Ride London 2018

[ibbo68]

This morning I received the knock back for the second year in a row.I'm not particularly bothered as I don't remember actually entering the ballot this time
One of the CC's I'm a member of has 100,yes that's ONE HUNDRED guaranteed chairidee places with no minimum Sponsorship required I realise the event is always vastly oversubscribed and they also want to have Charity places but 100 to one CC?
The same CC had 20 places last year(and filled them) so I wonder if this is why they've upped it to 100 this year?

[Boxhilljunkie]

Well you can jump on with me if you like....when RL comes to town it fooks up most my riding routes.....so jumping on ..is me taxing them for using my local roads

[The return of Marty Wild]

I am in the Boxxy fraternity on this one!

[ibbo68]

Well you can jump on with me if you like....when RL comes to town it fooks up most my riding routes.....so jumping on ..is me taxing them for using my local roads

I am in the Boxxy fraternity on this one!

I'm not that bothered TBH.
I just find it strange that there are so many wanting to do it but getting knocked back yet they are handing out Charity places like this.In theory I could take a guaranteed place,pay the fee then raise a couple of quid...literally Why not just give the CC 20 places and let the others go to the general ballot.

[VLAD (the Friendly Vamp)]

Take a look at your Palm - now turn your hand over and look at the other side.

Its called a back hander.

[coolboarder]

Well you can jump on with me if you like....when RL comes to town it fooks up most my riding routes.....so jumping on ..is me taxing them for using my local roads

I am in the Boxxy fraternity on this one!

The point is to raise money for charity and everyone else is paying an entry fee for the closed roads/facilities so its not exactly fair to freeload and if an organised ride was using one of my normal cycle routes I'd actually avoid it. But why anyone would want to join in a vastly over-subscribed ride with ten thousand idiots, most of whom can't ride safely and not only hold you up but are actually more dangerous than the normal traffic, is beyond my comprehension when you can ride on the same roads on your own any time you want.

[Boxhilljunkie]

Well ride London pretty much takes all my routes...unless I head off to Brighton...I do my bit for charity too and make a nice donation to anyone I know doing the ride...last year someone me and Marty knows got my donation...so I'm sin free
lastly I go so early I'm joining in with the pro group...by the time I'm finished the dangerous people are only just starting leith hill.
last year by the time I rode back from buck pal to my house...it was only 1pm

[coolboarder]

Well ride London pretty much takes all my routes...lastly I go so early I'm joining in with the pro group...

London to Oxford sportif comes past the end of my road and uses a lot of my normal routes through South Bucks and the Chilterns but I can avoid it. However when I set off, usually 8.30 am, they haven't got as far as my village but the marshals are in place so when they see me approaching they think I'm the first of the fast group to arrive and wave me through the junctions. I confess I take advantage of this without any conscience but I look for alternative routes if I start off later and its getting busy. I've nearly been taken out on more than one occasion by novice cyclists with poor road craft and bike handling skills who think because they've paid an entry fee they own the road even though that event is on open roads.

[The return of Marty Wild]

I've done it through a bonafide place once, which ended up costing me around £200. I then raised £1600 from friends and colleagues for MS (which my Mum suffers from). I have also donated my entry fee and been denied twice. So all in, they've had a fair bit out of me.

I admit to jumping on, realise that if everyone did it there would be chaos. If you start off in the early waves, it's game on, rinse out from start to finish. I LOVE it! I know I have a 4:30 in me on a good day.

[Gasper]

I'm with Marty, I love freeloading on the local sportifs. great fun, especially as I can join after they are all knackered and feel fresh as a daisy.