Yep, count me in!
RideLondon - Surrey 100 anyone?
- Thread starter Nomadski
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Yep, count me in!
Irishrich
Über Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Could you imagine a group of around 100 ccers with matching kit along the route?? Epic!
OP
OP
Nomadski
I Like Bikes
- Location
- LBS, Usually
Epic would indeed be the word. Those lucky enough to get thru the ballot should make it happen!
Especially with Ian M Norman able to sort some shirts out!
NicciT
Active Member
- Location
- Leafy Buckinghamshire
The sound of the peloton just about to overtake you will probably give me as many nightmares as Leith Hill - the power of a group of cyclists is incredible!
Before anyone is to sort out a Cycle Chat shirt.
Please make sure you run this by Shaun first.
Irishrich
Über Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
You've sold me on the idea. I'll just tell the wife it's a weekend in London and im bringing the bike incase I fancy a ride around in my spare time! Having the matching kit would not only be a part of your history but would likely be seen on tv, get entering the ballot!
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Me too, Cotswolds hills training, box hill suddenly seemed completely doable!! Fab viewsIts probably because I'd been hill training in the Pennines and Peaks. I'd read so much about Box Hill that I figured I'd better get loads of steep hill training in.Fantastic view at the top though!!
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Hey you were one of many I saw on leith, thankfully a high verge!!Recovering at home after a well needed physio session!
I am still on a high after yesterday and just watching all the footage - mainly the professionals though so it would have been nice to have seen some additional coverage of us mere mortals on the ride.
The highs were the residents along the way who cheered us all on and thankfully no sign of all the idiots that were posting on various sites about throwing tacks on the road as we had apparently inconvenienced them so much... Also there was a town somewhere in Surrey that was absolutely packed with people and they provided such a great atmosphere. The marshalls were great and the start and end zones seemed really efficient considering the logistics involved. Staying at the Premier Inn near the start was a great move so I'd definitely recommend that in future.
Only a few lows or niggles. The main one was the amount of litter people were discarding - if you've got enough space to put a full gel packet then you can surely fit an empty one there! The water station after box hill was a bit shambolic and I wasted a lot of time there just trying to get some water. The 'food' on offer was a bit bizarre - bananas were great but think I also saw some digestives and crisps. I know I'm relatively new to this but I'm not sure either of these would effectively fuel us! Luckily I took nakd bars and some home made flapjacks which did the job.
Still laughing about the scratches on my arms that I acquired after toppling into a hedge up Leith Hill - slight wobble + cleats = never going to end well
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Brief hello if you remember close to the start.well done!!!More photos are being posted on the marathon photos site all the time. I've got 21 so far. This one even shows me enjoying the ride up Box Hill
This one is a thanks to @Nomadski for letting me know what was in store for us and motivating me to ride up hills.
View attachment 27303
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Sub 6 hours totally doable, from a female 48 year old only been cycling18 months and I did 6.49,
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Plus TV coverage was focused on celebs and pros, what about the 20,000 cyclists, many raising money for charity, not a look in on TV
Peddling pixie
Active Member
Medal is the biz, me and my mate raised loads for melingitis trust doing it next year for defoThe medal is awesome, not some lightweight affair, this thing is pretty darn heavy!
A few shots from my family taken of random happy campers (on bikes)
(BTW it appears to be quiet, but the side the photos were being taken are, it was 2 or 3 people deep all the way up).
Shuffled our way up to collect various bits like our drop off bags we'd left some hours earlier in Stratford...
Picked up my goody bag including such delights as SALAD CREAM and what I can only describe as a portable personal waste disposal system (tbf it could also be described as a collapsible water bottle which is what it is!). Packed my bike away in the TNT cardboard box, with no assistance whatsoever from TNT...And then off to the park for pic-a-nic and beer.
Eventually headed over the Cancer Research reception where i had a much welcomed massage, a shower and met up with @Phoenix Lincs again, who had also done the course in spectacular style!
Had a much needed steak..
(Yes, Id forgotten to pack my normal shorts so still had to keep the bib on!)
And then a few cheeky beers, and went back to the hotel to look at my shiny precious.
So endeth the day. A very unique experience, something Ive built up to for a year, and it didn't disappoint. Would very much encourage everyone reading this to get on the ballot when it opens next week, limited to the first 80k applicants, 26k places available for next years event. Hopefully the TV coverage will actually cover the RideLondon 100 next year instead of focusing everything on the pros and the saturday events!
Now all that is needed is for me to unpack the TNT box and see what state the bike is in. Its here looking at me funny.
EDIT: I should add, I did forget the most important thing, have raised a ton of money for Cancer Research UK with a stack more to come as Ive just heard my company are donating half the charity money boxes they have been filling for a month to CRUK for me.
CRUK told me they have raised £100,000 before the days ride, and that doesn't include online or offline gift aid so it was a perfect day really!
Snail Bait
Senior Member
[quote="Nomadski, post:
Its an event worth coming over for, I assure you!
Leith Hill climb northbound is around 1.4 miles @ 6.5%. The gradient doesnt really tell you the whole story as the beginning (up to 0.4 miles) sits under 5% or so for the most part, then goes on a rise / flat /rise / flat / rise kind of gradient hitting around 10% for the most part then a steep bit of 16% near the end. Unless you know whats to come, it can be a little bit of a mind bender as everytime you think your there, another bit comes at you. Its no Alps, but its by far the biggest challenge on this years route.
][/quote]
The main thing with any of the hills are where they are. The maximum I'd ridden on a sportive before was 84 miles. I'd mostly done 100 km so the hills on Sunday were at the point where my legs were saying "surely it's time to stop now .... please" but noooo Welcome to Leith Hill. I walked a section of it because I know I can't get out of my cleats when I'm tired and I was tired. They would all be totally doable on a normal pootle. That's why Wimbledon was such a bugger around the 90 mile mark. Normally you'd breeze up it. Good luck in the ballot everyone. No more charity stuff for me for a bit too.
Its an event worth coming over for, I assure you!
Leith Hill climb northbound is around 1.4 miles @ 6.5%. The gradient doesnt really tell you the whole story as the beginning (up to 0.4 miles) sits under 5% or so for the most part, then goes on a rise / flat /rise / flat / rise kind of gradient hitting around 10% for the most part then a steep bit of 16% near the end. Unless you know whats to come, it can be a little bit of a mind bender as everytime you think your there, another bit comes at you. Its no Alps, but its by far the biggest challenge on this years route.
][/quote]
The main thing with any of the hills are where they are. The maximum I'd ridden on a sportive before was 84 miles. I'd mostly done 100 km so the hills on Sunday were at the point where my legs were saying "surely it's time to stop now .... please" but noooo Welcome to Leith Hill. I walked a section of it because I know I can't get out of my cleats when I'm tired and I was tired. They would all be totally doable on a normal pootle. That's why Wimbledon was such a bugger around the 90 mile mark. Normally you'd breeze up it. Good luck in the ballot everyone. No more charity stuff for me for a bit too.
OP
OP
Nomadski
I Like Bikes
- Location
- LBS, Usually
Im sure everyone is aware if anything was to get branded we would have to look at who to contact first.
