Ride London 2014
Comments
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Is it worth the fuss? The route is pretty dull and not massively challenging, the only real saving grace that I can see is zipping around London on closed roads.
I applied like as it's on my doorstep (refused), but even had I got in I'd be more looking forward to the Tre Dreilander in June by quite some margin. Hard to compare Box Hill to the Stelvio isn't it?0 -
I rode it last year for the BTA, which I admire as a worthy cause, though I am generally ambivalent about making a virtue of something that I would do anyway.
Good points made about the parallels with the (London) marathon. Of course, there isn't a community of many thousands of people running marathons throughout the year in the same numbers as those who do sportives, so I think it's a bit wrong of the organisers to intend to make the RideLondon the same as the marathon. Good point about the residents affected being able to stomach the road closures knowing there is a charity element, I think that's probably the clincher, the quid pro quo. Though how this will evolve and how it will affect other sportives and how they are perceived by the public, I don't know.
I applied for a ballot place this year as I didn't feel I could tap up friends and family again this year. I didn't get in, and I have to say that initially I was quite irritated.
I like the idea that the RideLondon events open up cycling for people new to it. Or at least that is the theory. I know of a number of people who did it last year, and no more into cycling now than they were a year ago. It shouldn't come as a surprise, the people I know who have run the marathon for charity aren't "runners", they don't do it for fun, if at all, since their big day in London.
And that for me is the crux of the matter: who is this event for exactly?0 -
Spatulala wrote:If, hypothetically speaking, a mate had an entry confirmed but couldn't make it, how might a friend of that person ride in his or her place?
i.e. is there a transfer system for entries, and if not, what ID checks are in place?
As I said, only hypothetically of course.
Well 2 options. There is no transfer system:
1. He can withdraw through the system and pay a charge and then get a guaranteed place for 2015. I may now be in this category due to work commitments that have been dumped on me since I registered last year. I of course will be 'officially' injured when I do this.
2. Then the dubious route that I think you want to try, hypothetically of course. He signs some paperwork and gives you his passport or similar to allow you to pick up his registration as he can't make registration. You keep the number and are officially him on the day. This is of course risky, not recomended and merely hypothetical.0 -
Yes, same herePhil562 wrote:2 commiserations mags delivered to my home yesterday :-(
I've now been on the phone to Cancer Research UK and will be doing it for them again.Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
To continue the hypothetical theme for a minute.
What forms of ID are accepted? My friend can't ride because he's going to be abroad, and will need his passport and driving licence to be with him, not me, ahem I mean some hypothetical person who doesn't follow the rules like good honest folk and should probably be in prison.
And why do people on forums get all antsy about riding under someone else's name? It's a bike ride thing for goodness' sakes, not a leaping through fire on a motorbike wearing only a mankini thing.0 -
The ID process is simply there to stop these places being mopped up by the ticket tout industry. I’d rather have this fuss in place than seeing the ballot process crashing and then seeing the winning ballot places being sold-on via e-bay for profit via a ticketing agency.Spatulala wrote:To continue the hypothetical theme for a minute.
What forms of ID are accepted? My friend can't ride because he's going to be abroad, and will need his passport and driving licence to be with him, not me, ahem I mean some hypothetical person who doesn't follow the rules like good honest folk and should probably be in prison.
And why do people on forums get all antsy about riding under someone else's name? It's a bike ride thing for goodness' sakes, not a leaping through fire on a motorbike wearing only a mankini thing.0 -
Two years running cancelled... And lost my £48! :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil: :twisted:0
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Islwyn wrote:Two years running cancelled... And lost my £48! :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil: :twisted:
Why have you lost your £48?
Doesn't that give you a second entry into the ballot and a waterproof florescent jackets because your fee is going to charity.
Personally I haven't had my magazine yet. Several people I know in the area have had them.0 -
Guaranteed free entry email just landed
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Gutted not to get a place.
Happy to now be supporting Save the Children.
Don't get the anti-charity thing.
Spoilt.0 -
Yeah the anti-charity thing is a bit odd.0
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The charity situation is far from perfect but it is a charity event (mainly) and people need to just accept that and make the most of it.
I do not get how everyone can go around asking others for sponsorship to do something fun/they want to do.
Surely you just end up paying for it yourself ultimately when they want you to sponsor them for something anyway?
I prefer the old fashioned way of believing in a cause first, then thinking up a challenge (that actually is a challenge) and then asking people to sponsor you if you do it, and only paying once you have.
People that want you to pay for their cycling holiday around the UK/Paris, or climbing holiday in the Himalayas, or shopping trip/fun run in New York are taking the pi55 quite frankly.
That said we are tight wads in this country so charities would get a lot less money so I generally support Ride London, but just don't pretend the ride itself is a challenge if you are doing it for fun.
Be honest, pick a worthy cause and make an effort with your fundraising.
I had a charity place last year but will just pay direct to the charity myself if I want to do it in future years.
I have a ballot place this year but cannot raise any money because I asked people last year.0 -
Had a similar thing last year when I was doing the Great North Bike Ride, people at work were asking if I wanted to be sponsored. I didn't because at 55 miles it wasn't exactly a big challenge and I was doing it for my own enjoyment so asking for money would seem odd.0
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It's because I cannot ask people to donate £500 or more so that I can do an easy (but hugely good fun) bike ride and so the organisers can cream off a substantial percentage (allegedly).London-Red wrote:Don't get the anti-charity thing.
The event is bipolar in that it appeals to people who think riding 100 miles is a really big deal, and doing it for charity makes sense, but don't seem aware that there are hundreds of more challenging organised 100 mile charity rides, but also to those who revel in the unique opportunity to ride 100 miles fast on generally well-surfaced closed roads. As it stands the organisers lean mostly towards the charity beginners purchasing places from relatively large well funded organisations and have closed out most of the keen riders by the way the ballot is weighted. This seems very odd for an event that is supposed to be an Olympic legacy. I don't see any reason why entry shouldn't be a completely level playing field and people can ride for charity if they wish, and be encouraged to do so. If that made entry £100 then why not.
I rode last year, I think I got in because I'd ridden a qualifying event, this year no-go along with 6 out of 7 of the locals I know who applied, I donated the entry and some rather bright jacket has just arrived in the post. It doesn't look like a useful piece of gear, I was expecting a jersey...
So I shall now attempt to persuade the local club to put a team in, and that I should be in it...
Paul0 -
It would have to be at least £300 though, not £100.
How much money does L2B raise for BHF?
That's half the distance and not closed roads but with more riders.0 -
So rather more than £300 of your 'sponsorship' as a charity rider goes to the organisers?
Seems unlikely.
Paul0 -
Don't understand your question.
What I mean is that as the event is largely a charity one intended to raise money for charities, if you just wanted an entry fee it would have to be part charity contribution.0 -
Surely whether you enjoy it or not is irrelevent? The charity will make either way? Why shouldn't you do something you enjoy for charity? The fact that you can ride 100miles and enjoy it shouldn't mean you can't raise money for charity.0
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You're not 'raising money for charity' you are asking people to give money to charity on your behalf. Usually the quid-pro-quo is that you do something that is either difficult or very time consuming or both. Going from couch potato to marathon completer, for example. Doing something you'd do regardless isn't 'raising money for charity'.
Paul0 -
Despite the fact it raises money for charity?!?0
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The organisers have a cost that they cover in various ways, but significantly from entry fees. The sell some of those entries to charities for resale. We assume that the charities pay more than the punter going direct, in some way or other.Carbonator wrote:Don't understand your question.
What I mean is that as the event is largely a charity one intended to raise money for charities, if you just wanted an entry fee it would have to be part charity contribution.
You implied that ballot-winners*£48 + charity-riders*£X = 25000*£300. Which I think puts X a bit high. If everybody just paid what it cost to enter and went through the ballot they would still be free to raise as much as they wanted for whatever charity they chose. And it would get rid of the dreadful double-speak and corporate twaddle and put the focus back on the bike riding.
Personally I wouldn't accept an entry from anybody who had to 'train' for the event...
Paul0 -
That's nice ....paul2718 wrote:Personally I wouldn't accept an entry from anybody who had to 'train' for the event...
So what would be your qualifying experience then? I've yet to ride 100 miles in one hit - I had wanted to do it last year but never got around to doing it ... my wife hasn't either ... but I'm sure that both of us could've got round in a reasonable time together... to do that we'd "train" quite a bit - ie put the effort in for the longer distances - having an event to aim for concentrates the mind and provides a motivation to put the effort in ...
Many closed road events have a "minimum speed" beyond which you'll likely get caught by the broom wagon and either have to stop or carry on on open roads. That's fair enough in my book ... but you don't preclude someone entering just because they cannot currently do that pace/distance.0 -
This event is massively over-subscribed, or at least the open entries are. It is supposed to be an Olympic legacy event, the Olympics is about sport and long term dedicated effort. The RL100 seems to be aimed at the casual non-sporting cyclist. That seems inconsistent, to me. Why not be elitist about it? Set a qualification bar? So anybody could earn a place by cycling better? If it could be assumed that riders would take less than 6 hours they could extend the start window another two hours, and the closer matched speeds would reduce congestion. 45000 starters rather than 25000. A properly big event.
There are many, many 100 mile organised rides for you to break your duck on. You don't need to take your chances in a ballot and you don't need to 'raise' hundreds for a major charity. And completing almost any of them is a greater physical achievement than completing the RL100.
I have http://www.the-rawlinson-bracket.co.uk/ in a couple of weeks, a very good cause, no pressure for huge fundraising, and a more challenging course than the RL100, even at half the length. The attraction of RL100 is the speed, riding the wrong way around roundabouts, straight-lining the embankment, large groups of riders. Without that it's a bit pointless. IMO.
Paul0 -
I got my rejection magazine today and was a little miffed at the content inside that was persuading me how riding a bike was good for me and all the reasons why .... surely be entering Im aware of all that anyway, but it still narked me they were preaching when they were also telling me I couldn't ride! 2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner0
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Ooh, goody, I was hoping for a decent flame war arising from this thread. No one's suggested riding the route without having an actual place yet so this is the closest thing.paul2718 wrote:Personally I wouldn't accept an entry from anybody who had to 'train' for the event...
Forum rules be damned, you're an elitist twerp, sir
I had to train for last year's. I hadn't ridden a bike in 25 years before 17 months ago, and the RL100 kept me really motivated to push up the miles during the winter and spring. Had a brilliant day, finished in 6:53, no great shakes by some standards but I was well chuffed with that. I plan to take at least half an hour off that time this year, so I'll be training for it again.
So ner!Is the gorilla tired yet?0 -
Sorry to repeat, but did anyone know the answer to this question?
"What forms of ID are accepted? My friend (who has the place) can't ride because he's going to be abroad, and will therefore need his passport and driving licence to be with him, not me (who wants his place)."
Thank 'ee kindly0 -
I didnt get in but as outlined before its not the best sportive you could do. I do want toget on the quebrantahuesos though. I will stick to cycling every day in mallorca thanks boris.0
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You haven't explained why it has to be the RL100 that motivates you to ride a bit less slowly. Could try harder, etc etc.ChrisAOnABike wrote:paul2718 wrote:I had to train for last year's. I hadn't ridden a bike in 25 years before 17 months ago, and the RL100 kept me really motivated to push up the miles during the winter and spring. Had a brilliant day, finished in 6:53, no great shakes by some standards but I was well chuffed with that. I plan to take at least half an hour off that time this year, so I'll be training for it again.
So ner!
I quite like the idea of a qualification standard, where completion of a lesser sportive in a notional time, perhaps 6 hours for 100 miles, gains you automatic acceptance to the big job. Remaining places then get auctioned off via charities as now.
More seriously, they will allocate 30000 entries, 80000 entered the ballot. Of the 7 I know only one got a place (and he'd forgotten he'd entered and isn't actually interested. Likes running now.) And that ratio doesn't seem unusual looking at the threads here and elsewhere. So what you have is a premier cycling event alienating actual cyclists by trying to switch them from straightforward entry into buying a charity place. If I were going to raise money for a charity I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a sizable percentage of the funds to buy me a fun day of cycling. There's something wrong here, but perhaps it's only me.
Paul0 -
A letter giving you authority to collect your friend's documents along with a photocopy of his photo-id was what was required last year. Nobody can know if it will be different this year. I expect they'll be requiring DNA samples come August.Spatulala wrote:Sorry to repeat, but did anyone know the answer to this question?
"What forms of ID are accepted? My friend (who has the place) can't ride because he's going to be abroad, and will therefore need his passport and driving licence to be with him, not me (who wants his place)."
Thank 'ee kindly
Paul0
