Ride London 2023: Same Dangerous Route Chosen
Once again commercial constraints and community pressure has kept the Ride London 2023 route materially unchanged from 2022. This was a dangerous route in places in 2022, poorly marshalled. I made my thoughts on the matter clear in May.
More: Ride London 2023 Route Map
With this decision made what the organisers need to work on is this
- Risk assessment of the more dangerous sections of the route, especially for higher-speed riders
- Proper marshall instruction at danger points. Perhaps even pay some of the marshalls (more) to do a specific safety job.
- Clean/Sweep the road
- Get Local councils to repair holes in the road. You can’t see them coming when behind 3 people all going at 30mph.
- Consider making speed bumps safer. Again you can’t see them and less experienced group riders ahead might not signal their impending arrival.
I probably won’t do it in any case.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love which is this site and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’m actually disappointed to read that. I have booked a spot and am coming over from Ireland to take part for the first time. I’m not elite (far from it), and won’t be racing it by any stretch, but was hoping for lessons learned after 2022 event
It was always going to be the same route – they announced a one-year contract extension with Essex County Council before the places went on sale. I very much doubt Ride London will be going back to Surrey, unfortunately.
Minimising the disruption caused by closing the roads means it’s always going to be an early morning event, and on this route, that means riding East, into the sun. Not much they can do about that. Get some good shades.
In terms of what they CAN do something about (marshals/road furniture/traffic cones/encountering on-coming riders in later waves on the course, etc.), you don’t know that they definitely HAVEN’T learned lessons from this year. I doubt they’ll be able to get all (or any) of the potholes filled, but perhaps a bit of pink spray paint will be deployed…
In spite of the obvious dangers, it was a fun blast for me – until I hit a drain cover in Wapping. I still recorded a sub-4 time, despite walking the last couple of KMs. Madness.
I haven’t signed up for 2023, once was enough I think.
ty,
yes i assumed it would remain in Essex but that the route might be tweaked.
Meant to reply to the poster above me, sorry!
I wouldn’t NOT come over for it, and I don’t think you should assume that the organisers haven’t listened to any concerns. Whilst it was definitely a fairly stupid thing to announce, they were pretty quick to clarify that there would not in fact be a safety car driving at 22mph, after all, once it got picked up on social media/cycling press.
I assume that the route design is constrained by the competing influence of many stakeholders, and what we have ended up with is the best of a bad bunch, in terms of getting out of and back into London. Not all of the crashes I witnessed were a result of the organisers’ choices – you can’t blame the route design if you end up on the deck in the middle of a wide, straight and slightly uphill country lane in perfect riding conditions!
I agree with what you’ve written about it here and elsewhere. It definitely felt sketchier than Surrey (which I rode in 2017 and 2019), but like you I’m not sure whether that’s just me being older, not doing crit/road races any more. I’ve not looked up the accident statistics but I’m aware that the Surrey route was no stranger to serious incidents.
How do we, as carers get to our patients? It was the same last year. I see people from Ilford, Woodford Green, South Woodford and Chingford at least twice a day. I cant get through as S Woodford is blocked off in all routes from Woodford Green, and the Chingford turns I need are also isolated. Some of my lovelies dont have relatives nearby, they need meals and basic care. I’m all for exercise and the fun of such events, but the route was planned by someone who doesn’t seen to a) know the areas and b) is not intelligent enough to understand that people need daily care in all communities.
there are places to cross the route i belive?
perhaps not vehicular crossings admittedly.