RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2015) Anyone?

[Simontm]

It's not the same because from a motorists perspective passing a cyclist by 10 cm, 50 cm or 5 metres makes no difference, they are never putting themself at any risk. A cyclist however judges what is safe based on risk to both parties. If they pass too close then they can suffer the consequences of any accident too. That is a big difference!


/QUOTE]
Sorry gonna have to pull you up on this one.

The one thing that really pees me off when normally riding is precisely this close pass. It is not about the risk to the 'driver' whatever the vehicle, it is the risk to me. The 'driver' has no idea what type of rider I am for a start - what if I am a violent veerer when I see a small pothole? That's my problem with those type of riders. You cannot access risk on the basis of another rider you don't know. On that point, all road users should be considering the risk to all other road users for their actions.

The most important lesson I ever was taught was that everyone else on a road is a moron, and act accordingly.

 

[swansonj]

Sorry to hear about the injuries and the poor chap who passed away.

My reflections. This was my first sportive and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. It is up there with the best days of my life. In fact, today I have Ride London blues, feeling very similar to the day after my wedding, but without a honeymoon in Antigua to enjoy!

I was incredibly happy I hadn't ridden in the area at all prior to the event, I didn't have a clue where I was or what was forthcoming. Newlands Corner was OK, Box Hill was a joy (including joining in with a Mexican Wave with the stewards and having to get off to take a picture of the breath-taking view!) but Leith Hilll was painful. It isn't as steep as some of the hills in my usual North Kent patch, but boy, it is long! Loved the descent though! My Strava, which annoyingly told me I had done 99.8 miles, also said my highest speed was 46.5 mph, which is scary! Garmin said 100.03 and 42.5mph. Wimbledon Hill was just annoying, particularly as at that point my legs wre really startting to feel it!

So happy to have completed it an hour quicker than I thought (5 hours 25, 5 hours 15 Strava time) which has given me a lot of confidence and I'm now looking forward to joining the local club (Bigfoot in Bromley). Couldn't believe how quick it was! I'd always hoped to do the first 40 miles in 2 hours, and slow down from there, but when I'd got to 50 in 2 hours 30 I got very excited. A lull around the big hills, but the last 15 miles were my quickest, which was a surprise! Sadly it meant my wife and dad missed me altogether! Happily I caught up with them at the charity's post ride bash.

Time Of Day Time km/h
EST MILE 17 08:14:10 00:49:31 31.63
EST MILE 26 08:42:52 01:18:14 31.88
EST MILE 47 09:50:12 02:25:34 30.07
EST MILE 55 10:17:03 02:52:25 28.82
EST MILE 75 11:30:54 04:06:16 24.78
EST MILE 85 12:06:00 04:41:21 28.05
FINISH 12:50:31 05:25:53 33.82

I wasn't bothered by the groups powering through on the right. They were always pretty courteous to me and made me aware they were there.

Well done to everyone though, fabulous day and lots of fabulous people.

Special credit to @Tomtrumps for being, I believe, the only person so far to have included an allusion to the scenery you were cycling through among the reasons for all enjoying yourselves so much.

 

[srw]

Special credit to @Tomtrumps for being, I believe, the only person so far to have included an allusion to the scenery you were cycling through among the reasons for all enjoying yourselves so much.

It was, of course, mostly delightful. The exceptions being Leatherhead, which seems to be a town in hock to the car, and the depressing road out to Walton-on-Thames where you're stuck between the reservoirs and semi-industrial sprawl along the river.

The view from Boxhill almost made the crawl to the top worthwhile. Unfortunately there were too many people right at the top on Newland's Corner, so we stopped a dozen yards further back and couldn't see that view.

 

[EltonFrog]

Some of the photos are up on marathon-photos.com if you are interested.

 

[huttster]

Did anyone else book a parking space?I booked a place in car park O turned up on time to find it had turned into car park NO! Full up! Apart from that had a great day,4hours 48 strava,official 4 hours 51

 

[srw]

The Super Mario brothers apparently got round in about 6:40. A few fancy dress costumes on display - several people had kitted out helmets with mohicans, balloon bikes and other adornments. There was a pair of crash test dummies on a tandem, a Batman, and at least one banana suit.

 

[swansonj]

It was, of course, mostly delightful. The exceptions being Leatherhead, which seems to be a town in hock to the car, and the depressing road out to Walton-on-Thames where you're stuck between the reservoirs and semi-industrial sprawl along the river.

The view from Boxhill almost made the crawl to the top worthwhile. Unfortunately there were too many people right at the top on Newland's Corner, so we stopped a dozen yards further back and couldn't see that view.

It is a well-known fact that the view from the Box Hill zig-zags is better on the way down.

The point of living in Leatherhead is not for the views. Come to that, I'm struggling to think what the point of living in Leatherhead is....

 

[Steppylud]

Some of the photos are up on marathon-photos.com if you are interested.

Urgh, I so do not look suited to cycling. I think that is the first time I have seen photos of myself on a bike.

Its Mr Blobby on a bike.

 

[srw]

To be honest, it was the one option I'd actually heard of.

If I remember correctly someone wanted Bohemian Rhapsody, but it was too long; or Fat-bottomed Girls and Bicycle, but both had been played already.

 

[DaveReading]

Did anyone else book a parking space?

Yes, I gritted my teeth and stumped up the £17 for a space in car park D (Farringdon Road), my logic being to minimise the distance to cycle back to the car from the finish.

There were still loads of spaces when I got there, and if it filled up later they had all gone by the time I got back at 5pm. I have to confess that I then succumbed to the attractions of the pub next door for a celebratory pint of Brakspears.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

As for the comments in the pub - presumably everyone enjoying the post ride pint considered their own riding to be of the highest standard, impeccable and courteous, with any problem being due to everyone else being crap? I assume that is an opinion that all of us on CC share too - we're all awesome and the problem is with everyone else!

Speak for yourself. I'm happy to consider every day a school day and own up when I screw up. It's part of being self aware. Pretty positive I've seen others do it too. Analysing your own ride is part of doing it better next time, who wouldn't want that?

 

[zizou]

Speak for yourself. I'm happy to consider every day a school day and own up when I screw up. It's part of being self aware. Pretty positive I've seen others do it too. Analysing your own ride is part of doing it better next time, who wouldn't want that?

That was sort of the point i was trying to make (badly it appears!). I definitely don't consider myself flawless and free of error. It's just that after virtually every cycling event or race ive read about over the years there have been lots of moaning afterwards whether it be in person or reading it on social media about the standards of others doing the event. Some people will put their hands up and apologise when they make a mistake, some people either screw up or take excessive risks and dont care, some who have screwed up or done something wrong will be unaware they have erred and are now the subject of strangers moaning about their bad riding after the event and in many cases they may not have done anything wrong at all yet someone will still be criticising their riding.

 

[zizou]

Sorry gonna have to pull you up on this one.

The one thing that really pees me off when normally riding is precisely this close pass. It is not about the risk to the 'driver' whatever the vehicle, it is the risk to me. The 'driver' has no idea what type of rider I am for a start - what if I am a violent veerer when I see a small pothole? That's my problem with those type of riders. You cannot access risk on the basis of another rider you don't know. On that point, all road users should be considering the risk to all other road users for their actions.

The most important lesson I ever was taught was that everyone else on a road is a moron, and act accordingly.

If you are going to be frightened by other cyclists riding close then doing an event which features some some fairly narrow roads and 25000+ entrants isnt perhaps the best of ideas.

In any case i think you can (and do) assess risk and judgement based on riders you dont know - it doesnt take long to see if someone holds their line or even what they look like on a bike - is their upper body still, is their pedalling stroke smooth and so on can help you judge too and act accordingly. You are not always going to get it right (just think what Chris Froome looks like and he's not too shabby a rider!) but on the other hand i never once believed i was surrounded by morons on Sunday. And I say this as someone who was taken out by a crash that i had no fault in causing!

 

[Simontm]

If you are going to be frightened by other cyclists riding close then doing an event which features some some fairly narrow roads and 25000+ entrants isnt perhaps the best of ideas.

In any case i think you can (and do) assess risk and judgement based on riders you dont know - it doesnt take long to see if someone holds their line or even what they look like on a bike - is their upper body still, is their pedalling stroke smooth and so on can help you judge too and act accordingly. You are not always going to get it right (just think what Chris Froome looks like and he's not too shabby a rider!) but on the other hand i never once believed i was surrounded by morons on Sunday. And I say this as someone who was taken out by a crash that i had no fault in causing!

I don't scare easily, that's not my point. In fact I'm a big lad so if someone was to try and elbow me out of the way - which I saw a few of on Sunday - they would probably come off second best.
If some idiots want to be Strava louts, do it in a race not Ride London. You are absolutely right that people make risk assessments, I'm talking bout giving courtesy to other riders. Yes there are narrow roads but that is precisely the time to take care and be courteous.
I said most riders were kind, polite, encouraging, funny and good company and I will certainly enter the ballot next week.

 

[oldcarltonfan]

Good point zizou. If the chap who took me out, from behind and at high speed, had stopped to apologise for HIS mistake, I might not be so cross. I was taught many years ago that the overtaker, not overtakee, was responsible for avoiding contact (I am willing to be corrected by the group). And yes, I used to race as a young man, do ride a lot in groups and am not intimidated by bikes close up. I apolgise for typos, I'm still in hospital, in pain and minus (broken) glasses using a tiny smartphone screen. Don't suppose anyone got any video of an Asthma UK rider on an Enigma being taken out in Dorking @ the 65 mile point just before 1200? I might be able to get a number of the chap who took me out and get a contribution to a titanium repair; I can get fixed on the NHS, the bike can't! Well done to all who made it, yes the scenary and weather were lovely and only one out of 25k tried to kill me!