RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2017) Anyone?

[mjr]

I watched the pros on TV, and in the final few km there were at least two occasions where the breakaway came upon a member of the public scampering across the road at what looked like the last moment .

My perch at Putney Bridge was between a cone on the end of a line of tape and one of those sheep-pen fences that try to corral people at pelican crossings. The pelican was closed and taped off. Half the bridge was still open to normal traffic. Security staff (not volunteers AFAICT) with megaphones were shouting at people not to cross and to use the tunnel under the bridge ramp instead. It would have added maybe 30 metres to most people's walk if you can use stairs, maybe 100m if you needed to use the road route on the eastern side instead. Still they tried crossing, with one lovely gentleman pushing me out of the way (I was cheering the ride and didn't see/hear him approach) to go play chicken with the riders. Fortunately no collisions that I saw This is still a weak spot in the event IMO - the signs for which crossings are open are rather small and not near things like the pelican where people are usually encouraged to cross.

 

[Tin Pot]

I quite enjoyed the busy bits, the close quarters cycling. A big difference for me as a solo rider and triathlete.

Leith Hill did have a walking bus, and when it stopped it did cause a little alarm, but a bit of shuffling and finding your place was quite good - peletonesque imo. Dozens of riders with a few inches between them and nobody died - restores your faith in human cycling

The descents is where I pass people, I back off power of the hills when everyone else starts sweating, but keep the power on when everyone else is coasting...On your right, on your right, on your right, FFS is there something wrong with the left side of the road, people?

I don't think I'll do another sportive without a group or at least one buddy though, it's quite boring most of the time.

 

[mjr]

FFS is there something wrong with the left side of the road, people?

I believe there were some overtaking on the left, so people were a bit scared to move over too far.

 

[rugby bloke]

Whilst I had no problem with the "on your right" calls for most of the time, there were times when it was bloody annoying - in particular if half the road was closed so everyone had to shuffle on one carriageway. At that point its not good enough just to yell, because there is no where for the other cyclists to go. Get your head up and see what is happening - wait for a couple of seconds and then when we have the whole road it's going to clear. After all we rightly criticize car drivers for this sort of behaviour. Sometimes you've just got to wait.

 

[mjr]

Right, I've heard about a woman in Surrey cheering riders past with a feather duster, but yesterday revealed that I must get a cow bell or something and I could really do with some new things to shout for that length of time! Anyone hear some good ones?

I used the old favourites "Hup! Hup! Hup!" and "Allez! Allez! Allez!", plus at Limehouse, "Straight on for sunshine!" "Lovely day for a bike ride!" "I think they went straight on!" "Not far now, is it?" "Are we nearly there yet?" "You're catching them!" "Nice bit of flat now!" "That's the worst hill done, right?" "You're nearly in central London now!" and of course, "hooray for Bromptons/tandems" plus (pointing at a race vehicle) "he's got a motor!"

 

[Tin Pot]

Whilst I had no problem with the "on your right" calls for most of the time, there were times when it was bloody annoying - in particular if half the road was closed so everyone had to shuffle on one carriageway. At that point its not good enough just to yell, because there is no where for the other cyclists to go. Get your head up and see what is happening - wait for a couple of seconds and then when we have the whole road it's going to clear. After all we rightly criticize car drivers for this sort of behaviour. Sometimes you've just got to wait.

Narrowing roads, yes, but most of the time there was "nowhere to go" because they should have been on the left already instead of riding the same pace four,five, six abreast!

Not to mention that I don't think I saw anyone check their shoulder before pulling right. Quite a few indicating their move, but still not looking before they try to kill you both.

Still, it's made me realise that triathletes aren't quite as bad as sportive riders

 

[smutchin]

If you don't want to be passed on the left, keep to the left hand side of the road. If you hold your line, it should be safe for faster riders to pass on either side anyway. And if you do have to move sideways, you check over your shoulder first.

I got told off by one old duffer for passing on the left somewhere near Esher. I'd got boxed in on the left after a pinch point, with slower riders in front, to my side and behind. I slowed down and waited patiently until we passed a side road and used the opening to dart round. I don't think I did anything wrong and I made sure I gave him plenty of room but he complained anyway. But I was almost out of earshot before he'd finished his speech so didn't hang around to discuss it with him.

AFAIK, the only points on the route where people were explicitly told to keep left was when walking up the hills.

 

[Tin Pot]

I believe there were some overtaking on the left, so people were a bit scared to move over too far.

I'd never do that, once...

But I did have it happen to me while I was moving left a few times, even on wide roads with no one to my right.

Sometimes you have a peloton/train block your right, a slower rider appear ahead, and a bunch hogging your wheel so sudden braking is off the menu. I'd sit up and stop pedalling so whoever was behind would get the message, then brake slowly or muscle into the blockers on the right who could see perfectly well what was happening.

Using the car metaphor, it's filtering that good motorists see, anticipate and make way for...not so often cyclists imo.

 

[Tin Pot]

I got told off by one old duffer for passing on the left somewhere near Esher. I'd got boxed in on the left after a pinch point, with slower riders in front, to my side and behind. I slowed down and waited patiently until we passed a side road and used the opening to dart round. I don't think I did anything wrong and I made sure I gave him plenty of room but he complained anyway. But I was almost out of earshot before he'd finished his speech so didn't hang around to discuss it with him.

AFAIK, the only points on the route where people were explicitly told to keep left was when walking up the hills.

My goodness there are a lot of opinionated riders aren't there?

Maybe they should get some sort of tin box to fit around them, to keep their opinions in. Another couple of wheels for stability, obviously...

 

[rugby bloke]

I just discovered that the big chap with the hair who I was riding alongside for part of the way yesterday was Welsh rugby legend Colin Charvis.

I'll see your Wales rugby legend and raise you - Moby Award Winning singer / songwriter Lemar. He was at the front of my starting wave, got to choose one of his own songs for the ride out music.

 

[derrick]

Two punctures got held up at one accident, but the rest of the ride was good, seemed like a really hard ride, was not happy at the end. No beer tent
Total mileage 120 miles includes riding to start then back home at the end. well back to our local pub, great day out.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1109056600

 

[mjr]

If you don't want to be passed on the left, keep to the left hand side of the road. If you hold your line, it should be safe for faster riders to pass on either side anyway. And if you do have to move sideways, you check over your shoulder first.

Yeah, but you know how it is, you start overtaking someone and they speed up because they're just not going to be overtaken by an old fogey on *that* bike or you start to run out of steam mid-overtake and then you're riding side-by-side or half-wheeling and can't move across, then you drop back behind them or they run out of steam and you're suddenly in the middle of the lane with apparently no-one on your left and you don't want to look left just then because it's busy ahead and you want to watch the wheels not risk a wobble and then you do look over your left shoulder and some nobber's already started the overtake on the left and aaaaargh now they're calling you rude names

AFAIK, the only points on the route where people were explicitly told to keep left was when walking up the hills.

Really? There were signs saying "slower riders keep left" on the exit from the Limehouse tunnels (where you could go either side of the central reservations along The Highway). I had a loooong time to see them

Two punctures got held up at one accident, but the rest of the ride was good, seemed like a really hard ride, was not happy at the end. No beer tent

What the heck was that Amstel area then? Wasn't it serving beer?

 

[rugby bloke]

What the heck was that Amstel area then? Wasn't it serving beer?

No, it was serving Amstel ...

 

[mjr]

No, it was serving Amstel ...

...but you just wanted a saucer of milk, right?

 

[derrick]

Yeah, but you know how it is, you start overtaking someone and they speed up because they're just not going to be overtaken by an old fogey on *that* bike or you start to run out of steam mid-overtake and then you're riding side-by-side or half-wheeling and can't move across, then you drop back behind them or they run out of steam and you're suddenly in the middle of the lane with apparently no-one on your left and you don't want to look left just then because it's busy ahead and you want to watch the wheels not risk a wobble and then you do look over your left shoulder and some nobber's already started the overtake on the left and aaaaargh now they're calling you rude names


Really? There were signs saying "slower riders keep left" on the exit from the Limehouse tunnels (where you could go either side of the central reservations along The Highway). I had a loooong time to see them


What the heck was that Amstel area then? Wasn't it serving beer?

Only to special guests. Something to do with licencing laws in the royal parks. So only for the dick head royals.they need to go.downgrade the parks to normal parks. Then you can have a beer tent.