2014 London to Brighton - who's doing it?
Discussion
Signed up/paid yesterday - just waiting for confirmation that we got the 6.00am start time we requested.
Im dead excited already - been road biking less than a year and most ive ridden (last autumn) was 40 miles (2hr17m), though i was intending to do some 40-60 mile rides anyway over the coming months now the weather is improving.
So the distance doesnt faze me too much - its just Ditchling Beacon near the end! Watched a video on youtube and it doesnt look much fun. I do want to ride it all rather than push, so any tips? Was thinking of doing some training rides just going up and down hills, but where i am (Bracknell) i cant think of any particularly grueling hills. Maybe around where i work (Egham) the A30 has a decent length uphill, though not too steep. In fact the toughest hill i do is on MTB in Swinley Forest on the red route, going up to the top of deerstalker.
So, anyone else doing it? And those (that arent Pros) that have done it, give me some heroic stories about your experiences in past years.
Im dead excited already - been road biking less than a year and most ive ridden (last autumn) was 40 miles (2hr17m), though i was intending to do some 40-60 mile rides anyway over the coming months now the weather is improving.
So the distance doesnt faze me too much - its just Ditchling Beacon near the end! Watched a video on youtube and it doesnt look much fun. I do want to ride it all rather than push, so any tips? Was thinking of doing some training rides just going up and down hills, but where i am (Bracknell) i cant think of any particularly grueling hills. Maybe around where i work (Egham) the A30 has a decent length uphill, though not too steep. In fact the toughest hill i do is on MTB in Swinley Forest on the red route, going up to the top of deerstalker.
So, anyone else doing it? And those (that arent Pros) that have done it, give me some heroic stories about your experiences in past years.
daddy cool said:
So the distance doesnt faze me too much - its just Ditchling Beacon near the end! Watched a video on youtube and it doesnt look much fun. I do want to ride it all rather than push, so any tips?
Don't still be out at 2am on the morning of the ride doing shots from my own painful experience. I pedalled it all but stopped 6 times, once to be sick and once for a protracted dry-heave. I got overtaken and then retook my position three times by one of our group who'd got off and pushed.
Get there as soon as possible though, once the rest of the participants start to arrive it's hard just to get room to go up there by all accounts. If you're GPSing it, the end of the segment is quite far from the top of the climb. The ride from the top up and down into Brighton was perhaps my favorite part of last year's cycling for me. At least it's something to look forward to.
Done it 4 times
Great day out, but not really a challenge, then again to be fair I always started 8.30-9.30 ish
Starting past about 8 and it is a long walk, cycle traffic builds up at every opportunity, any slight incline (no joke) everyone gets off and pushes, these aren't even hills! No one thinks that you might actually want to ride and they dont get out your way. Loads of people on halfords £99 full susp bikes that have done 0 miles training and pedal along in the flat on the granny ring thinking its a tough challenge.
I was pretty pissed off the first time as I trained a bit for it and I was stopped from cycling due to witless pricks who wanted to walk it.
When I got to the beacon you can just about squeeze past and its a tough ish climb (if you arent a climber), but you will be limited to your lowest gear because of all the f
king dimwits pushing and chatting about hollyoaks who get in your way.
After the beacon its amazing, about 10 miles of great rolling countryside and steep hills. All the fckwits pass out after walking the Beacon so you can really hammer out a decent pace, the downhill into Brighton is a corker, its a DC with good visibility and a speed camera at the bottom, I think you could nudge about 45-50 if you really went for it. Then you sit in a huge queue to the end.
The maintenance stops are chocka with people wanting punctures repaired . SO bring decent spares, I managed to crash off last time and did 25 with a very bent front wheel, managed to buy another 15 miles from the end.
The above only applies to a late start, I imagine an early start would be a lot better and the route and atmosphere is great. Although if you do it early you will be all done by 10am ish! Which isn't much of a day out, unless you fancy a longer cycle back .
To be fair it did get me into road riding, as I was a MTBer who enjoyed the training so got a road bike, 6 years later thats all I do.
Great day out, but not really a challenge, then again to be fair I always started 8.30-9.30 ish
Starting past about 8 and it is a long walk, cycle traffic builds up at every opportunity, any slight incline (no joke) everyone gets off and pushes, these aren't even hills! No one thinks that you might actually want to ride and they dont get out your way. Loads of people on halfords £99 full susp bikes that have done 0 miles training and pedal along in the flat on the granny ring thinking its a tough challenge.
I was pretty pissed off the first time as I trained a bit for it and I was stopped from cycling due to witless pricks who wanted to walk it.
When I got to the beacon you can just about squeeze past and its a tough ish climb (if you arent a climber), but you will be limited to your lowest gear because of all the f
king dimwits pushing and chatting about hollyoaks who get in your way.After the beacon its amazing, about 10 miles of great rolling countryside and steep hills. All the fckwits pass out after walking the Beacon so you can really hammer out a decent pace, the downhill into Brighton is a corker, its a DC with good visibility and a speed camera at the bottom, I think you could nudge about 45-50 if you really went for it. Then you sit in a huge queue to the end.
The maintenance stops are chocka with people wanting punctures repaired . SO bring decent spares, I managed to crash off last time and did 25 with a very bent front wheel, managed to buy another 15 miles from the end.
The above only applies to a late start, I imagine an early start would be a lot better and the route and atmosphere is great. Although if you do it early you will be all done by 10am ish! Which isn't much of a day out, unless you fancy a longer cycle back .
To be fair it did get me into road riding, as I was a MTBer who enjoyed the training so got a road bike, 6 years later thats all I do.
TwistingMyMelon said:
I was pretty pissed off the first time as I trained a bit for it and I was stopped from cycling due to witless pricks who wanted to walk it.
When I got to the beacon you can just about squeeze past and its a tough ish climb (if you arent a climber), but you will be limited to your lowest gear because of all the fking dimwits pushing and chatting about hollyoaks who get in your way.
Haha! Your account seems accurate - this was the video i was talking about:When I got to the beacon you can just about squeeze past and its a tough ish climb (if you arent a climber), but you will be limited to your lowest gear because of all the f
king dimwits pushing and chatting about hollyoaks who get in your way.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3KpLn5lI14
Yeah I agree on the smaller BHF rides being better, there are some hidden gems, especially if you are a more casual rider but still want to knuckle down and ride the whole thing.
Yeah that video sums it up, although it was worse the first time I did it, thankfully I tucked behind a guy who screamed abuse at people to get out the way !!!
Yeah that video sums it up, although it was worse the first time I did it, thankfully I tucked behind a guy who screamed abuse at people to get out the way !!!
Actually OP reading your post, I used to live in Bracknell and had exactly the same issue! I even asked on here I think because I was stuck for hills to train on. I moved to Bracknell from a hilly area and felt my climbing ability wither away!!
You could jump on the Gatwick bound train @ Wokingham for about 40 mins direct and get off at Dorking and do laps of Box Hill or Leigh Hill.
Or head over to Reading and go right and do some of the Chilterns.
You could jump on the Gatwick bound train @ Wokingham for about 40 mins direct and get off at Dorking and do laps of Box Hill or Leigh Hill.
Or head over to Reading and go right and do some of the Chilterns.
TwistingMyMelon said:
I was pretty pissed off the first time as I trained a bit for it and I was stopped from cycling due to witless pricks who wanted to walk it.
Genuinely made me LOL! I've done it three times:1st: old MTB with knobblies. Got off to push two turns from the top of Ditchling Beacon not realising how close I was, gutted!
2nd: road bike, got a clear run and made it, very pleased
3rd: similar tale of numpties all the way up. Managed it but only with someone in front of me literally barging past people.
After that I decided against it, just too many people at certain bottlenecks.
OP, given your location I thoroughly recommend the London To Oxford ride. This used to be for BHF but is now in aid of Prostate Cancer. http://www.bike-events.co.uk/Ride.aspx?id=429
Similar distance but much more low key than L to B, open country roads most of the way and a challenging hill up to Christmas Common nr Fingest. I do this one now, from the finish line it's a short hop back to Oxford Station and you then have no probs getting your bike on and home to Bracknell via Reading....or ride back if you wish.
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Tuesday 21st January 13:53
I did it a couple of years ago, good fun but extremely congested and you really have to keep your wits about you. People just stop for no good reason, veer across the road because they have seen a friend, get their speed up a little too much on some of the descents and lose their bottle then slam the anchors on - not wishing to sound melodramatic but it really is that bad!
My tip is to ride on the right hand side of the road (most people are conditioned to ride on the left, so the right tends to be less congested), and just keep shouting 'on your right', generally speaking other riders are not offended and will happily move out of the way to let faster ones past.
On the upside it is an extremely good atmosphere, it is well organised, the villages along the route are packed with well wishers handing out drinks, sweets etc - and the atmosphere are the start and finish really is carnival like!
Don't worry about Ditchling Beacon, it is not as terrible as everyone gives it credit for, bottom bit is draggy, there is a little kick about 1/3 into it, and a false plateau after the second bend, but it really is not that terrible. Your main issue getting up Ditchling won't be your ability to climb it, the issue you will have is the number of people pushing their bikes up it - all over the bloody road! I managed it but had to weave from one side to the other.....
As far as training is concerned I would not fixate on climbing, work on endurance to begin with - once you are happy knocking out 40+ miles do a few 'climbing rides', shorter but with more elevation. If you want a few 40-ish mile routes out from near Bracknell take a look at my Strava rides, there are plenty on there into the Chilterns or looping around through Windsor. If you don't fancy going too far from home this is quite a good loop that will keep you local should you decide enough is enough, it also has a few small climbs; http://www.strava.com/segments/1958675
When you are ready to do hill climbing practice there are plenty near us, as a starter for 10 get yourself over to Marlow and do a few climbs up Quarry Hill Road (also known locally and the Marlow Zig-Zag). It is only about a 1/2 mile but will test you; http://www.strava.com/segments/786879 - then go over the top, turn left and down Terrys Lane into Cookham, then turn around and do it in reverse.
Once you are ready to take on a few longer and more challenging climbs there are plenty in the Chilterns and over the back of High Wycombe I can point you towards!
As a benchmark, this was my L2B ride - I expect you to blow me out of the water!!
http://www.strava.com/activities/11063642/segments...
I also did the BHF Bath to Bournemouth ride - excellent ride, great route and some fantastic climbs and views - right through the middle of Longleat. Highly recommend it!
My tip is to ride on the right hand side of the road (most people are conditioned to ride on the left, so the right tends to be less congested), and just keep shouting 'on your right', generally speaking other riders are not offended and will happily move out of the way to let faster ones past.
On the upside it is an extremely good atmosphere, it is well organised, the villages along the route are packed with well wishers handing out drinks, sweets etc - and the atmosphere are the start and finish really is carnival like!
Don't worry about Ditchling Beacon, it is not as terrible as everyone gives it credit for, bottom bit is draggy, there is a little kick about 1/3 into it, and a false plateau after the second bend, but it really is not that terrible. Your main issue getting up Ditchling won't be your ability to climb it, the issue you will have is the number of people pushing their bikes up it - all over the bloody road! I managed it but had to weave from one side to the other.....
As far as training is concerned I would not fixate on climbing, work on endurance to begin with - once you are happy knocking out 40+ miles do a few 'climbing rides', shorter but with more elevation. If you want a few 40-ish mile routes out from near Bracknell take a look at my Strava rides, there are plenty on there into the Chilterns or looping around through Windsor. If you don't fancy going too far from home this is quite a good loop that will keep you local should you decide enough is enough, it also has a few small climbs; http://www.strava.com/segments/1958675
When you are ready to do hill climbing practice there are plenty near us, as a starter for 10 get yourself over to Marlow and do a few climbs up Quarry Hill Road (also known locally and the Marlow Zig-Zag). It is only about a 1/2 mile but will test you; http://www.strava.com/segments/786879 - then go over the top, turn left and down Terrys Lane into Cookham, then turn around and do it in reverse.
Once you are ready to take on a few longer and more challenging climbs there are plenty in the Chilterns and over the back of High Wycombe I can point you towards!
As a benchmark, this was my L2B ride - I expect you to blow me out of the water!!
http://www.strava.com/activities/11063642/segments...I also did the BHF Bath to Bournemouth ride - excellent ride, great route and some fantastic climbs and views - right through the middle of Longleat. Highly recommend it!
Edited by MadDad on Tuesday 21st January 14:44
MadDad said:
Info
Awesome - thanks for all that! Really helpful info about the local routes to practice on.Thats an impressive time for your ride though - i wont be anything near that. We're starting off with a couple of mates on MTB's (but on slick tyres) but have agreed that me and my mate will then go on with our road bikes after a few miles. My aim is purely to finish, having ridden it all - whatever time i get is a bonus and a benchmark for a future attempt!
daddy cool said:
yeah, i had thought about blagging the missus' car and taking the bike to Box Hill - think thats going to be the best preparation.
London to Oxford sounds good, that might be an option for next summer, deffo.
Try this... http://www.strava.com/activities/94345575 ...for some inspiration regarding Surrey Hills/Box Hill. 55 miles and over 5,000ft of elevation, and it starts/ends at the Newlands Corner car park, where you can park all day for free, and there's two options for food/drinks.London to Oxford sounds good, that might be an option for next summer, deffo.
The 'spine' of the Downs runs from Newlands to Box Hill, and is chockers with some really testing climbs (up to 18% gradient in places).
Otherwise, MadDad is your man if you want routes out toward the Chilterns. (Hello Lee!
) yellowjack said:
The 'spine' of the Downs runs from Newlands to Box Hill, and is chockers with some really testing climbs (up to 18% gradient in places).
Otherwise, MadDad is your man if you want routes out toward the Chilterns. (Hello Lee! )
Otherwise, MadDad is your man if you want routes out toward the Chilterns. (Hello Lee!
) I like the look of that route, might give it a spin in the next week or so (weather permitting). Only thing missing is White Down Lane - my nemesis!
Done it twice now. Make sure you plan how you're getting home! they won't let bikes on the trains for about a 20 mile radius of brighton on the weekend which I didn't realise until I was there, ooops.
Earliest start possible is good shout.
The beacon is fine really, don't attack too hard, find a little gear and twiddle away until you get to the top. Remember rule #5 and don't give up
Last year my riding buddies got the coach back to London, so I stayed in brighton for a bit by myself, had a great afternoon sitting on the beach with a cold beer, fish+chips and chatting to other cyclists. Good times.
If I do it again I want to cycle back to London . . .
Earliest start possible is good shout.
The beacon is fine really, don't attack too hard, find a little gear and twiddle away until you get to the top. Remember rule #5 and don't give up
Last year my riding buddies got the coach back to London, so I stayed in brighton for a bit by myself, had a great afternoon sitting on the beach with a cold beer, fish+chips and chatting to other cyclists. Good times.
If I do it again I want to cycle back to London . . .
For hills near here you have to point towards the Chilterns. This is a nice route without too much traffic http://www.strava.com/activities/57667577
Henley is 15 miles away and you could go do repeats up Remenham Hill. As MadDad says Zig Zag Hill near Marlow is good too.
Ditchling is harder than people are making out btw. A mile of 9% is no walk in the park. However as others have said it's more a problem of people blocking the road.
Henley is 15 miles away and you could go do repeats up Remenham Hill. As MadDad says Zig Zag Hill near Marlow is good too.
Ditchling is harder than people are making out btw. A mile of 9% is no walk in the park. However as others have said it's more a problem of people blocking the road.
Edited by TKF on Saturday 25th January 15:02
daddy cool said:
Haha! Your account seems accurate - this was the video i was talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3KpLn5lI14
'kin hell, how many walkers and wobblers?!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3KpLn5lI14
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