BHF London to Brighton

[Wendy]

Anyone doing it this year?  I plan to, though I can't decide whether to skate it or cycle it.  Skating is of course the best way, but I've not done enough skating mileage this year so I would suffer, which makes riding it more attractive.

[Charlotte]

Aghhh!  Nooooo!

Don't do it!  Thousands upon thousands of BSO-equipped numpties, piling down hills and walking up them.  They scares I, Master Frodo!

[rogerzilla]

I've been put off by (a) the logistics of getting back and (b) the fact that I'd have to walk all the climbs because of "traffic".

The distance isn't a personal challenge anyway.  Dunwich is nearly twice as far.

[LEE]

It's always struck me as a sponsored bike-jam from the footage I've seen.

The distance isn't challenging, the hills get totally jammed and you have to concentrate the whole way round to avoid being swiped off your bike by a Halfords MTB.  What's not to like?

I'd rather do the same distance around some quiet local lanes or do another charity ride (The Basingstoke 'Big Wheel' was always nice, and ended up back at the start)

[Phil]

Last time I rode it I saw eight serious accidents happen.  One lady got to the bottom of a slight hill at about twenty miles an hour, decided she was going too fast, put one foot down and yanked the handlebars sideways.  The resulting pile-up was spectacular, but made me rather cautious for the rest of the ride. 

[hellymedic]

I did the London to Brighton once.
In 1986.
That was enough.
For Life.

[Regulator]

***Sticks his head above the parapet***


I was thinking of doing it, as I have never done such a ride before (of such size)...

Is that a BAD IDEA?

[hellymedic]

It is lovely to be riding with a huge number of cyclists.
It is not lovely to ride near inexperienced riders who can't keep a straight line or signal.
It is not lovely to know no return train to London will take a bike.
I don't regret having done the ride once. It was an experience.
I just thought once was enough.
YMMV

[Wendy]

Well I must admit I've never cycled it, as my two goes have been on skates.  Skating it is tremendous fun, and the crowds of bikes are no obstacle.  On skates you can use all the gaps that the bikes can't use, and you get even more attention than when on a recumbent.  Most people simply can't believe we could skate the whole way, LOL!  Best of all, we could take our skates on the train back to London.

But then I probably also treat the whole experience as a big social, not a race or a distance ride, which I'm sure is the biggest part of why I have so much fun.  My mate Quentin chatted up just about every single woman we passed, all the way, both years.  Fab Foodie is also a fan, and rides it every year.

Regulator, it is fun, and I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

[MattH]

It is lovely to be riding with a huge number of cyclists.
It is not lovely to ride near inexperienced riders who can't keep a straight line or signal.
It is not lovely to know no return train to London will take a bike.
I don't regret having done the ride once. It was an experience.
I just thought once was enough.
YMMV

My exact thoughts (although there is always a team from work doing it, so transport for riders and bikes at both ends is laid on).
An experience worth doing. once.

I did it in 2001, I'll probably do it once in a few years when my son is old enough (if he still wants to do it; I'm certainly not pushing him to do it).

[nuttycyclist]

I did the London to Brighton once.
In 1986.
That was enough.
For Life.

I did a Charidee ride once.
That was enough.
For Life.


These events may be a good social, and they're certainly not a challenge regards distance etc.  It would be good to go on one just to drag some non-cycling friends along... but... I swore never again to ride amongst such a huge number of numpties that these rides attract.   

[Notsototalnewbie]

It is lovely to be riding with a huge number of cyclists.
It is not lovely to ride near inexperienced riders who can't keep a straight line or signal.
It is not lovely to know no return train to London will take a bike.
I don't regret having done the ride once. It was an experience.
I just thought once was enough.
YMMV

Pretty much how I felt about the Freewheel, I found bits of that quite stressful.

My friend, who I've helped get into cycling and now does her commute by bike every day, is signed up for the L2B. She is determined that she will get up all the hills, and she's on for a 7am start so maybe she won't be too held up by hordes of walkers. I think she quite wanted me to sign up with her but I'd rather do the FNRttCs instead for various reasons, tried to persuade her to come along on those as practice but she wasn't having it!

[Mr Larrington]

When people ask what is the best start time for L2B, my usual response is "the weekend before".  I've done it a Several of times, though usually as a guerrilla terrorist insurgent person who happened to be on the same road at the same time rather than official entrant.  The last time was 1990, when I swore I would never do it again after a marshal got batey at my grate frend gNick for having the temerity to cross the white line in order to overtake.

[Martin]

Done it 11 times; still get asked if I'm doing it by random people and end up scoffing and saying I'm doing 200km in France or a 600km in the UK instead which is enough to end the conversation. The best time I didn't do it was 2006 when instead of paying £20 for the privilige of walking up How lane and being told to Sod Off by Southern Railway I got to do the Sussex Corker for 3 of the BRITONS pounds;

and still rode up the Beacon with the tail enders afterwards. The atmosphere at the top is worth every penny of the entry fee; as is the 54mph descent.

Used to be fun, now mostly just a chore since the train ban. Still definitely worth a first go as no other ride comes close to the buzz and the density of riders all the way down. My oldest was talking about doing it on his jump bike for which my suprevision would be required but probably won't happen.

[mattc]

The last time was 1990, when I swore I would never do it again after a marshal got batey at my grate frend gNick for having the temerity to cross the white line in order to overtake.

On a recent such event, the instructions were adamant about not crossing the white line (although there were no enforcement marshals).
Several times I was nearly hit by people overtaking me 2" to the left of the white line (i.e. I was riding 2-3 abreast with others).

[Greenbank]

I'd agree. Once is enough. So, yes, if you've never done it before then go for it.

Personally I prefer the London to Cambridge ride. Fewer people and no big hill at the end for everyone to get clogged up on. I didn't see any numpty behaviour on the ride a few years ago.

Transport to/from the start/finish is still a problem, but if I did it again I'd just ride back anyway. It's only another 50 miles.

[RogerT]

I'd agree. Once is enough. So, yes, if you've never done it before then go for it.

Personally I prefer the London to Cambridge ride. Fewer people and no big hill at the end for everyone to get clogged up on. I didn't see any numpty behaviour on the ride a few years ago.

Transport to/from the start/finish is still a problem, but if I did it again I'd just ride back anyway. It's only another 50 miles.

Plus 1 for the London to Cambridge...lovely Ride.

[Tim Hall]

My nephew tried to get me in on it, as he knows I'm a (fairly) keen cyclist.  I declined his kind offer, and pointed him at the Auk website.

It seems he is doing it though, and good luck to him. 

As he lives in Balham, I'll see if he wants to do a FNRTTC - is there a lower age limit?

[Dave]

I'd agree. Once is enough. So, yes, if you've never done it before then go for it.

Personally I prefer the London to Cambridge ride. Fewer people and no big hill at the end for everyone to get clogged up on. I didn't see any numpty behaviour on the ride a few years ago.

Transport to/from the start/finish is still a problem, but if I did it again I'd just ride back anyway. It's only another 50 miles.

Plus 1 for the London to Cambridge...lovely Ride.

+2 Highly recommended.

[Martin]

The IOW Randonee is much better organised and a lot less hassle even with the boat trip then any of the London to's. But of those London to Oxford is the one I enjoyed most; hilly though.

A bit of advice to anyone considering riding back from Brighton which is actually quite a good idea with no trains and gridlock due to the army of cars carrying back one bike; do not try riding back along the outward route; not only will you probably get punched if you hit anyone coming back down Ditchling Beacon but you will get squashed by cars driving on the right through the one way section which runs most of the way from the A25 these days. Use the A23 cyclepath.

[antpix]

Just finished chatting with my mate and we are starting at 6.30am.

Talking through the plans for the day, all seems fine, although he will already have done a ride back from Brighton on Saturday having dropped off his car (for the return to London) which is about the only way I'll even be anywhere near his back wheel is if he's already done 50 odd miles before we start!

I'll be the one panting if if hit any gradient above 2%, not having had the time to do any FNRttC's this year or any other ride longer than 20 miles, I am woefully unprepared physically, which will mean I'll fit right in with the majority of the other riders.

As others have said, I'll give it a go, never having done it before, then I feel normal rides (at night) will resume.

Ant

[Wendy]

You should pass some of the skaters starting at 06.00am then!  I'm probably starting at 07.30 with a bunch of other mates, though I'm barely skating fit enough to do it on skates.

If I'm lying down all the way there, I may leave earlier to avoid too much of the press.  Depends if I can get my handlebars welded up after I borke the tiller on Wednesday.

[Wowbagger]

I did the "official" London to Brighton four or five times in the early 1980s. During that time it grew from about 8000 riders to 20000 and moved from Cup Final Day, which was a good idea because fewer cars seemed to be using the roads in the afternoon, to some time in June, which was much more useful for the nudist beach.

Return journeys to London were always a problem.

I would wonder why any ACFer would want to do it when you can do virtually the same ride several times in the Summer with Simon L3, expertly led and with great company, or just participate in a similar distance ride without the madding crowds.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Mrs and I did it in '01 and enjoyed it but never again.

[Wendy]

Soooo much negativity, it's really very disappointing when the event itself is so much fun for so many people including me.  Perhaps the popularity is what many people have against it, in an anything the masses like must be bad way.

I don't go posting on all the FNRTTC topics what a pile of poo I think they are, just because they are not my preferred type of riding.  Not that I do, but the principle is the same.