Ride London 100 or not in my case!

buckmulligan

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Given there is such massive demand for Ride London, the it would seem to suggest there is demand for similar rides elsewhere, Ride Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh etc?

Other than the London-factor, I think some of the appeal comes from it being part of a bigger event i.e. the pros competing on the same course as with the London Marathon/Etape du tour/Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix sportives. I know the London-Surrey Classic (or whatever they call it) has a long way to come to match the prestige of those, not least because it's at completely the wrong point of the calendar, but it's an attraction none-the-less. You'd have to ask if another Ride-Wherever event could support a decent pro race (unlikely) and would the demand be there in its absence (I'd say no, for that and other reasons). There are plenty of other closed-road sportives that don't have the same demand as the RideLondon 100.

As I said above, I think the ballot itself generates a lot of demand. People like myself stick an entry in, because why not, it doesn't cost anything to enter and the event is right on my doorstep. I was lucky enough to get a spot and now I feel obliged to take it up because I don't know when I might get the chance again. I doubt I would have even given it a second-glance if it was a first-come, first-served entry. They jumped on the crest of a wave with the post-2012 boom in cycling and are riding it very well.

Tjgoodhew

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Given there is such massive demand for Ride London, the it would seem to suggest there is demand for similar rides elsewhere, Ride Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh etc?

I think the Wales Velothon and Tour of Cambridge are two examples of this altho they seem to be targeting cyclists as opposed to general public

turbotommy

Tjgoodhew wrote:

I do find the pricing a bit strange as last year, three days before the charity registrations closed there were a lot of charities still with places. I think it will be similar this year as im not sure this event is attracting lots of non or new cyclists in the same way the marathon inspires Non runners.

It seems the ballot is a bum fight for cyclists who want the closed road in London experience

It'd be interesting to know the margin between what the charities pay and what they pass on.