Anyone to look out for?

i’m doing it with a couple of mates, i’ll be riding my shiny red and white specialized roubaix with carradice seatbag attached. say hello if you spot me!

I’ll be riding my singlespeed commuter (below) and trying to keep my touring head on, not my race head. I’m not sure whether I’m relieved or dissappointed that we’re not doing Ditchling Beacon.

I would be relieved with a gear that big!!

i don’t know what the route is and i didn’t know we weren’t… disappointed now!

I would be relieved with a gear that big!!

50:18 for the record

Devils Dyke is almost Ditchling Beacons equal. Check your last email from the BHF the route should be on there.

smokey_jo – Member

Devils Dyke is almost Ditchling Beacons equal. Check your last email from the BHF the route should be on there.

I’m aiming on entering this on the night. If someone has a detailed route can they let me know? I’ve a pretty good idea on the route through Sussex but don’t know the Surrey / London bit.

Cheers

The dyke is a harder climb than the beacon IMHO. Much steeper in places

Sounds like fun though. Good luck all

The route

Thanks very much MB. 8)

I pretty much got the route spot on from Redhill down.

There’s a 25 mile TT that starts at the top of Devils Dyke and runs out around the area before returning back to Devils Dyke.

Despite the steeper hills on the return from Poynings, the road flows much better and you carry more speed to the base of the final climb. IIRC I even big ringed it one year.

Now, can I get to Btn station in time for the 3:50 train? ❓

Hi M1kea

Please read this before relying on the trains:
http://www.southernrailway.com/southern/news/london-to-brighton-night-bike-ride-southern-and-first-capital-connect-cycle-policies/

There will be few transport seats available for purchase at the start site but they won’t be setting off until 5.30am so if you’re as fast as you say you would have a bit of wait

smokey_jo – Member
Hi M1kea

Please read this before relying on the trains:
http://www.southernrailway.com/southern/news/london-to-brighton-night-bike-ride-southern-and-first-capital-connect-cycle-policies/

There will be few transport seats available for purchase at the start site but they won’t be setting off until 5.30am so if you’re as fast as you say you would have a bit of wait

@rse 😐
well that’s solved my other issue, which is I’m doing a hilly time trial at 8 on Sunday morning and didn’t know whether to go home and change bikes. – I’ll just hang around a bit and then ride over to the TT HQ.

Cheers for the heads up Smokey 🙂

The asthma beach to beach used the dyke rather than beacon – bit of a push on a 46:17 fixie, but doable……!

DrP

Mike, you are clearly nuts 🙂

+1 Smokey

cyclistm – Member

Mike, you are clearly nuts

Mark, two Wombles back at ya – Gibbo and Mr Baker. – Those two are most definitely nuts.

Mr Green of the Agreeables also informs me he’s done Coulsdon – Bton overnight, ridden back up to Broadbridge Heath to do the SCCU 10 and then ridden home.

Why don’t you hop on the train at Bton and join me? 😛

I didn’t know we weren’t doing Ditchling, but I’m looking forward to the Dyke instead.

Tim

I’ll be in me East Grinstead strip on the white Felt, same as when I popped down and said hello last year.

Shout if you want to try and meet up at the start.

Dyke Road is closed up until 6:00am too for you too:-). Stay safe out there – don’t want any of you phoning me in Event Control. Weather forecast is 16 degrees, clear skies and a strong easterly breeze. Sun should be up around 4.00am and the birds about 10 minutes before that! Enjoy.

Hello Mike

I’m already due a shaming from the two road nutters in our office who are doing it there and back – so I’ll keep an eye out for you whizzing past me as well. We’re riding in a team of nine from my office, some very casual cyclists, and the whole thing was my idea, so I’ll probably take it easy. Good luck though – we’re all heading to Buddies Cafe on the seafront after for a fry-up, drop by and say hello if you’re not there 3 hours before me, as you more than likely will be.

I did manage to borrow a Specialzed Allez though, so at least I’m not doing it on my Cotic with the forks locked out.

I’ve just done a chunk of the route on the way home from work.

All I can say is I hope the NE gale continues as it was a lovely spin down to Poynings, unlike the grovel I had back home 🙁

The Smallfield – Burstow road is its usual collection of bomb craters and speed bumps and there’s a couple of juddery bits near Balcombe station. Otherwise the roads on this chunk are all pretty decent.

Hoping here that the wind keeps up as I’ll be turning right at Brighton and winding my way back along the south coast towards Southampton. Wifey’s going to meet me somewhere depending on what time she gets up.

Mostly Balanced – Member

Hoping here that the wind keeps up as I’ll be turning right at Brighton and winding my way back along the south coast towards Southampton. Wifey’s going to meet me somewhere depending on what time she gets up.

Well the forecasts for Gatwick and Shoreham continue with NE winds 🙂

awesome, so much fun. flawless organisation and perfect from start to finish. loved it. bit tired now. 🙂

http://app.strava.com/rides/9439520

theflatboy – Member

awesome, so much fun. flawless organisation and perfect from start to finish. loved it. bit tired now.

http://app.strava.com/rides/9439520

🙂

I see you went the wrong way in Cuckfield though that route you did through Ansty would have made more sense than the trip off down Isaacs lane.

Could have done with some more signs / marshals in a couple of places but otherwise well put together.

Quite pleased with my effort, unlike the hilly time trial I rode at 8am, which was an utter trainwreck 😳

news to me that we went the wrong way – i was following the masses rather than the signs for 90% of it!

that’s a good effort for time, i’m reasonably pleased with our moving time – could have gone a bit faster if riding with different people and i wasn’t bothered about stopping, but still got an ok time all things considered. definitely up for the next one – loved it! 🙂

news to me that we went the wrong way – i was following the masses rather than the signs for 90% of it!

Ditto for the London leg, where I was slightly uncomfortable with the number of riders and ‘making full use of the road’.

Being a country bumpkin solo rider, all the bright lights of the big city were a bit much 😉

Might have to get some folks together to do it again as a group ride.

Cracking night out. Didn’t realise it would take 1 hour 20 just to get over the start line! Best bit was reaching the top of Devil’s Dyke just as the sun poked it’s nose over the horizon. Stopped for few minutes to watch and big cheesy grins all about.

Spent the morning winding my way along the coast before meeting Wifey at Amberly with 120 miles on the clock.
That gear proved to be just fine.

After 39 hours up it’s time for bed now.

Glad you enjoyed the ride. Please send feedback to the BHF so that we can make I better next year, of couse we’ll book the weather again. Saw some bikes that shouldn’t make it to the shops complete the trip and heartwarming to hear read about the reasons why people took it on. That must have been the biggest night ride ever, glad I was a part of it.

Fancy another night ride? Manchester – Blackpool is at the end of September……….

Mostly Balanced – if you can manage 39 hours up you could suffer along with us on the event team:-) 36 hours, 2 hours sleep, £25 spent at Burger King on way home cos I was a bit peckish:-0

MB

1:20 to get over the start line? Damn, I must have been at the front, having to only wait 20 mins to get to the start line.

SJ

As a race organiser, I know marshals / helpers are worth their weight in gold and having been involved in last year’s National 24 hour time trial in Sussex, I know it takes a lot of (unseen) effort from dedicated individuals.

I said hello / thanks to every marshal I saw but please pass on my thanks again.

LOVED it – first serious road ride on a proper road bike ever – I’ve done LTB before in the day, and enjoyed it, but to be able to ride freely, without stopping, on a bike built for purpose, was great.

And whistling through the woods under the stars, complete with hooting owls and bats and stuff, was great. Thanks to any/everyone who worked on it.

Anyone else enjoy riding past the still-banging trance club on Madeira Drive before the finish?

Waiting so long to get over the start was a little frustrating at the time but as it meant I reached the top of Devil’s Dyke right on sunrise all is forgiven.

In my feedback I’ll mention that the organisers should point out the potential for delay and remind participants to bring spare clothing. Waiting that long in the middle of the night could have been quite grim if the weather had been less perfect than it was.

timnwild – Member

And whistling through the woods under the stars, complete with hooting owls and bats and stuff, was great. Thanks to any/everyone who worked on it.

Anyone else enjoy riding past the still-banging trance club on Madeira Drive before the finish?

agreed with all of that, basically!

Also likewise thanks to all the people working on it – I wasn’t expecting such a heavily staffed event considering the time of the night it all happened. Impressive organisation and input from everyone involved. Loved it.