Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive called off after deluge of rain

I rode this event on Saturday in the pouring rain. I must admit, I did not realise that it was so controversial and did not notice any protests/protesters on the route...possibly due to the weather being so bad (nothing like a bit of bad weather to quell disquiet).

On refelction, I did see some signs thrown into the verge and wondered why someone would do that - my first thought was that I hoped the sweep wagon would pick them up as it was littering! If it was, as it transpires, NIMBYs, then it beggars belief. The only other incident I had en route was with a car, which stopped in front of me and then set off again every time I tried to overtake - forcing me to brake hard or find myself on the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic. At the time I thought it was just a cyclist hating prick, but if that was a protest too these NIMBYs need to take a long hard look at themselves.

Tacks on the road is quite frankly stupidity beyond belief and dangerous. I don't know where to start with that one, but suffice to say that if it can happen in the Tour de France then idiocy isn't just a disease born in the New Forest.

Oh yes, I was the rider that tweeted about the car park. I was being kind when I said 30 minutes. That was after waiting another 20 for the car in front of me to be pushed out too...car drivers, eh? Mad.

I rode this event on Saturday. I was one of the earlier finishers and given the awful weather I knew the car parking situation would become pretty grim, so glad to have got away when I did.

All in all, it was a well organised event and the very vast majority of riders out on the roads were respectful, safe, and riding single file whenever traffic was looking to pass. I didn't see a single confrontation between cyclist and motorist the whole way round.

That said, this event is now about as big as can be properly managed. Wiggle shouldn't get greedy and try and expand it further, regardless of its popularity.

The picket line of people stood across the road roughly halfway along was pretty pathetic to see. I'd have more respect for these NIMBYS if they just admitted they "don't like cyclists" rather than try and link it to the safety of animals (go and check the official accident stats morons!) and dropping litter (I have never seen a cyclist do this, though frequently see motorists sling things out windows)

Placards and comments about "ruining the national park" where interesting given the gas-guzzling Range Rover parked on the side of the road, and one protester flicking a fag butt into the verge.

Trying to sabotage the route was also sad to see. Several Wiggle route markers had obviously been ripped off posts and slung onto the road (littering???) by NIMBY protesters.

But overall thousands of cyclists clearly had a good time, and no doubt spent thousands of pounds within the local economy.

I rode it on Saturday and got really, really wet. The weather was lovely on Sunday, I was wishing I'd signed up for Sunday as I didn't realise it had been cancelled.

It was an extremely well organised event let down by atrocious rain. The chances of getting rain like that on the day you do the event are probably 1 in 20 so that was bad luck. We came across a group of Wellington-wearing protestors who had placards saying "stop mass cycling events in the new forest" and who were walking across the road, plus there was a deluge of course markers that had been turned to point in the wrong direction. The organisers had given us clear instructions at the start though to follow the arrows painted on the roads and not the a4 laminated marker arrows if they pointed in opposite directions to each other. That and a GPS saved us - this little NIMBY trick now makes doing sportives with a GPS almost compulsory. But the protestors are just a minority of numb-skulls. Me and my two mates spanked £500 quid for two nights accommodation and meals/drinks in a wonderful local pub and the young guns working there and gainfully employed were not complaining. Perhaps we should make the NIMBYs contribute more to the social security bill. Tw@ts.

Whoever booked the event location needs a stern talking to: the New Forest is notorious for being soggy and prone to downpours. I do maybe 3-4 events a year down there, and they always use school gyms or town/village halls as bases and never rely on grass parking. This was asking for trouble.

And the locals against this sort of thing are clearly hypocritical twats. Cars kill hundreds of animals (and a fair few people too) a year in the forest. Best event organisers ignore these loud but small-time single-issue nutters. Don't give them the oxygen of publicity.