Ride London 2018 Ballot

[Marcellus]

Dr Murdoch said:

Thanks, I was just about to edit my post, as I stumbled across this link: https://www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/events/100/...

Is it possible (what with road closures etc) to get back to Waterloo Station? Is it that a mare / crowded with fellow cyclists? I live in Hampton, so I can get a train direct home if I can get to the station and then on a train.

Yes, exit up through Green Park and then ride along Piccadilly, piccadilly circus, Leicester Square, The Strand and then Waterloo Bridge!

The hardest part is remembering you need to stop at the red lights, as you've been ignoring them all day!

[okgo]

I didn't get in, maybe 'coming 2nd' last year wasn't enough to secure a place

[dantournay]

I've just started looking at the logistics for this and it's going to be a ballache.
The 2017 event says you have to go back to East London after the event, why was this? timing chip?
Coming from Birmingham I'd prefer to take the train as I don't fancy a 2 hour drive home with the car on the other side of London and Virgin say they have space for 4 bikes on their trains. Ok not everyone will be going the same route as me but with 25000 riders some will. This doesn't look llke it's going to work as I planned

[Dr Murdoch]

Marcellus said:

Yes, exit up through Green Park and then ride along Piccadilly, piccadilly circus, Leicester Square, The Strand and then Waterloo Bridge!

The hardest part is remembering you need to stop at the red lights, as you've been ignoring them all day!

Brilliant thanks again.

Another question, just found out my brother got in, is it possible to arrange the same start time?

[Marcellus]

Dr Murdoch said:

Brilliant thanks again.

Another question, just found out my brother got in, is it possible to arrange the same start time?

No you have to start at the time they give you, they shepherd you into the right pen color and time and you go off in that wave, you can stop once you've started and wait for them, but for the first 5? miles you can be either side of the dual carriageway (from Olympic park to through the limehouse tunnel) so and you won't knwo which side of the dual carriage way you and your brother are on until you start (they alternative sides)

The 1st real opportunity to meet is between limehouse link and tower hill.

dantournay said:

I've just started looking at the logistics for this and it's going to be a ballache.
The 2017 event says you have to go back to East London after the event, why was this? timing chip?
Coming from Birmingham I'd prefer to take the train as I don't fancy a 2 hour drive home with the car on the other side of London and Virgin say they have space for 4 bikes on their trains. Ok not everyone will be going the same route as me but with 25000 riders some will. This doesn't look llke it's going to work as I planned

No need to go back to East London at all, once you've got back to the Mall you're free to go anywhere you want.

[Johno]

Got email today - overseas applicant - for a place.

First time I’ve applied for one and got in, maybe because I’m an overseas applicant?

[snobetter]

Dr Murdoch said:

Marcellus said:

Yes, exit up through Green Park and then ride along Piccadilly, piccadilly circus, Leicester Square, The Strand and then Waterloo Bridge!

The hardest part is remembering you need to stop at the red lights, as you've been ignoring them all day!

Brilliant thanks again.

Another question, just found out my brother got in, is it possible to arrange the same start time?

They offer a VIP deal for that, £500 if I remember correctly.

[AndStilliRise]

Dr Murdoch said:

There is lots of info on the website about getting 'to' the event, but very little about travelling home.

Ideally I would get the chartered service from Richmond, but where does that leave me at the end when i'm far from an overground station?

Similarly, If I drove and parked, the finish will be a decent distance from the car park?

In a nut shell, "whats the best way of getting to and from (which doesn't drag other people into it)?"

Early morning taxi or train.

[Dr Murdoch]

Thanks for the tips all.

I guess much will come down to the start time...

[Marcellus]

Another option which some friends did last year was get a late check out, so drive down saturday, ride sunday and then go back to hotel shower then check out and drive home.

[Jonnny]

I found an Air B&B for not too many coins within 2 miles of the start, with parking.. Much easier idea.

[gl20]

Just signed up via charity (Anthony Nolan). Can't wait. Will keep checking in to this thread.

[Rich_W]

Marcellus said:

Rich_W said:

Much as I want to ride. I'm not sure I want to ride for Oxfam!

Anyone seen another charity in the £2-300 range?

Looking through the back fo the commiserations magazine;
- The British Forces foundation £299
- Depaul £350
- Streetsoflondon £395
- Victa £475

and those are the few that have published the min donation there are 20+ others who haven't!

A charity a friend fundraised for at another event want £400. I don't mind the charity, but when she told them at the event on the day how much she'd raised. (she had no official target and did over £400 at short notice) All they gave her was a "Cheers, have a starburst" (as in the sweet and only fking 1!!!)

I saw another charity on their website just says "choose your fundraising target" Seems a bit strange when I'm used to Marathon charities expecting £2K

My mate going for the classics medal is superkeen to do it. Literally bouncing! He's waiting for me to choose a charity I like Another I like want £20 registration + £500.

[Marcellus]

Possibly the reason why targets are comparatively low for cycling events is that cycling 100miles is actually pretty easy for your average rider whereas 26miles for a runner is always tough and so fundraising isn't that easy.... After all who'd really "sponsor" someone to do something to do what they'd do on a Sunday ride anyway.

(Admittedly there will be some riders on the day for whom 100miles is a challenge but my guess is they're in the minority)

[AndStilliRise]

Marcellus said:

Possibly the reason why targets are comparatively low for cycling events is that cycling 100miles is actually pretty easy for your average rider whereas 26miles for a runner is always tough and so fundraising isn't that easy.... After all who'd really "sponsor" someone to do something to do what they'd do on a Sunday ride anyway.

(Admittedly there will be some riders on the day for whom 100miles is a challenge but my guess is they're in the minority)

100miles Sub5 hours is a challenge. I have done 4:45 twice as solo, breaking 4:30 is impossible without a group.

[Marcellus]

AndStilliRise said:

100miles Sub5 hours is a challenge. I have done 4:45 twice as solo, breaking 4:30 is impossible without a group.

In the context of the discussion as to why you need to raise £2000 for a London Marathon Charity place or only £4/500 for a Ride London Charity place how fast you or I can do it isn't really relevant.... besides there are those out there who will say "4:30 is a challenge, i've done it solo in 4:15 but in a group smashed it in 3:00" I certainly know guys who were disappointed they just missed the 4 hour mark

My point remains for you, me or the 4 hours guys to go out and raise big bucks in "sponsorship" to ride a distance which is easily doable by them isn't easy!

[Jonnny]

Rich_W said:

Marcellus said:

Rich_W said:

Much as I want to ride. I'm not sure I want to ride for Oxfam!

Anyone seen another charity in the £2-300 range?

Looking through the back fo the commiserations magazine;
- The British Forces foundation £299
- Depaul £350
- Streetsoflondon £395
- Victa £475

and those are the few that have published the min donation there are 20+ others who haven't!

A charity a friend fundraised for at another event want £400. I don't mind the charity, but when she told them at the event on the day how much she'd raised. (she had no official target and did over £400 at short notice) All they gave her was a "Cheers, have a starburst" (as in the sweet and only fking 1!!!)

I saw another charity on their website just says "choose your fundraising target" Seems a bit strange when I'm used to Marathon charities expecting £2K

My mate going for the classics medal is superkeen to do it. Literally bouncing! He's waiting for me to choose a charity I like Another I like want £20 registration + £500.

My charity, a local respite care home were kind of the same.. Didn't see any of them on the day, nothing set up for the morning or at the end, only saw about 4 people from the charity all day, which was kind of poor considering we raised over £5k between us, I don't think it even got mentioned in the newsletter.

Emailed me this year asking for more, nah.

With regards to the day, it's absolutely brilliant - such a good day.. But the logistics at the end is a massive ball ache, if you're fit enough and brave enough in a gridlocked London, to ride back to wherever your car is that's fine, but if not it's hassle.

We parked at the offical O2 carpark and got a chartered Thames Clipper back from Embankment to O2 which was pretty good, but even getting to Embankment (if you're not familiar with London) is hard work.. Especially after a day of cycling.

[Rich_W]

Jonnny said:

... I don't think it even got mentioned in the newsletter.

Emailed me this year asking for more, nah.

Its so stupid! No ones expecting a fanfare. But a Cheers would make you raise for them again surely. Its about getting a relationship going!

Few years back Sense sent me a chocolate bar and a "willy wonka" style golden ticket. They said take a selfie with it, and write why you should run the marathon and we'll enter you in draw to win a no minimum sponsorship place. upload to Twitter with a hashtag and we'll pick one.

Did it, as did a few others (you could search the #Sense or whatever. Maybe 10-15 people bothered) They NEVER chose one! None of them won!

Every year since they send me another entry and chocolate bar. I just eat it. fk em! Some charities are dumb!

[Jonnny]

Some have great support on the route, but it's the bigger ones who I assume have a bigger budget for "advertising" - buying clothing and those bang stick things etc.

[bakerstreet]

AndStilliRise said:

Early morning taxi or train.

Only of the train times are early enough for when you have to get into your starting pen.

As per the previous poster, the logistics can be a real pain. I was lazy and forgot to nook a space at one of the ride london car parks and mrs bakerstreet had to drive me to an approved drop off point at 5am and the sign posting to the start was pretty bad and I just followed the other cyclists and it turned out they were lost as well! Was a stressful start to the day.

I am lucky in that I lived in Kings Langley which is only 20 minutes out of Euston. I also cycle in London every day, so I'm fairly accustomed to cycling in London. Some people are not and its frightening to see how bad some of them were.

After 100 miles on open roads, it was hard to suddenly adapt to start stop traffic on SPDSL pedals and drops, which is far from ideal for cycling in traffic and I didn't like the 6 miles I had to cycle back to Euston. I also dozed off on the train and nearly missed my stop!

Still a great event though. This year, I shall stay in my Dad's rented flat in London and pootle off to the start line at a leisurely pace