After seven weeks of training, and a year after I took part in the 60-mile edition of this event, I am today joining the 100-mile RideLondon route, which for the third consecutive year takes riders through London and halfway round Essex.
My alarm wakes me at 5:00, allowing me plenty of time to digest a three-course breakfast before I must make my way to the start line, on the Embankment. I start with a small bowl of cereal, followed by an egg on toast and then fruit with yoghurt.
Heading to the start
I’m dismayed to see that the weather forecast was accurate for this morning, with persistent drizzle turning in to a heavy downpour as I assemble my assortment of food and drink supplies for the ride today:
- 6 x Energy bars (raspberry and white chocolate)
- 3 x Energy gels (one with caffeine)
- 1 x Randoms sweet bag
- 3 x Energy drinks (one with caffeine, already in my bidon)
- 3 x Electrolyte tablets (one already in my second bidon)
I’ve also got a pump in my jersey and a puncture repair kit and spare innertube in my saddle bag. The sunny outdoor photo was taken during yesterday’s beautiful weather.
I put off my departure as late as I can, but need to set off at 6:30 in order to comfortably reach my entry point at Hyde Park Corner by the 7:20 deadline, and cross the start line in my designated wave, between 7:00 and 7:45.
The rain has subsided by the time I leave home and my rain tracking app shows that the heaviest downpours have moved northeast in to Essex, with lighter showers expected to follow through London over the next few hours. I therefore take a gamble and ditch my waterproof shoe covers, and hope for the best.
Apprehensive about the pain that I’ve been experiencing in my left knee over the last few weeks and wary of the long ride ahead, I take it easy on the relatively deserted streets of south east London and reach Buckingham Palace at 7:10. From here, the pink start area encompasses the Mall and Northumberland Avenue, skirting a very quiet Trafalgar Square.
The first half
Unlike last year, when I queued for over an hour to get through the start area, I breeze right through the entire zone, stopping only to use the facilities, and cross the start line at 7:28, barely one hour since I left the house. A light drizzle returns just as I do so, but it’s almost refreshing and not (yet?) enough to make me regret leaving my shoe covers at home.
Barely two miles in, I notice that my GoPro has malfunctioned and troubleshooting while riding to restart the timelapse which will hopefully now continue over the remaining 98 miles.
The first 32ish miles (51km) of the route is identical to what I rode last year in the 60-mile event. By the time we reach the A12 dual carriageway, which is closed to traffic in both directions, some of my fellow cyclists have donned bin bags to try and stay dry – however, these appear to have the aerodynamic properties of a parachute, so I’m not sure they’re worth the effort.
There’s a slight tail wind which means that I don’t really notice the long and gentle climb through Epping Forest, and I pass the first welfare area (in Epping) at 8:55. It looks quite crowded so I stick with my plan to make just one stop, at approximately the halfway point, which is about as far again.
The road gets quite congested on a slight incline in to Chipping Ongar, shortly before the 60-mile route branches off, but soon opens up as we reach the crest. The roads do bear witness to the earlier heavy rain I saw on my app, as we slalom around frequent puddles.
Taking a break
I pull in to the Felsted rest area at 10:20, just under three hours since crossing the start line and slightly further than halfway round the course. I didn’t stop on last year’s 60-mile course so this is my first experience of a RideLondon welfare stop.
To my surprise, given that few people are carrying locks, bikes must be racked-up near the entrance, although I do appreciate the crowding that would ensue if we were allowed to push them around freely throughout the area.
Disconcertingly, the toilets are at the very far end of the field, making it an uncomfortable dash after racking-up my bike, keenly hoping that no one rides off on it before I get back. There are several dozen portable unisex units; basic but functional.
Although there are stands selling hot food and drinks, and distributing free energy bars, I grab only a banana and also take the opportunity to refill my bidons, before heading back on to the course. It’s been 35 minutes exactly by the time I cross the sensors at the end of the neutralised area to restart my official ride time, but I do feel boosted by my break.
The second half
Unbelievably (given the apocalyptic forecast), the clouds separate and the sun begins to shine over the course as I continue my way through Essex, now heading south towards Chelmsford.
I pass some of the sweep service vehicles, which regularly patrol the route to collect those cyclists who cannot complete the course, either due to mechanical issues or health and fitness constraints, and overtake a brave man riding the 100 miles on a Santander bike (they’re very bulky and only have three gears).
From the outskirts of Chelmsford, it’s a consistent but gradual westerly climb to Ongar, defined by a couple of short, sharp and refreshing rain showers. The sun is shining again by the time I reach Ongar, which brings a festive vibe, as the high street is adorned with colourful bunting and balloons, although few spectators, possibly depleted by the recent rain.
Due southwest from Ongar, the route is largely downhill in to London, with a couple of notable climbs, in Hainault Forest and Buckhurst Hill. There are a couple of steward-controlled road junctions either side of Chigwell, but I’m pleased to be waved through each of these without having to stop for traffic to cross the course.
The traffic management around the route looks fairly robust, although I have come across two drivers on the course and, in Buckhurst Hill, a marshal is really struggling to prevent an Amazon van from edging out of a side road, insouciant of the event.
From Woodford, the inbound route largely doubles back on the outbound one, using half the carriageway until we re-join the A12, and its three sprawling lanes. Happily, a short and narrow section of road near Plaistow which we shared with oncoming buses last year has been completely closed to traffic this time round. It’s still busy, and slows my pace somewhat.
Then, at Canning Town, I encounter my only forced halt of the ride, as a heavily congested section is brought to an abrupt stop at a pedestrian crossing point. I’m not expecting it and jar my right leg as I set foot on the ground.
The route takes us south to City Hall, before a very sharp turn under the Thames Cable Car, it then passes around the perimeter of the Silvertown Tunnel construction site, which should be just about complete by this time next year.
From Poplar, the last twelve minutes are spent on one long road past Canary Wharf, through the Limehouse Tunnel and up to Tower Hill, before a sharp left turn to cross Tower Bridge.
Finish
I cross the finish line at 13:56 and am delighted to hear my favourite song, Mr Brightside, playing over the PA system just as I do so. I’ve recorded an official time of 05:47:33 for the 100 miles (excluding approximately five minutes spent traversing the three neutralised miles around each welfare stop, as well as my 35-minute break in Felsted).
My tracker, meanwhile, shows that I’ve actually ridden 165km (almost 103 miles) in six hours exactly (I paused this while I was in Felsted, but not as I continued through the other neutral zones).
My average speed was 27.5km/h which, although down on the 28.3km/h average I achieved on the 60-mile course last year, I’m still very happy with, especially given my trepidation around the knee injury.
Having collected my medal (made of metal this time) and refilled my bidons one last time, I head out of the finish area and head to the Southbank Centre Food Market for a late lunch of steak and chips.
After lunch, I somehow still have energy to burn and opt to do a victory lap around Hyde Park, enjoying the beautiful afternoon sunshine.
The full route
As with the 60-mile ride last year, I’ve recorded a timelapse of the full route, minus the first couple of miles due to the aforementioned camera malfunction. View the ride at approximately 12x normal speed below.
Watching the Classique
Although the mass-participation FreeCycle, which I briefly joined last year, has wrapped-up by now, another RideLondon event is just getting underway. I stumble across the third and final stage of the Classique, the British leg of the UCI Women’s WorldTour.
The ladies have covered 301km on the first two stages in Essex, while this third stage consists of eight laps of Central London, totalling 91km. The start line is on the Mall, with the race passing Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England, the Embankment and the Houses of Parliament.
It’s a great fast-paced spectacle and an opportunity to see the professional cyclists up-close, with the added advantage that it’s not all over in seconds, as they’ll be back round several times before the finish.
There are not too many spectators to begin with, but the crowds do grow with each lap. I watch a few laps from various vantage points before calling it a day and heading home.
By the time I get back, I’ve cycled 205km today, just shy of my all-time furthest distance in a day, which was 211km between Dieppe and Paris back in 2013 (that was part of a 325km two-day effort to cycle from London to Paris).
I feel good and I think nutrition has played a big part in keeping my energy levels up and exhaustion at bay. The ride has been far more enjoyable than I feared it would be, given my recent knee trouble and the terrible weather forecast. I’m keen to ride the course again next year, but will be more cautious to stagger my training.