Londodn to brighton training

Acelliott

I plan to do the london to brighton next year and want to train this year
I just wanted to know what advice you would give

should i try to do as many long rides as i can
should i use high gears and pedal fast or low gears to strengthen muscles ?

should i try not to do to much of one thing and try to vary it a lot ?

at the moment im so unfit just the 8miles to work sends my body temp sky high

not to out of breath and muscle seem ok but so hot i could faint

bobtbuilder

Are you wearing the right kit for the weather?

I sweat a lot, but I never get

so hot i could faint

Try wearing layers that can be added or removed as necessary.

As for training - it's impossible to get a decent time riding L-B due to the number of riders, so you really just need to foucs on getting your distance up. Start increasing your ride lengths until you are comfortable doing 40-50 miles and the corresponding time spent in the saddle.

If you want to ride (rather than walk) Ditchling Beacon, add some tough climbs into your rides.

Don't worry too much about gearing and cadence at this point - just find what works for you.

Acelliott

Thanks great tips
as for cloths i was wearing cycling short with baggy shorts on top and a T shirt

my body was cold, only my head and breath was hot, you could have toasted bread with my exhale.

I can only assume this is down to lack of fitness and will improve

Acelliott

I do ride in top gear almost all the way if that makes a difference

I have a modified mountain bike at the mo that has road tyres and i put a 52 tooth chain ring on the front
and i change down one gear on occasion as it is only a gradual climb
it take me 30miutes to do 8mile

am i over doing it for a beginner ?

Bikerbaboon

Never have managed to get so hot i could faint.... are you drinking enough as you ride and making sure you are replaceing the salts lost from sweat?

CiB

Don't mix up L2B with any kind of bike race, unless you set off in the first group at 6:00 am. The biggest prob is the sheer volume of numbers - 27000 last year IIRC. They're released in bunches on the half hour from 6:00 am onwards but even so, the first 15 miles or so is pedestrian by normal road speed standards, working your way past the slower riders and avoiding on-coming traffic - we had a a Golf come directly at us last year from his side of the ride. Scary.

Once you're out on the open road and it thins out a bit you can press on, but on both occasions that I did it there was a constant need to have the old spidey senses on max, mainly because of those riders on much slower kit, or those who - quite reasonably - are not out to knock off the 54 miles in 2½ hours. They just don't seem to get the idea that riding on the left is still the default action, or they hear the shout 'keep left please - coming through' and panic by diving to the right. How many times did I see that happen, to me and many others?

There are a couple of lanes where the speed drops to 0, where n thousand bikes squeeze off the main road and into a narrow country lane that goes uphill. Practise your track standing technique for that.

The route is a good mix of open smooth flat roads and a few small climbs. The biggest is Ditchling Beacon near the finish. It's a short but quite steep terraced climb - steepy uppy for a few yards, then not so steep, then back to steep up again, for a mile maybe - I ddin't measure it. Again, the sheer volume of riders who give up and walk that section makes it hard to ride up it, esp near the top. The run down the other side takes you into the back of Brighton where you can attempt your own personal land speed record, allowing for other riders showing the same awareness as they have en route.

In brief, do some longer rides, get the miles under your belt. It's not a difficult ride by any means but it'll take longer than if you went out on a Sunday morning any other time for a half-century. Nothing to be scared of though.

bobtbuilder

am i over doing it for a beginner ?

I don't think you are overdoing it. Your average speed is very good if you are new to riding and on a converted MTB.

However, if you are only doing your commute, you will become fast over a short distance, but not really build the endurance that you need for L-B.

Are you doing any weekend or other riding? if not, could you extend your ride back from work to help you increase your distance? There is no substitue for time in the saddle.

As ChrisInBicester mentioned, your biggest challenge on the day will be other riders. I did London-Brighton for 16 consecutive years (I live on the route), and the biggest problem is riders not used to group riding.

The one thing not really mentioned yet is nutrition. Once you start longer rides you will need to ensure that you are taking on enough food and drink (electroyle containing drink, rather than water) to keep you going. Once your rides exceed 1.5 - 2hrs, you will need to eat, even if you don't feel hungry. It doesn't need to be energy bars, etc, dried fruit, fig rolls, sandwiches will all do the job.

Acelliott

I usually ride tues and thurs evenings too
but still dont cover any real distance

I shall have to make some changes to my brain that always seems to want to go faster rather further

oh racer is under construction, frame is being painted as we speak so a more efficent bike might also help a little