ride london changing start times

norwichdanny

Ok maybe someone can help with this!
My wife and i were both lucky enough to get a place on this. we got our start times a few days ago but mine is one hour before hers. Obviously we want to do the whole ride together. Does anyone know if these times can be changed or shall i just get a fake puncture in the first two miles and then spend an hour trying to fix it!!!

Kingston2711

Only way round it that I can think of is swapping ride numbers the day before that way you are in the right wave for any checks.

I have a 7.50 start time and would have wanted much earlier if I had remembered to put on an estimated time...DOH Happy to meet and swap numbers on the Saturday or even Friday if this helps. Would mean that timing chips would not be accurate bu I'm not othered as I will be using my garmin.

Anonymous

Odd that you got different start times if you put exactly the same estimated finish time.

There are lots of people who would love to start early and miss all the traffic so it seems a crime to take an early slot and sit around for an hour :shock:

norwichdanny

yeah i agree it does seem a shame to take the early slot so i will be meeting kingston to swap numbers. It means my wife starts 4 minutes before me, and i can guarantee that she goes hell for leather from the off trying to keep away from me. She'll be gurning like tommy voeckler after 10 miles!!!

rich_e

Probably not the news you wanted to hear, but I think it was clear from the registration process that being able to ride with your other half, friends or club from the start wasn't really an option. There were nothing to allow you to choose to ride with other participants, and the fact that registration was based on a ballot leaned even further away from that.

The only way you are going to find out if you can move start time is by phoning or e-mailing Ride London. I would imagine they probably won't budge though. They have drawn up the plans and e-mailed the supposed 20,000 people taking part. So to start changing all that because people want different start times is likely to be a complete nightmare and is bound to just be a flat out no.

davep1

Two days before the email with the start times came out, I asked to change my estimated time from 7.15 to nearer 6 based on the training I have done since Christmas, but they said it was all done and too late to change now.

nellie72

Have they sent emails with start times?? I got the magazine through the other day detailing the registration process at Excel. I thought start times would be allocated then?

rich_e

nellie72 wrote:

Have they sent emails with start times?? I got the magazine through the other day detailing the registration process at Excel. I thought start times would be allocated then?

Yeah, you should have the details of your start time, colour group and recommended time for getting to the QEP.
Did you do the travel survey, as they came out not too long after that.

Given that you got the final magazine though, which should also come with your rider number and registration form, perhaps you just didn't get the e-mail, or perhaps its in your spam box?

I'd shoot them an e-mail with your name and rider number and explain that you don't know. I'm sure they will also likely to be able to tell you at registration also.

Bi50N

Same issue here, I asked if we could coordinate start times long before they sent them out, and they said no - so I imagine changing now will not be possible.

My plan was to blast to Richmond park and wait there until she arrived, as I figured that is the easiest place to pull over and relax...

davep1

Yeah, you should have the details of your start time, colour group and recommended time for getting to the QEP.
Did you do the travel survey, as they came out not too long after that.

I'm sure my email didn't have the colour group (it should be blue or black) shouldn't it? Is anyone else still wondering what colour they should be in?

drlodge

Colour groups are't stated, think you'll know that only at registration.

kentphil

I was wondering about the the blue/black groups too. No mention of which group your in any email I've had.

Leesykoi

You will be allocated your colour group when registering at Excel. I queried this with the organisers and got confirmation that this was the case.

ugo.santalucia

Can I go for a ride which includes the closed roads on the day, or the roads are closed to non paying cyclists too?

Anonymous

Why would you want to do that? Sounds like a pain if your not in the event.
Would you want to go for a ride on the roads when the London Marathon or Lord Mayors Parade was on?
If its to ride with the cyclists, surely you should have entered the event.
(above sounds angry, but I dont mean it that way )

I assumed the roads were closed to all but those in the event. Not sure how they police that though.
If not you would end up with double the amount of cyclists (which is un-safe etc.) wouldn't you?

Do you get non event runners running around with the London Marathon?

I am going out again with the Pro's if its a free-4-all

peat

Closed Road = Road is closed to general traffic.

You could get pedantic about your right of way with the marshal's etc, but is it really worth the agro?

Brakeless

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Can I go for a ride which includes the closed roads on the day, or the roads are closed to non paying cyclists too?

Are you serious? :roll:

rich_e

With people trying to poach the course, you have to bare in mind the following, which is all very likely:

- London will have lots of barriers up, due to the sheer number of cyclists on closed roads, to keep motorists out who either don't realise or are being cheeky and because of the Pro race and spectators.

- Given how early the event starts with the first waves leaving at 6am, if you really wanted to get on the course, think about just how early you would need to do so.

- The roads aren't closed all day. If you look at timing schedules you will see that they start reopening roads as soon as possible based on times of riders and the pro riders through various sections.

- While you could try and join and get over the barriers when there are now 20,000 cyclists on the course, its likely there will be lots of marshals and police, you may also face scorn from those officially riding the event.

- All the timings are based on the Pro race, so its very important they have the course clear, so people poaching it cause a significant problem in that respect. During the Olympics last year, they had Police and Marshals on motorbikes who were clearing the course. I remember even after the TT finish, there were quite a few cyclists trying to ride it and were being chased down by motorbikes. So I'd imagine similar will happen, certainly in London anyway, perhaps not so much on the narrow roads of Surrey as you get into the hills.

Anonymous

Brakeless wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Can I go for a ride which includes the closed roads on the day, or the roads are closed to non paying cyclists too?

Are you serious? :roll:

I wondered if someone had hacked ugo's log in or if he had posted just to raise the topic :?:

ugo.santalucia

I just want to go for a ride and it happens that the RL 100 goes on the roads I normally take... I go out early 6-7 AM, so I was wondering if there was a chance to enjoy traffic free roads, but it appears not.

Last year I tried to head to putney bridge at 7 AM on the day the women were due to race at the Olympic... admittedly I was trying to a "Vinokourov" it was 5 hours before the event, but they would still not allow me on the road. Maybe we should learn from the continent... you can ride up the Mortirolo before the Giro goes up at any time... it's only at the very last minute that they ask you to get out of the road.
Round here the health and safety tends to get to people's head...

Stedman

Carbonator wrote:

Brakeless wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Can I go for a ride which includes the closed roads on the day, or the roads are closed to non paying cyclists too?

Are you serious? :roll:

I wondered if someone had hacked ugo's log in or if he had posted just to raise the topic :?:

I also had the same thoughts.

rich_e

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I just want to go for a ride and it happens that the RL 100 goes on the roads I normally take... I go out early 6-7 AM, so I was wondering if there was a chance to enjoy traffic free roads, but it appears not.

Last year I tried to head to putney bridge at 7 AM on the day the women were due to race at the Olympic... admittedly I was trying to a "Vinokourov" it was 5 hours before the event, but they would still not allow me on the road. Maybe we should learn from the continent... you can ride up the Mortirolo before the Giro goes up at any time... it's only at the very last minute that they ask you to get out of the road.
Round here the health and safety tends to get to people's head...

I would think that Organisers/Marshalls/Councils etc are all going to take the view that a road is closed, regardless of what transport method you are using. I'm sure there will be many motorists remonstrating that they pay road tax and its the roads the normally take, so are entitled to be on it.

I think there is a difference between people riding the stages before the grand tours though. For one, its a free sporting event, where as this is a sportive where the fees off some 20,000 riders are being used as part of that purpose. There is also a somewhat different cycling culture in Europe where people are given a little more respect on a bicycle. You can also be sure that anyone attempting to cycle up the Alpe d'Huez before the race comes through is probably going to be a serious cyclist and respectful enough to get out the way. It's not really the same as in London where you might get chavs on beaten up or stolen bikes poaching the course. So even for serious cyclists, they are likely to have a one rule for all.

But as you pointed out above with the Olympics, that is the same I saw for all three road events, they kicked off anyone on it.

ugo.santalucia

Rich_E wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I just want to go for a ride and it happens that the RL 100 goes on the roads I normally take... I go out early 6-7 AM, so I was wondering if there was a chance to enjoy traffic free roads, but it appears not.

Last year I tried to head to putney bridge at 7 AM on the day the women were due to race at the Olympic... admittedly I was trying to a "Vinokourov" it was 5 hours before the event, but they would still not allow me on the road. Maybe we should learn from the continent... you can ride up the Mortirolo before the Giro goes up at any time... it's only at the very last minute that they ask you to get out of the road.
Round here the health and safety tends to get to people's head...

I would think that Organisers/Marshalls/Councils etc are all going to take the view that a road is closed, regardless of what transport method you are using. I'm sure there will be many motorists remonstrating that they pay road tax and its the roads the normally take, so are entitled to be on it.

I think there is a difference between people riding the stages before the grand tours though. For one, its a free sporting event, where as this is a sportive where the fees off some 20,000 riders are being used as part of that purpose. There is also a somewhat different cycling culture in Europe where people are given a little more respect on a bicycle. You can also be sure that anyone attempting to cycle up the Alpe d'Huez before the race comes through is probably going to be a serious cyclist and respectful enough to get out the way. It's not really the same as in London where you might get chavs on beaten up or stolen bikes poaching the course. So even for serious cyclists, they are likely to have a one rule for all.

But as you pointed out above with the Olympics, that is the same I saw for all three road events, they kicked off anyone on it.

I guess I'll figure something out... being a two days thing I suspect the local residents will be fuming...

drlodge

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Rich_E wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I just want to go for a ride and it happens that the RL 100 goes on the roads I normally take... I go out early 6-7 AM, so I was wondering if there was a chance to enjoy traffic free roads, but it appears not.

Last year I tried to head to putney bridge at 7 AM on the day the women were due to race at the Olympic... admittedly I was trying to a "Vinokourov" it was 5 hours before the event, but they would still not allow me on the road. Maybe we should learn from the continent... you can ride up the Mortirolo before the Giro goes up at any time... it's only at the very last minute that they ask you to get out of the road.
Round here the health and safety tends to get to people's head...

I would think that Organisers/Marshalls/Councils etc are all going to take the view that a road is closed, regardless of what transport method you are using. I'm sure there will be many motorists remonstrating that they pay road tax and its the roads the normally take, so are entitled to be on it.

I think there is a difference between people riding the stages before the grand tours though. For one, its a free sporting event, where as this is a sportive where the fees off some 20,000 riders are being used as part of that purpose. There is also a somewhat different cycling culture in Europe where people are given a little more respect on a bicycle. You can also be sure that anyone attempting to cycle up the Alpe d'Huez before the race comes through is probably going to be a serious cyclist and respectful enough to get out the way. It's not really the same as in London where you might get chavs on beaten up or stolen bikes poaching the course. So even for serious cyclists, they are likely to have a one rule for all.

But as you pointed out above with the Olympics, that is the same I saw for all three road events, they kicked off anyone on it.

I guess I'll figure something out... being a two days thing I suspect the local residents will be fuming...

Don't know what your issue is...you'll be building my wheels instead of riding ;-)

rich_e

The roads are actually only closed for hours, rather than days.
From Hampton Court area into the Surrey loop, they don't close the roads until 5am on Sunday morning.

The only real exception will be for the Freecycle and Grand Prix events happening on the Saturday in Central London, from the Mall to Tower Hill. I'm sure it will probably annoy cabbies more than anything. Anyone else though, ultimately its a weekend and you are trying to drive in the heart of London, you could get where you need to go on numerous other transport options.