London to Brighton questions



Ianmel

New Member
Jan 23, 2004
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Looking forward to my first attempt at the ride. Can anyone who's done it tell me is water available along the course and is it free. Also what are the stop off points like for food, are we talking burger vans here!
 
On Sun, 23 May 2004 15:19:25 GMT, Ianmel
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Looking forward to my first attempt at the ride. Can anyone
>who's done it tell me is water available along the course
>and is it free. Also what are the stop off points like for
>food, are we talking burger vans here!

Last time I rode it was about 10 years ago, so things may
have changed. However...

The official stops (as listed on your route card) have
water, tea, coffee and food. They're often charitable causes
(Scouts (1), schools etc) so worth a bit of support.

There are also unofficial stops, shops and of course pubs.

(1) The Scout hut at Burstow is now being rebuilt. Last
year (and maybe the year before) it was derelict,
following a fire.

Tim
 
I wanted to do the l2b ride this year and it would have been my first year. I had no idea that you would have to apply in March to secure an entry. I will know better for next year.

I don't suppose there are any nice people out there who for one reason or another are unable to make it and want to help recycle their entries????:rolleyes:
 
Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I wanted to do the l2b ride this year and it would have
> been my first year. I had no idea that you would have to
> apply in March to secure an entry. I will know better for
> next year.
>
> I don't suppose there are any nice people out there who
> for one reason or another are unable to make it and want
> to help recycle their entries????:rolleyes:

You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you could every
time I have done it even though have always had a number
beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham Common for this
purpose; they will deny it but it is true. ;-)
 
Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I wanted to do the l2b ride this year and it would have
> been my first year. I had no idea that you would have to
> apply in March to secure an entry. I will know better for
> next year.
>
> I don't suppose there are any nice people out there who
> for one reason or another are unable to make it and want
> to help recycle their entries????:rolleyes:

Besides, it's on public roads so they can't stop you joining
in if that's what you want to do.

--
Dave...
 
[QUOTE
You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you could every
time I have done it even though have always had a number
beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham Common for this
purpose; they will deny it but it is true. ;-) [/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks this is fantastic news.
 
Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> [QUOTE You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you
> could every time I have done it even though have always
> had a number beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham Common
> for this purpose; they will deny it but it is true. ;-)
>
> Thanks this is fantastic news.

It does seem too good to be true but it has happened every
year so far; in fact I've even forgotten my little plastic
card holder before and picked up a discarded one from the
registration tent. Of course you may not be able to get the
coach back; even though there will still be the old trains
they have decided not to let any riders on them, and have
put posters up at all the Southern stations. If you could
ride to another station than Brighton (Lewes, Horsham, East
Grinstead, Uckfield) you would get on I imagine (after all
how do they know you have done the L2B apart from a big
satisfied grin?) Alternatively if going back by car meet at
Patcham or Devil's Dyke.
 
MartinM wrote:
> Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>[QUOTE You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you
>>could every time I have done it even though have always
>>had a number beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham Common
>>for this purpose; they will deny it but it is true. ;-)
>>
>>Thanks this is fantastic news.
>
>
> It does seem too good to be true but it has happened every
> year so far; in fact I've even forgotten my little plastic
> card holder before and picked up a discarded one from the
> registration tent. Of course you may not be able to get
> the coach back; even though there will still be the old
> trains they have decided not to let any riders on them,
> and have put posters up at all the Southern stations. If
> you could ride to another station than Brighton (Lewes,
> Horsham, East Grinstead, Uckfield) you would get on I
> imagine (after all how do they know you have done the L2B
> apart from a big satisfied grin?) Alternatively if going
> back by car meet at Patcham or Devil's Dyke.

could always ride back!
 
mae <[email protected]> wedi ysgrifennu:
> MartinM wrote:
>> Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:<[email protected]>...
>>
>>> [QUOTE You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you
>>> could every time I have done it even though have always
>>> had a number beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham
>>> Common for this purpose; they will deny it but it is
>>> true. ;-)
>>>
>>> Thanks this is fantastic news.
>>
>>
>> It does seem too good to be true but it has happened
>> every year so far; in fact I've even forgotten my little
>> plastic card holder before and picked up a discarded one
>> from the registration tent. Of course you may not be able
>> to get the coach back; even though there will still be
>> the old trains they have decided not to let any riders on
>> them, and have put posters up at all the Southern
>> stations. If you could ride to another station than
>> Brighton (Lewes, Horsham, East Grinstead, Uckfield) you
>> would get on I imagine (after all how do they know you
>> have done the L2B apart from a big satisfied grin?)
>> Alternatively if going back by car meet at Patcham or
>> Devil's Dyke.
>
> could always ride back!

This is the problem I have with London-Brighton. It could
and *should* be a celebration of cycling and, in a broader
sense, cardio-vascular activity. Unfortunately, the fact
that it's a sponsored event means that there is an emphasis
on how 'difficult' it is to cycle sixty miles - after all,
it would be a real job to get friends and family to sponsor
you to do something easy.

Yet sixty miles in eight hours or so for even a moderately
unfit person is relatively easy, even if they probably would
have to walk a couple of hills.

Every time I rode the L-B I also rode to the start (ten
miles) and rode back. Yes, I could feel it in my legs, but
then my regular cycling at the time consisted solely of a
twenty mile round trip commute five days a week. I remember
going into work the next day and people being amazed that
I'd rode 'all the way to Brighton' and that I wasn't taking
the day off to recover. I didn't mention the extra eighty
miles that they hadn't sponsored me for; I didn't want to
give the poor dears a heart attack - that would be defeating
one of the objects of the ride, wouldn't it?..

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may
contribute and benefit.
 
Robert Bruce wrote:

> Every time I rode the L-B I also rode to the start (ten
> miles) and rode back. Yes, I could feel it in my legs, but
> then my regular cycling at the time consisted solely of a
> twenty mile round trip commute five days a week. I
> remember going into work the next day and people being
> amazed that I'd rode 'all the way to Brighton' and that I
> wasn't taking the day off to recover. I didn't mention the
> extra eighty miles that they hadn't sponsored me for; I
> didn't want to give the poor dears a heart attack - that
> would be defeating one of the objects of the ride,
> wouldn't it?..

The last time I did it - 1990 - self and friends /did/
return by train. We were obliged to queue for so long[1] at
Brighton station that I reckon we would have gotten home
quicker riding back.

1 - Except Wretch Green, who was spirited to the front of
the queue due to possession of an eight-foot long Kevlar
Bomb in stead of an ordinary Stan-fearing Bicycle. Bah!

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
 
[i
could always ride back! [/B]

This sounds the likeliest plan although I still need to travel from Harrow to Clapham and back. This also probably means sorting out my lights. Oh and also not drinking copious amounts of beer in Brighton................maybe it's not a plan after all.
 
Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> wrote:
> > [i could always ride back!
>
>
>
> This sounds the likeliest plan although I still need to
> travel from Harrow to Clapham and back. This also probably
> means sorting out my lights. Oh and also not drinking
> copious amounts of beer in Brighton................maybe
> it's not a plan after all.

The Bristol tavern more or less directly above the finish
(on Marine Parade, the road parallel and above Madeira
Drive) serves a good pint of Harveys or seven.I may make a
detour there after the South Downs randonee this Saturday.
Be aware that they won't let you on the train on Monday
morning either; enjoy ;-) If you do ride back after you will
be cheered by the car-borne riders on the A23 as you ride
along the cycleway, and have tins of beer waved out you by
the coach-borne riders!
 
Of course you can join in as it on public roads the main
difficulty will be getting home as SOUTHERN and THAMES
TRAINS are not allowing bikes on their services.

The L-B organisers have arranged coaches and lorries for
travel back to London but you need to buy a ticket for this
and therefore I suppose you need an official entry.

Why Why Why can't public transport, mass transport
20,000 cyclists (lets say 20,000 customers +
Freight(bikes) to London?

I think that after the event and the ensuing chaos that
Alistair Darling resigns as quite clearly public transport
can not fulfill the requirements of the public.

davyW

[email protected] (Dave Kahn) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > I wanted to do the l2b ride this year and it would have
> > been my first year. I had no idea that you would have to
> > apply in March to secure an entry. I will know better
> > for next year.
> >
> > I don't suppose there are any nice people out there who
> > for one reason or another are unable to make it and want
> > to help recycle their entries????:rolleyes:
>
> Besides, it's on public roads so they can't stop you
> joining in if that's what you want to do.
 
[email protected] (DavyW) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Of course you can join in as it on public roads the main
> difficulty will be getting home as SOUTHERN and THAMES
> TRAINS are not allowing bikes on their services.
>
> The L-B organisers have arranged coaches and lorries for
> travel back to London but you need to buy a ticket for
> this and therefore I suppose you need an official entry.
>
> Why Why Why can't public transport, mass transport
> 20,000 cyclists (lets say 20,000 customers +
> Freight(bikes) to London?

1. There are no rakes of luggage vans left anymore?
2. It's all too much bother for one day?
3. It has worked before (1997 train strike) and that didn't
put the riders off? 4, They don't want sweaty bottoms all
over their nice new 375/377's?
 
Humpkin <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> [QUOTE You can enter on the day, honest! (at least you
> could every time I have done it even though have always
> had a number beforehand, there is a tent on Clapham Common
> for this purpose; they will deny it but it is true. ;-)
>
> Thanks this is fantastic news.

How did you get on?, saw a few drowned rats at Turner's
Hill. Amazing the number of riders who despite the forecasts
brought no wet weather gear and ended up using bin-liners.