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No, it's not about the amount of people who think it's in some way acceptable to wear back packs on a road bike. That's for another day.
This is a litter rant. I've done plenty sportives in my life, but have never seen anything like the amount of discarded gel wrappers and other rubbish left on the roads around Pitlochry this morning. Hundreds of the things. One of the very few times I've felt embarrassed at being a cyclist. One of the very annoying things is that I suspect it's mostly being done by the so called "good" cyclists. The ones who seem to think that the few seconds lost by putting the wrappers back in their pockets is somehow crucial.
Well here's the thing if any of you selfish gits is reading this. If you were any "good" you'd be off at a cat 1 race or something, not doing a sportive. Stop kidding yourselves you morons. No harm in trying to achieve a fast time. I do it a lot, even if I generally fail. But littering some of the nicest countryside in the UK (or anywhere for that matter) isn't worth the few extra seconds you gain. You aren't Chris Froome. You're a enthusiastic but basically not that great bike rider, just like the rest of us. However unlike the rest of us you are also a complete tosser. Literally as well as figuratively.
Fair enough the odd wrapper gets blown out of someone's hand by the wind, or maybe they moss their pocket, but that doesn't account for th sheer volume I saw today.
I'd love one of you morons to come on here and try and justify it, but I suspect on here I'm probably preaching to the converted.
Anyway, rant over. I'm off now to get slightly irritated by the chap who had a mirror on his handlebar. I mean really, it does look a bit naff, do you not see that?
How much was the entry fee?
No need to be nasty about backpacks and mirrors though. 😐
Oh and I should add that litter gits aside, what a great day. Bit wet but seen worse. Shambolic start but other than that well run. Marshals and volunteers all superb, and a massive thanks to all the folk who turned out in the rain to clap, cheer and ring cow bells. Loved it.
If you were at the front with the fast guys you wouldn't see the litter.
"How much was the entry fee?
No need to be nasty about backpacks and mirrors though.
"
Can't recall but not cheap. Was closed roads though. And I know, each to their own and all that. And to be totally honest, as long as someone is on a bike I don't really care what they are wearing. I'm hardly a fashion icon!!
2 out of 10 for a whinny wee rant ,you sound like a pillock. 😛
That's a shameful and offensive thing to write. Will you please retract it
Obviously I don't really mean it. Don't get so worked up. But it's not offensive. Chucking litter all over the countryside is offensive.
Perhaps if riders had paid an extortionate entry fee they assumed that road sweepers would be employed by the organisors.
2 out of 10 for a whinny wee rant ,you sound like a pillock
And 1/10 for poor spelling and a lack of a witty comeback.
if you get hit by a lorry next time you're out no-one will be weeping any tears for you.
I was with you sort of until I read this. You really wish people dead for dropping litter? If you'd ever experienced death from RTA or someone you know you wouldn't be flippant about it. Shameful
That's a shameful and offensive thing to write. Will you please retract itObviously I don't really mean it. Don't get so worked up. But it's not offensive. Chucking litter all over the countryside is offensive.
You are far, far worse a person than the people you criticise.
You really wish people dead for dropping litter?
Obviously I don't. It was a throwaway remark. And yes I do have experience, so am well aware of what it's like ta.
Obviously I don't really mean it.
How are we to determine what you mean and what you don't? Such duplicity and insincerity can make it very difficult to comprehend a post. Should I assume that anything that is potentially contentious should be considered unintentional; and anything that people are agreeing with should be considered intentional?
the amount of people who think it's in some way acceptable to wear back packs on a road bike.
**** off.
You are far, far worse a person than the people you criticise.
Exactly what part of the phrase "I don't mean it" is it you're struggling with?
Okay, for the final time on here, my remark about wanting people to be hit by a truck wasn't real? Understand?
As for the backpack thing, it was a joke. You might not find it funny, but it was a joke.
I despair sometimes.
Did you "mean" any of what you wrote?
hebdencyclist - Member
Did you "mean" any of what you wrote?
Stop being an arse. The point is that a load of people are manky bastards and need to have a word with themselves, not whether or not you're getting sensitive about one little (insignificant) part of the post
I despair sometimes
Dude, you said a really nasty thing and now you're getting pissed off at people calling you on it. I'd say a straight apology would be the way to go. I always try to remember that there's no inflection in a written post and so try to err on the side of niceness rather than nastiness or failing that use a smiley to indicate irony.
Stop being an arse. The point is that a load of people are manky bastards and need to have a word with themselves, not whether or not you're getting sensitive about one little (insignificant) part of the post
Are you his mum or something?
Given that he's now edited his violent fantasies out of his original post, it's a moot point anyway.
hebdencyclist - Member
Are you his mum or something?
Nope, I just agree with him and think you're being massively over-sensitive about a comment on forum
Littering is pretty vile, so I'm with the OP on this.
I'm sure whatever it was he said about lorries was meant in jest.
As for backpacks on a road bike, it's just wrong.
Nope, I just agree with him and think you're being massively over-sensitive about a comment on forum
Well then, you two should go for a pint. You massive pair of spunk trumpets.
Oh wait - I didn't mean it.
Have done the Etape many times, but decided against it this year as its a lot of cash for something that I've done before.
I didn't see the unedited post so cannot comment on the bits that are no longer there 😀
I do agree entirely about the littering though - its quite horrible how many folk chuck away wrappers and stuff like they're Tour Riders. I have also witnessed some poor behaviour from folks who also think they are riding a Pro Peleton in amongst family and charity riders
Actually someone else must have edited it, not me.
However for the sake of all of you out there pretending to be offended, here's what I really mean.
I hope the next time one of you litter louts is out on a bike that you get a puncture that doesn't make you fall off or in any way injure yourself, but does prove quite tricky to fix. And it's raining.
Happier now? 🙂
Well then, you two should go for a pint. You massive pair of spunk trumpets.
Oh wait - I didn't mean it.
Bless your wee soul x
I always try to remember that there's no inflection in a written post and so try to err on the side of niceness rather than nastiness or failing that use a smiley to indicate irony.
Totally fair point.
No different after an XC race, same crowd it seems (at the front I would guess).
All events should instigate a 'litter and disqualified' rule, they've number boards - and any littering reported, OUT.
I wear a backpack when road biking
I wear it with pride. I'm also quite partial to wearing a curious mix or road/mtb and running kit.
Aye Kenny, your humour is wasted here.
FWIW I did the Loch Ness sportive a couple of weeks ago and didn't see any litter. I blame all these Southerners
Far better for the reader to assume it's written with good humour. Too many folk on here wanting to be offendedI always try to remember that there's no inflection in a written post and so try to err on the side of niceness rather than nastiness or failing that use a smiley to indicate irony.
😆 @ "spunktrumpets"
I read the op's post a couple of times and couldn't understand the fuss, then realised it had been edited Lol. It is a shame about littering but with thousands of people gathering together in one place it will be inevitable :(. I've long given getting worked up about it, it's just a fact of life.
Aye Kenny, your humour is wasted here.FWIW I did the Loch Ness sportive a couple of weeks ago and didn't see any litter. I blame all these Southerners
Outrageous, I even take away the gubbed pins from a ridiculously long but now broken chain.
I mean it.I'd gladly run over someone who I saw dropping litter.
Anyway, I have myself down as an 'easterner'
To be fair I don't think most people know where to place Norfolk. It's a bit unique in 'certain' ways.
My limited experience of gels is that they make a right mess. I think I've only used them once or twice when I've been given them at Sportives, but I can only assume that those who willingly go out and buy them, throw the wrappers on a ride. You wouldn't put yourself through the inconvenience otherwise. What a chore they are. Sticky hands. Sticky pockets. Any sportive organiser who gives them out for free should be obliged to walk around afterwards and pick up each and every one by hand.
Cheese and onion sandwich. That's what you want.
I think the same thing was said about a similar event in the Borders recently. I don't think price comes into it, littering is a crime. I've never entered an event where it has listed picking up your litter as one of the things included in the fee.
They should state at the start line that you will need to hand in your gel wrappers at the end before you get an official finishing time/t-shirt, ****y cycling certificate, fat mamil etape sticker etc…etc… you are not a highly trained athlete for whom the 2 second delay in placing the wrapper back in your pocket is going to make a difference to your overall standing, you are however (in my eyes) a complete ****tard for littering the countryside and deserve to be publicly slapped in the face.
Littering the countryside boils my piss as i see the detritus of energy drink cans and rubbish on my cycle to work every morning.
the original OP post - littering , cycling or otherwise is effin balls.
as for backpacks
i have to wear mine, how else can i carry Yoda
pedal you must - huumm humm humhumhumhum
I saw this today, road was strewn with gel wrappers. Awful. Castelli everywhere too.
I managed to blag a free place this year, but will never do it again: for a start, its ridiculously expensive. Secondly, cruising on the Marie Curie name is shameful based on how little they get.
Lastly, 4 years out of 5 the weather is dismal, as this year was. No thanks.
I find littering just plain wrong, competition or not.
Does it really win or lose the race to stuff it in your pocket....?
Just don't do it.
When you've got 5000 odd people all on the same route for anywhere from 3 - 7 hours there's bound to be some litter, deliberate or not. There's no excuse for deliberately littering but when you consider the scale of the event it's sadly not too surprising.
I'm sure we all hate litter but sometimes on these type of events it's not easy to get a gel out , open it , eat it and get the wrapper back in your pocket without dropping it and if you are riding with a group of friends you are going to be reluctant to turn round and go back for what you probably think is just 1 tiny bit of litter and potentially lose contact with your group .Either way you always end up with sticky hands which personally I can't stand . My wife got me a great little gadget which is like a tiny plastic bottle with the same top as on a standard bicycle bottle that you can decant about 4 gels into before a ride and it does away with all the associated faff , litter and sticky hands as you open the gels before the ride fill up your little bottle , put the wrappers in the bin and wash your hands .
you can probably buy them for virtually nothing so perhaps event organisers could supply them to competitors in events like this and hopefully it would be problem solved and everybody wins .
[i]I'm sure we all hate litter but sometimes on these type of events it's not easy to get a gel out , open it , eat it and get the wrapper back in your pocket without dropping it and if you are riding with a group of friends you are going to be reluctant to turn round and go back for what you probably think is just 1 tiny bit of litter and potentially lose contact with your group [/i]
FFS, that is barely any different to folk throwing their McD wrappers out of the car window as 'they mess up the car'... 😯
FFS, that is barely any different to folk throwing their McD wrappers out of the car window as 'they mess up the car'...
Well thanks that never occured to me . Just pointing out why it happens and trying to offer up a solution . I forgot that kind of attitude always ends badly on here cos there are some real stars who love to shoot anything constructive down but never offer any workable solutions themselves .
Backpacks are wrong on any bike .I was always taught to let the bike carry the load from an early age
Gel wrappers and the like go back in my barbag
Does it really win or lose the race to stuff it in your pocket....?
Not a race.
Just another charity ride. Not a very good one, apparently - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2012/jun/20/charity-bike-ride
Sandwiches for the win - biodegradable too. Maybe not all the necessary marginal gains tho.... 😆
See the Jelly Baby? How come SIS or High 5 can't make a gel that is effectively self-contained in its own little, edible outer shell. Make the consistency a bit thicker too. And while they are at it, make them in jelly baby flavours. In fact, all we need are giant Jelly Babies FTW! 🙂
Sandwiches for the win - biodegradable too. Maybe not all the necessary marginal gains tho....
I've yet to find a sandwich which offers the same energy boost in the same easy to consume for as an energy gel. You'd probably still wrap it in foil or cling film so it's not reducing potential litter either.
FFS, that is barely any different to folk throwing their McD wrappers out of the car window as 'they mess up the car'...
It really is quite different. Accidentally dropping a gel wrapper while in a group doing 20+ mph and potentially causing problems for everyone else against the purely selfish act of throwing shit out of a car deliberately.
See the Jelly Baby? How come SIS or High 5 can't make a gel that is effectively self-contained in its own little, edible outer shell. Make the consistency a bit thicker too. And while they are at it, make them in jelly baby flavours. In fact, all we need are giant Jelly Babies FTW!
Can't remember who it is (Clif, maybe?) who make block shots. More like jelly cubes than jelly babies but easy to consume, taste good and you get 9 or 10 in a packet, so less waste too.
Not a race.Just another charity ride. Not a very good one, apparently - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2012/jun/20/charity-bike-ride
Indeed not a race, though it's refereed to as such on their own website which is a bit naughty imo, and some competitors will look on it as a race of sorts, trying to beat their mates/target time. I suspect that the Etape won't be the only 'charity' event where the organising company makes a profit but charities still benefit. It's still raising a chunk of cash for the charity of choice, just maybe not as much as they could if profits were smaller.
slowpuncheur - [url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/clif/shot-bloks-ec019493 ]Chewy sweetie goodness[/url]
We seem to get these litter rants after every big sportive - is it just us that get upset about it?
If we get this complaint after events regularly, then perhaps as a sport we need to get our act together.
Let's ban even the pro from lobbing litter and bottles for a start, and a rule that if you drop, you DNF.
If it's not a race, how come there's a winners ceremony?
I suppose what I am saying is there is a market for Jelly Men and Women. Cover them in icing sugar and they wont stick together in your pocket. No need for any wrapping at all then.
[img] 
[/img]
Alternatively, these sportivistas need to get a grip and realise they aren't in the last 20km of Milan San Remo and that stopping at the side of the road if they are struggling to sort our gel wrappers is going to make chuff all difference to anything. I've done Caledonia a few years ago and seriously, after all the grief with the tacks on the road and pissed off neighbours (granted - they were very much the minority) I would have thought riders would have given them less ammunition to object in the future.
I have to be honest having ridden in sportives since 2011 littering is something that I rarely see in the South West, only on the first Ride London was it particularly bad and on that one occasion it was immediately after a feed stop where they were handing out gels. I do agree though, even the pro tour teams are getting fined for littering outside designated areas now, we should challenge cyclists who litter on sportives. Some events are already causing anger amongst residents whom live on the route, the last thing we need is to add to their list of complaints. One organiser started giving you a free gel at the end for every wrapper you brought back subject to a maximum of two I think which wasnt a bad idea.
Worse than littering is the sight of riders at the start of a 100km ride loading themselves up with enough food and drink for a party of eight riding twice the distance. Often there are feed stops thirty odd miles from the start but they set off with two full bidons, pockets full of gels and energy bars and dont get me started on why they need gels and energy bars in the first place....
Scrap that. It'd be like riding with a set of Bombers in your jersey pocket. Tunnocks caramel wafers win the energy v weight equation.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/32662773 ]They're probably all doping as well. 🙁 [/url]
I was sweeper at a sportive our club put on last year (Skipton CC's Le Petit Depart), sum total of dropped gel wrappers or indeed any litter in the 70 mile route? One.
So it can be done.
If I were the OP I would email the organisers to tell them exactly why I won't be entering their event next year.
my nutrition top tip: jelly babies but only boys. You get more jelly that way.
Once I've eaten a gel I tuck the empty packet in my sock. Admittedly I tend to wear longer socks than some folks but it works for me.
All the times I've done it we've stopped at a couple of the food stations. Its free and saves carrying stuff.
Well it's not really free, but for £65 I want to fill my pockets during the event rather than before it 😆
I don't think people accidentally drop them, I think they do it on purpose... and I don't think it's just those who think they're 'pro'.
Used gel wrappers are sticky and make a mess in your pockets which have other things in that you don't to get sticky so people just chuck them away.
If I ever use them, they get tucked in my shorts or up my jersey.
Used gel wrappers are sticky and make a mess in your pockets which have other things in that you don't to get sticky so people just chuck them away.
True that. I always have a designated 'used gel' pocket for them. But my pockets never get that sticky. I'm maybe just better at eating them on the move than everyone else.
I hate to see littering and will often pull someone up if i see them doing it but i was in the third group away (so about 300+ riders back from the start) and didnt see much of a problem at that point - a couple of wrappers and some banana skins (which unlike the wrappers i dont really have a problem about) over 80 miles isnt too bad. After a few thousand riders have gone past the cumulative effect will be more noticeable but early on it wasnt too bad
If i remember right there was a team in the tour de France last year that had jersey with a litter pocket at the side, not sure what brand made it though.
It was a wet day and pretty cold = waterproofs covering pockets, cold hands and clumsy gloves. I suspect a lot of the litter was accidental on a day like today.
EDIT. For 80 quid I would have thought they could have hired a sweeper for the day.
As others have said, littering is a criminal offence, but this isn't some city centre, where there may be litter sweepers and pickers employed to pick up your rubbish. This is a beautiful bit of the Highlands, where many people love to visit and some are lucky enough to call home. There is no excuse whatsoever for dropping anything, cold hands or not. Event organisers will get hammered by the local community via the Council for any litter left after a race/sportive, especially an area where tourism is a key part of the local economy.
Sorry, but its inexcusable, even if you feel that paying £70 to ride a closed road permits you to drop litter.
[quote=Ramsey Neil ]My wife got me a great little gadget which is like a tiny plastic bottle with the same top as on a standard bicycle bottle that you can decant about 4 gels into before a ride and it does away with all the associated faff , litter and sticky hands as you open the gels before the ride fill up your little bottle , put the wrappers in the bin and wash your hands .
You're still missing a trick though. Rather than buying expensive gels to decant into it (and still putting lots of excess packaging into landfill), just fill them with your favourite energy drink powder and mix in a little water to make a gel consistency. That's what I use for gels, and don't really get the popularity of little sachets which give you sticky hands.
I still don't get it, and I am learning that the pros get 'litter here' zones around feed stations and race finishes. Really poor attitude and approach.
I also do not buy the cold hands/no pockets thing - shove them anywhere or stop for a moment to put it in a pocket or organisers staple a freezer bag to back of every number plate etc. Set the tone of 'we don't litter'.
I also have an issue with banana anf fruit remains - it is still litter, still takes weeks and weeks to decompose, still affects wildlife and again sets a tone of 'some litter is acceptable'. No it is not.
Banana skins are just as bad, 2 years to break down naturally.
Dropping shit outside is just antisocial. If you want to live in a pig sty, that's your choice. Please don't inflict it on the rest of us.
You can't change human behaviour.
You can take advantage of it though.
When I was a lad there was a deposit on soft drink bottles, you never saw them in the wild.
So 5p deposit on all gels.
Then a keen kid on a bike can go around afterwards and clean up. (I would have been that kid 🙂 )
😆
[i]Banana skins are just as bad, 2 years to break down naturally.[/i]
Do you really think that's true?
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah [b]moss[/b] blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Sorry OP I couldn't read your original post after struggling with this mispelling of miss.
For the argument that riding is different to throwing McD out window. I disagree.
Rubbish is rubbish. Let's not be conceited that we're any better than others. The world does not need to be littered and if we can avoid it we should - bike riding is for pleasure so its completely unnecessary to be littering..
I used a gel right at the end of the Fred Whitton yesterday, don't normally use them but was glad of it, tasted delicious (Torq rhubarb and custard) and I genuinely felt some benefit, whether or not due to the gel I don't know but it was worth it.
I don't understand any of the comments about sticky fingers though, I tore the top off with my teeth, held the gel in my hand whilst removing the torn bit from my mouth, torn bit in back pocket, gel squeezed into mouth, empty wrapper folded under leg of shorts. Done. Zero mess.
Littering at the Fred seemed pretty minor, and what I saw could genuinely have been dropped accidentally, in fact a few even looked like they had been folded so someone had probably tried to stow them in their shorts or something.
Oh, as a side note, I see the usual 'if you're that fast enter a real race' type comments coming out, so just for my own info, does anyone organise 'real races' over 80 miles of Perthshire hills? Or 112 miles of Lakeland passes, or 90 miles of Assynt coastline, or any of the other spectacular and awesome routes offered up by Sportives? Maybe fast guys just want to test themselves on something which more closely resembles a tour stage rather than multiple laps of some short circuit on the outskirts of town...
^^^^ not a racer, but surely if
they can just go and ride it, anytime ? the roads are quiet anyway and they wouldn't have 5000 other folk getting in their way 🙂fast guys just want to test themselves on something which more closely resembles a tour stage
they can just go and ride it, anytime ? the roads are quiet anyway and they wouldn't have 5000 other folk getting in their way
Hey, I like the big event feel, I like having 5000 other riders on the road to distract me from whatever's going on in my legs/head, and I sure as hell would not have completed the Fred Whitton in the pissing rain and howling wind if I'd been riding by myself.
Fair point about the fast guys though, maybe not much in it for them, and I'll bet none of them even touched their free pie and beans at the end and I heard a suspicious number of orders for diet 7up at the beer tent afterwards... 😀
I don't understand why mountain bikers don't just stick tio trail centres rather than going out into the natural areas and destroy the paths 😕
Perhaps if riders had paid an extortionate entry fee they assumed that road sweepers would be employed by the organisors.
I don't think it should matter how much or how little you have paid, you should not expect others to pick up after you, with the possible exception of immediately after a water or aid station where it's expected. It was this sort of attitude that made me go from enthusiastic volunteer at our club duathlon to finding something else to do of a Sunday morning. One of the races the club organises is a duathlon (run, bike, run) at Goodwood motor racing circuit. Goodwood don't really want us there as it's not particularly profitable but tolerate it on the calendar provided there is zero litter after we leave. We make a big deal about the DQing for littering and why (apart from the obvious) but tens of folk clearly don't GAF either because they think it's ok for unpaid volunteers to spend hours walking the course picking up their litter whilst they are back at home or because they don't care about the long term future of the race.
If you get an event the size of the EC it is inevitable that there is going to be a certain amount of littering going on, deliberate or otherwise. We had a charity walk go by last weekend using the cyclepath and funnily enough the path was covered afterwards. The point is that it was cleared up afterwards. I would be surprised if the EC organisers don't tidy after the event, or pay a fee to the council to do it. Given that we only have a rant from someone on the day, we don 't actually know whether or not this has in fact been done.