London Ride 100

Applespider

oh dear... I have a horrid feeling that the water in the Kingston railway tunnel has done something nasty to my bottom bracket. It seemed fine on the way home yesterday and on the way into work. But on the way home it developed from a small creak each time I pushed the right crank to a horrible noise when either crank was turned. Think there may be an emergency visit to the LBS tomorrow morning! (I did have a quick look to see if I had the necessary tools to fix it at home but sadly not)

alansd1980

jpg

This could be the girl asprilla? Laura trots sister Emma??

asprilla

alansd1980 wrote:

jpg

This could be the girl asprilla? Laura trots sister Emma??

Yup, that would be her!

slowbike

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Well - We managed to do the FreeRide on Saturday - we got there promptly and had a good ride around the circuit - stopping frequently for photos and in the festival stands - niece loved it - it did get busier as the day went along, but with 2 of us flanking her she was safe enough - especially at the 5-6mph that we travelled at (I think she was just overawed by all the riders as she's normally loads faster, but it's not a race!). A bit disappointed that the bling bikes & tabard stalls in Green park were closed, but we were there late on.
Didn't spot any pro riders - hardly surprising though.
Some really cool "bikes" too - they looked fun....
Will probably try and do it with all the N&N's next year - just with a few more outriders ...

I did this with my brother, was really good to see so many little 'un's on the route and makes me think I'll take my 2 next year...although there was so many people (60,0000) that I think I'd worry a bit at ensuring a 4 and 7 year old will be safe. Any problems with older riders getting too close etc? It looked to me the best approach would be to find a group of parents with kids and stick together, just to make sure other riders know they are there.

Also...saw a guy in full aero kit - helmet, skinsuit, deep dish wheels, tribars, aero water bottle and so on. I really, really hope he did it for a laugh or a bet...I began to feel sorry for him after a while as people kept pointing and laughing, and I hope he was in on the joke (he must've been!)

4 yo may be better on a tag along, but there were those with stabilisers !! 7yo will be 8 next year - same as the niece we took this year. She only had one minor incident where she somehow ran over her own foot. 2 adults to one child made it fairly easy, especially as my wife is a Breeze Ride Leader - so is used to a little crowd control .... There were a few nutters around, but didn't see anyone being totally stupid. The low speed did help ...
I thought those on the mega-fast racing machines in full Lycra were prob RL100 riders just out to nose around .... ?

antfly

I started at 6:15 and for the first hour or so there was no rain and all was good and I was glad I was there, then it came. I thought that I would get wet whatever so I didn't bother putting my not very waterproof and flappy lightweight jacket on, which meant just arm warmers to ward off the rain. I still quite enjoyed the ride, I had a few near misses with people getting too close on corners but apart from that it was incident free and I saw no accidents but loads of people fixing flats. I was going well and nobody passed me for the last couple of miles after I made a break (I know it's not a race, tell that to the guy who passed me at great speed just after the line) but it was colder than expected at 57 F and as soon as I stopped, with the rain heavier than ever and shelter hard to find (I got kicked out of the bike park entrance tent during the downpour) and my change of clothes in the car and nobody meeting me in because of the weather, I became a bit hypothermic and was really regretting the whole thing. Worst of all, I had to take a dump in a portaloo, not a pleasant experience I can tell you. Eventually got back to the car and changed clothes. Official time of 3:57 which I am very happy with, and I am glad I did it now.

cookeeemonster

Slowbike wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Well - We managed to do the FreeRide on Saturday - we got there promptly and had a good ride around the circuit - stopping frequently for photos and in the festival stands - niece loved it - it did get busier as the day went along, but with 2 of us flanking her she was safe enough - especially at the 5-6mph that we travelled at (I think she was just overawed by all the riders as she's normally loads faster, but it's not a race!). A bit disappointed that the bling bikes & tabard stalls in Green park were closed, but we were there late on.
Didn't spot any pro riders - hardly surprising though.
Some really cool "bikes" too - they looked fun....
Will probably try and do it with all the N&N's next year - just with a few more outriders ...

I did this with my brother, was really good to see so many little 'un's on the route and makes me think I'll take my 2 next year...although there was so many people (60,0000) that I think I'd worry a bit at ensuring a 4 and 7 year old will be safe. Any problems with older riders getting too close etc? It looked to me the best approach would be to find a group of parents with kids and stick together, just to make sure other riders know they are there.

Also...saw a guy in full aero kit - helmet, skinsuit, deep dish wheels, tribars, aero water bottle and so on. I really, really hope he did it for a laugh or a bet...I began to feel sorry for him after a while as people kept pointing and laughing, and I hope he was in on the joke (he must've been!)

4 yo may be better on a tag along, but there were those with stabilisers !! 7yo will be 8 next year - same as the niece we took this year. She only had one minor incident where she somehow ran over her own foot. 2 adults to one child made it fairly easy, especially as my wife is a Breeze Ride Leader - so is used to a little crowd control .... There were a few nutters around, but didn't see anyone being totally stupid. The low speed did help ...
I thought those on the mega-fast racing machines in full Lycra were prob RL100 riders just out to nose around .... ?

Actually I already added a year on to their ages

I think having a few people around them to protect them will be a good idea (assuming we do it). I think they'll love it though. What about the distance though? Starting at Tower Hill to green park must be 5 miles? And then back again? We'd probably try and hire Boris bikes if poss so we can take the kids bikes on the tube if we need to bail out, but was thinking how the small ones would handle the distance even at a slow speed?

As for the mega fast racing machine guy, he was a day early for the main ride!

veronese68

Saw a friend of mine last night that did it. He got wiped out by someone going too fast for the left turn onto the South Circ from the A316 after Chiswick Bridge. They went down his inside, ran wide and took out his front wheel, they stayed on but he went down like a sack of spuds. Luckily just bruised and grazed and the bike wasn't damaged other than scuffed bar tape. They didn't even have the decency to stop and apologise.
As usual, most people are great. But there are some complete tools out there.

slowbike

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Actually I already added a year on to their ages

I think having a few people around them to protect them will be a good idea (assuming we do it). I think they'll love it though. What about the distance though? Starting at Tower Hill to green park must be 5 miles? And then back again? We'd probably try and hire Boris bikes if poss so we can take the kids bikes on the tube if we need to bail out, but was thinking how the small ones would handle the distance even at a slow speed?

As for the mega fast racing machine guy, he was a day early for the main ride!

We did 11.8 miles - start and finish at Westminster bridge - past Buc Pal - round the loop and then past Buc Pal again and into Green Park before riding the short look to get back to Westminster. Moving time was 2hours and elapsed time 5 hours - niece was tired at the end, but still stood in the queue for the Eye ...
the good bits about the loop - it's not compulsory to ride it all, it's flat, plenty of places to stop, loads of other people moving on by which encourages them to carry on.
I knew my niece could manage the distance as she's ridden a lot and has done that distance before - the tiredness was probably because it was a long day being active rather than a long ride.

london-red

Newsflash... My Garmin recorded a moving time of 3:59:50, which is much more satisfying than the 4:08 official time and means the stop to see the wife and kids are forgiven

For the record, I thought the whole thing was great and the standard of riding generally very good. It was also good to see so many people out supporting - they brought a smile on several occasions.

Will definitely enter again next year - be crazy not to.

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

tlw1

London-Red wrote:

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

the usual food & snacks, £50 wiggle voucher and a Rolex

essex-commuter

London-Red wrote:

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

A bottle of 'coconut water' that made me heave.

london-red

matthew h wrote:

London-Red wrote:

...and a Rolex

Not to worry - got too many of those anyway!

iPete

In the spirit of 'its not a race', I just noticed my name 1 second ahead of willy b

just saying...

veronese68

essex-commuter wrote:

London-Red wrote:

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

A bottle of 'coconut water' that made me heave.

The multi vitamins for over 50s made me laugh. I don't know if they gave me the OAPs bag or if they all had them.

arran77

Veronese68 wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

London-Red wrote:

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

A bottle of 'coconut water' that made me heave.

The multi vitamins for over 50s made me laugh. I don't know if they gave me the OAPs bag or if they all had them.

Selective marketing :P

Matthew h got a months membership to the Betty Ford Clinic

keyser__soze

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

vermin

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Similarly torrential rain killed my 500 a few months ago (it turns on and beeps, but the screen remains blank). Have been chasing Garmin since. The unit is advertised as outdoor sports equipment and is IPX7 rated. I say not fit for purpose if it lets water in and breaks as a result, regardless of age. Good luck.

tlw1

arran77 wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

London-Red wrote:

What was in the goodie bag, by the way, as I rode home straight from the finish without picking one up...

A bottle of 'coconut water' that made me heave.

The multi vitamins for over 50s made me laugh. I don't know if they gave me the OAPs bag or if they all had them.

Selective marketing :P

Matthew h got a months membership to the Betty Ford Clinic

cookeeemonster

Slowbike wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Actually I already added a year on to their ages

I think having a few people around them to protect them will be a good idea (assuming we do it). I think they'll love it though. What about the distance though? Starting at Tower Hill to green park must be 5 miles? And then back again? We'd probably try and hire Boris bikes if poss so we can take the kids bikes on the tube if we need to bail out, but was thinking how the small ones would handle the distance even at a slow speed?

As for the mega fast racing machine guy, he was a day early for the main ride!

We did 11.8 miles - start and finish at Westminster bridge - past Buc Pal - round the loop and then past Buc Pal again and into Green Park before riding the short look to get back to Westminster. Moving time was 2hours and elapsed time 5 hours - niece was tired at the end, but still stood in the queue for the Eye ...
the good bits about the loop - it's not compulsory to ride it all, it's flat, plenty of places to stop, loads of other people moving on by which encourages them to carry on.
I knew my niece could manage the distance as she's ridden a lot and has done that distance before - the tiredness was probably because it was a long day being active rather than a long ride.

Cheers, would probably be a good idea to finsih at green park for us so at least they got a destination to aim for with plenty of kids activities

vermin

vermin wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Similarly torrential rain killed my 500 a few months ago (it turns on and beeps, but the screen remains blank). Have been chasing Garmin since. The unit is advertised as outdoor sports equipment and is IPX7 rated. I say not fit for purpose if it lets water in and breaks as a result, regardless of age. Good luck.

I've just chased this up again and have got through on the phone. Garmin won't replace an Edge outside the warranty period for free, but will offer a reduced price replacement (the price is very good and seems like a reasonable compromise).

leeefm

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Try putting it in a sealed container with some rice in it. If there is any moisture left in it, the rice will suck it out. It might not fix it, but worth a try at least.

rower63

leeefm wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Try putting it in a sealed container with some rice in it. If there is any moisture left in it, the rice will suck it out. It might not fix it, but worth a try at least.

they're pretty tightly-packed, I doubt you'll fit any rice in without damaging circuit-board, battery etc

onemoresolo

Garmin gave me grief over the phone when my 705 mount broke and it got run over by a car behind me. They only offered a reduced price replacement so I pulled together a load of evidence off the internet of other people suffering the same problem and sent a letter with the unit to the warranty dept saying it was clearly a manufacturing defect. Got a refurbished unit in the post less than a week later for no charge.

If water damage is a known issue then it's worth a shot.

pblakeney

rower63 wrote:

leeefm wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Try putting it in a sealed container with some rice in it. If there is any moisture left in it, the rice will suck it out. It might not fix it, but worth a try at least.

they're pretty tightly-packed, I doubt you'll fit any rice in without damaging circuit-board, battery etc

I assume he means putting the complete Garmin in a sealed box with some rice.
A warm room or airing cupboard helps too.

keyser__soze

It still appears to be fully working bar the USB connection. SD card appears to be ok, so if I can't get it fully dried out or a decent replacement from Garmin I may just record rides to the SD card and swap that in/out whenever I want to upload, at least until the SD card connection borks too.

The R100 organisers are miffing me off a bit too, still no sign of my missing kit bag and every time I call up to check they say 'oh, we're going through bags later today'... You've been saying that since the end of the ride on Sunday! Quite a bit of kit in there so am preparing myself for another fight over getting them to stump up for replacements for what they've lost.

MonkeyMonster

Keyser__Soze wrote:

It still appears to be fully working bar the USB connection. SD card appears to be ok, so if I can't get it fully dried out or a decent replacement from Garmin I may just record rides to the SD card and swap that in/out whenever I want to upload, at least until the SD card connection borks too.

The R100 organisers are miffing me off a bit too, still no sign of my missing kit bag and every time I call up to check they say 'oh, we're going through bags later today'... You've been saying that since the end of the ride on Sunday! Quite a bit of kit in there so am preparing myself for another fight over getting them to stump up for what I've lost.

Presume tried a different cable just to make sure... and sounds like it must charge up okay too. Sucks kit bag wise. My brothers bag was 9540 or similar and had been layed out with the 9800's so took a while to find it - numpties.

mtb-idle

pictures up

https://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts ... rrey%20100

This one made me laugh (AlanSD)

leeefm

PBlakeney wrote:

rower63 wrote:

leeefm wrote:

Keyser__Soze wrote:

To cap it all off the rain appears to have killed my Garmin 800 Won't connect over USB, giving the 'XM Receiver Not Supported' error, indicative it seems of rain damage. It'd been drying out since Sunday so looks fatal. Tried cleaning the contacts but still no joy. Will try to get it fixed by Garmin despite it being more than a year old as it seems a common issue.

Try putting it in a sealed container with some rice in it. If there is any moisture left in it, the rice will suck it out. It might not fix it, but worth a try at least.

they're pretty tightly-packed, I doubt you'll fit any rice in without damaging circuit-board, battery etc

I assume he means putting the complete Garmin in a sealed box with some rice.
A warm room or airing cupboard helps too.

Yeah, that's what I meant. The rice will suck the moisture out of the air, a bit like silica gel does; hence the sealed container. Hopefully that will mop up any remnants of moisture from the device, but - as before - it might be too late.

slowbike

leeefm wrote:

Yeah, that's what I meant. The rice will suck the moisture out of the air, a bit like silica gel does; hence the sealed container. Hopefully that will mop up any remnants of moisture from the device, but - as before - it might be too late.

I fixed a GoPro that had taken a dunking in sea water (dropped unit, clip broke and dumped the lot in 2' of water) - luckily I could remove the battery & SD Card PDQ and wash the whole lot in fresh water ... plastic tub with rice in and put it next to the Sky box (source of heat) for 2 days - still working >1yr later and the clip replaced by GoPro for free

arran77

MTB-Idle wrote:

pictures up

https://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts ... rrey%20100

This one made me laugh (AlanSD)

People can confess to their mugshots now.