Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
mattsccm
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by mattsccm »

You know what annoys me? It doesn't go across at all. It goes up/down !
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Paulatic
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by Paulatic »

Have to say they didn't annoy me or anyone else I know this year as they came through the area. The ones I saw were riding in groups of probably no more than 6 riders and there was vehicle space in between the groups allowing vehicles to pass safely.
Big improvement to the huge peletons of 60+ riders we've witnessed in the past. Try getting past them :D
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rareposter
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by rareposter »

Ride Across Britain have changed a couple of their days now to avoid Glasgow, Crow Road, Glencoe and Fort William:

Image

Suddenly everyone is terrified of going over The Lecht!
On the plus side it does avoid the 125 mile day that everyone was terrified of previously (Glasgow to Fort William). Be interetsing to see how it pans out.
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Paulatic
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by Paulatic »

Came through my area this morning. I was out this afternoon so Strava segments are in the hundreds of riders today. Checking out a few riders to look at their route today. I liked the way their route has gone towards the Forth road bridge. It differed after Woolfords to the route Wimps took and indeed to the way record attempts have taken. Albeit it has taken them to their overnight stop which is short of the bridge but it has looked a simple route. All the riders I checked out showed no signs of getting lost.
Which brings me to a contrast.
I met about 12 riders on JOGLE today. They were stopped at a roundabout deciding where to go and waiting for others i asked if they were OK or needed any route help? We are fine they replied. :) Looking at their rides on Strava tonight most of them went wrong only 20 yds after meeting me. I looked at 8 of their rides , most getting lost at least twice in Carlisle, once in Gretna, and negotiating an unnecessary M6 roundabout. 2 guys went all the war around by Longtown and one poor guy went wrong after Lockerbie. Going 5 mls in the wrong road realised his mistake and retraced. I’d hate to tell him if he’d carried on another 2 ml he’d have been back on route having only done an extra mile. :lol:
They were overnighting in Carlisle but viewing their tracks were a perfect example of my mantra don’t go through unless you have to. The place eats up time.
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cycleruk
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by cycleruk »

The Deloitte riders came through the back of Garstang on Tuesday on their way to Penrith. Quite broken up in small groups, some acknowledged us and some didn't as we were going in the opposite direction. They were accompanied by a motorbike, a couple of vans, a car with 2 bikes on top and a Paramedic vehicle. They were using the lanes instead of the obvious easier route of the A6 and still had Shap to attempt on their 106 mile day.
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Paulatic
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by Paulatic »

cycleruk wrote:The Deloitte riders came through the back of Garstang on Tuesday on their way to Penrith. Quite broken up in small groups, some acknowledged us and some didn't as we were going in the opposite direction. They were accompanied by a motorbike, a couple of vans, a car with 2 bikes on top and a Paramedic vehicle. They were using the lanes instead of the obvious easier route of the A6 and still had Shap to attempt on their 106 mile day.

That was Wednesday :D
These days are just a blur :lol:
Haydock to Hutton n the Forest.
7DA08765-DD30-43E4-A71F-D26FCF49441F.png
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cycleruk
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by cycleruk »

Paulatic wrote:
cycleruk wrote:The Deloitte riders came through the back of Garstang on Tuesday on their way to Penrith. Quite broken up in small groups, some acknowledged us and some didn't as we were going in the opposite direction. They were accompanied by a motorbike, a couple of vans, a car with 2 bikes on top and a Paramedic vehicle. They were using the lanes instead of the obvious easier route of the A6 and still had Shap to attempt on their 106 mile day.

That was Wednesday :D
These days are just a blur :lol:
Haydock to Hutton n the Forest.
7DA08765-DD30-43E4-A71F-D26FCF49441F.png

:oops: Your right of course. :oops: (just move the days about depending on the weather :? )
I looked at the cost and not for me plus I wouldn't want to do 100+ miles per day.
60 to 70 would suit me as per the Wimps but that did include our own making & breaking camp. The Deloitter's, I believe, it is all done for them.
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mattsccm
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by mattsccm »

This lot came through the Forest of Dean last week. Every single person who came across them, both cyclist and "civilian" commented on the awful riding skills. Great long chains with no gaps are a great way of getting motorists backs up.
Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of cyclist rights but this was both antagonising and dangerous. I suspect that I am a bit more considerate than many drivers where cyclist are concerned so I followed a straggling mass for nearly 4 miles in second gear, trying to politely pick off the odd rider. My rear view mirror showed a great tail back of vehicles. Can't of been much fun for the riders. Virtually no sensible group riding at all. In some case riding 3 abreast, strangely on the long straights where passing could happen, complete lack of hand signals and wild random stopping. To be fair I suspect that there was a lot of inexperience out there going by the poorly set up bikes, awful riding positions etc. Quite possibly many of these rider were unaware of the dangers.
And why chose main roads for goodness sake?
Strangely, the comment from the organisers in the local rag stressed the charity side of things, not the premium paid by the participants. Hmm.
Good luck to those who rode but it is things like this that don't help the cyclist cause.
FasterFerret
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by FasterFerret »

cycleruk wrote:I looked at the cost and not for me plus I wouldn't want to do 100+ miles per day.
60 to 70 would suit me as per the Wimps but that did include our own making & breaking camp. The Deloitter's, I believe, it is all done for them.


I was seriously considering the D_RAB as an option, I liked the idea of a supported ride where all the food is done for you and your bag is taken ahead from basecamp to basecamp, I had a few friends who had previously done it and enjoyed it. But the cost is way in excess of what I paid to do my own thing - even staying in B&Bs with a roof, proper shower and bed etc.

I also read this write-up:

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/3523/ride ... -on-a-bike

And was put off by:

The many memories of being kept awake at night by people snoring on various camping trips
The unnecessary 5:30 wake-up calls - even my longest day didn't need me to get out of bed that early. On your own faff is kept to a minimum, you are on your own schedule not someone else's
The thought of being constantly damp/never quite dry - I got a few good soakings, but never had a problem with getting my kit dry overnight in a B&B. I don't think that's a problem unique to RAB, anyone who camps has to face the same issue. I don't mind it for a weekend, but when the route is challenging enough in itself it is something that I would rather not deal with.

There are many on here who take the camping route, and I definitely enjoy cycle touring with tents but the combination of camping and a 100+ mile per day schedule doesn't do it for me. Maybe I'm just too soft...

I think that the great thing about LEJOG/JOGLE is the ability to set exactly your own 'rules of engagement'. No doubt RAB ticks the box for a lot of people, others less so.

I am kind of pleased that in 1,000 miles of cycling I only 'took someone's wheel' for a total of 10 miles. There was no big train to pull me along and at the same time, I had no worries of anyone other than myself (car drivers and wildlife) taking me down.
FasterFerret
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by FasterFerret »

mattsccm wrote:And why chose main roads for goodness sake?


I had a good look at the RAB route and think that in the main it is a decent route that avoids many of the main roads that other LEJOGers would take. They do see it as a USP that it is a connoisseur's route.

However, as we all know there are some main roads that are all but unavoidable - those that probably feature in 99% of all LEJOGs done.

I guess that they also have to balance the sheer amount of cycling traffic that they are trying to push along those roads each day - imagine being on a singletrack road going the opposite way to the hundreds of RAB riders, surely that would be even more chaotic?


mattsccm wrote:Great long chains with no gaps are a great way of getting motorists backs up.


Funny isn't it how quickly any road user can assume (get sucked into) the 'I own the road' mentality?
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Paulatic
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by Paulatic »

The downside of RAB, for me, is the sheer number of cyclists in a group. I saw a photograph this morning taken on the last day and featured on one of their Strava profiles. I wish I’d grabbed it then as I can’t find it now.
Shows possibly about a mile of road winding up a hillside. Cyclists the whole length of it with no visible gap between any of them. I’ve no idea how any motorist could safely overtake.

Edit: Found it !
Taken by Jemma Spencer
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FasterFerret
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by FasterFerret »

Paulatic wrote:I’ve no idea how any motorist could safely overtake.



Agreed.

I don't know what kind of briefing they get about thinning out and breaking into groups to allow cars to leapfrog.

Second nature to many club riders, but I suspect something that would need to be briefed to many.
FasterFerret
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by FasterFerret »

Just in case you have not seen them. RAB make the GPX files available:

https://www.rideacrossbritain.com/2018-hub/

https://www.rideacrossbritain.com/wp-co ... erview.pdf

and an open profile on RWGPS

https://ridewithgps.com/users/884670

A challenge that has endured for centuries
The ‘End to End’ has been an iconic cycling challenge since before the Tour de France was even a glint in Henri Desgrange’s eye. It always has and always will be a true test of stamina and will. The reason it has stood the test of time as a challenge? The simplicity of going from South to North and the breathtaking variety of scenery it passes through.


The shortest route is by no means the best
Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best.” Unlike most end to end rides, Deloitte Ride Across Britain doesn’t choose the shortest route from A to B. Cycling gives you a unique perspective on a country and we pick a route where you will do a few extra miles each day, but takes you to the places other rides would miss. We think Hemingway would approve.


Experience the full range of terrain Britain has to offer
We guide you from the rugged coastline of Cornwall to the rolling hills and valleys of the North of England right up the barren majesty of the Scottish highlands. We don’t believe there is another event in the world that manages to string together such a range of moorlands, hidden green valleys, winding back lanes, stunning coastal roads and historic sites. Want us to prove it? We’d love to.


They don't shy away from hills and as I have said before they should be given credit for not 'hogging' some of the main routes (A49, even the A836 when they get 'up top').

Cue lots of 'well I wouldn't have gone that way' discussion...

Let me start, I wouldn't (didn't) go straight through the middle of Carlisle!
MattH
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by MattH »

The last day of the event actually coincided with the last day of my own LEJOG. It was quite a surprise to get rounds of applause going down towards the end at JOG, wasn't sure exactly what it was until I spotted the finish line.

This was followed by about 100 "good lucks" as I cycled into the 28mph(!) head wind back to Thurso where I'm guessing the remaining riders assumed I had just started a JOGLE attempt. Nice crowd.
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Paulatic
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Re: Deloitte Ride Across Britain ( 2011 - ongoing )

Post by Paulatic »

Thanks FF I didn't realise their route was freely available.
I’m an advocate of avoiding going through Carlisle. But when you are on the road they were on then I must likely would. Indeed I have. What I wouldn’t do is go right through to Kingstown. Some of them missed that turning and went over the Mway.
I always turn left by the cricket club, after going over the Eden. Going out by Cargo and Rockcliffe is a lot bonnier than riding beside the M6
Last edited by Paulatic on 17 Sep 2018, 5:50pm, edited 1 time in total.
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