London to Brighton 2008 - Training Prep suggestions?

City

Hi All,

It's been a while since I have been on my bike infact it's been since last year September (2007).

I am planning on entering the London to Brighton 2008 Bike Ride and wanted to know if anyone had any training suggestions for me?

City

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City

Eldrack

As the london to brighton ride is mostly about completion rather than how fast you can do it I'd suggest making sure you can ride comfortably on your bike for a period of at least three hours.

Start small and work your way up, you have a good three months to prepare so even if you start off at 10 miles in the first week gradual increases in distance will get you up to around a 40 mile before the day of the ride. Then, with everyone around you the last 15 miles or so shouldn't be a problem provided you eat and drink well during the event.

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A plot of the route: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/unite...ondon/178138602

And the profile: http://adrianfitch.googlepages.com/londontobrighton

Total length: 54 miles

Couple of big hills. Ditchling beacon (the last hill) is really, really steep (12% average). A lot of people will walk up this, so if you get there late you'll end up walking even if you could ride it because of the congestion.

City

Thank you!

I didn't realise that you could get the route map to Brighton.

At the moment I am currently riding long distances every Saturday and Jogging during the week at the gym so far there has been a little improvement in my fitness.

I think I will take your advice and try to extend my milage every week.

City

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City

daveryanwyoming

If your gym also has exercise bikes you should spend some time on them as well. Jogging on treadmills is good basic fitness, but it isn't as cycling specific nor will it get your hindquarters used to sitting on a bike saddle for hours on end.

I ride gym ergs at least 4 days a week as part of my winter base training and it can do wonders for your core fitness if you use the time well. Don't just spin away at low intensity, but don't kill yourself either. Try to find a level on the gym bikes that get you breathing deeply but comfortably and hold efforts like that for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour or more if you have the time and energy. Some days could be harder and shorter and others easier and longer, but try to at least get to the point where you notice deep regular breathing. I see an awful lot of folks jump on the gym bikes and spin the easiest settings for ten to fifteen minutes without even breaking a sweat, that won't do much for your fitness nor get you ready for your long event.

Good luck,
-Dave

City

Thanks Dave,

I might as well give it a go, I tried once and I admit it was very hard!
I'll take your advice and hopefully I should see some improvement with my bike fitness. I only really get on my bike once a week for a long ride, I really felt the pressure today as I found it hard to climb two hills on my training cycle route.

City

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City

daveryanwyoming

Try backing down the level or resistance setting a bit. It should require some focused effort, but at least for building base shouldn't be "very hard" just steady work that gets you breathing a bit like climbing a steady hill but not necessarily chasing your friends

-Dave
P.S. One of the most important things in terms of getting fit for cycling is getting on some kind of a bike several days per week. One day a week on the bike just isn't gonna cut it. You certainly don't have to go hard every time you ride, but give your body a chance to get used to the activity by doing at least some of it 3 or more (preferably more) days per week even if some of those are just short sessions.

Ade Merckx

If you're in the gym each week thats a prime opportunity to improve your bike fitness. Have you read some of the 'its killing me thread'...a cool dude in his sixties, Tyson, got seriously fit using gym bikes. Also come an join Addiscombe Cycling Club in South croydon - after a few months of saturday club runs you'll be able to do L-B on a Chopper

City

For me being able to complete the London to Brighton at comfortable speed will be nice but for me most of all just getting to the other end will have a great internal sense of Achievement. Racing to Brighton really isn’t something that I would consider doing although it may read that way lol.

What I am thinking of doing is once I have completed the London to Brighton (which I am hoping that I can) was joining a club and at some point probably entering in for some sort of competition bike race.

With this in mind the SCR bike is the only one that I have it’s served me well for the 11 months that I have had it and just wanted to find out if this bike was good enough for other rides.

Oh yes and by the way I took your advice and used the pedal bikes at the gym yesterday but found that I wasn’t punting i.e. out of breath or really using my lungs as such but I was really breaking out in a sweating and the muscles in my legs were getting very tense. There was something about what I was doing on the bike that just didn’t seem right; I managed to go on for 15 minutes but not because of my lungs but because of the muscle pain in my thighs….

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City

City

It's funny that you should mention the Addiscombe Cycling Club as my bother was talking to me about that yesterday. He said that he always see's the group cycling up and down and I should I should consider joining.

With that in mind - I have just joined your group on Facebook.

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City

Ade Merckx

I take your point about not wanting to race, no broblems. The club caters for fun riders, newbies, just keeping fit brigade, weekend warriors, sportive riders and racers. There are lots of different groups and you'll definitley find one that will match your current fitness levels and after a few weeks you can step things up to the next group. ACC are the biggest, friendliest and most well organised club in London. What ya waiting 4? www.addiscombe.org/members/phpBB2/index.php