London to Brighton

keyser__soze

Green Brompton wrote:

I'm actually not sure but :? with a 05:15 meet I reckon 6am. I only emailed about it last night to see if I could go. Are you going early?

If you're going with Pearson you should be aware they're not going via Clapham, they're just doing Brighton and back as an early start club run. Some of the team girls (KateF included) are competing in the RPTT so won't be going along with the main club ride, not sure if they're planning going down to Brighton afterwards but may be already getting a bit late.

Green Brompton

Ah ok, I just saw it on the club Calendar. Cool, I'll stick with it then. It'll be nice to go out with everyone.

Yukirin

If I had have known what a sportive was last year I would have agreed to one of those instead. But then, saying that, this time last year I was riding a hybrid hack job, was with Richmond park laps measured in half hour increments, so maybe I wouldnt have.

cyclingprop

Annual run for the heart foundation for me. Also the first run of a decent length since the ankle op - only 10 weeks ago.

Oh, and have a 6.30 start so shouldnt be too bad (I'll be aiming to catch up with mates who start at 6). I'm not that quick but should be in Brighton around 10-11.

Agreed about starting late though - honestly nodderpocalypse doesn't do it justice, and the sight of shattered helmets on the carriageway is totally sobering.

jonomc4

I did the London Nightride - far more fun and 65 miles and only 3,000 people well spread out.

I would just like to say - I was pleased to see the army of obviously non regular cyclist out there - giving it a go and maybe starting to get to know their bike a little better.

My friend and I went round at a rate far faster than maybe 95% - but that wasn't the point we just did it because we wanted to stretch a bit. But terms like Nodder etc. I think are really unfair - on the ride I saw a man with his arm round his girlfriend who was obviously knackered but it was only two miles to go - he was helping here to finish it and achieve something she would be proud of (each person also has to raise about £250 for charity as a minimum also). I enjoyed that sight a hell of a lot more than seeing some fellow carbon bike warriors taking short cuts (easy to do this on the ride and save about 15 miles) just so they could say how fast they did it - to me these were pathetic scum. I would much rather amble my way to Brighton with a fat nodder giving it a go - than some twat cheating to try and show how cool he was.

EKE_38BPM

jonomc4 wrote:

...seeing some fellow carbon bike warriors taking short cuts (easy to do this on the ride and save about 15 miles) just so they could say how fast they did it - to me these were pathetic scum. I would much rather amble my way to Brighton with a fat nodder giving it a go - than some fool cheating to try and show how cool he was.

Do people really do that? How sad.
Any half decent cyclist can do it with ease and if you want to set a fast time, that is probably a bad day to do it. The roads in London are hardly closed and out in the sticks, road closures don't do much for a single rider, but it would help a large group.

stuaff

EKE_38BPM wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

...seeing some fellow carbon bike warriors taking short cuts (easy to do this on the ride and save about 15 miles) just so they could say how fast they did it - to me these were pathetic scum. I would much rather amble my way to Brighton with a fat nodder giving it a go - than some fool cheating to try and show how cool he was.

Do people really do that? How sad.
Any half decent cyclist can do it with ease and if you want to set a fast time, that is probably a bad day to do it. The roads in London are hardly closed and out in the sticks, road closures don't do much for a single rider, but it would help a large group.

Indeed. Utterly pathetic flat-track bullies.

EKE_38BPM

StuAff wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

...seeing some fellow carbon bike warriors taking short cuts (easy to do this on the ride and save about 15 miles) just so they could say how fast they did it - to me these were pathetic scum. I would much rather amble my way to Brighton with a fat nodder giving it a go - than some fool cheating to try and show how cool he was.

Do people really do that? How sad.
Any half decent cyclist can do it with ease and if you want to set a fast time, that is probably a bad day to do it. The roads in London are hardly closed and out in the sticks, road closures don't do much for a single rider, but it would help a large group.

Indeed. Utterly pathetic flat-track bullies.

I wonder who they brag to? Non-cyclists wouldn't care and cyclists wouldn't be impressed.

cornerblock

EKE_38BPM wrote:

StuAff wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

...seeing some fellow carbon bike warriors taking short cuts (easy to do this on the ride and save about 15 miles) just so they could say how fast they did it - to me these were pathetic scum. I would much rather amble my way to Brighton with a fat nodder giving it a go - than some fool cheating to try and show how cool he was.

Do people really do that? How sad.
Any half decent cyclist can do it with ease and if you want to set a fast time, that is probably a bad day to do it. The roads in London are hardly closed and out in the sticks, road closures don't do much for a single rider, but it would help a large group.

Indeed. Utterly pathetic flat-track bullies.

I wonder who they brag to? Non-cyclists wouldn't care and cyclists wouldn't be impressed.

Much like SCR then.

dhope

Cornerblock wrote:

Much like SCR then.

Pfft, petty as it is, there are rules to SCR. Cutting corners is like jumping lights. Instant loss.

Yukirin

shopping trip done. Extra tubes, a couple of gels, Malt loaf, a long sleave jersey (as i dont actually own one, just short sleave) and a saddle pouch (again, always got by without). I've decided not to take the work bag as I'm not taking the abus lock which must weigh near on 6kg?
Leaving Surbiton around 5.30, down to esher and then towards sutton to pick up the trail.
If successful then I'll look into some surrey sportives!

Cliveyp

I've got an 0730 start time for this, with a couple of mates. Is it likely that we'll get stuck too much or will we be ahead of the worst crowds? I wont say we're competitive, just being able to complete it under our own steam will be an acheivement (for me anyway), so not too bothered if its slow going at times but would rpefer not to HAVE to walk!

richVSrich

when i did it last year, i left at nearly 9am - which was pretty ridiculously busy.

i refused to walk at any section. even up dicthling beacon where it was crazy, just say, walk on the left please... there was just enough space for one line of bike to cycle up , everyone else was walking

so 7.30 am should be fine! and the start times dont really mean much anyway, you could probably leave earlier if you really wanted to.

CiB

Cliveyp wrote:

I've got an 0730 start time for this, with a couple of mates. Is it likely that we'll get stuck too much or will we be ahead of the worst crowds? I wont say we're competitive, just being able to complete it under our own steam will be an acheivement (for me anyway), so not too bothered if its slow going at times but would rpefer not to HAVE to walk!

The time I did it was a 7:30 start. You probably won't get away in the first wave of 7:30 starts so don't be put out if you're still hanging around 10-15 minutes later.

There's a lot of knocking going on here but the reality is that the first couple of miles are steady but mobile (riders leave in waves within the start time see?) and the run out of London on the main road is actually a lot of fun - you're on open (not closed) roads so there's some traffic but not much and the speeds are quite good. Most people get the idea about riding on the left overtake on the right and it sort of works even though it shouldn't.

The first big log-jam is where the route leaves the main road and slots into a country lane with a climb after the blind bend into it so there's a lot of walking going on there but from memory that's really it until Ditchling. Get used to shouting 'coming through', 'stay left' etc and it's not much of an issue. It's not the place to break any records, unless you're in the early starts - I recall hearing that a group had left at 6:30 and hit the seafront by 8:30, which is good going if they did do the whole route.

</waffle> It's a lot of fun, or can be. Approach it for what it is - a charity ride - and you'll enjoy it. You may not want to do it again (I don't fancy it) but it's one to chalk off as Done.

MonkeyMonster

Il Principe wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

unless you are fussed about card stamping just start when ever, its not a closed road. /quote]

This. Srsyl, you've paid up, avoid the first few miles. If you start late then you'll walk them anyway and they are no fun.

Also, be very very wary of other people on the descents. There will be 100's of people with utterly ineffective brakes and no sense whatsoever. It's a heady mix.

Even a 7am start we had walkers up the easiest of gradients for 3 hills before we escaped the worst. I wouldn't ever do anything less than 6am tbh. Went up the final hill in a oner but as has been said shouting on the right on the right.

Bikequin

Did there & and back and had a great day. We set off at 7.am and joined in at Tooting Broadway. Despite a couple of puncture stops on the way down we managed to get ahead enough to mean that all though people were going slowly on the hills, there few enough people walking to mean that cycling wasn't an issue. Did find that even on the flat parts couldn't really get up too much of a pace due to wanting to give most people a very wide berth. Highlight of the day was Ditchling Beacon, firstly cause I enjoyed nipping it up it - darting through gaps and getting up it in what it thought was a good pace, secondly seeing the numerous people with seriously expensive bikes walking up the hill whilst some people on BSOs steamed past them.

The ride back was lovely too, except for the climb up to Headly common from the South, much steeper than I was expecting and after a long day in the saddle caused some serious pain.

CiB

Someone wrote:

Highlight of the day was Ditchling Beacon ... seeing the numerous people with seriously expensive bikes walking up the hill whilst some people on BSOs steamed past them.

This. This attitude gets on my wick. Not a lot, not 'come ere & say that' but chuntering under breath level of miffed at it.

I thought we were supposed to be keen to get people on bikes. I am. But apparently the most joyous sight to be seen isn't hordes of riders abandoning cars and discovering two wheels, it's some commie on a hill in Sussex sneering at someone who has something nice but doesn't apparently justify owning it. I wouldn't mind but lately I've come to the inevitable conclusion that I'm not as fast as I was, never was that fast to start with and won't get any quicker at this age, but we have a little bit of money spare that I'd rather throw at an enjoyable hobby instead of pushing it down lap-dancers' underwear on a Tuesday night or keeping the drug pushers in business, so my steed of choice is 'a nice bike'. I don't much mind that a lot of people passed me going up long steep hills in south east Leicestershire on Saturday or that my best TT time is eons slower than the racing snake who pootles round ten times quicker than I can; I've got something that's really enjoyable to use, effectively cost nothing [it was just some numbers changing on an account balance somewhere] and keeps me going, literally. And then some jonny oik pipes up that the most enjoyable thing he saw all weekend was someone like me on a nice bike but not being as good as Comrade Lev thought he ought to be for something like that.

Can I politely suggest that the person who posted this quietly go and get stuffed? If you want live a life of envy and petulant jealousy, go and do it somewhere quiet where you don't bother the rest of us, or at least have the decency to criticise people who deserve criticism, not people who are riding nice bikes keeping themselves happy and spreading the wealth into your favorite LBS.

Gah.

clarkey cat

The "I was riding a fold-up shopper bike fully laden with panniers and two flat tyres and I flew past some MAMILs all riding carbon bikes" line is a classic, CiB.

Bikequin

I think I obviously hit a raw nerve there CiB - of course anyone is entitled to ride whatever they like, just as I'm entitled to crack a wry smile at someone crawling up a pretty straight forward hill with their carbon soled shoes clicking against the floor. As for petulant jealousy I don't see how anything I said be construed in that way especially given you've no idea what I was riding.

cyclingprop

Bikequin wrote:

I think I obviously hit a raw nerve there CiB - of course anyone is entitled to ride whatever they like, just as I'm entitled to crack a wry smile at someone crawling up a pretty straight forward hill with their carbon soled shoes clicking against the floor. As for petulant jealousy I don't see how anything I said be construed in that way especially given you've no idea what I was riding.

If you take pleasure out of someone doing something they don't normally do for charity and finding it hard, good for you. I rode Ditchling, but did stop on the way up before getting back on and carrying on. With a carbon bike and carbon shoes.

Come to think of it, I'm quite proud to have made your day - would you like a complimentary signed picture of me in lycra?

Bikequin

cyclingprop wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I think I obviously hit a raw nerve there CiB - of course anyone is entitled to ride whatever they like, just as I'm entitled to crack a wry smile at someone crawling up a pretty straight forward hill with their carbon soled shoes clicking against the floor. As for petulant jealousy I don't see how anything I said be construed in that way especially given you've no idea what I was riding.

If you take pleasure out of someone doing something they don't normally do for charity and finding it hard, good for you. I rode Ditchling, but did stop on the way up before getting back on and carrying on. With a carbon bike and carbon shoes.

Come to think of it, I'm quite proud to have made your day - would you like a complimentary signed picture of me in lycra?

If you were riding the red Bianchi with deep section rims then yes please.

cyclingprop

Bikequin wrote:

cyclingprop wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I think I obviously hit a raw nerve there CiB - of course anyone is entitled to ride whatever they like, just as I'm entitled to crack a wry smile at someone crawling up a pretty straight forward hill with their carbon soled shoes clicking against the floor. As for petulant jealousy I don't see how anything I said be construed in that way especially given you've no idea what I was riding.

If you take pleasure out of someone doing something they don't normally do for charity and finding it hard, good for you. I rode Ditchling, but did stop on the way up before getting back on and carrying on. With a carbon bike and carbon shoes.

Come to think of it, I'm quite proud to have made your day - would you like a complimentary signed picture of me in lycra?

If you were riding the red Bianchi with deep section rims then yes please.

Not me I'm afraid. I'm too heavy for the italians.

Widgey

My friend and myself started off at 9:30 (well was more like quarter to 10 by the time we got through the gates).

Stopped at the halfway rest stop at 12:20 and finished at 3:10.. We both said the cities were awful, too many people and too close together, but that is always going to be an issue.. Everyone seemed jovial and were raising some cash for the charity and thats the main thing.

Ditchling Beacon was only an issue with people just stopping and getting off when they felt like it.. He had to stop like 10m before the top for this issue, I decided to stick behind a determined couple on a tandem, they paved the way.

All in all good day, not sure if I would do it again, overtaking on the far right on the white line when someone just moves across did make me think twice..

sussex cyclist

CiB wrote:

...we have a little bit of money spare that I'd rather throw at an enjoyable hobby instead of pushing it down lap-dancers' underwear on a Tuesday night

If you budget properly you should be able to do both.

Some Ditchling Beacon pics here.

jonomc4

CiB wrote:

Someone wrote:

Highlight of the day was Ditchling Beacon ... seeing the numerous people with seriously expensive bikes walking up the hill whilst some people on BSOs steamed past them.

This. This attitude gets on my wick. Not a lot, not 'come ere & say that' but chuntering under breath level of miffed at it.

I thought we were supposed to be keen to get people on bikes. I am. But apparently the most joyous sight to be seen isn't hordes of riders abandoning cars and discovering two wheels, it's some commie on a hill in Sussex sneering at someone who has something nice but doesn't apparently justify owning it. I wouldn't mind but lately I've come to the inevitable conclusion that I'm not as fast as I was, never was that fast to start with and won't get any quicker at this age, but we have a little bit of money spare that I'd rather throw at an enjoyable hobby instead of pushing it down lap-dancers' underwear on a Tuesday night or keeping the drug pushers in business, so my steed of choice is 'a nice bike'. I don't much mind that a lot of people passed me going up long steep hills in south east Leicestershire on Saturday or that my best TT time is eons slower than the racing snake who pootles round ten times quicker than I can; I've got something that's really enjoyable to use, effectively cost nothing [it was just some numbers changing on an account balance somewhere] and keeps me going, literally. And then some jonny oik pipes up that the most enjoyable thing he saw all weekend was someone like me on a nice bike but not being as good as Comrade Lev thought he ought to be for something like that.

Can I politely suggest that the person who posted this quietly go and get stuffed? If you want live a life of envy and petulant jealousy, go and do it somewhere quiet where you don't bother the rest of us, or at least have the decency to criticise people who deserve criticism, not people who are riding nice bikes keeping themselves happy and spreading the wealth into your favorite LBS.

Gah.

+1

Totally agree - do get tired of this BS from some posters.

Samseven

Just joined this forum so all new to me. I am doing the L2B off road for the first time. I ride a ride hard tail daily to and from work (London all road)) which is 25mile round trip and do this with slicks and with the suspension locked. I believe my bike is OK for the L2B and with off road tyres. Does anyone know if I need to get a GPS or is the map easy to follow. I signed up yesterday so just waiting for my pack in the post. Do you also get allocated times to set off. More importantly is this going to kill me. I have been riding for a year nearly but never rode that amount in a hit....
All help and advice grateful.