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Ride London Surrey 100 logistics – borderline abandonment.

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  • July 14, 2015 at 2:36 pm #24435
    Matt eaton

    Hi folks, I’m after a bit of shared knowledge from anyone doing this ride.

    I’m signed up as part of a group. I won the places in a draw from British Cycling. Logistics were always going to be a challenge but we’ve been become aware of a requirement to go to London in the few days leading up to the ride to pick up numberplates etc.This is a problem for us as we live over 100 miles from London and most of us planned to travel on Sunday morning. Not to put too fine a point on it I’m not going back and forth to London the day before to sort this stuff out.

    Anyone in a similar position? Any ideas for solutions other than sacking it off and going for a bike ride (my number one option ATM).

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  • July 31, 2015 at 1:57 pm #853943
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    Judge dreadful

    It was a piece of cake, to
    It was a piece of cake, to get everything sorted over at the Excel today. Now for the fun bit B-)

    July 30, 2015 at 4:41 pm #853941
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    bikebot

    Well that’s the worst part
    Well that’s the worst part over, the trudge to Excel and back. No queues on Thursday morning as to be expected, and then exit via the gift shop (aka Wiggle).

    For anyone worried about cycling there with an expensive bike, there’s secure bike parking inside. You can leave road shoes and helmet with the bike and they’ll store it away somewhere until you’re done.

    July 29, 2015 at 12:05 pm #853939
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    BrucieMcB

    Hi there
    If you don’t mind me
    Hi there
    If you don’t mind me giving it a go, could you post the details / pack to me?
    I can email my work address.
    my email is:
    bruceblackwell@hotmail.com
    Cheers
    Bruce

    July 29, 2015 at 9:09 am #853937
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    wantstohaveasay

    First year I was almost put
    First year I was almost put off by the logistics – but boy was it worth it! and last year was beautiful mayhem (weather). Absolutely brilliant experience. Can’t go this year, sadly sadly. I had already booked a ticket so I have a return York-London on offer, with bicycle reservation, up on Saturday morning, down Sunday evening.

    If you’re put of by the logistics: go next year. Make it a weekend, with the freecycle and all, with the family to cheer you over the finish.

    July 28, 2015 at 9:38 pm #853935
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    Judge dreadful

    The person who now can’t
    The person who now can’t ride, signs in, collects numbers and chip, then hands them to the person who is actually going to ride. As long as the 2 riders are the same sex, and don’t have anything massively obviously different about them (missing limbs etc). I really doubt the organisers are going to be checking 25000 people all that closely.

    July 28, 2015 at 8:18 pm #853933
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    BrucieMcB

    Mmm I can see that the
    Mmm I can see that the entrant may not be too keen…

    July 28, 2015 at 4:45 pm #853931
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    gonedownhill

    Brucie,
    For someone else to
    Brucie,

    For someone else to collect your numbers, collection only from excel, on your behalf you are supposed to supply them with the letter that is sent to the entrant by mail, a copy of your ID and a letter authorising them to collect the number. So someone would have to be willing to give you a photocopy of their driving licence/passport to give you their numbers if they can’t collect the numbers themselves.

    July 28, 2015 at 4:16 pm #853929
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    BrucieMcB

    HI Matt
    Thanks for the
    HI Matt
    Thanks for the reply.
    Sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time.
    Do packs with numbers etc get posted out or do they have to be picked up from Excel?
    Bruce

    bruceblackwell@hotmail.com

    July 28, 2015 at 3:40 pm #853927
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    Curto80

    Last year I overtook four
    Last year I overtook four lads on Boris bikes who just fancied the craic of riding up the embankment. Personally I doubt you’ll have any bother providing you join after the start and peel off at the end without riding down the mall and getting caught in the finishers funnel (although by then not a lot anyone can do).

    July 28, 2015 at 3:16 pm #853925
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    Matt eaton

    BrucieMcB wrote:Hi Matt
    Are

    BrucieMcB wrote:
    Hi Matt
    Are you joining the ride on Sunday?
    I’m hoping to but don’t have a place.
    I’m not too bothered about times or checking in.
    It would be nice to have a number on my back and helmet so I don’t get pulled over.
    If yours is going it would be great to take your place.
    Cheers
    Bruce

    I won’t be riding on Sunday and you have my blessing to try to persuade the folks at the Excel to give you my numbers. They seem pretty strict about transferring places etc. so i don’t fancy your chances but if I had my way I’d just hand the details over to you.

    After all my procrastinating over this it turns out I probably would never have ridden anyway. I’ve been ill for the last couple of weeks and with a full-on schedule at work there’s no chance I’d be recovered and fit to ride anyway.

    July 28, 2015 at 2:28 pm #853923
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    qwerky

    700c wrote:To the OP, why not

    700c wrote:
    To the OP, why not give your place to someone who didn’t get in but wants to, such as Daveyraveygravey for instance? just sign the rider registration form and say you allow him to pick it up, then he can turn up on the day..

    sure its officially against the rules, but they aren’t going to check..

    They check ID on the Saturday when you register, but as far as I remember there were no ID checks on the Sunday morning. So long as you have a number and turn up in the appropriate place you should be able to ride with someone else’s number. Not that I approve or will be doing this; I have my own place already.

    I didn’t see any evidence of it, but I suspect the organisation would take a very dim view of riders with no number. Its a closed road which is subject to a TRO, so you may well get a Penalty Charge Notice (a fine) for breaking it.

    July 28, 2015 at 1:35 pm #853921
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    Martyn_K

    Daveyraveygravey

    Daveyraveygravey wrote:

    You’re missing the point! The early start is part of the fun! The ride from Stratford is brilliant – it’s early, the roads are closed, but they are full of cyclists, most of whom are flying along! It’s effectively a motorway, 3 lanes wide in each direction, gentle uphills that don’t seem to slow you and downhills that add 10 mph. Then there’s flying through the Limehouse link, and into the City!

    And there are people cheering you on! If you haven’t done it, then you don’t know what a brilliant experience it is. In my humble opinion.

    Agreed. There was a time in my early 20’s when i hit Saturday night London nightlife only to emerge from the nightclubs at about 7am Sunday. Wandering through London at that time of the morning in various conditions was surreal. To be back there partaking in a healthy past time in my mid 30’s feels somewhat like i am redressing the balance!

    You have to embrace the whole weekend. Going to the Excel, lunch in a pub near Excel, meeting the different people excited about riding on the Sunday. Riding to the start line and being one of the thousands of ‘ants’ homing in on the Olympic Park. The atmosphere on the whole route, culminating in the roar of the crowd through Whitehall and then down The Mall.

    It does feel like a royal PITA to get to the start line, but great memories of the event far outweigh the efforts to make it happen.

    July 28, 2015 at 12:24 pm #853919
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    Daveyraveygravey

    surly_by_name wrote:Would

    surly_by_name wrote:
    Would avoid the early start and the hassle of getting to Olympic park and (frankly pretty dire) ride from Stratford. You wouldn’t get an official time but its a sportive so who cares.

    You’re missing the point! The early start is part of the fun! The ride from Stratford is brilliant – it’s early, the roads are closed, but they are full of cyclists, most of whom are flying along! It’s effectively a motorway, 3 lanes wide in each direction, gentle uphills that don’t seem to slow you and downhills that add 10 mph. Then there’s flying through the Limehouse link, and into the City!

    And there are people cheering you on! If you haven’t done it, then you don’t know what a brilliant experience it is. In my humble opinion.

    July 28, 2015 at 12:15 pm #853917
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    Daveyraveygravey

    700c wrote:To the OP, why not

    700c wrote:
    To the OP, why not give your place to someone who didn’t get in but wants to, such as Daveyraveygravey for instance? just sign the rider registration form and say you allow him to pick it up, then he can turn up on the day..

    sure its officially against the rules, but they aren’t going to check..

    You sir are a gent, chapeau to you! One of the problems with that plan is I only have one eye, so unless the OP is in a similar condition, id could be tricky! Plus the Mrs thinks she has me at home this Sunday…wouldn’t want to disappoint her…

    July 28, 2015 at 9:41 am #853915
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    surly_by_name

    I remember watching the
    I remember watching the ridelondon come through sheen gate into RP a couple of years ago – struck me you could just join in any no one would be any the wiser (at least after a couple of Kms). Would avoid the early start and the hassle of getting to Olympic park and (frankly pretty dire) ride from Stratford. You wouldn’t get an official time but its a sportive so who cares.

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