London to Brighton bike ride (BHF)

Fresh60mmForks

So I plan on doing it this year. It mentions limited number of places on the website. I've been doing some research on number of people attending and so on, and I came across a few statistic of 10-15% joining in on the event without registering and paying the £35 fee?


How is it possible? I mean I thought it was marshaled!??

Yukirin

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Fresh60mmForks

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

richVSrich

I did it last year. It was pretty fun, a huge amount of riders!! I'm glad I did it but I wouldn't do it again...a lot of riders walk up the hills and it does get pretty jammed in places. Its meant to be marshaled but you can't keep it closed all the way..

CiB

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

That's what happens, sort of. Riders are allotted to start times which are in waves leaving every 30 minutes from 6:00 till 9:30, so clearly not everyone pitches up and leaves en masse.

L2B is worth doing once or twice but beyond that it loses its appeal due the number of nodders, plodders & halfwits who don't know how to ride in groups etc. it is a load of fun though and Ditchling Beacon is the best bit, up and down. Aim for 50mph going down.

8)

Fresh60mmForks

CiB wrote:

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

That's what happens, sort of. Riders are allotted to start times which are in waves leaving every 30 minutes from 6:00 till 9:30, so clearly not everyone pitches up and leaves en masse.

L2B is worth doing once or twice but beyond that it loses it's appeal due the number of nodded, plodders & halfwits who don't know how to ride in groups etc. it is a load of fun though and Ditchling Becon is the best bit, up and down. Aim for 50mph going down.

8)

Interesting, I'm definitely doing it. So how does it work, you turn up at clapham at 6am and then what? You sign yoru name on a register or? You tick a box or?

richVSrich

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

You get a time slot youre meant to keep to...

Fresh60mmForks

richVSrich wrote:

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

You get a time slot youre meant to keep to...

let me make my question even more specific.

How do they regulate those who have registered and those who haven't?

richVSrich

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

richVSrich wrote:

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Yukirin wrote:

would be against my morals not to pay. It will be my first time this year, so no idea how its run or what to expect.

Likewise, would be against my morals. I really want to know how it's organised, it's obvious 27,000 people don't turn up to a park in clapham and then start riding...

You get a time slot youre meant to keep to...

let me make my question even more specific.

How do they regulate those who have registered and those who haven't?

Once outside clapham common they can't....

CiB

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Interesting, I'm definitely doing it. So how does it work, you turn up at clapham at 6am and then what? You sign yoru name on a register or? You tick a box or?

you have to register well ahead of it on the BHF website and nominate your preferred start wave time and then stick to it. No point showing up at 6 for an 8:30 start. You'll have a colour-coded riders number & wrist band to indicate which wave you start with.

It's well organised but realistically if some oiks want to muscle in a charity ride on public roads without contributing there's not much anyone can do.

Fresh60mmForks

CiB wrote:

Fresh60mmForks wrote:

Interesting, I'm definitely doing it. So how does it work, you turn up at clapham at 6am and then what? You sign yoru name on a register or? You tick a box or?

you have to register well ahead of it on the BHF website and nominate your preferred start wave time and then stick to it. No point showing up at 6 for an 8:30 start. You'll have a colour-coded riders number & wrist band to indicate which wave you start with.

It's well organised but realistically if some oiks want to muscle in a charity ride on public roads without contributing there's not much anyone can do.

Oh right interesting, so it's marshaled, but the roads aren't blocked on both sides with barriers?

Sorry for all the questions :P!

CiB

Roads are a mix of closed, semi-closed (maybe closed in one direction) or open and you're mixing it with traffic. Anyway it's 50+ miles; it's not feasible to marshall the whole lot.

Fresh60mmForks

CiB wrote:

Roads are a mix of closed, semi-closed (maybe closed in one direction) or open and you're mixing it with traffic. Anyway it's 50+ miles; it's not feasible to marshall the whole lot.

Guessing it's all closed tightly at the start then

Ok cheers thanks

CiB

No it's not actually, once away from the start areas. When I did it I got the sense that a lot joined in as we left Clapham Common. Like I said, oiks, every one of them.

kelsen

The only thing stopping people who haven't registered from joining the ride would be their conscience. Why gatecrash into a charity ride if a) you're not contributing to the cause b) the route can be ridden on 364 other days (or 365 this year)

Whilst the event is fairly well organised at the start and finish, the route was not designed for 30,000 cyclists and has outgrown itself. BHF need to cut down on the number of entries available to keep the ride sensible.

veronese68

I agree with all of the above. I did it twice. First time we had an 8:30 start time and it was hideous, shuffling up the slightest incline inch by inch due to the excess of people. Second time we had a 6:30 start and had a really good run. I was in Brighton by 10 riding my old Marin MTB. Good experience.
I'll be doing the off road version again this year. Nearer to 80 miles and a lot harder. Far fewer people and really good fun. I highly recommend it.

Canny Jock

A bunch of us pay to do then jump the start and head off at 6 regardless of the alloted time slot. A bit naughty, but to be honest setting off any later is downright dangerous. The downhill sections with that number of inexperienced riders is scary, I've seen quite a few people scraped off the road after serious crashes. And the climbs become walking only later on because of the numbers.

Having said that it's a good atmosphere, and worth doing at least once.

dhope

Canny Jock wrote:

A bunch of us pay to do then jump the start and head off at 6 regardless of the alloted time slot. A bit naughty, but to be honest setting off any later is downright dangerous. The downhill sections with that number of inexperienced riders is scary, I've seen quite a few people scraped off the road after serious crashes. And the climbs become walking only later on because of the numbers.

Having said that it's a good atmosphere, and worth doing at least once.

I'd be tempted by this idea, especially as I live so near the start

spen666

Why do the ride without paying?

Well for a start, the £35 fee does not go to charity t all. That money is retained by Bike Events the organiser as thei share of the profit ( after expenses).

The only money to go to the BHF is your sponsorship monies

Applespider

I struggle with sponsorship for things that aren't particularly difficult (e.g 5 to 10k runs, London to Brighton bike rides). Unless it's something that you genuinely won't complete without putting in some of your own time to train for it (to actually run the 5k rather than walk it if you've never run before or practice spending a few hours on a bike saddle), is it really charity worthy? Or does it cheapen real achievements (e.g. climbing Kilimanjaro, running marathons, swimming the Channel) since people just tend to give a fixed amount regardless?

I've never done London to Brighton on the official day since I've seen the carnage en route with too many bikes in one place and it doesn't look like a pleasant experience. If it was me, I'd choose another day to do the run, give your £35 to BHF (or charity of choice) and you can still ask family/friends to donate if you want to. Just take a pic of you and your bike at your start and on Brighton beach. It will be infinitely more pleasant a ride, far quicker and much easier to find a lovely bar on the beach for a well-earned pint.

kelsen

Applespider wrote:

I struggle with sponsorship for things that aren't particularly difficult (e.g 5 to 10k runs, London to Brighton bike rides). Unless it's something that you genuinely won't complete without putting in some of your own time to train for it (to actually run the 5k rather than walk it if you've never run before or practice spending a few hours on a bike saddle), is it really charity worthy? Or does it cheapen real achievements (e.g. climbing Kilimanjaro, running marathons, swimming the Channel) since people just tend to give a fixed amount regardless?

I do agree with what you're saying, though each year I set aside an amount I will give to charity anyway, and divvy it up among friends, colleagues and appeals raising money for charity. As long as the cause is appropriate, I don't really mind what the effort involves. The real problem I have is where the first £x amount raised goes towards funding entry fees/travelling costs/a weekend jolly away. Do the event by all means, but fund your own costs so that all the money people give actually goes to the charity!

il_principe

Did this once. Would rather cut off a leg than do it again. You're far better off just riding to Brighton (and back) under your own steam some other time. Far more fun.

stuaff

Il Principe wrote:

You're far better off just riding to Brighton (and back) under your own steam some other time. Far more fun.

+1. If you want to do it in a properly organised group, do it overnight and come on an FNRttC. No stupid fees, no minimum sponsorship, no unnecessary rules and regulations. Should you wish to raise money, no problem. Nice people who won't let you get lost and will help in the event of a mechanical. Fantastic half-way stop. And far more fun than either of the planned L2B charity night rides will be...

the_moodster

Applespider wrote:

I struggle with sponsorship for things that aren't particularly difficult (e.g 5 to 10k runs, London to Brighton bike rides). Unless it's something that you genuinely won't complete without putting in some of your own time to train for it (to actually run the 5k rather than walk it if you've never run before or practice spending a few hours on a bike saddle), is it really charity worthy? Or does it cheapen real achievements (e.g. climbing Kilimanjaro, running marathons, swimming the Channel) since people just tend to give a fixed amount regardless?

All charitable giving is good, surely, as long as it is going to the charity. I disagree with the 'free' events with a minimum sponsorship amount to take part, I much prefer to pay the organisation's costs and raise what I can in sponsorship that I know will go to the charity.

Much better people are doing something than nothing, and not everyone is able to do your 'real' events. At the end of the day its about raising money for the charity not the event you're doing and every little helps. Sounds like you've lost sight of that.

Yes if you're a committed cyclist there are more pleasant ways of doing the l2b unsupported, but for the casual cyclist the l2b IS a big undertaking and the support the bhf provide on the day is the only reason the majority of people are taking part.

Fresh60mmForks

CiB wrote:

No it's not actually, once away from the start areas. When I did it I got the sense that a lot joined in as we left Clapham Common. Like I said, oiks, every one of them.

Looks like I'm going to have to muscle my way in then, just called up and there's limited places, and I don't have £35 in my account until I get paid on the 30th. Too bad, I'lll still donate, after the ride though.

mick_cornick

Doing the night ride this year, a first!

velohutts

Hi , did the L2B last year , as said earlier , worth doing the ride to say you have done it , it is well marshalled but you are held at junctions , there are to many cyclists on the road while doing it , I had someone stop for no reason while going uphill / slight gradient ..... instant chaos....it is all for a good cause and I am glad I rode it as one of those tick list events.
If your looking to do a quick ride get the route and ride it on another day , people 'crashing' it clearly have no morals at all and just add to the number of bikes on the road , for most people I saw it was the longest ride they have done or likely to do but fair play they were out on there bikes and enjoying it.

Glad I did it as the charity means something to me , unlikely to repeat it unless as above doing a group ride with peoplewho otherwise would never ride that far.

tgotb

I did it last year with some colleagues - great atmosphere, great day out, and a few of us rode back (via a different route) which made for a nice contrast. If you do it with the mindset of having a fun day out rather than a bike ride, you'll enjoy it far more imho.

As for "crashing" the event; some of it is on open roads (which you're allowed to ride on at that time anyway). For the rest, bear in mind that someone else is paying for the police who are directing traffic away from the route to give you a clear ride, someone else is paying to hire land and portaloos at the (frequent) rest stops, someone else has paid to hire the bands that contribute so much to the atmosphere at some rest stops. As others have said, the event does suffer from having very large numbers of riders on the roads. Do you want to contribute to that congestion without paying your share of the running costs? If so, no-one's going to stop you, but just remember that some people in this World are givers and some people are takers; think about which you want to be...

stuaff

Mick Cornick wrote:

Doing the night ride this year, a first!

Only for the BHF. There have been at least four L2B night charity rides, I've done two of them. And many more socials...

Fresh60mmForks

velohutts wrote:

Hi , did the L2B last year , as said earlier , worth doing the ride to say you have done it , it is well marshalled but you are held at junctions , there are to many cyclists on the road while doing it , I had someone stop for no reason while going uphill / slight gradient ..... instant chaos....it is all for a good cause and I am glad I rode it as one of those tick list events.
If your looking to do a quick ride get the route and ride it on another day , people 'crashing' it clearly have no morals at all and just add to the number of bikes on the road , for most people I saw it was the longest ride they have done or likely to do but fair play they were out on there bikes and enjoying it.

Glad I did it as the charity means something to me , unlikely to repeat it unless as above doing a group ride with peoplewho otherwise would never ride that far.

I'm goign to crash it, but I do have morals. There's hardly any spaces left and by the time I have the money to pay they'll all be gone, so I'm going to just turn up, but still donate the £35 instead.

Pompeysimmo

dhope wrote:

Canny Jock wrote:

A bunch of us pay to do then jump the start and head off at 6 regardless of the alloted time slot. A bit naughty, but to be honest setting off any later is downright dangerous. The downhill sections with that number of inexperienced riders is scary, I've seen quite a few people scraped off the road after serious crashes. And the climbs become walking only later on because of the numbers.

Having said that it's a good atmosphere, and worth doing at least once.

I'd be tempted by this idea, especially as I live so near the start[/quote

If you don’t start officially won’t you get disaquafied at the finish?