Surrey County Council launches consultation into future of RideLondon events taking place on its roads

whilst the event does raise alot of money for charities, I wouldnt want it to be the message that stuck that its purpose was just a big charity ride.

Lots of cyclists tackle it,as they do any sportive, just as part of their own journey through cycling as a personal achievement goal, and it can make you feel a total fraud when people on the course are offering you their support and encouragement as they think you are riding for some charity who will benefit from it, when the reality is nothing like that.

I do think the Womens race should be expanded to be a proper road race,which you could cover with a standard rolling road block, as could the mens race if they shifted it away from the same day as the sportive, & then you could minimise the length of road closures needed.

It would be a crying shame if they stopped running this, in my opinion. I've not done it myself (though I have entered for the last three years!) but I think it does a massive amount to help raise awareness of cycling and introduce new cyclists to the streets. Granted, I may be biased as a London based cyclist, but it certainly doesnt help the image of cycling if they stop running the event. 

Hopefully everyone on here will enter some responses to the consultation in support of the event! (You don't have to live in Surrey to contribute.)

This event raises a massive amount for various charities - they will be having there say, no doubt. The funding for projects needs more publicity - I have ridden the event three times and was not aware of grants etc.

I have to disagree with Brightspark. I have friends with families along the route and they all love the event and make it a family day out - they have no problems getting to the viewpoints, they park and then walk or cycle the rest. There are marshalls that allow you to cross the road when safe. Indeed they will even hold up the riders occasionally to do this (I have experience of this).

I do think a slightly different route could be done and perhaps if there were three different routes that alternated each year this would minimise the impact for those on the current route.

It will still run, there's way too much oney at stake for Surrey to let it go elsewhere.

^^ It's run by London Marathon Events Ltd, the majority owner of the London and Surrey Cycling Partnership. 

E.g. As much as the simple answer would be to move cities, if it's not in London, it probably won't be replaced.

I've done the event twice, 2014? and 2019, the first one I enjoyed despite the biblically bad weather, last year I didn't. Despite an early start, I found the whole thing dangerous to be honest, lots of strava chasing idiots cutting through slower riders at crazy speeds down from Leith Hill, and generally poor rider discipline. Once the shorter route and the longer route joined together at Kingston the sheer number of inexperienced riders weaving about all over the road made me glad just to finish in one piece! It's also logistical nightmare especially with having to sign on in Excel prior to the event, and overall for me just not worth it. 

Irrespective of Surrey residents, nimby's etc - I say this event on this route has had it's day. The professional mens race was a total anti climax too, with no laps around town at the end to get to see your favourite pro. It was a great way to celebrate the London olympics, but why not move it out of London, perhaps starting / finishing in another city, but with more open and challenging countryside to ride in - Manchester / York?

I can see it continuing with a bit of horse trading to make the logistics better... Every year its got bigger and better.

London to brighton causes minimal fuss, but its a direct short closure route.. as brightspark writes, it's the being hemmed in issue that really annoys some. Work in progress I feel.

Well, that's the end of that then

I have mixed views on this event.

Yes it has put bums in saddles, and has increased the number of cyclists on the roads but...

The locals arn't even aware that there is a proffesional race in there. All they see is the roads closed for a bunch of lycra louts who clutter up the roads every weekend for the rest of the year. You may not like to hear that but that is their perception. What also has not helped is the absurd security. People are not allowed to cross the course even when there is no traffic, thus cutting towns and villages in half. All footpaths accessing the course and pavements are closed. So access to see the event is limited to a few places. Parking anywhere near the course is forbidden and that includes residents and their families, so no chance of a family day. All in all a total dogs dinner. You then throw in people trying to get ambulances or get sick relatives into a car to get hospital...sorry mate forbidden. Oh and cyclist peeing in the road and throwing their bottles into gardens, that is the publics perception of the proffesional road race. (I bet you wondered where the bottle throwing came from)

For the rest of us the badwill is highlighted by the aggressive driving towards cyclists especially those in lycra, as soon as those yellow warning signs come out before the event and for a few weeks after.

Good luck with the campaign to keep the event going. There will be several people already known to this site who will be sharing their view. (Don't turn Surrey into a cycle path, A24 at Boxhill to be banned to cyclists and the campaign to ban cyclists from the Zig-Zag et-al)

As I said, I have mixed views. (perhaps its the wrong type of cyclist being attracted to the pastime?)

I can't remember how long ago it was I got some abuse for starting a counter-petition against some of the gammons that wanted it stopped, but with this review. If I was on the country council. I'd still agree to hold it, but put in place a proper womens race, not a shit crit around some landmarks. 

One of the reasons I did that petition was because of the benefits I could see it bringing the community, but also hoped that the races would improve. They haven't and have in fact stagnated. I wouldn't allow it if they aren't going to improve things.

Problem is that the gammons don't often see the good that the £4.3m has done because it only helps the peasants...

And so the gammons win another battle...

(Sorry, a bit riled by the quote in the Bristol Post that parks are not an extension of children's gardens and shouldn't have play areas etc; quote from a bloke in his sixties who paid over the odds to live right next to an urban park).

After many years ignoring RL I got entry this year - errr, last year - via my club. The logistics are a challenge but once I was riding, I absolutely loved it. Closed roads amid a huge peloton of rapid cyclists, it was a total blast. I appeciate later starters probably ran into crash delays but luckily my early start meant I could just ride.

Public consultation means all the bike haters will pile in so I wouldn't be surprised if Surrey county council blinks and withdraws support.

It's not perfect, but there's no doubt that it's a fantastic event which it would be a shame to lose.

Shifting to a Chilterns route could work, but the London segment would be far less pretty.