Ride London rollcall

Finished 3.58 riding solo for about 50%
Second sportive and no experience of group riding so pretty pleased with that.

Saw a woman in wc jersey and held onto the wheel of her group for about a mile outside dorking. Just realised that was vos!

There are no ‘winners’, you just buy yourself a gold, silver, medal when you pay your entrance fee, no BC points awarded.
How do you even know you have ‘won’ if not everybody has finished yet? 😯

Well that was ‘moist’ to say the least 😯

Shame they took the two decent hills out though, done both on a mtb so would’ve liked to get over ’em on the road.

Popped in to see njee – he was really very busy. Reckon riding it would’ve been less tiring for him.

4.25 for me after riding the first 2 hours solo in a sulk, what an idiot, that’s easily sub 4h for me on those roads.

Mainly enjoyable and I’m glad I’ve experienced it. Re the “race ” comments – I experienced some right idiots banging out a chain line out of london squeezing past amateurs and street furniture. Not only that, but then swearing F and C words at anyone who came near them. I should have noted the club name and posted it up / emailed their club sec.

Loved the support from bystanders prepared to stand in the rain and cheers – especially the cheerleaders!

Bit of a whinger aren’t you MrSmith.

Always looking at the negatives. All hail the riding god.

Chunky x 1,000,000 ,what a smug man you sound mr smith.

I experienced some right idiots banging out a chain line out of london squeezing past amateurs and street furniture. Not only that, but then swearing F and C words at anyone who came near them.

Had a lot of that last year. Shoulder charged a few, after I’d had enough of it. At 105 kg I was always gonna win !

There are no ‘winners’, you just buy yourself a gold, silver, medal when you pay your entrance fee, no BC points awarded.

Who said anything about winning?

Just seen beerbabe on telly on the drag up to Coldharbour.

Who said anything about winning?

pic above looks like a sprint was contested and someone punched the air with glee, like they won?

Who said anything about winning?

the bloke who won as he punches the air beating those others over the line in the pic pretending they are in a real race?

Always looking at the negatives.

theres quite a few of them, you only have to read the posts about other riders behaviour, why put yourself through that when you can ride in a group of mates or club and not have deal with all that?

All hail the riding god

Yep hats of to Eddy Merckx.

You seem a bit angry about it all. Chill out and don’t stress yourself about it.

Go out for a ride a pretend you’re beating everyone.

Well done to all those rode the event. All the grumps stayed indoors.

Popped in to see njee – he was really very busy. Reckon riding it would’ve been less tiring for him.

Damn right! Nice to see a friendly face though Nobby, good effort!

The first bloke rolled in for tech support at 8.15 with his Di2 rear mech in two bits, having been down the road 3 times by then. We were steady for about 20 minutes, then utterly mental until about 1, then a few stragglers until 2.

One bloke had a heart attack on Newlands, the air ambulance arrived about 1:30 (I understand unrelated), but didn’t actually take anyone.

We sold over 400 inner tubes.

We saw at least 50 broken mechs, I grudgingly single speeded a couple of very very nice road bikes.

Most people who came to us had crashed at least once, four times was the most I heard.

Some people are very rude when they’re getting a free service, a couple of folk baulked at the fact they had to buy spares, as assumed they were FOC (obviously no labour charges).

I fitted a hanger to one bloke’s bike, retrieved the remnants of his chain from the various orifices it was wedged into, rejoined, removed his cassette to take off the now broken spoke protector, completely tuned his gears and sorted his brake pads. The parts entailed a mech hanger and a PowerLink, it took me getting on for an hour all in. He said “I’m part of London Cycling Campaign, so I’m due a discount”. He didn’t receive one.

Most people very thankful though, particularly as wait times were long as only two of us could do any more than fix a puncture! I’ve never straightened so many mech hangers in one day, nor bodged spoke replacements!

You seem a bit angry about it all. Chill out and don’t stress yourself about it.

Go out for a ride a pretend you’re beating everyone.

Angry? its definitely a no stress LOL day. no riding today, went for a ride yesterday on the same roads in the sunshine thanks.

i’ll leave the “pretend your beating everyone” to the sportive pseudo-racers.

Edit at post above: I’m gobsmacked at that carnage??? falling off 4 times????

Looks like Ian Rees from Bristol crossed the line first (although i believe he’s getting some stick from local roadies on his FB page about it being a sportive

Expect he will be suitably embarrassed come tomorrow morning 😛

Hats off to all riding in that, looked grim out there. And not often you get to be passed by Vos!

+1 for what njee20 said.

Got to the baggage trucks at the finish and they were still unloading. One right stroppy cow there started mouthing off to the poor volunteers unloading and organising the bags, shouting out her number.

She was cold and wet and this wasn’t good enough and she deserved better. Eventually she barged her way round the barriers and got onto the truck, flinging aside bags til she found hers.

Not offering to help, or to give a hand unloading. Just rummaging through everything til she was sorted. I was really hoping she’d slip off the ladder on the way back down…

Good work Njee – I stopped for a quick stop and Newlands, it was lashing it down and the queue for the workshop was long.

I think I enjoyed it – saw two horrific crashes, one at the bottom of newlands where a chap ploughed into the back of a group and a lady wandering across the road for no reason and wiping out two chaps at the top of Wimbledon hill.

Annoyingly I never really found a group to get a decent time. Almost all of it was solo.

Oh and did I say, carbon rim braking in the wet is useless.

The stories sounded horrendous, some massive crashes out there by the sounds of it, and I imagine some bad ones on Newlands, although at least with closed roads it’s not a bad descent.

5:17, acceptable for a middle aged mincer on his first road ride of the year IMO. Issues with jackets on/off, fogged up glasses etc etc but no mechanicals or stacks thankfully. But I saw a few riders looking pale and clutching their shoulders, GWS you folks.

Many people out there taking it much too seriously IMO, and the descent from Newlands was sheet water with people haring down like they were alone.

The Hubs did a good job, thank you.

Reasonable decision to take out Box Hil and Leith Hill IMO, for the event as it is. The Box Hill climb’s not hard but the descent through Headley is a bit twisty.

Back in Dorking by train in time to see the tail of the ride going through, respect to those folks. & for good measure they got a snap storm too.

Now enjoying watching the pros tearing through my manor “there’s a good trail there. and there. and there”.

no BC points awarded.

Like BC points are the only thing worth racing for eh : )

+1 for the very nice bike comments.

S works were ten a penny and I saw at least 2 mclaren s works

What’s a ‘nodder’?

And why is MrSmith so down on people enjoying themselves?

Flew around the first 60 miles or so then got a puncture, rather annoying….sort that out then get going again then a group with Marianne Vos passes (and presumably crazy legs too) and latch on. Wooooo this is great i no longer care about the missed time im flying along with a world champ and cycling legend. Get to Embankment and the thought crossed my mind that i was lucky to get a puncture to get to experience the run in with Vos….no sooner had i thought that than i go through a huge puddle and get another puncture with some debris under the water. Arse!

Literally happened within about 20 seconds of thinking id been fortunate with the first one. Didnt know whether to laugh or cry!

i’ll leave the “pretend your beating everyone” to the sportive pseudo-racers.

Ian is actually a former pro and has won some real road races

Rees rides to dream finish at the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100

he mainly did it to raise the profile of a diabetic charity.

And why is MrSmith so down on people enjoying themselves?

It’s his schtick. It’s kind of endearing after a while.

Looks like Ian Rees from Bristol crossed the line first (although i believe he’s getting some stick from local roadies on his FB page about it being a sportive

Expect he will be suitably embarrassed come tomorrow morning

god forbid someone should enjoy themselves pretending they are a pro. are you supposed to ride round with a grumpy face like a lot of the posters on this thread seem to sport

…are you supposed to ride round with a grumpy face like a lot of the posters on this thread seem to sport

Rapha men don’t smile, they grimace!

And why is MrSmith so down on people enjoying themselves?

I don’t really see the fun in mixing it up with a load of faux- racers who haven’t really grasped group riding en-masse, i appreciate some people enjoy the danger and the thought of being taken out by a chopper on a pinarello spices it up a little if you are going for a gold medal.

I finished in 4:17 having started at 7:05 and then having to pass lots of people, rode solo all the way round – my slot was due to Virgin Active getting a group all starting together. Laura Trott and her Dad started with us – her Dad put his hand on my back as made their way through a bunch of us.

I used winter tyres and a rear mud guard which I couldn’t stop rubbing but glad I didn’t get any punctures or crash – took it steady on the numerous tight bends and down from Newlands.

More or less happy with my decision to use a gilet and arm warmers but reckon a jacket would have been best really 🙂

And why is MrSmith so down on people enjoying themselves?

I don’t really see the fun in mixing it up with a load of faux- racers who haven’t really grasped group riding en-masse, i appreciate some people enjoy the danger and the thought of being taken out by a chopper on a pinarello spices it up a little if you are going for a gold medal.

You epitomize everything that is wrong with this forum – trashing threads with your miserable judgmental nonsense.

It’s not my kind of event either, doesn’t mean I have a downer on the event or the people in it.

I’m guessing MrSmith is Surrey dweller, maybe on a Cervelo, BMW car, hating people doing ‘his’ sport on ‘his’ roads.

You’re the one mostly whinging about it. Perhaps give us a run down of your racing credentials.

You epitomize everything that is wrong with this forum – trashing threads with your miserable judgmental nonsense.

Just a contrary view and comments on real events, yes there were joyous moments but as was pointed out there was plenty of shonky riding, accidents bad preparation and narcissist behaviour from people who think they deserve preferential treatment.
Just because you don’t agree with that opinion doesn’t mean it’s wrong, deal with it.

You’re the one mostly whinging about it. Perhaps give us a run down of your racing credentials.

Never entered a race in my life, but then I’m not under the illusion entering a sportive will somehow count as a race. (Never done a sportive in the U.K. either) also why should entering a race and having ‘credentials’ allow me to comment on a sportive? What are your credentials? Do wins allow you post in this thread? Elites and cat 1’s get to post pics too?

Or we could all stop rising to it and avoid an argument which would spoil what has been a fantastic days riding for most and some great news for the charities.

Next time I might take my racing bike rather than the winter clunker though 😉 😀

More or less happy with my decision to use a gilet and arm warmers but reckon a jacket would have been best really

.

I was happy to replicate you with the exception of swapping your gilet for a race cape. 😀

Good result gor Blythe.

My good mate was riding hard for Blythe today, great result for a home team.

some of you lot are quite quick

what’s the fix for excessively sore sit bones after 50 miles or so? it’s enough to spoil the fun somewhat

he mainly did it to raise the profile of a diabetic charity.

Great effort and a good cause. Not so sure about the “post race” caption under his photo!

Oh dear MrSmith is off on one. Bless.

Go polish your Cervelo while muttering about people having a crack at a biking event.

Off on one? Just cracking another beer, great finish from Blythe