A huge huge thanks to stef for organising the team entries as without I for sure would of missed out on this great event.
The last turning onto the mall, the crowd cheering as your giving it everything you've got was sensational.
I also particularly liked approx 40miles in when the blue train formed up behind Shaun and we took outside line at a sustained 22mph and cut through countless packs... Tres formidable!
Yes, thank you so much Stef for getting us into this fantastic event.
To have 4 teams was great, especially after I learnt from the Nomads Racing Secretary that they were unsuccesful in their application for one team!
What an experience with the Blue Train getting up to speed in the early miles as we hurtled through tunnels and sped around car free streets...unforgettable, thanks everyone.
What a pleasure that was! One of the rare CCA riders who got in on the first ballot, I was hopeful of catching up with a few teams on the way round. Not to be as the blue train was clearly in full flow. Crowds were magic, route through Central London in particular but virtually everywhere was great and the organisation was pretty sensational for such a large event the first time off. Finished with a ride time of 5:18 ish and was in bed before dark. What a blast.
Note - I'm sure I heard an announcement at the start for the 2014 ballot opening later this week. That may have been 5:45am talking, but would highly recommend getting names down for this next year.
BoJo went up in my estimatation quite a bit yesterday.
the organisation was staggeringly good. really didnt expect such a clear run right from the start. marshals everywhere, so many water stops. superb. well worth the entry fee, in fact much better value than most sportives when you consider the closed roads. cant really fault them on anything.
a fantastic ride, much faster than i think any of us expected. the wide closed roads in london were awesome and i doubt we will ever travel through the city as quickly on any form of transport. great support all the way round from the crowds, especially at the finish - as Tom says the turn onto the Mall and final straight were really special. some very strong CCA rides yesterday - i was very grateful to hang onto your back wheels as long as I could, as were many others not wearing cca blue. there wernt many other clubs as well represented as us, or if they were they wernt all riding together.
no problem doing the team entry, it was pretty straightforward. i'm just delighted (and still amazed) we got all 4 teams in and made good use of it. well done to all
Yes, I agree. Good fun and very well organised. I also luckily got in on first the ballot. Will defo apply for next year.
Very pleased with my time 5:09:48 but no way I could have done that without slip-streaming.
Nice to meet other CCA members and the odd "CCA" cheer from spectators.
Great day out yesterday even with the 3am wake up call!
After a lengthy toilet queue we made it to the same starting wave as CCA but right at the very back of the wave. We thought that there may have been an opportunity to regroup with the train in the neutralised zone but however it wasn't meant to be.
We wizzed through all of the London sites on the fantastic closed roads and stopped at the second hub where we re-grouped with AdamR. We then rode as a trio, conquering the 'fearsome' Surrey hills and zoomed to the best finish I've ever seen for a sportive.
Overall ride time was 5hrs58mins which we are well chuffed with given its our first 100 miler.
I'd like to add my thanks to Stef for the team entries and Mark for offering me the place when Stevie couldn't ride - it was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. It was lovely to meet some CCA riders that I hadn't met before and being part of the blue train for the first 25m was amazing. Special thanks to Mark for letting me ride his wheel for the entire race, I was exhausted at the end and the last 2 miles seemed a bit of a blur but turning onto the mall was fantastic and I was really pleased with the time. Thought the route was amazing although one of the highlights was whizzing the wrong way through the Blackwell Tunnel at 4 in the morning to get to the start. Hills were hard, but fortunately I thought Box Hill was before Leith hill so didn't realise I had climbed Leith until I got to the top. Certainly glad we didn't have to do them three times anyway.
Thanks again to everyone and will definitely be putting in an entry for next year. Can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who didn't do it this year.
Garmin stats:
Distance covered 101.6miles
Moving time 5hrs 5mins 03secs
Av moving speed 20.0mph
Max speed 43mph
Elevation gained 3901ft
Av temp 64.4F
Calories 3553 !!!
Av heart rate 81% of max
Max heart rate 95% of max (on the Mall!)
Even though the Garmin recorded me as making 'evens' for the 100 miles I am, of course, going to have to return to record an official time under 5hours! The conditions might not be so good next time...the offical split time indicates that I covered the last 9 miles in 19mins 12sec...an average of over 28mph...there were some good wheels to follow!!
Compared to other sportifs, I struggled a bit with logistics and preparation for this one and I wasn't impressed with their pre-event info or the helpline. So it was quite a relief to get through their loading procedure and out onto the roads without any major problems. The ride itself was an absolute blast
Like Tom, Shaun's lead-out sticks in my memory. But not as much as the following 20 minutes when I slipped without any warning into some kind of nirvana. I found myself zooming along inside a big, speedy peloton that seemed to span the full width of the road. I'd always imagined that it'd be terrifying, but it was exhilaratingly fast for hardly any effort and unbelievably easy to move through the pack when I wanted to. It felt like a shoal of fish - a dynamic, almost fluid mass of people-on-wheels - all focussed on the same thing, everybody understanding everybody else without words and moving around each other perfectly. Smooth and intensely calm. Stuff of dreams!
At Box Hill I loved the sound of hot tyre coming off silky smooth tarmac - so sweet, I swear it was the first time I've ever heard my rims above the usual chattering road surfaces we get around here. It was also my first experience of closed roads and using both lanes, and I learnt that dodging cats eyes is quite a sport in its own right ... and that when the pace is really good, cats eyes are too damned close together!
Our pace stepped up in the final 1/3 and we seemed to be constantly overtaking other riders. I whizzed past an awe-inspiring Palace of Westminster to cheering crowds, my legs screaming but somehow finding a little bit more and my brain feeling humbled and worshipped in equal measure. Everything blurs after that into a sea of faces and banners and red (was it really red?) tarmac. Computer said moving time was 4hr 53 and total time was 5hr 20 (inc 1 puncture). An insane 20.4mph over 100 miles. Totally, grin-inducingly addictive
highlights were; the tunnels at +25mph, following james' wheel as he raced "crit style" through kingston, sitting at the back of the "blue train" as it surged along in the right hand lane, all the descents and going up box hill
thanks very much to our "directeur sportif" stef for getting the team entries and thanks to martinh for the lift home!!
Well done everyone who took part it was a awesome day with some amazing times from the CCA riders.
I had a 7:58 start so did nt see any CCA shirts. No peleton for me, i plodded along conquering the Surrey hils and completed my first 100.
Ride time 7:30, moving time just under 7 hours ( puncture,bottle refills etc ) Av speed 14.3.
So any new riders or older persons thinking about applying for next years event i would say have a go, if i can do it anyone can !
This was a great event and next year the plan is to have at least 26500 entries with a view to growing it to 35000.
The ballot for 2014 is due to open on Monday!
Thanks again to Stef for getting so many entries and everyone for a very memorable and fun day. It put a big smile on my face.
Getting to the start from a side street nearby was a doddle and riding back was easy peasy too. I spent most of the route to Clapton with another rider on his way back to Haringey.
I got a bit worried when I lost contact with the train and wondered how things would pan out but there were so many riders it didn't matter. I ended up with the internet cycling club train who were about 10 strong and on a mission. With about 10 miles to go they decided to wind things up and the last 9 miles were covered in 18:15.
It seemed like the closest thing to racing without being in a race.
this is the (lengthy) discussion from last year on team entry for Ride London, details are right at the top. similar arrangement again this year - see separate post
Comments
The last turning onto the mall, the crowd cheering as your giving it everything you've got was sensational.
I also particularly liked approx 40miles in when the blue train formed up behind Shaun and we took outside line at a sustained 22mph and cut through countless packs... Tres formidable!
Great day, great times...
To have 4 teams was great, especially after I learnt from the Nomads Racing Secretary that they were unsuccesful in their application for one team!
What an experience with the Blue Train getting up to speed in the early miles as we hurtled through tunnels and sped around car free streets...unforgettable, thanks everyone.
Note - I'm sure I heard an announcement at the start for the 2014 ballot opening later this week. That may have been 5:45am talking, but would highly recommend getting names down for this next year.
BoJo went up in my estimatation quite a bit yesterday.
Adam
a fantastic ride, much faster than i think any of us expected. the wide closed roads in london were awesome and i doubt we will ever travel through the city as quickly on any form of transport. great support all the way round from the crowds, especially at the finish - as Tom says the turn onto the Mall and final straight were really special. some very strong CCA rides yesterday - i was very grateful to hang onto your back wheels as long as I could, as were many others not wearing cca blue. there wernt many other clubs as well represented as us, or if they were they wernt all riding together.
no problem doing the team entry, it was pretty straightforward. i'm just delighted (and still amazed) we got all 4 teams in and made good use of it.
well done to all
Very pleased with my time 5:09:48 but no way I could have done that without slip-streaming.
Nice to meet other CCA members and the odd "CCA" cheer from spectators.
After a lengthy toilet queue we made it to the same starting wave as CCA but right at the very back of the wave. We thought that there may have been an opportunity to regroup with the train in the neutralised zone but however it wasn't meant to be.
We wizzed through all of the London sites on the fantastic closed roads and stopped at the second hub where we re-grouped with AdamR. We then rode as a trio, conquering the 'fearsome' Surrey hills and zoomed to the best finish I've ever seen for a sportive.
Overall ride time was 5hrs58mins which we are well chuffed with given its our first 100 miler.
David and Emma
Thought the route was amazing although one of the highlights was whizzing the wrong way through the Blackwell Tunnel at 4 in the morning to get to the start. Hills were hard, but fortunately I thought Box Hill was before Leith hill so didn't realise I had climbed Leith until I got to the top. Certainly glad we didn't have to do them three times anyway.
Thanks again to everyone and will definitely be putting in an entry for next year. Can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who didn't do it this year.
Jackie
Garmin stats:
Distance covered 101.6miles
Moving time 5hrs 5mins 03secs
Av moving speed 20.0mph
Max speed 43mph
Elevation gained 3901ft
Av temp 64.4F
Calories 3553 !!!
Av heart rate 81% of max
Max heart rate 95% of max (on the Mall!)
Even though the Garmin recorded me as making 'evens' for the 100 miles I am, of course, going to have to return to record an official time under 5hours! The conditions might not be so good next time...the offical split time indicates that I covered the last 9 miles in 19mins 12sec...an average of over 28mph...there were some good wheels to follow!!
Like Tom, Shaun's lead-out sticks in my memory. But not as much as the following 20 minutes when I slipped without any warning into some kind of nirvana. I found myself zooming along inside a big, speedy peloton that seemed to span the full width of the road. I'd always imagined that it'd be terrifying, but it was exhilaratingly fast for hardly any effort and unbelievably easy to move through the pack when I wanted to. It felt like a shoal of fish - a dynamic, almost fluid mass of people-on-wheels - all focussed on the same thing, everybody understanding everybody else without words and moving around each other perfectly. Smooth and intensely calm. Stuff of dreams!
At Box Hill I loved the sound of hot tyre coming off silky smooth tarmac - so sweet, I swear it was the first time I've ever heard my rims above the usual chattering road surfaces we get around here. It was also my first experience of closed roads and using both lanes, and I learnt that dodging cats eyes is quite a sport in its own right ... and that when the pace is really good, cats eyes are too damned close together!
Our pace stepped up in the final 1/3 and we seemed to be constantly overtaking other riders. I whizzed past an awe-inspiring Palace of Westminster to cheering crowds, my legs screaming but somehow finding a little bit more and my brain feeling humbled and worshipped in equal measure. Everything blurs after that into a sea of faces and banners and red (was it really red?) tarmac. Computer said moving time was 4hr 53 and total time was 5hr 20 (inc 1 puncture). An insane 20.4mph over 100 miles. Totally, grin-inducingly addictive
highlights were; the tunnels at +25mph, following james' wheel as he raced "crit style" through kingston, sitting at the back of the "blue train" as it surged along in the right hand lane, all the descents and going up box hill
thanks very much to our "directeur sportif" stef for getting the team entries and thanks to martinh for the lift home!!
I had a 7:58 start so did nt see any CCA shirts. No peleton for me, i plodded along conquering the Surrey hils and completed my first 100.
Ride time 7:30, moving time just under 7 hours ( puncture,bottle refills etc ) Av speed 14.3.
So any new riders or older persons thinking about applying for next years event i would say have a go, if i can do it anyone can !
The ballot for 2014 is due to open on Monday!
Thanks again to Stef for getting so many entries and everyone for a very memorable and fun day. It put a big smile on my face.
Getting to the start from a side street nearby was a doddle and riding back was easy peasy too. I spent most of the route to Clapton with another rider on his way back to Haringey.
I got a bit worried when I lost contact with the train and wondered how things would pan out but there were so many riders it didn't matter. I ended up with the internet cycling club train who were about 10 strong and on a mission. With about 10 miles to go they decided to wind things up and the last 9 miles were covered in 18:15.
It seemed like the closest thing to racing without being in a race.
Let's hope it goes so well next year:)
http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/2013/08/07/ride-london-rankings-find-out-how-your-time-compares-to-everyone-elses/
details are right at the top.
similar arrangement again this year - see separate post