just seen brakes’s’s’es’s’e”s’e’ess. hmmm.

To be honest, one of the least pleasant aspects of last year’s (ignoring the weather, 😆 ) was the dickheaded behaviour from some of the tour de france fantasists/ straight up dickheads. If more women mean there’s less of that, then I reckon it’s the right thing to do. Even if I’m not riding. Pfff.

The worst behaviour I witnessed last year was from some woman who was screaming at the poor baggage handlers at the end because they hadn’t unloaded everything.
Cos the course was cut, the times were way faster than anticipated so people were standing around at the baggage collections points on The Mall in the rain waiting for their kitbags. This woman went mental, screaming and shouting, how it was unacceptable etc.

Eventually she jumped over the barrier, into the back of the lorry and just started casting bags aside until she found hers. No attempt to help or organise, just totally selfish.

The riding was mostly OK, couple of dickheads for sure and I had to tell some moron on a TT bike to **** off after he tried to join our chaingang. No idea how he’d got it past the marshals, you weren’t allowed tri bars or anything but there he was, full on TT racing bike trying to join our group in the pouring rain. No chance were we risking that liability.

Wonder if this was the chap my mate saw attaching tribars in the pen before the start – he had smuggled them in under his waterproof!

The RL100 facebook group has no winners at all, people whining, people trolling and lots of chippy charity types making it worse by telling everyone that they should just get their friends and family to cough up so they can have one of their places. Grim

Hoping the sun will come out to play and make it the day I was looking forward to last time…

Only 1/4 success rate according to the mag. Someone be smart and organise a rival sportive for the same date!

….and make sure it’s the the New Forest 😈

how is everyone planning on getting to the start line on the day?
I’m relatively local, but short of getting a hotel within striking distance the night befotre, I can’t see how to make it work.

Ideally i’d like to drive to the start, but there doesn’t appear to be any parking facilities – is this correct??

Likewise, from having done the tech support virtually all of the rudest people of the day were women.

I’m not in. Did it last year and thought it was great, despite the weather. I stayed in a hotel in Shoreditch and rode to the start – it was a bit surreal riding past the clubbers going home at 5.30am. I pre-booked the Stratford Premier Inn for this year so there will be a room available there when I can be bothered to cancel.

Quite, it was an amazing ride ESP when battling those elements.

I experienced no bad riding, or dickheads, just lots of people riding and cheering.

Missed out on a space this year and not sure I can raise the sponsorship which is a shame as I have some great memories from 2014.

Viking hotel on the Romford rd is near and has motel style rooms out back where you can park and take bike bikes into rooms easily.

I’m looking to book accommodation for my wife and me for this.

Do we need to be there the day before to sign on?

Cant find info on their website about where we need to be and when…

Great, thanks for the info.

Wife got a place in the ballot, I’m doing it for Mind.

Quick question – does anyone know if there is an official link for a GPX of this year’s route?

I’m starting at 8:12. I think I’m in the “don’t get in the way, fatty” wave.

I’ve got to be there between 6.15 and 6.45 for a 7.21 start.
Parking space booked at the O2, which is approx. 30 min drive from my house. looks like a 5am alarm call. ;o(

I’m dreading it to be honest – I’ve not done enough training (mostly due to working away from home without my bike) and have really suffered on a couple of rides in hot weather over the last couple of weeks.

The longest ride I’ve done this year is 65 miles/3300ft of ascent, and that was a tough day.
I’ve done quite a few 40 mile rides, but not sure how much value they’ll add.

Going to do 50 miles on Thursday, and another similar one at the weekend, and that might be about it.

I need a strategy for the big day, but don’t know where to start.
I’m heavy (100KG) so crap at climbing, but can tack along on the flat at a good pace – I’m thinking a strategic walk up Leith Hill might be worthwhile…

Have this horrid feeling that I might be getting a lift home on the broom wagon.

LoL – If you are starting at 8.12 you’ll have caught me by mid-morning, as will everyone else in your start wave.

Sounds like they’re gonna need a bigger broomwagon 🙂