RideLondon Start Times

[BMWBen]

So, who's in and when are you starting?

I've got a charity place, starting the first wave (eurgh!). Hoping to do somewhere between 4 and 4.5 hours, with 4:15 probably being my realistic goal but I'll be trying to stay with the front group the whole way.

I'm not sure what to do about bottles, because I'm certainly not stopping if I'm going to hit that target! Hopefully 2 large ones will be enough...

[BMWBen]

ALawson said:

BMWBen said:

So, who's in and when are you starting?

I've got a charity place, starting the first wave (eurgh!). Hoping to do somewhere between 4 and 4.5 hours, with 4:15 probably being my realistic goal but I'll be trying to stay with the front group the whole way.

I'm not sure what to do about bottles, because I'm certainly not stopping if I'm going to hit that target! Hopefully 2 large ones will be enough...

At that time I expect a quick bottle swap at the top of Box Hill will be possible or just ride with two 750ml. Should be fine unless it's baking hot.

I think traditionally it pours with rain doesn't it? Going to have to practice peeing on the bike tdf style too

[BMWBen]

GOATever said:

ALawson said:

At that time I expect a quick bottle swap at the top of Box Hill will be possible or just ride with two 750ml. Should be fine unless it's baking hot.

The long range forecast I’ve seen is saying 31 degrees and humid this year.

Hopefully that doesn't become 31 degrees and thunder rain...

[BMWBen]

okgo said:

I was one of the first riders home in just under 3.53 - started a bit back in first wave and was 5th over line - I don’t think anyone did 3.50 based on that.

As usual, awful riding displayed by many, and if you could surf a pack it was pretty easy to go quick. I got binned on leith but got back to the front. I think the main lot split a lot at box as by the end the front group was probably about 25 people.

First time I've done it - the standard of riding in the front group was better than I expected, but my expectations were that I'd be taken out somewhere in the first 10 miles so not a high bar to beat

Looking at the flybys the front pack split properly on Leith and then again on Box. Got really strung out on Leith hill, and I didn't get back to the front group until we got to Dorking. After that effort I didn't really have much to give up box and the group had gone again by the first hairpin. Looks like the very front group got split again just before the cafe.

Ended up riding all the way back into London as a 3 (not ideal!) which was picking people up and dropping them, only to get caught by the bigger group that didn't make it back after Leith just after we got to Kingston. Might as well have sat up and waited for them! They were a bunch of lazy sts (or maybe they were just all gassed) so that was quite annoying

So I think the front three groups were 3:53, 3:57: 4:01 (mine - about 20-25 riders at a guess ?)

[BMWBen]

whatleytom said:

BMWBen said:

First time I've done it - the standard of riding in the front group was better than I expected, but my expectations were that I'd be taken out somewhere in the first 10 miles so not a high bar to beat

Looking at the flybys the front pack split properly on Leith and then again on Box. Got really strung out on Leith hill, and I didn't get back to the front group until we got to Dorking. After that effort I didn't really have much to give up box and the group had gone again by the first hairpin. Looks like the very front group got split again just before the cafe.

Ended up riding all the way back into London as a 3 (not ideal!) which was picking people up and dropping them, only to get caught by the bigger group that didn't make it back after Leith just after we got to Kingston. Might as well have sat up and waited for them! They were a bunch of lazy sts (or maybe they were just all gassed) so that was quite annoying

So I think the front three groups were 3:53, 3:57: 4:01 (mine - about 20-25 riders at a guess ?)

We must have ridden in the same group, post Leith. Had the exact same as you, lost the bunch on Leith but got back on in Dorking, then just tapped up Box with a few others at my own pace. Then in a four or five up until Kingston when a bigger group swept us up. Finished 4.01 or so too.

Yeah I was the chap on the Blue/Black Aeroad, I think you were the one who sent it down the back of box at a pace that made me feel a bit uneasy Guessing you know that one quite well! I was absolutely hanging after box. I lost one of my water bottles on a pothole on Piccadilly and was really starting to feel it! We dropped the paceline rider and one other somewhere between Leatherhead and Esher I think.

[BMWBen]

richthebike said:

S1KRR said:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uTQ1wURMLm...

Someone more clever than me has put everyone in order of finish time.

Not perfect, since everyone starts at different times. But interesting.

That just needs sorting by column E

It's also not quite right... People are down as "100 miles" who didn't.

[BMWBen]

ChrisMCoupe said:

S1KRR said:

Don't know why people don't contribute to making a group work. At the sorts of time you did. Suggests more than just the odd ride. So surely they realise that if they share the worl they all get faster??

That's exactly why very average riders get good times. They find a wheel(s) that they can sit on at probably close to threshold, no hope of doing a turn on the front without being spat and get pulled round for a very flattering time.

As Akz said, as soon as there's a gradient, even a small one like Newlands, they get dropped and then find a group to scoop them up and they start again.

Not knocking the London 100 at all, but it doesn't give a true reflection of ability, with the exception of the weapons at the very sharp end.

I think it depends how you define ability... A rider who can hold the wheels in a faster group is more or less able than one who can't?

I don't think there's anybody who did ride london that could solo the time they did, including the ex-pros like Yanto Barker.