Ride London 2015
Comments
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Cat With No Tail wrote:you could technically have been riding in any city, anywhere.
bang on
Might also be different if the crowds are out
I've entered again today0 -
The official car park at London Bridge needs sorting.
I arrived at the car park at 05.20. I didn't park until 06.30 (and subsequently missed my 7.00 start time) as the queue was massive and was extremely slow to clear. Apparently the NCP bods were asking for the paperwork up front as we entered, however on the paperwork itself it says you only need it when you leave, so many people had it in bags etc rather than to hand. I believe this was the only car park where there was an issue?0 -
Any city anywhere that is sitting underneath a giant power shower and has raw sewage running in the streets0
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elbowloh wrote:The official car park at London Bridge needs sorting.
I arrived at the car park at 05.20. I didn't park until 06.30 (and subsequently missed my 7.00 start time) as the queue was massive and was extremely slow to clear. Apparently the NCP bods were asking for the paperwork up front as we entered, however on the paperwork itself it says you only need it when you leave, so many people had it in bags etc rather than to hand. I believe this was the only car park where there was an issue?
Same experience for me. Won't be using it again next year.0 -
Mikey23 wrote:Any city anywhere that is sitting underneath a giant power shower and has raw sewage running in the streets
Om nom nom0 -
Perhaps a slight exaggeration ... Im sure it wasnt all that bad but seemed so at the time!0
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elbowloh wrote:The official car park at London Bridge needs sorting.
I arrived at the car park at 05.20. I didn't park until 06.30 (and subsequently missed my 7.00 start time) as the queue was massive and was extremely slow to clear. Apparently the NCP bods were asking for the paperwork up front as we entered, however on the paperwork itself it says you only need it when you leave, so many people had it in bags etc rather than to hand. I believe this was the only car park where there was an issue?
The 02 car park also wanted to see the paperwork but getting in and out of there didn't really seem to be an issue. The print out was a bit of a waste of time though as there was nothing to stop the same e-mail being printed 5 times and given to 5 different cars.
Could do with some porter loos at the car parks though.0 -
Just watched The Cycle Show and without the two big hills it looked a little ordinary.
Good luck to those who have entered the ballot. I'll save my money and ride elsewhere.0 -
iPete wrote:Richmond Park felt congested with a start of 6:15! even with a very quick group Newlands was heading that way too.
Can't imagine what 36,000 would look like. I'll be putting down a very fast ballot time to be clear of that mess.
I found Richmond Park tight but was moving reasonably well. Newlands however... I was close to having to walk it slowed that much. Got trapped between a few people who couldn't hold their line and had to get into my lowest gear and glass crank it.
I was in an 0707 wave and it left bang on time. The Excel centre was a pain though, one of the exhibition centres that is served by a tube line rather than the DLR would be better. Saying that though, it wasn't the end of the world. I took a shorter lunch at work to finish early. Cycled home, changed etc and then got the train and got there with enough time to register, have a browse and talk to my charity (ballot place but I'd ridden something else for them so kept my donation page open.)2012 Cube Agree GTC0 -
Richmond park in the rain standing for 25 mins behind an accident... I remember that!0
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2015 Registration hasn't been open for 6 days, yet 50,000 have already signed up.0
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It was 50,000 after about 2 or 3 days last year.
I could understand the surge from year one to two and guess the rain has had its effect this time.
Saying that the wife did it for the first time this year and went from saying no to next year whilst in London pre race (oops, sorry, ride), to sneakily booking hotel for 2015 last week.
We are both entered and pre payed now so hoping one of us gets in.
At least the jersey seems a decent conciliation prize this year :-)0 -
Der Kaiser wrote:Just watched The Cycle Show and without the two big hills it looked a little ordinary.
Good luck to those who have entered the ballot. I'll save my money and ride elsewhere.
Guessing most of the people who have entered the ballot have not spent any money yet though.
It was more the rain and shorter route and wet roads and lack of crowds that spoilt it, rather than lack of hills, but yes, 2013 it wasn't!
2015 will hopefully have it all back again so my advice would be:
A/ Enter the ballot (bet you already have now anyway) and decide if you are going to pay/take part or not in Feb.
B/ Stop watching The Cycle Show.
Out of interest, if you do not end up taking part next year could you tell us all where you will ride and what you will spend the £58 on instead?0 -
One other suggested improvement for next year: maybe the bottles in the goodie bag could be the right size to fit in a normal cage, and not leak. And if Prudential are sponsors again they might want to get them printed with something that doesn't rub off in the wash. Mine has been cleaned twice and now says PPLDENTIAL.
In reply to Carbonator, I probably wouldn't do anything specific instead if I don't get a place through the ballot; I'm not sure I'd even enter through my club (as this year) if it deprived someone else of an opportunity. My big events this year were/are the Nove Colli and Ronde Picarde so RideLondon was a bit of fun, for the atmosphere and another century (or not, as it turned out) to keep myself in shape. I don't yet know have firm plans for 2015 but might end up doing the Marmotte or Les Trois Ballons, or something in the US, any of which would make me feel missing RideLondon wouldn't be the end of the world.0 -
My wife and step-daughter are also in the ballot for next year and if I don't get a ballot place again as I am regarded as being too fast and not living in the right region, then it will be another charity place for the third year running.
Having rode both the Etape Caledonia and the RL100 in 2013 and 2014, I have noticed that the standard is notably higher in the Scottish event as in both Scottish events I finished just outside the top 10% with good sub 4 hour times, however the RL was a sub-7% time last year and a sub-4.3% time this year.
I just wished they had a good for age category as the do for the London Marathon as I shall be 60 next year!0 -
Carbonator wrote:Der Kaiser wrote:Just watched The Cycle Show and without the two big hills it looked a little ordinary.
Good luck to those who have entered the ballot. I'll save my money and ride elsewhere.
Guessing most of the people who have entered the ballot have not spent any money yet though.
It was more the rain and shorter route and wet roads and lack of crowds that spoilt it, rather than lack of hills, but yes, 2013 it wasn't!
2015 will hopefully have it all back again so my advice would be:
A/ Enter the ballot (bet you already have now anyway) and decide if you are going to pay/take part or not in Feb.
B/ Stop watching The Cycle Show.
Out of interest, if you do not end up taking part next year could you tell us all where you will ride and what you will spend the £58 on instead?
Whether or not I get a place on Ride 100, I'm thinking of doing the RVV (Tour of Flanders) next April.0 -
Kingstonian wrote:Carbonator wrote:Der Kaiser wrote:Just watched The Cycle Show and without the two big hills it looked a little ordinary.
Good luck to those who have entered the ballot. I'll save my money and ride elsewhere.
Guessing most of the people who have entered the ballot have not spent any money yet though.
It was more the rain and shorter route and wet roads and lack of crowds that spoilt it, rather than lack of hills, but yes, 2013 it wasn't!
2015 will hopefully have it all back again so my advice would be:
A/ Enter the ballot (bet you already have now anyway) and decide if you are going to pay/take part or not in Feb.
B/ Stop watching The Cycle Show.
Out of interest, if you do not end up taking part next year could you tell us all where you will ride and what you will spend the £58 on instead?
Whether or not I get a place on Ride 100, I'm thinking of doing the RVV (Tour of Flanders) next April.
You like your mass rides. I did RVV in 2011 and won't do it again... too crowded... we are doing Gent-Wevelgem next year instead, which sounds like a more interesting proposition and maybe we can even ride rather than walk up the Kemmelberg...
left the forum March 20230 -
Stedman wrote:, however the RL was a sub-7% time last year and a sub-4.3% time this year.
How do you find this out?0 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:Kingstonian wrote:Carbonator wrote:Der Kaiser wrote:Just watched The Cycle Show and without the two big hills it looked a little ordinary.
Good luck to those who have entered the ballot. I'll save my money and ride elsewhere.
Guessing most of the people who have entered the ballot have not spent any money yet though.
It was more the rain and shorter route and wet roads and lack of crowds that spoilt it, rather than lack of hills, but yes, 2013 it wasn't!
2015 will hopefully have it all back again so my advice would be:
A/ Enter the ballot (bet you already have now anyway) and decide if you are going to pay/take part or not in Feb.
B/ Stop watching The Cycle Show.
Out of interest, if you do not end up taking part next year could you tell us all where you will ride and what you will spend the £58 on instead?
Whether or not I get a place on Ride 100, I'm thinking of doing the RVV (Tour of Flanders) next April.
You like your mass rides. I did RVV in 2011 and won't do it again... too crowded... we are doing Gent-Wevelgem next year instead, which sounds like a more interesting proposition and maybe we can even ride rather than walk up the Kemmelberg...
I will do pretty much any ride once. RVV is one of those "bucket list" events for most people, along with Paris Roubaix etc.0 -
London-Red wrote:Stedman wrote:, however the RL was a sub-7% time last year and a sub-4.3% time this year.
How do you find this out?
From this site: http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/ ... -boardman/
Did you also beat Chris-Boardman?0 -
Stedman wrote:London-Red wrote:Stedman wrote:, however the RL was a sub-7% time last year and a sub-4.3% time this year.
How do you find this out?
From this site: http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/ ... -boardman/
Did you also beat Chris-Boardman?
Nice! Thanks
Just outside the 10% mark at 04:08:48 but I stopped to chat to the wife and kids in Kingston so I'm claiming the sub-four hours my Garmin recorded Still beat Chris Boardman by 7 minutes on the official times though! Yellow jersey? Pah!
I was most impressed by Martin Johnson's time of 03:53 - not bad for a big lad!0 -
London-Red wrote:
Nice! Thanks
Just outside the 10% mark at 04:08:48 but I stopped to chat to the wife and kids in Kingston so I'm claiming the sub-four hours my Garmin recorded Still beat Chris Boardman by 7 minutes on the official times though! Yellow jersey? Pah!
I was most impressed by Martin Johnson's time of 03:53 - not bad for a big lad!
A few people on another topic said they saw him and he was really giving it some. I'd imagine he can generate a lot of power and such a flat route probably suits him very well.
I was in the top 10% at just under 4:04, would have liked to go under 4 hours. Probably would have bar a bout of cramp that had me at 10mph for a few minutes as I desperately tried to stretch it out!2012 Cube Agree GTC0 -
i was in the bottom 10% or thereabouts because of being a bit rubbish and not treating it as a race...0
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Mikey23 wrote:i was in the bottom 10% or thereabouts because of being a bit rubbish and not treating it as a race...
Because being in the top 10% means you were treating at as a race? I spent half of the four hours chatting with strangers I ended up riding with.2012 Cube Agree GTC0 -
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Just boasting about my own personal achievements thank you... In exactly the same manner as some of the above posts. Surely you wouldnt deny me that pleasure?0
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Last year I did 8:28 - which must have put me in the slowest 2% - I just wanted to get around intact.
This year I looked on the event as a race against myself and did a 5:07 - well into the fastest half. I've spent the weeks since ruing the precautionary piss-stop at Sandown Park (4 minutes) and all those other places where I could have gone faster to have cracked 5 hours.
Next year ....0 -
Mikey23 wrote:Just boasting about my own personal achievements thank you... In exactly the same manner as some of the above posts. Surely you wouldnt deny me that pleasure?
Then maybe just boast and don't put "and not treating it as a race" as if doing so would have put you in the top 5%.2012 Cube Agree GTC0 -
Can't the mods move all this stuff about Ride London 2014 into the Ride London 2014 thread?Is the gorilla tired yet?0
