RideLondon...missed out on the ballot...what are the options

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  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Brakeless wrote:
    Last year I rode all sorts of events, BCM 600, Edinburgh London Edinburgh, Fred Whitton, Dragon Ride, SR series etc etc. I also did Ride london and it was a really good day out.
    None of the other events were closed roads and although very different the big deal with Ride london was that you could basically put the hammer down for 100 miles with no stopping for lights, no slowing down for traffic and I found it pretty challenging.
    For sure it's expensive and that's for the individual to decide if they want to pay it but it's really not comparable to any other event out there. Of course there's much nicer scenery and far harder hills elsewhere but no where else can you ride in the same way as you can on Ride London.
    For those slagging it off I'd say don't knock it til you've tried it and if you don't want to try it or haven't done it then don't knock those that do.

    I have done the Etape Cymru on closed roads... the nice thing of closed roads is when you can use the width of the road downhill... the rest doesn't make any difference (especially in Wales). Problem with RL 100 is that there is no downhill. As I said before, this part of the world is pretty dreadful for cycling which is why I still wonder why would anyone want to travel all the way here when virtually any event is run on a better course, but clearly many do...
    left the forum March 2023
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    If the appeal is to hammer it non-stop for 100 miles, why don't you enter a 100 mile TT?
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    Last year I rode all sorts of events, BCM 600, Edinburgh London Edinburgh, Fred Whitton, Dragon Ride, SR series etc etc. I also did Ride london and it was a really good day out.
    None of the other events were closed roads and although very different the big deal with Ride london was that you could basically put the hammer down for 100 miles with no stopping for lights, no slowing down for traffic and I found it pretty challenging.
    For sure it's expensive and that's for the individual to decide if they want to pay it but it's really not comparable to any other event out there. Of course there's much nicer scenery and far harder hills elsewhere but no where else can you ride in the same way as you can on Ride London.
    For those slagging it off I'd say don't knock it til you've tried it and if you don't want to try it or haven't done it then don't knock those that do.

    I have done the Etape Cymru on closed roads... the nice thing of closed roads is when you can use the width of the road downhill... the rest doesn't make any difference (especially in Wales). Problem with RL 100 is that there is no downhill. As I said before, this part of the world is pretty dreadful for cycling which is why I still wonder why would anyone want to travel all the way here when virtually any event is run on a better course, but clearly many do...

    It's normally dreadful because of the traffic, take away the traffic and it becomes a completely different proposition.
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    Grill wrote:
    If the appeal is to hammer it non-stop for 100 miles, why don't you enter a 100 mile TT?

    I've got the 24hr on my list for 2015 but that still doesn't mean the Ride London isn't a great day out.
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    You need to ride the R100/1. Hillier than most, but great location and not much traffic.

    Also both the Welsh 12hr and Mersey Roads 24hr are about as traffic free as you can expect.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    Grill wrote:
    You need to ride the R100/1. Hillier than most, but great location and not much traffic.

    Also both the Welsh 12hr and Mersey Roads 24hr are about as traffic free as you can expect.

    Sounds good. Mersey roads is on my list of events to do in 2015
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Brakeless wrote:
    It's normally dreadful because of the traffic, take away the traffic and it becomes a completely different proposition.

    Not really... sometimes in June/July I go for early rides, which means leaving Richmond at 5 AM... for a couple of hours there is no one on the roads... however, Kingston is still a dump and Esher is hardly exciting... Cobham? What's nice about Cobham...? Then I get to Ranmore common, which is nice... so that's 1 mile... the descent towards Box Hill station is one of the worst maintained roads I have ever seen... then climb to Box hill after crossing a double carriage and a roundabout... nice views... the back of it is quite dull again, then down to Leatherhead, which is the mother of all dumps and back via Oxshott, which could be anywhere really...
    I said it earlier... the bit around Leith hill is nice, Box hill is nice... London is London, we have all seen it a million times... unless you come from Japan or East Lothian I don't understand what still excite about the London eye and Buckingham palace...
    left the forum March 2023
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    It's normally dreadful because of the traffic, take away the traffic and it becomes a completely different proposition.

    Not really... sometimes in June/July I go for early rides, which means leaving Richmond at 5 AM... for a couple of hours there is no one on the roads... however, Kingston is still a dump and Esher is hardly exciting... Cobham? What's nice about Cobham...? Then I get to Ranmore common, which is nice... so that's 1 mile... the descent towards Box Hill station is one of the worst maintained roads I have ever seen... then climb to Box hill after crossing a double carriage and a roundabout... nice views... the back of it is quite dull again, then down to Leatherhead, which is the mother of all dumps and back via Oxshott, which could be anywhere really...
    I said it earlier... the bit around Leith hill is nice, Box hill is nice... London is London, we have all seen it a million times... unless you come from Japan or East Lothian I don't understand what still excite about the London eye and Buckingham palace...


    Riding alone at 5am is nothing like riding fast in a bunch on closed roads regardless of where you are. I've ridden enough empty roads on Audaxes in the middle of the night and early mornings to know that riding those same roads with no traffic in a fast bunch would be a completely different proposition. Did you do the event last year?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Brakeless wrote:
    Riding alone at 5am is nothing like riding fast in a bunch on closed roads regardless of where you are. I've ridden enough empty roads on Audaxes in the middle of the night and early mornings to know that riding those same roads with no traffic in a fast bunch would be a completely different proposition. Did you do the event last year?

    You said when there is no traffic Surrey is nice... I say no, it's not nice even in no traffic.

    Riding fast in a big bunch... sounds like a nightmare... just to be clear... I never had a dream to one day ride the Tour de France as a PRO... so that might be the difference. (and no, I have not done the RL 100 last year)

    I did ride a couple of Italian granfondo, where you ride in a big bunch at 25 mph all the way... did I like it? Let me see... I was insulted for not closing a gap, I did insult others... everybody was tense and insulting each other all the time... I could not take my eyes off the tyre of the guy in front... sounds amazing, doesn't it? Eventually the big bunch dissipated and I had some time on my own, which was nice... :wink:
    left the forum March 2023
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    Riding alone at 5am is nothing like riding fast in a bunch on closed roads regardless of where you are. I've ridden enough empty roads on Audaxes in the middle of the night and early mornings to know that riding those same roads with no traffic in a fast bunch would be a completely different proposition. Did you do the event last year?

    You said when there is no traffic Surrey is nice... I say no, it's not nice even in no traffic.

    Riding fast in a big bunch... sounds like a nightmare... just to be clear... I never had a dream to one day ride the Tour de France as a PRO... so that might be the difference. (and no, I have not done the RL 100 last year)

    I did ride a couple of Italian granfondo, where you ride in a big bunch at 25 mph all the way... did I like it? Let me see... I was insulted for not closing a gap, I did insult others... everybody was tense and insulting each other all the time... I could not take my eyes off the tyre of the guy in front... sounds amazing, doesn't it? Eventually the big bunch dissipated and I had some time on my own, which was nice... :wink:

    Your veiled insults about 'wanting to be pro' are pathetic. If you reread my previous posts you'll see that I've ridden 600km and 1400km audaxes, if that counts me as a wanna be pro then fair enough but saying that enjoying riding in a bunch means you are a 'wanna be pro' is just dumb. That could apply to any chaingang or fast clubrun in the country they're all obviously wanna be pros :roll:

    Just because you don't have the skill to ride properly and comfortably in a bunch and get all tensed up doesn't mean that others don't and can't enjoy it. Your experiences on Gran Fondos are nothing like I've ever experienced although I have seen people shouted at in Cat 3 and 4 races where they are endangering other riders although this is normally for the good as people quickly learn what is and isn't acceptable in a fast bunch.

    If you'd ridden the event then maybe your comments would be valid. If you don't like Sportive type events then fair enough but I've not spoken to anyone who did the event that didn't enjoy it and for cycling as a whole an event with 15k + riders taking part is brilliant.
  • hmm
    hmm Posts: 39
    Oh for God's sake you lot. Grow up! Horses for courses etc
    Nothing to say, and saying it too loudly...
    Just accept that people have different opinions, and get over it.
    I'm out.
    Triban 3 - very red
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/780620

    “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
    Henry Ford
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Brakeless wrote:
    Your veiled insults about 'wanting to be pro' are pathetic. If you reread my previous posts you'll see that I've ridden 600km and 1400km audaxes, if that counts me as a wanna be pro then fair enough but saying that enjoying riding in a bunch means you are a 'wanna be pro' is just dumb. That could apply to any chaingang or fast clubrun in the country they're all obviously wanna be pros :roll:

    Have you got a problem?
    I said that I never desired to be a PRO and that explained why I don't enjoy riding in a big peloton... some do... there is no insult... where is the veiled insult?
    Anyway, if you don't want to have a discussion because I have not ridden the RL 100, that's perfectly fine by me, as you seem to be quite irritable and I really can't be bothered to have an argument with you about trivialities. Let's agree to disagree and call it a day, shall we?
    left the forum March 2023
  • littledove44
    littledove44 Posts: 871
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    Your veiled insults about 'wanting to be pro' are pathetic. If you reread my previous posts you'll see that I've ridden 600km and 1400km audaxes, if that counts me as a wanna be pro then fair enough but saying that enjoying riding in a bunch means you are a 'wanna be pro' is just dumb. That could apply to any chaingang or fast clubrun in the country they're all obviously wanna be pros :roll:

    Have you got a problem?
    I said that I never desired to be a PRO and that explained why I don't enjoy riding in a big peloton... some do... there is no insult... where is the veiled insult?
    Anyway, if you don't want to have a discussion because I have not ridden the RL 100, that's perfectly fine by me, as you seem to be quite irritable and I really can't be bothered to have an argument with you about trivialities. Let's agree to disagree and call it a day, shall we?
    For someone who can't fe bothered you sure have posted a lot on this thread. 8)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    littledove44 wrote:
    For someone who can't fe bothered you sure have posted a lot on this thread. 8)

    I can't be bothered to argue with irritable people... but yes... essentaially here we are going on saying the same things over and over and the thread has stopped being of any use ages ago... and it's mainly Grill's fault... and mine too... :wink:
    left the forum March 2023
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Yeah, I'll hold my hand up to that...
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Grill wrote:
    Yeah, I'll hold my hand up to that...

    You shut up... I shut up... let's get outta here... we've broken enough balls!
    left the forum March 2023
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Grill wrote:
    Yeah, I'll hold my hand up to that...

    You shut up... I shut up... let's get outta here... we've broken enough balls!

    Agreed. Anyone who wants to see our respective positions on said subject can read through all 7 pages.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • littledove44
    littledove44 Posts: 871
    Grill wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Grill wrote:
    Yeah, I'll hold my hand up to that...

    You shut up... I shut up... let's get outta here... we've broken enough balls!

    Agreed. Anyone who wants to see our respective positions on said subject can read through all 7 pages.
    Life is too short. Perhaps you could both summarize your positions. :D
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    littledove44 wrote:
    Grill wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Grill wrote:
    Yeah, I'll hold my hand up to that...

    You shut up... I shut up... let's get outta here... we've broken enough balls!

    Agreed. Anyone who wants to see our respective positions on said subject can read through all 7 pages.
    Life is too short. Perhaps you could both summarize your positions. :D

    They don't like an event they've never done :wink:
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    littledove44 wrote:
    Life is too short. Perhaps you could both summarize your positions. :D

    Good point... We think cycling in London & Surrey is crap and not worth spending money for, even considering closed roads, big pelotons and cheering crowds

    That's it, done
    left the forum March 2023
  • ednino
    ednino Posts: 684
    I did a lot of sportives last year, all over the UK

    On reflection, I've learnt that a) they cost too much money & b) cycling on the East side of the UK is rubbish

    I'd rather spend a long weekend in Wales or the Lake District. Box Hill is a speed bump, not a climb :roll:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Hey Grill, how come you know so much about the cheapest charity places? Are you going to join us after all?
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    I started researching it out of curiosity when some tinnitus foundation was asking for riders last year. I prefer to understand the things I dislike. ;)
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    littledove44 wrote:
    Life is too short. Perhaps you could both summarize your positions. :D

    Good point... We think cycling in London & Surrey is crap and not worth spending money for, even considering closed roads, big pelotons and cheering crowds

    That's it, done

    Yeah it is a bit shhit (is it ok to say shhit, or just crap?) so I limit riding there to once a year these days :wink:
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    ednino wrote:
    I did a lot of sportives last year, all over the UK

    On reflection, I've learnt that a) they cost too much money & b) cycling on the East side of the UK is rubbish

    County Durham here; we say you're wrong.

    That is all.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    ednino wrote:
    I did a lot of sportives last year, all over the UK

    On reflection, I've learnt that a) they cost too much money & b) cycling on the East side of the UK is rubbish

    County Durham here; we say you're wrong.

    That is all.

    Indeed. Then there is the North Yorks Moors and Yorkshire Wolds - both superb places to ride! Mind you, things get a bit desperate south of there.......

    @edino - Audax. All the good things about Sportives and none of the bad things......
    Faster than a tent.......
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Carbonator wrote:
    Yeah it is a bit shhit (is it ok to say shhit, or just crap?)

    You can, but you're just bumping a thread that without myself and Grill is pretty much dead... :wink:
    left the forum March 2023
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    A thread in which you two are effectively trolling as neither of you have helped the OP with his reason for starting it, and probably put people off posting on.

    Is the view that cycling on roads in London/Surrey and RLS100 are crap held generally by bikeradar.com or just one of its moderators?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,317
    Carbonator wrote:
    Is the view that cycling on roads in London/Surrey and RLS100 are crap held generally by bikeradar.com or just one of its moderators?

    We are not brainwashed on what we have to say... as you can see I can run pretty wild at times...

    I have lived in South Yorkshire, in Manchester, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and now Surrey. I have cycled in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Sussex, Wiltshire, IoW, Somerset, Devon, Powys, Herefordshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and probably a few other shires I forgot about I can safely say cycling-wise Surrey is the worst place I have ever cycled... maybe there is worse, but I have yet to see
    left the forum March 2023
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Isn't that the point of Ride London? To take somewhere which is generally terrible for cycling and make it bareable, perhaps even enjoyable, for one day a year?

    Probably why other closed road events such as the Etape Pennines haven't captured as much publicity - because for some of their roads you wouldn't notice much difference with it being closed.

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