London To Brighton Run

[Gadgetfreaky2k]

This year I'm thinking about taking part in the London to Brighton run and was wonderinfg a few
things. Firstly, who here has done the ride and will be doing it this year? Secondly, what's the
route like or do they change it just to make it interesting on the regulars? Thirdly, Is there a set
pace or can you just mingle with a group that matches your own? Any other words of encouragement
would be appriecated.

Gadget

 

[Elyob]

"Gadgetfreaky2k" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This year I'm thinking about taking part in the London to Brighton run and
was
> wonderinfg a few things. Firstly, who here has done the ride and will be
doing
> it this year? Secondly, what's the route like or do they change it just to
make
> it interesting on the regulars? Thirdly, Is there a set pace or can you
just
> mingle with a group that matches your own? Any other words of
encouragement
> would be appriecated.
>

Did the ride last year. Swore I'd never do it again, it's just too busy to cycle comfortably.
However, have received an advanced booking form, and am thinking of doing it again ....

I did come across a few running it, however they must have started *really* early. I got the first
train to Clapham from Surbiton (yeah, I know, cycle up to the start this year) and still couldn't
get there until late (8'ish or so). It was very hot last year.

It just *REALLY* annoyed me that people don't walk on the left on hills. I *WANT* to cycle up the
hills. Got quite a few charity rides planned again this year, Woking, London, L2B, Ripley ... every
single one of them (except L2B) included too many beers en route.

Oh, and a top speed record of 53.5mph coming down from Ditchling Beacon.

 

[Dave Larrington]

Gadgetfreaky2k wrote:

> This year I'm thinking about taking part in the London to Brighton run and was wonderinfg a few
> things. Firstly, who here has done the ride

A Several of times, but not since 1990.

> and will be doing it this year?

After 1990 I swore I would never do it again.

> Secondly, what's the route like or do they change it just to make it interesting on the regulars?

AFAIK it's (more or less?) the same every year. Mildly hilly, and then Ditchling Beacon, a Work of
Stan if ever there was one, as the sting in the tail.

> Thirdly, Is there a set pace or can you just mingle with a group that matches your own?

If you're a registered rider, you get a start time. The later you depart, the more bikes there are
on the road and the harder it is to make any kind of progress through the flocks of the clue-free
who have yet to master the noble art of gearchanging :-( If you're a guerrilla rider, of course,
things are different. The very early start times tend to get filled up with clubs treating it as a
team time trial.

> Any other words of encouragement would be appriecated.

Do the same route the week before? It used to be fun twenty years ago, but it got too big very
quickly, IMHO.

--

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

 

[Bob]

I did it last year with my 14 year old son. It was very hot, about mid 80's I think, but I loved it.

I got the earliest train but it was still 9am before I got to start. I eventually finished at 5pm
after about 4 stops.

Oficially there were 27,000 doing it but many others just turn up. I've heard that the total
number could be as many as 50,000! Last year I emailed the organisers on this point but they
declined to comment.

You will have to walk many of the hills but the atmosphere is great - give it a go.

 

[Elyob]

"Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I did it last year with my 14 year old son. It was very hot, about mid 80's I think, but I
> loved it.
>
> I got the earliest train but it was still 9am before I got to start. I eventually finished at 5pm
> after about 4 stops.
>
> Oficially there were 27,000 doing it but many others just turn up. I've heard that the total
> number could be as many as 50,000! Last year I emailed the organisers on this point but they
> declined to comment.
>
> You will have to walk many of the hills but the atmosphere is great - give it a go.

Please walk on the left and let those who want to cycle it pass.

I'm probably going to do it this year, just try and get up really early. I just didn't find the
event was that friendly. Other cycles I do are more like treasure hunts (i.e. directions), the L2B
is a completely different event and has to be considered so. Last year I saw at least 5 people
trying to cycle against the grain, they couldn't find a different route to get back?!

But, please walk left on hills.

Nick

 

[Debs]

Cycled the L-B for the last 3 years, great fun but I start early-ish about 6:30am. Any later and you
almost walk from L-B. This year I'm still not sure about whether I will go on the ride due to the
escalating cost of the ride.(entry + return coach ticket)

About 50,000 turning up last year. Well this year the L-B organisers have sort of solved this
problem for year 2005. This year there are NO TRAINS back to London. You need to buy a pre-booked
coach ticket. So I guess there will be 20,000-ish cyclists with no way of getting back to London
this year because the Trains will not accept bikes. So this year there will be alot of annoyed
cyclists who won't ride the L-B in 2005 after their experience in 2004. I guarantee that there will
be complete chaos in Brighton and Hove as the cyclists have to go back to London by road.

Regards

debs

[email protected] (Bob) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I did it last year with my 14 year old son. It was very hot, about mid 80's I think, but I
> loved it.
>
> I got the earliest train but it was still 9am before I got to start. I eventually finished at 5pm
> after about 4 stops.
>
> Oficially there were 27,000 doing it but many others just turn up. I've heard that the total
> number could be as many as 50,000! Last year I emailed the organisers on this point but they
> declined to comment.
>
> You will have to walk many of the hills but the atmosphere is great - give it a go.

 

[Dave Kahn]

[email protected] (Bob) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Oficially there were 27,000 doing it but many others just turn up. I've heard that the total
> number could be as many as 50,000! Last year I emailed the organisers on this point but they
> declined to comment.

What did you expect them to be able to do about it?

--
Dave...

 

[Martinm]

[email protected] (debs) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Cycled the L-B for the last 3 years, great fun but I start early-ish about 6:30am. Any later and
> you almost walk from L-B. This year I'm still not sure about whether I will go on the ride due to
> the escalating cost of the ride.(entry + return coach ticket)
>
> About 50,000 turning up last year. Well this year the L-B organisers have sort of solved this
> problem for year 2005. This year there are NO TRAINS back to London. You need to buy a pre-booked
> coach ticket. So I guess there will be 20,000-ish cyclists with no way of getting back to London
> this year because the Trains will not accept bikes. So this year there will be alot of annoyed
> cyclists who won't ride the L-B in 2005 after their experience in 2004. I guarantee that there
> will be complete chaos in Brighton and Hove as the cyclists have to go back to London by road.

This happened in 1997 when there was a rail strike. I heard stories of 6 hr journeys back. I don't
think any amount of travel restriction back will deter the unregistered riders as many of them will
have their own private road transport back (or ride back, even some of the way, as has been
suggested, and is a very good idea for those able to do it)

If anyone is planning to get picked up PLEASE try to ride out to Patcham or somewhere on the
outskirts.

What can they do about unregistered riders? tricky one, what do they do for the London
Marathon/Etape? are they not also run on public roads?

 

[Dave Kahn]

On 5 Feb 2004 12:48:00 -0800, [email protected] (MartinM) wrote:

>What can they do about unregistered riders? tricky one, what do they do for the London
>Marathon/Etape? are they not also run on public roads?

Both the London Marathon and the Etape du Tour use closed roads. In both cases, however, it is
virtually impossible to prevent an unregistered runner or rider joining in at almost any point along
the route.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. Mark Twain

 

[Danny Colyer]

elyob pleaded:
> Please walk on the left and let those who want to cycle it pass.
<snip>
> But, please walk left on hills.

If only. The one year I did the L2B (never again), those of us who wished to ride were frequently
prevented from doing so by the hordes who chose to walk up the slightest incline. The only exception
was Ditchling Beacon, where people *did* observe the requests to walk on the left. Unfortunately, at
the top of the hill there was a rest stop on the right. So riding on the right didn't work because,
by the time we got halfway up, the right hand side was a queue of cyclists behind those at the front
who were struggling to get past the walkers crossing to get to the rest stop.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Martinm]

"Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> elyob pleaded:
> > Please walk on the left and let those who want to cycle it pass.
> <snip>
> > But, please walk left on hills.
>
> If only. The one year I did the L2B (never again), those of us who wished to ride were
> frequently prevented from doing so by the hordes who chose to walk up the slightest incline. The
> only exception was Ditchling Beacon, where people *did* observe the requests to walk on the
> left. Unfortunately, at the top of the hill there was a rest stop on the right. So riding on the
> right didn't work because, by the time we got halfway up, the right hand side was a queue of
> cyclists behind those at the front who were struggling to get past the walkers crossing to get
> to the rest stop.

The rest stop is on the left. Admittedly there are ice cream vans on the right and many encouraging
riders waiting for their non-cycling companions. I have ridden it 10 times and never had to dismount
behind walkers. You must have been unlucky.

 

[Danny Colyer]

I complained:
> > Unfortunately, at the top of [Ditchling Beacon] there was a rest stop on the right. So riding on
> > the right didn't work because, by the time we got halfway up, the right hand side was a queue of
> > cyclists behind those at the front who were struggling to get past the walkers crossing to get
> > to the rest stop.

and MartinM responded:
> The rest stop is on the left. Admittedly there are ice cream vans on the right and many
> encouraging riders waiting for their non-cycling companions. I have ridden it 10 times and never
> had to dismount behind walkers. You must have been unlucky.

There was quite definitely a field on the right at the top of Ditchling Beacon, which all of
the walkers seemed to go straight into, in 1997. There was a rest stop on the left at the
bottom of the hill.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Martinm]

"Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>
> There was quite definitely a field on the right at the top of Ditchling Beacon, which all of the
> walkers seemed to go straight into, in 1997. There was a rest stop on the left at the bottom of
> the hill.

Perhaps some sort of lane system at the top? probably wouldn't work. I have to admit to ride all the
way there then all the way up the Beacon to get stopped at the top would be a real bummer.

Most of the other hills are a shambles, I have ridden How lane all the way once. Recently I have
turned right just before and avoided it,and also Nutfield. Turner's Hill; say you are going to the
Red Lion and ride up the right hand lane just before the gridlock (also the best pub en route)