thoughts about the race and racing in general.
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29 Comments
I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone for taking the time to leave any constructive thoughts and comments on this video.
There are many sides to approach this topic from and there has been so much added which I had never considered in this original video.
I look forward to working towards a solution and bringing an update.
Judging by many comments it does seem the overriding consensus is that of better education of riders. Something that it sounds like many of us have had access to at different times and something I myself perhaps took for granted.
Thank you again everyone for taking the time to watch and message.
Chris
Why is there open road races?? it's stupid.
I'm not by nature a competitive person. I enjoy riding my bike, have for over 50 years and never once had the urge to race anyone. I consider myself lucky.
I wonder why cars and motorcycles are not allowed to race in open roads?
This is exactly why I've moved to gravel racing…
living in a village with regular cycle racing in the area, it is scary, so many times cyclists going wide on blind corners its madness – thankyou for such a common sense piece. 👍
40 years riding just sportive events , even at this level it is now crazy – my observations – – – an obsession with social media, to show how good you look and filming yourself riding about – there appears to be a lot of people concerned about performance, is that because we all have bike computers tracking our speed and want to see high numbers? then Strava and it’s segments are just stupid, it can result in fast dangerous riding. (Imagine there was a website for car drivers encouraging them to drive fast on sections of the road and your results appear on a website – that’s just a mental idea) – as Chris says in the video bike riding at speed is dangerous, regardless of the event if it’s not closed roads or private land you need to follow the laws of the road, understand the environment and if you slow down you slow down to protect yourself and others.
Bike riding should be fun Complete not compete. Bike racing in the Uk is tricky maybe now it should be all on closed roads. (airfields and motor racing circuits) the modern world has moved on and it is idangerous out there with just a thin layer of Lycra protection
Hi Chris, good video and definitely a topic which needs addressing
1. Do you think that a possible route cause for poor riding behaviour is the Zwift generation? By that I mean people who sit in the garage and push out some big numbers so decide to race for real, but are missing the core skills and awareness to remain safe?
2. Could a possible solution be something similar to motorsport whereby training must be completed before a race licence is granted, and new riders/racers wear a coloured armband or gilet which identifies them as new for say 5 races? Before they can remove the armband or gilet and race as a ‘fully qualified/certified’ person?
Thanks 👍🏻
I am not a cycling competitor but I have competed on the open road in motorsports and I find it amazing that you cycle competitively through a village or any other urban location without control. Obviously, when the horns are out all the focus is on racing and the basics of road behaviour pale so this should be countered by the organisers. By your own admission it is quite possible to exceed the speed limit in the villages and a bike simply does not have the stopping performance of a multi-wheeled vehicle in stability and stopping distance, moreso that the bike is so acutely focused on going fast, not stopping or as you point out handling e.g. bar widths. It should be possible to have the urban areas as non-competitive with a relaxed speed limit if they can't be avoided, which should be quite possible, if you must have the urban areas as competitive then close the roads. Also, if you are competing on the open highway make sure that there are plenty of riding standards observers with the ability to exclude anyone instantly for infringements. Draconian measures may seem harsh but everyone will soon get the idea.
I would have thought that mass competition on open roads is unnecessarily difficult to police and a version of time trialing on open roads should be the norm. It could be that riders are set off at say 30 sec intervals based on seeding to maintain some visual contact and each rider carries a monitor that activates the timing system at the start and end of every competitive section. That would allow non-competitive sections to be traversed at lower safe speeds with penalties for exceeding a speed limit. This system would also not stop overtaking but would allow it in a safer manner. The technology exists it just needs to be applied. The danger is if in our ever more crowded highways a catastrophe occurs then the authorities will decide that enough is enough and either ban the sport altogether or restrict it so heavily that it becomes much less enjoyable.
CILs….. Weekend CILs….. C.I.L.s…. In Lycra s
I think you have a great perspective on this, thanks for putting your opinion across.
I'm a casual cyclist, and motorcyclist. I can build bikes, and repair/build motorcycles too. Anyhow, when cycling with other casuals, holly molly molly, they're so dangerous in what they do on the roads sometimes I can't believe it… no planning, no awareness, expectations beyond ability, no sense, etc.
excellent presentation, Chris – but you can't account for ADRENALINE
Chris as a organiser cf a major Sport event in the past I'm was involved in 3 different sports as a competitor..
The main purpose was I was in Thailand for a 4 day cycling event as a spectator & as a observer from that 11 recommendators to fine tune the event on 1 safety Marshalling and having Marshalls where they need to be motor vehicles & cyclists don't mix & you right cyclist need to be responsible you agreed to the conditions & the rules when you signed the waiver the buck stops with you and the only one is the general public in motor cars they have rules by the road traffic act & regulations so they have a responsibility just the same as the cyclist every body apply the application both cyclists & motorists both respect & apply the rules of the road.
Food for through.
Pride before a fall no one wins someone gets hurt is it worth someone life playing Russian rolette of one life.
Racing on public open roads is absurd and should be illegal, it's that simple. I live in a small village in Cumbria that regularly has cyclists racing through it. The speed limit in the village is 20mph which they ride well in excess of and it's only a matter of time before they kill someone. I don't understand how it's legal or why otherwise seemingly responsible adults would participate in endangering people's lives like that.
It's illegal to use your phone while driving because it takes your concentration from the road.
This must be true for racing.
I know personally from my x-country racing days, I was fully focused on the race, riding at the edge of my ability and exhaustion. Focussed on my competitors, hydration etc etc. To do all that and the pressure of competition, and imagine you can be operating safely on a public road?
It may be safe and sensible to slow down when approaching a slow-moving car. But if you don't want to loose time or position, the temptation is strong to go for the pass without slowing, and hope your competitors do slow.
Roads should be closed for race sections. Most drivers I've seen have no idea how to safely overtake a Pelton
A lot of your arguments seem to shift blame to individuals, while racing open roads is dangerous for everyone, especially for the riders. The organisation needs to change, moving blame to riders leavig early during the initial info will not prevent anyone being hit by a car
As a cyclist and motorcyclist I cannot see how it’s even possible to race on a “live road” without putting yourself and other road users at risk 🤔
the organsations should either pay to close the roads,, OR you do like the rest of us when we want to race,, Pay for track days.. Boom theres your answer!
No MOT, and you get to race on live roads, it's a piss take, racing is not for the main roads as police point out, as stated by others, pay to close the roads or rent a track. Racing on Main roads should be illegal no matter the mode of transport. Cyclists are a fucking Danger.
I now live in France which has a massive grass roots racing scene. It seems like racing here is a lot less elitist than the UK with many racers even in small village clubs, and people racing of all ages. There are races for all categories every weekend, with short loops on fully closed roads. Races take part in small villages away from main roads and so disruption from road closures is minimal. There is a lot more space here to do this than in the UK, but it seems the UK setup needs to change. Maybe looking to the French would help?
Why are people still living in the UK? Best thing I ever did was leave there and off to Adelaide Australia.
You would have won it if you had rim brakes.
The accident happened because of disc brakes, they lock up too easily.
Not surprised this happens when 100 pretentious smugs hit the road at the same time
Is it completely undoable to make these B level races partially open road, here in Belgium there is never a race in which traffic is allowed to go between the red and green flags, nor are they allowed to ride in the other direction. Is it because the sport is bigger here that that's still done at the lower levels or what is the reason they can't/wont/dont want to organise it like that?
Keen cyclist but not a racer. Find it slightly odd you can race bicycles on a road (obviously cars, motorbikes etc it's completely illegal on open roads), racing intrinsically makes people rush and take risks they otherwise wouldn't on a Sunday ride. You said everyone can afford to take 60seconds, but how many people who would want to podium would stop for a car as a cyclist in a race whilst the peloton rushes past, you cant if you want to have a chance to be competitive. Personally I think there should be a move nationally to allow easier short term road diversions and allow for more small course closed road racing. Also more crits in towns would be amazing, really hope this kicks of more in the UK.
Sounds like racing in Brunei only much safer. 🤭 Also why do laps? Why not just cycle A to B.
Racing here in Canada (when I was racing a few decades ago) were all on open roads, just as you describe, Chris. I always thought it was insane, but I wanted to race and that's how it's done here. Now races are few and far between, sadly. But if organizers can at least totally close sections of road until the race passes that would be great. Lots of cops/organization, but it could work. I remember waiting for the juniors to finish their race before our main event race started. One kid lost it on a corner and when over a poorly placed hay bale and went through a shop window and sadly, unbelievably, perished on the spot. Bad hay bale placements. So much can go wrong in a bike race… organizers need to be more professional and think about potential issues and solve them before they happen. It's a crazy sport and made more crazy when people get life altering injuries or worse.