RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2015) Anyone?

[goody]

Just turn up and ride it. No one checks if you have a number on your bike anyway or what some do is photocopy a friends and put that on your bike. And you can pick your own start time!

 

[MichaelO]

How are start times allocated for charity places? I have a ballot place, and a friend is considering getting a charity place - is it pot-luck as to whether we end up starting at times close to each other? I realise this is the case for those in the ballot - wasn't sure if the charity places worked slightly differently...

 

[vickster]

How are start times allocated for charity places? I have a ballot place, and a friend is considering getting a charity place - is it pot-luck as to whether we end up starting at times close to each other? I realise this is the case for those in the ballot - wasn't sure if the charity places worked slightly differently...

Yes, pot luck I think. But get him to contact the charity

 

[sleaver]

How are start times allocated for charity places? I have a ballot place, and a friend is considering getting a charity place - is it pot-luck as to whether we end up starting at times close to each other? I realise this is the case for those in the ballot - wasn't sure if the charity places worked slightly differently...

I did it for charity last year and have a charity place this year as well. Both years I had to fill in an entry form that looked just like the ballot entry and had to give an estimated finishing time. If you put the same time as your friend, you should have more chance of getting the same time but it is still down to luck.

 

[Sittingduck]

Our club has been allocated 3 teams of 4! I have asked to be incuded in the draw for the blokes team but don't expect the odds to be in my favour. It will come right past my flat about 9 miles from the finish, so if I don't get a place I can at least hang out and watch the Pro race come past

 

[Gordon P]

African Initiatives have some places if you want to get a charity place. I can pass on your name.

 

[Trekster]

I'm in London when the race is on does anyone have a spare number I can buy.

Just turn up and ride it. No one checks if you have a number on your bike anyway or what some do is photocopy a friends and put that on your bike. And you can pick your own start time!

They do check, not everyone it's not possible. I was checked last year, they have people with mobile scanners and randomly check the bar numbers.

Why one would want be part of an event by cheating and dishonesty is beyond me. Apparently turning up on other social rides without an invitation/membership/insurance is not the done thing, anyone who thinks its ok to participate without paying is a hypocrite.

 

[goody]

Well, does anyone care? you'd just be riding instead of one of the thousands that don't show. You won't get a time, you don't take anything that others have paid for and if it eases your conscience donate the entry fee to charity. It's a shame the limit on riders is so low, if they had the pro's race on the saturday or scrapped altogether they could have the whole day for the 80,000 that want to ride.

 

[derrick]

I would suggest if you ain't got a place just ride it any way, the whole thing is a farce.

 

[Black Cat 9]

Questions from a newbie and London-Surrey 1st timer.
To any of those that have participated in previous years, how congested will it be at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, easy or difficult to get to your starting gate, how long should I allow.
Assuming that it will be a safe ride through central London to the starting point at that time on a Sunday morning?

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I'd allow 15-20 minutes when you get to the stadium, the start points are spread out and the riding round and round to get to the right spot took me by surprise (I'd not done a sportive before, this may be normal for all I know.) It did feel like my start point was a long way round though (I was green I think, could have been yellow) I passed a lot of 'this colour start point here' markers before I got to mine.

I wasn't that happy with the approach either, I came in from the O2 (through the Blackwall tunnel) and the signposted route in on the other side took you through some pretty tight roads which were already completely blocked by cars, lorries and buses trying to get around the closures. I felt quite lucky that I commute through this stuff regularly because it wasn't the nicest of traffic and threading through on a cycle while the majority of the drivers were already pissed off at cycles for closing the roads in the first place wasn't the best. I didn't time it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took me 30+ minutes to do the last 3 or 4 miles in and up to my staging area so I wouldn't leave things tight. I was aiming for my gate opening time and ended up caught short by a loo break as things moved on while I was in the portaloo, time was so tight. Then again people were mixing it up with start times a bit, so I wouldn't give up if you find yourself running a bit behind time because of traffic, punctures, whatever.

 

[Alexvs]

I got one of the Scope charity places but have so far not heard what's required as far as when you're required to be there or if there are any pre-meetings etc. I'm not staying the night before or anything due to cost of accommodation, I'm purely planning on jumping onto a train the morning of the ride, riding out and then getting back on the train to come home. I've been unsuccessful the last 2 years with the ballot system so jumped at an email to ride for Scope. Hopefully getting from and back to Euston isn't too stressful with a bike but I'm sure some careful planning and a loaded route into my Garmin 800 will suffice.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

When's the first train out of MK on a Sunday? Start times can be quite early...
Also you will need to collect a rider pack from Excel a day or two before the event.

 

[Rustybucket]

I got one of the Scope charity places but have so far not heard what's required as far as when you're required to be there or if there are any pre-meetings etc. I'm not staying the night before or anything due to cost of accommodation, I'm purely planning on jumping onto a train the morning of the ride, riding out and then getting back on the train to come home. I've been unsuccessful the last 2 years with the ballot system so jumped at an email to ride for Scope. Hopefully getting from and back to Euston isn't too stressful with a bike but I'm sure some careful planning and a loaded route into my Garmin 800 will suffice.

I was going to get the train into Waterloo, then ride to the start - Just checked and the earliest Train dosent get in to 8am. Looks like I will be riding an extra 30miles to get to the start line in time!

 

[vickster]

Our club has been allocated 3 teams of 4! I have asked to be incuded in the draw for the blokes team but don't expect the odds to be in my favour. It will come right past my flat about 9 miles from the finish, so if I don't get a place I can at least hang out and watch the Pro race come past

Why not volunteer to marshall. I did it last year in Leatherhead (luckily the rain had stopped by then). You could apply to do in RP/Wimbledon