London to Brighton Bike ride 2010

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shaunmadmax	06 Mar 12:20
Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike: My Profile	Im doing the London to Brighton bike ride....is there any good advise people can give! Im cycling for fun and not for speed!
My Latest Route: Mar 2010 Lullingstone 12 Mile Training Route

happy	06 Mar 17:34
Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 302 Bike: Orange P7 with Rock Shox, Michelin Wildgripper Lites, XTR Chainset My Profile	Hi Shaun, Is it the event organised by the British Heart Foundation? London to Brighton Bike Ride
My Latest Route: Oct 2010 Livingston to Ayr Avoiding A71

Booglet	07 Mar 13:08
Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hi, I'm also gonna have a go this year and my main is 'joining in & having fun' so not out to crack any records but have a reasonable go... I've taken a look at http://sites.google.com/site/cyclingroutes/ to help me out, Boog

shelly	10 Mar 15:30
Joined: 10 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hi ya, Did ride myself last year and entered a team to do it again this year. Last year was a record for the ammount of accidents (had two very near misses myself) mainly due to people riding like idiots, getting out of London is the most trickiest part of ride i feel as for instace at one point you are being waved through red traffic lights and the next you are being told off for not stopping at them???? Refreshment stops are also a nightmare as some of them are split into two, one side for toilets and the other for refreshments and its amazing how many cyclist just swerve across the road without even looking behind them to see if its safe to cross. There are about 4 decent size hills on route plus ditchling beacon, which even for a keen cyclist like me was a get off and walk jobby. From the 31 mile point all the way to ditchling, about 15 miles futher on is all downhill or flat and is excellent. I had a 7am start time last year and still ended up having to get off and walk about 3 times along the route (all in the first 20 miles) no major hold up just pure volume of cycles going up narrow lanes, however have since read about someone who left the same time as me but says he ended up walking about 6 miles, really need a good early start time to miss the traffic. Did ride in 4hrs and 1min last year despite the trouble along the way, which was still good seeing average time was inbetween 6 and 7 hours. Wouldnt go too over board with the training as ive done routes a lot less distance than L2B and found them more difficult (the 23 miles from Falmouth to St ives in cornwall springs to mind)Anyway heres wishing you a good safe ride and despite the bad things you might hear about ride its great!! Oh watch out for tight turns down some of the hills, saw some bloke disapear over a straw bale and a young kid crumpled up on the side of a kerb after taking turn to fast. Have fun Lester

shelly

10 Mar 15:30

Joined: 10 Mar 2010

Posts: 1

Bike:

Hi ya,

Did ride myself last year and entered a team to do it again this year. Last year was a record for the ammount of accidents (had two very near misses myself) mainly due to people riding like idiots, getting out of London is the most trickiest part of ride i feel as for instace at one point you are being waved through red traffic lights and the next you are being told off for not stopping at them???? Refreshment stops are also a nightmare as some of them are split into two, one side for toilets and the other for refreshments and its amazing how many cyclist just swerve across the road without even looking behind them to see if its safe to cross.

There are about 4 decent size hills on route plus ditchling beacon, which even for a keen cyclist like me was a get off and walk jobby. From the 31 mile point all the way to ditchling, about 15 miles futher on is all downhill or flat and is excellent. I had a 7am start time last year and still ended up having to get off and walk about 3 times along the route (all in the first 20 miles) no major hold up just pure volume of cycles going up narrow lanes, however have since read about someone who left the same time as me but says he ended up walking about 6 miles, really need a good early start time to miss the traffic.

Did ride in 4hrs and 1min last year despite the trouble along the way, which was still good seeing average time was inbetween 6 and 7 hours. Wouldnt go too over board with the training as ive done routes a lot less distance than L2B and found them more difficult (the 23 miles from Falmouth to St ives in cornwall springs to mind)Anyway heres wishing you a good safe ride and despite the bad things you might hear about ride its great!!

Oh watch out for tight turns down some of the hills, saw some bloke disapear over a straw bale and a young kid crumpled up on the side of a kerb after taking turn to fast.

Have fun

Lester

Hot Chocolate	14 Mar 15:25
Joined: 14 Mar 2010 Posts: 2 Bike:	Hi I'm doing this ride for the first time EVER - for 'fun' and for charity.. Today was the first day of 'training', 11.5 miles round trip. I live in Hastings which is just one HUGE hill... Changed my tyres for road tyres, bought some padded shorts and a Gel seat cover!!! Didn't work ;( I aim to do as much training as possible to toughen up my thighs and rear.. :) Anyone have any useful tips to reduce the numb bum feeling let me know (I'm female!!!)

Hot Chocolate

14 Mar 15:25

Joined: 14 Mar 2010

Posts: 2

Bike:

Hi
I'm doing this ride for the first time EVER - for 'fun' and for charity.. Today was the first day of 'training', 11.5 miles round trip. I live in Hastings which is just one HUGE hill...
Changed my tyres for road tyres, bought some padded shorts and a Gel seat cover!!! Didn't work ;(
I aim to do as much training as possible to toughen up my thighs and rear.. :)

Anyone have any useful tips to reduce the numb bum feeling let me know (I'm female!!!)

bubbajones	14 Mar 21:32
Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 9 Bike: My Profile	I am also doing the L2B for the first time this year and have started clocking some miles up. I have the shorts but not a gel set cover and have done up to 36 miles in one go without too much of a sore bum! Maybe the shorts and seat cover together still cause a little too much movement and subsequent friction?? I have done a good number of 10-13 mile rides and then have also done a few longer rides too. For me it's just going to be a case of conditioning and just getting used to being on the bike for a few hours. Even after being out just a few times I have noticed the difference. To help me decide where to go I have used both the routes on here for inspiration, a local OS map and also some free software called Quo (from www.mapyx.com). The software has meant I can buy digital versions of OS maps and so plan routes so I have an idea of how long my route is before I start! Maybe not essential for everyone but for someone with a map fetish, I find it great! Good luck with the training and start getting the miles in. Post your achievements on Facebook (presuming you have an account) and it's a way of getting friends and family rooting for you too.
My Latest Route: Mar 2010 Wendover to Long Crendon Loop

bubbajones

14 Mar 21:32

Joined: 02 Mar 2010

Posts: 9

Bike:

My Profile

I am also doing the L2B for the first time this year and have started clocking some miles up.

I have the shorts but not a gel set cover and have done up to 36 miles in one go without too much of a sore bum! Maybe the shorts and seat cover together still cause a little too much movement and subsequent friction??

I have done a good number of 10-13 mile rides and then have also done a few longer rides too. For me it's just going to be a case of conditioning and just getting used to being on the bike for a few hours. Even after being out just a few times I have noticed the difference.

To help me decide where to go I have used both the routes on here for inspiration, a local OS map and also some free software called Quo (from www.mapyx.com). The software has meant I can buy digital versions of OS maps and so plan routes so I have an idea of how long my route is before I start! Maybe not essential for everyone but for someone with a map fetish, I find it great!

Good luck with the training and start getting the miles in. Post your achievements on Facebook (presuming you have an account) and it's a way of getting friends and family rooting for you too.

My Latest Route: Mar 2010 Wendover to Long Crendon Loop

dudley	15 Mar 09:31
Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 498 Bike: My Profile	avoid the gel seat cover a narrow 'hard' saddle, combined with time in the saddle to 'bed your ase in' is far more sensible than a padded affair. big padded jobs increase chafing. there is a reason Tour de France riders manage thousands of miles on little skinny saddles. It's what works best. nothing sorts out sore ase syndrome more than time in the saddle.
My Latest Route: Nov 2009 Forth Estuary Circular

HeyWayne	19 Mar 11:41
Joined: 19 Mar 2010 Posts: 6 Bike:	Also signed up for the L2B as a first timer. I'm part of a team - and they tend to be at the 'leisure' end of the spectrum I think. I should be easy to spot - I'm a 6ft 7 lump of a thing on a 24" Trek! Look out, coming through! Currently looking at getting myself some mitts and bar ends to make the climbs a bit easier, but really looking forward to it. Just the logistics bit that causes me concern - getting to Clapham Common for an early morning start with the trains not allowing bikes on the day. It's going to be tricky. Getting home would have been a lot easier too - the train from Brighton goes all the way to my door almost!

HeyWayne

19 Mar 11:41

Joined: 19 Mar 2010

Posts: 6

Bike:

Also signed up for the L2B as a first timer.

I'm part of a team - and they tend to be at the 'leisure' end of the spectrum I think.

I should be easy to spot - I'm a 6ft 7 lump of a thing on a 24" Trek! Look out, coming through!

Currently looking at getting myself some mitts and bar ends to make the climbs a bit easier, but really looking forward to it.

Just the logistics bit that causes me concern - getting to Clapham Common for an early morning start with the trains not allowing bikes on the day. It's going to be tricky.

Getting home would have been a lot easier too - the train from Brighton goes all the way to my door almost!

true blue 32	26 Mar 21:25
Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Posts: 3 Bike:	I am entering it for the first time this year on my own, after my step father passed away after a heart attack. So far I've done two rides 10.1 miles and 11.2 miles both of which took around 55 minutes to complete. My start time on L2B is 8:00am in the morning. I am using a mountain bike to complete the ride, but I have fitted slicks which do make a huge difference. I am stopping over at a friends house the night before, he lives in Kent, does anybody know how long it will take us roughly to get from Kent to the start line. Also what is parking like at Brighton, my wife will be dropping me off and then making her way to Brighton, so it would be good to know if she will be able to find somewhere to park easily. When I first got my bike last year, the third time I went out on the bike I went around Rutland Water twice (approx 35 miles), yes I was absolutely shot after it, but considering I had rode a bike with standard moutain bike tyres and it was only the third time I had ridden a bike in over ten years, I didn't think that was too bad. I'm definetely not looking forward to Ditchlin Beacon, but hopefully the ride won't be too bad. Anyway good luck to everyone, get some miles in before the event and I'm sure we will all be ok.

true blue 32

26 Mar 21:25

Joined: 26 Mar 2010

Posts: 3

Bike:

I am entering it for the first time this year on my own, after my step father passed away after a heart attack. So far I've done two rides 10.1 miles and 11.2 miles both of which took around 55 minutes to complete. My start time on L2B is 8:00am in the morning.

I am using a mountain bike to complete the ride, but I have fitted slicks which do make a huge difference. I am stopping over at a friends house the night before, he lives in Kent, does anybody know how long it will take us roughly to get from Kent to the start line.

Also what is parking like at Brighton, my wife will be dropping me off and then making her way to Brighton, so it would be good to know if she will be able to find somewhere to park easily.

When I first got my bike last year, the third time I went out on the bike I went around Rutland Water twice (approx 35 miles), yes I was absolutely shot after it, but considering I had rode a bike with standard moutain bike tyres and it was only the third time I had ridden a bike in over ten years, I didn't think that was too bad.

I'm definetely not looking forward to Ditchlin Beacon, but hopefully the ride won't be too bad.

Anyway good luck to everyone, get some miles in before the event and I'm sure we will all be ok.

Emzzv	28 Mar 17:13
Joined: 28 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	I am also doing the L2B this year for the first time and have decided i am mad!! I started training 4 weeks ago. I think this was a little late to start and i am worried. but haveing a 5 month old baby made it hard to train sooner. I go to the gym twice a week trying to build up strength on weights and spending 45 min on the bike on a high hill setting hope this is helping me. Then once a week a sunday i get my moutain bike out the most i have done is 19 miles and hurt all over for the last 4-5 miles. Today i did 16 miles at Alton Lake and again found this hard with the hills. I have 11 weeks so hope to start spending more time on the bike. Anyone who has done this before, How long do you break for when you stop? How much training did you do? Is the route really hard or flat Road mainly? My bum hurts so bad, will this go as 54 miles will be hard but i must do it even if i get to brighton at ten pm. lol xxx

Emzzv

28 Mar 17:13

Joined: 28 Mar 2010

Posts: 1

Bike:

I am also doing the L2B this year for the first time and have decided i am mad!! I started training 4 weeks ago. I think this was a little late to start and i am worried. but haveing a 5 month old baby made it hard to train sooner. I go to the gym twice a week trying to build up strength on weights and spending 45 min on the bike on a high hill setting hope this is helping me. Then once a week a sunday i get my moutain bike out the most i have done is 19 miles and hurt all over for the last 4-5 miles. Today i did 16 miles at Alton Lake and again found this hard with the hills.
I have 11 weeks so hope to start spending more time on the bike.
Anyone who has done this before, How long do you break for when you stop? How much training did you do? Is the route really hard or flat Road mainly?
My bum hurts so bad, will this go as 54 miles will be hard but i must do it even if i get to brighton at ten pm. lol xxx

bytey	28 Mar 22:46
Joined: 28 Mar 2010 Posts: 4 Bike:	Nice to hear from others doing it for the first time too. A friend challenged a group of us to do it as a team and so I am hard at work at the moment. I have never done a long ride before or an event but I am enjoying training. I am commuting to work and back 5 times a week which is 13 miles all in if I cycle the shortest route and I am fairly fit i think. I challenged myself to do something a bit longer and have managed 2 x 33 mile rides this week with no problems at all. Does anyone have any advice on resting between rides. I am tending to cycle 6 out of 7 days which is probably a bit much but maybe not if 5 short rides and 1 long a week...? Quite looking forward to it now!! Bytey

bytey

28 Mar 22:46

Joined: 28 Mar 2010

Posts: 4

Bike:

Nice to hear from others doing it for the first time too. A friend challenged a group of us to do it as a team and so I am hard at work at the moment. I have never done a long ride before or an event but I am enjoying training.

I am commuting to work and back 5 times a week which is 13 miles all in if I cycle the shortest route and I am fairly fit i think. I challenged myself to do something a bit longer and have managed 2 x 33 mile rides this week with no problems at all.

Does anyone have any advice on resting between rides. I am tending to cycle 6 out of 7 days which is probably a bit much but maybe not if 5 short rides and 1 long a week...?

Quite looking forward to it now!!

Bytey

dandeyong	29 Mar 12:02
Joined: 29 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hi I am virgin L2B aswell. I used my bike as part of my training for various treks around the world and found it such good fun, me and a friend have signed up for the first time. now can anyone tell me, coming from hertfordshire/north london, how to get to clapham as most of the trains i have looked at require many changes which is awkward with a bike !

Paul Gatenby	29 Mar 15:02
Joined: 01 Feb 2010 Posts: 4 Bike:	Hi I am a L2B Virgin as well, I am doing this solo, I had a moment of madness and signed up for it. I have just put my bike in for major service and to have road tyres fitted, getting it back tonight. I have been doing 35 min sessions in the gym cycling 3 - 4 times a week and my first ride out was a disaster, puncture, no repair kit or inner tube, had to walk 5 mkiles to a cycle shop to get help (lesson learned there!) I am hoping to get some mile clocked up when the weather improved, if anyone if cycle training in the Brighton area and fancies a training partner that would be cool. Paul

Paul Gatenby

29 Mar 15:02

Joined: 01 Feb 2010

Posts: 4

Bike:

Hi I am a L2B Virgin as well,

I am doing this solo, I had a moment of madness and signed up for it. I have just put my bike in for major service and to have road tyres fitted, getting it back tonight.

I have been doing 35 min sessions in the gym cycling 3 - 4 times a week and my first ride out was a disaster, puncture, no repair kit or inner tube, had to walk 5 mkiles to a cycle shop to get help (lesson learned there!)

I am hoping to get some mile clocked up when the weather improved, if anyone if cycle training in the Brighton area and fancies a training partner that would be cool.

Paul

Chadders	30 Mar 13:35
Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Does anyone know the name of the village which is (from memory) somewhere between halfway to 2/3rd through, and has a large village green with various stalls selling fruit etc, and a pub which lots of people seem to stop in? It's one of the main places people stop to rest/eat etc, and is at the top of quite a steep hill. Any thoughts much appreciated!

dudley	30 Mar 20:39
Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 498 Bike: My Profile	people looking for advice to get from somewhere in London to somewhere in London (Clapham) with their bikes. I think the answer is right before you! two wheels, pedals, legs.... a few miles is an excellent warm up!
My Latest Route: Nov 2009 Forth Estuary Circular

possum	04 Apr 18:47
Joined: 04 Apr 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hello, I did this ride last year, and am doing it again this year. Im going to build on my stamina as there are a fair few steep hills included! Its very enjoyable!!

blakey063	25 Apr 09:42
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Yes, take a bike :)

BusterG	14 May 11:27
Joined: 25 Feb 2010 Posts: 169 Bike: My Profile	I would agree gel saddles and double cycle shorts only increases the amount of chaffing. I did a two day ride witha gel seat and threw it away. Harden up down below with plenty of saddle time training. Tip: if on bumpy road stand or raise bottom off the saddle to reduce pounding. All the best!
My Latest Route: Jul 2010 Liss to Basingstoke via Wield

firefox4999	15 May 21:23
Joined: 09 May 2010 Posts: 6 Bike:	Im doing this ride too for the first time this year, Ive ot a mountain bike and went out today with some mates with carbon fibre racers and I struggled a little to keep up, but we done 41 miles with plenty of hills so well please.. :)

barnetman	01 Jun 20:23
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hi Im doing this ride with my firend, I didnt manage to register for it on 2nd march , as it was only open for a few hours. and new registrations are now closed. Anyone know - if you can still register for it on the day. Otherwise will just turn up to clapham common and just do it. Thanks

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