Entry for the 2022 event is now live.
I suspect it'll be well subscribed so get in early!
Thanks for the heads up!
I see Surrey has the boot and its now Essex, I'd be curious to see the route.
Also interesting that there isn't a ballot this year.
There is a ballot once the first 10,000 entries have been bought I think.
I've not done a Ride London before as prefer quieter events, but had a look at the website as a small group of us are looking for some social rides next year, there's no route listed!
Are you going to sign up without seeing the route? While I'm sure it will be a nice route, seems odd to me.
£89, they're not shy about charging are they!
A large group ride on closed roads...surely the route won't make any odds...will it?
£89 is pretty cheap for a 100 mile, closed road, ride.
The route will be going through looooooads of machinations with all the local councils involved. And think you can be pretty confident it'll be a good one, it'll be predominantly countryside and Essex is a beautiful county.
Having done RideLondon twice it is a very good event, although it's things like finishing on the Mall and riding right through the centre on closed roads that make it kinds special. I'd be tempted again, but logistics for doing it from Up North are trickier than when I lived Down South.
I rode the last one in 2019, it was a great fun event, as above the closed roads riding through London and Richmond park was the standout memory for me. But the feature climbs also really stood out as events on the route too. I work in South Essex a lot and think of the terrain around there as more rolling than hilly which would change the feel of the ride for me, they do say it will have a central London start and finish but I would want to see the route before I sign up. Maybe 2023 if next year is a success.
Are you going to sign up without seeing the route? While I’m sure it will be a nice route, seems odd to me.
Yeah, you don't really see a lot, it's a case of staying in the wheels and not crashing into anyone!
I did RideLondon a few times, always with a corporate entry through work. Actually quite enjoyed it - 4hrs to smash out 100 miles riding on roads and at speeds you'd never get the chance to do normally was good fun and the "iconic" Box Hill was just another of those bits that you sort of noticed in passing so the actual route itself wasn't really important.
I've ridden a lot around Surrey and not at all around Essex so anything I manage to see during will be new to me.
But the feature climbs also really stood out as events on the route too
True, Leith Hill definitely, Box Hill is a bit 'meh', but mainly Wimbledon, cos no-one tells you about that b'$t@rd beforehand 🙂
Thanks for the heads up. Just signed up on impulse never having done a group ride before let alone one this size but there’s a first time for everything as they say. I don’t ride my road bike that much so was uncertain as to which time slot to select and initially chose the longest. However, quickly scanning some previous ride London posts on here decided that might not be the best idea and have gone for 6:30 to 7.
I don’t ride my road bike that much so was uncertain as to which time slot to select and initially chose the longest. However, quickly scanning some previous ride London posts on here decided that might not be the best idea and have gone for 6:30 to 7.
The old route, even including Box and Leith Hills (and that final bastard climb up Wimbledon!) was still super fast. Sub 4hrs for the front groups was pretty standard - it slowed down further back with the charity riders, leisure cyclists on the shorter routes and the sheer volume of numbers but even then 6hrs for 100 miles wasn't difficult. Most people were way quicker than they imagined.
Can't imagine Essex managing to find much more climbing in a 100 mile route in and out of central London.
Central London start, where might that be? Previously Olympic Park but I guess could be different.
done it once and it s**t down the entire ride, found the start a crazy hassle and it was easier to just join the route on the road just outside the park :p
Closed roads in central london was cool and founds myself winding it up over the last couple of miles which was great fun. the little group that decided (unknown to me) jump also enjoyed it 🙂
I think ill wait and check out the route.
oh and box hill isnt 🙂
Just signed up, I'll be the guy having an asthama attack at the side of the road on a purple Trek
I've ridden out to Essex from ExCel, and live in Essex - I can't work out how they will route it our of London (assuming ExCel start) without using absolutely shit roads. A12 and the like are rough as arseholes, everything else is residential and commercial streets - no fast flowing sections around key London buildings and monuments which was my favourite part of the old route.
I hope I am wrong, but expecting 20 miles of shit roads, 29 miles of rolling, 1 mile uphill, 1 mile downhill, 29 miles rolling, 20 miles shit roads.
Is the increase in speed due to numerous big group drafting opportunities and closed roads? How much quicker that those who have done it find it vs a normal road ride round a similar route? I also assume that to push a decent time you need to head out early to avoid the crowds of plodders, hill walkers and those with no sense of road position?
An average speed of 25mph over 100 miles including some decent hills is going for it somewhat.
Me and Mrs have signed up, based on the "It will start and finish in the centre of the capital" info.
I hope it doesn't turn out that centre of the capital means ExCel or Olympic park at Stratford
Is the increase in speed due to numerous big group drafting opportunities and closed roads? How much quicker that those who have done it find it vs a normal road ride round a similar route?
Basically, yeah.
I also assume that to push a decent time you need to head out early to avoid the crowds of plodders, hill walkers and those with no sense of road position?
Depends what you mean by 'decent'. If you want to average 25mph+ needs an early start cos that's when the quick ones go out, 20mph+ is doable from any start really as it thins out easily enough.
And don't assume that road sense and fitness are mutually conducive. There's as many weekend warrior cycling club try-hards causing issues by 'making progress' in the main pack as charity riders pushing their shoppers uphill.
Is the increase in speed due to numerous big group drafting opportunities and closed roads? How much quicker that those who have done it find it vs a normal road ride round a similar route? I also assume that to push a decent time you need to head out early to avoid the crowds of plodders, hill walkers and those with no sense of road position?
Yes.
3+hrs quicker!
Yes.
It'd be difficult using "a similar route" as part of the plus point of closed roads means you can use roads you'd never normally dream of riding on like urban dual carriageways, routes right through the centre of town, wrong way along one-way streets etc. However, based on a normal century ride out to the North Downs and back, in and out of town I'd expect 6+hrs even if I was pushing it. RL I used to do in 4hrs. The massive pack of riders heading out along the A12 was an effortless draft of 30mph!
I hope it doesn’t turn out that centre of the capital means ExCel or Olympic park at Stratford
I think you'll struggle to find anywhere other than Olympic Park that can handle that number of riders!
and all the sponsors and celebrity riders using the Velodrome as the base before setting off
I've done it twice, as Ride Safety. They used local (Surrey, SW London) clubs to act as the RS, I wonder if they will use the same clubs (experience) or local to Essex.
Whichever way you look at it, North Hill (one of a few 'hills' in Essex) is ~40 miles from centralish London, add on a bit of deviation so isn't straight out and back and you aren't going much further than countryside a bit beyond Chelmsford.
90% of the are inside M25 North East of the City is rank and I wouldn't want to ride it.
If anyone wants decent Essex road routes I'm more than happy to share ideas, none would start or even go inside the M25.
100 miles starting around where I live makes for a good exploration of most of South Essex. Start beyond Chelmsford and it's trickier to find climbing but miles of beautiful rolling roads throughout pretty countryside.
Cheers for the shout.... I'm in!
First London 100 I've got into.... and then I'm on my way to the London tri (ride 100... marathon... and swim the serpentine...). Like to do that before I'm 40!
DrP
I love the thought of closed roads through central London but as others above I struggle to see how riding out of East London will be that enjoyable. Add in the hassle of getting to/from the start/finish and it's falling quickly towards the too hard bucket for me, lot's of other nice 100 milers - tour of Cambridge looks nice, and it's UCI sanctioned I think so also closed roads. Not much climbing though!
I’m going to be away having checked the date. That’s a shame as I’m keen to do one of these and the closed roads really do appeal and based on the above. I’d like to think I could crack 5 hours given that riding solo I tend to average 18-20 mph over varied terrain and cruising in the low 20s on flat stretches in normal road conditions (sw London so tend to be pretty busy). I’ve not done 100 miles before so my main concern Is sustaining effort.
like to think I could crack 5 hours given that riding solo I tend to average 18-20 mph
Highly probably (as long as your 18-20mph rides aren’t just an hour long).
I did it in 2015. Started training the October before I hadn’t been on a bike for months & was a tubby 89kg (1.73m tall). From a low base, my training rides ramped up til I was doing 80 mile rides no problem but a bit slow at 14-15mph.
I was worried I’d be out of time on the day, but advice from here (probably from the same posters) echoed the above. On the day I did it in under 5:45 so about 17mph average.
On the ride I was shocked that I did the first 40 miles in 2 hrs.
Whether it helps being sheltered by buildings in London on the first few miles as well as drafting.
I also found initially most people stuck to the LHS of the road. Myself and another rider moved to the “wrong” side of the road that was clear and flew past groups that were bunching esp for corners.
Ridden all but one (was ill). Have been a Ride Captain for the last few. Part of the attraction was the Olympic Route and a sub 4hr time (almost). Will be organising more Ride Captains for this one. I may even be fit enough to ride it by then!
Essex has some lovely riding, but not the iconic Box Hill, and the killer climb at Wimbledon.
Thanks for the heads up. Don't know the east end or Essex well at all so no idea what the route could be. Would at least have been nice to know a start and finish location!
The 10'000 first come first served entries followed by a ballot for the rest is a much better way of doing things. In previous years you'd enter then have to wait months for the ballot to come along and then find out with a magazine through the post.
From a low base, my training rides ramped up til I was doing 80 mile rides no problem but a bit slow at 14-15mph.
I was worried I’d be out of time on the day, but advice from here (probably from the same posters) echoed the above. On the day I did it in under 5:45 so about 17mph average.
Pretty much snap here.
I love the thought of closed roads through central London but as others above I struggle to see how riding out of East London will be that enjoyable.
You'd say the same for the first 5-10 miles out of Stratford before you get to central London and the landmarks, but it's great if slightly terrifying fun being in a mass peleton going along at about 40kph, a speed most of us rarely attain except downhill, and not for long periods.
In fact, the first year I did it (the hideous wet one with the fatality at the bottom of Leith Hill) the weather was so bad, that the concentration to watch wheels and keep safe among the more inexperienced group riders meant that I only barely recognised some of the places as we went past - the right turn up St James and onto Piccadilly was the first bit where I kind of went 'Wow, we're here already!'
I'm in - i've done it twice before and on both occasions got caught up behind crashes in the Surrey hills which delayed things quite a bit.
I'm guessing the Essex route will head up toward Epping forest, cut across toward Chemlsford before heading back into London.
Hopefully it'll all be on bigger roads and avoid the narrow pinch points where people were crashing in past years.
Looks like the 10,000 initial spaces have sold out. I don't think Box Hill etc will be in it this year, with the announcement of Essex being the main partner.
I’m guessing the Essex route will head up toward Epping forest
I was just gonna say, I'd expect the route will head north from Central London (or Stratford) via Woodford, Buckhurst Hill, Epping Forest and then maybe Ongar way to Chelmsford-ish area (where my knowledge gets fuzzy).
How much quicker that those who have done it find it vs a normal road ride round a similar route?
Much quicker. I was under 5 hours and would usually struggle to do that distance in 6.
Did anyone miss out on a 100 ticket?
Then maybe you'll be as surprised as I was they are now offering a 60 mile version on the same closed roads RideLondon Essex 60 and tickets are available at £50. A chance to experience the same closed roads without committing to 100 miles which just goes a bit further.
I was only looking as Graythwaite PMBA was cancelled!
What's the deal with swapping entries?
I KNOW they say you can't... but... 🤷♂️
I've an entry for the 100 route that, with a wedding the day before, and London logistics, might just be too much effort to do...
How stringent are they on ID checks?
Does someone wanna be DrP for the day (daft question...course you do!)
DrP