- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Cross country mountain bikes
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
Ride London Surrey 100 logistics - borderline abandonment.
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).
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- Rendel Harris 1 hour 20 min ago
"you give 100% to your sport and your country" – hoping in exchange to gain a considerable amount of fame and accompanying fortune, it's not really...
- David9694 1 hour 35 min ago
Where do drivers think that tyre or brake disc that started on 8mm and is now 3 mm has gone??
- mitsky 1 hour 43 min ago
Those figures are also just percentages OF the number of reports by both road users....
- chrisonabike 2 hours 29 min ago
Oh! It's a classic! At the entrance to Keynsham a picture perfect "who is this space intended for? Why are we pretending it's not just for those...
- Rendel Harris 3 hours 29 min ago
As I said below, being from the same neck of the woods I know that the primary demographic of the core support of WDAG is folks living in the roads...
- neilmck 4 hours 33 min ago
There are no fixed traffic radar traps in Ireland. They do have big mobile van that has a radar in it, but it also has a big warning on it that it...
- Creakingcrank 8 hours 6 min ago
The chart shows the places where Shimano sends its products. My guess is that a lot of the product going to Taiwan, and probably China too, ends up...
- wtjs 7 hours 18 min ago
Pfff! Garstang was way ahead with this radical new redevelopment technique. Last April
- wtjs 9 hours 37 min ago
The person is in a Public place, with no reasonable expectation of privacy...
Add new comment
72 comments
Having to collect numbers etc from Excel has been norm for the last 2 years so I'm more surprised that anyone didn't know that they'd have to do the same again this year.
It was a similar situation for Velothon Wales.
They've also had exactly the same system for 20 years for the marathon, with well over twice as many participants.
It's not like there's a shortage of hotels in east London.
If you are part of a team doing 20 miles each and you can't go down the day before and stay the night I really wouldn't bother, driving 200 miles in a day plus sorting out your documents is a lot of hassle to ride 20 miles. It would be worth it if you were doing it solo, this will be my third time.
We're all doing the full distance. To be honest I wouldn't have bothered at all for 20 miles, just too much messing about for a short ride even without considering the trip to the Excel the day before. I had an opportunity to do the Manchester closed road ride but decided against it for the same reason. Multiple laps of the same route isn't really my idea of a fun day out on the bike either; fine (and often necessary) for racing but not for a leisure ride. Luckily we've found out that if one or more of us drop out the others can still ride so I won't feel guilty if I just sack the whole thing off.
I have the same problems, I simply didn't realise how much of a ball ache it would be.
For what it's worth, I've booked a hotel in Richmond, so I could get the train to the start that they put on, however my load time ends at 7am and the first train arrives at 6.53am, so I'm having to drive in and park instead.
What time is your start, if your driving 100 miles on th Sunday morning you're going to have a very early start.
There has been numerous threads about the LP this year. , last year. It is the most annoying part of the whole process. Once you're on ride all of that will be forgotten and memories of your ride will be at the forefront.
It's always the way with these sorts of events, unfortunately. They do the same with marathons. I don't think it occurs to them to advertise it.
That's quite a slog coming from that far away on the morning of the event...all the hotels by start are likely to be booked up now, but you should be able to get something in London somewhere, if you have any scope to travel down the day before.
If you don't manage to find a solution, drop me a message - I'm happy to help out with retrieving packs (i'm actually volunteering this year so will be in the mix, anyway).
Thanks for the ideas. One of our team is staying with a friend on the Saturday night but they are only allowed to pick up the rider pack for one other rider. I might have a contact or two in London so that might be an option but asking someone to met us at stupid-o'clock on a Sunday morning with the goods seems a bit out of order. We've also got two young children and finding a willing relative to have them for two days plus an overnight stay is going to be a problem. Even the (very long) day on Sunday is quite a big ask. Also, it's not like hotels give away rooms for free.
I'm glad that I didn't pay for my place. If I had already parted with the entry fee I would be feeling pretty annoyed at having this sprung on me, or was it made clear when entering the ballot? Maybe I've missed some vital details because of the way I got my place; it was all done in a bit of a bizarre way.
..but you're right - the requirement to physically register at Excel in the days before the event is a major PITA
if you know somebody who lives closer you can allow them to pick up the registration pack for you (I think they have to take proof of your id/ confirmation from you that you allow somebody to pick up on your behalf, but check the RL website..)
Trying to book a central hotel now is going to be a problem. To give you an idea of timescales i booked my hotel in January, before the ballot results, and was lucky to get my first choice hotel.
I presume that you are not from South or East of London (100 miles puts you in the sea).
If you were intending on driving down on the morning why not shorten that journey by booking a hotel a bit further out of central London enabling you to get to the Excel on the Saturday..
Book a hotel like the rest of us. I did last year and I lived 100 miles away.
PP=PPP
Pages