Ride across britain - RAB 2010
r3 guy
Posts: 229
This ride sounds awesome, I have always wanted to do , but the only thing that put me off it was the logistics.
But all the logistics are taken care of, full medical, and mechanical support, tents are put up for you each day in advance of you riding to the destination etc.
Just signed up !! :shock:
http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/Default.aspx
articles here
http://m.telegraph.co.uk/article/5877667/
and here
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/j ... 2548/?mp=1
But all the logistics are taken care of, full medical, and mechanical support, tents are put up for you each day in advance of you riding to the destination etc.
Just signed up !! :shock:
http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/Default.aspx
articles here
http://m.telegraph.co.uk/article/5877667/
and here
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/j ... 2548/?mp=1
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Comments
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I was reading about this a few hours ago. I would love to do it , just the sort of challenge to keep me motivated and training through the winter.
Only problem is I don't have the money. If I did, I would have signed up by now.0 -
r3guy - looks very interesting...
Apart from paying the entry fee, is there any requirement on you to raise any further money for charity? There's reference to fundraising on the site, but it's not clear whether this is optional.
I'm thinking about it... happy to pay a grand to do it... but have done a fair bit of fundraising over the last few years and am probably beyond the limit in terms of eeking money out of friends, colleagues, contacts, etc...0 -
Hey FL - As far as i can tell, there is no requirement, however it is an opportunity to raise some money, and they talk about helping you to but unlike some marathons etc, i dont believe you have to!
This is straight from the site
From 2010-2013 we want to raise £1 million to support ParalympicsGB.
We need your help to reach our goal (and you’ll feel even better when you cross the finish line in Lands End).
We can help you with fundraising - anything from setting up a Justgiving page, to advice about how to get friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you.
To set up your ParalympicsGB online fundraising page (which is simple and speedy), click on the Justgiving logo.
If you’d like to raise money for your own chosen charity click here.
i emailed them and got a response today that said that the early bird deal (£100 off) was almost finished (it goes to the first 50 solo riders)
Get in quick0 -
Looks great, but ParalympicsGB certainly wouldn't be my first choice of charity. Maybe fiftieth....
<cue lambasting from irate pc brigade>0 -
After making a few phonecalls I might be able to obtain funding for this via a personal sponsor but reading a bit more info - the accomodation provided each night is a tent!
I don't know about anyone else, but if I had spent all day riding in the wind and rain I would want a warm room, a hot bath and somewhere to dry my clothing.
This event sounds like a great idea but I would want some better accomodation before I sign up. If they took over a local hotel at the end of each stage I am sure that would not add to much to the cost.0 -
Camping is part of the fun, surely...?!?!?
I've started negotiations with the other half, but it might take a little while to conclude!
My other option is to do it as a family trip - that would mean doing the route over two weeks, alternating the riding each day with my wife, who would like to do it too. The idea being that the rider gets up and goes at 6-7am each morning, does about 85 miles then meets up with the spouse and two kids.
That way it's a family holiday and we get to do LEJOG as a team...0 -
the problem with taking over b and bs is that there are 600 participants, thats a hell of a lot of b and bs to sort out, all in the same proximity.
The tented village should also give a great community feel.0 -
r3 guy wrote:
The tented village should also give a great community feel.
Remember this is taking place in Britain in June. Cold, Wet, Windy etc
I am sure they could link up with a national chain of hotels that could provide rooms every night. Anyway, that's not going to happen, so despite really wanting to take on this sort of challenge I will have to, with regret, declare myself out.0 -
i would have thought that anyone who is prepared to ride 1000miles, wouldnt have been too bothered about a few nights in a tent, me i love camping.
have a look at the picture here of the base camp, not too shabby
http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/base-camps.aspx0 -
Basically it's a nine day touring holiday, albeit riding about a third more distance a day than most camp & ride tours.
I've done similar events across France, Switzerland and Italy, where the sportive clientele are on road bikes not carrying their own stuff (i.e the organisers carry your baggage and do all the chores except washing kit). The camping aspect is fine, it will only be a problem for those expecting to be pampered, but the catering must be good, as over nine days that is your fuel for the ride, not just energy drinks and bananas.
I'd be up for this one, too, as long I can do a pay & ride option. I can't be bothered trawling for sponsors and chasing up sponsorship money.0 -
I hope they provide drying facilities for the 600 cyclists. Nothing worse than starting a days cycling in the rain with clothes and shoes still wet from the previous day.More problems but still living....0
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I just saw that today, and I really want to do it! I like camping, and the convenience of having all the logistics and support sounds great. It ain't cheap though: £1,095.
I'm gonna try and persuade a mate to do it with me, I figure it'll be more fun than going alone - make it an alternative blokes holiday ;-)
The Other Half seems OK with the idea too, she's probably looking forward to having me out of her hair for nine days.FCN 6 in the week on the shiny new single speed.
FCN 3 at the weekend - struggling to do it justice!0 -
There are other companies doing this sort of thing.
e.g. BikeAdventures
http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/supportendtoend1.html 9 days B&B £945
http://www.bikeadventures.co.uk/supportendtoend2.html 15 days B&B £1255 Camping £725
Have a Google around - quite a few companies, variety of prices, variety of standards of accommodation, etc0 -
I have just read that you are not allowed to wear headphones on the ride !! not sure how strict they will be or if its just to protect themselves from being sued if they were seen to allow it. I need music to keep me going.
I'm going to sign up tho. looks like a bit of a hoot.
The only thing i dont like is that looks like you have to make your way to the start and from the finish so that will add to the cost. not sure best way to get either. train i suppose/.
How are you getting to and from r3guy?0 -
Can this be done just by raising sponsorship?0
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I agree it sounds like great fun, but
How are 500 cyclists + bikes + supoprt teams going to get to John O'Groats for an 'early' start? Where did they stay? The train to Wick only takes 4 bikes!
How are 500 cyclists and bikes getting home from Lands End (on a Sunday!!) ?
Anyone contemplating this trip has to ask the organisers these questions.
Neil.0 -
I've emailed to ask those questions, pending a successful outcome of current inter-marital negotiations.
My assumption is that the base camp will be set up the day before, somewhere near to the start.
My plan was to fly into Wick and then get a taxi, though I'd be surprised if the organisers don't arrange any form of coach transportation from somewhere such as Inverness to JOG.
And then I'd get the missus to pick me up at Lands End...0 -
Larry
Please keep us updated with any response you get.
I've had this response, which still leaves me thinking it's not been fully worked out yet, and hence leaves me worrying as to whether I can commit £1100.
Neil.
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Getting to/from for solo riders
Solo riders need to get to/from John O'Groats and Land's End for the event start/finish.
We are working with a transport service to finalise details for solo riders and their bikes to get there and back, with a priority to make to convenient and the cost as competitive as possible to our riders.
We are only able to provide a more detailed event route to our signed up riders.
This is to protect our riders who have paid to enter, and the event.
Thanks for your email and interest in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain 2010.
If you have any further questions, please do let us know. We hope you can join us for the Ride.
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I got a reply confirming that the base camps will be set up for the night before the start and the night after the finish.
Also that, as said above, they are working on a transport solution to make it easy / cost effective for participants
The email also stated that the event was "almost full"...0 -
The event is now full, spoke to a great lady from their offices today, they increased the numbers to 650 and this afternoon it sold out !!
She also mentioned that on some of the evenings they were trying to organise local bands etc for evening entertainment.
Cant wait.0 -
Bands in the evening - just what you want when you are trying to get to sleep after a long ride..0
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There's plenty of time for sleeping, unless you intend to hit the sack as soon as you get off the bike.0
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Yeah, I'm just being a grumpy old man!
The logistics of the base camps are going to be incredible. 650 riders all wanting food, showers, toilets, etc. Quite an incentive to finish the ride as early as possible each day to get to the front of the queue.0 -
Just found this thread after a google search.
I've signed up for this...I was trying to plan a JOGLE for next year, but wasn't comfortable doing it un-supported (nightmares about being stranded in the middle of Scotland with a broken wheel). This is perfect for me...nothing to worry about but concentrating on training, and then enjoy the trip :-)
Great news about them sorting out some transport to JOG...I had wondered (it's hard enough sorting out a group of 4 to get there, let alone 600+). Not sure about the bands, but nothing a pair of earplugs won't sort out if I'm shattered one evening (and who knows...by then I may be in good enough condition to not be shattered after cycling for 6 hours!).0 -
I've been looking at the transport thing after talking to the people at Threshold. They say they are working with the transport authorities to get extra capacity for the riders.
Flying to inverness and then via road or train to JOG seems like the obvious option. If flying the bike will have to go into a bike box or bag; will Threshold then transport all of those boxes/bags to LE?0 -
Also signed up for this with my other half - both as solo riders and was wondering about how we are going to get to JOG - funny how you only think of these minor logistics once you've signed up for it!!!0
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Did any members here actually do this ride?0
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Yeah did it in June. Really good event well organised and a fantastic route. Luckily we had a bit of a tail wind most of the way and it was all downhill after Glencoe or maybe thats just my rose tinted memory.0
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I know its a different country, but me and my mate are doing Calais - Nice next year taking in the Alps and Ventoux. We have a support driver and it will cost us slightly more than this event except we get decent weather and some good hills. Its not that difficult to organise, it's the large numbers that cause the problem!0
