80,000!! Blimey

[w00hoo_kent]

I'm one of those 24,000.... got a nice early start time as well so I won't be mixed up with the bimblers.

Should I wear my CC jersey?

Yup 07:20 start I don't have a CC jersey so I'll be in flouro yellow/white/black kit with the MET Parachute helmet on, should be easy to spot :-)

Wouldn't be surprised if they policed ad hoc riders a bit better than the London Brighton though.

 

[ianrauk]

Wouldn't be surprised if they policed ad hoc riders a bit better than the London Brighton though.

And how would they do that in the throng of 20,000+ others?

 

[Globalti]

Yup 07:20 start I don't have a CC jersey so I'll be in flouro yellow/white/black kit with the MET Parachute helmet on, should be easy to spot :-)

I'm 07:10 start.

Have you just posted about that helmet on STW?

 

[w00hoo_kent]

STW? No, I've mentioned owning it before but not recently.

 

[vickster]

Does it get you a place for next year?

No but I expect it won't do you any harm...get a t shirt, cap, bottle, free lunch and a front row spot for the pro ride depending on your role

 

[srw]

[QUOTE 3202574, member: 30090"]Thinking of the best place just to turn up and do the ride. They can't have marshalls all along all the route.[/QUOTE]
Wait until the tail end - that way there will be fewer people on the route.

 

[srw]

And how would they do that in the throng of 20,000+ others?

By the time 20,000 are spread across 2.5 hours of starting time that's only 2 per second at the start, 1 per second on each carriageway of the A12. Spread across an expected 6 hours or so of finishing, and allowing for withdrawals it will be one every few seconds. THat's not exactly a throng. Interlopers will be easy to spot, as they'll be riding without numbers. I'm expecting to see a few artificial bottlenecks created to collar them and hoick them off.

I've got a lot of sympathy with the attitude of "just turn up" on open road events, but not when the road has been closed. The risks are substantial - insurance won't cover you if you cause an accident, and it might turn into a police matter.

 

[srw]

Yup 07:20 start I don't have a CC jersey so I'll be in flouro yellow/white/black kit with the MET Parachute helmet on, should be easy to spot :-)

Not as easy to spot as the couple on a tandem with green and white running vests converted into tabards over cycling kit.

 

[ianrauk]

By the time 20,000 are spread across 2.5 hours of starting time that's only 2 per second at the start, 1 per second on each carriageway of the A12. Spread across an expected 6 hours or so of finishing, and allowing for withdrawals it will be one every few seconds. THat's not exactly a throng. Interlopers will be easy to spot, as they'll be riding without numbers. I'm expecting to see a few artificial bottlenecks created to collar them and hoick them off.

Is this what happened last year?

 

[Beebo]

The event is run by the London marathon company, and they are very good at stopping people just joining in that event.

 

[Pale Rider]

The wording of the various closure orders would be worth a look.

I doubt they say 'closed to everyone except cyclists who have paid to do Ride London'.

The orders might say 'closed to motorised or vehicular traffic', in which case there's a good argument for saying any cyclist can use the closed roads.

The marshals at the closed road Pennines Etape sportive take the view the road is open to any cyclist.

Not that they have a big problem with interlopers, but a few cyclists do bimble along the route to get a vantage point.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

The entry instructions (which I know aren't the same thing) say the route will be closed to all and specifically can't be used by cyclists as a way to the start.

 

[EltonFrog]

By all means join in the ride without paying your way, I would be very interested to hear how you get on one way or another. It would be an interesting story.

 

[ufkacbln]

A group of 24,000 cyclists .......I'll be heading in the opposite direction

There is always one who has to be different!