Things I learned from the L2B

SteppenHerring

It's futile trying to go for a decent time unless you are at the front on the first start When narrow roads go uphill and there are a load of people around who don't cycle, clipless can be a liability Riding when the roads are closed is a real blast - especially when it's flatter than where I live (north downs) I can't quite get all the way up the Beacon on a 39/21 bottom gear when I've blown my legs blasting through Sussex For more serious rides, I need to learn pacing and eating on the go I need to hit steeper stuff than Box Hill

Elapsed time: 3:49. Riding time: 3:28. OK for an old fat bloke who's only recenlty got back on the road bike. Next stop is the 65 mile Burgess Hill Rumble - under 4 hours would make me happy.

And I need to do a 100 mile ride before the end of the year to convince my wife that I need a Specialized Tarmac. Although I like the look of the Bianchis ....

HonestAl

Blimey, you must have been a long way ahead of me. It took me two and a half hours to get 17 miles. The bulk of that time was spent walking - well, shuffling - along with a zillion other people. The helmets were all colourful though...

Garz

Apart from sardine potential on the circuit it sounds fun, congrats on your achievement guys!

DomPro

What the christ!? What time did you hit Ditchling Beacon?

I got to Ditchling at 9am and it was sparse.

Great ride though. It was crazy fast, I averaged 22mph and hit 50mph going down into Brighton.

Gazzaputt

London to Southend is a far better option than L2B.

Less crowded and the route is flatish.

roger_merriman

SteppenHerring wrote:

It's futile trying to go for a decent time unless you are at the front on the first start When narrow roads go uphill and there are a load of people around who don't cycle, clipless can be a liability Riding when the roads are closed is a real blast - especially when it's flatter than where I live (north downs) I can't quite get all the way up the Beacon on a 39/21 bottom gear when I've blown my legs blasting through Sussex For more serious rides, I need to learn pacing and eating on the go I need to hit steeper stuff than Box Hill

Elapsed time: 3:49. Riding time: 3:28. OK for an old fat bloke who's only recenlty got back on the road bike. Next stop is the 65 mile Burgess Hill Rumble - under 4 hours would make me happy.

And I need to do a 100 mile ride before the end of the year to convince my wife that I need a Specialized Tarmac. Although I like the look of the Bianchis ....

try whitedown and winterfold both decent steep hills of north downs i loop up them, often when going for a spin, on my own

bobtbuilder

They should do something whereby serious cyclists (wanted a good time) go then the casual just wanna do it for fun guys go off, that way the serious ones done get into a bottle neck

People have been asking for this for years but no notice is taken by the organisers. it's 50% of the reason I don't do this ride any more even though it passes through my home town.

butcher_boy

I'm just coming back to cycling but remember years ago saying I'd never do L2B.....and that photo just confirms it.

What is the points of cycling like that!!!

Just like when I did 1/2 marathons etc & the Great North was rubbish as a "race". If you want to run round with a big group at THEIR pace then fair enough.

Good ride by you though

MrChuck

bobtbuilder wrote:

They should do something whereby serious cyclists (wanted a good time) go then the casual just wanna do it for fun guys go off, that way the serious ones done get into a bottle neck

People have been asking for this for years but no notice is taken by the organisers. it's 50% of the reason I don't do this ride any more even though it passes through my home town.

In their defence, maybe they feel that changing stuff around to suit 'serious' cyclists isn't in the spirit of the event? There are plenty of harder sportives around if you want to test yourself without being hindered by less serious riders, who I expect make up the bulk of the participants.
I did the L2B a few years ago and don't consider it an event in the same sense as a sportive or enduro- it's a fun day out but not the place for setting a PB, and I'm not sure they should change it so it is.

flanners1

Apart from the charitable side of it and the money, it sounds a complete waste of time if you are a frequent, fit cyclist. Cannot think of anything worse than to have thousands of people cycling like muppets.

Smokin Joe

L2B is a ride for non-serious cyclists who want a challenge while raising money for charity. Turn up on your C1 with team kit if you want, but don't complain about MTBers in football clobber getting in your way.

They have one day out a year, you've got hundreds to choose from.

bice

Anyone know what the London to Oxford is like? I liked the closed roads on L2B, but the crowds were too much.

CiB

L2B is something you do a couple of times to tick it off the list. It's the numbers & the lack of awareness that spoils it, cyclists changing line without a care etc. It doesn't take long to latch on to the idea that the empty road you're heading towards probably won't be empty when you get there when some unaware cyclist just decides to ride further to the right than is remotely necessary and assumes that everyone else must be going at the same speed. And having to navigate round those who can't or won't ride up D Beacon is a pain. The drop into Brighton is worth doing though, although I was semi-balked on both my rides at 48mph so never did hit the 50 down there.

pinkbikini

L2B is a great ride to do fast, so long as you set off at 6am. Clear roads the whole way the last 2 yrs (not this year). Breakfast on Brighton seafront then cycle back at a more relaxed pace, home for a late lunch.
Leave much after 6 and you will get held up. It's a ride for everyone though. Want to go fast the whole way? Early start, or choose a sportive instead.

robrauy

pinkbikini wrote:

L2B is a great ride to do fast, so long as you set off at 6am. Clear roads the whole way the last 2 yrs (not this year). Breakfast on Brighton seafront then cycle back at a more relaxed pace, home for a late lunch.
Leave much after 6 and you will get held up. It's a ride for everyone though. Want to go fast the whole way? Early start, or choose a sportive instead.

Agreed.

We set off at 6.15 this year. Had a couple of miles of slow weaving traffic out of London, then full pelt to Brighton.

Pretty quickly the cyclists around us were clued up road bikers making the most of the closed roads. Had a blast going down, and a gentle (if tiring) ride home.

You do have to be careful for the first few miles though. I nearly ended up in a ditch when someone decided to stop in the middle of the road.

HonestAl

Dom Pro, we got to Ditchling about 1400. Odd though it sounds Ditchling was interesting. Half the width was people pushing, the other half people riding very slowly.

Have you seen that current ad on TV for the RAF where you try to fly the little plane through the blocks without getting hit? Well, that's what it was like. Once I'd decided that it was going to be a challenge simply getting up without colliding with someone it was fun. And of course going up so slowly hid any inability on my part to climb hills quickly

I was truly impressed by the range of styles of bikes and more importantly people on the road. In the last couple of years I've lost a ton of weight, and there were guys (of both sexes) riding that are bigger than I was. My hat goes off to them.

Landlocked

check this picture out!




I set off at 9.30 and managed a total time of 3hrs 52 minutes.

Not bad considering all the stop starts.[/img]

giant_man

I've done the L2B once and it as per the picture. If you don't start early enough, this is what you find at the bottom of Ditchling. Which for me ruined it. Sorry to see it hasn't improved at all. The hill itself is not hard to climb, just with so many people attempting to do the same thing, it makes it all the more harder.

L2S is a better ride definitely.