Ride London Accident

[mjr]

Yes, there is even a long interview and photograph of the "Winner" on their main Home Page. To rub it in, he claims that he has never cycled further than 50 miles before!

My disappointment at reading that is tempered by my amusement at the thought of all the hardened club multi-centurions it will infuriate. The organisation is probably making a rod for their own back with that sort of behaviour, though. Next year, more people will be racing in earnest trying to "win" their fizzog on the web homepage.

They can't possibly check everyone's bike, it would take too long, and could then make them liable if something went wrong.

Letting people out with completely unchecked bikes, some on explicitly prohibited bikes, seems more likely to make them liable. I'm sure making it clear that they've not got time to do a full personal check on every bike would take the edge off it, but they've got people stood in the start pens for a fair while and could walk them through the old "hold your front brake on, push the bike forwards, does the back wheel lift? OK, now hold the back brake on, pull the bars back, does the front wheel lift? OK, spin the pedals, is it all OK - if you've got a problem, raise your hand and a mechanic will try to get to you" routine would work wonders.

They do make suggestions in the pre ride literature to make sure your bike is road worthy.

That's obviously demonstrably almost useless, as we can see from your floppy rear wheels and my sighting of defective helmets and banned bikes. They shouldn't let it continue without some practical checks, possibly at random or on suspicion of "that looks hinky"

 

[jefmcg]

A cycling helmet will not necessarily prevent head injuries. This has always been a bone of contention.

It's something both helmet sceptics and manufacturers know is true. The belief it will prevent all head injuries and/or deaths is only held by some users. It should not be a bone of contention.

 

[zizou]

Yes, there is even a long interview and photograph of the "Winner" on their main Home Page. To rub it in, he claims that he has never cycled further than 50 miles before!

Either been telling porkies or has been misquoted https://www.strava.com/athletes/368715

Apparently there were a couple of riders who came in a bit before the 'winning' group, the announcer was congratulating them over the line and they were getting interviewed before it was discovered they had missed out a chunk of the route...the announcer then calls them out for cheating over the tannoy and they make a sharp exit!

 

[Profpointy]

A cycling helmet will not necessarily prevent head injuries. This has always been a bone of contention.

I think you missed the irony nuance in Phil's comment

 

[steveindenmark]

I think you missed the irony nuance in Phil's comment

I'm fromYorkshire. We don't use words like nuance or irony. But I'm happy to take your word for it :O)

 

[srw]

Yes, there is even a long interview and photograph of the "Winner" on their main Home Page. To rub it in, he claims that he has never cycled further than 50 miles before!

You'll excuse me if I raise a quizzical eyebrow. The closest I can find is this article:
https://www.prudentialridelondon.co...s-thousands-finish-britians-biggest-sportive/

The only "winner" on that page was part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team. In fact they are extremely careful not to imply that the first man across the line of the sportive "won" anything - and they've had very similar articles on their website for the last two years at least.

 

[zizou]

I hadn't realised that there were club entries treated in this way, sounds ripe for manipulation.

It's a good system for payment (each individual is responsible for paying their own entry rather than it being the club or 1 individual responsible for other entrants) but it's not great for coordinating things if a club has multiple teams in. Basically one person at each club has degree of control over the entry portal for that club which works out OK if the person with the admin tools is also a member of that team, but for the bigger clubs who may have multiple teams involved then it is pretty unwieldy system for them to use. You can discuss it beforehand and give your club mates good instructions about what to do but there is usually always someone who does something different tp what was agreed upon!

 

[Beebo]

You'll excuse me if I raise a quizzical eyebrow. The closest I can find is this article:
https://www.prudentialridelondon.co...s-thousands-finish-britians-biggest-sportive/

The only "winner" on that page was part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning team. In fact they are extremely careful not to imply that the first man across the line of the sportive "won" anything - and they've had very similar articles on their website for the last two years at least.

The photo has gone which is interesting, but there was a photo of him on the mall.
You are correct it doesn't say he is a winner, which is why I used quotes, it says he had the honour of being first across the line.
However they describe it we all know that the guys at the front are racing. If it isn't a big deal why do the organisers bother to mention it?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Moderator Note:

No more about the effectiveness or otherwise of helmets in this thread please. That discussion belongs here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-cyclechat-helmet-debate-thread.187059/

 

[srw]

The photo has gone which is interesting, but there was a photo of him on the mall.
You are correct it doesn't say he is a winner, which is why I used quotes, it says he had the honour of being first across the line.
However they describe it we all know that the guys at the front are racing. If it isn't a big deal why do the organisers bother to mention it?

I tend to use quotes if I'm quoting someone. The clue's in the name...

I do get what you're saying - but "beating a time" isn't really the same as "racing" - at least not over 100 miles.

 

[Beebo]

I tend to use quotes if I'm quoting someone. The clue's in the name...

I do get what you're saying - but "beating a time" isn't really the same as "racing" - at least not over 100 miles.

I was using them in the tabloid sense!

 

[srw]

I was using them in the tabloid sense!

And, to be fair, the sense in which I was using them in my post.

Oops.

 

[mjr]

I do get what you're saying - but "beating a time" isn't really the same as "racing" - at least not over 100 miles.

I thought the interviewee merely crossed the line first, rather than taking the least time to do it? Could have had a ten minute headstart on the second finisher. I'm with @Beebo: they're racing in all but name and the organisers seem to be engaging in nudge-nudge-wink-wink encouragement of it.

 

[Beebo]

I have found the official tweet with his picture.

https://twitter.com/RideLondon/status/759680630191955968

 

[Racing roadkill]

Either been telling porkies or has been misquoted https://www.strava.com/athletes/368715

Apparently there were a couple of riders who came in a bit before the 'winning' group, the announcer was congratulating them over the line and they were getting interviewed before it was discovered they had missed out a chunk of the route...the announcer then calls them out for cheating over the tannoy and they make a sharp exit!

There were loads of riders 'disappearing' up side roads (that were coned off) usually in the hilly bit from Newlands to the start of Box, only to reappear and finish the ride. As long as they hit all the timing bars, it looks Kosher. This is why there's no point in the timing system, it's too easy to blag it, and it encourages knobberism.