RLS100 2014....... Who is on Board?

245

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Having done it and also not showing off about hills, I would say it is very flat for 100 miles.

    Leith is a half decent hill I guess, but Box Hill was very underwelming.

    Of course any hill slows you down, but do not think easy ones affect your average. I would have thought you easily make that back on the decants. Especially with closed roads.

    If its a steep hill it might mean grinding up really slow and killing your legs/energy. You might then not be able to desend fast enough to make that back and you will be knackered for the rest of the ride.

    When I did hill training (I did not know how un hilly the course was then) for the event last year, I did not find my averages were too badly affected.
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    Cat With No Tail wrote:
    It IS a very flat course over 100 miles though. It's no more than 1,500m elevation over the entire thing. And without wanting to get into a plssing contest about climbing, there are no significant hills in there.
    I've already done a couple of hilly centuries (2,600m) with some real climbs in them within 30min of my target time here.

    Obviously, you've done the course before, and I haven't. So I will of course take what you said under advisement. I still believe in my ability to finish within my 5hr target time though.

    I'd better fkn well get in now after giving it the arrogant "I'm faster than yaw" bit :lol: I'll start preparing my excuses now and check back here in Aug ;)
    With what you have described, I think that you have a sub-5 hour time in you.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Stedman wrote:
    Cat With No Tail wrote:
    It IS a very flat course over 100 miles though. It's no more than 1,500m elevation over the entire thing. And without wanting to get into a plssing contest about climbing, there are no significant hills in there.
    I've already done a couple of hilly centuries (2,600m) with some real climbs in them within 30min of my target time here.

    Obviously, you've done the course before, and I haven't. So I will of course take what you said under advisement. I still believe in my ability to finish within my 5hr target time though.

    I'd better fkn well get in now after giving it the arrogant "I'm faster than yaw" bit :lol: I'll start preparing my excuses now and check back here in Aug ;)
    With what you have described, I think that you have a sub-5 hour time in you.

    I think I did it in just over 4.45. It is fairly flat, Leith Hill is a bastard (unlike Box Hill) but for me the hardest part is the last 20 miles when the fatigue sets in.
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    Stedman wrote:
    Cat With No Tail wrote:
    It IS a very flat course over 100 miles though. It's no more than 1,500m elevation over the entire thing. And without wanting to get into a plssing contest about climbing, there are no significant hills in there.
    I've already done a couple of hilly centuries (2,600m) with some real climbs in them within 30min of my target time here.

    Obviously, you've done the course before, and I haven't. So I will of course take what you said under advisement. I still believe in my ability to finish within my 5hr target time though.

    I'd better fkn well get in now after giving it the arrogant "I'm faster than yaw" bit :lol: I'll start preparing my excuses now and check back here in Aug ;)
    With what you have described, I think that you have a sub-5 hour time in you.

    I think I did it in just over 4.45. It is fairly flat, Leith Hill is a bastard (unlike Box Hill) but for me the hardest part is the last 20 miles when the fatigue sets in.
    Let me clarify my assessment of this course and I agree it is a quick course as I did it in a 4.44 time, but after two hours of fast riding and with the build-up of lactic acid these hills should not be lightly dismissed, especially Leith Hill. I also saw five riders fall off on Wimbledon Hill!

    Although I rode this course with 52/38 chain rings and an 11-23 cassette, I do treat these hills additional respect because many of the slower riders did find these hills particularly challenging.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Hey 4.44. Thats the exact time (4:44:44 to be precise) I want on my next certificate :P

    Agree you have to treat any Hill with respect (especially with miles in your legs), just that I feel they are less challenging than a lot of people who do not know them will feel.

    A guy I was next to on Box hill asked if we were near the top (when we were) and said it was less of a climb than he had expected.

    Do not want to play down the hills, more just stop people worrying about them too much.
    Still do lots of hill training as you will get up them faster and enjoy the ride more.

    I also found the last 20 miles tough.
    I was hoping to whiz through Putney and sprint down the Mall, but it was not as I expected.

    More training needed this year I guess :D
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Carbonator wrote:
    A guy I was next to on Box hill asked if we were near the top (when we were) and said it was less of a climb than he had expected.

    He wasn't on a Wilier Cento Uno was he? When I got to the squiggly design on the road I said to some bloke 'this is Box Hill isn't it!?'. It's not a par of Leith with is more like the stuff up here. Box Hill is a bit of a gradient on nice tarmac.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Cannot remember.

    He was on my right and his actually words were something like "is that the top?"
    I replied (he was not actually asking me, just speaking out loud I think) "yes it is".

    Then I asked if it was as hard as he had thought it would be, and he replied that it wasn't, something like "no, I thought it would be harder than that".
  • davep1
    davep1 Posts: 837
    I'd say Leith Hill is definitely a tough one, must be 55 odd miles in, and not one to be taken lightly at any stage of a ride. I did it on a 53/39 with 12-25, so anyone going up there on a 23 cassette, I feel for you!

    The first hill on the route is Newlands, which is harder than Box Hill but not as hard as Leith. I'd never been up Newlands before so it caught me out. There is a rest stop at the top, which was a nightmare last year, they made us dismount and walk through and it was rammed so I would advise going in there this year. I'd also avoid the first rest stop at Hampton Court, I didn't go in but it looked painfully slow as I passed.

    As many have said Box Hill isn't hard; it's more hard at the bottom but as you progress through the switch backs the gradient lessens.

    I was also caught out by Wimbledon Hill, another one I hadn't been up before, and getting on for 90 miles in. I'd also had a little rest stop just before so was very out of the rhythm at that point.

    I found the final miles going in through Putney and then London fast; I wasn't really with a bunch by then and it seemed to be over too soon.

    I did it in 5.45 with about 30 mins resting, so I really want to nail a sub 5 hr this time. It will depend on the weather and being mechanical free again though. I was in a fantastic bunch as far as Newlands but lost them when I stopped, so another reason to plan but think on your feet on the day. I took a huge amount of drink and food/snacks, thinking it could be 7 hrs plus, but there were bananas and water everywhere, and of course you can stop and buy stuff if you are really caught out.
  • Iamnot Wiggins
    Iamnot Wiggins Posts: 685
    On a hill like Leith, were there a lot of people getting off and walking up midway through their climb? I only ask as this was the case in London to Brighton which just caused a huge, and very frustrating, bottleneck at most of the climbs. I would have thought that the standard of rider is little better for his one? I appreciate that you probably can't compare L2B to Ride London though but still!
  • simona75
    simona75 Posts: 336
    Iamnot Wiggins wrote:
    On a hill like Leith, were there a lot of people getting off and walking up midway through their climb? I only ask as this was the case in London to Brighton which just caused a huge, and very frustrating, bottleneck at most of the climbs. I would have thought that the standard of rider is little better for his one? I appreciate that you probably can't compare L2B to Ride London though but still!

    When I reached it the vast majority were riding up. However the variance in speeds and the narrow road meant it was still pretty chaotic
  • pipipi
    pipipi Posts: 332
    Leith Hill was a problem when I went up because it was so busy. Some people were finding it hard and wobbling around a bit. Some people going fast we're overtaking on the right, mostly, but a few on the left. I was trying to stick to my pace but I was taking more care not to ride into the back of anyone! It was also pretty hairy on the descent the other side.

    I think that for most people on this site the hills wouldn't be much of a problem. An effort certainly, but not a problem.

    The scariest bit for me were the feed stations! People pulling over at the last second. People pulling out just in front. You really need your wits about you, and be considerate that there are riders who are not used to riding in a group.

    Enjoy!
    Giant TCR2 and lovin it!
    http://www.trainerroad.com/career/pipipi
  • lef
    lef Posts: 728
    someone went into the back of me on a fast(ish) corner (I wasn't even breaking hard) and then they in turn brought a load down behind. Total carnage but luckily I stayed upright. It wasn't the safest that's for sure and we had an early start.
  • mbthegreat
    mbthegreat Posts: 179
    Link for ballot https://regonline.activeeurope.com/regi ... ionExist=1

    Edit: Not working anymore, guess they took it down!
  • pashda
    pashda Posts: 99
    I rode it last year and it was a gentle 6 1/2 hours for me. mainly due to waiting for others to get up the hills and also because I wasn't too bothered about my time I just wanted to soak up the experience. As far as the route goes Leith Hill was tough but Box Hill is easy. The surface on Leith is not as smooth and being so narrow it made overtaking tricky in places. Some had to walk it and others just went very slowly so getting into your own rythmn was hard at times. Nowhere near as bad as L2B, that is horrendous as soon as the road goes up. Good luck getting in
  • leedsmjh
    leedsmjh Posts: 196
    mbthegreat wrote:
    Link for ballot https://regonline.activeeurope.com/regi ... ionExist=1

    Edit: Not working anymore, guess they took it down!

    Tip via commuting chat - the link works if you access through a mobile phone

    I'm status "approved". Eek. Work to do, lots of work to do ...
  • mbthegreat
    mbthegreat Posts: 179
    leedsmjh wrote:
    mbthegreat wrote:
    Link for ballot https://regonline.activeeurope.com/regi ... ionExist=1

    Edit: Not working anymore, guess they took it down!

    Tip via commuting chat - the link works if you access through a mobile phone

    I'm status "approved". Eek. Work to do, lots of work to do ...

    Status Approved for me to!

    They haven't actually removed the form, just hidden it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    That rings a bell, I did it on my mobile last year.

    Not sure I want to check though :(
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    It appears that I am in, but will not believe it until I see via the post...
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Did any of you guys that got in do it last year?
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    I applied through the ballot last year, but did not get in. I put down an estimated time of 5hrs this year and it looks like I am in this time. I think I put down 5hrs45 - 6hrs last year. I am also a member of a club this year.
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • jotko
    jotko Posts: 457
    Cancelled :(

    I bet it rains anyway.
    strava - http://app.strava.com/athletes/1217847
    trainerroad - http://www.trainerroad.com/career/joeh
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    jotko wrote:
    Cancelled :(

    I bet it rains anyway.

    I think hail and snow is predicted for the middle of August this year :wink:
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • mbthegreat
    mbthegreat Posts: 179
    Carbonator wrote:
    Did any of you guys that got in do it last year?

    I did.
  • cat_with_no_tail
    cat_with_no_tail Posts: 12,980
    GET THE F**K IN THERE!!!

    Approved!
    "Avan-TT"
    F*cking Fast 29er
    Rapid Rose Roady
    Bionicon Beast
    Rockhopper Communter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Well done ;-)

    Have not looked at mine yet.
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    Carbonator wrote:
    Well done ;-)

    Have not looked at mine yet.

    are you....... CHICKEN?
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    No link just will not work.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Worked on my iPod touch and says

    Status:
    Approved
  • cat_with_no_tail
    cat_with_no_tail Posts: 12,980
    Carbonator wrote:
    No link just will not work.

    It was a right pain in the ass to get to on mine too. Ended up going through the mobile. Took me a couple of attempts to realize that after you log in, you have to click on the link that says something like "print, email or save receipt". It then takes you to another page with all your details on and your status.
    "Avan-TT"
    F*cking Fast 29er
    Rapid Rose Roady
    Bionicon Beast
    Rockhopper Communter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    I got in earlier on the mobile but I had to resend password then it went looney and tried dozens of times without success.
    Went straight in on iPod touch though.

    Hope that means I am in as its saved me £600 if I am :D

    I donated entry this year so would have now paid already if I am in.
    Does it allow you to pay if it says 'Approved' and you have not already paid?

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