RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2016) Anyone?

[rugby bloke]

Fair point and well done for battling around the 92 miles. I agree that there could well be a valid reason for not being able to make the full trip, lord knows I might be in that situation this year. However my original observation was that if you are blowing after 25 miles of flat roads than you were probably never really in any kind of state to finish the ride.

Any way to move things along, got to say I'm counting down the days already. It was one of the highlights of my year last time and I'm hoping for more of the same this year.

 

[vickster]

I didn't see anyone struggling at 25 miles, yes they may not have been steaming along. And I was one of the last starters so the slower riders would have been around and most had charity jerseys

Why shouldn't people have a chance to take part regardless if they get a place either through the ballot or a charity. It's a fun event open to the public, not an Olympic race

 

[jefmcg]

I think we have to assume that the organisers know what they are talking about. No one who bothers to join and stay on a cycle forum would struggle to make 26 miles if they had signed up for a 100 mile ride, they would have done enough training at least for that. But if the organisers think there are riders who realise after 26 miles that they aren't going to finish, then there probably are. They are people who put their names down thinking "I must get back into cycling" and then in February when they get a place think, "I haven't been on my bicycle for 3 years, but August, that's heaps of time". Then in April they get their bike out of the shed, find it's unrideable, in May finally take it to the shop to get sorted. In June, remember and pick it up. Then they go to spain for 2 weeks in July. Oops, it's August. Oh well, paid the money, may as well go and give it a try

Keeping roads closed for these people has no value for anyone.

 

[rugby bloke]

I didn't see anyone struggling at 25 miles, yes they may not have been steaming along. And I was one of the last starters so the slower riders would have been around and most had charity jerseys

I was probably somewhere near you, I had an 8.50 start and it was mainly us charity riders. Everyone I saw were doing ok, although a few were blowing through Richmond Park

 

[rb58]

I have completed the century many times, yet I still look like I'm dying on the hills. It has something to do with pies and cake I suspect . Doesn't mean I'm not likely to finish.

 

[Cuchilo]

I think ive just put my name down to do this .

 

[Milkfloat]

I think ive just put my name down to do this .

Charity I assume?

 

[Cuchilo]

No , club team .

 

[Milkfloat]

No , club team .

Blimey, your club was slow - my club had all the places fought over and won within 12 hours of the rejections.

 

[Cuchilo]

As far as i am aware we have only just been offered the places .

 

[steverob]

What is interesting in that article in the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser is the suggestion that this cut through at 26 miles isn't just going to be for riders who don't think they're going to manage the full 100, but potentially it might also be offered as a separate 46 mile route for riders who aren't currently in the main ride (possibly a second ballot?).

While that route would not that much of a challenge to someone like me (both in terms of distance and also the fact that it's completely flat other than Sawyers Hill and Wimbledon), I'd still be tempted to enter if they did offer this as an option, just because of the closed roads aspect that I so enjoyed while doing the full route last year.

 

[lazybloke]

Presumably the shorter event will have an entirely separate ballot, which could add thousands more riders to the roads. Hard to understand how this will reduce road closures, I predict more moaning when the details are announced later this month.
I suspect the short route and long route will not cross or overlap, or else they will run at different times or dates.

No doubt some people will do BOTH events. Nutters :-)

 

[rugby bloke]

I like the idea of offering a shorter router as a separate ride as it opens up the opportunity to ride on closed roads for more people. However I'm not sure when it would be fitted in over the weekend. I would imagine adding a load more riders to the mass starts for the 100 would result in too many riders on the road. Would there be time for it to start and finish after the 100 and before the pro race ? Alternatively I'm not sure what happens on the Saturday. Is the course used for any events or would additional road closures be required ?

 

[steverob]

Given that the main restriction on the number of riders for the 100 seems to be the fact that they can only get so many people per hour through the Surrey Hills, I would have thought they could still carry on starting riders who are doing a "London-only" ride until 10am without too much problem. The Pro ride doesn't start until 1:30pm and you only have to get these people as far as Hampton Court, at which point they then zip straight through to the 80-mile mark of the 100. From that point onwards I recall that the roads didn't seem to be too crowded last year, although I may have been riding at a time when most of the riders doing a short course would probably have already long since rejoined the main route.

 

[rugby bloke]

From that point onwards I recall that the roads didn't seem to be too crowded last year, although I may have been riding at a time when most of the riders doing a short course would probably have already long since rejoined the main route.

To be honest I don't really remember the last 20 - my head was in some weird place due to the combined sugar rush from a pack of jelly babies and half a liter of sports drink !! From my vaguest recollections I would agree that the roads did not seem to be overly busy. I finished around 3pm so I guess the riders on the shorter route would be comfortably home and hosed by this point.