Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I know we've been wittering about this in the RideLondon2020 thread, but I guess it should have a thread of its own.
RideLondon-Essex 100 (2022) Anyone?
- Thread starter Dogtrousers
- Start date
-
- Tags
- london
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I was tempted but having done two Ride 100's before I don't think that they are particularly safe. Far too many riders with limited riding experience pretending they are Bradley Wiggins. It's a nightmare.
I spent my 2nd Ride 100 stood around for 3 hours in the blazing heat stuck on the course thanks to crashes . It was a shambles that year.
Plus it's the only sportive I've seen someone die in front of me on so I won't be rushing back all things considered.
On that happy note I realise I wasn't temped after all - but the above aside it's an experience and maybe everyone should have a crack once!
I spent my 2nd Ride 100 stood around for 3 hours in the blazing heat stuck on the course thanks to crashes . It was a shambles that year.
Plus it's the only sportive I've seen someone die in front of me on so I won't be rushing back all things considered.
On that happy note I realise I wasn't temped after all - but the above aside it's an experience and maybe everyone should have a crack once!
dickyknees
Guru
- Location
- Anglesey
OP
OP
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Preparation has begun. I rode my first century since before Covid at the weekend. It was actually quite an important one, as I crashed and damaged my bike a lot (and me a bit) half way through a century a few days before the first lockdown began. So I returned to the same route and finally finished it. It took me 9 hours, which got me thinking ...
How does the 8 hour cutoff business work? I'm guessing that they only eliminate people who are injured/ utterly pooped and struggling/ mechanically broken down. Izzat right?
I'm wondering how worried I should be. I've ridden about 80 imperial centuries over the last decade but only two or three were under 8 hours. My typical time is around 9 hours (longer for hilly ones), including about 30 minutes sitting round eating and another 30 minutes of miscellaneous stops - traffic, navigation checks, clothing adjustments, photo opportunities and so on.
I figure that the closed roads and the fact that Essex is generally flat should speed things up a bit and if I'm very strict about keeping stopped time to an absolute minimum it should be OK. If I see the the broom wagon approaching I'll certainly be able to get a lick on to keep it at arm's length.
One of my few sub-8 100 milers was actually the first 160km of the now defunct Great Escape flat 200k Audax out from London into Essex, which bodes well.
How does the 8 hour cutoff business work? I'm guessing that they only eliminate people who are injured/ utterly pooped and struggling/ mechanically broken down. Izzat right?
I'm wondering how worried I should be. I've ridden about 80 imperial centuries over the last decade but only two or three were under 8 hours. My typical time is around 9 hours (longer for hilly ones), including about 30 minutes sitting round eating and another 30 minutes of miscellaneous stops - traffic, navigation checks, clothing adjustments, photo opportunities and so on.
I figure that the closed roads and the fact that Essex is generally flat should speed things up a bit and if I'm very strict about keeping stopped time to an absolute minimum it should be OK. If I see the the broom wagon approaching I'll certainly be able to get a lick on to keep it at arm's length.
One of my few sub-8 100 milers was actually the first 160km of the now defunct Great Escape flat 200k Audax out from London into Essex, which bodes well.
Last edited:
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Essex is generally around 48ft per mile in terms of climbing. Expect about 4,800ft of climbing over the course. Which you’ll either consider flat or blimey best train on some hills.
OP
OP
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I'm not sure what 4,800 ft is (I'll work it out later ) But I do know from plenty of experience that Essex is flat.
I don't have any concern about hills. I do have concern about being OTL. I'm wondering how they apply the rule.
I don't have any concern about hills. I do have concern about being OTL. I'm wondering how they apply the rule.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
It is 400ft more climbing than if you’d ascended Ben Nevis from sea level
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
This may help. Closed roads make a huge difference. I usually ride a flat century in 6:00 - 6.15: hours. I did the old route in 5:19 and logged it at 4478 feet so a flat ride - I'm from Lancashire, the hills on PRL aren't what I'm used to. I'm expecting to do the new route in 5:30 and hoping for 5:00.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
I've found it can make 2-3mph ave. difference between a flat-ish and a hilly route. Also don't forget you will probably find yourself riding in a bit of group which will speed you up / preserve some energy with the drafting effect compared to riding solo.
OP
OP
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
As I've never been to Ben Nevis that's not terribly enlightening. But it's OK. I already know just how flat Essex is. I've done a fair bit of riding there. I've done the sums and the figure you gave comes out to 1460m or roughly 0.9% overall. Flatter than any of my usual routes.
Thanks. I'm hoping for an assist from the closed roads and just from the fact that it's an event.
If the worst comes to the worst and I have a late start and the broom wagon starts breathing down my neck I'll just have to get a move on.
I'm generally not keen on riding on other people's wheels because I don't trust either them or myself to be safe. But maybe with large numbers out there there may be some kind of overall draft?
T4tomo
Legendary Member
I get you on that, but you soon spot a group of 4 or 5 people who look like they know what they are doing, get chatting and tag along and take your turn. equally you spot a bunch of erratic lunatic you don't want to ride anywhere near!
lazybloke
Considering a new username
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
I suspect any 8 hour "limit" is a worst case scenario if you leave in the final wave.
My 2016 effort was 9 hours 20 minutes; I was still able to do the full 100 miles.
Some took over 10 hours!
Closed roads make a hell of a difference. My actual cycling was considerably faster than I ever achieved in training.
OP
OP
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
That's what I was hoping to hear!
Unfortunately I was honest in my estimated finishing time so the final wave is where they may dump me.
lazybloke
Considering a new username
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
You'd expect them to allow extra time for loo & refreshment stops, mechanicals and so on.That's what I was hoping to hear!
Unfortunately I was honest in my estimated finishing time so the final wave is where they may dump me.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Nope, that hasn't been the case, but in the past, the men's pro race has been chasing the sportive, which I think isn't happening in 2022. And despite all that and the 20-odd motorbike police in front of the race, a guy in gold cinelli kit on a cinelli bike (to be fair, his kit looked as coordinated as any pro) still managed to ride into the Mall finish between the peloton and groupetto one year.
The way it has worked is the route has been closed at each of the short-cut points at a certain time. So if you arrived at Newlands Corner after 11.25 or whatever, you were diverted onto the 46 instead of the 100. I think these times were published online before the day but I don't think most of them were in the rider info pack. Searching the old threads should reveal the actual times.
I think if you can ride a 9 hour 100 on open roads, you'll do it in less than 8 hours on closed ones as long as you keep your fitness up something near for then. If you are in anything before the final wave, there will be really no worry. And I think the final wave is one of the themed ones, which I think is some sort of new sportive rider programme, if that's still going.
