L'Etape London 2015
nezza
Posts: 14
Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
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Comments
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Nope I'll be there;booked in in the luxurious travelodge :roll:Ridley Helium SL (Dura-Ace/Wheelsmith Aero-dimpled 45 wheels)
Light Blue Robinson(105 +lots of Hope)
Planet X XLS 1X10(105/XTR/Miche/TRP Spyre SLC brakes
Graham Weigh 105/Ultegra0 -
Ok good to know its not going to just be me and some red Skodas on the day!0
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Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
I'm in, just for the short route, got to travel in the afternoon....Big Red, Blue, Pete, Bill & Doug0 -
I should be doing the Long Route in this.
The heavy marketing of the Tour de France angle is a bit ridiculous e.g. labelling it as the "Tour de France London Legacy Sportive"?! Give me a break.
And what exactly is the "départ fictif and départ réel: neutral start to get out of London" supposed to mean?! I should imagine like most non-closed road events, it will be a slog-fest through London weekend traffic to get out of London, even if they do try to romanticise it!
It all sounds a bit tenuous if you ask me!0 -
Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
Just got my start time in and it would appear that over 3500 riders are doing this, most doing the long, followed by the medium and only 360ish doing the short.Big Red, Blue, Pete, Bill & Doug0 -
Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
Just got my start time in and it would appear that over 3500 riders are doing this, most doing the long, followed by the medium and only 360ish doing the short.
What time have you got?
I'm doing the long and my start is 8:30Ridley Helium SL (Dura-Ace/Wheelsmith Aero-dimpled 45 wheels)
Light Blue Robinson(105 +lots of Hope)
Planet X XLS 1X10(105/XTR/Miche/TRP Spyre SLC brakes
Graham Weigh 105/Ultegra0 -
50 quid for a ride in Essex... bah, I guess it's horses for courses, innit...left the forum March 20230
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Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
Just got my start time in and it would appear that over 3500 riders are doing this, most doing the long, followed by the medium and only 360ish doing the short.
What time have you got?
I'm doing the long and my start is 8:30
9:20 - quite civilised! Quite looking forward to a quick lap of the Lee Valley track and the chance of seeing The Badger!
Ugo - it is a rather expensive, but it was a birthday present.Big Red, Blue, Pete, Bill & Doug0 -
50 quid for a ride in Essex... bah, I guess it's horses for courses, innit...
I can see what you mean but I quite like doing an 'event' like this now and again.Ridley Helium SL (Dura-Ace/Wheelsmith Aero-dimpled 45 wheels)
Light Blue Robinson(105 +lots of Hope)
Planet X XLS 1X10(105/XTR/Miche/TRP Spyre SLC brakes
Graham Weigh 105/Ultegra0 -
Am I the only person signed up for this?!?
Just got my start time in and it would appear that over 3500 riders are doing this, most doing the long, followed by the medium and only 360ish doing the short.
What time have you got?
I'm doing the long and my start is 8:30
9:20 - quite civilised! Quite looking forward to a quick lap of the Lee Valley track and the chance of seeing The Badger!.
Well I'm taking my La Vie Clare cap just in case
Ridley Helium SL (Dura-Ace/Wheelsmith Aero-dimpled 45 wheels)
Light Blue Robinson(105 +lots of Hope)
Planet X XLS 1X10(105/XTR/Miche/TRP Spyre SLC brakes
Graham Weigh 105/Ultegra0 -
7:30 start!!! Not quite 'Ride London, no sleep 'til race time' but you need to be there 45 mins before the off and for me it's best part of an hours cycle there!
Despite that, looking forward!0 -
Good event I thought, on the whole. The ride out from the city was a bit grim though compared to the Palace to Palace ride, but there's not much you can do about that...
It was a good couple of hours or so in the sunshine, and amazing to see that Hinault still has good pace!Big Red, Blue, Pete, Bill & Doug0 -
Getting out and back in to London was horrid, did the medium with a few mates so took it easy. Thought the route was a bit dull but then it was Essex. Weather and the well stocked food stations were good, not sure about only having one mechanic at each food station was enough, mate queued for nearly 45 minutes to have his FD fixing while others were having punctures fixed.
Lots of really bad cycling on display, groups of riders spread across the road making it hard to over take, or groups just stopping without warning as they had dropped people, also a group of about 8 riders had stopped on a blind bend lucky no cars were coming the other way and we avoid them. Why they could have moved across the road and onto the pavement was beyond me. Rljumpers, undertakers, people not point out objects in the road. I realise sound like a wanker but sometimes I just don't think people think about the people around them.Moda Prima 2013
Giant Defy Advanced 1 2014
Rose Pro DX Cross-3000 'MB' - STOLEN
Langster SF 20150 -
I did the long route and out of the Sportives I have done this year, I think this was the most unfriendly one.
I am really not a good cyclist so was plodding along at my normal speed, no-one talked to me. I said hello to one chap and he replied that I was the first person to say hi/ask how he was. I just thought it was full of club riders desperate to break records/PB at the expense of sensible riding/etiquette - no shouts of coming up outside etc.
I also make sure whenever I see someone on the side of the road to ask if they are OK or if they need anything. I didn't see anyone or hear anyone doing similar. Shame really, I tend to think we're all in this together type of thing so least you can do is check on your fellow cyclists.
Agree with the comment re poor riding. Even though I am slow, I at least always try to stick to the left and keep a consistent line. The rule of 'no more than 2 abreast' lasted about 3 minutes from the start line, as did the no littering - which was upsetting to see.
The starting wave system was a shambles and there were plenty of 'banned' tri bars/bull horns etc being ridden.
The feed stations were well stocked but were also chaotic - people milling around everywhere making it slow to get in and out. May be some 'lane' division for entry and exit would be good next year?
Still, chuffed to complete my longest ride ever and enjoyed seeing some different parts of my home county.0 -
Standard of riding in southern sportives is typically dreadful and reflects what you see on a regular basis at weekends. Things improve significantly as you pass the imaginary great divide...
Standard of riding at the Etape du Dales last spring was superb... put a typical southern crowd at that event with storm force winds and 20% descends and the entire fleet of air ambulances in Britain wouldn't have been enoughleft the forum March 20230 -
I enjoyed it. In / out London wasn't too bad. In fact it was bliss compared to e.g. The FT London 100. Only saw 1 RLJ'er & perhaps 10 gel wrappers in 115 miles. There were some great groups out there, working together giving clear signs and allowing space to slower riders. What I saw of the food stops they were well stocked. Great to meet Bernard Hinault!
Some of those long 2-3% inclines were murder & as usual broke up big groups. I am surprised to hear the negative comments above.0 -
Thought it was the usual mix really,bunches flying past and others pooling along three abreast.In and out of that London was interesting at times,especially to a first timer like me(used to wide open fen roads)so was probably too apprehensive esp coming back.
Didn't see the Badger(lightweight
did one of the short routes I believe) but overall enjoyed it although I dunno if I'd do it again(prob do one of those perfect Northern ones next year :roll: 
)but I'd booked this one as compensation for missing Ride London.
Did think the 'Tour podium' bit was tacky though :oops:
Oh and dunno if it was just me but there seemed to be a high proportion of women relatively speaking for a big sportive?Ridley Helium SL (Dura-Ace/Wheelsmith Aero-dimpled 45 wheels)
Light Blue Robinson(105 +lots of Hope)
Planet X XLS 1X10(105/XTR/Miche/TRP Spyre SLC brakes
Graham Weigh 105/Ultegra0 -
Standard of riding in southern sportives is typically dreadful and reflects what you see on a regular basis at weekends. Things improve significantly as you pass the imaginary great divide...
Standard of riding at the Etape du Dales last spring was superb... put a typical southern crowd at that event with storm force winds and 20% descends and the entire fleet of air ambulances in Britain wouldn't have been enough
Yes but southerners produce virtually all of the countries income and northerners are generally thick and need supporting from the south crowd.
They ride better up north because they have more time on their hands, benefits allow that. Most of us are at work in the south. :roll:0
