Ride London 2019 anyone?

elbowloh

Looks like I have a decent start time, not too early, not too late. Green A - 6.32

daniel_b

Green F, 07:12 start time - content with that, not insanely early, and my first time on the event too.

First nerves\excitement are here!

Re Clivey's post below, I think I will be taking my shakedry jacket with me, along the lines of when you take an umbrella you never need it etc etc

Someone has also heard that the timing ship is included in a number that attached to your seatpost - wonder if that replaces the one for the handlebars, and is a new development for this year?

Cliveyp

kingstongraham wrote:

Cliveyp wrote:

My timings have arrived....you have to find it yourself from a table of rider numbers this year, they don't tell you in the email.

Finally a decent start time for me though, after 08:52 the first year and 07:46 last year, i'm at 06:20 this year. Will miss breakfast but will have a nice clear time around the climbs all being well!

When I did it I was in one of those early starts - felt a bit crazy for the first few km, but managed to do 40km in the first hour which is quick for me. I think you'll notice the difference. Enjoy the clear roads!

This is (almost) what i'm hoping for. Even my first attempt (2016) with the late start saw me averaging over 22mph for the first stint down the dual carriageway. Last year was the weekend the weather turned from the glorious summer heat to the miserable cold, wet and windy days. It started raining just as we started shuffling forward in our pen and it didn't stop until I got back into the city. It was a slow and painful grind for a good chunk of it.

I was torn between the benefits of an early start and clear roads, or a later start and a full english....

Ben6899

Daniel B wrote:

Someone has also heard that the timing ship is included in a number that attached to your seatpost - wonder if that replaces the one for the handlebars, and is a new development for this year?

No. There were two bike numbers last year. Chip in the seat post one, handlebar number for photograph ID.

cruff

05:44 start - first wave :shock:

daniel_b

Just found this in the 'before you leave home' faq:

Seatpost number, handlebar number, frame sticker, body number (all mandatory) and helmet sticker attached to your bike, jersey and helmet

Wonder how stringently they 'enforce' it.

Ben6899

Daniel B wrote:

Just found this in the 'before you leave home' faq:

Seatpost number, handlebar number, frame sticker, body number (all mandatory) and helmet sticker attached to your bike, jersey and helmet

Wonder how stringently they 'enforce' it.

I can only speak anecdotaly, but they don't.

cougie

I have to sticker up my helmet for Triathlon races. Never had a problem getting the stickers off.

pitcaig

I see that they are not doing any drop off areas this year.

Does anyone know if the Blackwall Tunnel will be open to cyclists coming from the South as it has been in previous years?

I'm staying in the Abbey Wood area and when I did 2016 I got dropped off just south of the Tunnel. Does anyone have any suggested routes to the start if I can't use the Blackwall tunnel again?

Thanks

Graeme

Ben6899

pitcaig wrote:

I see that they are not doing any drop off areas this year.

Does anyone know if the Blackwall Tunnel will be open to cyclists coming from the South as it has been in previous years?

I'm staying in the Abbey Wood area and when I did 2016 I got dropped off just south of the Tunnel. Does anyone have any suggested routes to the start if I can't use the Blackwall tunnel again?

Thanks

Graeme

Greenwich foot tunnel?

cruff

Ben6899 wrote:

pitcaig wrote:

I see that they are not doing any drop off areas this year.

Does anyone know if the Blackwall Tunnel will be open to cyclists coming from the South as it has been in previous years?

I'm staying in the Abbey Wood area and when I did 2016 I got dropped off just south of the Tunnel. Does anyone have any suggested routes to the start if I can't use the Blackwall tunnel again?

Thanks

Graeme

Greenwich foot tunnel?

Can't ride through it, and it'd be a hell of a walk in cleats...

Ben6899

Woolwich ferry or Tower Bridge, then.

(assuming Woolwich foot tunnel is out for the same reason as the Greenwich one)

mtb-idle

cruff wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

pitcaig wrote:

I see that they are not doing any drop off areas this year.

Does anyone know if the Blackwall Tunnel will be open to cyclists coming from the South as it has been in previous years?

I'm staying in the Abbey Wood area and when I did 2016 I got dropped off just south of the Tunnel. Does anyone have any suggested routes to the start if I can't use the Blackwall tunnel again?

Thanks

Graeme

Greenwich foot tunnel?

Can't ride through it, and it'd be a hell of a walk in cleats...

quite possibly altho hundreds of cycle commuters use it on a daily basis (mainly walking)

pitcaig

mtb-idle wrote:

cruff wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

pitcaig wrote:

I see that they are not doing any drop off areas this year.

Does anyone know if the Blackwall Tunnel will be open to cyclists coming from the South as it has been in previous years?

I'm staying in the Abbey Wood area and when I did 2016 I got dropped off just south of the Tunnel. Does anyone have any suggested routes to the start if I can't use the Blackwall tunnel again?

Thanks

Graeme

Greenwich foot tunnel?

Can't ride through it, and it'd be a hell of a walk in cleats...

quite possibly altho hundreds of cycle commuters use it on a daily basis (mainly walking)

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will use the Woolwich tunnel. Walking won’t be an issue as I use SPD pedals with the metal cleats

Cheers
Graeme

captain_kirk

Does anyone know where I can download a TCX or GPX of the route? I can't see one on the official page, and have come across some older routes which seem to be the same route as this year. But Wasn't sure if there was anything "official"

Thanks

Tashman

I'm going to train it on the day. Arrive at Victoria at 0600. I'm not familiar with London Town, is it a simple ride to the Olympic site from there?

cruff

Tashman wrote:

I'm going to train it on the day. Arrive at Victoria at 0600. I'm not familiar with London Town, is it a simple ride to the Olympic site from there?

Ermmmm...

elbowloh

https://www.google.com/search?q=london+ ... e&ie=UTF-8

kingstongraham

Might be some road closures at that time - bike race on apparently.

Tashman

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Ben6899

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Well it's a flat ride. And early Sunday morning so the roads should be quiet.

This looks convoluted, but if you can get to Marylebone / Euston Road, skirt south of Regent's Park and then go through Old Street, Bethnal Green and Victoria Park... you should avoid any closures (you might come unstuck heading north to Euston Road, at the southeast corner of Hyde Park):

https://goo.gl/maps/6yi8HY6EANTaQUos7

Tashman

Ben6899 wrote:

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Well it's a flat ride. And early Sunday morning so the roads should be quiet.

This looks convoluted, but if you can get to Marylebone / Euston Road, skirt south of Regent's Park and then go through Old Street, Bethnal Green and Victoria Park... you should avoid any closures (you might come unstuck heading north to Euston Road, at the southeast corner of Hyde Park):

https://goo.gl/maps/6yi8HY6EANTaQUos7

Appreciate that.

elbowloh

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Can you get into London Bridge rather than Victoria by any chance? It's a bit nearer and when i did it before it was sign posted from there.

Tashman

elbowloh wrote:

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Can you get into London Bridge rather than Victoria by any chance? It's a bit nearer and when i did it before it was sign posted from there.

None that get in in time unfortunately

kingstongraham

Tashman wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Can you get into London Bridge rather than Victoria by any chance? It's a bit nearer and when i did it before it was sign posted from there.

None that get in in time unfortunately

Waterloo would be better than Victoria. I rode across from there, wasn't too bad.

bradsbeard

kingstongraham wrote:

Tashman wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

Tashman wrote:

Yeah, I'd googled it, just wondered what the ride was like. Would be good to minimise the riding as much as possible to the event itself

Can you get into London Bridge rather than Victoria by any chance? It's a bit nearer and when i did it before it was sign posted from there.

None that get in in time unfortunately

Waterloo would be better than Victoria. I rode across from there, wasn't too bad.

Tube down to West ham? No-one mind you taking your bike that time of the morning.

mtb-idle

based in Epsom, that's one of the many reasons i've never done RL100 before.

My work based cycle club rides to Lea Valley velopark after work every now and then and even starting from Canary Wharf it's frankly a total ballache. Okay so traffic will be quieter for you but it's not a straightforward route.

I was gifted a place this year and I'm going to stay at a mates place in Stepney the night before and ride from there which is much more doable.

daniel_b

I'm coming in from a B&B East near Plashet park (E12) - haven't studied a map/road closures yet to see what the distance is or best route avoiding the closures will be.

RossoCorso34

Is it possible for people without an entry to get into the bike show after the number collection point? Might head down with a mate who'll be interested to have a nose around

Tashman

Had an off yesterday, road rash to left knee and elbow, very sore shoulder and bruised chest from the stem. Bike needs a minimum of the front wheel trued, new handlebars and tape. Not exactly ideal prep!