Ride London 100 - too little too late?

I did Ride London last year having never gone further than 100km (in 2012) and not getting any substantial climbing in in 2013. [Sorry to tell you but] the hills could destroy you. Please make sure you do one substantial climb this weekend on your long training ride. The first few miles will fly by and you will set unprecedented average speeds as you course through London. It will be tempting to speed past the first Hub which will be chockablock, carry plenty of food and two bottles if you don't want to stop there. The climbs themselves aren't very long, though Leith Hill is steep, but there are plenty of other little climbs to really drain you. If you can easily cover the distance it is the lack of climbing training that will really make it hard. I might be repeating myself a bit but it is all about the hills.
Stiffness and numbness over the long distance might be an issue on the home leg so do stop for a stretch and refill on water. Once you are storming down Putney high street you will fly home to a cheering crowd. It is the (2nd) hardest thing I've ever done. I'm hoping it will be a little easier this year.

Here are some handy vids:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ride+london+climbs

Having trained specifically for the 100 this year I've been draw at 6:50 start (started about 6:10 last year)I am now afraid that when I get to Leith Hill I will have to walk up it anyway because it is clogged with people walking up. Don't be afraid to get into your lowest gear, get as far left as you can and just crawl.

The points about not having to stop at junctions and drafting etc. are well worth noting. Being able to merrily barrel around corners with confidence will not only save energy you would have cautiously scrubbed off, but also preserve your rhythm, and keep you from digging into the glycogen reserves from getting back to speed. Add the fact that everyone else will be zooming along punching big holes in the hair, and you should find you can just happily and consistently sit and speeds you wouldn't have dream of under normal circumstances.

The hills may not be pleasant, but you'll need something to mark the day, and they really make up a very small proportion of the route. Then you can go tell everyone of the 'suffering' you have endured, and what a glorious and noble human being you have become as a result. And that sort of thing.

Anyway, don't do any mammoth training effort in the few days leading up to it (so, get in your last big ride soon). On the day, eat and drink often. Resist the urge to fly of with the faster lot at the beginning. Hopefully find that the majority of the ride consists of getting sucked along and admiring the scenery. It should be a lovely day out, and the slower you are, the longer you get to enjoy the countryside.

It's not a normal 100-miler. The closed roads, huge numbers of people (therefore lots of drafting potential!) mean that it's basically the cycling equivalent of the London Marathon. And you'll have seen some of the people who manage to get round the Marathon...

It's a flattish route, just chill out and enjoy the day. Don't go off like an idiot at Mile 1 with all the fast folk, just find your own pace and make sure you keep on top of the feeding/drinking.

It'll be fine, good luck!

I am doing it aswell, my training has been interrupted by injury but I have got back up to 50 miles with no problems. I will doing a 75 miles this week then slowly tailing off training. I noticed one point on the forms saying you must complete within 8 hrs 30mins because of the professional race. How strict are they with this time. ? Not personally worried I normally do 100 mile in less than 7hrs.

100 is easy, I did one around cheshire/wrexham in june and id onlu been on the bike three, times this year

You'll make it. Resist the temptation to go full gas when leaving London, see if there's groups going your pace that you can hang with to make life easier, and take good rest stops. Enjoy the day, and you'll be ok.

Work got in the way of my training last year. I was a complete novice and the longest ride I managed before was about 50 miles. I wasn't even riding clipped in, yet. I still made it round (eventually). If you want to do it, go for it. Keep well fuelled and that and the adrenaline will get you round. If you start to feel ropey and don't want to risk the hills there were diversions built into the route last year. Leith Hill is the worst of it. If you can do a recce you could get to somewhere like West Byfleet on the train and ride from there, you'll get the hill upto Newlands Corner, Leith Hill and Box Hill in from there before too long. Definitely recommend doing that if you can but don't panic if you can't, plenty of other people will be in the same situation. Good luck and enjoy it - there is nothing quite like riding up The Mall at the end towards the Palace...

For me it's not Leith Hill that's the problem, it's White Down Lane (I think it's called) which generally follows a couple of miles after it - if you are heading back through Dorking at least....

Now that hill is a bitch.

It's not like a normal century. Not having to slow down at junctions, traffic lights etc means your average speed will be quite a bit higher than normal for the same effort, even more so if you get a good draft. So think of it as a flat 80 miler with 3 hills in the middle (although Wimbledon Hill on tired legs caused a fair bit of moaning in last year!).

Don't worry about the hills, you'll get up them and Box is easy after Leith.

Sorry to hijack a little but does anybody know of any last minute places for the ride, charity or otherwise?

I have a bit of this myself - one thing and another have meant my 'training' hasn't been quite as it should. I intended to lose a stone and haven't, and my longest "training ride" so far has been, er... about 25 miles.

Knowing that time was short however I've been focusing on hillclimbing (such as they are in Essex) and I've been commuting, so base 'cycle fitness' is OK, and going out for a ride this evening. Planning on a 70-ish mile trip out to the countryside this weekend, but very likely that the day itself will be my first full 100 though.

I was planning on putting the bike in the car and going to see Leith/Box before the day itself... worth it, or are they 'just hills'?

I can't offer anything scientific but I was a bit of a novice when I did my first organised sportive and ended up riding about 85 miles. The regular feed stations and plenty of water got me though but what an achievement it felt like! Good luck, let us know how you get on!

You'll do fine, I regularly ride centuries, but my training runs are less than half that,albeit with massive climbs.

You can and will do it, your head may go down at times, but within 10 minutes you'll be on full gas again.

Best of luck, have a good day.

Think of Boris puffing his way up box hill on a hybrid - that image alone should get you through
If you can wheelsuck you'll get a big helping hand but try and get a 50-60 miler in this weekend.

You'll be fine, just keep the food and fluids going.

If you take it easy, i.e. stop for ten minutes when you feel tired etc, then anyone should be able to do 100 miles in a day - it may take you 8-9 hours instead of 6 and a bit - but if people like Boris Johnson can just rock up and do it (I know he cycles (or at least used too) around London a bit - but I don't see him as someone who regularly does 80 miles on the weekend), then I don't see why anyone else couldn't (injuries/pre-conditions withstanding).