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Ride London 100
Yet again I didn't make it through the ballot, I think I'll avoid disappointment next year and not bother.
All the more frustrating when the TV coverage featured people who admitted not being regualar cyclists and had done virtually zero preparation.
Yes, I can make a big charity commitment and get a place but after orgainising a fundraiser last yeat I can't go asking friends and family to donate yet again, especially when they know I'm a regular cyclist anyhow.
What other 100 miler would people recommend in the South/South East?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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34 comments
Didn't bother with the ballot this year in order to give my family, friends etc. a break from my incessant fundraising efforts, but got in on the ballot last year after failing the previous two years and riding for a charity instead.
In fact, so confident was I that my application would fail last year that I entered Velo Birmingham and ended up doing both.
As someone who doesn't spend much time in London, the opportunity to ride the city with no traffic is amazing.
I've applied every year but never been sucessful with an individual application. I have been lucky enough to ride it twice through a club place. This year I submitted an application for both myself and the wife, 2 different letters arrived on Tuesday, my rejection and the wife's confirmation of a place. I'm now just hoping that she decides that she hasn't got the time to train...
Did the first two years and loved it. The wife did the next two years and said in her last time she would never ride it again. It's just one big charity ride now and not really worth it. Having said that riding the closed roads in the centre London was truly quite awesome. We do Dartmoor classic every year and it is far more enjoyable. This year we are doing Paris - Roubaix and I can't wait for the cobbles.
I've entered the ballot 6 times and got in 3 times (not this year though.) Sorry conspiracy nuts, but it is totally random. They can't give 'first dibs' because that would cost money in admin. The ballot will remain a hard route as long as the event is popular and they keep giving out many charity slots. Just apply next year, you can't get a slot if you don't. I promise it is worth it.
That's the problem, it isn't completely random. The organisers use the info on the application to try and get a spread of people and to organise the logistics of the start/finish. The unintended consequence of this is that if you are in a popular demographic it's a lot harder to get in that if you are in an unpopular one.
It's a tough balance for the organisers between transparency so people can understand how the ballot works and giving too much information so people will play the system to try and get a place.
Quote from RideLondon twitter account:
"The ballot is drawn randomly using the answers provided by registrants on their entry forms. It is weighted for Health and Safety purposes to help the maximum number of people get safely around the route."
There's a bunch of moaning miserable bastards on here. I did it the first two years and loved it, it is a fantastic experience. The closed roads and the public cheering you on alone are phenomenal things to be part of, but to be flying through London in the early hours WITH NO CARS AT ALL is superb. The bit back in from Putney past all the landmarks is also stunning.
If you are going to pay for an event on public roads, this is one to have a go at. As is the Fred, but that is a totally different animal...
Hiyaaaaa!
Probably why there's miserable peoples, you've done it twice others have had multiple rejections. Surely they could have next year's first dibs for those not making this year...
I forgot to write, I have done it twice via the charity route, and entered the ballot every year but never once got a place that way. If you get a ballot place one year, you should automatically not get one the next year, in my view.
Head over and do one of the European ones, much better organised, much better cycling and a holiday at the same time.
I'm in.
Still think the magazine is needless though - whatever happended to saving the trees!
Another reject mag, every friggin year lol
where did I leave that box of tacks
I've never got through the ballot but I've ridden it twice as part of a club. Tbh its too busy and a mate of mine was wiped out by another cyclist in the race section the year before last and it was quite nasty
Whilst it was a different event I was tooken out by another cyclist on the closed roads Velo Birmingham (fortunately the damage was minor). I think you are safer on open roads 
I considered entering a local sportives (Mendips). But it charged over £30, instead I Just ride the route the day before.
Am I missing something about a sportive, you pay £30-£40 to ride a public road that you could ride anyway. There were a couple food stops for sportive riders, I Just took a couple bananas and gels in my jersey pockets.
Ride London is certainly different - I'd love to ride right through the heart of the city on closed roads. Events not on closed roads are less appealing. And I generally like plotting my own routes - it's part of the fun. But each to their own.
They have their place, certain charity ones for example. Did Tour of the peaks last year for £20ish and Winnats Pass was closed, enjoyed that. As I mentioned though, reckon they've gone up around 50% in the last 3 years and are becoming less fun...
Fair comment, I forgot to consider the closed roads aspect!
I've ended up cycling (part of) the routes of sportives when I've just happened to be out on cycles - kind of amused me, as none of the roads were closed, so I was riding the sportive free
I’ve failed to get in every year, no way could I raise the amounts charity’s ask for.
the chiltern100 is a top sportive done it last year and again this year, great alternative
It's a cool experience to whizz through central London in the early morn' in a peloton, and to fly along the Embankment and onto the Mall for the last sprint. The stuff in between is a blend of closed-roads enjoyment and rubbish-cycling intimidation.
Not to mention how much it bloody costs.
I am definitely more interested in trying the Dynamo for the first time!
It's for this reason that I think Ride London would be more successful if they really pushed the '46' more, as the 'Olympic legacy' event. It's far, far more accessible to newish riders and contains the bits you actually want to do - through empty London, out to Hampton Court, back in and up the Mall. You can still choose to blaze round it in two hours or womble around enjoying it at 10mph.
I'm not suggesting scrapping the 100, but halve the numbers and therefore the traffic, make it much more geared towards clubs, amateur racers, and experienced riders who understand the challenge.
Having read all the replies maybe I'm not so sad now.
I took the 'donate entry to charity' option so received a rain jacket along with my rejection in the post today. It doesn't say who it was made by but looks fairly good quality with taped seams etc. Remains to be see if I boil in in...
As for the ride - if the weather is good maybe I'll pedal down to the coast on my own for a 99 flake and count my blessings - it's 51 miles each way.
Much better idea.
Deffo do this, more chilled and a 99 halfway round, what more could you want :o)
Applied every time still not made the cut.
Didn't enter the ballot this year for the first time in about five years.. fed up of being refused and still being sent a stupid magazine.
They're still sending the magazine to those refused six years in a row!
There's probably a market for events aimed at R100 rejects...
Might ride the Dynamo this year though - although I've said that before. I did Ride to the Sun in 2016 - that was OK, quite low key (would have been better in daylight!)
From Sarf London, a summer Sunday ride to the coast and back is a great day out. Loads of nice quiet routes.
If you want a bit more organisation, good atmosphere, better riding (?) and far better value... www.aukweb.net/events
It's very easy to join. I usally do so as I live in Central London and the route effectively seals me in for the day. My advice is to turn up early (6-7ish) and join the faster riders (and then gravitate to your own pace) as some of the riding standards are pretty low: especially when cornering at speed and descending. I set off later last year and saw a spectacular crash a couple of years ago on one of the Surrey descents .... way too crowded.
Bound to be if there are a load of people gatecrashing it!
Bound to be if there are a load of people gatecrashing it!
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Fair point.
If you're London based it's easy to join the route, I've been told
Dunwich Dynamo is the same weekend as Ride London this year and IMO is much more fun. Whilst the closed roads of Ride London is great the course itself is pretty dull and the bottlenecks that form around the climbs can be annoying.
If you really want closed roads then there's the Tour of Cambridgeshire but entry does cost an awful lot.
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