Ride London 100

9526 and although I swear I made 'fun' faces at photographers they must all have been non official... I look bleeding miserable in all of these. Although they effectively capture the heavy bulk of a bike I was on.

ha ha, obviously I was not going hell for leather if I had the time to spot all the cameras and pose for them. Shame that there aren't any of me looking like I'm cycling seriously though, lol.

DC showboating while going up Box Incline.

^Should have popped a wheelie a la Sagan.

Johnson, Alexander (GBR) times

Johnson's times look a trifle odd.. His last 9 miles was very quick in comparison to the rest. Am I alone in not believing him?

I think something is a bit off with that- my last 9 miles were (if you believe the splits) at 27mph.

All the cool kids have a strong finish.

Maybe my novel head-down style gave me a massive reduction in drag.

And vision. But also drag.

Johnson's times look a trifle odd.. His last 9 miles was very quick in comparison to the rest. Am I alone in not believing him?

I thought that at first... but according to my times I did that last section a few minute faster than that and I'm not fast. the rest of our times were very similar too so I find it quite believable, I was about 5 min faster overall.

Let me brighten up your monday by pointing out how your logic applied here is flawed.

This was the best organised event ive ever seen.. but it couldn't have taken another 5000 riders. Obviously the organisers like most prebooked services (hotels, airlines) calculated in a 25% dropout rate.

The event was "full".

I like how the guardian has already renamed it.. I wouldn't sponsor any event boris is tied too.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/04/ride-london-boris-johnson-cycling-event

It appears that only 15,000 have taken part which means that there were 5,000 or 25% no shows.

A little disappointing given how many people were unable to sign up because it was "full".

The last stretch from Wimbledon to the finish, was pretty damn quick if you put the effort in. I definitely hit 40+ coming down Putney High Street.

This was the best organised event ive ever seen.. but it couldn't have taken another 5000 riders. Obviously the organisers like most prebooked services (hotels, airlines) calculated in a 25% dropout rate.

So 15050 finishers (including those diverted) out of 19207 starters.

amazingly, if there were 20000 registered, only a 4% no show. I assume that actually they had predicted a no-show rate, and got it very close.

22% of starters did not finish. not bad considering those struggling early on, and a few on full-sus cheap MTBs etc. saw some of the faster ones giving advice (in a nice way) to those slower as they went past - mainly that maybe they should gear down...

that article says they will increase numbers next year, particularly of those less likely to finish:

The event organiser, Hugh Brasher, also race director of the London Marathon, said the aim was to have more cycling newcomers take part next year, when the entry intake will be increased by about 6,000.

For the inaugural year, Brasher said, it was seen as useful from an organisational point of view to make sure most of the field would finish the 100 miles within the nine-hour time limit.

"We will absolutely broaden the appeal," he said. "But we had to be quite selective in the first year in terms of the number of riders we could take who had never done this type of event before."

I was in an early (6.10am) pen and consequently had to set the alarm at 3.00am for a pick-up some 30 minutes later. Despite very little sleep, I was happy with my time of 4 hours 37 mins. Highlight of the day was a rider losing his line on a long straight descent and making contact with me. Luckily we both hung on! Otherwise the quality of riding was pretty good. The route, marshals and support from the spectators was fantastic.

Next year Boris should organise a 6 week core strength and flexibility workshop to prepare riders in advance. I've had enough pictures of wrists turned in, arms locked, hunched backed, pinched shouldered riding positions to last several lifetimes.
And no, edscobbler, a bike-fit is not always the answer.

I've had enough pictures of wrists turned in, arms locked, hunched backed, pinched shouldered riding positions to last several lifetimes.

oh dear...sounds like my MAMIL technique - 23107

I will pm for training !

so essentially everyone is better than me at ridings. everyone broke 5 hours? How exactly, how exactly is that even possible

Im pretty sure you all cheated.

Commie should sell this one to Sagan.

Commie should sell this one to Sagan.

Like it - but sadly the comedy factor is where the comparison ends !!

only 3 photos of me but at least I am on the drops and not gurning...

3306

Johnson's times look a trifle odd.. His last 9 miles was very quick in comparison to the rest. Am I alone in not believing him?

This is clearly wrong as he started in the first group I think, definitely around 6.00am and he finished at least 30mins after me and I finished at 1.56pm!

Think of all those Strava KOM's that will probably never be beaten.

Think of all those Strava KOM's that will probably never be beaten.

The horror, the horror...

Loving the sound of this....seems like a great time was had.....thinking about making a trip to the smoke for the next one.....closed roads, cycling in the right lane......sounds awesome, I think I'd do it all in the right lane.

so essentially everyone is better than me at ridings. everyone broke 5 hours? How exactly, how exactly is that even possible

Im pretty sure you all cheated.

I was feeling pretty chuffed with my time (particularly since I actually beat my garmin virtual training partner, which pretty much never happens) until I saw all the super speedy times posted up here and realised I'm one of the slow ones. Ah well, at least I had fun and did some showboating for the cameras!

Was it me or was the whole thing actually really well organsied? From the start to the drinks stations and everything else.

Pleased with 6.09, especially as I punctured inside the first 10 minutes right in the middle of the Lime house tunnel. A horrible place to be scrabbling around with levers and a minipump.

Highlight was putting in a massive sprint effort on the Mall for hell of it. That and the general smug feeling of completing a century on a single speed. Clocking + 41mph was a little unexpected too.