[Closed] Ride London rollcall

Interesting to read the thread. Had a couple of friends doing it so will be glad to hear from them tormorrow. Not surprised to hear about the grumpy old sod at Westcott he's quite well know,Milke to put notes on cars parking legally in "his" village

Note to self: remember to oil road bike chain today.

Am going to ponder today if this kind of event (closed roads good, but them being smothered in tens of thousands of other riders, some of whom are nutters, bad) is really my bag. But must not allow the weather to influence that.

Oh dear poor Emily Dean.

So, whose feeling a bit tender today ❓

So, whose feeling a bit tender today

Have some nice road rash on my hip from Wimbledon. No soreness and off for a ride.

Note to self: remember to oil road bike chain today.

Njee - Great work at Newlands, didn't see you but good effort, and odd to hear some people's attitudes when they are getting free labour!

Apart from 1 minor mechanical where my chain got stuck between the frame and small cog I had a great ride. Was with the lead group until that point (around mile 60) so then had to chase back on. In the end finished in 3:29.

Taking the hills out was the right decision. I went to Kingston after to cheer people on, mots were in high spirits and looked to be enjoying them selves, however they were still coming through about 4:30pm...

So, whose feeling a bit tender today

Feel fine actually. I was tired last night but that was more due to getting up at 3.15am!
Bike seems fine too, gave it a good dose of WD-40 as soon as I got in.

I really enjoyed that. I know there are a few comments about the negatives but I guess you always get that... Overall, really positive and the vast majority of people I saw were friendly and cheerful.

In the end finished in 3:29.

Awesome Will, top ride!

Definitely agree with the decision to take the hills out, I must admit I was surprised at the time, but having seen the standard of riding I genuinely think there could have been fatalities! A shame none the less.

Cheers Njee. I think you're right, just wasn't worth the risk at all.

I quite enjoyed it, probably more than I should have considering the conditions. I think the right decision to shorten the route, some of riding was interesting enough without those descents.

I think there would have been a lot who wouldn't have made it up the hills too based on how many I saw pushing on minor lumps - and that comes from me who is a fat lad who went up the "hill" in the big ring!

I saw some very nasty accidents too, 1 in Richmond park was serious enough for them to close the road for 15 or so minutes. A shame when something like that happens and people feel the need to lift their bikes over the barriers and go past on the grass - its not like the rest of us in the queue wanted to be stood in the rain either and I am sure the paramedics felt it was serious enough to close or they would have moved him into the ambulance where they could have worked on him in the dry.

bikebouy - Member
So, whose feeling a bit tender today

Not at all, but that's the result of pottering around without much effort.

Newlands was horrible. Having witnessed a bad accident caused by damp roads on Leith 3 weeks ago, I don't mind admitting I was shitting myself down there, a nervousness which didn't really clear until Dorking.

Shame about the litter, why can't people just stuff it back in their jersey?

"@edds: The number of gel wrappers, inner tubes and CO2 canisters in Richmond Park this morning is disgusting. @RideLondon should be ashamed."

https://twitter.com/edds/status/498735165628489728

Likewise I was not at all comfy coming off Newlands.

And those new 'slick' tiles at Kingston marketplace, with sheet water overlaid, added a certain frisson.

Point of order: the cover of 'final instructions' clearly shows Dorking Cock roundabout, I was hoping for a photo-op, but we were diverted left down London Road.

@mrsmith agreed re litter, no excuse for that. Am even a bit embarrassed, and I didn't drop any.

Litter problems are ammunition for the haters too.

Hang about, was the route shortened?? I've had a mate braying that he got within 4 minutes of the time I recorded last year (4hrs 36mins) and claiming that it was a superior ride due to the horrendous conditions...
So how long was it? and what was missed out?

Very glad now that I got an early start time, just hearing chat in the office about waist/thigh deep flooded roads at Richmond Park and Norbiton (?), and remembering that the first proper stormy bit started just after I started the Newlands corner descent.

I didn't have any big problems with a headwind on the way down, sheltered by the trees from the cross wind on the way over to Dorking, then a shove in the back on the way up. Worked out well for me.

Another one of those harsh examples where the faster/fitter people have a much easier time of things!

I felt alright on the descents - 46cm bars, discs, 28c tyres and a heavyish/predictable steel frame certainly helped.

So how long was it? and what was missed out?

86 miles, they missed out the hills! Box and Leith were avoided.

Hang about, was the route shortened?? I've had a mate braying that he got within 4 minutes of the time I recorded last year (4hrs 36mins) and claiming that it was a superior ride due to the horrendous conditions...

I hope you pointed out that time is irrelevant as it isn't a race 😉

It was shortened this year to 86 miles, with the bigger climbs removed.

yeah kudos, you need to dispense some neck winding-in advice there!

Agreed too on the litter. Disappointing. Saw a guy in full Sky kit on a Dogma toss a bottle to the kerb after only about 20 miles. ❓ Maybe he'd just always wanted to do that.

My pro moment was collecting a gel handed to me as I rode passed a feeding station 🙂

Well if you are not suffering today then you shoud've tried harder 😆

The litter dropping is totally awful, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
However I can't think for one moment that it's anyone on here, so that's fine, it's all the other buggers.. 🙄

Ahhh the world loves a bottle(bidon) tosser 😆

So now we all know what drowned rats feel like, eh?

6 hours 40 minutes pedalling time here (must get fitter). Stopped a couple of times to get some food down me. Longest stop at Richmond Park, off the bke and edging slowly forward. People grumbling. Everybody shut up when we went passed the ambulance stretchering in the poor bloke. About 20 minutes of delay...

Pain relief gel into the right hip just past Leatherhead.

BIG UP to the charity teams placed at strategic points to keep up the energy.

Likewise - pretty irritated at the litter left on the road.

100 road miles still not ridden. See you next year!

86 miles, they missed out the hills! Box and Leith were avoided.

So it was a flat 86er? Right, time to unleash a can of whoopass on his facebook ramblings! 😀

nope, definitely not here, I hate it. All wrappers up the shorts or back in the jersey pockets.

Worst shorts tucking moment was retrieving the end of a choc cliff bar that I'd not been able to finish before. The wrapper had already gone in the pocket, last third went up the shorts.

Coming back to it later, fishing out a brown lump from my shorts, seeing streaks of it on my leg, then eating it... 😕 bleurgh. Tasted good though!

Shame about the litter, why can't people just stuff it back in their jersey?

To quote a well known phrase; I counted them all out, and I counted them back in. Four SIS gel wrapper. I agree, leave nothing behind. I had two modest pockets and no seatpack, and I had no problems not dropping litter.

So it was a flat 86er?

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/family-devastated-after-woking-cyclist-7593599

Sounds like someone had a bit of a bad day. Could happen to any of us at any time.

TiRed, did you have anything else other than the 4 gels?

Not questioning your littering, just interested in the nutrition/energy!

wml - that is desperately sad, especially that she thought she'd see him at the top, and then couldn't be with him.

@wanman - very sad, just saw headline on BBC. Will make a donation to his justgiving page, he was riding for charity.

^^ Yup brought a tear to my eye that story.. 😐

TiRed, did you have anything else other than the 4 gels?

That nutrition in full:
Night before: Risotto, garlic bread and a Peroni beer.
On morning: Two weetabix, a banana and a gel for breakfast.
On the line: Small chocolate crepe made by my own fair hand the day before.
SIS gel every 40 minutes. Stored under shorts, empties placed in the rear pockets.

For the full 100, I also carried a SIS energy bar, a small malt loaf and some shortbread, but never felt the need for them.

And a very sad turn of events. RIP. Donation made.

Such sad news about that poor guy. Will be making a donation too. can't even imagine how his GF felt when he just didn't turn up at the top.

After loosing a bottle just outside RP I only had 1 650ml bottle for the ride and 3 gels...

Always laugh at the High5 "3 gels an hour" instructions, I've never done that though, think i'd be off my face!

Yes agree on all the advised servings - a bottle of High 5 every 20 minutes, plus a gel. 😯

They had so much High 5 left over, I came away with a bin bag of gels and sachets - appeared to be about 80 gels, plus 50 or so drink sachets. Win.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and managed to raise over £1400 for an MS charity into the bargain. I had my doubts as the heavens opened on us in Kingston (and we could see the earlier riders coming home on the other side!) and while standing in the rain in Richmond park after a pile up, but based on that alone I think it was a good call to remove the hills, they would have been carnage.

Very sorry to hear about the guy who collapsed at Newlands corner. I now realise I cycled past it happening. Have made a donation to his charity.

Credit is due to all the spectators and charity cheering teams who turned out in support and all those marshals and mechanics who did a superb job.

The High 5 was amazing - I didn't bonk at all, but instead felt like Lance after a fresh transfusion!

I did it. All in all I thought it was a great event and the opportunity to ride on closed roads through London was great. They def made the right call to take out the two big hills. I had trouble with punctures - fixed first one in torrential rain then thought 'hmm, I didn't check the tyre to see what caused that' shortly followed by puncture 2. Both caused by a piece of stanley knife blade in the tyre! I ran out of CO2 and had tow walk about a mile to get it sorted. Ho hum...

Thoughts are with the fallen rider, RIP.

Sad news about the guy who died 🙁

This is fun to look at for events:

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer

Put in the id for your Strava activity then select your mates and watch yourselves race around.

awesome. Thank you, mudshark! I'll have a look at that when I get home - don't need to be premier, do you?

I started with a friend, lost her at 25 miles ish, but we finished 8 seconds apart. I'd love to know if we passed each other and didn't notice.

Same for another friend, wasn't expecting to see him, but it turns out he rolled over the start 15 seconds behind us, so he must have been standing a few metres away for 45 mins or so.

awesome. Thank you, mudshark! I'll have a look at that when I get home - don't need to be premier, do you?

no

7.10 start here and I was amazed to see the average speed creeping up to 21 mph through the City for very little effort on my part. Rain started after Richmond Park and reached biblical levels out in Surrey. I was shocked at the numbers of riders who punctured so dreading the same happening to me.... which it inevitably did at about mile 60. Pulled out the tube, checked the tyre carefully, refitted it easily as everything was soaked then cracked open a CO2 cylinder only to find that the trigger thingy was leaking gas so instead of going carefully I had to dump the lot into the tyre in a hurry. Luckily I hadn't trapped the inner and it all worked and stayed inflated. Only took 2 tubes and 2 cylinders so didn't want to have to do it again. Spent the last 20 miles (as I've posted elsewhere) enjoying the sight of a woman cyclist with spectacularly long, well muscled legs, which helped a lot. Now I've seen the pics I realise she was also on my wheel some of the time, probably enjoying my full mudguards, not my legs!

Was very impressed with the Castelli rain jacket, which I'd never used in anger before and which kept me bearably dry and not too sweaty while not being flappy at all. If nothing else the ride has taught me not to fear heavy rain!

Also impressed with the Veloflex open tubulars (clinchers) that I bought a few days before for £52 the pair from Ribble, they ride fast, grippy and super smooth.

Finished in 4.40 actual riding time, I'm happy with that as a 58 year-old! Don't think I'll try for 2015 as the logistics and expense of getting self, bike and family down to London on the train were a ball ache.

This is Marianne Vos for those that kept up with her for a bit:

http://labs.strava.com/flyby/viewer/#178137763

Yes, the Marianne Vos flyby thing is quite cool, can see the jump in my average speed where I joined her peloton for 15-20km. 🙂

I've been given a list of the top 2000 finishers by time. 3:55:41 is the time and is the 2000th.

fastest 3:23:23
100th 3:30:43
500th 3:45:55
1000th 3:55:41
1500th 4:03:38
2000th 4:10:21

2000th and a bit then for me.

I've been given a list of the top 19084 so [i]ner[/i]!

"knocked up a quick and dirty macro to pull from the results site at 15:37 Sunday"

19084 time - 9:01:20. Impressive enduring that weather for that long!

What position is 4:17:41 then?

Or could you send it to me? Address in profile.

dont you know its not a race?

but whats a 4.21 count for roughly.