To have come to loathe Ride London?

[MatildaTheCat]

For those lucky enough to not know about this event, it started with the London Olympics in 2012 (I think that was the first). It’s a massive event whereby some 30,000 cyclists get to ride from central London down through Surrey and back, covering 100km.

It’s now an annual event and happening again this weekend.

There are mass road closures for miles. I am effectively hemmed in for the day and many, many people can’t get out, park their cars, get to appointments etc. Our local hospital is on the route and has to make special arrangements that the staff, patients and relatives are aware of. Emergency vehicles can easily be delayed access.

It was great the first year, a spectacle and we all watched and cheered. Now it’s just a bloody nuisance and I hate it. No doubt all the cyclists will disagree with me and money is raised for charity but it inconveniences many more people than the number that participate.

I know I’m being grumpy but surely IANBU? ( I totally know I’m going to be told I am😊)

The event itself doesn’t bother me, but it’s the year round cycling gangs doing the route( or bits of it) every bloody day of the year, riding in packs and Lycra

Yep. And when you get large groups of them in the middle of the bloody rush hour!

YABU. I know many car drivers resent cyclists, but it's literally one day and you get plenty of notice. It's wonderful to have one day with less pollution in the roads.

yanbu
we have a yearly event, there is one part of town (a large residential area) that is shut of for about 12 hours. (add to the fact its fathers day).
I always wonder how carers manage. they can't just park up and walk as they are on such a tight schedule.
closing roads for hours for some ones hobby is plain daft.

oh and these are what I call "sunday cyclists" not normal folk that use a bike as transport.

YANBU. It dominates too much. DS is flying off for a major sporting event abroad which involves taking massive loads of kit. DH was panicking because if the flights had been on Sunday they'd have had to schlep into London with tonnes of kit and back out again on public transport, because all roads from our house to the airport are closed. Luckily he leaves next day but other people will be badly affected. They need to be far more efficient on the timings and open the roads up earlier. Stragglers can join the traffic.

Astounded by the negativity on this thread.

I live in an area affected by Ride London. I love it and hope everyone participating this weekend has a great time.

Well done to them for getting on their bikes, getting fit, raising money for charity.

I know several people who have ridden it in previous years, including one lady who did the full 100 miles despite having a chronic health condition. She was buzzing from it. Fantastic.

Also know someone inspired to take up cycling permanently and has lost loads of weight and is fit as a fiddle, and good on them I say!

This reads like my parents community Facebook group.
They live on an IronMan route and it causes a massive disruption every year - a couple of years back carers were prevented from even visiting patients by the Ironman staff. It's difficult to even leave for the day due to road closures.
The residents split to about 60/40 against the event.

I'm not in the least bit interested in watching a bunch of MAMILS tearing round my area

It’s not just MAMILs. Plenty of women doing it too. And the Freecycle taking place today will be enjoyed by numerous families & children.

A 10 minute (2 mile radius is probably enough to get to some kind of taxi pick up point or tube/bus station) cycle ride before a 12 hour shift I'd be very grateful for, tbh. Blow the cobwebs out, brisk wake up. How else does one fit in any exercise if tied to a 12 hour shift system.

YANBU Every five years or so, maybe, but every year the disruption is a major pain especially for the elderly and sick and disabled. People on this thread have already said they've had hospital appointments cancelled. It must be awful for people who get taken ill and then face disrupted and delayed journeys to hospital.

For charity? Just donate instead of guilt tripping other people into sponsoring you to do something you enjoy!

I suppose I'm a miserable sod but there you go.

oh and these are what I call "sunday cyclists" not normal folk that use a bike as transport.
Heaven forbid someone enjoyed doing something health and fitness related.

Why MN has some ridiculous issue with anyone who cycles for fitness Vs transport. Next up will be the comments about how they shouldn't wear lycra because plenty of people who go to the shops on the bike wear jeans.

Assume is due to very elderly profile of congregationalists and disability is rife among the elderly plus limited income so struggle to afford anything but the cheapest transport options. Right?

More or less right, apart from the bit about transport options. There are no other transport options - cheap or otherwise. Buses aren't running because the roads are closed. Likewise taxis. There is a railway station in town, but it is too from the church for an elderly person to walk, even if they have a railway station near their home to start from. And the church is on a one-way street, accessed from the race route, which is closed to all traffic. So we can't even offer people lifts.

People are able to go to other churches and some do. But it's not the same as gathering with your regular congregation, seeing friends and sharing worship together. For some of our elderly members who live alone, it's pretty sad and I honestly don't think this was even considered when the event was conceived. Therefore people do feel put-upon and negative.

Sheesh.

I did 135 miles of commuting & errands this week, on my bike.
Some of it in lycra.
Do I get brownie points for not commuting on a Sunday or spikey points for wearing lycra for most of my commuting.
Somehow I don't think I get the dizzy compliment of 'normal folk' by doing that.

We have this in Essex now for the next five years on the last weekend of May. A care worker who travels to peoples homes has been told she will just have to walk.

We're also hemmed in. So have cancelled our plans for the day, and will go and set up at the end of the road with jelly babies, a puncture repair kit and a bike pump and cheer everyone on.

There is access on the roads for those that need it - such as key workers. Carers etc will be able to drive where they need to.

YANBU at all. Our emergency vet practice is right in the middle of it. There will be no access from 4am to 7pm. All the roads around are closed. The only to get there will be to park miles away and walk, carrying a potentially dying animal.

YABU what’s the difference between this and all the marathons across the country? Or other runs put on?

YANBU, although I admit my hatred of such things is quite tunnel-visioned. Unfortunately the pp who said that carers, district nurses etc., do get access to their patients/clients certainly don't live around my patch! If the road closures were just for a short time, it may be do-able (although still a pain in the arse; on a normal day we don't have the luxury of time to spare, let alone having to avoid an hour here or there!). However it's sadly the case that every community job I've had in the SE has seen all day-long road closures that have had direct and sometimes very upsetting impacts on patients and their families. I'm reading the positive comments on here with some interest, because I'm aware I'm bitter about this for myself, my patients and my colleagues, and it's always good to try and see another side/bigger picture...

show me the marathon that lasts for three days with the same amount of road closures.

Essex Live fb page
www.facebook.com/essexlivenews/posts/5299562763420120?comment_id=740359430678919&reply_comment_id=1015342279108395&notif_id=1653198353876832&notif_t=comment_mention&ref=notif

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0c8zg4r

Is there information about this because everything available just says the roads will be closed.