RideLondon-Surrey 100 (2019) Anyone?

[vickster]

I have a place too. I’ll be 47 in a couple of weeks. My training has been badly curtailed-by a month of work travel / holiday which I’m in the middle of. I’ve done about 1500 miles this year, but nothing long.

I’m not planning on riding anywhere near the pack. I did the ride in 2015, didn’t do Leith Hill and won’t this year either. Too narrow and crowded and would rather skip than have to walk as inevitable...and not going to risk the broom wagon due to hold ups which will occur with a later start. My plan is just to do as much as I can and enjoy the experience. I’ve been avoiding hills due to a bad knee (had surgery in January), do need to give Box a try. Newlands corner is fairly nasty too

Can’t help with parking, I’ve got a hotel booked a few miles away (am in SW London), but sure if you google, there’ll be hits.

You need to go to Excel to register on the Thursday/Friday and it too late Saturday

 

[toffee]

You need to go to Excel to register on the Thursday/Friday and it too late Saturday

Thought you could collect on Saturday

 

[vickster]

Thought you could collect on Saturday

Meant to type if not too late...

 

[rugby bloke]

I have a place in this years RideLondon100. First timer. Riding alone. Turned 50 this year. Wondering if there are any other ladies of similar age/experience doing it? I have been training since Feb, gradually building up speed and distance. I live in Essex but went down to Surrey at the weekend to check out 'the hills'. Managed to make it up Leith Hill and Box Hill in the rain on Sunday, so at least I know what to expect now! I don't belong to a club, and mostly ride alone so am wondering how I will cope with riding in a pack?
Grateful for any help/tips/advice.
Haven't worked out logistics of getting there/back yet. Am hoping there will be somewhere nearby to park?

My first experience of riding in groups of cyclists was my first time on RideLondon. My advice would be keep alert and expect the unexpected. There are some theoretical "Rules of the Road" - overtake on the right, slow riders keep to the left etc. However these are not always followed so expect riders to be pass you from all sides or to find slow riders sitting in the wrong place on the road. Other than that, give yourself some space, you don't need to sit on the wheel of the rider in front of you. If something happens up the road you then have time and space to react.
In regard to the logistics, best get this sorted as soon as possible. There is no parking anywhere near to the Olympic Park, so the best option is to park up and then cycle to the Park. There are a number of "official" car parks you can use, depending on where you are heading in from. I've used the car parks in the City then ridden to the start, around 5 miles, there is a convenient one under Finsbury Square.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My closed road sportive experience wasn't at London, but Velo Wales. However I guess the density of cyclists around you (near the start at least) will be similar. Just that with RL it would extend further ahead and behind you. As a generally solo rider, but with experience in small/medium but generally slow groups, I found it an eye opener..

Anyway, my advice on groups/packs is: Keep out of them. Don't ride on anyone's wheel unless you know them and they know you are there and they are OK with it. Keep left. Check behind you when moving right to overtake. Give yourself space and give other riders space. Call out "on your right" when passing - even though this may make you sound like a pompous arse - unless you are passing with a really wide berth.

Even if you're used to group riding, the increased cyclist density, the increased speed, and the fact that there are going to be some people who get a bit carried away mean that it's best to control your own environment. Once you are sucked into a group you lose some of that control.

 

[mjr]

Registration at Excel is about an hour's ride east of the city centre sightseeing Freecycle loop by following CS3 (pink) and NCR 13 (red) (edit: they split after you pass through the arch by East India DLR, with CS3 turning left when NCR 13 turns right), which I think are both fairly well signposted. It'd usually be slightly faster but lots of others will be riding there and back, plus the city end roads you have to cross will be busier with motorists displaced by the sightseeing road closures so traffic lights take longer.

Excel has valet cycle parking during registration and there's a ramp up to the entrance from the water side, although you do have to walk from the door to the valet on hard floors, so take clip covers if you clip. The central sightseeing loop is worth riding if you can find time for it IMO.

 

[cm2mackem]

I have a place in this years RideLondon100. First timer. Riding alone. Turned 50 this year. Wondering if there are any other ladies of similar age/experience doing it? I have been training since Feb, gradually building up speed and distance. I live in Essex but went down to Surrey at the weekend to check out 'the hills'. Managed to make it up Leith Hill and Box Hill in the rain on Sunday, so at least I know what to expect now! I don't belong to a club, and mostly ride alone so am wondering how I will cope with riding in a pack?
Grateful for any help/tips/advice.
Haven't worked out logistics of getting there/back yet. Am hoping there will be somewhere nearby to park?

We are in Chelmsford and ride most Sunday mornings, I'm doing the ride 100 also, a few of the ladies in our group did it last year and are doing it this year as well, we've got a few longer, 50-75 miles, London-Southend-Chelmsford and Evans ride from Brentwood 30-60 milrs, rides planned beforehand you're welcome to join us

 

[Racing roadkill]

I have a place in this years RideLondon100. First timer. Riding alone. Turned 50 this year. Wondering if there are any other ladies of similar age/experience doing it? I have been training since Feb, gradually building up speed and distance. I live in Essex but went down to Surrey at the weekend to check out 'the hills'. Managed to make it up Leith Hill and Box Hill in the rain on Sunday, so at least I know what to expect now! I don't belong to a club, and mostly ride alone so am wondering how I will cope with riding in a pack?
Grateful for any help/tips/advice.
Haven't worked out logistics of getting there/back yet. Am hoping there will be somewhere nearby to park?

You’ve ridden Leith and Box without the huge amount of walkers ( unless you get away in a very early wave) that you’ll encounter on the event. This makes them a very different proposition to doing it with a handful of other riders about. The only advice I tend to offer people who are new to the Ride London 100, is get as much experience of riding with large groups of riders, the majority of whom are ‘pushing on’ a bit more than they may normally do ( enter a Sportive or 2 with longer mileages).Through experience, I’ve found that one of the things that most surprises newer riders, is the false perspective they get, about how they are performing, how much exertion they are actually putting in, because they are looking at / trying to pace themselves against the wrong riders. The door can swing both ways on this. If you try and keep up with one of the ‘Categorised’ clubbie types, you could find yourself in a spot of bother, regarding fuelling and fatigue, but equally, if you pace yourself against a ‘hill walking bimbler’ You could find yourself getting close to / overstepping the cut off times. If the systems work correctly, you’ll be assigned a suitable ‘wave’ if not, it’s a bit trickier to get your pacing right. This is why I recommend riding in a couple of mass participation type events before hand ( although the scale of the PRLS is another level again).

 

[Racing roadkill]

There are some theoretical "Rules of the Road" - overtake on the right, slow riders keep to the left etc.

There’s no “theoretical” about it. If you get that wrong ( and there will be plenty of signage, and marshalling calls to ensure you shouldn’t be able to get it wrong) you risk causing a lot of bother / pile ups, and these tend to be on the ‘spectacular’ side in this event ( if previous years are anything to go by ).

However these are not always followed so expect riders to be pass you from all sides or to find slow riders sitting in the wrong place on the road.

Yes, you’re quite right.

Other than that, give yourself some space, you don't need to sit on the wheel of the rider in front of you. If something happens up the road you then have time and space to react.

NEVER sit on the wheel of someone you don’t know / ride with regularly. This is a cast iron guaranteed way to cause a pile up.

In regard to the logistics, best get this sorted as soon as possible. There is no parking anywhere near to the Olympic Park, so the best option is to park up and then cycle to the Park. There are a number of "official" car parks you can use, depending on where you are heading in from. I've used the car parks in the City then ridden to the start, around 5 miles, there is a convenient one under Finsbury Square.

Stick to the “official” car parks, a lot of the roads in and around central London are either closed for the event, or jammed up because of the event. The “official” car parks are there to help everyone out.

 

[Freds Dad]

I've had to defer my place this year as I am still recovering from the knee surgery I had along with issues with the HB and iron levels in blood making me extremely tired.
I've still got the hotel booked for 3 nights but they have been very good and are allowing to me to change the dates so i can have a weekend in London later in the year.
Good luck to everyone riding and I may see some of you next year.

 

[hubblebubble]

Thanks for all your replies everyone. Some great hints and helpful points. I guess I had not properly considered the fact that the hills would be v busy, as on Sunday morning in the rain I had both hills to myself all the way up! (the rain and the fact that the London to Brighton bike ride was going on must have helped). I think i'll hope for a later wave start time with similar speed riders as me in. And I fully intend to enjoy the race - if I have to miss the hills I will, rather than risk being swept off the course due to having to get off and walk. At least 'I know' I have done them. Looking forward to it greatly. Have done 40/50/60milers in practice and plan to do a 75miler this month and next (Colchester Castle ride)
Do they give official car park details nearer the time? Cant find much detail on website. As I live in Essex it wouldn't be too difficult to drive in and park up somewhere and cycle there...

 

[mjr]

Do they give official car park details nearer the time? Cant find much detail on website. As I live in Essex it wouldn't be too difficult to drive in and park up somewhere and cycle there...

Official website says "More information will be available here in the weeks leading up to the 2019 edition of Prudential RideLondon, which takes place on the weekend of 3-4 August."

Someone with last year's event info can probably tell you where car parks on the Essex side were, although some might change.

 

[mjr]

Excel has valet cycle parking during registration and there's a ramp up to the entrance from the water side, [...]

Speaking of which, does anyone know if they're ever going to finish that bridge over the dock and connect it to Excel's entrance and whatever at the southern end? It must be nearly 20 years since the middle went up.

 

[vickster]

Thanks for all your replies everyone. Some great hints and helpful points. I guess I had not properly considered the fact that the hills would be v busy, as on Sunday morning in the rain I had both hills to myself all the way up! (the rain and the fact that the London to Brighton bike ride was going on must have helped). I think i'll hope for a later wave start time with similar speed riders as me in. And I fully intend to enjoy the race - if I have to miss the hills I will, rather than risk being swept off the course due to having to get off and walk. At least 'I know' I have done them. Looking forward to it greatly. Have done 40/50/60milers in practice and plan to do a 75miler this month and next (Colchester Castle ride)
Do they give official car park details nearer the time? Cant find much detail on website. As I live in Essex it wouldn't be too difficult to drive in and park up somewhere and cycle there...

Let me know what wave you end up in...I'll be happy for a ride buddy (did the 100 and 46 previously with a friend, solo this year)

 

[steverob]

Speaking of which, does anyone know if they're ever going to finish that bridge over the dock and connect it to Excel's entrance and whatever at the southern end? It must be nearly 20 years since the middle went up.

Do you mean the Royal Victoria Dock Bridge? (wikipedia link). In which case, it is as finished as it is going to get - the problem with it is that the lifts up to it keep on breaking down / getting damaged / weren't suitable in the first place (depending on who you speak to).