First time for me this year. Looking forward to it. Not sure how it copes logistically with 25k riders, but here's hoping for a good day out.
Well they do it in very regimented waves. Hope you're in an early one as you've got a better chance of a clear run at the climbs. The Belgians seem to be able to dump out 16000 riders for the Flanders sportive with a variety of routes and just say "Turn up and ride when you want", though.
It’s a slick operation. Faster than you expect. I’m in the first wave again but will be broken from the National 24 hr the week before, so will be hanging on for dear life this year! Still no sub four hour despite coming close.
20 of our club (Twickenham) and plenty of other London club riders will be Ride Captains, so say hi if you see them or need an inner tube.
Not this year (although I did get a place through work). Had to turn it down though as I'm in Italy!
As TiRed says (hi Daren!) it's pretty slick, but do be aware there's a lot of hanging around at the start. Depending on the weather it can be worth taking a cheap jumper or jacket from a charity shop to wear in the start pen then just drape it over the railings and leave it there. Some people take cleat protectors too, there can be a lot of walking over gravel depending on your start location within the park.
They're very strict with start pen allocation; don't even try to get into an eariler wave as you will be turned back and then you'll have to walk your bike back against the flow of 1500 other cyclists all trying to get to their respective pens. I've seen it every single year!
It's worth taking a few minutes at the bag drop area to make sure you have absolutely everything you need - once you've left that bag with the lorry you won't see it again until The Mall and once again, every single year there's always some panicking rider dashing back going "wait, can you just unload my bag, I need...." This invariably does not go down well with the people loading the lorries!
The ride itself is fine, probably one of the fastest 100 miles you'll ever do. The first riders are back inside of 4hrs usually.
Another first timer here. I'm about £250 in so far and I've not even got there yet so it'd better be good!
From memory I think I put 5:30 but a sub 5 would be nice if everything goes well and it's as fast as everyone says so?
Yep.... I shall be one of the Ride Safety Captains TiRed mentions; don't know what timeslot I have yet but behave or I shall admonish you with a stern finger wag 😉
Don't know how I'm going to go - haven't even done a metric century this year (but lots of 90+'s), and although I'm in general more powerful and riding faster than last year based on Strava segments, non-lab FTP estimates, etc., I shall have to manage my resources* a bit.
* sit in a group and demand wheels to follow, because I'm a Ride Captain dontcha know.
I'm also a "Ride Safety Captain" as I failed yet again to get in via the ballot. We get a jersey and a whistle and have to shout at people who are riding dangerously. Can't wait 😀
Not ridden 100 miles in 3 years, done precisely 2 rides of more than 3 hours this year, and fewer miles than in any year in the preceding 15, so could be interesting.
Not ridden 100 miles in 3 years...
Instruct your group in through-and-off while sitting on the back for the entire 100 miles. Job done. 😉
That's my plan! I can sit in like a champ!
I've done it twice as a general riding punter in the main pack, rather than upfront with the fast boys. It's a great event. Some tips not mentioned already:
- standard is variable, from people who aren't use to riding in large groups, to people who are just a bit unobservant, to road-trains of weekend warrior try-hards piling through the pack at inappropriate speeds. I'm probably making it sound worse than it is, but just keep your wits about you.
- keep eating and drinking, little and often
- enjoy it and engage with the spectators; your day out does mean that quite a lot of people can't get off their drive for the day, so wave, say thank you to the folks clapping, high five kiddies at the side of the road etc. Make it an event for all to enjoy, not just the riders
- don't slow down for red traffic lights! (believe me, you nearly do for the first few, cos you're not used to riding on closed roads...)
- if you do get held up cos of an incident, and I have both times, just go with it. It's a bit of a ballache, but it's worse for the person being attended to by the paramedic/air ambulance. The amount of whinging I heard from those around me was ridiculous, it's just a bike ride.
From memory I think I put 5:30 but a sub 5 would be nice if everything goes well and it’s as fast as everyone says so?
You probably will. IIRC my best was about the same as you and I did 4.55 on Ride London. Probably could have gone faster as I was taking it steady at the start, which I didn't need to do. Do keep your eye out though as there are a lot of a) slower riders and b) Strava heroes. It's not a good mix and I saw a couple of very nasty crashes.
Worth noting there are loads of stops, for food, for repairs, for the toilet. Pack light, ensure you have tubes and an inflator and sunglasses.
You will be warm within ten minutes of leaving the start line surely you can put up with being chilly rather than throwing items away?
Ah, yes, food and toilet stops. You can, if you like, wheel your bike reeeeeeaaaaallllly sloooooowwwwwlllllly in the queue with everyone else, especially at the earlier ones. Or, lean your bike against a nearby tree and nip through, around and out much more easily 😉
And for a pee, pick a bush/tree at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. There's plenty of choice
I am riding (on red Arkose wearing HSBC kit). Not got<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> start time yet but only live</span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> a mile from the Olympic park so want early as possible. I put 5:30 too but hoping for quicker (based on I </span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">riding the course starting from Richmond a month ago). Looking forward to it and London triathlon week after :)</span>
Biggest problem for me last year was water. I was in the front group, didn't want to stop for water and loose my position - what do you do? I ran out of water on Box Hill and fortunately I was handed a bottle by a spectator supporting some of his team mates. Will go with two 750ml bottles this year with a 750ml evian (or similar) in a back pocket. Also aim to get a decent saddle bag for tools/tubes and frame pump mount so only food and water are in my jersey pockets. Hopefully the weather holds up and it will be super fast, I completed in 3hr58 in 2017 and want to go <3hr55 this year but this really depends on who else is pushing the pace in the group. We've got five riders in the Renvale RT riding so should be a good crack!
Who has received their start time and what was the email topic/sender? (Worried I may have deleted it ;))
Start times are really late this year. Website says early July now, but usually they are out around 20th June.
I don't it - 4th time. 5hrs flat first time, 4.44 the second and then last year 5 punctures in the first 15 miles meant an early retirement for me. Hoping it doesn't count against me for the start time.
Riding for Calm this year, after my brothers suicide in January. This one means a lot to me.
Not riding (didn't get in this year....AGAIN) but it goes past the house so not too bothered. Will be out on the MTB and will join in for some short road sections between the trails which is very amusing to see the reaction of the fast riders. Stay safe everyone - riding skills are supposedly dreadful on the Ride100.
Also aim to get a decent saddle bag for tools/tubes and frame pump mount so only food and water are in my jersey pockets.
I put food in a little top tube bag - worked quite well.
Ernie Haha yes how it should be ridden. Non stop. Don't get going for a time and stopping for two hours with Strava reporting 20 mph average but not showing your stoppage.
Yep I am not as fast as you I'm going for 4.30 with zero stop. Same as also. I ran out of fluid at box, grabbed a bottle and went again. I plan 2 bottles and one in pocket. Do one before Leith hill and go for the finish.
I completed the Cambridge closed last month at 20.3 average with a 60 second sprint to the water container haha.
Have a good ride bud, I'm lucky as get VIP so no queing and straight off the front.
Also if no entry just ride it anyway. Go up the road to the next junction and ride in. Thousands of entry points.
Not wishing to derail the thread but @nowad not sure why you're encouraging freeloading. Won't affect you at the front of course but for people in the ~5hr bulk it'd be annoying if loads of extra riders are clogging up the climbs. The organisers have worked hard to get the roads closed etc and there's an insurance implication. People can ride the route any other day, surely.
Im doing it for the second time.
Goy a Oxfam charidee place for £100 after a recomendation on here.
Hoping to go sub 6hrs this time. My rolling average the last time was 21.8 , up to the stoppage at mile 38 when a man died in an accident and we waited for an hour or so for the road to open. Struggled after that to get going agin , and i blew my legs in the first 10 mils going flat out through London.
Stay safe everyone – riding skills are supposedly dreadful on the Ride100.
No better or worse than any other event really. Thing is, if you put 25,000 people together, some of them are going to be ****s and that's true whether it's cyclists or runners or any group from pretty much all backgrounds and walks of life and levels of experience.
Exercise a little bit of restraint and common sense, keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. I've see the aftermath of a couple of nasty accidents, never actually seen one happen or been involved in one though.
Normally hanging out on the Torq stand flogging you lot gels - but this year I’m in Iceland.
What IHN said up there. Did it the last two years, but didn’t get in this year.
Enjoy it, engage with the crowds, tap hands (but don’t swing across the road to do it, seriously don’t do it). And if you do get held up, just like a queue on the motorway, somebody is having a much worse day than you, there’s a load of new people to make friends with.
What IHN said up there.
Aw, thanks.
And what crazy-legs said.
In response to the comments about weeing behind trees in the middle of nowhere. Fair enough, it'll happen, it does frequently on our club run too, but do please make it in the middle of nowhere as much as you can. As a resident of the area, there are already the usual moans about the disruption and road closures so let's try not to give them any ammunition to use against us - public indecency, bad language, dropping litter are all past complaints.
Yep. Be a decent human is about right. If you get into a group and can take a pull, do it. If you can't, be honest. Likewise, don't be that arse who says they're cooked who then sprints for the line or blasts off when they reach a hill.
Start times are coming out.
5.44 start again for me
6:32am start, closing at 6am. Perfect. Can't wait 🙂
Now i have a nagging temptation to buy a new bike (Arkose is comfortable but not fast and sexy 🙂
6.12 start time for me but I need to be in my (Orange, wave D) staging box/pen thingy by 5:24....ouch, thats gonna hurt.
No chance of the family coming to see the finish, I'll be home before the wife gets up 😮
Bloody hell, they really are early starts aren't they!?
7.32 start time for me Black wave C.
Got to be in the by traps 6.52
Going to be stuffed with the walkers on Leith Hill
I'll be riding over from Ealing so a 16mile ride through central London at around 4.30am before hanging around for an hour, it'll still be dark ffs. its going to be grim 😀
6:20 start
10:30 finish 🚴♀️ 🤗 😳🤔
I'm off at 05:56, on an On One 29er rigid with 42c tyres, 1x with 32 ring and 11-42 block. Will I die?!
I'm in - just seen I've got a 7am start, 6:20 at the gate. Coming from Twickenham, so not far by any stretch, but no chance with public transport!
Good effort with the On One!
08:40 for me.
First time attempt at an imperial ton. Looking forward to it, as someone else mentioned above, it’s cost me a fair bit in hotel, travel, parking etc
06.56 for me. Perfect early enough but not too early. need to wind my neck in and work out how to do a neg split
05:44 first wave. Will probably ride in and out from Windsor. Done every year but this one might be a little slower. It’s only seven days from the National 24 hr TT. So will still be recovering not laughing off my fitness gains!
For drinks, take two SIS 1 L bottles of electrolyte. Practice using them before the day. I take four bars and six gels. That gets me around fine if not baking, and ok if warmer.
Have previously stayed in town but not sure I can be bothered this year. Will ride home along the route.
Skinsuit and rain jacket, no bag. Two tubes and two CO2 and mini pump with instant patches and small multi tool.
I'll be riding out of Kingston at about 3.30. Usually put a fresh Jersey in a bag, swap tops at the start, eat Bananas, have a dump and head for the start line.
Apart from last year when I double punctured heading into Olympic Park. Thinking of going tubeless this year...
tick tock tick tock....
getting excited now.....but not about dragging myself across london at silly oclock in the morning.
0812 start for me - first timer.
Have heard lots about it, determined not to get into a massive train at 40kph all the way out of London and certainly not going to be doing a turn on the front of it 😉
Alternatively.............
Someone said in the good advice thread - better to attempt something glorious and fail, than just stick to doing easy stuff.
On that basis do i rethink my 5-6 hour target and smash it from the start aiming for 3:30? I could practically roll downhill all the way to my front door from Newlands, and pick the car up another time if it all goes tits up?
On that basis do i rethink my 5-6 hour target and smash it from the start aiming for 3:30?
sub 4 or bust.
