Ride London 2016
Comments
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A/6:00 start for me.
I guess I better start thinking about how I'm going to get up there for 5:30.
Did some people park in 'nearby' public car parks last year and then ride the last few miles?0 -
the "instructions" have a link to a PDF with the special carparks which are all about a 5 mile ride in.
I'm thinking I'll either do that or book a central hotel with wife & kiddy - although that means I won't get much sleep :yawn: ..
perhaps I'll bring the camper up
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Quick question (sorry if its been asked before)... is there any way to sign in without having to be in London the day(s) before the ride.
I was planning to just drive in and park early on the Sunday morning, but if I have to register the day before in London then that obviously scuppers that plan and i'll need to try and find accommodation for the weekend?0 -
if you trust someone to sign in for you they can do it - but iirc they'll need some sort of ID of yours - passport/driving licence ...
ah - a copy will do ..
https://d1ffaecguugkl4.cloudfront.net/r ... 202016.pdfWhile preferring you to register in person, we recognise that in some cases this may be impossible, so you can nominate someone to collect your rider documents for you. The person you nominate must have the following:
a letter written and signed by you, authorising that person – by name – to collect your rider documents. You must also sign your registration form before handing it to them AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A CLEAR PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR DRIVING LICENCE OR PASSPORT SHOWING YOUR NAME AND SIGNATURE.
The person collecting your rider documents should have suitable identification with them. Failure to comply with these instructions may lead to your rider documents not being issued. Please note: an individual can only pick up one set of rider documents in addition to their own0 -
Great,thanks....now if only i knew someone who was going to be in London the day before :?0
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•Start Area: Pink
•Wave: D
•Wave Load opening time: 07:07
•Wave Load closing time: 07:42
•Start Time: 08:10
cant complain with that really.0 -
cazhadfield wrote:Great,thanks....now if only i knew someone who was going to be in London the day before :?
I collected an entry last year on the basis that it was collected later that evening and a sponsorship donation was made.0 -
Start Area: Blue
Wave: N
Wave Load opening time: 06:28
Wave Load closing time: 07:03
Start Time: 07:45
I am staying near Excel. Is it quite easy to ride up from there or would It be better to get the DLR?0 -
Der Kaiser wrote:I am staying near Excel. Is it quite easy to ride up from there or would It be better to get the DLR?
If you can't ride up from excel then I'd question your ability to do the 100!
Emirates are doing a free transfer from O2 to excel - so there will be plenty riding up from there.0 -
Slowbike wrote:Der Kaiser wrote:I am staying near Excel. Is it quite easy to ride up from there or would It be better to get the DLR?
If you can't ride up from excel then I'd question your ability to do the 100!
Emirates are doing a free transfer from O2 to excel - so there will be plenty riding up from there.
It's more about my sense of direction in London. I guess I won't be the only one in a hotel there.0 -
Der Kaiser wrote:Start Area: Blue
Wave: N
Wave Load opening time: 06:28
Wave Load closing time: 07:03
Start Time: 07:45
I am staying near Excel. Is it quite easy to ride up from there or would It be better to get the DLR?
I'm also staying by the Excel and planning to ride over from there.0 -
Not too early in the morning but the roads will be full I'd imagine:
Start Area: Pink
Wave: E
Wave Load opening time: 07:07
Wave Load closing time: 07:42
Start Time: 08:17
Anyone know which of the carparks would be most convenient for someone driving up from Oxford in the morning? Apparently we need to book a place but I am not familiar with driving in London...0 -
https://d1ffaecguugkl4.cloudfront.net/r ... -Start.pdf
this map shows the "official" carparks0 -
cazhadfield wrote:Quick question (sorry if its been asked before)... is there any way to sign in without having to be in London the day(s) before the ride.
I was planning to just drive in and park early on the Sunday morning, but if I have to register the day before in London then that obviously scuppers that plan and i'll need to try and find accommodation for the weekend?
I get a day return to London, on a train. Make my way to the Excel on the DLR, on the Friday. Go back home ( Southampton) then ride up to the hotel ( Travelodge at Waterloo ) on the Saturday. I'll do the freecycle, stop at the Hotel on Saturday night, do the ride, then either get a quiet ( ish ) train with the bike, on Sunday evening, or if I'm feeling hardcore, ride straight home, giving me 170 odd miles for the day 8) .0 -
Don't the trains have limitations on bikes for the day? I'm sure they did last year. Signposting should be ok from Excel and O2, though I found it hard getting from the London Bridge NCP to the start last year as signage was poor - but there were plenty of marshalls around to ask.0
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First time for me. Only just taken up cycling a few months back and got a place on the 46-miler but got cocky one day (I might live to regret it) and grabbed a charity place instead for Macmillan to join my brother, who's also doing it.
Start Area: Yellow
Wave: D
Wave Load opening time: 05:53
Wave Load closing time: 06:28
Start Time: 07:10
Never done 100 miles before and didn't figure-in the getting to and from the event... got to ride from Loughton, so 10-11 miles before I've even started the event. Shouldn't be too bad (i hope).
One question; my missus and kids want to come down to the finish area... did anyone have supporters meet them in previous years and if so, how did they find getting over to The Mall when there's a lot of road closures and it's a Sunday? I'm not a Londoner so don't know how the city reacts to something like this on a weekend.0 -
Milemuncher1 wrote:cazhadfield wrote:Quick question (sorry if its been asked before)... is there any way to sign in without having to be in London the day(s) before the ride.
I was planning to just drive in and park early on the Sunday morning, but if I have to register the day before in London then that obviously scuppers that plan and i'll need to try and find accommodation for the weekend?
I get a day return to London, on a train. Make my way to the Excel on the DLR, on the Friday. Go back home ( Southampton) then ride up to the hotel ( Travelodge at Waterloo ) on the Saturday. I'll do the freecycle, stop at the Hotel on Saturday night, do the ride, then either get a quiet ( ish ) train with the bike, on Sunday evening, or if I'm feeling hardcore, ride straight home, giving me 170 odd miles for the day 8) .
Not really an option for me unfortunately with a 300 mile round trip to London.....looking like a hotel the night before is the only realistic option. Turning out to be quite an expensive Sportive this :shock:0 -
I'll be riding in from Tower Hill area (staying a hotel overnight before and after), which looks simple enough along the A11 (once i've found the A11 that is...). I imagine/hope many others will be doing the same by that time of the morning anyway.
One thing i've noticed is that most of your load open/close times are much closer to your start time than mine. I noticed one that closes after my wave yet sets off well before. I think i've got over a 1hr wait from wave close to start time....
2015 Ridley Fenix 105
2012 Cube Ltd SL
2011 Trek 1.2 - Sold
2001 Giant Boulder - Sold0 -
Cliveyp wrote:
One thing i've noticed is that most of your load open/close times are much closer to your start time than mine. I noticed one that closes after my wave yet sets off well before. I think i've got over a 1hr wait from wave close to start time....
Yes, I've noticed there's a lot of variation. I see you have 1hr 3mins, and you happen to be in the same start gate as my son, I'm going to have to wait 10 mins for him a bit up the course. Mine is about 50 mins wait from loading close, so I'm going to be at the very back of that if I can.
It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
Me. I'm just thrilled skinny with the whole thing.
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
Capt Slog wrote:It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
not done the RL100 before - but did do the Etape Loch Ness where they had gate loading ..
Basically we all milled around near the start - the organisers anounced over tannoy about loading the next wave - with marshalls on the entrance to check you were supposed to be there (although they missed us ) - you then chivvy on up to the start area where they hold you until the loading had finished - gave us a quick breifing - then said "off you go" and opened the gate to let us start ... simple as! 0 -
Capt Slog wrote:Cliveyp wrote:
One thing i've noticed is that most of your load open/close times are much closer to your start time than mine. I noticed one that closes after my wave yet sets off well before. I think i've got over a 1hr wait from wave close to start time....
Yes, I've noticed there's a lot of variation. I see you have 1hr 3mins, and you happen to be in the same start gate as my son, I'm going to have to wait 10 mins for him a bit up the course. Mine is about 50 mins wait from loading close, so I'm going to be at the very back of that if I can.
It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
Me. I'm just thrilled skinny with the whole thing.
I'm also thrilled skinny with it all, and can't wait to get down there and get started. I don't envy you having to wait again for your son to start though....but if I find you both maybe we'll be able to pull one another along for a bit!
My main worry at the moment is my knee.....I appear to have picked up a pain in the last week or so (unrelated to biking but I'm sure it doesn't help the situation). The doc has diagnosed arthritis causing my kneecap to rub on the joint and to keep off the bike for a few weeks to allow it to ease. I'm hoping for a quicker resolve than that, but the past few days haven't looked so rosey! 2015 Ridley Fenix 105
2012 Cube Ltd SL
2011 Trek 1.2 - Sold
2001 Giant Boulder - Sold0 -
Capt Slog wrote:Yes, I've noticed there's a lot of variation. I see you have 1hr 3mins, and you happen to be in the same start gate as my son, I'm going to have to wait 10 mins for him a bit up the course. Mine is about 50 mins wait from loading close, so I'm going to be at the very back of that if I can.
It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
Is your son in the same colour start section as you? If so I'd just join the same start pen as him. There's very few officials around, and even fewer actually checking wave letters and colours. Once you're in the pen there's zero chance of getting pulled out, so in the unlikely event an official notices you're not in the same wave on pen entry you can just head to your respective pens.0 -
Slowbike wrote:if you trust someone to sign in for you they can do it - but iirc they'll need some sort of ID of yours - passport/driving licence ...
ah - a copy will do ..
https://d1ffaecguugkl4.cloudfront.net/r ... 202016.pdf
Where did you get that link from? It wasn't in my email. Although I haven't got home and opened post, so not sure if it's a digi version of what we all received.
Start Area: Yellow
Wave: G
Wave Load opening time: 07:03
Wave Load closing time: 07:38
Start Time: 08:27
ETA: For anyone that used train last year, do you reckon arriving at Stratford at 7.05 (train 3), is too late given my Wave and Start times? It says on the website to allow 25mins from Stratford to the start, which means I arrive at the Wave 8 mins before it closes. Thanks.0 -
Capt Slog wrote:Cliveyp wrote:
One thing i've noticed is that most of your load open/close times are much closer to your start time than mine. I noticed one that closes after my wave yet sets off well before. I think i've got over a 1hr wait from wave close to start time....
Yes, I've noticed there's a lot of variation. I see you have 1hr 3mins, and you happen to be in the same start gate as my son, I'm going to have to wait 10 mins for him a bit up the course. Mine is about 50 mins wait from loading close, so I'm going to be at the very back of that if I can.
It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
Me. I'm just thrilled skinny with the whole thing.
It's quite a thing to be in the Load / start 'funnel'. You join a 'pen', defined by 2 ropes across the road. 2 Marshalls walk the forward rope, and 2 walk the rear rope forward. Your 'pen' progresses down the funnel, then the 'pens' filter into one start box, in turn, from the left and right. Some come down from the Velodrome, some from the Shopping center direction. Everyone then crosses the start timing bar, and disappears off towards the Blackwall tunnel ( which is quite an experience in itself). It's like a military operation.0 -
specialman wrote:
One question; my missus and kids want to come down to the finish area... did anyone have supporters meet them in previous years and if so, how did they find getting over to The Mall when there's a lot of road closures and it's a Sunday? I'm not a Londoner so don't know how the city reacts to something like this on a weekend.
It's pretty busy in the area, usual tourist crowds then the cyclists and their supporters on top, nice carnival atmosphere. The crossing points on Whitehall are pretty mobbed but we had no problem with a 6 & 8 year old, usual precautions when in a crowd. If you have access to an iphone there's an app you can download and supporters can follow your progress around the course.
My family really enjoyed the day and will come up again this year if the weather's good.0 -
Slowbike wrote:Capt Slog wrote:It sounds a logistics nightmare to organise, and I'm fascinated with how it's going to work. If anyone would like to tell us what happens in the 'loads', and the starts generally, please step up and share.
not done the RL100 before - but did do the Etape Loch Ness where they had gate loading ..
Basically we all milled around near the start - the organisers anounced over tannoy about loading the next wave - with marshalls on the entrance to check you were supposed to be there (although they missed us ) - you then chivvy on up to the start area where they hold you until the loading had finished - gave us a quick breifing - then said "off you go" and opened the gate to let us start ... simple as!
That was my experience of RLS, it took an hour of slow shuffling from the starting pen to the start line I did manage to shuffle forward to a slightly earlier group (6 mins) but it's not a great experience. Glad I had flat shoes rather than cleats.0 -
Just looked on the official ride london website - somewhere in the FAQ or Rider Information pages ...Thigh_burn wrote:Slowbike wrote:if you trust someone to sign in for you they can do it - but iirc they'll need some sort of ID of yours - passport/driving licence ...
ah - a copy will do ..
https://d1ffaecguugkl4.cloudfront.net/r ... 202016.pdf
Where did you get that link from? It wasn't in my email. Although I haven't got home and opened post, so not sure if it's a digi version of what we all received.0 -
denkfaul wrote:
Is your son in the same colour start section as you? If so I'd just join the same start pen as him. There's very few officials around, and even fewer actually checking wave letters and colours. Once you're in the pen there's zero chance of getting pulled out, so in the unlikely event an official notices you're not in the same wave on pen entry you can just head to your respective pens.
No, he's in black and I'm in blue. I see from a map that they are not far from each other. To be honest, I'll feel more safe following the instructions, getting on with it, then meeting him later. I've put too much time and expense in, to balls it up by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being at the mercy of a jobs-worth.
EDIT:- Thanks for those above who gave their account and impression of the day. Very helpful. ( and keep them coming
)
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
Hi - Im also doing it for the first year - although only the 46, not the 100...
I live in SW London (New Malden) and my thoughts were to drive in and park somewhere in the City , or slightly north of the City on a single yellow line or parking bay - since there are no parking controls on a Sunday.
Given there are official car parks in that area do all the side roads get full up - I guess I would be parking around 7:30-ish
If anyone has previous experience their thoughts would be greatly appreciated0 -
I've just been asking about parking overnight over in commuting chat ...0
