London 2 brighton

andy 3654

Just entered in to the BHF London to Brighton ride and was wondering if any one else on here was going to enter as well?

EPO Delivery Man

Yep im in, starting at 9am. Cant eait

Simon-R7

I am doing it with a friend, asked for a 7am start time. I have been told that you want to start as early as possible to avoid the masses on shopping bikes, BMX's etc

mihajaru

Yep, just joined just a couple of hours a ago for a 6.30am spot

uphillslowly

I've got a 0900 start too.
It's my way of paying a little back to the BHF after all the support they gave me when I had my heart bypass operation last year.

VTech

I'm doing it in June but ill be behind the wheels of a 67 shelby GT500.
Not sure I'd really want to be between two wheels right now but one day maybe

cerv52

Im in too and am hoping to get my asked for 6am start time, should be in Brighton by 9, home by half past

giant_man

good luck to you guys starting at 9, rather 6 for me. The amount of 'traffic' in front of you at that tme, ouch!

cookeeemonster

I did it last year for the first time and had a 730 start. Even then the traffic was just...f**king awful!

I swear 90% of the people on it have never ridden a bike before or at least for 20 years

So I asked for a 6am start this time, means I gotta ride 16 miles just to the start line but it'll be worth it

chrisaonabike

CookeeeMonster wrote:

So I asked for a 6am start this time, means I gotta ride 16 miles just to the start line but it'll be worth it

Yep, me too.

andy 3654

Oh bugger I asked for 930

junglist_matty

andy 3654 wrote:

Oh bugger I asked for 930

You'll be guaranteed to be walking every hill for the first half of the ride and also likely to be walking every hill after that.... Far too many people who haven't touched a bike in either years or ever.... I did it in 2009 and had a 6.30am start time, but with thousands of people at the start line they didn't seem to care and just let anyone start whenever they want.... As we approached (about a mile) the first hill, everyone was stopped, the road was single carrigeway and because a few unfit people way ahead of us decided they couldn't ride the "hill" everyone behind got bottlenecked and took us a good half hour to walk the mile or so to the hill and then up it and then over the top of it....

However, it's a great social event, got chatting to loads of people on the walks up the hills which was irritating to be walking but good fun chatting away! I think we got into Brighton about midday.
To put it in context, I rode a 60 mile loop this morning with far more hills than the LTB in the cold wind and rain that took me half the time the LTB took me!

chrisaonabike

Is the route published anywhere? I had a root around the BHF web site, and a bit of a Google, but the only thing I could find was a couple of routes from previous years.

cerv52

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Is the route published anywhere? I had a root around the BHF web site, and a bit of a Google, but the only thing I could find was a couple of routes from previous years.

Remembering from last year they dont publish the route until the day or so before, I suppose for road works etc. I dont think however it changes much year on year.

andy 3654

From what Ive been led to believe there is only one proper climb is that correct?

southdownswolf

I'm doing it, starting at 6am. Well, as long as my two mates can drag me out of bed in time...

t4tomo

andy 3654 wrote:

From what Ive been led to believe there is only one proper climb is that correct?

There are a few hills, Ditchling Beacon is the biggest and a decent challenge, particularly weaving your way through a stream of "walkers". there are a couple of other steep-ish ones but not anywhere near as long as Ditchling.

Treat the whole ride as a social occasion, not as serious ride, and you'll enjoy it more, otherise you'll just get frustrated by the amount of people who clealry onely ride very occasionally out on bikes for the day.

arran77

I rode it last year, started at 6.30 and like others have said would not want to start any later than that as the sheer volume of riders means that any of the climbs just turn in to a traffic jam of walkers!

Having said that though it's not really intended as a race and it does raise a lot of money for a very worthwhile cause which is the main reason I guess people do it.

Anonymous

This is roughly the official route:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/271836980

It starts at clapham south.

The only thing I did differently was to head straight over the A27. I think the official route take a left then a right onto the A270 (or thereabouts)

chrisaonabike

t4tomo wrote:

you'll just get frustrated by the amount of people who clealry onely ride very occasionally out on bikes for the day.

Even with a 6am start?

I was planning to leave the house at 5, ride the 10 miles or so to the start, and hopefully be one of the first lot to set off.

FoldingJoe

Anybody know if you have to start at the time you are allocated?

arran77

FoldingJoe wrote:

Anybody know if you have to start at the time you are allocated?

If I recall correctly, the number you are given to stick on your jersey does indicate your start time but to be honest there are so many people starting in each group that I'm sure if you were in the middle of the bunch it would be hard to spot.

CiB

If you do that you don't get the stamp to indicate that you did actually start from Clapham Common and not somewhere 5 miles outside Brighton, so you don't get the finisher's medal IIRC. No big deal in the end; the time I did it there were plenty starting at times well out of their allocated time.

It's about fairness though - it is a public roads event, no-one can stop you riding when you want to but the organisers have to fit in with policing requirements and the requirements of those who did make an effort to get an early start time; if it turns into a free-for-all at 6:30 & 7:00 in the morning it could quite easily generate a rethink on organisation, numbers allowed, and those who did opt for the early starts to avoid the crowds making a fuss due to those who won't or can't wait barging in. In that respect it's a bit of queue jumping x 10, and not good manners.

arran77

IIRC if you do it all as a pre booked in entry there was nothing to do do on the day apart from turn up, set off and ride, I could well be wrong though as at 6.30 in the morning the old grey matter doesn't always function fully and I could well have forgotten some of the detail

Not saying either that I think it's ok to book a certain time and then turn up when you fancy, just that I suspect lots do and clearly get away with it!

andy 3654

my uncle and i are going to ride back as well make it more of a challenge

arran77

andy 3654 wrote:

my uncle and i are going to ride back as well make it more of a challenge

That will be a challenge trying to ride against the flow of pub crawlers still heading to Brighton

stueys

arran77 wrote:

andy 3654 wrote:

my uncle and i are going to ride back as well make it more of a challenge

That will be a challenge trying to ride against the flow of pub crawlers still heading to Brighton

We're doing the same thing, definitely a different route back though! Don't fancy a head on with a cycling gorilla...

Neal84

6am start for me after last years carnage. Was great fun thou! About 16 miles to the start line in addition to the 55 odd miles so should be a nice 70 miler!

adamski_8

I've entered today for a 6:30 start time, looking forward to it gonna aim for under 3hrs hopefully not too many walkers in front of me...anyone book the £24 coach back to clapham? Read there's no bikes allowed on trains.

sherer

anyone know how much sponsorship you need to raise. Seems they still have places available but i'm already raising money for another charity so don't think I will be able to raise much for this one

arran77

IIRC there was an entry fee to pay of around £30 but then there was no specific amount that you had to raise, I think they offer a guaranteed early entry place in the next years event if you raise a certain amount but that's all.