Southern California - Planet Ultra...WOW!

I just got the mail, and in it...a check from Planet Ultra for $80. In the comments section it says "Heartbreak Refund" which is funny because I don't recall asking for one and well, because Planet Ultra just doesn't give refunds, per their policies. Hmmm...is my name still on the roster? Nope. Is George's name on the roster? Nope.

No explanation. Nothing. I'm a smart girl though and I can assume that this means I'm permanently banned from Planet Ultra events. Guilt by association, perhaps?

To be honest...I'm honored.

Deb, you're a piece of work and it's amazing that I can go to dinner after a group ride with total strangers and ask if they are doing KOM and the first thing out of their mouths is "I have a huge problem with Planet Ultra." Nice validation that I'm not crazy and you do have quite a reputation as a rude and unprofessional business woman. I like how you come onto BF and put down the people of this forum as having too much time on their hands, but you're not above getting your free advertising here. Wise up, it's not just a few of us that have a problem with you, it extends beyond far beyond those of us on the forums.

I'd say good luck but since you're practically the only game in town, you don't need it. People are stuck with your poor attitude and cold replies.

Wow, what happened? What did I miss?

Whatever it is, I'm sure it's voltman's fault.

I want a fund too!!!


PS - I called it a fund cuz I never paid anything to begin with...but I'll take money for nuttin.

I want a fund too!!!


PS - I called it a fund cuz I never paid anything to begin with...but I'll take money for nuttin.

That's a totally different website.

Well, that's been cleared up. :rolleyes: Apparently I was refunded because of something George said here and she assumed I wouldn't want to ride Heartbreak?!?!!? Great business practice.

I'm glad that not another cent of my money will ever go to Deb or Brian Bowling or the joke of a business that they call Planet Ultra.

So, you created a whole thread that bashed Deb and PU because of a simple miscommunication that you did not first check out through PM or e-mail??? and now you're still saying bad things about them?!?

I don't care who is right or wrong, because that is between you and her... but

WHY DOES THE BikeForums Community HAVE TO READ ABOUT IT?

sure, I could ignore the thread, but I happen to enjoy the Planet Ultra events and your reference to the multitudes of people that also dislike PU is immaterial because it is just hearsay. I don't know those people (and neither do you because they were total strangers) and maybe they pitched a fit because Deb did not provide Subway sandwiches to century riders, or maybe they got smacked because the put their dirty, grubby hands into a communal bowl of pretzels. Heck, I could come up with my own 'facts' about some people/things that might be considered downright mean and nasty... but you'll note that I have some decorum and tact and do not quickly bring them up in a public forum.

Think about it this way... YOU ARE SPECIAL!!! You are the first person to ever receive a refund from PU even though they have a standard 'no refund' policy. Try to be a little bit positive, and maybe even 'nice' by asking the mods to delete your own worthless thread.

That way I would not be alone in asking for it to be deleted...

WHY DOES THE BikeForums Community HAVE TO READ ABOUT IT?


Thanks for your valiant effort to save the Bike Forums community from my post, Phil. In the future feel free to use this link to ignore all of my posts.

http://www.bikeforums.net/profile.php?do=addlist&userlist=ignore&u=56242

So, you created a whole thread that bashed Deb and PU because of a simple miscommunication that you did not first check out through PM or e-mail??? and now you're still saying bad things about them?!?

I don't care who is right or wrong, because that is between you and her... but

WHY DOES THE BikeForums Community HAVE TO READ ABOUT IT?


I'm interested in public relations. PU can come here and dispute her claims too. Thanks for letting me know what I'm interested in but I'm going to go along with my own brain this time.

You guys can discuss this, but don't make it personal.

WHY DOES EXTORT HAVE TO READ ABOUT IT?

I fixed it for you, Extort. And the answer to your question is that you don't. But don't assume that because you don't want to read about it that the "BikeForums Community" entire doesn't want to read about it as well.

I fixed it for you, Extort. And the answer to your question is that you don't. But don't assume that because you don't want to read about it that the "BikeForums Community" entire doesn't want to read about it as well.

+1

Try to be a little bit positive, and maybe even 'nice' by asking the mods to delete your own worthless thread. That way I would not be alone in asking for it to be deleted...

C'mon Extort, be a little bit positive too. ;) The thread is not worthless - it could save you $80. What if you sign up for an event a month ahead, and later you find out that your wife's aunt's birthday is on that day and you can't ride? Wouldn't you like your hard-earned $80 back? :D You should be thankful to Brandy (I am) for posting this information. If she can get a refund, why can't you? I think Planet Ultra should thank Brandy too for teaching them a valuable lesson - play by your own rules, guys!

C'mon Extort, be a little bit positive too. ;) The thread is not worthless - it could save you $80. What if you sign up for an event a month ahead, and later you find out that your wife's aunt's birthday is on that day and you can't ride? Wouldn't you like your hard-earned $80 back? :D You should be thankful to Brandy (I am) for posting this information. If she can get a refund, why can't you? I think Planet Ultra should thank Brandy too for teaching them a valuable lesson - play by your own rules, guys!


That makes no sense.

PUs rule state they do not give refunds. So if they were "playing" by their own rules no refund would have been issued. My impression is that this rule applies to those seeking a refund. If PU were to eject a rider for whatever reason, then since it was PU's decision to do so, they might issue a refund. I suspect that is what happened here, but thats just a guess.

If loosing your registration fee due to some unforseen event poping up is a big concern, then the best strategy would be to sign up at the latest possible time. Thats about 2 weeks prior to the ride.

I for one have enjoyed all 5 of the PU rides I've done. I've had no problems with them and have only good things to say. I will definately be doing more PU events in the future.

I like Brandy, even though I haven't met her. Ever. Yet. But hope to see her and her husband and children, one day, at some event somewhere, at which point I will say hello with all enthusiasm that I will have despite whatever events may or may not have taken leading up to that moment. And then I will be happy, having done so.

That is all. :D

I am completely lost on what's going on.

Hi Brandy! :P

I like Brandy, even though I haven't met her. Ever. Yet. But hope to see her and her husband and children, one day, at some event somewhere, at which point I will say hello with all enthusiasm that I will have despite whatever events may or may not have taken leading up to that moment. :D

I have met Brandy (and George), and I like her too :). George is a great guy and helped work checkpoints on the Easter Sierra after he crashed out.

Actually, my wife and I met Brandy and George at dinner before the Butterfield Double. Then the next day, at Checkpoint #1 she said "Hi!" to me and I didn't recognize her in her cycling kit (oops!).

I've also ridden with JimmyNH (just last Sun. in fact) and I like Jimmy too, plus I respect his opinion on the matter as stated above.

Regarding PU (Planet Ultra), my view is that if you're going to ride their rides, you have to play by their rules, regardless of what you may think of the rules themselves. I don't always agree with the PU rules, but I get along with Deb and Brian, and have volunteered to work several of their doubles.

The thing I try to keep in mind is that they're running Planet Ultra as a business. It's not like the usual club-run cycling situation, so yes, it's going to be a bit different than (perhaps) what you're used to. Either get over it and accept the Planet Ultra rules, and way of doing business . . . or don't sign up for any Planet Ultra rides. Pretty simple.

Rick / OCRR

Jimmy is COOOOOL!:D...Phil is COOOOOL! But when did the Dagger get married?:p

..., so yes, it's going to be a bit different than (perhaps) what you're used to. Either get over it and accept the Planet Ultra rules, and way of doing business . . . or don't sign up for any Planet Ultra rides. Pretty simple. Rick / OCRR

With 4 supported rides under my belt, hard to know what different is but I read the rules, they were stark, rigid and absolute to me, like what the f*** is up with this, but I wanted to do the ride, did the ride, played by the rules, had a good ride and if I couldn't have done the ride I wouldn't have been arguing for a refund, that's just me and how I do in the world.

So ditto me:D

pretty simple.

Well I think that's kind of the point of Brandy's post. She DID play by the rules. But apparently there are some secret, unwritten rules that prevent fraternizing with those who criticize the a planet ultra ride.

I like brandy.

I like cake.

I love lamp.

That's a big font. Are you compensating for something?

Well I think that's kind of the point of Brandy's post. She DID play by the rules. But apparently there are some secret, unwritten rules that prevent fraternizing with those who criticize the a planet ultra ride.

EXACTLY. It looks like there is an unwritten rule "Thou shall not criticize Planet Ultra events or organizers in public forums"!!. I don't think either Brandy OR George violated any PU event rules, but because they have been critical at times, they are still being banned.

EXACTLY. It looks like there is an unwritten rule "Thou shall not criticize Planet Ultra events or organizers in public forums"!!. I don't think either Brandy OR George violated any PU event rules, but because they have been critical at times, they are still being banned.

Hmmm....that only took 25 posts....

Hmmm....that only took 25 posts....

Post 20, but who's counting.

Post 20, but who's counting.

You are correct. Belay my last.

You are correct. Belay my last.

I will. As soon as I figure out what that means!

I can say one thing, their website is in a major need for a security overhaul.

Edit: Oh thats BBC's site.

I will. As soon as I figure out what that means!

Belay is military jargon for 'disregard...for now...I'm not saying I'm wrong, because a higher-rank is never wrong...it just means that, in this particular case, the information I provided is not entirely accurate.'


/Navy brat...Dad used this on me all the time.
//"Dammit son...I told you to take out the trash!" "I did that an hour ago." "Belay my last."

Hello... I'm a pretty new guy and have been considering doing some of the Planet Ultra events for me and several buddies. All of this talk is making me a bit nervous about signing up. Water running out, rude people, checks being returned because of associations... makes me reconsider. I appreciate the information being available to help me decide.

Clearly, this is a fairly divisive issue. I'm also pretty sure that the people who are less friendly to PU will be here in higher frequency. Regardless, I just wish there was a way to tell if PU is a organization that would work for me. I would appreciate some feedback from the forum or pm's. Thanks!

write to them directly....or volunteer at a ride.....personally i like them, but thats just me.....

I've only rode 2 of their rides. So far I like them. However, I didn't hit the water issue since I never reached that checkpoint. From PU's response, it seems like it is just an isolated case of unexpected rider behavior (ppl skipping a previous checkpoint, and thus used up more in the next one causing an issue).

The PU rides that I've been on are very similar to other organized rides; SAG support, food, water, etc. The only difference that I find between PU and others is that PU's are stricter about rider etiquette during the ride though (helmets at all times, running red lights/stop signs leads to "disqualification", etc.).

Note that this discounts the issues Brandy and George ran into with PU though. I trust Brandy and George, so I just haven't figured out how to react; but that's just at a personal/individual level.

If you like the route the PU provides, I don't think you'll have an issue with their ride support. :)

Don't let it put you off.

The two events I've attended were interesting and well run. I wouldn't hesitate to do any of their events, and have several more on my schedule this year. The fact that they are so well attended in a region that has alot of ride options should give you some comfort.

Strong-willed people butting heads is not an uncommon occurrence. ;)

Take a lession from those who run breatless agony

Huh?....

:D

Hello... I'm a pretty new guy and have been considering doing some of the Planet Ultra events for me and several buddies. All of this talk is making me a bit nervous about signing up. Water running out, rude people, checks being returned because of associations... makes me reconsider. I appreciate the information being available to help me decide.

Clearly, this is a fairly divisive issue. I'm also pretty sure that the people who are less friendly to PU will be here in higher frequency. Regardless, I just wish there was a way to tell if PU is a organization that would work for me. I would appreciate some feedback from the forum or pm's. Thanks!

As a person recently banned from PU events all I can say is the PU events are awesome accomplishments and I would recommend it simply because they are one of the few around that have rides of that magnitude.

I think that the chances of having a bad experience are relatively small but if it does happen, just don't expect that your side of the story will be entertained. Think of it like the TDF, ofcourse you'd participate if you could but any accusation or transgression can get you banned for life :).

I was really shocked to read PU the rest stops ran out of water. Then they DQ a rider for a personal support vehicle. I think that's funny!:D

I've done rides like The Bear with a personal support vehicle. I skipped most of the reststops while using my own supplies and fluids. I know it's not advised but what the heck, I didn't run out of water. AND I know of about 20 other riders that were glad that I had one with extra fluids.

One rest stop ran out of water & it ran out of water about 15-30 minutes before is was scheduled to close, they still had some water left when I went through there about 40 minutes before it was scheduled to close.

Earlier in this thread PU explained that there was lots of extra water left over at the previous stop, because many riders decided that since it was not a sticker stop, they could make it to the next stop. In addition I saw a couple of riders at the bottom of Deer Creek, pouring water on their heads. While it would have been nice to move some of the extra water to Deer Creek, how do you communicate that when cell phones don't always work in these remote areas. And how to you move the water when not all your volunteers show up.

I'm sure PU learned from their mistakes on this ride. But there is no amount of planning that could have prevented what happened on this ride. How was PU suppose to know so many riders would skip the previous SAG stop. Its great that we can all do this Monday Morning quarterbacking, saying if they did this or did that. If you checked the PU website the week before the ride and the bulletin boards at registration they warned of the heat and recommended people use their Camelbaks. I would think that with that kind of warning, most riders would have made sure they stayed hydrated.

I didn't use my Camelbak, but knowing my intolerance for heat, I made sure that I consumed at least 30 oz. of water/sports drink between each stop & made sure I kept my electrolyte levels high. For me the ride was hot & tough, but I didn't suffer like I have on Heartbreak or the DR with the heat, and it was actually hotter on MC this year than those years I suffered in the heat on Heartbreak & the DR.

I think if a lot of the people who feel that this is a poorly run group of rides needs to volunteer for one of the PU rides. I have volunteered for several of their rides, that may be why I have a different perspective.

One of the big differences between PU rides and most other centuries is the difficulty of the ride. It attracts a different type of rider, than your traditional rec rider century. To compare experiences between what PU is doing with their rides and the other traditional centuries is like comparing apples to oranges.

Most traditional rec centuries are charitable fund raisers, have all or most of their nutrition/water/etc., donated by businesses in cycling business or area. The volunteers are the organizations that benefit from the fund raising. They usually have 3-20 times the number of riders. The list of differences go on & on, the only similarity is the riding distance. I have been on some of these centuries, some are not even up to the standards that PU sets, others because of community involvement like the Grizzly Century out of North Fork in Oct. (they have Sushi @ their SAG stops) are experiences that you savor forever.

I'm generally trying to stay out of this thread, but I will say that I've done a few PU events, and even SAG'd one, and have been generally happy with them. My biggest gripe was with the quality of the food at the stops. They had some cookies that not only had partially hydrogenated oils on the ingredients, there was actually a signficant measured amount of trans fat on the label. I scanned some of the other foods and found similarly lacking nutritional quality. I understand that some people like junky foods on these rides and hey, that's fine, but there is no reason a better cookie couldn't have been used, and some fresh fruit would have been very nice. Actually, I can't think of any organized ride I've done other than PU rides that didn't have some fresh fruit (grapes, oranges, bananas, etc.) available. There may have been bananas.

Also, I should add that since I volunteered on one of the rides (solvang's finest century), the biggest gripe I heard from people was the distance between some of the SAG stops. PU is set up for longer distance events and riding 200 miles, we are used to 30-40 miles between stops. However, the century attracted less seasoned riders, and many of them were not prepared for such distance between the stops. Otherwise I thought it went fairly smoothly and people were generally happy with it. Note that I did the "staff ride" the next day with WhiteCarbonDude, and we had exactly one stop at the top of Harris Grade to refill our bottles with water that was kindly left there for us :)

Hello... I'm a pretty new guy and have been considering doing some of the Planet Ultra events for me and several buddies. All of this talk is making me a bit nervous about signing up. Water running out, rude people, checks being returned because of associations... makes me reconsider. I appreciate the information being available to help me decide.

Clearly, this is a fairly divisive issue. I'm also pretty sure that the people who are less friendly to PU will be here in higher frequency. Regardless, I just wish there was a way to tell if PU is a organization that would work for me. I would appreciate some feedback from the forum or pm's. Thanks!

Just do one of their rides and see for yourself. If you've done some other organized rides you can compare and decide if you'd like to do more.

Thanks everyone for all the information. I genuinely appreciate the community here. Everyone from both "sides" have been helpful with assurances and information. I think the greatest feeling of comfort comes from knowing that such a sense of community exists among the participants, organizers, and volunteers.

From my perspective, it is a shame that arguments within this group exists (group hug). While I am currently not in shape to participate (baby care takes precedence over riding these days), I look forward to joining an upcoming ride.

I just found this site and registered. I have ridden numerous Doubles...over 12 in the last three years, many were Planet Ultra events, but I will never ride another Planet Ultra event again. I have had a few run ins with the organization ranging from not wearing leg bands after the sun had been up for over two hours (accused of not wearing them at all when I had removed them at the previous control) to them running out of sandwiches at a lunch stop. I had gotten to a point where I knew I could not rely on Planet Ultra and I carried more stuff than I normally would on a Double Century (water/food)

The breaking point came when my tandem stoker and I rode the Solvang Fall Double Century last year. We had our challenges throughout the day but we were doing okay through the last rest stop. When we were ready to leave they held us up over 10 minutes because they wanted the last few riders riding as a group. We finally got underway and within a few miles had dropped the slower riders, we slowed hoping they would catch up, and while we saw their lights moving we knew we would not make the cut off time if we stayed with them. We resumed our pace and made it back to Solvang. Once on the main road we sprinted to the finish. We finished at 12:04, another rider finished just ahead of us. All three of us approached the door and it was locked. We were four minutes past the cutoff time and the finish control had disappeared. There was a slip of paper taped to the door and we signed it stating our finish time. The next day I waited in the parking lot for the staff to come out to their vehicles, I approached one of them (Brian I believe) and stated I wanted to verify that we were marked as finishing. He said "No, that they had to draw the line somewhere" Even when I mentioned that we were held up at the last control he said "too bad". I was dumbfounded...they could have easily verified my story with the crew of the last rest stop but they refused to do so.

On top of that, during the event, they never went out to check how the last of the riders were doing. The road was very desolate, and while we were riding in we only saw one vehicle pass. The finish control could have easily gone back on the road to check on the riders. Once my stoker and I had loaded up the tandem we did just that, we drove the route backwards to check on the last two riders. They were just coming into town as we were heading out so we felt safe in going back to our hotel.

I was very upset that my stoker was denied her first Triple Crown (this being her third event) on a minor point. Between hotel costs, event entries, fuel costs, food we probably spent over $1000.00 to be denied a finish by 4 minutes. And then for Planet Ultra to leave five cyclists out on the road without verifying that they were okay is beyond good taste...it borders on being criminal (If someone had fallen on that road they would not have been found till morning...can you spell l.a.w.s.u.i.t)

Chuck Bramwell (Triple Crown) went to bat for us but the organizers would not budge on letting us be listed as finishers. It left such a bad taste in my mouth that I decided not to ride following Double... Death Valley, why should I? I was screwed out of my 1000 mile club status and my stoker was screwed out of her first Triple Crown. I do appreciate Chuck's attempt to show PU the error of their ways and I will ride future Triple Crown events.

I will not have to worry about PU rejecting any of my entires in the future as I will never ride another PU (it stinks) event again. I had written to the local cycling clubs (Bike Hikers, Wheelmen, Davis Bike Club) about my experiences and it was amazing the number of cyclists who responded with similar experiences. There are 14 or 15 events on the Triple Crown series. It's to bad that PU has so many events on the calendar but it is possible to complete the 1000 mile club without riding PU events. It's amazing that PU is still in existance with the host of negative feelings that cyclists have for their "business". Maybe eventually they will burn enough cyclists (ie customers) that PU will disappear and bike clubs can fill the gaps.

I recommend that all riders avoid PU events at all costs if they want a caring, friendly, enjoyable experience.
Steve

Not to get into the general discussion going on here, but why would anyone volunteer to work for a business that's doing this to make money??? I don't come to work for free, why on Earth would you do that for a money making entity?

(By the way, I'm not knocking PU for being a money making company at all.)

That is sad.:cry:



That was sad that you couldn't finish a double in 18 HOURS! :roflmao2: You are telling me that you couldn't handle 11MPH on a TANDEM! What is worse is that you come on the internet to spew detestation towards a organization you know very little about. Why don't you volunteer for a PU event so you can get an understanding of what is is like to run an event like this.:welcome

Wow Jon. What is sad is your post. What kind of kool-aid have you been drinking?

People have come here with legitimate concerns about Planet Ultra and their business/customer service practices and all you can do is criticize their time on a double? :mad:

I read cyclstev's post to mean that they encountered some problems along the way. This could be mechanicals, flats, falls, arguments, etc. That being said, I don't know if I could finish a double century in 11 hours myself, so I wouldn't knock it.


Not to get into the general discussion going on here, but why would anyone volunteer to work for a business that's doing this to make money??? I don't come to work for free, why on Earth would you do that for a money making entity?

You mean like moderating a forum? Just sayin'

I'd rather not get into this too deeply, but can someone clarify something for me re: stev's and jon's posts? stev said they finished in 12:04. Jon said they didn't finish in 18 hours. What am I missing as these to statements don't mesh in my brain.

I'd rather not get into this too deeply, but can someone clarify something for me re: stev's and jon's posts? stev said they finished in 12:04. Jon said they didn't finish in 18 hours. What am I missing as these to statements don't mesh in my brain.

I believe 12:04 is clock time as in four minutes after midnight. If the riders had started at 6 am then that would be 18 hours 4 mins. elapsed time.

I read cyclstev's post to mean that they encountered some problems along the way. This could be mechanicals, flats, falls, arguments, etc. That being said, I don't know if I could finish a double century in 11 hours myself, so I wouldn't knock it.


You mean like moderating a forum? Just sayin'

Well, yeah if that fits...I guess, BUT I'm not telling anyone to do this to get a different perspective. Just saying.

I get upset when I go to Walmart and have to put up with the cashiers, but do I have to get a job there just so I can *****?

This guy paid money and is complaining, telling him to now work for the same company that "left a bad taste in his mouth" so that he can now understand their problems makes no sense.

That is sad.:cry:



That was sad that you couldn't finish a double in 18 HOURS! :roflmao2: You are telling me that you couldn't handle 11MPH on a TANDEM! What is worse is that you come on the internet to spew detestation towards a organization you know very little about. Why don't you volunteer for a PU event so you can get an understanding of what is is like to run an event like this.:welcome

That’s ****ing bull****. Who are the **** are you to talk bad about someone's time during an organized FUN RIDE? How long it took them to finish is entirely inconsequential and has nothing to do with what he was saying. How the hell does their average speed have anything to do with PU's actions? God forbid people don't treat a "dobule century" (a stupid name for a long day in the saddle) like a race...

None of the **** PU did in this sitiation is justifiable. I've never done a PU event and don't care to waste my money paying for something I could do without support... but when you pay for a supported ride, it's reasonable to expect a competent staff. Leaving the finish area before all the riders have arrived is not excusable. Aside from that, I'm suprised that PU would leave themselves open to possible liability and litigation had one of the riders gotten hurt or stranded...

*MODified to allow filters to catch appropriate words*