It was nice to have ticked off the 100. Was a bit slow as me hamstring went a bit rubbish for a bit after the hills. Made it to about 100 yards short of the top of Leith before I had to have a little walk. Happy enough with that. Thought I was doing okay 'til I saw that last ramp.
Long day. Got up at 3am, and got home at nearly midnight. But it was dead good and I did it.
Must admit this reflects my relationship with cycling pretty accurately
Without cycling, I would be less happy, much fatter and probably hypertensive.
I donāt get out as often as I used to at the weekends or in the evenings, but my 8 miles each way commute is the perfect way to wake up/wind down, depending on the direction I am travelling.
Plus, I love it, which helps.
Congratulations !
Ditto apart from the cycling with a group of guys thing - fly solo baby 
+1 Mark, really well done - makes up for the slight disappointment of last years disrupted ride, no doubt.
RL seemed better organised to me this year.
Cheers. Looked at hotel prices for next year as was thinking of trying the 46 with the girlfriend. They seem to have cottoned on early this time and the prices are stupid. The hotel that I had booked for this year at Ā£110 is now almost Ā£300 for next year. Eeek!!
Think I might try the Tour of Cambs next year.
Fancy another go at RL, but in a few years maybe. Want to make it to the top of Leith without putting a foot down.
Shame someone else died this year. Only made it 13 miles before he went.
ftfy 
Good to hear you got the full distance Mark, not all of ours did, a couple of them pootled around and missed the cut at Leith by 2 minutes. Great effort.
The earlier start did seem to stretch things out, hard to say whether riders were extra careful due to the wet or maybe the ride captains helped but the standard of riding was good in our group. Made for a much less stressful ride.
I started at 9.03 and made the cut on Leith by 20 mins and the one at Box by 15. All downhill-ish from their.
Was it sub-4 that you did? Do you not think it is better to take your time and enjoy the scenery? 
Yep hotel prices definitely going up compared with a couple of years ago; supply and demand I guess as rider numbers go up and everyone books earlier and earlier - ours this year was a bit dodgy and still Ā£150 - at two in the morning the flat roof gave way and flooded my mates room and some others too - fire alarm went off, mayhem - so very little sleep, not the best prepā¦Mate had his room cost refunded but not me.
Iāve done RL three times now and am a bit over it TBH - need a new challenge or two and then maybe do it again in a couple of years.
Flat out for us Mark, busy trying not to puke up the hillsā¦ but still a buzz to fly along the Embankment and up the Mall.
A mate had a deal through his business with a boutique hotel on Whitechapel Rd called UBIC, they still had rooms the day before for Ā£150 (before the deal price)
Thatās a lot of climbing Neil 
Froome brilliant win today in La Vuelta: final climb was excellent, one of the most exciting race stages Iāve seen this season.
Did the route all over again today 
Everyone was gubbed so missed out the final, gratuitous climb 
I think the general consensus was that, even without the final climb, the route straddled the line of what was acceptable for club century and was a touch on the sadistic side. Reckon I would have got lynched if Iād taken them up that final 17% hillā¦
I got quite a few complements on the route designā¦ up until about 80 miles inā¦
At least I was able to spend the majority of the time at the front (probably >70% if not 80%)
I resisted pointing out that Iād done the route on two consecutive weeks and hillier the first time round.
Well done organising your club 100. Falls to me to sort a route for next year, theyāre anticipating (much) flatter than yours!
My lot were anticipating much flatter!
Good job Neil, both on organising and on riding it twice 
I keep telling you Neil your aff yir heid - that looks a pretty brutal route even doing it once.
We have a last biggie of the year planned for 20th Sep weather permitting. Heading up to Pitlochry by train and cycle back- should be around 120 mile and nearly 8,000 ft of climbing so should be interesting.
