RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2015) Anyone?

[Simontm]

Well a bit achey but still smiling,
The day started with an amazing scene. The stewards allowed us to cut through the route to join the Bow Road and there it was like a scene from Quadrophenia or Dave Gibbon's Originals when rivers of cyclists starts merging onto the road coming from all directions- certainly turned a few heads. A cabbie was non-too plussed when I told him this basically went on all day

Had some friendly chat with some folks waiting for the start and then we were off.

So much for a measured start, sometimes hitting 28mph through to Chiswick. Couldn't see much difference to an ordinary weekend in Richmond Park and said so to some hilarity from obvious locals

Newlands was surprisingly good - indeed a PB according to Strava - and I've mentioned Leith Hill - thoughts to the rider's family

Box Hill the usual spin and got asked by a few riders what the hill was like. At the top had an ice lolly at the water station. Thank you to the lady who shouted that they had shut the right hand lane on that sharp left at Headley. Remembered to change down for that sharp rise as well.

Apparently my dad did see me at the Scilly Isles... Or someone else. Anyway whoever it was got a big roar of encouragement

Cramp hit at Norbiton so had to nurse my way through Coombe Road till it stopped. No beer at the Alex, gonna have me some words with me mates and the staff and the hill was fine. Good run through to the embankment, nice positioning of the MS Society to keep me going, bit emotional when I realised that just over a year ago I had started cycling again but another cramp attack sorted that one out

Over the line, another cramp, pick up medal and meet the family.

Overall, amazing organisation and well behaved from most, very friendly cyclists. Have to say that unfortunately I have to echo others in that I said to my wife that thanks to those on route, I have completely gone off any wee idea I may have entertained of joining a club ride.

83 PBs apparently, 6:01:38 according to Strava. 6:24:15 official. Considering I thought 7:30 was fairly good estimate for me, am very pleased.

Splits
Split Time Of Day Time Diff min/km km/h
EST MILE 17 08:43:40 00:49:13 49:13 01:54 31.82
EST MILE 26 09:14:27 01:19:59 30:46 02:02 29.74
EST MILE 47 10:27:16 02:32:48 01:12:49 02:10 27.81
EST MILE 55 10:59:12 03:04:45 31:57 02:29 24.23
EST MILE 75 12:44:08 04:49:40 01:44:55 03:27 17.44
EST MILE 85 13:22:10 05:27:43 38:03 02:20 25.87
FINISH 14:18:42 06:24:15 56:32 02:16 26.64

 

[vickster]

I was gender neutral in the post you replied to, but the rider who nearly took out my front wheel was a female club rider.

Ah

I have to say about the scariest sight was a chap in my wave who had evidently bought clipless pedals and shoes at Wiggle at Excel and had never before tried clipless I thought I'd follow him to the pen but after observing a near clipless at some lights going into QEOP I though better of it and quickly got past I hope he made it round without taking himself or anyone else out! Not a safe environment to try for the first time

 

[srw]

Now others have mentioned it, you've reminded me that we had a moment with a club paceline forcing their way through a narrow gap on our right. I have a feeling it was on the narrow road up to Holmbury St Mary when we'd gone right a little to overtake someone even slower than us!

 

[srw]

While I'm thinking of it, well done to @ianmac62 and @AKA Bob. Titus - which bike did you use?

 

[sleaver]

@Chris1983 your post pretty much summed up most of the problems I saw between fast and slower riders. That was that slower riders were not always staying left.

People have said they saw them forcing their way through on the right or weaving their way through. So step back and think for a moment. If they were weaving, slower riders were on the right.

I also saw some charity riders in chain gangs so maybe we are possibly giving clubs a bad name in some cases unless it just depends on the times people started.

Also, we are all saying we saw people riding differently so maybe it isn't fair to tar club riders with the same brush.

No, I'm not a member of a club.

The number of riders given was 25k. Not sure how many there actually were but there would have been people of all abilitys. Slower riders should be able to ride at their speed and faster riders at their speed with respect shown for both with keeping left and right.

As a side note, if they increase rider numbers again, they have got to consider taking Leith Hill out. I didn't see any chain gangs on that but there was no where to go. I started left as I wasn't going to attack it yet I was soon on the right just to get past people, almost coming to a complete stop and it was my second slowest time up it. Got to admit, people were all being sensible on the descent.

 

[sleaver]

Or look at it another way, someone unfortunately passed away, yet people are just thinking about fast riders!

 

[PK99]

As counterweight to the criticism of the behaviour of some club riders....

A neighbour in her mid 50's, pootling-to-work-and-the-shops cyclist. Only bike an ancient "shopper" took one of the Women's institute sponsored places. When she started training early in the year, folks had to take her out to show her how the gears worked on her bike - she had never changed gear. She had never ridden up a real hill, never ridden further than Wimbledon to Tooting.

Another neighbour lent her a proper road bike and taught her how to ride it.

She completed the 100 miles yesterday, 9hrs47 including the 90 minute stop at Leith Hill.

THAT is what the Prudential 100 Olympic Legacy ride is all about.

 

[PK99]

@Chris1983 your post pretty much summed up most of the problems I saw between fast and slower riders. That was that slower riders were not always staying left.

People have said they saw them forcing their way through on the right or weaving their way through. So step back and think for a moment. If they were weaving, slower riders were on the right.

.

What I observed was akin the guy doing 100 on the motorway, who undertakes the guy in the overtaking lane at 70 and cuts up the guy in the middle lane doing 60 overtaking the guy doing 50 in the LH lane, or coming up in the RH lane lights flashing and horn blaring.

Clearly not all club riders were behaving like that but there were enough to be too many!

 

[sleaver]

What I observed was.............

Clearly not all club riders were behaving like that but there were enough to be too many!

So your making that assumption that there were "enough to be too many" only based on what you saw.

That is your opinion which you are entitled to but you would not of seen or heard everything that happened.

 

[sleaver]

Just remembered, did everyone's start group get a choice of start song?

The people at the front of my group decided to go for a cheesy option. "Bicycle" by Queen

 

[vickster]

We got Let it go from Frozen, couldn't have been cheesier, everyone was laughing

 

[zizou]

Think alot of this shows the importance of setting off the riders in 'seeded' waves which some had thought was a bit unfair prior to the event!

Im generally of the opinion that most people dont intentionally behave like dicks out to antagonise others and from this perspective then alot of the poor riding might not be being reckless and unsafe - someone who is used to riding in a group (which you would expect a club rider to have more experience of) will be more comfortable around other cyclists and leaving smaller gaps. It might feel like they are being aggressive and doing it to piss off others but for many that wont be the intention as they believe they are riding safely and leaving plenty of room.

Of course there are always a minority who are reckless and do ride like idiots, but they are to be found all across the ability levels

 

[PK99]

Just remembered, did everyone's start group get a choice of start song?

The people at the front of my group decided to go for a cheesy option. "Bicycle" by Queen

Fat bottomed girls for us!

 

[PK99]

Im generally of the opinion that most people dont intentionally behave like dicks out to antagonise others and from this perspective then alot of the poor riding might not be being reckless and unsafe - someone who is used to riding in a group (which you would expect a club rider to have more experience of) will be more comfortable around other cyclists and leaving smaller gaps. It might feel like they are being aggressive and doing it to piss off others but for many that wont be the intention as they believe they are riding safely and leaving plenty of room.

LOL!

Very similar arguments are put up by motorists defending their unsafe close passing of cyclists!

I'm a club cyclist, used to riding close on a wheel in front and with someone close on my wheel behind and side by side with another rider. When riding a sportive, I keep left unless overtaking.

I'm not used to other riders pushing through gaps making shoulder contact as they do.

If I found it intimidating, what about the thousands of non-club cyclists? - comments in the pub after the ride (from club and no club cyclists) and from others on here suggest my experience on the ride was far from unique.

From the Ride website:

It’s Not a race!
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 is NOT A RACE, 
and you should not compromise your own safety – and that of the cyclists and spectators around you – by riding the sportive as if it was a race.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Can't see it ever going away. We had similar comments about the RL86 last year, my worst was probably on a spot already mentioned (one of the narrower ascending roads before Newlands I believe) where 4 or 5 pushed through on the far right where the road was a bit crumbly in the pouring rain. Yes, they had to squeeze to the right of me, overtake on the right doesn't mean there will always be empty road on the right, sometimes all the bikes overtaking other slower bikes keeping to the left are going to make it all the way across to the right. Equally gaps to the left aren't always what you might call gaps (although I'm happy to agree some people took 'stick to the left if you are going slow' and threw it in the bin along with any other advice they'd been given).

Until they put in Slow/Medium/Fast lanes like the swimming baths, or cap the maximum speed limit for everyone to prove it isn't a race, this behaviour will keep on going (so, it'll keep on happening like this. :-) )