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Ride London and predicted times

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  • April 27, 2015 at 6:10 pm #23864
    gonedownhill

    Hi all,

    So out of all my friends and acquaintances who entered, I was the only one who managed to get a spot in the Ride London ballot.

    Since then two of my mates have managed to get charity places, however the estimated finish times we have put down are an hour apart. I’d much rather ride with those guys than on my todd, so my question is how do they let riders off and how cool are they about moving times about on the day? I realise it’s difficult for them to organise so many people and that they need the course for the pro race later so wouldn’t blame them if they were pretty militant about it.

    Frankly my estimated time was way optimistic anyway and even if I add an hour to my estimated time I think I will struggle to get inside it! Not sure what I was thinking putting that time down and kind of suspect it may have been a typo.

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  • May 11, 2015 at 1:12 pm #843671
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    JonD

    Simon E wrote:
    2. carry some

    Simon E wrote:

    2. carry some Park glueless patches. IME they don’t stay airtight permanently but will stick long enough to get you round the route.

    They seem to be ok at MTB kinda pressures – only had one come adrift, I suspect that that was actually ‘cos I’d roughened the tube too much, the adhesive doesn’t gap-fill like the glue of vulcanised patches. But usually I carry both, plus a razor blade to trim away any tube moulding, sod’s law the puncture’s normally near one one some tubes.

    May 10, 2015 at 9:39 pm #843669
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    Simon E

    If you don’t want to get
    If you don’t want to get caught out with inner tubes I would:

    1. treat yourself to some new tyres, carry a working pump and 2 good inner tubes (not that old one covered in patches that you think is somewhere in the shed);

    2. carry some Park glueless patches. IME they don’t stay airtight permanently but will stick long enough to get you round the route.

    May 10, 2015 at 9:27 pm #843667
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    CXR94Di2

    ..Turn up at your coloured
    ..Turn up at your coloured zone at the right time, wait, then wait some more, walk about a mile upto start , ride and enjoy.

    May 10, 2015 at 7:14 pm #843665
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    Ewbles

    Can anyone give me an idea of
    Can anyone give me an idea of how it works on the morning? I can’t actually remember what time I suggested I’d do it in, but as a dedicated plodder rather than a speed merchant I’m guessing I’d have said around seven hours – presumably that means I’ll be told to set off in one of the later groups? I’m trying to figure out when and where they’ll set me off from so I can make plans for meeting people further on.

    My only other events of this nature have been charity rides and last year’s Blenheim Sportive, where the start time was basically dictated by how quickly you could sign your name and slap a sticker on your helmet after standing in a queue for forty five minutes.

    May 7, 2015 at 2:55 pm #843663
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    Al__S

    OldRidgeback wrote:I’ll be at

    OldRidgeback wrote:
    I’ll be at the velodrome waving on those completing the ride

    the finish is on the Mall- we merely start somewhere near the Velodrome

    May 7, 2015 at 12:02 pm #843661
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    madhouse

    Did it last year and had a
    Did it last year and had a similar start time issue, handily I was the same colour wave as my mate so all it took was a strategically placed bike number and wearing a jacket and I was in. Of course it was also a 6.30am start so I doubt the marshalls were looking too closely.

    Neither of us had a puncture but we were on roads to the start until the last few hundred yards but we had to dismount for that anyway. Did see someone getting serviced by a Mavic car though.

    You’ll be surprised how fast you go, the effect of a peloton is huge.

    May 7, 2015 at 10:14 am #843659
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    OldRidgeback

    I’ll be at the velodrome
    I’ll be at the velodrome waving on those completing the ride

    May 7, 2015 at 5:50 am #843657
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    Al__S

    and like a fool, I’ve taken a
    and like a fool, I’ve taken a charity place. Completed my registration about half four yesterday, with a deadline of 5pm…

    May 6, 2015 at 11:16 am #843655
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    0liver

    Old tyres (with large amounts
    Old tyres (with large amounts of grit removed as part of servicing) and a couple of tubes, but no visit from the fairy. No doubt it’ll be different this year.

    If you can join up before the start then do so, no-one will mind. Just be aware you might be on opposite sides of the park and you will need to leave your bag in the right van…

    May 6, 2015 at 9:03 am #843653
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    Anonymous

    Brand new Vittoria Pro Techs,
    Brand new Vittoria Pro Techs, a P-kit and two tubes for me last year. Not a single visit from the fairy. Saw an unbelievable number of people fixing them in the first mile down the A12 though, I must have missed the Stinger.

    May 5, 2015 at 1:29 pm #843651
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    Al__S

    on which:
    Avoided the
    on which:
    Avoided the puncture fairy, though probably just luck. But very good advice to use newish tyres- mine had had enough time to break them in but that was it. Replace other “consumables” (chain? bar tape*?) and make sure that everying has been heavily serviced in the couple of weeks before hand- by a shop you trsut if you don’t have the tools/skills/confidence to do it yourself.

    *nice new bar tape makes you ride faster. Proven fact. Clean bikes are faster as well.

    May 5, 2015 at 1:25 pm #843649
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    Al__S

    CXR94Di2 wrote:I think they

    CXR94Di2 wrote:
    I think they only have the elite riders go early.

    I must be some sort of superstar then as I had Vos, Trott etc in the start wave behind me… can’t remember what I put though I think I erred on the ambitious side to get an earlier start. Did mean I saw a lot of unhappy people in a massive very wet traffic jam in Kingston as I passed back through (not Wimbledon- if you went through Wimbeldon on your way out you’d be very lost!) which raised a cruel chuckle from me as I whizzed along.

    April 29, 2015 at 3:33 pm #843647
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    mrmo

    runskiprun wrote:as a virgin

    runskiprun wrote:
    as a virgin 100 miler, all these forum posts are quite valuable.
    any frequent fliers got an idea on whether its wise to take overkill on inners, or to take the minimum and hope to escape the puncture fairy?

    How many punctures do you think your going to get? I have done 135miles and not had one yet on a 10 mile ride I have had 4 different unrelated punctures. shit happens.

    I would suggest, check your tyres, old tyres are more likely to puncture than new, make sure no glass or grit, check your brake pads so they don’t rub the sidewalls, check pressure to avoid snake bites and should be ok.

    Then take 1 or 2 inner tubes and if you really want to cover all bases, take a puncture repair kit. You simply have no idea how many punctures your going to get, but from experience if you get any it is usually a sign you need new tyres.

    April 29, 2015 at 3:28 pm #843645
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    gthornton101

    runskiprun wrote:as a virgin

    runskiprun wrote:
    as a virgin 100 miler, all these forum posts are quite valuable.
    any frequent fliers got an idea on whether its wise to take overkill on inners, or to take the minimum and hope to escape the puncture fairy?

    I always err on the side of caution, usually taking minimum two inner tubes on any length of ride as I live in fear of the double puncture! I would take extra if you can fit them in a mid-size saddle bag or jersey pockets and hope not to use them, better than getting stuck without.

    April 29, 2015 at 2:43 pm #843643
    0
    runskiprun

    as a virgin 100 miler, all
    as a virgin 100 miler, all these forum posts are quite valuable.
    any frequent fliers got an idea on whether its wise to take overkill on inners, or to take the minimum and hope to escape the puncture fairy?

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