Mrs PP and I were at the hub at Newlands Corner. If you got there early ish she was the one on the hairpin with the loud hailer!
We were giving out food and having banter with the riders which was ace until I was soaked to the skin. I think it would have been warmer to ride to be honest! I went to the car to get a cup of tea from our flask and discovered a line of riders at the Geared up Cycles mechanic station next to the car. Three trashed mechs all in a line! I then volunteered my services as spanner monkey and spent the rest of the day fixing trashed bikes and punctures….. With mainly my Leatherman and multi tool!

Had they brought mechs, out of interest? We (in the red EZ-Ups) didn’t bother, but would consider it next year, as so many got trashed. That said, most I saw had taken out their hangers too, so it seemed pretty futile.

8:15. For my sister on 26 miles of training. Myself, 3:48 with a 12 minute stop to tend to a clubmate taken out when an anonymous rider thought he’d barge into our disciplined through and off. Finished strongly pulling 10 riders along Kings Road and the Embankment, stole photo honours at Big Ben, then sprinted the mall. NP was 260 Watts, so about 4th Cat race pace. Skinsuit and armwarmers. Saved the race cape for post finish downpour and subsequent dry clothes.

Organisers were absolutely right not to take on Leith Hill descent.

And nick is the hero here. So many sideways slips, myself included, i’m not surprised it was a bad day for mech hangers.

4:21 for me. not bad for a unfit devon yokel.

strava said it was epic so must have been.

Well I think you all did exceptionally well considering both the weather conditions, your condition 😆 and other riders attitudes.
I know some of you, like me, like to crack on so well done for pacing and not getting angry at those who were, in all regards, probably out for a Grand Pootle.

Eat well, drink well and relax happy 8)

Don’t wear the bloody t’shirt tomorrow on your commute though eh 😆

yep, big up to nick.
as for mrsmith, I think he is just jealous of all the nice kit and cars he saw on tele. should have tried harder at school! his dream would be to own a cervelo and a BMW!

My dream is winning a sportive riding a sky pinarello and getting on the telly, an aspirational scenario that I seem to share with many.

As for the nice kit on the telly? That was all in the peleton and the fully loaded support vehicles behind, I wonder how hard those riders tried in their GCSE’s?

My dream is winning a sportive riding a sky pinarello and getting on the telly, an aspirational scenario that I seem to share with many.

…he said while twirling his moustache.

Lots of fun, gutted they took the hills out but it would have been carnage. Helped one guy fix a puncture but karma gods were looking the other way and the wife got a puncture later on. Good show all who did it.

Felt sorry for the guy who binned it into the barriers on the finish line.

Njee, maybe. I’m not sure. But like you say, it would have been pointless in all 3 cases I saw.
I guess I was next door to you then? 🙂 Didn’t realise!

The comments about it not being a race seem odd given last year the winners were celebrated with their excellent times and were shown in the Metro newspaper. I don’t see why this year should be any different?

Any closed road event of this scale is going to have quick people, and most of those would be well out of the way early enough to cause no hassle at all to the majority of riders. Yes, there are some people who think they are quick who start later, and cause a few issues but realistically you get that type of buffoon in all sports and many walks of life.

I met some really friendly nice people despite it being really grim weather! At hub 2 Newlands corner, I did pick up a right hand glove pearl izumi large I think it is a ladies glove nobody owned it when I went round near the end. Let me know if it is yours and I will send it to you. Also some YJ yellow lens glasses. They would have been binned if I left them there, so maybe I can reunite these with their owners?

Njee, maybe. I’m not sure. But like you say, it would have been pointless in all 3 cases I saw.
I guess I was next door to you then? Didn’t realise!

Likewise! Was so busy I’m not surprised though! Interesting how rarely it seemed to just be the hanger that survived – I had two where a hanger fixed it, all the others the mech was wrecked too!

Wow… sounds like some bizarre behavior out there and some weird views in here.

As huge fan of the London Marathon… both as spectator and runner…. there are NOTHING but positives for that event.

Oh … and why do so many mechs bite the dust?

Oh … and why do so many mechs bite the dust?

I assume from people landing on them when they slide off.

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.

That sounds like the bike you were working on when I popped in? From what I could hear he’d dropped it whilst on a pee break.. Hope he paid full retail if he was as ride as he appeared 😉

Newlands descent was sketchy in places, particularly one of the bends when a guy on a Colnago came honing past me & ended up straight lining the corner then off up a bank 🙂

The crowds were fantastic apart from one old boy at the end of Westcott who was shouting “fp@#* off and find somewhere else next time”. To which one rider responded “why? You’ll be deAd by next year by the look of it!”

Class!!!

80,000 applicants (last year)

a couple of complaints

I think the figures speak for themselves

The ‘Dorking, Leatherhead, Ashtead & All Surrounding Villages’ group on Facebook has attracted some lovely comments including:

Gary Lee Coleman: I’m selling sticks to poke in there wheels as they ride past and drawing pins to throw at them as confetti have fun

Emily’s the best:

Emily Dean: They ought to pass a mandatory road test to be able to ride on roads, then you wouldn’t have them riding three abreast on winding country roads, so that drivers have to risk their lives getting round them. Have some patience, I hear you say, cyclists? If any other road user was as slow as you they would be fined.

Emily Dean: I will concede that, as cyclists clog our roads up more and more, that there should be more about them in the driving theory test too. “Question 4. If some yuppie is wearing a lot of Lycra and is chatting to his equally ridiculously dressed friend (riding side by side), is it better to A) Pootle along at 10 miles an hour until they turn off or realise they’re not Sir Bradley Wiggins, more Lance Armstrong after the shame and leave the road? or B) Risk the lives of you and your passengers to try and get round them in order to get on with your day.
Also, I’m rather into football, can we shut down the roads for a kick about next weekend?

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

Emily Dean and Gary Lee Coleman are a little sore.

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.

Rinse it down properly. Mine was covered in fine road grit. First job when I got home last night. All pristine for tomorrow’s E123 race.

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 🙂