London to Brighton off road 2010

Grifcp

Fantastic day....weather really smiled on us did'nt it. Left Roehampton at 7.45am and crossed the line ae 2.10pm so must have seen PatB at the finish only did'nt know it at the time.
Got up everything apart from 'The Borstal' is it? at the end....managed about half way up. Major cudos to anyone who got up that including one guy I watched do it..very impressed!!

Shmikuk

Wow, some of you guys really went for it. We took just under 10 hours total with 7 and 1/4 hours actual riding. We had punctures, waiting for friends and catching up with friends and family at checkpoints.
Really enjoyed the ride, considering Fridays weather we were really lucky. Managed to clear that final hill with one stumble halfway up. I really wasn't looking forward to it but had to give it a go. Quite a challenge!! Had some good banter along the way with other guys and gals which made the hard bits easier. Saw the RAF crew at slinfold, our better halves were in the golf and corsa parked besides you whilst the moany women did her thing.
Well done to everyone that finished, and fair play to those that did it on hybrids and road bikes.... You nutters!

pemsey

Awesome day - great route and a hellava sore backside! Set off in a massive group just before 8 and got to the finish at 3. Very pleased with that - even if I did have to walk most of the way up The Borstal :oops: Got up all the other climbs though. Would have finished a bit quicker but a group of us got caught at the port crossing bridge at Shoreham for abot 10 minutes and only just made it across before they opened it again! Good "time trial" to the finish - and I oh so nearly won!!!

PS - I think it might have been Toni that got stuck at the same time as me at Shoreham - I was on the red On One - we also got held up on at the traffic lights at the bottom of the descent into Shoreham - and then somebody tried to kill us in their car - my sense of humour went just a little bit then!

Shmikuk

That lock/ bridge got us too. We thought we'd have to find another route after 10 mins of waiting.

Pat B

Hi guys,

Tony620 I was wearing the yellow top, yellow camelback, black shorts (Silver Fuji bike). The big guy wearing the Gary Fisher blue & white top, blue shorts who got lost with us finished just ahead of me, he caught me on the tarmac road after the Borstal. Must help when your legs are so long! My shoulders were level with his saddle or it seemed that way as he past me. Probably something to do with him being about 20 years younger as well. Anyone know if that tandem crossed the line first? They were shifting on the flat!

Could resist it and went out again this morning for a couple of hours, legs felt great. All seems a bit of an anti climax now. Back to work tomorrow and only next week’s normal ride to looked forward too. Must find an event to get me excited again! Was thinking of doing the Evans Gatwick event on 23rd October. It’s only 32 miles but will make a change then the South Downs around Lewes. The wife is doing it as well, but only the 17 miles course. Can I do 32 before she does 17? Maybe this is my next challenge!

singletracksurfer

what luck with the weather on the day - and the trails weren't to
badly affected by the rain beforehand either.

what happened at checkpoint one - heard some people went wrong there?

couple of cases of angry middle aged women caught tearing down signs too - made a change to the cheeky kids around shere last year! :roll:

anyone see the bollywood film being shot in shere?

also did anyone (see the sign) ride the 'mini death bowl'just before the descent into shere?
superb dizzy fun.

great day (and I ground out all the climbs)

london to paris off road next year anyone?

tonisr

Wow....how amazing was Saturday. I just LOVED every minute! I did it in exactly 7.5 hours (started at 7.30am, finished at 3pm), and yes pemsey, that WAS me you were chatting with at the lights and the lock! How funny.

PatB....flippin' well done. I know we started at the same time, but you finished in amazing timing.

Paully, sorry I missed you all. Maybe next year?

The only disappointment was the anti-climactic finish line! There were only a handful of riders, and a handful of helpers. After 75 miles of what was a hard ride at points, I would've liked more of a celebratory finish!!

So glad I did it. My bike may be old and heavy but it wwent like a dream. I heard and saw people getting punctures all over the shop, but fortunately the only problems I ran into were my chain coming off because of not chaning gears early enough on those pesky hills!!! That trail hill climb up onto the road was a killer, but I managed to tag onto the back of some guys and there was no way I was going to stop. The final hill though....not a chance in hell I was getting up that. Once it got to the road it was fine, but the rocky part was impossible for me.

Loved it!!

El Fixio

What a top ride on Saturday! Couldn't have hoped for better weather either. Despite cramps (excuses) for about 20 miles I managed to cross the line in a little over 8 hours. All ten of us from RAF Coningsby made it home, even Spick (paully617) with his ever so slightly bent wheel (nothing a gate and a couple of fatty's couldn't fix though ).

Top job!

...til next year!

dubcat

Can't wait to do this next year . Well done guys! I feel like going out for a ride now after reading your reports!

tony620

Pat i was the young lad on the on one carbon 456 with a silver and black fox top on. you were tanking along on the flats when i got to the single track i was infront of the both of you but you must have passed me at some point.

i would 100% do it again and now i done it once feel i can prepare for it better

paully617

Toni, we were a little DELAYED on our start. in fact we started at 0845 in the end!!

Total of 7hrs ride time which was pleasing enough.

Afterwards we all went out for something to eat in town and then hit the pubs and clubs. I finally made it into my bed at 5am!!! 23 hours awake inc the ride!!!.

Anyway, a quick 4 hr kip before the long slog home to sunny lincolnshire.

well done to everyone who took part.

Thanks to the girls who gave me their map when i had my collision.

Lastly, thanks to the guy who trashed my rear wheel at the 20 mile point. You've given me an excuse to treat myself to some new wheels!! shame i have to pay for them.

Dickeniffer

check point one wasnt great, we were in the first bunch and were told by the marshall that everyones NAV was wrong and sent us the wrong way, when we realised she was wrong we turned around, you prob saw me telling you all to turn around. I was in a white Porsche jacket.

However this didnt detract from the enjoyment though 78 miles in total. There were a few people acting like it was the worst thing that could have happened and like somebody had come into their house on christmas day and pi**ed on their presents.

Still buzzing from the day although still in pain. Strange it was the downhills that gave me the pain!!! There is also a great video of the descent into Brighton on YOUTUBE. my camera fell off out 7 miles in and I couldnt repair the bracket, so I have good footage of Richmond park and the thames cycle route. and ;later 55 minutes of the inside of my camelback.

seanoevil

Dickeniffer - just watched them vids on utube...that was a wicked descent that...would love to do that again!

Come on lets see the footage of the inside of ya camelbak!!!

mcbazza

What a great ride that was.
I was the solo rider in red+black.
Red pac-lite. Black shorts/lid. Red/black gloves. Grey tech top. Black arm/leg warmers. Red/black Stumpy FSR.

I had a great ride (except, coming up!) my training/riding paid dividends. I rode this event last year, and was worried that knowing what was coming next would have a negative psychological effect on me - it didn't!

Last year I started at 07:45, crossed the finish @ 16:15, and had a stop for lunch, and a downs way stop for a killer back. So, that was my time to beat.

Sadly, it was not to be.

I decided to stop in Shere for performance enhancing drugs (double-espresso). But, they don't do quick in that place. Went to the shop to buy water, but, couldn't find the shop - turns out that dirty great delivery truck on the main road was blocking it. Chatted to some of the roadie TT'ers. They were the same bunch that were there last year. When I told them what we were doing, and how far we were riding (and, I hastened to add, not all riding 15lb carbon race bikes dressed in lycra) they gave us the utmost respect!!

Probably about 20miles from the end my left cleat came loose and span around on my pedal, so I couldn't unclip. Thought about finishing the ride without unclipping. Then, thought better. So, if you went past a rider in red/black by the side of the trail on the Downs Way that looked like he was dismantling something, that was me.
For a while, I thought I was going to have to knacker my new Five10 Minnaar's just to get the pedal off them. And, at one point I thought I had fluffed the SPD rebuild. But, half a packet of jelly babies has a wonderful effect on your spirit. Although, I must have easily lost 1hr+.

Also on the Downs Way I had the strangest Dr.Strangelove cramps in my left ring finger. Tried to ride through it, but, couldn't. The water bottle on my frame is for such situations. So, dropped in a Nuun, and siphoned out some water from the CamelBack. And rode on. 15mins later, no cramps.

The last climb nearly did me last year. And this year I knew what was coming. Despite slipping gears (note to self: when the LBS recommends you change the chain, do it), I made it up with only one dab. Very slowly. And in bottom gear. But, I made it.

Chain snapped at the final climb by the youth hostel. If you were the rider that stopped to give me a power-link, I heartily thank you.

I also got stuffed at the lock/gate - I was getting quite irate. They closed the gate well before the boat even set off. That ate into my drinking time.

I thought it was a better ride than last year. But, I think that's mostly me and how I felt. I knew there wouldn't be many 'down' bits, so the few that there were I attacked like a man possessed. If I passes too close/fast/sketchy, then I am sorry.

My energy levels were spot-on for the duration of the ride. There's a lot to be said for: cups of tea, double-espressos, power-bars, energy gels, and most importantly of all, jelly babies.

Stats:
Started: 0750
Finished: 1630 (10mins slower than last year!)
Riding time: approx 6-6:30hrs
No punctures.
2x "comedy SPD" falls.

My only gripes about the ride are petty and minimal:-

Yet again, the promotion by the BHF was minimal. They sing and dance for the roadie/tarmac Brighton ride. But, nothing for us. Not a mention. Anywhere. I may have ranted to @theBHF on twitter about this. It's not because I'm all "me!me!me!" and selfish. It's because I enjoy it so much that I want more MTB'ers to know about it, and to ride with me.

Last year we had barcodes on our wrists, and were tagged at the checkpoints. We were then able to logon to a website and see how we did.

The felling of elation as you cross the line rapidly disappears as you cross the finish line and realise, "Ah. That's it. It's over". And then watch everyone just disappear. I'd love for a backer to approach the BHF for an official post-event party. Wouldn't it be great to have a venue for the evening, and somewhere for us all to hang out for an evening swapping tales of our journey?

What was much better over last year - the t-shirt.
Last years was a generic event t-shirt. It had many events on the back. Ours was one of them. This years t-shirt was event specific - but, it lacks the date/year of the event. Such a shame to have missed one small point. Oh well.

I'll probably do it again next year. I'll be 40 next June. What better way to celebrate my mid-life by doing it all over again.

Anyone know how the DH lads got on? They were attempting to ride the entire event in DH kit, on DH bikes, and even had full-on DH tyres. Nutters.

ps: Many thanks to the paramedic on the finish line who lent me his mobile to call home and tell my mother I'd made it.

And to everyone I chatted to or rode with, you were all legends.
I've still to meet an MTB'er I don't like.

afcbian

mcbazza wrote:

Anyone know how the DH lads got on? They were attempting to ride the entire event in DH kit, on DH bikes, and even had full-on DH tyres. Nutters.

And to everyone I chatted to or rode with, you were all legends.
I've still to meet an MTB'er I don't like.

We saw the DH boys as we passed them on the towpath coming out of London, didn't realise they were cycling the same route :shock: :shock:

Shmikuk

Nice little story there.
The one thing we noticed was the number of gel or bar wrappers along the trail. Bit of a shame that some riders expect someone else to clear up after them. It's not like they are heavy.
I agree that it's worthy of a bit more media attention, and promotion. Some of the "hardcore" mtb'ers I mentioned it to didn't seem to think much of the idea... I know it's not really technical.
I'm up for doing it again next year.

pemsey

I agree with the comments - even the end was low key - in fact so low key that my missus couldn't find it until too late - and even the police didn't know about it when she asked them! She wasn't the only one as we were asked by someone else where the finish was - and that's when we were standing on Hove Lawns! Bit of a shame really as it's a good event. I suppose as it's limited entry and people are coming in in dribs and drabs it's difficult to have a "big" finish.

Reckon I might have a another go at it next year.

The downhillers left in the same group as me at just before 8 am - I wondered how they did as the first little bump in Richmond Park slowed them down - big respect to them (and anyone else) who completed the course.

Anyone know if BHF will put up any photos of the day - there was at least one photographer at Checkpoint 3 who got a shot of me nearly falling off :oops:

I guess any photos will get posted here eventually?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhforguk/collections

Pat B

Hi all,

Just checked with BHF and the pictures should be posted in the next couple of weeks

Thanks

Pat

pemsey

The photos are now up if anyone wants to see them - having looked I'm not sure I do - do I really look that knackered :oops:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhforguk/sets/72157624995889437/