Well i did it, enjoyed it, and gonna do it again!
The Mrs dropped me off at Datchet at 8pm to catch the train to Clapham Junction. I was expecting more bikes on the train than just mine, so i enjoyed the space - 45 minutes of calm before a crowded Clapham for a short cycle to Clapham High Street to meet the team. Everyone was on time so we rode onto Clapham Common about 10pm.
The corner of the common they were using as the startline was packed, i'd never seen so many cyclists in my life! All the glo-green & flashing lights looked like a rave but probably not the best time to be dropping any disco biscuits. The start was smooth and well organised, about 50 bikes every 2 minutes, and we left at 11:15pm
So many bikes on the roads through South London it felt like being part of a Critical Mass thing, and it was easy for some riders to forget there were cars using the roads too. Riders were pulling up with mechanicals & punctures; coming out of London was the only time i saw roadside repairs happening. Drivers were tolerant and the drunks cheery, nice to see some families outside there houses cheering us on so it was all good out of London.
With the first steep hills my group was breaking up. I was taking them pretty well, having the gearing right and keeping my breathing steady, head down looking at the road in front of my wheel. Descents i just rolled down, my Giant is fast just on it's own momentum so i didn't want to push it. People were passing me just too fast though, and the first bad crash was on a long steep descent around Caterham. I saw another rider with a broken arm at the roadside further on, and in the last 20 miles a car hit a rider which i think was the most serious - ambulances & police at the roadside for that one.
The rest stops were spaced about 15 miles apart and we used to them to re-group - i think i spent about 2 hours waiting throughout the night! I'd have the banana's, nutrigrains and isotonic lucozade, and they carried me well through the night.
Passing by Crawley through around 4 miles of forest down into Balcombe was pretty amazing - very fast road with trees making it a long dark tunnel, only the rear lights of the bikes in the distance rising up to give a clue of any ramps coming up. Rolling through the villages after the forest it got cold; bats were flying across the road and one was flying ahead just in front of me for about 100 metres down one lane.
Going onto the hill before the descent into the last rest stop i was still feeling good and took the hill in much the same way as i had the others, but after what i thought was top and descending a little to then see a curved ramp up awaiting me at the bottom, i thought 'Nah, i'm walking that'. It wasn't particularly steep or long, but i wasn't having it so walk it i did and then descended into the last rest stop at 7am.
After re-grouping i set off to try to make it into Brighton for 9am; we knew we had Devils Dyke coming up which was the hardest hill on the route, replacing Ditchling Beacon which is used on the day ride. It seemed like a monster - slope, ramp, slope, ramp....i did 3 of these and quickly ran out of gears ( 30/28 is my lowest ) so i got off again and walked to where there was less ramp and more slope. The slope quickly turned into the rampiest ramp in ramptown and i got off again, struggling to push my bike and walk the 50 metres to the levelling off at the top.
Back on the bike riding across the top i found myself weaving amongst the stragglers from a party that had been going on in one of the fields down below, and then it was quickly onto 7 miles descending into Brighton. Again, people were friendly, in their front gardens cheering and shouting 'not long to go!' hehehe. I could smell scrambled eggs on toast, and passed a Burger King thinking i'm going to have some of that as i sped along the sea-front.
I rolled across the finish line at 8:45am, second in our group, and our last was through at 9:30am. Straight to Burger King for a milkshake, followed by a beanburger & fries, and then the regret i hadn't gone for the scrambled eggs on toast. A quick shower, ice-cream and paddle in the sea before sitting in the shade waiting for the bus to take us home - Brighton was just too crowded and hot, my legs barely able to move properly. I was back home at 10pm, stuffing my face with omelette & salad, asleep on top of the bed by 10:30pm.
So there it was - 60 miles (96.5km) and 1,207 metres of climbing ( i prob walked 300 metres ) 6 hours riding time and a max speed of 34.5mph Will definitely do it next year but at my own pace this time, with better gearing, no waiting around getting cold and better prepared for the hills!
(iv'e led a sheltered life 
)
