RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2018) Anyone?

[Racing roadkill]

I got through before the crash fest started, and I managed to get Leith and Box hills done before they were closed. There was one guy in a heap at Hammersmith, who looked like he’d done a collarbone, and someone piled into the back of a group of riders waiting at a pedestrian crossing point near Putney, but other than a delay caused by congestion on a tight bit of the course through Leatherhead, and having to avoid several idiot riders, who had decided to stand around in the middle of the road, whilst their mates sorted out mechanicals, and the atrocious conditions, it wasn’t too bad. The after event massage, at the Scope team base was very welcome as well. I’ve got to get home now.

 

[kipster]

My son did it yesterday, fortunately I bought him a rain jacket at the show on on friday as he didn't have one. He wore it for the first 85 miles (start time was 8:08). He did Leith and Box, so I dont know what time they closed, he was back just after 2pm. He said he saw a few accidents. I was worried he'd get a punture as he rearly rides alone so would always have someone to help, although I did get him to practice, it's a different thing doing it for real in the wet. Fortunately he didn't, but said he saw loads on people chaging tubes. One guy in the club came off at mile 12, front wheel went in wet. Think they might have broken a rib or two, they did try to carry on, but a mile later abandoned and went to get checked out.

 

[Buck]

I managed to get a place this year which I was thrilled about and have been training hard.
However, looking at the forecast I’m considering not taking part
The rain is one thing but 19mph winds are scary.
What are other’s doing?

@NanoRoo - did you complete the ride in the end?

 

[jefmcg]

Our riders reported numerous crashes, people simply falling off and confirmed the guy on Leith Hill had a heart attack but didn’t know if he made it or not.

Sadly he didn't

https://www.justgiving.com/Nigel-Buchan-Swanson

 

[steverob]

I haven't gone through all of the details yet, but judging from the people who I know did the ride yesterday who are on Strava, they must have closed the bottom loop of Leith Hill at about 12:20 - riders still got to turn right at Gomshall and get as far as Holmbury St. Mary, but then they were directed down Pasterwood Road which comes out halfway down the Leith Hill descent. Not sure when they closed the full loop and made people stay on the A25 however.

For Box Hill, it looks like that was closed somewhere between 1:15 and 1:20, which was about the time I was leaving the drinks stop at the top of the hill (having been there almost a quarter of an hour admittedly).

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sadly he didn't

https://www.justgiving.com/Nigel-Buchan-Swanson

Thanks for the justgiving link, donation made.

 

[NanoRoo]

@NanoRoo - did you complete the ride in the end?

@Buck Thanks for asking and for your original comment which gave me a kick up the proverbial.

The answer is YES! I did finish it. After lots of weather watching I bought a proper rain jacket from the Show on Saturday.

My start time was 0700 orange wave K. It was the first time I'd got a place and I thought the whole thing was pretty well organised. I couldn't believe how each wave seemed to leave right on time! I was a bit warm for the first half hour through Central London but the rain soon started and I wore the jacket for the rest of the event and managed to keep the cold off.

Whilst I was feeling pretty sulky about the weather before the event, now, reading everyone's comments, I feel pretty lucky as I managed to stay rubber side down, didn't get a puncture, completed both Leith and Box Hills and, what's more, completed it in a little over 6 hours which considering Tour de Yorkshire took me 7, I was pleased with. I, too, couldn't believe how many people had punctures although feel lucky that I didn't see many accidents.

I must admit that I feel guilty saying it but I had a really good day. Yes, the weather was grim but I managed to ignore that mostly and just enjoyed taking part in such a big event. However, I'm not sure I'll be entering next year.

EDIT: Forgot to say, worst bit of the day for me [tongue in cheek] - MY GARMIN RECORDED IT AS 99.2 MILES! Oh the shame!

 

[Nomadski]

@Buck Thanks for asking and for your original comment which gave me a kick up the proverbial.

The answer is YES! I did finish it. After lots of weather watching I bought a proper rain jacket from the Show on Saturday.

My start time was 0700 orange wave K. It was the first time I'd got a place and I thought the whole thing was pretty well organised. I couldn't believe how each wave seemed to leave right on time! I was a bit warm for the first half hour through Central London but the rain soon started and I wore the jacket for the rest of the event and managed to keep the cold off.

Whilst I was feeling pretty sulky about the weather before the event, now, reading everyone's comments, I feel pretty lucky as I managed to stay rubber side down, didn't get a puncture, completed both Leith and Box Hills and, what's more, completed it in a little over 6 hours which considering Tour de Yorkshire took me 7, I was pleased with. I, too, couldn't believe how many people had punctures although feel lucky that I didn't see many accidents.

I must admit that I feel guilty saying it but I had a really good day. Yes, the weather was grim but I managed to ignore that mostly and just enjoyed taking part in such a big event. However, I'm not sure I'll be entering next year.

EDIT: Forgot to say, worst bit of the day for me [tongue in cheek] - MY GARMIN RECORDED IT AS 99.2 MILES! Oh the shame!

My Garmin has done that to me 2 of the 3 times Ive done it! I think the trick is to go the long way round all the roundabouts.

 

[jay clock]

Same here, though I know all the hoops to jump through, unnecessary expense & bureaucracy would drive me nuts and I'd never want to do it again.....

Hoops? Bureaucracy? It was 30 secs on a website.

 

[jay clock]

My pre-ride warm up was helping my daughter move house, three crossings of London by car and 5 hours kip.

Pre-ride logistics were ok, and my fears of standing for 90 mins in the rain were unfounded as it started to rain about 30 secs after we started at 0744. Luckily I had my light but effective rain jacket. Utterly drenched fairly soon, but at least warm and damp. Really not as wet air could have been, but certainly at least 1000 punctures at a guess.

Flat down the A12 and into the city though tunnels, and along the Embankment into Trafalgar Sq, Pall Mall and Piccadilly and out west to Chiswick and Surrey. Really fantastic atmosphere and pockets of great support for the many charity riders.

Through Richmond Park and then out into Surrey hills. Only two significant climbs: Leith Hill (loads of people walking) and Box Hill (beautiful) but perfectly do-able for an average to poor climber like me.

The wind was very strong and gusty, but eventually we got some tailwind as we headed back into town and I picked up speed in a huge peleton of 200+ riders. Finish was down the Mall and a great atmosphere. I was really pleased to be finishing strong and fast.

What was lovely was seeing the wide range of different cyclists showing friends and family that getting on a bike and cycling a long way is a normal and healthy way to spend a Sunday. And a lot of women, which again is good for the sport, as many of the male riders (OK, a small percentage) were cycling like utter bell ends. Screaming ON YOUR RIGHT does not allow you to shoulder barge another rider on a road crammed with cyclists.

And it really felt like a pro race. Great support in Dorking, Richmond and Kingston with loads of supporters.

I then had to pedal back to East London, more house moving duties. I must have been tired because I stopped at the motorway services for a 2 hour sleep! Home at 10 and in bed asap.

Final official time 6:44, and 6:34 on my Garmin which pauses at stops.

No aches and pains this morning, and nice to have a few weeks with no events or commitments!

(BTW for anyone needing to head back east next time, just go to the roundabout at Hyde Park corner, head down Picadilly and Shaftesbury Avenue eastwards. I can also recommend Tommis Burgers in Berwick St for sustenance!)

 

[steverob]

My Garmin has done that to me 2 of the 3 times Ive done it! I think the trick is to go the long way round all the roundabouts.

It does depend a lot on how your Garmin (other brands of GPS devices are available) treats the Limehouse Link tunnel. Obviously it'll never give you the full mile of twists and turns that it makes underground, but I've previously seen it register as about three quarters a mile of distance e.g. the direct straight line distance between the start and end points of the tunnel; and have also seen it add on barely anything at all (e.g. less than 0.1 miles) because I guess it just assumed that you'd teleported from one end to the other instead of cycling it?

This time I got the next-to-no-distance version, but it didn't matter because I started my GPS when leaving my hotel, which gave me an extra 4 miles before I'd reached the start line. Even then, I still somehow only got 102.5 miles total - but at least it did register as a century ride.

 

[StuAff]

Hoops? Bureaucracy? It was 30 secs on a website.

Yes, hoops and bureacracy. And most definitely unnecessary expense. Having to travel up to London in advance to collect registration stuff? Many people, regardless of where they live, therefore have to have an overnight stay, at inflated rates, whatever their start time. All the ridiculous rules about the type of bike you can use? The unfairness of the ballot system (all the places should be in the ballot, whether you want to do it for a charity or not)? This is a good, worthy event, but it could be so much better if they ditched as much of that nonsense as possible.

 

[jefmcg]

Thanks for the justgiving link, donation made.

You and many others. It's nearly five times the total as when I first posted the link, and most them seem to be saying "I passed him"

Cyclists can be wonderful people. Double for you @GrumpyGregry

£14xx to over £7000.

 

[cliveyp]

I had my doubts after I saw the forecast changing, but thought to hell with it, once you're wet, you're wet.

The show on Friday produced a cheap but effective waterproof jacket (which could have been a bit longer down the back for when on the bike, but was useful in Friday night's thunderstorm in central London), and a quick trip to Evans on Saturday saw me with another pair of overshoes.

With the hope that these would be for emergency only, I set off on the 4 miles to Olympic Park at 05:20. The jacket was needed for warmth at that point. Just as we were about to hit the start chute, the rain started so the overshoes went on. We rolled out (unfortunately to the dulcet tones of 'Frozen' - when the wave next to us had been treated to Slayer!) bang on time in very very light drizzle at 07:04. It wasn't long before I spotted my first puncture victim, but in noticing these increasing as the weather got worse towards Richmond Park, it wasn't long before I came a victim myself. Trying to shelter under a near-useless tree around half a mile after the drink/mechanic stop, I changed tube and was soon back under way stopping at the first hub a few miles later to properly set my pressures. With a lot of hope (I thought I had two spare tubes but it turns out there was only one in the saddle bag) I set off again and saw puncture after puncture either side of the road every couple of hundred yards. This was pretty much the theme of the day.

Luckily for me I managed both Leith and Box, but had to admit that the descents were definitely limited in speed with a lot of riders around me also taking the same view. The smell of melting brake blocks was pretty significant on these downhills. Leith in particular had a decent amount of fallen leaves in places and it was easy to see why these were soon diverted. In face, a number of people were already taking the diversion at the bottom when I hit it, but as it was open I had to give it a go.

I saw a number of people lay on the floor on the way around, the majority of these seeming to be lone accidents, although one looked to have around 4-5 bikes involved. Most of these looked to be walking wounded (a couple of limps around, but people were up), but I did see one girl on a downhill section lay on the left hand side of the road covered in a space blanket. Hopefully she was OK in the end. A massive shame to hear there was another fatality.

Overall, apart from the slow speeds due to weather, I was glad I did it. Was having a good grumble to myself as I changed tube, with rain running down my back and sloshing around my shoe, but in the end I just got back on and got it done. The last 20 miles started to dry up which helped speeds increase, but the damage was done. I'll try again!

 

[groundy74]

First time taking part and loved every minute of it despite the weather. As I was riding for Charity I decided against the rain jacket as I wanted to proudly show their logo on my back, although I did wear the overshoes, not that that made much difference after 4/5 miles in!!
The support from the crowds and the number of riders on the closed roads was a new experience to me and extremely enjoyable especially the young girl offering a high five at the side of the road only to pull away at the last minute shouting "too slow" which left me in fits of laughter, caught out by the oldest trick in the book!!
Well organised and superbly marshalled I would love to take part again especially being more knowledgeable as to what's involved. I only stopped at the one Hub at leatherhead on the 75mile mark but I thought the volunteers did a great job and the choice on offer was plenty for me. I too couldn't believe the number of punctures and was very relieved that my GP4000's passed the test getting me round safely. Also saw the girl on the downhill in the space jacket, not moving, so really hope she was ok in the end and distraught to here of the fatality on my way back up north yesterday.
Fully aware its not a race but always like to push myself and having started the year averaging 14mph on the bike and losing 4 stone to ensure I was fit enough to take part, I was absolutely delighted with my time of 5hrs 19mins and would like to thank the lad I crossed the line with (got a pic but not a name) for helping spur me on for the last 5-10 miles and keeping up a good pace.