RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2015) Anyone?

[PK99]

Hi. Sorry if it has already been discussed here but having never cycled (or even driven) these roads before we are planning a recce over Leith & Box Hills next weekend. I have started planning a route but would like to avoid the A24 out of Dorking up to Box Hill. Does anyone have an alternative that is not too out of the way, or is the road not as bad as it looks? I'd like to do the hills in the same order as on the actual ride if possible.

Thanks

There is an excellent cycle track running alongside the A24.

You might also want to avid the fast and busy A25 into dorking.

My reccy route was:
To the top of the leith hill climb, back track slightly and take the road that goes through Coldharbour direct into dorking.

Follow the one way system, right toward town centre, left to road that links to the
Ashcombe road (it will make sense on the map)

Follow that to the a24. Pavement cycle track soon turns into proper track, at burford bridge, cross a24 using tunnel.

Box hill awaits.

I'll put up a ride with gps map later......


....http://ridewithgps.com/routes/9241424

 

[philk56]

Great, thanks for your replies. Having commuted north to south through London I don't mind busy roads but would rather avoid them!

 

[EltonFrog]

Great, thanks for your replies. Having commuted north to south through London I don't mind busy roads but would rather avoid them!

If you are an experienced rider and are used to long rides presumably with hills, I wouldn't bother doing a reccy ride, Leith Hill is overrated, it needs some getting up true enough, but it's not that bad, and Box Hill s now't but a long slope, with speed humps. I think one would be better off staying local and going for a nice long ride, I'm not trying to put you off going down there, but I'm just trying to point out, that those two hills are nothing special, and you've probably been up similar if not tougher in your Manor.

 

[sleaver]

Does anyone have an alternative that is not too out of the way, or is the road not as bad as it looks? I'd like to do the hills in the same order as on the actual ride if possible.

I hate that stretch as well so I avoid it but it does have a cycle lane. I have done it but I normally come from the other direction so it is more habit that I do the following.

Instead of turning left at the roundabout onto the A24, I go straight on and then take the first left after the cemetery onto Pixham Lane. Then at the end, you can cross over an island just before you enter the roundabout and get onto the path on the right hand side of the A24 which is also a cycle path. Carry on down there, then you just have to get onto the road (just a matter of crossing it). If you zoom into this it should help:

https://www.strava.com/activities/306408991

 

[philk56]

If you are an experienced rider and are used to long rides presumably with hills, I wouldn't bother doing a reccy ride, Leith Hill is overrated, it needs some getting up true enough, but it's not that bad, and Box Hill s now't but a long slope, with speed humps. I think one would be better off staying local and going for a nice long ride, I'm not trying to put you off going down there, but I'm just trying to point out, that those two hills are nothing special, and you've probably been up similar if not tougher in your Manor.

I know what you mean and we do have some nice hills around here but I always find it easier to ride up a hill once I know what to expect.

 

[EltonFrog]

I know what you mean and we do have some nice hills around here but I always find it easier to ride up a hill once I know what to expect.

That's true enough.

 

[vickster]

Hi. Sorry if it has already been discussed here but having never cycled (or even driven) these roads before we are planning a recce over Leith & Box Hills next weekend. I have started planning a route but would like to avoid the A24 out of Dorking up to Box Hill. Does anyone have an alternative that is not too out of the way, or is the road not as bad as it looks? I'd like to do the hills in the same order as on the actual ride if possible.

Thanks

The road from Dorking to Boxhill is an easy cycle, it's a dual carriageway, just keep left until you need to get across to turn right at the Burford Bridge roundabout at the bottom of Box hill

 

[Adrian_K]

To be fair, it is 100 miles. Last year, I think they did fix the worst ones and they did have part of Putney Bridge re-surfaced just for RideLondon because it was closed due to maintenance work and had no road surface.

I don't know how well you know Surrey roads, but to fix it all would cost a huge amount of money and take forever.

I did a fair amount of the course yesterday (I didn't go North of the river (except the mile or so at Kingston - HC)) and the only issue was Leith hill - they have been patching the climb side and the descent is rough but not that pot holey.

https://www.strava.com/activities/344346173

 

[Gareth C]

Well, I did a health check on my riding this weekend just gone. Think it will be OK.

Just not sure a 4 day weekend mountain biking in the Lakes is an appropriate taper...

 

[PK99]

Last big one before the event:

Went out at 7am in the drizzle, intending to do a 50/60 miler.... breakfast #2 in Windsor - still drizzling. "Bugger the rain, I'm feeling good"
Drizzle turns to real rain.
Rain jacket on to gone 1400hrs.
100.05 flat miles (yep round the block to finish off the century)
12.7mph rolling

I'm ready, and by Rule 9, a serious Badass

 

[sleaver]

Drizzle turns to real rain.
Rain jacket on to gone 1400hrs.
.........
I'm ready, and by Rule 9, a serious Badass

Kids these day eh

RideLondon 2014 in Hurricain Bertha's after birth ( (c) @Nomadski ) is where the serious badass people were

Took my shoes two days to dry and that was with putting paper in them

 

[rb58]

I'm doing a hundred this weekend and a 220 miler next weekend. I haven't quite got the hand of this tapering thing.

 

[PK99]

Kids these day eh

RideLondon 2014 in Hurricain Bertha's after birth ( (c) @Nomadski ) is where the serious badass people were

View attachment 96071 View attachment 96072

Took my shoes two days to dry and that was with putting paper in them

I was there....

 

[sleaver]

I was there....

In a way, I want more of the same but not so much that they shorten the route

It was quite fun in the end

 

[PK99]

In a way, I want more of the same but not so much that they shorten the route

It was quite fun in the end

last year MrsPK and i did our main recce ride (Richmond park round to Wimbledon hill) with temps in the 30's - I too preferred the rain.