[quasijones]

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?

Topic

[Daveyraveygravey]

alansmurphy wrote:

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

There’s a bunch of moaning miserable bastards on here.  

 

Hiyaaaaa!

 

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

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. 

 

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.

[pruaga]

Leviathan wrote:

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.”

[Jetmans Dad]

Didn’t bother with the ballot

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. 

[DeeJayJay]

I’ve applied every year but

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… 

[Saint Mikie 41]

Did the first two years and

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.

[Leviathan]

I’ve entered the ballot 6

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. 

[alansmurphy]

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

There’s a bunch of moaning miserable bastards on here.  

 

Hiyaaaaa!

 

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

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. 

 

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…

[Daveyraveygravey]

There’s a bunch of moaning

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…

[edvelo]

Head over and do one of the

Head over and do one of the European ones, much better organised, much better cycling and a holiday at the same time.

[Canyon48]

alansmurphy wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

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.

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…

Duncann wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

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.

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 😛

[Rapha Nadal]

I’m in.

I’m in.

Still think the magazine is needless though – whatever happended to saving the trees!

[Anonymous]

Goldfever4 wrote:

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.

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.

[scooterjinx]

Another reject mag, every

Another reject mag, every friggin year lol

where did I leave that box of tacks 

[alansmurphy]

wellsprop wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

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.

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…

[HLaB]

I’ve never got through the

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 :-/

[Author]

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