London-Brighton 2003

[Elyob]

Anyone else there today ... ?

I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for those
who would have only been 20 miles out of London at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I was at
the bottom of Ditchling Beacon sweating my up ...

Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.

Nick

 

[Elyob]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anyone else there today ... ?
>
> I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
> those who would have only been 20 miles out of
London
> at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I was at the bottom of
Ditchling
> Beacon sweating my up ...
>
> Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
>

I get the feeling I've been killfiled by all

 

[Dave Larrington]

elyob wrote:

>> Anyone else there today ... ?
>>
>> I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
>> those who would have only been 20 miles out of London at 11am when the heat started to arrive ..
>> I was at the bottom of Ditchling Beacon sweating my up ...
>>
>> Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
>>
>
>
> I get the feeling I've been killfiled by all

They're all still at Brighton station...

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Leigh Hunt]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Anyone else there today ... ?
>
> I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
> those who would have only been 20 miles out of London at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I
> was at the bottom of Ditchling Beacon sweating my up ...
>
> Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
>
> Nick

Yep - started at 6.00 and got in for 10.45 - just as it was starting to get rather warm!

I can't help but feel sorry for the guys in fancy dress - I saw one guy with a wig and kilt, and
another chap riding a bike that seemed to be held together by sellotape, and sounded like it had a
loose crank. That's determination for you!

Leigh. To email, replace google with leigh.

 

[Hunter]

IMHO:

Good stuff:

Shows just how many folks are up for a fun/charity ride (until they read how their parental
prospects will suffer as a result).

Good for cycling in general, especially the charities who benefit.

Bad stuff:

Not a circular route, so getting back is slow/messy.

30k riders need more road space! So you ride at the speed of the slowest rider. So no chance of
timing or competition which might spice it up a bit.

Roads are not fully closed so you can't safely use all the space available.

To see an account of how other countries do a fun ride properly, visit www.dlove.btinternet.co.uk

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anyone else there today ... ?
>
> I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
> those who would have only been 20 miles out of
London
> at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I was at the bottom of
Ditchling
> Beacon sweating my up ...
>
> Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
>
> Nick

 

[Scotty]

Yep I was there today Nick, it was my second go at it and I didn't have the best of days, but also
enjoyed it a lot if that makes sense.

First off missed my train so turned up late at the start. Started at 6:10 and the others with me
started at 6. Then had trouble with my spds, realised the 3 weeks practice I had done with them was
not enough! Then, some ppl stopped in front of me and I fell off due to being locked onto the
pedals. And the seat snapped. Put on new seat at ten mile mark. From there to the 47th mile do well,
getting less and less grumpy all the way. Fill up with water at the bottom of Ditchling , then get a
call from part of the team saying "wait for us we are at Ditching". Wait an hour for them. 2 hours.
No, they were SEVEN miles from ditchling village when they called me. Leave message on the mobile to
tell them I'm going as cant wait. Start to go. Flat tire. Fix flat. Decide to wait for them anyway.
They get to the bottom nearly dead and need a rest, I have had a BIG REST thanks very much and walk
up the hill, fly down the other side and into Brighton.

Bad bits - fell off, annoyed with my pedals, annoyed at ppl walking up hills 4 abreast (I always get
well left!)

Good bits - loved my bike (specialized sirrus sport), loved the pedals (much faster ain't it?),
loved the whiz down ditching, loved the crossing the finish line. Did well to go up nearly all the
hills but Ditchling. And most of all loved the congratulations of my freinds when I met up with
them. And my time (bar stops/rests) was 5 hours 2 mins. 2 hours faster than last year.

I'll be back.

Scotty - Kenley - Surrey - but really an Aussie.

elyob <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Anyone else there today ... ?
>
> I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
> those who would have only been 20 miles out of
London
> at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I was at the bottom of
Ditchling
> Beacon sweating my up ...
>
> Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
>
> Nick

 

[Johnny Klunk]

> Not a circular route, so getting back is slow/messy.

Totally agree. Had a nightmare at Brighton station. Still, my own fault for not have the legs to
ride back, I guess.

> 30k riders need more road space! So you ride at the speed of the slowest rider. So no chance of
> timing or competition which might spice it up a
bit.

Seriously... If you want to do that - do another ride. One of our team, a nice girl who rides
sensibly got knocked off by one of these type. Coming down a hill he was weaving in-out and
overtaking on the left. It wasn't serious, but at 15mph it can be serious enough. There's plenty of
races, this is a "ride" Also saw a few people being put into ambulances. Don't see this being
feasible unless you have well under 10,000 riders, all who know the risks of 30k riders. I sat back,
took it easy and had a brilliant day.

>
> Roads are not fully closed so you can't safely use all the space
available.

Yeah, that was one of the other small annoyances. Getting off the bike and waiting/walking 20 mins
to get through an intersection. Cars get the road 364 days of the year...

 

[Johnny Klunk]

> I get the feeling I've been killfiled by all
>

Didn't get near the PC last night. Waited over 90 mins at Brighton station (what were other people's
experiences with that?). Got home nearing 11 by the time we'd cycled back from Clapham. Still, was a
superb night for fish and chips and a couple of pints on the beach.

I had a great ride. Spoiled slightly by a few people who wanted to show off that they could ride >20
mph down hills in a crowd. Took out one of our team and upset the other girls a few times. It's just
too crowded a ride for speed. Anyway, taking it easy and stopping for a double-sausage sandwich and
a lie-down at lunch is too tempting in weather like that.

A few black-spots for traffic, but was brilliantly organised for the most part. A hell of a lot of
people took a day of their own time to be marshals. If any if you are reading - thanks! Also thanks
to all those kind people standing at the roadside spraying passers-by with the hose.

Not sure I'd do it again, with the traffic and the troubles getting home. Definately glad I did
it though.

PS, for anyone that hasn't done it - the hill at the end isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes out.

 

[Stephen Ferguso]

> Also saw a few people being put into ambulances. Don't see this being feasible unless you have
> well under 10,000 riders, all who know the risks
of
> 30k riders.

One of them was probably me.....

Going downhill at about 20 - 25mph, about 5 miles from Ditchling, some idiot ploughed into the back
of me, touching his front wheel against my back wheel and sending me flying through the air. I
landed on my head, and them on my left hand, cracking my collar bone in half.

I guess I'm lucky I didn't break my neck or fracture my skull (I think I would probably have
pedalled my last stroke if I hadn't been wearing my helmet), but it seems rather unfair that matey
boy cycles away with just a grazed elbow, while I'm in a sling for eight weeks, with a potentially
freaky shoulder and (worst of all) a wrecked brand new Bianchi.....

He wasn't wearing a helmet either...

Fergie

 

[Ian Smith]

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 20:01:45 +0000 (UTC), Johnny Klunk <johnnyklunk@:> wrote:

> Didn't get near the PC last night. Waited over 90 mins at Brighton station (what were other
> people's experiences with that?).

Didn't do it myself, but the chap I sponsored at work said he spent over two hours at the station to
come back.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

[Elyob]

"Leigh Hunt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Anyone else there today ... ?
> >
> > I was meant to be a 9.30 start, but due to the weather I started a lot earlier ... I felt for
> > those who would have only been 20 miles out of
London
> > at 11am when the heat started to arrive .. I was at the bottom of
Ditchling
> > Beacon sweating my up ...
> >
> > Certainly not a comfortable day for non-regular cyclists IMO.
> >
> > Nick
>
> Yep - started at 6.00 and got in for 10.45 - just as it was starting to get rather warm!
>
> I can't help but feel sorry for the guys in fancy dress - I saw one guy with a wig and kilt, and
> another chap riding a bike that seemed to be held together by sellotape, and sounded like it had a
> loose crank. That's determination for you!
>

I saw bent wheels etc ... that's stupidity for you!

 

[Elyob]

"Scotty" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Yep I was there today Nick, it was my second go at it and I didn't have
the
> best of days, but also enjoyed it a lot if that makes sense.
>
<snip all the bad luck>

> annoyed at ppl walking up hills 4 abreast (I always get well left!)
>
Have to agree that a lot of people were pretty stupid on this point. Even some people all lycra'd up
would get off on the RHS and walk up that side. They certainly should have known better ...

> Good bits - loved my bike (specialized sirrus sport), loved the pedals
(much
> faster ain't it?), loved the whiz down ditching, loved the crossing the finish line. Did well to
> go up nearly all the hills but Ditchling. And
most
> of all loved the congratulations of my freinds when I met up with them.
And
> my time (bar stops/rests) was 5 hours 2 mins. 2 hours faster than last
year.
>

The whiz down Ditchling Beacon was fantastic ... I got my personal high speed best (safely without
knocking people off, and on a mountain bike) .. a whiz of 53mph ...

I must admit that the people that were weaving in and out were particularly dangerous, and it's more
about that which created the accidents IMO, although I suppose that people who didn't know how to
stop would have been dangerous too .....

> I'll be back.
>

I won't .. it was a once-off .. there are too many people and I was gutted with the lousy badge at
the end ... other rides give away rubbishy medals which you can feel proud of down the pub ... the
badge was really crappy, and didn't make me feel like I'd accomplished anything. The sore **** did
though ...

 

[Elyob]

"Ian Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 20:01:45 +0000 (UTC), Johnny Klunk <johnnyklunk@:>
wrote:
>
> > Didn't get near the PC last night. Waited over 90 mins at Brighton
station
> > (what were other people's experiences with that?).
>
> Didn't do it myself, but the chap I sponsored at work said he spent over two hours at the station
> to come back.
>

I guess I missed the major queues then .... The queue had only 50 or so when I arrived at the
station (about 2.30pm) ... and just had to wait for a train to turn up ...

I was impressed with the organisation that BR did at Brighton and Clapham ... It was also nice
that the train just went straight to Clapham without stopping at every blooming station )

 

[Dave Larrington]

Last time but one I did it, sometime in the late 80's, the marshals were yelling "slow down" to all
and sundry on Slugwash Lane - the completely closed section (do they still do that?). Two young
berks declined to take their advice and went rocketing off down this narrow and twisty piece of
tarmac. I was not unduly surprised to find, following one corner, a bike-shaped hole in the hedge
with, on the other side thereof, two young berks with very bent bicycles. The assembled masses were
markedly unsympathetic.

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Johnny Klunk]

>>wrecked brand new Bianchi.....
>

Bright green bianchi ? If so, I remember the accident, came through some time after and saw bike at
side of road while you were in back of ambulance. Hope you're OK mate. I went out on sunday for an
easy ride, not a race. Was pretty annoyed at the number of people that wanted to ride like idiots.
There are other races for that... and they get to prove how cool they are with placed results.

 

[Martin]

> I won't .. it was a once-off .. there are too many people and I was gutted with the lousy badge at
> the end ... other rides give away rubbishy medals which you can feel proud of down the pub ... the
> badge was really crappy, and didn't make me feel like I'd accomplished anything. The sore **** did
> though ...
It's not a cheap day out either; £20 entry,about the same to get back to wherever +food/drinks
(usually for a good cause albeit), none of which goes to BHF and seems to pay for a lot of people
to stand by road and tell people to keep left. The IOW is free and you can get a really nice
badge for £2.50 at the end. For £25 you can do one of those MTB rides in wales/Devon for which
you get camping/ride/tshirt/patsa party/goodies/saturday rides. L2B is still good value though
for a day's fun.

 

[Stephen Ferguso]

Bright green Bianchi with a newly bent frame, that was me alright.

I'm sure it must have looked a lot worse than it was. My collar-bone is snapped in two places and
I'll be in a sling for six to eight weeks. I'm more upset about the bike and that I won't be able to
go to Paris for the Tour Prologue.

I would have loved to have finished the bike ride, I guess I never will now as the missus has banned
me from trying again, but then I'm not sure its really worth the risk. Too many idiots.

Thanks for your concern

Stephen

>
> Bright green bianchi ? If so, I remember the accident, came through some time after and saw bike
> at side of road while you were in back of
ambulance.
> Hope you're OK mate. I went out on sunday for an easy ride, not a race. Was pretty annoyed at the
> number of people that wanted to ride like
idiots.
> There are other races for that... and they get to prove how cool they are with placed results.

 

[Tim Hall]

On 19 Jun 2003 02:11:25 -0700, [email protected] (martin) wrote:

>>
>> I won't .. it was a once-off .. there are too many people and I was gutted with the lousy badge
>> at the end ... other rides give away rubbishy medals which you can feel proud of down the pub ...
>> the badge was really crappy, and didn't make me feel like I'd accomplished anything. The sore
>> **** did though ...
>It's not a cheap day out either; £20 entry,about the same to get back to wherever +food/drinks
>(usually for a good cause albeit), none of which goes to BHF and seems to pay for a lot of people
>to stand by road and tell people to keep left. The IOW is free and you can get a really nice
>badge for £2.50 at the end. For £25 you can do one of those MTB rides in wales/Devon for which
>you get camping/ride/tshirt/patsa party/goodies/saturday rides. L2B is still good value though
>for a day's fun.

For around 4 quid and up you can do Audax rides. 100km and longer.

Warning, this can be adictive.

See <http://www.audax.uk.net/

Tim
--
I understand very little of what's being discussed but for some reason it's fascinating.

(Jon Thompson, urs)

 

[James]

martin wrote:
>>I won't .. it was a once-off .. there are too many people and I was gutted with the lousy badge at
>>the end ... other rides give away rubbishy medals which you can feel proud of down the pub ... the
>>badge was really crappy, and didn't make me feel like I'd accomplished anything. The sore **** did
>>though ...
>
> It's not a cheap day out either; £20 entry,about the same to get back to wherever +food/drinks
> (usually for a good cause albeit), none of which goes to BHF and seems to pay for a lot of people
> to stand by road and tell people to keep left. The IOW is free and you can get a really nice
> badge for £2.50 at the end. For £25 you can do one of those MTB rides in wales/Devon for which
> you get camping/ride/tshirt/patsa party/goodies/saturday rides. L2B is still good value though
> for a day's fun.
I believe the marshalls(people standing by the road telling people to keep left) are
unpaid.....unless anyone knows otherwise. It is also a great shame that they were wasting their time
judging by the number of people who 'listened' to them.

 

[Martin]

> I believe the marshalls(people standing by the road telling people to keep left) are
> unpaid.....unless anyone knows otherwise. It is also a great shame that they were wasting their
> time judging by the number of people who 'listened' to them.

In which case where does the £0.5m+ entry fees go?? emergency services of course, safety barriers
etc, I would hope at least some of it goes to the BHF who own the L2B company. Were there any animal
rights protestors this year? really galling last year having done the ride to get some woman with a
megaphone saying " thank you for doing the ride but remember that the BHF experiments on animals".
There are plenty of BHF shops she could stand outside instead. And there was a similar banner draped
over the road at Falmer. Am paying £20 tomorrow to do the South Downs Way also for BHF, again no
nothing provided apart from a photocopied route sheet.