Ride London 100

I'm pretty lucky since I'm in Southsea so the route to get to the ferry takes me all of about 10 minutes if I ride slowly. Done it twice now, this'll be my third - I'm just hoping the weather is kinder this year than it was last year.

I'm doing the 60 miles as I was a late call-up replacement.
I hope it's not too difficult.

Someone on my cycling group Whatsapp was saying there's a long drag up through Epping Forest and everything else was just a flyover type hill.

At least I'm optimised more for W/CdA than W/kg right now.

Did a 2h ride two weeks ago, and a 3h20 ride today. Both on my commuter as I haven't dug the faster bike out of storage yet. Will aim for a 4h40 ride next weekend and then rely on that to get me 90% of the way there, and then the rest is just sheer bloody mindedness.

Also got a 6:40 start time (6:25 end of load time) so that's me up at sparrow fart and riding the 10k to the start too as there are no early trains into Waterloo on the 28th (first one from near me gets in at 7:36am).

Have to be at embankment by 8;15 but I'm central by exmouth Market thank gof

The worst part of the epping forest drag is the surface, its only a climb in the sense that they call it that on the top tube sticker.

Last year during that stretch I heard a lot of people confusedly asking each other if this was the big climb they were on!

Save a mars bar for the A414 between Writtle and Ongar, that was a real slog into a headwind last time around

I've done the Epping Forest drag before, and didn't really notice it, but I was a lot fitter/lighter back then.

It's more the time in the saddle I'm worried about. It's at least 5 years since I've done a ride of 100k or more.

The Epping Forest drag is usually horrible because of the cars, so should be much better on closed roads.

With the Epping drag (and it's definitely just that, draggy but not a hill - I managed it on some ridiculous gear last year) everyone stays left. If you pull over to the right hand side you have tons of space and can take your pick of poor road surfaces.
There aren't really any climbs iirc, save for the one towards the end (A1009 through Woodford I think) where my lack of drinking and general stupidity meant my legs cramped and locked solid for a good 5 minutes.
There is a 90 degree left hander somewhere after halfway which is a bit sketchy.

Hyper-extended knee at 5-a-side last night (not even my fault, someone was fouled and rolled into me). Internet diagnosis of a Grade 1 MCL sprain but I'll try and self refer to the physio ASAP. Very little chance I'll be able to ride 100 miles on it in 4 days' time.

Oh well, next year then.

6-8 weeks for Grade 1-2 MCL strain (possible tear, ultrasound was inconclusive).

Ride 100 would be bad idea as it's only going to get worse in the next couple of days and I could do some real damage during a "long" ride.

Before anyone asks, I can't pass my entry on as anyone completing it under my name would mean I qualify for the London Classics medal.

Commiserations

It seems I will be captaining a blind stoker on Sunday. Anything that a ‘big bike’ rider should watch for in particular?

Inspired by dicki’s escapades last year

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/16543422/

I thought I’d give it a go. It was complicated by the fact that the A12 was being ridden both ways this year but an early start meant I only saw two riders going south when a very nice marshall let me onto the motorway slip road at the Olympic Park - I told her I’d taken a wrong turn, and the fact I was on a mountain bike in jeans and a T-shirt didn’t seem to raise any suspicions.

I could probably have got as far as Bow Roundabout at Stratford but didn’t want to push my luck so turned off at Roman Road, then headed into the City to ride around the closed streets down to the West End and back.

All in all a very enjoyable ride.

https://youtu.be/QODcNjuO5IM

Entries opened yesterday for 2024 Ridelondon, on Sunday 26th May, I believe all entries are on first come first served basis.

Got my place this morning - did it this year and enjoyed it , first time I have been in a organised event, and first time I have done 100 miles, so had some novelty value for me.

Am treating the 2024 ride as more of a training ride for the 157km dragon ride event a month later which I expect will be a lot harder

Tempted, have done it the last two years (and the Surrey ones before that) lack of hills is a bit of a bummer but arguably the route is much more suited to mass participation for a wide range of abilities.
As mentioned above, stay right and you may aswell be riding by yourself 😂

I'm in again for next year. It's not cheap, but 100 miles of closed roads is pretty priceless to me.

I'm doing the same thing next year, good to get the distance in but Essex route isn't very hilly is it?

4th year (at least) in a row that I won't be riding it.

2024: Pulled hamstring in March has destroyed any chance of decent training
2023: Tore my MCL a week or so before
2022: Some family thing came up
2021: Something else

Not selling my entry because (a) you shouldn't and (b) I just need Ride 100 to finish the London Classics thing and someone else completing it will mess that up.

Given that I was getting emails about there still being spaces available just a couple of weeks ago I think I may not rush to sign up for 2025, but then I know if I do that I'll be in perfect fitness and health and then find out it is sold out.

Couple off the guys in my club are dropping out so will have a few tickets for sale .

Tickets sold .if any more i will post here. Looks like a wet ride 100 so may have a couple pulling out.

For any forms members.
How was ride London experience this year?

I had initially registered in Aug/Sep, planning to do some proper training this time and improve my time…was wishful thinking as I then had a medical event in October that kept me off the bike all winter (through reluctance rather than inability) , and ended up with commitments to be away in Scotland that weekend. 3 weeks ago my Scotland weekend fell through and I was suddenly available for the ride again (and feeing confident to get back in bike by now) but with only short time to try and get fit. Did some laps of RP on a few occasions mostly to get my arse ready but was clearly not match fit for 100 miles.

Did it anyway, and despite severe cramp in one thigh at 50 mile rest stop which meant I could not walk back to my bike for about 30 minutes, I managed to complete. Second half much slower average speed than first half due to leg cramp still twinging.

Event atmosphere good, diverse population of riders (which is fine if you don’t mind dodging occasional recumbents, tandems, etc), not too many people riding like pricks.

Weather turned out pretty good. Got sunburnt. Seemed to be masses of punctures but luckily avoided that myself.

Last year, my total time was 6 hours, with 5:30 riding time and 1 stop,

This year, my total time was 8 hours, with 6:25 riding time and 3 stops but I was happy to have finished it.

I’ll probably register and do it again next year just to give me something to aim for in terms of demonstrating to myself that I can still do it (as I lack creativity, opportunity and motivation to get off my arse and do 100 miles without someone organising it all for me) and hopefully have better opportunity to train more completely over the winter and get a slightly better time.

Because of the changeable weather, I wasn't optimistic, but just wanted to try and match or improve on my time from last year.
First 50 miles I was absolutely smashing it - would have knocked over an hour off my time if I'd kept it up. But the headwinds coming back into central London were brutal - ended up taking away anything I'd built up in the first half and I ended up finishing pretty much exactly the same as last year. Ah well, I'll take it.
Found it to be generally well organised as before - only stopped at one of the official welfare points and felt it a bit lacking in provisions, but filled up my bottles, grabbed a banana and a snack and carried on, no drama.
I did think there was lots of groups of riders who were maybe taking it a bit seriously to a dangerous level at times - I understand you want to pass slower riders but when you've got 2 (sometimes 3) empty lanes of traffic, what's the need to pass within a foot of others? I just don't understand that at all.
In general though, a bloody great time. Even managed to catch a bit of the women's Classique back in town at the end as well.

Thanks for the feedback, looks like the 4 season weather cycle struck again.
I found this one even harder than last year for some strange reason.
loads more punctures and different peloton cutting through cyclists
was also quite dangerous . All in all, it was a good experience but I'll probably call
it a day for now.

Didn't get the full story, but heard the headlines someone got hit by a car which shouldn't have been on the course, then drove off. Awful, hope the riders ok.