Ride London 2017

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Comments

  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    This is the first year I've not got in on the ballot. On reflection, given the horse $h1t standard of riding I've witnessed, I think I'll count my blessings. I'm riding the velo Birmingham this year anyway, so it would have been a bit of an arse to have to sort both of them out logistically.
  • shooter999
    shooter999 Posts: 143
    Another no for me.
  • Cliveyp
    Cliveyp Posts: 173
    And a no for me. Contemplating charity place at the moment, or maybe just try for the 46 and be back in time for lunch....
    2015 Ridley Fenix 105
    2012 Cube Ltd SL
    2011 Trek 1.2 - Sold
    2001 Giant Boulder - Sold
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    vpnikolov wrote:
    ibbo68 wrote:
    I got TWO rejection magazines.
    Surely a letter or email would suffice.I wonder how much the magazine and postage costs and how many they send out?
    The advertisements in there must cover the costs. But I agree, it is a waste of paper... I threw away most, kept the magazine for a couple things to read, but will bin it soon.

    tbh - I'd be happy with a rejection email - or just be able to login to the registration page to show the result - both mags received (rejections) went straight in the bin.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,254
    No. Straight in the recycling. Be much happier with an email.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Not much luck this year, 1 out of 11 in my club have made it in so far. Wonder if they've changed the criteria somehow?
  • Grahamsjz
    Grahamsjz Posts: 50
    No for me as well.
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,946
    However, my son has managed to get in via the ballot for the third time out three :roll:

    He is a jammy sod.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    Capt Slog wrote:
    However, my son has managed to get in via the ballot for the third time out three :roll:

    He is a jammy sod.

    jammy sod or less people applying in his age category?
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,946
    Surrey Commuter wrote:
    Capt Slog wrote:
    However, my son has managed to get in via the ballot for the third time out three :roll:

    He is a jammy sod.

    jammy sod or less people applying in his age category?

    He just tends to fall on his feet :lol:

    I told him to buy a lottery ticket yesterday, just in case.

    It's a good job he is lucky, because he certainly isn't organised, but that's another can of worms.



    As for me, I've just been offered a charity place :mrgreen:


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Rejected.

    Why is this the only country that you have to raise loads of money for charity to take part in mass participation events? They seem to control all the places.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • sherer
    sherer Posts: 2,460
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rejected.

    Why is this the only country that you have to raise loads of money for charity to take part in mass participation events? They seem to control all the places.

    There's plenty of sportives you can do without raising money for charity. It's only when they fully close the roads in the capital they do it for charity first.
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,946
    I can understand the reluctance, but whilst some of the charities ask for a high amounts, they don't all do so.

    For me, ones that ask for £400 upwards are bloody expensive, because if you don't like asking around your friends and work colleagues, you have a lot to find.

    There are ones around that don't ask anything like that, you just have to search a bit.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,254
    Plus I can't imagine asking people I work with to give me money to go for a bike ride.
  • Hinaultscrapcousin
    Hinaultscrapcousin Posts: 647
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Plus I can't imagine asking people I work with to give me money to go for a bike ride.

    This is my problem with sponsorship too, especially when it's people in my club doing a ride of a similar level to what they do every week. I'm doing the Etape Du Dales on my fixed wheel and I'm considering setting up a sponsorship page but I really don't like the idea.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    IMHO, if you're a rider capable of doing the distance - which, lets face it, most of us are - then it's not a challenge in itself - so you need add a challenge to it - easiest challenge is a time marker - so 100 miles in X hours - is worthy of sponsorship.

    Problem with sponsorship, especially online sponsorship these days is that it's unconditional - you often take the money up front - which is fine - but you may as well just rattle a collection tin around and not do anything.
  • specialized_nick
    specialized_nick Posts: 427
    4th no on the bounce in the ballot, did it via a Charity last year so not too fussed.
  • Hinaultscrapcousin
    Hinaultscrapcousin Posts: 647
    Slowbike wrote:
    IMHO, if you're a rider capable of doing the distance - which, lets face it, most of us are - then it's not a challenge in itself - so you need add a challenge to it - easiest challenge is a time marker - so 100 miles in X hours - is worthy of sponsorship.

    Problem with sponsorship, especially online sponsorship these days is that it's unconditional - you often take the money up front - which is fine - but you may as well just rattle a collection tin around and not do anything.

    That's pretty much how I view it, it's not a challenge unless you might not actually complete it. To me that means the ride more than in a specific time but I can understand why people do it that way. I like riding with and chatting to new people on the way round though :)
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    sherer wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rejected.

    Why is this the only country that you have to raise loads of money for charity to take part in mass participation events? They seem to control all the places.

    There's plenty of sportives you can do without raising money for charity. It's only when they fully close the roads in the capital they do it for charity first.


    It's precisely the closing of the roads in the capital that's the attaction. But like the London Marathon, you must ask your friends to fund you for a fun day out.

    I wouldn't feel right asking people for money to fund my hobby.

    There are 70 charities that have hoovered up places. Seems excessive.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Sportiveman
    Sportiveman Posts: 158
    Well first time I've apllied for a place and got a No :cry: Luckily doing lots of other sportives
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    TimothyW wrote:
    Not much luck this year, 1 out of 11 in my club have made it in so far. Wonder if they've changed the criteria somehow?

    Yes they have changed it slightly this year. They allocated a fair few more places as 'women only' they also reduced the amount of places by 2000.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,701
    I got in.

    not quite sure what time target I should aim for yet.
    _
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I got in.

    not quite sure what time target I should aim for yet.

    4 hours or less, or you're $h1t.
  • d70ar9
    d70ar9 Posts: 139
    The problem is that all mass participation event budgets are reliant on charity places.

    The event organisers sell places to charities at 3 or 4 times what they sell to the public, A Ride London Charity place costs the charity in the region of £300!! That is why charity places are so expensive the charity has to recoup the fee it has paid for the place and make a return on the investment. Charities are very tightly governed and need to be making at least 60% from any fundraising activity.

    The charity place bubble is close to bursting on Ride London though as charities refuse to be held to ransom by event organisers and are declining places.
    'All that is solid melts into air' Marx and Engels
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Timoid. wrote:
    sherer wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rejected.

    Why is this the only country that you have to raise loads of money for charity to take part in mass participation events? They seem to control all the places.

    There's plenty of sportives you can do without raising money for charity. It's only when they fully close the roads in the capital they do it for charity first.


    It's precisely the closing of the roads in the capital that's the attaction. But like the London Marathon, you must ask your friends to fund you for a fun day out.

    I wouldn't feel right asking people for money to fund my hobby.

    There are 70 charities that have hoovered up places. Seems excessive.

    What seems excessive is the >£150 they pay for a place - or at least that's what I read on one of the charity pages. That's why they want £500+ in sponsorship ...

    Thats a bit of a shame as £500 is a good sum to find - and many of us don't like asking our friends for (yet more) money - yet if the places didn't cost so much then the amount required to be raised could be dropped significantly and spread over a larger number of riders - probably generating more in the end.
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    Slowbike wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    sherer wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rejected.

    Why is this the only country that you have to raise loads of money for charity to take part in mass participation events? They seem to control all the places.

    There's plenty of sportives you can do without raising money for charity. It's only when they fully close the roads in the capital they do it for charity first.


    It's precisely the closing of the roads in the capital that's the attaction. But like the London Marathon, you must ask your friends to fund you for a fun day out.

    I wouldn't feel right asking people for money to fund my hobby.

    There are 70 charities that have hoovered up places. Seems excessive.

    What seems excessive is the >£150 they pay for a place - or at least that's what I read on one of the charity pages. That's why they want £500+ in sponsorship ...

    Thats a bit of a shame as £500 is a good sum to find - and many of us don't like asking our friends for (yet more) money - yet if the places didn't cost so much then the amount required to be raised could be dropped significantly and spread over a larger number of riders - probably generating more in the end.
    Oddly, I've just been contacted by Scope. I rode for them on my 2015 ballot place. They only want 300 quid ( plus a 25 pound sign up ). They gave me a nice jersey and laid on a little after ride feed / massage / bike fettle last time, so I'm quite happy to help them out again. 300 quid is ( relative) chicken feed, considering at least one charity wants 680 quid, and I raised well over 300 quid for them last time anyway. I look at it as 300 quid I'm paying, my personal liability decreases by 1 pound, for each pound I get in sponsorship. I'll obviously have to remember to keep my wits about me on the ride, given previous year's experiences, but I reckon I'll be okay.
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    Well I'm in... but can't do it now so will have to defer.
    Wife booked our holiday to the Alps to watch the TDF and we don't drive back until the day before so won't be able to do it. :-(
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • capt_slog
    capt_slog Posts: 3,946
    Does anyone know the allocations? How many 'free' places and how many go to charity?

    I haven't looked myself, I suppose the info could be on the RL website.

    EDIT
    Slowbike mentions above that RL100 charges the charities £150 for the places. It sounds a lot and I've not seen that anywhere. Interested to see a link if anyone finds that written.


    The older I get, the better I was.

  • Cliveyp
    Cliveyp Posts: 173
    I read one the other day when looking into charity places - can't remember which one though unfortunately - that stated charities are charged £275 per place. I'll have to see if I can find it now!

    I find it very interesting that Scope have such a low target compared to others. I wonder if they have more/less places than some of the other charities.
    2015 Ridley Fenix 105
    2012 Cube Ltd SL
    2011 Trek 1.2 - Sold
    2001 Giant Boulder - Sold
  • d70ar9
    d70ar9 Posts: 139
    Capt Slog wrote:
    Does anyone know the allocations? How many 'free' places and how many go to charity?

    I haven't looked myself, I suppose the info could be on the RL website.

    EDIT
    Slowbike mentions above that RL100 charges the charities £150 for the places. It sounds a lot and I've not seen that anywhere. Interested to see a link if anyone finds that written.

    I work for a charity, not prepared to disclose which one

    I can confirm the Ride London places are extortionate. We pay just under £300 a place

    You get better deals from Ride London the more places you purchase, hence why some charities can offer different fundraising goals.

    As mentioned above Charity places are absolutely fundamental to the budgets of closed road sportives as the event organisers make huge margins on them compare to public entries.
    'All that is solid melts into air' Marx and Engels

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