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Deloitte Ride Across Britain 2014Highland businesswoman urges "assertive action" against cycling events on A82 next weekend
A woman opposed to a pair of cycling events taking place on a road that runs alongside Loch Ness has issued an appeal for other locals to join her in taking “assertive action” in protest against the disruption she believes other local residents will suffer.
Some 800 riders taking part in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, who will tackle the Land’s End to John O’Groats route, are due to ride along the A82 between Fort William and Inverness on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 September.
Road safety campaigners the A82 Partnership said last week that it was “cycling madness” that the riders taking part in the event would be passing along that stretch of road at the same time as more than 250 people taking part in the Rat Race Coast to Coast event from Nairn to Ballachulish were travelling the other way.
Anita Nicholls, who together with her husband Simon runs a Lochaber-based training firm whose clients are mainly from the voluntary sector, told the Aberdeen Press & Journal that organisers of the events viewed the area as “a playground” and do not take the views of local people into account.
“I am great supporter of tourism as a key element of boosting the local economy, but not to the detriment of local business and the health and wellbeing of Lochaber residents,” she insisted, while issuing an appeal to other people living in the area to join her in opposing the events.
“I am willing to put my time and expertise into organising assertive action which stays within the law, but frustrates this event and shows the strength and resilience of the Lochaber community in the face of massive disruption and a lack of meaningful negotiation.
“If anyone else is interested in helping to plan this action and take part, I should be very glad to hear from them,” she added.
There is no hint of what kind of “assertive action” Mrs Nicholls is advocating that would involve staying within the bounds of the law and not causing disruption to other road users.
Cyclists who have taken part in events such as the Etape Caledonia or some of the sportives held in the New Forest will be mindful that tacks have been spread on the road to cause disruption, or signs moved – the latter not an issue on the A82, given it is a straight road running up one side of the loch.
We are seeking clarification from Mrs Nicholls about what she has in mind, as well as from Police Scotland about how they intend to maintain order.
The A82 Partnership has distanced itself from her appeal, with spokesman Stewart MacLean “As an organisation we would not wish to get involved in any demonstration or ‘assertive’ action.”
Organisers of both the cycling events in question have also sought to reassure people living in the area that disruption will be kept to a minimum, and that the needs of the local communities have been taken into account.
A spokesperson for the Rat Race Coast to Coast event said: “We have liaised with the organisers of the RAB on the interaction of both events for this year, which occurs at a location off the A82.”
Meanwhile, Threshold Sports, who organise the Deloitte Ride Across Britain, said: “We are working with the key local authorities to minimise disruption as much as possible and will continue to do so until the event has passed through the area.”
Given its spectacular scenery, renown as a tourist destination and position on the Land’s End to John O’Groats route, not to mention Fort William’s status as a leading location for mountain biking including staging UCI events, the Scottish Highlands attract a lot of cyclists.
A report from Transform Scotland has estimated that cycle tourism, including organised events, is worth up to £239 million to the country’s economy – and even a decade ago, a separate report estimated that the Highlands & Islands benefited from cycling to the tune of £40 million a year.
Events such as the Deloitte Ride Across Britain also raise significant amounts of money for charity – in this case, £1.5 million in its first two years alone.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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It's tempting to get in to whataboutery. However, looking at Google maps I can't see why users would leave their Lime bike there. The one thing I...
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I'd charge high income offenders with the cost of their imprisonment. If it's income from assets charge them twice.
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54 comments
I really do not understand why these sort of people seem to think that they have the moral high ground how people should use the PUBLIC Highway. It is paid for by all of us, for use by all of us using whatever means we see fit, whether that be walking, horse, cycle, car, van, tractor or lorry, whether that be for leisure or business. They do not understand that they have no more rights to the roads than anyone else.
I bet this woman sits there or prim & proper in the local community, donating to charity etc etc Yet in reality she is just selfish & spiteful.
I have just had a look at her website and seen the course's, that they offer
1. Relationship Skills.
2. Managing Stress.
3. Managing Anger.
To be honest after looking at her 'threats' I would not be signing up for a course with them. Seems like business suicide.
I have a great way of Managing Anger & Stress, I ride my bike
Looking at her courses - the dates are all 2012. Maybe business isn't going so well - and she's struggling with her own stress/anger!!!
Has anyone followed the links through from the 'newspaper' article?
Apparently a local MSP wants to have the Scottish Government intervene to reroute the rides - https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/322673/controversial...
Apparently the proposed rides - for six hours, on a Friday afternoon - will "... bring normal traffic on the A82 to a standstill and [create] another, unnecessary, negative impact on the economy of the area."
it's 65 miles of single-carriageway with an accident history similar to the A9. it's narrow, mostly through cuttings, packed with blind corners and summits ... and freight traffic.
there's a reason the conventional LEJOG route turns right at ft augustus, and it's called the A82.
Wrong, it's the way people drive on the A82.
Not really, having driven up that road umpteen times, I wouldn't cycle along the section from Tarbet to Ardlui.
Mostly you struggle to drive at 30mph along that stretch anyway, the road is shocking, but it is hemmed in by Beinn Vane, Beinn Vorlich and Loch Lomond, so I don't think it can easily be improved.
Edit. I have just read the original article properly and they are talking about the section from Fort William to Inverness, so nothing to do with the section of road I am talking about!
I wouldn't even use the 82 from Erskine Bridge heading north. It's one nasty carriageway.
Looking at both routes, the Rat Race barely interacts with the A82, while the Deloitte Ride strikes up the east side of Loch Ness.* The riders will have a challenging time between Crianlarich and Fort Augusta, but I reckon that they will be pretty much split up along this part of the route and will be in pairs or small groups that traffic will be able to negotiate them as they pass. The A82 partnership should be more worried about the shinty fans travelling to and from the final. And even then the bulk of the support will be over on the east.
Edit * after passing Fort Augusta
much as it's the 'way people drive' on the A9. the outcome is the same though, accidents occur and people are injured and/or die as a result.
i'm not favouring one side or the other in this tiff, as really nothing any of us can say will have an effect. i'm not heading south that day and i'm not participating in the snail crawl.
it's worth noting however that when the Loch Ness sportive too place, out on the A82 and back on the B862, it happened at sensibly-early o'clock.
Mrs Nicholas should be reported to the authorities for inciting hatred against a minority group, and face a traditional punishment, like the birch over a two day period. Preferably the birch metered out whilst tethered to the side of the A82.
Now the above comments are all jocular.
What a sad little individual this woman is trying to interrupt a healthy activity raising many hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity
I'm kind of having a hard time understanding how 1000 cyclists passing through the area over a two day period is going to detrimentally effect the "health and wellbeing" of the local residents.
I can see how it will slow the traffic on the A82 down, and that might be a bit annoying, but come on, caravans, tractors, OAP's, and view gawping tourists all do that and no one take assertive action against them.
As for local businesses being affected; I would think the sales of drinks and chocolate bars could well hit record levels.
You couldnt make this up. So when she leaves tacks on the road the police know where to go too.
So who else fancies a nice ride in the countryside, just to boost numbers!
They state on their website 'we will guarantee you:
•a friendly environment'
She's a one-woman justification for the 'Yes' vote! Why woulda I want to be part of the same society as blinkered NIMBYs like Anita Nichols?
This is clearly a stupid and obnoxious woman, for reasons that some commenters have stated very succinctly; but only an a*sehole with no understanding of the term "moral high ground" would go after her on the basis of her physical appearance.
Cop yourselves on, ffs.
Seeing all these issues the organisers of rides are having over yonder, I am often left stunned that I doubt any such mirth would be levelled at the organisers of a 'fun' car rally or similar.
Do you reckon that's blown her chances of getting any work from Deloitte?
a client quote from their website:
"Brilliant. This has changed my life and I have learned how to calm down and see the reasons why I get angry."
Sounds like she needs a dose of her own medicine.
Excellent, she intends to protest against "the disruption" by erm... causing disruption.
You couldn't make this stuff up.
trying to stop people riding bikes lawfully on a public road is certainly a far cry from the touchy feely team building and conflict resolution blurb on mrs nicholl's website
it's shame really as a nice bike ride to lose a few pounds would do the world of good to her 'health and wellbeing' as well as her evidently rather elevated blood pressure
LOL just looked at her photo on the website, for some reason Pauline from the League of Gentlemen sprang to mind
Pens... they're the best friends you can have...
This is a local loch for local people, there's nothing for you here!
Blimey
You couldnt make it up. A road safety campaigner proposing 'assertive' action against one of the most vulnerable groups of road users.
And a group that brings in millions to the local economy.
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