London to Brighton - any other lazy 9.15ers?

[BentMikey]

TBH I've never once entered, I always donate the entry fee plus additional money to BHF though. Because of that I've got a guaranteed entry, but I'm always too lazy to sort it out.

 

[Riding in Circles]

TBH I've never once entered, I always donate the entry fee plus additional money to BHF though. Because of that I've got a guaranteed entry, but I'm always too lazy to sort it out.

According to the web it is restricted to riders of two wheel bicycles anyway so trikes and roller blades are out, it seems we are considered undesirable. If I find an organiser riding on Sunday I shall show my disdain by using my big chainring to buzz saw through their rear tyre.

 

[hackbike 6]

I know it's a charity thing but I often cycle back to Brighton from my daughter's in London using a superb, quiet route through the Greenwich foot tunnel, Kent and E Sussex. I can't imagine doing the scrum that the L2B sounds.

It was last time I did it in 1999.Not likely to do it again.

 

[BentMikey]

Fail. Sick with a cold and a temperature, so I didn't even start.

 

[fossyant]

Any finishers back ????

 

[CopperBrompton]

Not back, as such, but on the coach back to Clapham. :-)

68 miles done so far (including 12 miles to the start) and 12 more to go - which will definitely be my highest ever mileage for one day.

High points: the atmosphere, and the uncongested parts of the ride; great company and Dunkirk spirit; guilt-free bacon butties & cakes en-route and fish-and-chips on the sea-front; impressive logistics for getting back to the start (a juggernaut plus two coaches for each batch of riders); cycling all the way up Ditchling Beacon without stopping; the warm glow of having done what is (for me) a big mileage.

Low points: getting out of London (2 hours to go 10 miles due to roads only being closed in one direction and junctions still open); some other congested sections.

Funny points: being overtaken by pedestrians up the steepest parts of Ditchling Beacon; a very embarassing accident ...

I got separated from the people I was cycling with. Just as I was passing a refreshment point, they called to say they were inside it. There was absolutely no way to turn back and cycle against the ride, and some of the marshalls were a bit anal about people not going into the exits, so I had an idea ...

There was a steep grass bank that was only about 2-3 feet high, so I thought I'd cycle up that and cut into the middle. My first attempt, cycling straight up it, failed - it was too steep and grassy, and I was just spinning the rear wheel. No matter, I thought, I'll take a run up at it along the pavement and then go up it diagonally.

I got almost to the top when the upper wheel lifted, the trike went over and I ended up underneath an upside-down trike. With, ooooh, about 400 people watching.

Several of them helped me extract myself, there was no damage to the trike and only a small cut to me. The first-aid people cleaned it up and put a dressing on it, and I dusted myself down and did my best to look like a person who had not just flipped a trike. I bet some bastard took a photo, though. :-)

Ben

 

[Riding in Circles]

I did about 72 miles in total, we started and finished in Edenbridge, I am pretty sure I topped 60mph coming down Ditchling, pulled a hamstring yesterday so am in agony now and the climbs were murder as a result but all in all it was great fun, fantastic weather to.

 

[CopperBrompton]

60mph? As in GPS-recorded speed? Wow. I did 54.2mph (GPS recorded) and don't think I could have got another whisker out of her!

 

[iand]

I did 107 miles, rode back up to London. The first 20 miles out of Brighton where hell, but once it started to flaten out a bit it was a nice ride. Meet up with a few other guys riding back a for a bit, but did most of it on my own. The ride down was well interesting, I did enjoy it but don't think I'll do it again anytime soon. Managed to get up Ditchling without walking which was a buzz. Think I maxed out at 50mph coming down Devils Dyke.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Back and bit pooped (did 70 miler round the IOW on Sat and have only had between 4 and 5 hours sleep/night since Tuesday.

Anyway, for a quickie...

Agree bike traffic much the worst I've experienced out of London (and I've hads the same routine for nearly the last 15 years!). Many more jams in the first 15 to 20 miles. Otherwise, usual Mitcham McBrekkie, tea en route (that nice big field stop), Burger, cake, tea and a sunbathe at Ardingly and a nice steady climb of the Beacon. Lost one of our team en route, waited atop Ditchling for 45 mins, no show, turns out his chain broke and fell-off on a busy and long downhill run, it was only when he levelled-out he noticed a lack of drive! 1 mile walk to repair man.
On the front, quick beer with the massage ladies, then back to mates in Patcham for a Shower and nosh. Just got back to Abbers.

Nice weather, once the crowd thinned then became more relaxed. Some nasty accidents again Good news is that at last people seem to have figured-out how their gears work!
Only managed 45mph in the final swoop into Brighton (lots of people). Great that they'd improved the flow of cyclists to the front by widening the "Cycle-lane". Great atmosphere on the front. Highlight for me was sitting on the bank overlooking the last 100 yards of the Beacon and watching the sheer joy on the faces of those that had just made their first ever ascent. For many this will be the pinnacle of their cycling to date and it was great to witness.
Will add some thought that have been fomenting in my mind to ruminate apon after a proper sleep...

 

[CopperBrompton]

According to the web it is restricted to riders of two wheel bicycles anyway so trikes and roller blades are out

Whatever the web may say, I had no problems at all. In fact, on the return transport it was a positive advantage as the lorry guys said they wanted to load it last, so (a) it got a huge area all to itself and ( it was the first bike to be offloaded back in Clapham. :-)

Ben

 

[joebe]

congested but a good ride. Very impressed by the skaters I saw, especially the guy going down fox hill at 20+mph who suddenly decided to spice things up by jumping and spinning 180 and skate the rest of the decent backwards. Even managed to clear a path up up Ditching toot tooting on the horn all the way.

Very different experience from Saturdays ride around London with all my bits on show. :-)

 

[dudi]

I enjoyed it, and it was good to get my brothers out riding.
only down side for me was the congestion on the hills.
because I was on fixed i couldn't cope with the slow speed of weaving between walkers on Ditchling... managed about half way but had to give up.
Quite dissapointed by that, will have to go back another time and try it

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yes, the skaters were impressive indeed - as were you fixies going up the hills! I was in bottom gear on three of them.

 

[Riding in Circles]

60mph? As in GPS-recorded speed? Wow. I did 54.2mph (GPS recorded) and don't think I could have got another whisker out of her!

The Expedition is the fastest downhill trike I have ever ridden for freewheeling, it even freewheels faster than the 700. I was chatting to a roadie who said he was in the full aero crouch coming down with his GPS reading 47mph when this purple blur shot past him. That was me. He had passed me going up Ditchling. I really appreciated the precision of the trike steering as well as I was able to fairly scythe through the big groups picking my lines, only twice did I have to scrub serious speed for wobblies on MTB's.

Although I did go to use my bell at one point to find it was no longer there, no idea where it went.