Brighton Cycle Birthday trip Charity for Ukraine

[VikingVlad]

Hi Guys and ladies I need advice I am planning to do a trip from London to Brighton by bike to raise money for Ukraine charity. I need advice as to what safe route I can take by roadbike to Brighton. How many inner tubes to take with me incase of emergency? And how long can a journey take I am planning to do it in 2 days trip is that doable cause I checked Google maps and it said 6 Hours ride.

Also what clothing is best to take for the trip? And any advice on food and Nutrition.

This is first Time I am doing this Trip if any one would like to Join in let me in may for my Birthsday let me know.

 

[Bristolian]

The route files for the L2B 2023 is still available here - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32193313 - with different formats depending on your needs. i don't think the route changes from year to year.

I'm doing the main event in June 2024

 

[TheDoctor]

Doing this as a 2 day ride should be very relaxed.
I've done L2B as an overnight ride without completely losing the will to live. That was starting at Hyde Park Corner at midnight and hitting Brighton seafront for the Mother of all Fry Ups about 8am IIRC.

 

[lazybloke]

Well the A23 is the London to brighton ride, and some parts of it can be good for riding but most of the organised events avoid it entirely.
There's lots of variations but a common route is to leave central london via Clapham & Mitcham, then cross the A23 near Coulsdon/Hooley , and then heas through South Nutfield, Smallfield, Turners Hill, Ardingly, Ditchling and into Brighton.
Some hills are difficult to avoid, but the biggest one (DItchling Beacon) can be bypassed by turning west at the bottom on Underhill Lane to Clayton, then joining the cycle path alongside the A23 at Pyecombe or Hickstead.

Personally I'd be tempted to cross the A23 again at Handcross to Lower Beeding, then Newells Lane, Burnthouse Lane and Stonehouse Lane to Partridge Green, followed by the Downslink cyclepath to Shoreham, and a 7 mile seafront ride into Brighton.


"cycle.travel" and "www.cyclestreets.net" are good for finding routes.

 

[PeteXXX]

As said, the L2B route is quite good, but it's a Closed Roads ride if I remember correctly. Two days will be a doddle, assuming you have some degree of fitness. (You could actually walk it in two days, to be honest!)

Good luck with your plans.

 

[biggs682]

Carry a couple of inner tubes would be my suggestion along with a good pump and a set of tyre levers.

 

[Paulus]

Good morning @VikingVlad
Food wise, some flapjacks and some sandwiches will suffice, with a bottle or two of water. It is very doable in two days, you could quite easily do it in one.
How much cycling have you done before?

 

[Deleted member 121159]

I recommend Komoot. It's an app/website where you can plot cycle-friendly routes. You can select either "bike touring" or "road cycling". The bike touring option will use more dedicated cycle paths, towpaths, etc. You may need to tweak the automatically generated route by using Google street view, for instance, but the results are generally acceptable. You can select one region free of charge so if you select the appropriate region for this ride, you won't have to pay anything initially. You'll need a phone or a cycling computer such as Wahoo Bolt or Garmin Edge for navigation.

 

[VikingVlad]

Good morning @VikingVlad
Food wise, some flapjacks and some sandwiches will suffice, with a bottle or two of water. It is very doable in two days, you could quite easily do it in one.
How much cycling have you done before?

Yes I cycle from Camberwell ro richmond park and back within 1 hour 30 min twice a day

 

[VikingVlad]

The route files for the L2B 2023 is still available here - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32193313 - with different formats depending on your needs. i don't think the route changes from year to year.

I'm doing the main event in June 2024

Thank you for the information

 

[vickster]

Clothing wise…when is your birthday, that’ll broadly determine the weather and hence what you need to wear. Also, how long it’ll take, in the summer it’s easily doable in one day (as you say, around 6 hours riding at a leisurely Google pace)
Also, are you doing this on your own or can you take a friend or two to enjoy the experience with.

 

[Emanresu]

You could ride the Avenue Verte as far as Crawley. Gets you safely out of the London sprawl. Then switch to the L2B route at Crawley as the AV turns east there to Newhaven. And agree you could do it in 1 day but why give up the opportunity to spend a night in Crawley.

https://www.avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk/

 

[Bristolian]

You could ride the Avenue Verte as far as Crawley. Gets you safely out of the London sprawl. Then switch to the L2B route at Crawley as the AV turns east there to Newhaven. And agree you could do it in 1 day but why give up the opportunity to spend a night in Crawley.

I did that once ... and promised myself I would never do it again

 

[Tenkaykev]

IIRC the fastest time from Westminster Bridge to Brighton Pavilion on foot is about five and a quarter hours😮. I think I would struggle to do that on the bike nowadays.