London to Brighton ride for BHF



D

Darth.

Guest
Hi there

I was wondering whether anyone had any clever ideas about transport for
the L2B ride this year? I'd love to do the ride, and have not done it
in the past, but it appears that none of the train companies will be
accepting bikes on the day of the ride. What's the best way of getting
back from Brighton if you don't have a car? Should I just hire one for
the day?

Thanks

Darth.
 
On 23 Jan 2006 08:50:57 -0800, "Darth." <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Hi there
>
>I was wondering whether anyone had any clever ideas about transport for
>the L2B ride this year? I'd love to do the ride, and have not done it
>in the past, but it appears that none of the train companies will be
>accepting bikes on the day of the ride. What's the best way of getting
>back from Brighton if you don't have a car? Should I just hire one for
>the day?


Back to where? What about cycling? You should have a bike with you.



Tim
--
Blue Witch laughed at me
 
Darth. wrote:
> Hi there
>
> I was wondering whether anyone had any clever ideas about transport for
> the L2B ride this year? I'd love to do the ride, and have not done it
> in the past, but it appears that none of the train companies will be
> accepting bikes on the day of the ride. What's the best way of getting
> back from Brighton if you don't have a car? Should I just hire one for
> the day?


this is a perennial problem which has cropped up since 2004 when they
introuduced the bike ban; the options are.

1. Ride back (not along the route, up the A23 psychlepath)
2. Get a load of mates together and hire a van (even if only for the
bikes)
3. Get another half to gridlock Brighton by collecting you by car
4. Stay in Brighton and ride back after 1400 the next day
5. Take the BHF organised coach/lorry
6. Get a mate to go back by train and then bring a car back half way
whilst the others try to ride back with an extra bike (seen this
before)
7. Do another ride

It is well worth doing if you can any of 1-6
 
"Darth." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi there
>
> I was wondering whether anyone had any clever ideas about transport for
> the L2B ride this year? I'd love to do the ride, and have not done it
> in the past, but it appears that none of the train companies will be
> accepting bikes on the day of the ride. What's the best way of getting
> back from Brighton if you don't have a car? Should I just hire one for
> the day?
>


Damnit, I was thinking about doing that this year. Forgot about that 'no
bikes' thing. I have a friend who lives in Brighton, maybe I could crash
over. Seems a little OTT, when I'll be finished by lunchtime. Maybe I could
cycle to another line/station elsewhere without a gated entry. If you can
get onto a train, they are saying they won't throw any cyclists off.
However, this hasn't been tested.
 
On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:34:53 -0000 someone who may be "elyob"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>Maybe I could
>cycle to another line/station elsewhere without a gated entry. If you can
>get onto a train, they are saying they won't throw any cyclists off.
>However, this hasn't been tested.


It has been tested in previous years. AFAIR the result was trains
not moving as staff refused to move them with those nasty bikes on
the train.

Use a search engine to read the many threads on the subject.




--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54
 
in message <[email protected]>, elyob
('[email protected]') wrote:

>
> "Darth." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Hi there
>>
>> I was wondering whether anyone had any clever ideas about transport
>> for
>> the L2B ride this year? I'd love to do the ride, and have not done it
>> in the past, but it appears that none of the train companies will be
>> accepting bikes on the day of the ride. What's the best way of
>> getting
>> back from Brighton if you don't have a car? Should I just hire one
>> for the day?

>
> Damnit, I was thinking about doing that this year. Forgot about that
> 'no bikes' thing. I have a friend who lives in Brighton, maybe I could
> crash over. Seems a little OTT, when I'll be finished by lunchtime.
> Maybe I could cycle to another line/station elsewhere without a gated
> entry. If you can get onto a train, they are saying they won't throw
> any cyclists off. However, this hasn't been tested.


Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
morning, have a leisurely lunch, cycle back in the late
afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have got in. Or, being warned
in a dream, go back by another route. And if you do get too knackered,
stations away from Brighton will presumably be taking bikes in the
normal way.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

<p>Schroedinger's cat is <blink><strong>NOT</strong></blink> dead.</p>
 
David Hansen wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:34:53 -0000 someone who may be "elyob"
> <[email protected]> wrote this:-
>
> >Maybe I could
> >cycle to another line/station elsewhere without a gated entry. If you can
> >get onto a train, they are saying they won't throw any cyclists off.
> >However, this hasn't been tested.

>
> It has been tested in previous years. AFAIR the result was trains
> not moving as staff refused to move them with those nasty bikes on
> the train.


I wonder if folders are exempt?

FWIW I have never done the train back but often the train up in the
morning which was OK if a little cosy, now this has also been banned
the only recourse is to leave my bike at the mercy of the Clapham chavs
the night before.

another alternative is to drive down the night before and leave a car
in Brighton (substitute Brighton for Clapham and traffic wardens for
chavs)
 
Simon Brooke wrote:

> Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
> Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
> morning, have a leisurely lunch,


Not on that day; you'll be lucky to arrive before mid afternoon unless
you leave very early, expect to spend a couple of hours shuffling along
on foot at less than 1 mph

cycle back in the late afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have
got in.

I drove up Ditchling at 20;00hrs one year to be warned by Police that
there were still riders going up it. I myself have not arrived in
Brighton until 1800 on a very bad year.

.. And if you do get too knackered,
> stations away from Brighton will presumably be taking bikes in the
> normal way.


They claim that no bikes will be allowed on the whole Southern network,
and given the severity with which they have kept bikes off peak hour
trains I can believe that this will be enforced.
 
Simon Brooke wrote:

> Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
> Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
> morning, have a leisurely lunch, cycle back in the late
> afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have got in. Or, being warned
> in a dream, go back by another route. And if you do get too knackered,
> stations away from Brighton will presumably be taking bikes in the
> normal way.


Unfortunately, even last year they weren't allowing any bikes on any part of
the Southern network for the whole day.
 
elyob wrote:
> bikes. The traffic into Brighton was at a standstill. So driving is a
> no-no.



Not so, last year and the year before we have been picked up by a friend who
drove down into hove and we cycled the couple of miles along the seafront,
pick up point was near the big statue of queen Victoria (?), parking there
was easy. Getting out onto the a23 was a doddle.

Trying to drive into Brighton proper would be a different matter.


pk
 
elyob wrote:

> Nah, rubbish, I took the first train from Surbiton to Clapham.


that famous Southern line ;-)

Bollocksed
> around for an hour, still made it down for lunchtime.


I have made it down for 1140 after catching an early train up, but
that's rare (in 11 times of riding it)

Some twats were
> cycling back against the flow "on their way back", on road bikes.


anyone who does this needs a brain transpant, several sections have
cars driving on the right hand side of the road, God knows how they get
down Ditchling given that most riders pedalling are on the right as
well

I'll also not be going up a crappy A-road, or going back the way I
> want, but off road.


good luck with that idea, no routes spring to mind, there are plenty of
alternative quiet roads to the A23 to go back up on but they need a bit
of planning, will work on it.

> This won't be my money raising event, it'll cost me more to take part than I
> could raise.


I think a lot of people think the same, but they could double the
entrance fee and probably still fill the ride up, a bit like L'Etape.
 
p.k. wrote:
> elyob wrote:
> > bikes. The traffic into Brighton was at a standstill. So driving is a
> > no-no.

>
>
> Not so, last year and the year before we have been picked up by a friend who
> drove down into hove and we cycled the couple of miles along the seafront,
> pick up point was near the big statue of queen Victoria (?), parking there
> was easy. Getting out onto the a23 was a doddle.


the best way back to the A23 is up Dyke Road, I usually ride that way.
Patcham is also a good place to meet a lift, only 4 miles back out of
Brighton.
 
Simon Brooke wrote:
> Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
> Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
> morning, have a leisurely lunch, cycle back in the late
> afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have got in.


Sounds good to me - especially as there are some excellent pubs within
easy cycling distance of Brighton for lunch. I was going to do something
similar two years ago, except that since I live in east Kent, I was
going to ride directly home, rather than back to London - would have
made a nice 150 mile round trip.

In the end I did a 200k Audax that weekend instead, which had the added
appeal of starting within cycling distance of home.

d.
 
davek wrote:
> Simon Brooke wrote:
> > Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
> > Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
> > morning, have a leisurely lunch, cycle back in the late
> > afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have got in.


Using various roads I have used the best route I can think of to get
back to London is;
From Brighton, up to Seven Dials then Dyke Road. Over the A27. Don't
go to Devils Dyke but continue through Saddlescombe (wonderful descent)
to the roundabout on the A281. After about a mile 2nd Right at Shaves
Thatch pub. Up Truslers Hill, R on B2116 then imm L through Twineham to
A272, straight over and continue to R up Colwood Lane. L at the top
onto B2115. R at Half Moon X roads and down to Slaugham lake. You now
have the choice of the old A23 through Handcross or a much more lumpy
but nicer route through Ashfold Crossways, Bucks Head and Colgate,
thence Faygate -Rusper- Newdigate- Brockham-Betchworth-Pebble
Hill-Headley-Epsom.
If you take the A23 go off at Ifield then Charlwood-Norwood Hill-
Brockham or Leigh-Reigate- A217 up to the M25 then back on the A217 imm
R back down to How Lane where you should be able to retrace the
official route as it should have re-opened.

HTH
 
in message <[email protected]>, elyob
('[email protected]') wrote:

> I do hope to do a few charity rides this year. I want to map out as
> many as possible for a new website I'm building. Anyone else have a
> geeky thing about mapping out bike rides and want to help out?!


Could be...

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
.::;===r==\
/ /___||___\____
//==\- ||- | /__\( MS Windows IS an operating environment.
//____\__||___|_// \|: C++ IS an object oriented programming language.
\__/ ~~~~~~~~~ \__/ Citroen 2cv6 IS a four door family saloon.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
MartinM ([email protected]) wrote:
> Simon Brooke wrote:
>
> > Seriously, why not cycle back? I don't know what route the London to
> > Brighton run uses, but Google says it's only 53 miles. Cycle out in the
> > morning, have a leisurely lunch,

>
> Not on that day; you'll be lucky to arrive before mid afternoon unless
> you leave very early, expect to spend a couple of hours shuffling along
> on foot at less than 1 mph
>
> cycle back in the late afternoon/evening once all the stragglers have
> got in.


Wot 'e said. The last time I guerilla'd it, I left Clapham at 08:00 and
reached Brighton at 16:00, admittedly with an off-course diversion to
rake in a couple of pints of lunch in Plumpton Green. Rode back up the
A23 - four hours dead from Brighton to South Ken.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
They came for Eamonn Holmes; I think I'm right in saying that I
applauded.