RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2016) Anyone?

[Dogtrousers]

And how many people, disappointed that they didn't get a place on the 100 miler, will be on the shortened route but "accidentally" get a bit lost and end up in the full route?

 

[rugby bloke]

Or indeed how many first time 100 milers would follow the pack and suddenly find themselves heading back to town rather sooner than they expected !

 

[jefmcg]

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 ?

Saturday is free cycle, a family pootle around central London roads. Only a very short distance, and very crowded and slow. The certainly could not close the roads in west London and Surrey two days in a row, so that's not going to be an option.

The could start it even an hours after the main ride, and have a turn around at Kingston, Walton or Byfleet, without risking interference with the Classic, or extra road closures. However, as I mentioned upthread, if you want to enjoy cycling round London on closed roads that day, you don't have to enter a sportive, or use their route.

(took too long to type this, lots has been posted in the meantime. But a gap between the hundred mile and the shorter start would mean that no one on the shorter ride would be able to ride the longer one or vice versa, as they would arrive at the choice point at different times, so marshals would know which way to direct them. Not sure where this would put the women's race, but I think there would be an uprising if there were closed roads in 2 days in a row.)

 

[vickster]

The women's race is a crit round a small route in the centre after the Freecycle. They don't do the classic route

 

[steverob]

It has been confirmed that they are running a short course 46 mile version of the main ride on the same day as RideLondon.

See https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/events/46/ for more details, but the basics are that it is another ballot to enter, riders depart the Olympic Park between 9:00 and 9:30 (e.g. straight after the waves of the main ride) and the cost is a rather sharp £39.

 

[Freds Dad]

What's to stop you just carrying on and doing the 100?

 

[jefmcg]

What's to stop you just carrying on and doing the 100?

The same thing that would stop you riding it if you hadn't entered at all, plus you will be well behind most of the other riders....

But a gap between the hundred mile and the shorter start would mean that no one on the shorter ride would be able to ride the longer one or vice versa, as they would arrive at the choice point at different times, so marshals would know which way to direct them.

 

[Ollie W]

I've applied for it, on the off chance I somehow get in. Will still be my longest ride!

 

[Racing roadkill]

What's to stop you just carrying on and doing the 100?

Different colours and design of bike / lid stickers, the marshals will probably be instructed to look out for / pull over anyone on the wrong course.

 

[sleaver]

riders depart the Olympic Park between 9:00 and 9:30 (e.g. straight after the waves of the main ride)

What's to stop you just carrying on and doing the 100?

The same thing that would stop you riding it if you hadn't entered at all, plus you will be well behind most of the other riders....

There is probably a high chance that the first riders for the 46 mile course will be faster than the riders in the last wave for the 100. Therefore, they are likely to get "mixed up" quite quickly and arrive where the course splits mixed in together.

Different colours and design of bike / lid stickers, the marshals will probably be instructed to look out for / pull over anyone on the wrong course.

Imagine your a marshal and think out of those three numbers (main number on back, lid & bike) which ones you will be able to see. When you have hundreds of riders coming towards you at 20kph, will you be able to pull anyone over when all you can see is a blur of a lid number?

 

[rugby bloke]

I can see it being a challenge for the marshals, I started at 8.50 last year but was surprised how quickly I was in the mix with earlier starters, despite not cycling particularly quickly. I would imagine that 46 and 100 milers will be well and truly mixed up after say 10 miles. At that stage, with everyone fresh its a pretty continuous flow of riders, the marshals would have to be both quick witted and possessing excellent eye site. Lets hope that common sense prevails ...

On a more general point, I think its an excellent idea to offer a shorter ride for those who may be daunted by the 100 or who fancy riding with their children.

 

[srw]

There is probably a high chance that the first riders for the 46 mile course will be faster than the riders in the last wave for the 100. Therefore, they are likely to get "mixed up" quite quickly and arrive where the course splits mixed in together.


Imagine your a marshal and think out of those three numbers (main number on back, lid & bike) which ones you will be able to see. When you have hundreds of riders coming towards you at 20kph, will you be able to pull anyone over when all you can see is a blur of a lid number?

I expect that they will put out some barriers so that they can funnel riders and slow them down a bit.

 

[vickster]

If anyone happens to be interested in volunteering as a Marshall...https://volunteers.ridelondon.co.uk/Volunteer/EventRegistration

 

[sleaver]

I expect that they will put out some barriers so that they can funnel riders and slow them down a bit.

If they do that, I can see it ending up in a mess.

Riders trying to cross paths with other riders to go down the correct side and people having no choice but to go the wrong way if they can't get the right side.

 

[jefmcg]

I don't really see any advantage in signing up for the 46 and riding the 100 over just riding the 100 without a number. The numbers are going to be visually quite distinctive, so a marshal will be able to tell from a distance. So you are paying money, you won't get timed, you start much later than other riders of your calibre, you won't be able to partake of the food or drink, you are identifiable so they could sanction you (eg not allow you to enter the ballot next year). Oh, and you'd be denying a place to someone who actually wants to ride the 46 miles.

(I don't believe they will stop any rider without a number who doesn't stop willingly. What could they do, knock them off? I imagine if it becomes a problem, with lots of riders joining in, they may come up with a way of stopping them.)