RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2014!!!) Anyone?

[anyuser]

I just took a screenshot, pasted it into MS Paint and then selected and copied the graph.

Richmond Park seems correct, but it seems to have gone wrong around Newlands. I think the Edge 800 works from barometric pressure so I wonder if the storm was playing silly buggers.

This is the other one I've seen. His seems to have gone on holiday between Kingston and Wimbledon although he doesn't seem to have gone underground to see the wombles.

http://www.strava.com/activities/178387555

Got there in the end!

 

[Norry1]

Being a very sad individual, I cycled back to my hotel rather than take the boat - to ensure I clocked a ton

 

[PK99]

For those that were going to do their first imperial century yesterday, has it hit you yet that we still have to go out and do it?

I though earlier "Bugger, its still to be done and without 24,000 other people, that will be a bit harder"

I though "Bugger" too earlier on today when i realised that my to and from riding took the total to 97 miles.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Luckily I did 113 as a training ride, extra lucky as when I put all the riding I did do yesterday into MapMyRide it came to 99.38 miles ridden...

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Go out and do the full run at 5am on a Sunday morning again I am not sure the 24,000 others make it easier, just the lack of cars and traffic lights

All the other riders seemed to make a difference, West Horsley and Newlands appeared a lot easier riding around other bikes than doing solo. I kept waiting for them to get as steep as I remembered, then realised they were as good as over. Or it could be a bit of familiarity, as it didn't make such a difference in Wimbledon.

 

[Longshot]

I saw this photo on FB earlier, sums up yesterday I think.

View attachment 53018

Abinger Hammer? It still looked very wet there when the pros went through.

Oh, the absolutely best thing I bought for the ride was a couple of gel flasks. Could get 5 gels in each, so spot on.
Made taking on gels much easier, as I didn't have to mess around with chewing the top off the sachets, and no litter to dispose of either.

I bought a squeezy gel flask last year and agree - made it much easier and no wrappers to deal with.

 

[vickster]

All the other riders seemed to make a difference, West Horsley and Newlands appeared a lot easier riding around other bikes than doing solo. I kept waiting for them to get as steep as I remembered, then realised they were as good as over. Or it could be a bit of familiarity, as it didn't make such a difference in Wimbledon.

Organise a CC ride, could get a decent group together

 

[PK99]

All the other riders seemed to make a difference, West Horsley and Newlands appeared a lot easier riding around other bikes than doing solo. I kept waiting for them to get as steep as I remembered, then realised they were as good as over. Or it could be a bit of familiarity, as it didn't make such a difference in Wimbledon.

....I did warn you about Wimbledon Hill.

One daft thing i found was that bombing through london I was happy just to blast through junctions, light etc without thinking, as soon as i got onto roads i regularly ride I found myself checking for traffic. Daft rreally

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Indeed, I knew Wimbledon Hill wasn't easy but you never know a hill until you ride it, it was basically Maze Hill, which I commute up by Greenwich every day, only at least three times as long and no speed ramps. Only time I had someone motivate at me.

Turning off the traffic lights and junctions paranoia was something I consciously had to do at the beginning, then remember to adhere again afterwards...

 

[User33236]

I've done a few closed road events so found switching off for traffic lights and junctions easy. Still find myself checking at roundabouts though

 

[Mike_P]

The tannoy at the finish said 24,000 got an entry, something like 23,000 picked up a number, but less than 21,000 actually bothered to start. I am sure the you can find the correct numbers somewhere.
I know the weather would have put a few off, But, that is 3,000 places wasted, very sad really.

Two of my work colleagues went down to do the race but only one appears on the offical listing as both starting and finishing, the other suffered a puncture after a km and a bit, could not fix it in allocated time, was put in a vehicle to be taken to a repair centre which then got lost and instead then started picking up other mechanical disasters who were then all off loaded at the first hub out of time to rejoin. Gather she spent most of the afternoon sobbing, the fact that she had a lot pre event of press coverage could not of helped.

 

[PK99]

I've done a few closed road events so found switching off for traffic lights and junctions easy. Still find myself checking at roundabouts though

It was fun as the ride split, TDF style, both sides of roundabouts

 

[sleaver]

Got there in the end!

It is roughly the same but different enough to notice a difference. Not sure what happened to mind but I can't remember meeting Great Uncle Bulgaria, Orinoco or Wellington

Something else I just remembered, when I was on Newlands, it seemed very congested and although I wasn't going up like a spring chicken, it was still difficult getting past slower riders. So Leigh could have been fun.

 

[sleaver]

I've done a few closed road events so found switching off for traffic lights and junctions easy. Still find myself checking at roundabouts though

As I was coming up to one roundabout, a car was coming from the right beeping his horn basically expecting us to give way as you would normally do on an open road. He got a few fingers waved at him before everyone just continued to stream through. Looked back and he was still waiting and then a bit further up (100m maybe) a marshal saw him and said "Oh god" or words to that effect.

 

[PK99]

It is roughly the same but different enough to notice a difference. Not sure what happened to mind but I can't remember meeting Great Uncle Bulgaria, Orinoco or Wellington

Something else I just remembered, when I was on Newlands, it seemed very congested and although I wasn't going up like a spring chicken, it was still difficult getting past slower riders. So Leigh could have been fun.

The worst Womble hole of the lot is to one just by the Hand in Hand - it can take hours to find a way out of that one...., but back to topic, i sometimes find my garmin has garbled elevation data, i put it down to electrical interference, Apparently my heart rate plummeted do Zero as we were passing Pyford Abbey - Spooky!

One thing that was disappointing was that the weather deprived those who don't know the area the delight of the wonderful countryside Pyford onwards