Moving up a notch after a big ride, advice needed please

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

scouserinlondon

Senior Member
Hi everybody

So after nearly three years of commuting most days I signed up for the London to brighton, which I trained for really hard by doing weekly 30 mile loops around Richmond park. I have to say that I found the L2B to be amazing, despite getting a bit light headed which was easily remidied with some lunch I hurtled along at an average speed of 18mph in the un-congested bits, took Ditchling in my stride and got to over 40 mph on the way down. Got through it with a rolling time of 4h 19m which given the traffic was decent in my view.

SInce doing the ride I've just dropped back in to normal commuting and can already feel the fitness I'd gained ebbing away. So my question is what next? I loved training, loved the ride, loved the challenge without it being a race (I really don't want to race, I don't really have that whole competitive thing), but I want to be able to challenge myself.

So what do I do next. As I say, I don't want the bullshit of joining a cycling club or racing, and don't really want to be a serial fundraising guy. How do I get a decent mid paced, mid distanced ride to keep me motivated without going down a more competitive route?

Are things like the Evans Sportives full of racers or are they a bit more accessible?

All advice greatly read!
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
FNRttC
 

musa

Über Member
Location
Surrey
organise a ride on sunday

FNRttC is a nice pootle (well for me) I've realised I'm more a 'racer'
 
OP
OP
S

scouserinlondon

Senior Member
organise a ride on sunday

FNRttC is a nice pootle (well for me) I've realised I'm more a 'racer'

I'm thinking about a friday night jaunt. Brighton in August looks tempting. But organising a ride involves having a sense of direction and a capacity to organise. But I suppose checking out the group rides thread is probably a good shout.
 
OP
OP
S

scouserinlondon

Senior Member
Get involved with Audax.

Do you do them, are they fun? I'm lazy so the orienteering thing worries me!
 

musa

Über Member
Location
Surrey
I'm thinking about a friday night jaunt. Brighton in August looks tempting. But organising a ride involves having a sense of direction and a capacity to organise. But I suppose checking out the group rides thread is probably a good shout.

tbh it dont even need to be big...if you got something quick post and leave it I dont live far from youse (Brixton) so I;m more than happy to get mileage under my feet

itll be nice to have someone nearby
 
OP
OP
S

scouserinlondon

Senior Member
so maybe you could - in your own words - "move up a notch"...??

yep agree, I suppose my original post relates to how to do that. To be honest, a club saturday recovery ride would probably be the death of me, but the group l2b ride was massively motivating from a training perspective. Maybe I should start a 'bit motivated but not too fast' cycle club.
 
OP
OP
S

scouserinlondon

Senior Member
tbh it dont even need to be big...if you got something quick post and leave it I dont live far from youse (Brixton) so I;m more than happy to get mileage under my feet

itll be nice to have someone nearby

Know any routes which aren't littered with minicabs and left over clubbers on a Sunday morning? Couple of us did a 20 miler to Shoreham in Kent. It ended well (with a pint and a nice train ride home).
 

musa

Über Member
Location
Surrey
Know any routes which aren't littered with minicabs and left over clubbers on a Sunday morning? Couple of us did a 20 miler to Shoreham in Kent. It ended well (with a pint and a nice train ride home).

gotta get out of london so anything to the borders ie kent brighton guildford southend
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
OP - join a club. There are varying levels of stamina generally three groups, the social riders who go about 15mph, the middle group for MAMILs who hate acknowledging anyone, ride all over the place, in Lycra and then the fast group which is the wanabee racers in club kit. There are no strings just go along when you feel like it. If you don't then no worries. Lengths of rides are typically 60-80 miles well they are in my club and average speeds vary from 13-14mph, to 18-19mph up to 23-24mph or more depending on whose is in the fast group and the terrain.

HTH. Good luck.
 
Top Bottom