Preparing for London Brighton - not ridden bike in 1.5 years

dubcat

hi - i have not ridden my bike for 1.5 years and am the heaviest I have been in years at 16 stones. I have two targets set which I need to train for. I have a spot in next years London Marathon and I will be doing the London Brighton off road ride on September 22nd this year.

I figure the best thing I can do is prepare for the bike ride now and start running after the ride in preparation for the marathon. The problem I have is that I often get home from work after dark and I am not comfortable riding on roads in the dark. I am ok with running at night but not riding.

I know the best training for the bike ride is riding a bike. What else can I do though that will be beneficial on days that I can't get out on the bike?

Thanks,
Dub.