London to Brighton

[saddlesore]

I'm doing the London to Brighton run in June - 58 miles - for Cancer Research and want to take it semi-seriously.

I'm a new biker got my machine a few weeks ago a condor racer and am getting into the sport.

I've done a couple of 33 mile training runs completing them in 2.5 hours - hey I did say I was new!

Problem is there are a few nasty hills towards the end of the 58 miles.

.... any tips on how I should train for this ride?

 

[James Godley]

If you've done a couple of 33mile training runs, you'll be fine. The London to Brighton is not a difficult ride. You get so overawed by the occasion and all the riders, you almost forget the fact you're grinding away for 5 hours! There's just one sting in the tail! After about 50 miles you have to climb over the South Downs - it's not that long, just very steep. A lot of people walk it, but if you stick to a low gear you can heave yourself up in 10 mins or so, then it goes flat, THEN the mother of all downhills to the beach front!!!!

The one thing that you'll have to toughen up, is your ****! Do as many hours in the saddle as you can, and the big day will be a lot easier....... On the day, drink lots and lots of water, eat bananas, mix up some of that energy drink stuff, eat oaty flapjacky sort of things. The body can only really store 90mins of consumable energy, so you must keep drinking/eating, or your legs will go hollow - and that's no fun!

Hope it goes well....

 

[atriggs]

You'll be fine - in fact, you'll probably find it difficult to go as fast as you'd like. Tis a great day, and try to get up the steep bit at Ditchling Beacon if you can - just keep the gears low and grind away, trying not to get out the saddle unless you have to, because that'll trash you. It's worth it for the amazing downhill into Brighton!

Good luck!


Andy


--
Andy Triggs
http://www.paeuw.com/

 

[saddlesore]

Thanks guys.

Five hours to do 58 miles. Isn't that a bit long???

 

[Duckwah]

58 miles you should crack in around three hours to three and a half as long as you are reasonably fit

best way to train is just get out and ride at the sort of pace you want to maintain, do a few climbs etc and then take it easy for a couple of days before

make sure you eat something about an hour before the start and keep sipping and snacking all day !!

 

[MD-CYCLIST]

Hi There

I would like to know if you can forward me a map of this event as I am tring to put a London to Brighton Cycle 3 times a week in my training Schedual so if you can help me with a map from london to Brighton or london to Bristol or London to Birmingham I would be ever so greatfull kindly forward all info to my e,mail on [email protected], I hope you cah help me and I hope to hear from you very soon.

Kind regards
A H Khadra

 

[sly1]

It's a bit soft to worry about cycling this far - every October there's a running race from Westminster to Brighton - 55 miles...and they, too, have to run up Ditchling Beacon after 50 miles on the road. Now that would be something to worry about.

For your information the winner of the running race usually takes around 6 hours (I did it in 7 1/2), so you guys on yer bikes should be looking at 4 hours max.

 

[szr660]

This is my second year at it and I'm looking forward to it a hell of a lot. Have my own bike, trained a lot more.... Have to say it took me and a mate 7 hours to do it last time, but there were a lot of stops for all that nice food along the way...

You will have no problems saddlesore. I'd recomend though taking it pretty easy for the first 10 - 15 miles.

 

[jackkkk1]

one thing i want to know is this

27,000 people go to brighton

all there stuff is in london

how do you get back??

are there loads of trains or busses ready to take bikes and knackered people back

my wife suggested riding back, she didnt get an answer