Post Ride London 100 - time, thoughts & experience?
Comments
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4:20 - was so hard, basically a 100 mile race.
Absolutely brilliant day out, suffered so much in the middle section through the surry hills but managed to recover for the run in and got in a good group. The feeling of leading a pack at +30mph on a slight downhill section through one of the towns getting cheered on was incredible.
Even managed to attack on wimbledon hill, got a gap with another rider and we worked our arses off but got caught again with 2k to go
amazing day, cannot recommend it highly enough0 -
The crowds were great. Why was Dorking in particular so enthused? Anyway, they seemed to give everyone a second wind.0
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What a fantastic day yesterday was. I managed to finish with a time of 4:41:03 which im really chuffed about having only been cycling 11 months.
I was worried about several things namely the weather, the organisation of the event or having a bad mechanical. Luckily none of these things were a factor for me. Although really felt for some of the people I saw that had crashed, or were having to fix punctures while people were wizzing past.
I have to agree it was disgraceful to see so many gel wrappers on the floor. My top ended up needing a wash but nothing more as I counted nine gel wrappers into a bin at the end. The guys giving out gels on Kingston Hill on the way back in to London were absolute life savers for me as I could feel I was about to bonk.
The foil drinks bag in the "goodie bag" made me smile for some reason. In my tired state I thought it looked remarkably like a drip of some kind which made me wonder if it was just for Boris. I had some salad cream also in my bag which was very odd, wasn't too taken on the Nurishment shake although I liked the Cranberry juice!
All in all I thought it was superbly organised, and this led to a stress free enjoyable day.
I'm not a member of a club so most of my riding has been on my own. Yesterday, really showed me the sort of rider I am as I struggled on the flats compared to some of the bigger guys out there. Yet on the hills I seemed to overtake most of the people around me, which actually left me exposed again once getting off the hills.
I think I will look to join a club now and improve further.0 -
Thought the event was great. Got 6:25 which was just inside my goal time of 6:30. PB on Box Hill but then struggled as soon as I got over 100km which was the longest ride I'd done leading up to the event. Just held on until I got to Wimbledon from Leatherhead and then managed to go hard again from there. Got chased down by a motorbike on the way in, think there had been a crash up ahead.
Felt for the guy who got a puncture right at the start. Not even sure we'd got through the main start point (was there actually a sign cos I didn't see anything?).
The decent down Leith Hill was always going to be carnage, saw an ambulance come past and a couple of security guards going on about how close people were (not that close and I thought they would have got a shock when the pros went through later on). Thanks to the guy who "needed" to try and get up Leith hill much faster than everyone else and weaved through all the way to the top. Must have nearly hit everyone he passed. P***.
Couldn't fault the organisation really, compared well to other events I've done and feed stations were busy but hardly lost any time I wasn't trying to take. The support was amazing all the way round and the crowds at the end were stunning.
Definitely sticking my name in the ballot again for next year. Reckon with another year on the bike and pushing the length of my training rides I can find at least 30 minutes maybe an hour. 1st day of training starts today.0 -
A great weekend, including watching the ladies' GP.
Awesome tan lines now
5hrs 30 mins, much faster than expected
Never been treated so well whilst cycling through Dorking! :P
Would love to do it next year with a club or friends. Need to 'get involved' locally me thinks
Edit: Always the problem of slower climbers not keeping left on hills, so making passing more dangerous0 -
Actually there was one thing that p1ssed me off about the organisation.
I saw quite a few tw@ts who obviously can't read, and/or don't give a sh!t about other people, who had clip-on aero bars, despite all the many warnings in the instructions (and also in big letters on the registration pack) that they were not permitted.
Given that everyone had to enter through a fairly narrow gate, they should have been spotted and hoiked out IMO.Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
I had a great day. 4:25 or so, but that wasn't surprising as I got into a fast group from the start and we were flying along for miles.
Great weather all day, just the right remperature and I managed to do the whole ride on about 1 litre of fluids, half a malt loaf, a banana and some gels. Didn't need to stop at any of the feed stations but they looked well-stocked and full of helpers. Thankfully the 'pro' riders ahead of me marked the route with discarded gel wrappers. The only let down of the whole event was the actions of other cyclists.
Wierdly one of my abiding memories was a chap on a Pinarello Dogma and a big rucksack who had no number and I think he'd just joined in at the side of the road to get to a viewing spot at for the Surrey Classic later that day. He was having fun spinning at about 130rpm. Leith and Box Hills were a bit of an anti-climax, I've never ridden them before and they were over quite quickly and not very steep.0 -
I saw one guywith aero bars, but you can't blame the organisers for that!
If someone can't be bothered to read the instructions, that's their problem.
The only people to notice would have been the people that took our cards at the pen/gate. I think they were more concerned with matching numbers than checking bars etc.Giant TCR2 and lovin it!
http://www.trainerroad.com/career/pipipi0 -
nickponty wrote:Option Click wrote:Oh, and the number of gel wrappers left on the road - ******* discraceful.
+1
Is it really that difficult to stuff the wrappers back into a jersey pocket? By the time I'd done I had four used gels, three empty packets of sweets and two energy bar wrappers in there. No mess, and hardly going to hold me up is it?!
Didnt do ride london but did do the London Triathlon last week and i thought a similar thing there. Was the thing that made the biggest impression on me actually that a lot of people obviously thought that because they were in a triathlon this meant that litterbugging was perfectly ok and someone else could clear up their mess.0 -
That salad cream puzzled me too, but it tasted great in the sandwich I made for today's lunch, which is probably why they included it. Very clever marketing actually, especially as Heinz Salad Cream was on BOGOF this morning in Tesco. Those subliminal marketeers really know their onions. And no, I do not work for Heinz / Tesco or either's marketeers.
Apologies if it was any of you that I brushed once or twice when I got funnelled from the RHS, especially in the Dorking approach and climbing Leith Hill.
Clapping the townie clapper / supporters is mandatory. As is telling the volunteers that you love them, especially if they hand you a "fly-by gel" in Kingston / Wimbledon / Putney. And karma arrived in the form of a chain end draft through Richmond Park right down to Byfleet from the dude whom I gave half my energy drink to in the starting pens after I took pity on him (didn't have time to fill his bottles in QEOP).
Also, did anybody record or know how to access the BBC red button footage ? I think the camera was at the finish line ?0 -
pipipi wrote:I saw one guywith aero bars, but you can't blame the organisers for that!
I passed one guy going up Box Hill who was a full TT rig, never mind clip-on aero bars!0 -
5.03.
I was in the first group to leave the park. We had a pace car in front. Very Pro! Was a rapid rate down the A102 and as we passed the A13 turn off i mentioned to the guy with me why was we going into the Blackwall tunnel. Of course we shouldn't have been! There were cars travelling through in one lane! What a fool up!
Turned around once and went back through for the 3rd time that day.
Luckily picked up a good chaingang all the way to Newlands. Saddle came loose so stop to tighten this up.
After there was a lonely ride until Holmbury where I picked another group up.
Leith looked like carnage! Anyway the run up to the A25 up the short climb cramp struck.
And that was it from there rode with cramp the whole way back. Again saddle worked loose so stop at the last hub for a mechanic to torque it up.
Picked a very very rapid chaingaing from there and clawed sometime back for all the stops and detour.
Brilliant event a big thanks to all the marshals and those that manned the feed and drink stops.0 -
Was a great fast ride (for me at my pace).
Agree with the comments about the flooring laid down prior to entering the gates, this could be quite tricky if wet and was not great to walk on with cleats.
Also there should have been signs saying that there were toilets in the gated sections (which had no queues), as I queued for about 15 mins outside.
Stopped once for 10 mins - time of 4 hours 54 mins - super pleased with that and will def put my name down again for next year.
Quite different from any other sportive I've done - combination of closed roads and flat course (3 hills when I had to use the little ring) made for enjoyable riding.
Felt quite strange going 25-30 mph through Central London on the way back!0 -
Nickolarse74 wrote:
Also, did anybody record or know how to access the BBC red button footage ? I think the camera was at the finish line ?
I tried but do not think it worked.
Wonder if its on iplayer?0 -
I loved it and will trying to enter next years. I expected to do a sub 6 hour but I managed a 4hr51min41secs. I could not believe it and still can't as I have never riden that fast before not even close over that king of distance. Lots of good riders and I though the standard of riding was generally quite high. Shame on the decents were I wanted to not use my brakes there were those in front with less confidance using there brakes but there will always be that on this kind of event.
Leif Hill and Box hill were not as chalanging as I though they would be. Box hill was quite easy even on 39:23T that's my hill climing gears Leif Hill was abit harder though.
Everyone was friendly and the public support was large. Worth the £48 and it make the events runs by Wiggle et.al look poor in comparision. The bar has been set everyone will have to raise there game now.
Did anyone else measure the course to be 102miles. I did a rollout test to claibrate my computor so mine should be spot on. Other have measured 98.7 -101 miles on various device the short distance was on a GPS Garmin.
I think Peanuts helped me the most as I felt sustained by them in a way the gels did not. Next time I wil roast some monkey nuts and put them in a small locking bag. The salt on the nuts made me quite thrirsty but nuts and probably seeds are the way to go I think.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
5:09. Happy with that, but wish I could have cracked the 5 hour mark. Atmosphere and organisation was amazing... except for Car Park C. It was chaos with only one car getting in every couple of minutes and so traffic backing up onto and blocking Great Eastern Street. I queued for 30 minutes and was about to miss my time slot so found some free parking in a back street. Asked RideLondon for my car parking money back.
Other than that though, amazing day. I hope I can do this every year.0 -
thecycleclinic wrote:I loved and will trying to enter next years. I expected to di a sub 6 hour but I managed a 4hr51min41secs. I could not beleive it and still can't as I have never riden that fast before not even close over that king of distance. Lots good good riders and I though the standard of riding was generally quite high. Shame on the decents were I wanted to not use ny brakes there were those in fornt with less confidance using there brakes but there will always be that on this kind of event.
Leif Hill and Box hill were not as chalanging as though they would be. Box hill was quite easy evn on 39:23T that my hill climing gears.
Everyone was friendly and the public support was large. Worth the £48 and it make the events runs by Wiggle et.al look poor in comparision. The bar has been set everyone will have to raise there game now.
Did anyone else measure the course to be 102miles. I did a rollout test to claibrate my computor so mine should be spot on. Other have measured 98.7 -101 miles on various device the short distance was on a GPS Garmin.
It was 102 from the very start, it was supposed to be 2 miles before the actual " official start line".
It all depends on where you started the garmin...0 -
Not sure what channel it was on to be honest, if it was on at all. Watched on telly, and unless I had a total brain failure, there wasn't any coverage on the red button aside from a of the pro race mid afternoon.Carbonator wrote:
I tried but do not think it worked.Nickolarse74 wrote:
Also, did anybody record or know how to access the BBC red button footage ? I think the camera was at the finish line ?
Wonder if its on iplayer?Mangeur0 -
On a negative note we all couldn't be bothered to cycle back to Stratford to get the car, so we had an amazing idea....
I would look after the bikes while my mate jumps in a black cab back to stratford only to return back to the mall to pick me and the bikes up, simple huh....
Black cab was £49 because of the delays and road closures and once he picked up the car up it took a further 2 hours for him to drive back to the mall, a total waiting time of 3.5 hours.
I thought as soon as the pros went passed the roads were supposed to be re-opened?0 -
I started my Garmin as I crossed the official start line. I loaded the resulting file onto Garmin Connect (98.85 miles) Strava (99.9 miles) and Ridewithgps (101.8 miles) so obviously each has a different way of calculating the distance.0
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thegreatdivide wrote:4hrs 31 mins 52 sec! Thanks to Dorking CC who invited me in for the day. Monster peloton. Men of diesel. Unlike London Dynamos who never took a turn on the front. Loved the event from start to finish.
Was there another interloper in your Dorking CC group, this one wearing a Beating Bowel Cancer jersey? If so, it was me
Echo the others in saying what an awesome day, couldn't have been better.
(Oh, and 4:37:30!)2010 Cannondale CAAD9 Tiagra0 -
Very well organised event. Great experience riding through central London. Thought the first few k's were like a zombie movie. Empty highways! Very fast. Clocked 4:50:10. This "won" me the pot money between our group of 4.
Thought rider behaiour was pretty good, perhaps could have been an greater emphasis on "keep left" as far as possible, but no real problems,considering speed.
Stayed in rooms above a pub about 3 miles from the start, so no problems, other than evil temptation of the drink on Saturday night. did get to bed after 4 pints :evil: . Sunday night, back in the pub, different story
Apparently got to bed "after midnight".
Thought the course lacked a real sense of "challenge". Leith Hill and Box Hills really just pimples, but I guess this literally "comes with the territory". So not sure if I would do it again next year.
Great weekend though.0 -
I echo the sentiments of many others in saying it was a fantastic day! I think club rides are going to seem a bit of an anti-climax now to be honest
Anyone know of anywhere the results are in order? I know it wasn't a race but I'd like to know where I finished compared to everyone that took part!0 -
A fantastic event 8)
Thought the organisation was slick and superb. All the marshals and helpers were friendly and, err, helpful. Route was great and to ride on closed roads was thrilling and sublime, if slightly odd. Felt like I was in the opening scene of '28 days later' for the first few miles, as other than the slight hum of bike tyres on the road, it was eerily quiet with only other cyclist around!
Riding standards in the main were very good, that I saw, and a lot higher than any other sportives I've done previously. All it took to pass people was a friendly call telling them you wanted to pass, and on which side, and they gave you room, which was great.
Had a great ride with a couple wearing team sky colours, but had 'WHY' inside of SKY written on them, and there was a group of about 5 who worked well together up to the 2nd Hub stop, and unfortunately I lost them there.
The support from spectators was fantastic and really helped on those last few miles. Felt like a pro rider, briefly 8)
I'll be signing up for next year
Share The Road Event http://www.sharetheroadride.co.uk
Lancashire Cycle Link Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/126682247491640/0 -
I am wondering if taking part this year will diminish our chances of getting in next year? Hope not! Also, my pictures are up on the website that is linked to in the official results - http://www6.marathon-photos.com/ managed to get one where I wasn't panting like an idiot! 0
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Overall a great event, very well organised although directions to the start and from the finish back home were pretty piss poor. I found the information that I needed but only in the final few days. I couldn't find a single web site that gave a good overall summary of the road closures in London on Sat/Sun.
Can't believe the pace, I was aiming for sub 6 hours and just managed to get sub 5 (4h 59m 15s). Now I'm wondering if I could have gone quicker, but I actually don't remember too much about the ride as it was all over so quickly.
The one downside is that it takes up the whole weekend. The hotel (Stratford Travelodge) wasn't exactly silent as all the traffic and sirens kept me awake for some while, and the traffic home via Putney was horrific.
I'm glad I did it, and will definately register for 2014, but may make different arrangements now that I know how its going to run.WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
Find me on Strava0 -
Did you stop much?
I did 5.03 with a 4-5 min water stop so counting that as sub 5 hours lol
Was a bit worried about the bike making it as it was making some odd noises at around 80 miles and my freehub pretty much stopped clicking (its normally very loud) so I did not want to push it.
To be honest I was knackered and not sure I could have pushed that much more anyway.0 -
There did seem to be a lot of punctures. At one point I thought a disgruntled Surrey local might have 'tacked' the course.0
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drlodge wrote:Overall a great event, very well organised although directions to the start and from the finish back home were pretty wee-wee poor. I found the information that I needed but only in the final few days. I couldn't find a single web site that gave a good overall summary of the road closures in London on Sat/Sun.
Definitely agree with that. I got horribly lost trying to get back to Rotherhithe, no signs anywhere.0 -
GiantMike wrote:There did seem to be a lot of punctures. At one point I thought a disgruntled Surrey local might have 'tacked' the course.
I kept trying not to think about all the punctured people, didnt want to jinx myself! did anyone see the crazy lady near Dorking telling everyone to go home?
Got round in 5:15/5:40 so chuffed as previously I had only done 75 in 5:150
