RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2016) Anyone?

[w00hoo_kent]

Guessing if I enter the ballot and get in, but my wife doesn't, I can just skip paying and my place will go to some other deserving soul? How long have to log in and complete payment? (As she might be able to get a ride elsewhere if she doesn't get in)

I think they ask for it relatively quickly, but I don't know how long you can drag it out for, I was very much 'do it when they asked in case I forget' last year.

 

[vickster]

Guessing if I enter the ballot and get in, but my wife doesn't, I can just skip paying and my place will go to some other deserving soul? How long have to log in and complete payment? (As she might be able to get a ride elsewhere if she doesn't get in)

I think maybe you have a week from memory

 

[Chutzpah]

I think I'll enter and "risk it" then. Worst comes to the worst I don't pay either way and someone gets a second chance at the spot. Having "been there and done it" it wouldn't crush me if I dithered and lost out.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

The other option (not 'fair' of course) would be if your wife is intending to try for 2017 if she doesn't get 2016 and you get in is to defer a year on 'medical grounds' to have a second shot at both of you getting in. Otherwise you stand a chance of one of you dropping the place because you didn't get in for 2016, then in 2017 having the same thing the other way round.

 

[vickster]

You would have to pay twice though if that's a consideration. Doesn't cost anything to enter the ballot so you may as well

 

[Adrian_K]

To be fair to Deborah and Mary, they could be the stokers, unless I've got it wrong that they are both tandems. Ruth, not so much.

I hope to look this good when I'm 70+
http://www.marathon-photos.com/scri...ideLondon-Surrey 100&bib=25545&photo=RLCE7604
These could be fat fingers when entering their details and there has been no underhandedness. Unfortunately cyclists have a reputation for 'eating steak tainted with EPO' and this sort of behaviour doesn't go anywhere to improve it.

Not ever having been successful in the ballot, I get a bit stressed about no-shows and people bending the rules. Anywhay I have entered as a 45+year old man with an average estimated finishing time and will not be donating my fee to charity and keeping my fingers crossed.
/rant over.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I hope to look this good when I'm 70+
http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/photo.py?template=MPX2&event=Sports/CPUK/2015/Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100&bib=25545&photo=RLCE7604
These could be fat fingers when entering their details and there has been no underhandedness. Unfortunately cyclists have a reputation for 'eating steak tainted with EPO' and this sort of behaviour doesn't go anywhere to improve it.

Not ever having been successful in the ballot, I get a bit stressed about no-shows and people bending the rules. Anywhay I have entered as a 45+year old man with an average estimated finishing time and will not be donating my fee to charity and keeping my fingers crossed.
/rant over.

Unfortunately the world contains people who are willing to take advantage if one is presented and the people who aren't willing are often also too nice to be overly bothered by it beyond whinging to friends about it. Then again, if we were all sticklers for every rule we might just as well be German. :-)

 

[sleaver]

Not ever having been successful in the ballot, I get a bit stressed about no-shows and people bending the rules.

That is exactly how I feel. Well, annoyed rather than stressed

There are people out there who want to do whatever event it is, but people bend the rules to increase their chances, have little or no intention of doing it or defer due to pathetic reasons. Through not being fully committed to it, those people have stopped others who want to do it getting in through the ballot. Yes, I know there are other ways but it comes a point where you can't keep asking people for sponsorship.

Take last year and deferrals as an example. People openly admitted to seeing the weather forecast and deferring because it was going to rain which in turn then reduced the number of ballot places this year so stopping people getting in. Road cycling is an outdoor pursuit and so you have to deal with rain just like thousands did.

I had a place in the Berlin Marathon on 2012 but after running the Brighton Marathon, I damaged my ITB on a training run to the point where I would be in pain after just 2km and after 6km, the pain made me feel physically sick. Saw a physio who in a nice way basically said no chance to Berlin and so I deferred on medical grounds. 2013 came and I running still caused me pain so I emailed them to withdraw but to my surprise, my place rolled over again. It was at that point that I didn't take it up because while I had medical reasons, I was stopping others.

In regards to "estimated times", I put an optimistic at the time but realistic estimate knowing that I have a year to get there. I wouldn't say that I can do it in 4h to increase my chances because I just know there is no chance.

They say that if you can't beat them, join them. The problem is, you are then lowering yourself to their standards

 

[Chutzpah]

I've just entered on the off chance that my wife and I get in. If she doesn't, my place will go back for someone else :-)

It was a shame that her place couldn't be used this year, she broke her collarbone past the point that charities could make changes, and if you have a charity place you can't defer your spot (unless the charity sacrifices one of their spaces the following year I guess). So that was one entry that someone else could have taken advantage of a few weeks ago :-(

 

[Dogtrousers]

Chill out. What other people do or don't do, or what details you put in your entry will only make a very small, if that, difference to your chances.

Concentrate on what you can control. Ride your bike, and if you don't get a place then there are lots of other events, and lots of open roads, to choose from.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

It's all just a guess, but I really think that the people guessing they oversell places are right here. By deferring or dropping out you aren't freeing a place for someone else (or wouldn't be if the mechanism for that existed) you are bringing the numbers in line with their predicted final tally. Of course things like terrible weather for the 86 miler are probably a little outside their curve.

 

[sleaver]

Of course things like terrible weather for the 86 miler are probably a little outside their curve.

However, pretty much everyone that I have spoken to who didn't chicken out and others have said that the weather made the event last year. Everyone was dealing with the same as everyone else, it kind of brought people together and it made it more of a challenge. Would I do it again in those conditions, hell yes.

....and if you don't get a place then there are lots of other events.....

Exactly. I've done the full RideLondon in the sun (although I was cold riding through London at 7am ) and the cut down version in biblical conditions so what has it left to give me other than it is close to where I live! Velothon Wales was a nice difference this year yet challenging because of the lack of time I had so I am considering doing another sportive in Wales next year. So if I don't get in through the ballot, who cares.

OK, there are other sportives in Surrey as well, but why pay money when I can ride the same roads the other 364 (or 365 next year) days of the year and that are less challenging than other places.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

OK, there are other sportives in Surrey as well, but why pay money when I can ride the same roads the other 364 (or 365 next year) days of the year and that are less challenging than other places.

Absolutely, without the closed roads there's a lot less point, which is a major reason for me deciding not to bother at the 11th hour when thinking about signing up for other Sportives, I'm a miser at heart and would prefer to ride the route a week later for free (and with the tardy nature of Kentish Sportives when it comes to removing signage quite happily could...) if the road is going to be open anyway.

 

[benb]

If she doesn't, my place will go back for someone else

No, it doesn't work like that. There is no additional draw to allocate untaken slots.

 

[sleaver]

No, it doesn't work like that. There is no additional draw to allocate untaken slots.

The is an additional draw though.

Taken from their site:

Remember if you do donate your entry fee and you are not successful in the ballot, you get a second chance of entry with 1000 places allocated to just those who donate their entry fee and are unsuccessful. Plus you also get a chance to win a trip for two to the Etape du Tour 2016.