[Closed] Ride London 2019

doing the 46 this year.. have done the 100 a couple of times but didn't think i had it in me this year. on the plus side i've got a 9.20 start time and can get there in less than an hour from home..

I'm in, 7.20 start. Aiming for sub 6 hours.

I haven't worked out the logistics of the day yet, as I'll need to be in the pen before 6am, I'm struggling to see the value in a hotel for the Saturday night, but equally I'm not getting exited about leaving the house at 1am to drive down on the day. I will probably find a lay-by somewhere not to far from London and doss down in the back of the car cuddling to the bike and try to get a little sleep at least.

Any tips from those who've done it before are more than welcome.

sack off the start pen rubbish and just join the route at that roundabout where the A11 crosses the A12

Essentially enjoy it, it's a fast 100 miles. If you want a good time don't stop and if you need to stop them don't use the feed stops directly after a hill. Be aware some people will never have ridden with so many other cyclists so there will be some interesting riding going on. Be careful of the fast club guys who have put a slow time down because they don't want an early start but then come shooting up in a mini peleton expecting everyone to get out of the way. It's really fun overall and almost everyone is friendly.

RSC'ing again; hopefully won't be as wet as last year and i won't have to fix 6 punctures all for other people.

0748 start for me, aiming for about 5.5hrs but will of course depend if I need to stop and help anyone or just bark instructions at them like a frustrated sergeant major

(I don't bark instructions, at worst I might educate someone politely about safer riding practices. Although if London Dynamo act like *****s as they did last year I might be inclined to drop the politeness)

What's the course like in the wet? Worth adding some tougher tyres to the bike?

The roads aren't bad, been some heavy rain recent then sun so they should be fairly clear. Don't pump your tyres up to 120psi at 3am and then sit in glorious sunshine in the holding pen and hear them explode as the temp difference kicks in, wasn't me but not what you want five minutes before heading off.

Last year in the rain sodden event there was a person fixing a puncture every 50m to 100m along the entire route. Not for me though.
Forecast is possible showers.

First time for me, I'm not really a sportive kinda guy and haven't bothered even applying before now but I was given a place for free this year so feel inclined to do it.

I'm in wave Blue H which I think simply means a start time of 06:24.

I live in Epsom but have arranged to stay overnight the night before with a mate who lives in Stepney for a short hop to the start line.

I'm not worried about time. I've ridden dozens of 100+ mile rides before. I'm just looking to get around safely and enjoy the day.

Is there an STW call we can use to identify each other? I dunno, something like 'sanctimonious rider on the right' or 'Big hitter ahoy' or will a simple "Straaaaaaaavvvaaaaaaaa" do?

I'm in but have changed my mind about 55 times about whether to bother. I've not ridden since the Fred Whitton, got no where to stay and my CX bike is in bits....

I've just decided I'm going to do it! 😀

I’m in but wavering. My start is half eight but I’ve got to get from my sisters place in Ealing to the start which is a major pain in the bits. Not sure if I should can it....

Not sure if I should can it….

Why did you enter if you can't be arsed to do it?

5.52 start time for me. Barely worth booking a hotel!

5.52 start time for me.

First time I did it, 6am was the earliest start. The next time I did it, I think it was 5.50am. And now I see @lunge is a 5.30am!

Is that just an effort to clear the course a bit earlier? I'm not doing it this year but good luck to everyone out there.

Any tips from those who’ve done it before are more than welcome.

The start is one long procession of queues. Follow the signage, triple check your drop bag to make sure you've not left anything in there that you need (the cries from one rider in the start pen on discovering that ALL his energy gels and bars were in his drop bag back at the lorry were oh so entertaining to us...) and it's also worth (depending on the weather) taking some sort of disposable top - I got a jumper from a charity shop for £2 that kept me warm and dry at 5.30 one morning as I was standing in the start pen and then just left it hanging over the barriers.

Also, smile / wave / engage with the spectators. Their road has been closed for an entire day so the least you can do is wave and be nice to them. If the communities along the way are shown that we're all lovely friendly people, they're less negative about it than they could be! And it's fun being cheered on, you feel dead pro. 😉

Also off at 05.52 - give us a wave! Riding for Bliss charity so will have their jersey on...

5.52 here also.
Riding for Bloodwise

I got a jumper [...] and then just left it hanging over the barriers.

Nice.

Not off until 6:40 in Green B. Riding for the South Bucks branch of Headway, who supported my brother last year following his head injury. No “branded” shirt, so if you see an old bloke, in a Cookie Monster shirt riding a Mason Definition, please say hi.

I think I'm meant to head off at 6am. It's such a pain having to head down the day before to get race number. Reckon I'd be able to kip in my car in the Westfield carpark?

I've got front brakes working so far! Tried to fix rears but stupid Hope Calliper was being a pain and the syringe wasn't sealing on the bleed. Fitting an old XT one once a new hose comes tomorrow.

Should give me 3 days to train after...

Ride safety captain. Will be on the 5:30 time wearing my Twickenham CC club shorts and Continental jersey of authority. Wave. And bow down and obey! Might take my coaching whistle.

And no training at all.

And johnv our previous RSC who broke away on Box Hill for the solo “win” last year won’t be riding this time.

6:18 for me. I live about a mile away so have it relatively easy. Despite that last year I slept through my alarm and only woke when my colleague rang to ask where I was! Got there ~30s before they closed the wave 🙂 Did 5:17 with puncture and a couple of stops. Not as endurance fit this year but have a faster bike and more top end capacity from racing beastway (1hr). With good luck (i.e. no punctures and favourable weather) sub 5hrs feels just about possible.

Is there an STW call we can use to identify each other? I dunno, something like ‘sanctimonious rider on the right’ or ‘Big hitter ahoy’ or will a simple “Straaaaaaaavvvaaaaaaaa” do?

How about Oi, W*nker? Which can be shouted at you on Kingston hill somewhere around Colombian climb and Norwegian corner.

yeh, my RSC partner did sub 5 hours in the ToC earlier this year and has since been training for the worlds in Sweden. I'm going to be towed around like never before, he's going to be doing recovery pace, and I still suspect at some point I'll be begging to be dropped......

I've got a 6.40 am start, loading complete by 6.00 am. Parking booked at London Bridge, so I guess, I'll be leaving home (NE Hants around 3.00 am!!) Aiming for 6 hours (again) but suspect that the lack of training and too many pies may mean that this is a goal rather than an expectation

First bonus is I've managed to get a train booked, from Birmingham, with a bike, for £14. and it's the fast train. That's the weekend off to a great start.
I do have a few challenge, I'm on an all dayer at the cricket on Friday and am run directing at parkrun on the Saturday. The later gives me 1 hour from the run finishing to me needing to be on a train. And that is pushing it very tight.

waves at twowheels

I live about 1km from the start and have got rather a full house on Saturday night with three people staying before the ride 🙂

@jonjones262 if you are serious about wanting to kip in your car send me a private message and I can give you some street locations which are near by but also far enough away to be available, free to park on, and also quiet so you won't get harassed if you sleep in the car.

oh, I don't think this forum has a PM facility actually?

It does
Should be available in profile

I’m going to be towed around like never before

I've done all bar last year (ill), and have always ridden sub 4:30, but not a sub 4:00 - (4:06 is my best time). This year I've been seriously resting. So will take it easy with a club mate.

Humblebrag... I was the one who origially proposed RSC's ro Ride London, so am happy to help where needed - I've got my fast times, and the older I get, the better I was!

I’ve done all bar last year (ill)

I've done one - last year. You missed a soaking (and I know it wasn't as bad as ??2016??)

Frankly the idea of Sportives and the variability of riding puts me off, but maybe due to the 'policeman effect' (ie no-one speeds when there's a copper visible) the riding in the vicinity of my Jersey of Authoritay (TM) seemed to be pretty reasonable in the main. Hoping for the same again, otherwise the whistle of admonishment (TM) will make another appearance.

Yes you Dynamo.....your card's already marked 😉

Is there anywhere you can park on street near Excel to go register? Seem to remember their parking is extortionate and will literally walk in, collect number and walk out...

Not really, but you can find something on the DLR a stop or two away that'll be cheaper

I've just deferred my place to next year. There's been too much going against me this time to properly commit.

My 3YO Daughter has been puking for the last 11 days for starters, not good!

I'll spend the Winter on my Trainer and go for the win next year, I reckon! 🙂

@kittyr - nice to see another local STW'er 🙂

Re. weather - looks like showers. Hopefully road surface won't be as bad as last year when there was a heavy downpour following a dry period (leaving detritus everywhere). If it looks miserable again I'll bring a proper jacket- last year I was fine when riding but really suffered when I stopped to fix the puncture.

Was really looking forward to it, finally got a ballot place after failing every year up to now.
Unfortunately my mother (86 ) now needs an operation and has to be at hospital by 07.00 Monday morning , and as there was no way I could be sure of getting home in time to take her I have had to defer ☹️

But at least I should have a place next year 🤔

First time for me, starting at the relatively reasonable hour of 7.40.

Jeez the logistics to get up from Devon, get registered, and to the start line are hurting my brain, before I have even turned a crank...

It's not the kind of event  I would normally go for (prefer to ride off road with about 3 other people max) but doing it for  a good cause- Arts Emergency. If any of you felt like sponsoring me, you can do so HERE!

See you all on the start line...

First time for me. Really quite excited.

In the 8am wave, though I think I may have been a bit too conservative in my original estimate. I'm feeling on fairly good form, for a relative beginner to this kind of ride.

Staying in a nearby AirBnB.

I do have some questions for those who've done it before...

- Feed stations - Are they chaos? Are there queues? Do they run out? Is it worth packing pockets before starting on the assumption that it might not be worth the hassle?

- Toilets - I read the plea for people not to pee 'freestyle' (which sounds fair enough), so what are toilet stops like? Open urinals for gents? Or queuing and worries about bike security?

- With the weather forecast changing every few hours, proper jacket, or lightweight Pertex shell?

- How power-hungry is the official iOS app? Wondering whether I can run Strava and the PRL app on my iPhone without having to switch to airplane mode and without having to carry a battery.

- What else do I not realise, as a newcomer?

I did it in 2014 when they shortened it to 86 miles because of that American hurricane. The rain was absolutely biblical and lots punctured. I was riding along with a rather nice young woman who seemed happy with my pace and we were getting along famously until..... pssssst down went my tyre and off she went to find somebody else. Shame.

5.52 start time.

Assuming for 4.5 hours, weather dependant.

Sounds like few of us in 5.52 wave. Will keep an eye out!

My third go around, still holding out hope this will be the my first time in the dry - off at 6.16, cycling to the start from central London

First time this year. My "wave" starts at 0736. Dunno whether it'll be possible to sneak into an earlier one.

Also, anyone used the luggage transfer facility at this? Seems to be a hard thing to get any information about. Can you drop off a rucksack-sized bag at the start and pick it up at the end?

you get given a bag about the size of a kid's PE bag in your rider pack (actually your rider pack comes in it) that has your number on it that you can drop at the start and then collect at the end. Logistically they are brilliant, there's a bit of queuing but they're the same people who do the London Marathon so getting kit from A-B and back to their owners is well within their ability.

I have a very small rucksack that is easier to carry from my car park to the start, which I'll put the rider bag into, and then at the start swap them over so the rucksack's in the rider bag. I don't know if they'll take your rucksack directly.

Got my pack. Seemed more activity at the show this year. I was just outside the top 3 for the Watt bike sprint challenge on the Silverline stand :/ Might go back tomorrow prepared with SPDs 🙂

@penac I made a mistake in my first post and am actually 6.16 too. If you see a guy in a HSBC jersey on a Reacto feel free to say hi!