BHF London to Brighton

[Tim Hall]

Nice photos Sam.

The view from the other side: I was helping at one of the refreshment points (Burstow Scouts) doing bike fettling for donations. Obviously a self selecting sample, but there were some really badly prepared bikes there. Most of the punctures were snake bites, due to under inflated tyres. Quite a few high end bikes ridden by people who didn't have a clue how to do the most basic fixing. And countless people who were riding 50 odd miles without any spares or tools. Gave one of my tyres away to some bloke who had got a monster cut in his. Rang home to get Mrs. Hall to bring a gash left hand crank out to replace one that had stripped its thread. Watched in amazement and trepidation as my co-fettler applied a mallet to a bent crank so that it would go past the chain stay.

A great day.

 

[gary in derby]

Survived, thanks for the company Deano. Had a great time and will be doing it again. to enlighten all, i will not be getting the king of the hills this year. I know this is going to sound as an excuse but unlike dean who has mountain goat DNA. Im a big lump that ressembles giant haystacks. but come next year i will be there(somewhere). was a great day out bit crowded, though seemed to add to the day. looking for a new challenge now for september.

 

[Deanno1dad]

Gary has talked me into a road bike..will wait until xmas..don't tell the wife!!

 

[gary in derby]

so will be that gary already and only met your wife once. lol

 

[redjedi]

It was a great day and good fun to ride all the way to Brighton at whatever pace we felt like and still be surrounded by cyclists. It was a bit hairy getting out of London and on some of the narrow climbs with a lot of people making sudden moves without looking first.

3 out of 4 of us stuck together for most of the way and finished it in around 4.5 hours which we were very happy with. One of the guys doing his first ride over 25 miles and on a single speed, only defeated by Ditchling but I don't blame him for that. The 4th guy came in 2 hours later which was also a great effort considering he stopped at every refreshment stand he could find and eat burgers or hot dogs
But this gave us time to have lunch and drink a few pints of hydration fluids from the local pub whilst watching thousands of riders finish (and get sun burnt)

Turns out that starting at the ungodly time of 6am (more like 6.30 by the time we got there) was a good idea after all. We had a fairly clean run all the way to the end and were able to ride up all the hills even if a couple of the early ones were a bit crowded.

 

[slowride]

Our first L2B and despite the absolutely crazy traffic (both cycles and cars) for the opening 12 miles, which took basically 3 hours!, we thoroughly enjoyed the day. We did our best on Ditchling but it beat us this year. Might have to upgrade to a roadie next year though (we ride commuter oriented hybrids).

Have to say was very impressed with the organisation. The start, the numerous service stops, marshals, and especially the coach/lorry home.

And super proud of annaspanna who raised £570 for BHF riding in memory of her Dad.

 

[Browser]

Well that was an interesting ride. We started as a team of seven and ended as a team of seven 9 hours later one dissintegrated rear dérailleur at 8 miles a front wheel blow out of the side wAll at about 12 miles, a front derailleur that decided to comit suicide into the the crank a broken chain and one team member that got off and bloody walked up every sodding incline. I have decided I am not doing it next year unless the other team members get yheir bloody bike properly serviced before the ride and put in some bloody training...... Not a happy bunny

Sorry to hear the shine got knocked off your experience bud, it's a pi55er wehn you've put the effort in and others don't and that makes your ride less enjoyable. The walking-up-the-incline member, was that any incline at all?

 

[scouserinlondon]

For me L2B was my first decent longish ride. Getting out of london was a ballache and at times the traffic and errant cycling was a bit scary. I also had my first experience of feeling a bit spaced half way through due to a lack of carbs BUT I LOVED it. The last 25 miles in particular were amazing. Sailed up Ditchling got over 40 mph on the way down and sprinted the last few miles. My cycling to date has all been central london commuting or Richmond Park training laps but I loved this ride and want to do more.