London to Brighton 2004 Ride

I have just found out that my cheque for entry to this years London to Brighton ride has been cashed. I need to make sure i can book a hotel up for the night before so i asked the BHF if cashing my cheque meant i had a place on the ride. All they would say is that all those who have been accepted will get notifaction in March. Daft question, but surely if they have cashed a cheque that means your in? Can anyone who has done the ride confirm this please?

"Ianmel" <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message
news:U_mYb.30353$yu6.19281@fe14.usenetserver.com...
> I have just found out that my cheque for entry to this years London to Brighton ride has been
> cashed. I need to make sure i can book a hotel up for the night before so i asked the BHF if
> cashing my cheque meant i had a place on the ride. All they would say is that all those who have
> been accepted will get notifaction in March. Daft question, but surely if they have cashed a
> cheque that means your in? Can anyone who has done the ride confirm this please?

Just from a business level, I doubt it means for sure. They will bank all the cheques, make some
money on interest, and then return the monies of those not in. However, you've probably got my place
as I'm not returning my priority form. Enjoy

Ianmel wrote:

> I have just found out that my cheque for entry to this years London to Brighton ride has been
> cashed. I need to make sure i can book a hotel up for the night before so i asked the BHF if
> cashing my cheque meant i had a place on the ride. All they would say is that all those who have
> been accepted will get notifaction in March. Daft question, but surely if they have cashed a
> cheque that means your in? Can anyone who has done the ride confirm this please?

Might be the old scam:

1) Advertise something in the Press that you know will be grossly oversubscribed...100 adult videos
for £5, or even a BHF charity ride.

2) To keep on the right side of the law, you must fulfil the first few orders, but you can cash ALL
the cheques.

3) Promptly write to all the unsuccessful buyers enclosing your own cheque as a refund. The scam
works because you have registered a company and opened a bank account under the name "John Smith
Hard Porn Ltd", which of course appears on each refund cheque.

4) After six months, the uncashed refund cheques are void and you get to keep the money!

Only joking ;-)

Pleased to say my entry pack arrived through the post this morning!

Sorry to bring this back to the top again but what stops you going along even if they try to stop you? Just start around the corner and at your choice of time. If they ask where your number is just say that it fell offor something.

That is probably what I am going to do as I'm going to attempt to TT it and leave at the first time, so I don't want to be stuck behind everyone.

I'll probably see you there, I'm the guy wearing Domina vacanze kit!

__________________
You'll know me by my silly, soggy, shivering Zebra stripes

Gonzo21 <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message news:<yhQ_b.82197$m6.24267@fe19.usenetserver.com>...
> Sorry to bring this back to the top again but what stops you going along even if they try to stop
> you? Just start around the corner and at your choice of time. If they ask where your number is
> just say that it fell offor something.

>> You can pay on the day, they have a tent for this purpose even
though they don't advertise it.
>
> That is probably what I am going to do as I'm going to attempt to TT it and leave at the first
> time, so I don't want to be stuck behind everyone.

> IT IS NOT A RACE!!! it clearly says that on the entry form. By all means try to finish in a
> reasonable time but don't be surprised if you get loads of complaints from fellow riders if you
> treat it as a TT and ignore marshalls instructions, and if you have a prang with no number don't
> expect any help from the emergency services en route. If a TT is what you want to do find
> another ride.
>
> I'll probably see you there, I'm the guy wearing Domina vacanze kit!
>
>
>
> --

Gonzo21 <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message news:<yhQ_b.82197$m6.24267@fe19.usenetserver.com>...
> Sorry to bring this back to the top again but what stops you going along even if they try to stop
> you? Just start around the corner and at your choice of time. If they ask where your number is
> just say that it fell offor something.
>
> That is probably what I am going to do as I'm going to attempt to TT it and leave at the first
> time, so I don't want to be stuck behind everyone.
>

IT IS NOT A RACE!!! it clearly says that on the entry form. By all means try to finish in a
reasonable time but don't be surprised if you get loads of complaints from fellow riders if you
treat it as a TT and ignore marshalls instructions etc, and if you have a prang with no number don't
expect any help from the emergency services en route. If a TT is what you want to do find another
ride. Out of interest, I have been at the start at 9.16 to hear that the first rider had just
arrived having left at 6.00, so don't expect a fast time anyway.

Gonzo21 <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message news:<yhQ_b.82197$m6.24267@fe19.usenetserver.com>...

> Sorry to bring this back to the top again but what stops you going along even if they try to stop
> you? Just start around the corner and at your choice of time. If they ask where your number is
> just say that it fell offor something.

They can't stop you. It's a public road and you have as much right to be on it as the
official entrants.

> That is probably what I am going to do as I'm going to attempt to TT it and leave at the first
> time, so I don't want to be stuck behind everyone.

That's a good idea - the earlier the better. Firstly you won't be adding to the congestion; secondly
you might have a chance of actually getting somewhere.

--
Dave...

Martinm2@wcms.org.uk (MartinM) wrote in message news:<3cf5c6dc.0402250115.52789566@posting.google.com>...

> IT IS NOT A RACE!!! it clearly says that on the entry form.

What entry form? He's riding the route as a private individual.

> By all means try to finish in a reasonable time but don't be surprised if you get loads of
> complaints from fellow riders if you treat it as a TT and ignore marshalls instructions etc, and
> if you have a prang with no number don't expect any help from the emergency services en route.

As long as he goes early, and is as fast and fit as he thinks he is, he won't be in anyone's way. If
he gets caught in the crowds then he'll just have to trundle and I agree that any attempt to go fast
would be anti-social if not downright dangerous.

> I have been at the start at 9.16 to hear that the first rider had just arrived having left at
> 6.00, so don't expect a fast time anyway.

A 6:00 start would be about right.

--
Dave...

The reason that they say it is not a race is so that little old dear on her 1950s bike isn't put off. I intend to drop all slow people from the start and so I won't get in anyones way.

I did it 2 years ago, leaving at about 7:30. I got stuck behind loads of people and did it in 5 hours. That was on a hybrid in non bike clothing. Now I have been training up throughout winter, mainly for the puropse of racing but I want to do this even, raise some money and get a good time.

If I leave at 6 and average 22-25mph I'm not going to get in the way of slow peope, and I will obey marshals (on TTs I usually slow down at juctions even if the marshal waves me through, just to be safe!).

__________________
You'll know me by my silly, soggy, shivering Zebra stripes

Forgot to add that last time I did it I didn't do any stops and so I doubt I will do any this time. Besides I'm entering normally and so I don't see a problem.

__________________
You'll know me by my silly, soggy, shivering Zebra stripes

Gonzo21 wrote:
> The reason that they say it is not a race is so that little old dear on her 1950s bike isn't
> put off.

<G>During last year's Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride (I only did the 9 mile "Family Fiesta" ride)
someone yelled "it's not a race" as I passed them with a fair speed differential while riding at
a very comfortable speed towing my daughter's trailer up the Portway.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

That is why I'm leaving at 6, they should all be in bed, or suitably amazed

__________________
You'll know me by my silly, soggy, shivering Zebra stripes

dkahn400@yahoo.co.uk (Dave Kahn) wrote in message news:<57db8bde.0402251149.7e987665@posting.google.com>...
> Martinm2@wcms.org.uk (MartinM) wrote in message
> news:<3cf5c6dc.0402250115.52789566@posting.google.com>...
>
> > IT IS NOT A RACE!!! it clearly says that on the entry form.
>
> What entry form? He's riding the route as a private individual.
>
> > By all means try to finish in a reasonable time but don't be surprised if you get loads of
> > complaints from fellow riders if you treat it as a TT and ignore marshalls instructions etc, and
> > if you have a prang with no number don't expect any help from the emergency services en route.
>
> As long as he goes early, and is as fast and fit as he thinks he is, he won't be in anyone's way.
> If he gets caught in the crowds then he'll just have to trundle and I agree that any attempt to go
> fast would be anti-social if not downright dangerous.
>
> > I have been at the start at 9.16 to hear that the first rider had just arrived having left at
> > 6.00, so don't expect a fast time anyway.
>
> A 6:00 start would be about right.

I agree about starting early to avoid the crowds. I had to ride along about a mile of the route
once on the way to another ride and it was very early, only a handful of riders at Walstead by
about 0800. Had to ride back the same way later on that day and they were dropping like flies (year
2000, melting roads)

The issue of unregistered riders is a tricky one. They say they limit entries to 27k for safety, is
that because of all the extra riders that they know will swell it to over 50k? it's not is if you
are doing the BHF out of cash if you ride as an extra, I just heard once that it was in danger of
getting closed down due to too many riders so I would always avoid it myself unless officially
entered. (would avoid it now anyway, it used to be fun, now just a gridlock, IOW is much better);-(

Gonzo21 <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message news:<DD7%b.27115$dt6.22262@fe13.usenetserver.com>...
> Forgot to add that last time I did it I didn't do any stops and so I doubt I will do any this
> time. Besides I'm entering normally and so I don't see a problem.
>

Good luck, 3.15 is the time to beat. Does Domina vacanze mean holiday on a Sunday? not on June 20th,
at least not until you reach Brighton ;-)