Ride London 2015, 100 mile

[Jethro]

I have put my name down for this next year, but cant understand having a ballot for 100,000 when only about 30,000 will get a ride.

Why dont they just take the first 30,000 or however many entrants they are willing to accept and close it when at that limit, instead of having a 1 in 3 chance and getting disappointed?

Anyone else hoping for a ride?

[marcusjb]

We've both applied again - with the backup strategy that they might open up tandem applications again! 

I am led to believe it's not a straight lottery - there's some careful manipulation going on to ensure there is a wide spread of rider times (imagine if the first 30000 people were as fast on the bike as they were at internet application forms?). 

Being only a couple of weeks before PBP, we will be taking it very steady if we get a place and doing our best to avoid getting caught up in the crash-fest.

[jsabine]

I've applied, but to be honest am pretty indifferent as to whether I get a place or not. I'm sure there will be plenty of alternative activities that weekend next year.

[Redlight]

Similarly, I've registered on the grounds that it is a "nice to do" rather than essential - and I quite fancy riding through the Blackwall Tunnel to the start  .  On the numbers, it would be interesting to know how many of the allocated charity places are taken up - this year several charities were still touting for riders a couple of weeks before the event. 

Let's hope the weather is better next year. I would have been very disappointed to have got a place and then had to ride the shortened route, as happened this time around.

[Jethro]

Was thinking of entering through a charity and might still do if I dont get a place throught the ballot system.  My question is that you are required to raise a substantial amount of sponsorship beforehand, so how easy is it to raise this amount?

[Redlight]

   My question is that you are required to raise a substantial amount of sponsorship beforehand, so how easy is it to raise this amount?

I think it depends on how your friends and acquaintances regard you and your cycling. I raised about £6k on the last PBP because even those who know that I'm a keen rider can understand that  for me 1200km in 90 hours was a challenge.  I doubt that anyone I know would be willing to give me money to cycle 100 miles because they know that I do that regularly. 

If you can persuade people that there's a bit of personal effort involved then you have a better chance.  On the other hand, I think many people are suffering from sponsorship fatigue and are becoming less willing to, in effect, subsidise people's days out or cycling holidays.

[Wascally Weasel]

Was thinking of entering through a charity and might still do if I dont get a place throught the ballot system.  My question is that you are required to raise a substantial amount of sponsorship beforehand, so how easy is it to raise this amount?

A bit late I know but another thing it depends on is how much the charity wants you to raise.  I did it for the CTC last year and their minimum target was £250 I think.

Donation fatigue is a bit of an issue these days I'll admit hence I did a 'How many times can I ride up Box Hill in one day' challenge to try and generate a bit more interest (30 it turned out, had planned on 40 but the hill was closed for several hours due to a serious accident and I was also not really up to much more than 30 I don't think).

I'm doing the ride again this year (tandem this time!) but for myself rather than a charity.

[Martin]

this came past my road so I had a quick look at the back end; before watching the RR come through. I was amazed to find live coverage on BBC1 which I watched to the nail biting finish

whilst it looks looks it cost billions to stage (judging by all the bored looking security peeps by the road closures) this is one event that has pushed cycling in the UK right into the mainstream (complete with Celebs)

Long may it continue 

[David Martin]

Much of the support infrastructure is volunteers. But if there are jobs where folk need paying to be there in case stuff happens then I am happy for them to be paid to do so.

Anyway, here is my report.

Thanks to a last minute offer from Jsabine, i spent the night on a spare bed just at the south end of the Blackwall tunnel. An early start saw us pedal through the southbound tunnel heading North to get to our appointed stations at the Olympic park.

And then I was off. I found a good wheel to follow, and shamelessly wheelsucked through to Chiswick at speed $lots. Past the first casualties of the day being tended by ambulances. A similarly fast run down through Kingston and out towards Byfleet. I am now on new roads for me, the minor roads were quite heavy but I wasn't keen to push knowing that the day would get warmer and I had to conserve my resources.

Newlands corner came, I twiddled up and enjoyed the run down through Gomshall to Abinger Hammer. Stopped at the drink station before Leith Hill for a refill, but could feel the first effects of the heat.

Twiddled up Leith Hill, bombed the descent, one I remember from when I was much younger and fitter. Dorking was good, great crowds, then it was Box Hill. Dropped my chain at the base, and then ambled up at the most comfortable speed I had. And followed this with the drag over Headley Heath - some things I do still remember from 25+ years ago.
The descent through Mickleham was good - got a new personal speed record of 52mph going down. 
And then the slog back through Leatherhead, Esher, KIngston. My legs were weary, not being used to rides longer than 40 miles. After Leatherhead I was decanting bottle after bottle over my head and neck, trying to keep sufficiently cool. I don't do warm. A fast spin into Kingston, grovel out, grovel up Wimbledon Hill, and a good run into Putney and to the Embankment. Then my legs really gave up and it was damage limitation time.

But I got there, 6.03 or thereabouts. So quite pleased to have survived with that time.

And home. Ouch my legs ache.

[Martin]

very sad but statistically very likely on these types of events 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-33755413

[jenhunt]

I had a great ride, smashed my 'record' from last year, when 86 miles took me 6.5 hours due to the weather.... this year I did the whole route too me me 6.26 officially (but that includes my stop time, and the 2 occasions when I had to walk past accidents, including that chap on Leith Hill ) and according to strava my average moving speed was 16.3 mph. very pleased, had a great run and really really enjoyed it.

the OH smashed out his PB at 4.16.03!!!

ballot will be entered for next year too

[jsabine]

Somewhat mixed feelings about this one I think. Good to see David Martin for the first time in <umpteen> years, and to have company past the Dome and through the Blackwall Tunnel up to the start.

Great to be riding through London on closed roads - and proper big roads too, not just sequestered into side streets - and I kept up a decent pace for far longer than I thought I'd be able to. Quickish stop (for loo, but then tempted by bananas and fig rolls) at the first hub, just 40km or so in, and then a much longer one near Byfleet following a puncture, and a spare tube that wouldn't seal to my pump: enjoyed the hills, hit 70km/h somewhere (I think my highest previous had been 69.9 ...), was lifted by the atmosphere and the crowds coming back through Kingston and Wimbledon and Putney.

Not so keen on some of the other riders (hint: just because you're in a club jersey, and in a paceline, and doing $lots speed, doesn't give you the right to pass *any* other rider >this< far from them. And having called out "Right" to people who don't actually know whether that means "Move right please," "I'm coming through on your right," or "Yes, you're right about that" doesn't make it any better. I only actually called one guy a cock though, the cock who, on a hill called out "Left" as I was approaching someone who was walking, then flashed through the rapidly vanishing gap between us - I'd held my line but really, *really* didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to try that one), nor on the amount of debris left around. If I could have been arsed stopping, I'd have come home with three or four pumps, half a dozen inner tubes, and a dozen or more bidons - not to mention several thousand gel wrappers. WTF is it with gels - the first wrappers I saw were before we'd even got to the Limehouse Link?

[jenhunt]

..... was lifted by the atmosphere and the crowds coming back through Kingston and Wimbledon and Putney.

.....not to mention several thousand gel wrappers. WTF is it with gels - the first wrappers I saw were before we'd even got to the Limehouse Link?

the crowds, and in general the marshalls too, were amazing weren't they - so many smiles and cheers, cowbells and clackers, and so much encouragement! I wasn't riding for charity, but managed to wave at them, and the response in return made it worthwhile! I reckon that standing there shouting at 30K cyclists was much harder than cycling 100miles. They will have been there for hours after all.

oh don't even get me started on the gel wrappers.... It is not difficult to put the wrapper in a pocket, or in a bar top bag or wherever is it? I mean, I managed, and I went through 6 gels, and I've only just mastered eating them on the move! ok, so i get that sometimes it goes wrong when you're getting one out and an empty escapes... but seriously. If everypone lost one wrapper accidentally, then that would still be less than I'm sure I saw on the ground!!!

*climbs down off soapbox*

[David Martin]

Agree entirely about the gels. I consumed a several and disposed of all the wrappers appropriately.
Good to catch up with John again, and thanks for the bed for the night.
Heading out I realised that my hoped for overcast and not too warm wasn't going to happen. So it was a case of not overcooking.
Sat on some good wheels out to Richmond Park, then an easy spin up the hills and onwards. More good wheels out through to Byfleet where I started to find the draggy roads quite heavy. Gently up Newlands Corner and stopped for water at the abse of Leith Hill. Got up without too much trouble but I could feel that if I put too much effort in I would overheat. Good run down from Wootton towards Dorking - 83km/h so a new fastest for me. Dorking was amazing - great crowds.
Twiddled up box hill then had to stop on Headley Heath to cool down. I really don't do heat, and those who say that helmets don't cause overheating can kindly stop projecting their physiology on to me.

Onwards, ever onwards. Tired legs due to lack of miles this year, and stopping at Esher and Wimbledon for water to pour over me.

The organisation was great - marshals were great, volunteers were great and the support was fantastic. 6.03, but I'm not sure I would do that one again - too warm for me.

[Wascally Weasel]

I rode it this year on a tandem with the former Ms Weasel – I’ve ridden it twice solo before, with my best time last year on the rainy enforced short route of 4 hrs 52 minutes.  We weren’t going to get anywhere near that on the tandem!

It’s big, heavy, with fat tyres and has a very upright riding position – we also had a pannier each so weren’t travelling terribly light.  We got round in 7 hrs and 17 minutes but this ride was more about enjoying the day than trying for a great time.

Like a lot of tandem crews, we got put in start block at 08:24 so shortly after the start were always on crowded roads – we were going reasonably quick when the roads were clearer (averaging about 20mph for the first 17 miles) but accidents and bunching slowed us down a lot after that.  The accidents started with one at Chiswick and continued moderately frequently after that – one looked very serious and I hope the rider is ok.

We missed out on Leith Hill due to an enforced diversion because of the guy who had a heart attack – but didn’t want to lose out on riding the full distance.  So after the first climb of Box Hill, we decided that we would do another loop over Box Hill again.  We turned off at the A24 roundabout and rode back down to the start of the Box Hill climb via the (mostly empty) main road.  This added on another ten miles which took us up to about 102 miles for the ride by the end.

It was great fun and the crowds of supports were even more supportive of tandems – always got a shout from people.  I hope they keep including tandems as people seem to like them – for the most part also, people who ride non-standard bikes are usually fairly experienced riders of ‘normal’ bikes and I had no issue with the bike handling skills of the other tandem riders we encountered (and the two recumbents and one trike we also met).

For the most part I thought rider behaviour was pretty good but there was a range of poor behaviour on and off the bike – one chap threw his banana peel into a garden while we were all stopped at an accident site which drew a general response of telling him to not be such an idiot.

I haven’t been that late starting before and I think that the increased size of the overall field resulted in very crowded roads – e.g. I couldn’t really let go on descents much of the time, not even on the A25 as the road was full of slower cyclists.  I think without changes the event has reached its maximum size and is possible too big now.

Still, was a fun day out on the bike.