London to Brighton off road 2010

Grifcp

BHF site says you can start any time between 7.30am and 9.00am.

paully617

Aiming to start at 0730 to 0800.
As said before, we will be the knobheads in the RAF t shirts (disclaimer: RAF t shirts don't make us professional riders, just professional killers) with a minibus and transit van nearby. We are stopping in Brighton on the sat night so will be on the lash big time!!!

tony620

I am doing the event on my own unfortunately but keep an eye out for me and say hi . i will be starting around 8 o'clock its my first ever mtb event and i cannot wait.

number: 37797

i will be on a carbon 456.

paully617

Feel free to say hi!!! I am riding a blingy White and silver giant trance x2 full susser with White northwave shoes!!! Pow!!!

Zaim

I stumbled across this thread last week and I can't get it out of my mind, 75 miles off road sounds like a joy. I tried to coerce some friends to do this ride and got the usual 'I can't as I won't be fit enough.' Shame as I can't get this out of my mind......

So I've done it, I'll be riding on my own and meeting the wife in Brighton. I can't wait.

I don't need to say it but feel free to say "Hi", I'll be on the Ibis.

One question, is listening to your iPod on this ride a good idea? I know I won't hear your "Hi" but I was thinking some muzak would go down well.

paully617

Ibis mojo SL - NNNIICCEE WWHHEELLSS!!!!!

More than enough for this ride. It's not 75 miles of sweet singletrack, sadly!! A fair bit is footpaths, tow paths, road section. There are 3 noticeable downhill sections that are sweet as!!!

As for your mates, I am sure they would be fine. Last year I left my training until a few weeks before and despite a lot of hours in the saddle, it was fine.

Music is fine for this ride. There are some. Long boring sections that need to get done so choose your playlist carefully!!!

Zaim

Thanks. Still won't be able to talk them around, right shame. However I know by the end of 75 miles I would have made a few friends.

Got to get a bigger Camelbak and some new shoes before this event, don't want to be shown up with my old heels.

I can't believe you're coming down from Sleaford. Are you staying over night somewhere?

paully617

yeah we are stopping at raf uxbridge on the friday night and then in the brighton seafront travelodge for the sat night. Going out ont piss afterwards!!! Prob only take a few pints before we are all K.O'd. Where are you then??

You could easily do this ride on your P7. Last year i saw a guy on a singlespeed doing quite well.

I am doing it with 9 other RAF guys and we have 2 support drivers. A 2.5ltr camel bak will be sufficient as there are a few waterstops along the way.

Zaim

Down the road from Roehampton, which is nice and one of the reasons why this appealed. For 75 miles was thinking of having some comfort and I know at the end I won’t be able to do the ride over the South Downs on the Orange. Actually I’m pretty excited so I may try it on the Orange.

The current Camelbak I’ve got has enough water capacity but I won’t be able to bring along any food or, weather depending, a shell/top.

My support driver is my wife, she'll be shopping in Brighton and then meeting me for a pint and a burger.

paully617

Food wise, I took a couple of sardines, a handful of power bars and energy gels along with some flapjacks. Checkpoint 2 is a pub with a BBQ on the go so don't panic!!!

paully617

just seen my last post. i meant sandwiches not sardines!!!
Alos at checkpoint 2 there is a fruit and veg shop that does a particularly good day on fruit, especially bananas!!

tony620

you reckon a 1.5 litre camelback will not be enough?

paully617

As long as you fill it up as often as poss. Also worth fitting a bottle rack to your frame as well. That way the weight of your bottled water will become part of the bike weight and not on your back weight! I am using an under the saddle pack for minipump, puncture kit etc. The less I need to carry on my back the better!!

Grifcp

The weapon of choice has arrived

http://flic.kr/p/8w7g1Q

paully617

Sweet ride. You keeping the STD pedals on it or changing them for spd types?

Grifcp

Cheers paully, I actually ordered a Kona hardtail but thought f#@k it and cancelled and went for the cube instead. I've got some 520's to put on.....the standard pedals are pants sadly.

tony620

not long now how have you guys been preparing for this event? I have only ever done around 45 miles max. But i usually push myself as hard as i can on hills etc with taking it easy i think i could cover 75 miles no problem. ( I hope )

submityournentries

ive done 35 miles at the moment, really need to get out and do some riding, but just struggling to motivate myself as there is nowhere nice to ride near me. however in the next couple of days the plan is to go and ride some nice chunks of the grand union canal, get some distance under the belt .

oh and Zaim, your welcome to join on with me and my freind james, ill be the one on the ragley blue pig
(clearly not just an excuse to perv on your amazing bike atall, never )

warreng

I'm so glad I found this thread. I entered this ride last week after seeing an advert in the Metro. I've not attempted anything like this distance before and I thought I'd be able to coerce a couple of mates into it - they wisely refused. So I'm on my todd - so say hello when you pass me. I'll be on a Santa Cruz Heckler and I'll be going very slowly

afcbian

singletracksurfer wrote:

just got back from doing (BHF) London 2 Paris off road :shock:

Frickin' awesome 3 days of riding

Saw that !
That's next years challenge sorted then

afcbian

If you regualarly ride 25-35 miles offroad in a spirited manner then you will be fine.
Eat and drink plenty and enjoy the ride no matter what the weather does.
Can't wait to do it again.

warreng

afcbian wrote:

If you regualarly ride 25-35 miles offroad in a spirited manner then you will be fine.
Eat and drink plenty and enjoy the ride no matter what the weather does.
Can't wait to do it again.

That's music to my ears. I may actually finish then

paully617

afcbian wrote:

singletracksurfer wrote:

just got back from doing (BHF) London 2 Paris off road :shock:

Frickin' awesome 3 days of riding

Saw that !
That's next years challenge sorted then

Poop didn't know they did that one as well!!!

Might well consider that one as well!!!!

Right then, less than 20 days to go and I really should get out on the old treader and put some miles down. I have some leave booked from 10-19 so that will give me some time and I have been booked to take a group out for a couple laps of sherwood on the 22nd so that's the "last blast" sorted!!

Got a new snag tho. Whilst playing 5aside last night I took a short range, full belter ball into my ribs right over my ticker and now it's a bit tender to say the least! Good old RAF burden will sort it!!

paully617

ribs are healing nicely but not being a foosball regular, my legs have found new muscles that they never knew about before!!! Still, a ride today will hopefully give them a learning.
Bloody hell guys! 2 weeks to go!

I am off to north wales on 22/23 for some last minute.com training as i have been asked to take a group out for the day. hopefully i will be intact at the end!

tonisr

Hi everyone, I've just joined this forum as a result of seeing this post. I am signed up to this ride and I'm going to be doing it on my own. Although I'm really excited about it, I can't bear the thought of cycling 75 miles without having a good laugh along the way with a group of like-minded people. I'm female, but can definitely hold my own against a lot of guys!! I'll be at the start for 7.30am, and would love to join a group if anyone out there can point me in the right direction!! Toni

paully617

hi toni,
welcome aboard!!!!
You are more than welcome to tag along with us guys. we will be a group of 10 riders and we will be setting off at 8am. 7.30 is a bit tooo keen us!!

We may even stretch to a free beer at the finish line if your lucky lol!

how am i gonna know who you are tho?

tonisr

Thanks Paully. If I don't chicken out of it I'll be the one on a (dated!!) black Specialized Hardrock Sport (with red handles and bits), silver helmet, with a blonde ponytail sticking out the back of it. I guess I will recognise you guys in the RAF shirts....but now I'm thinking I've bitten off more than I can chew in terms of saying I can keep up! You guys are obviously going to be super-fit....so I may just say hello as you pass me by!! I haven't used my knobbly tyres for a couple of months, have been using semi-slicks, and now commute to work on new road bike, so a little concerned that my fitness level for off-road has dramatically reduced. Anyway, look forward to seeing you there....at the start...at the finish...or somewhere in-between. Toni

paully617

As I said before, being in the RAF doesn't make us professional athletes, just professional killers! Lol

Zaim

Do I read training?! Balls! Think I've got enough with a 25 mile commute 3/4 days a week and a 12 mile weekly off roader.....my friends are busy with families so this stop a massive ride.

So I'll definitely be looking out for a few of you on the ride and as already mentioned L2P off road sounds great and could be the aim for next year.

paully617

I must admit I have taken the past 3 weeks out of the saddle to concentrate on studying for my flying exams and today I went out for a cheeky 16 mile Xc ride. OMG!!! I seriously need to put some trainingin. I thought I wasnt gonna make it! Prob didn't help that I swallowed a high velocity fly!!! Makes me feel sick thinking about it! Not a pretty sight, a grown man, roaring his lungs up whilst trying to ride a bike!!!
Anyway Toni, apart from a blonde ponytail and a black bike, how is anyone gonna know who you are? Vital stats for the lads on here??