Has anyone done the London to Brighton road race? I'm entered in this year for the race in a couple of weeks time but everyone I was meant to be doing it with has dropped out meaning yet again just me. I didn't book transport back as I thought in a group it will be quite fun just to cycle back gently in the afternoon.
Is anyone here doing it? What's it like as a race? I have a start time of 06:30 so I presume that's early enough to avoid some of the traffic? Any tips or things that I should know about as a first-time road race rider?
And if anyone is doing it, do they fancy doing it together? I'm getting bored doing these long races by myself (I have a 200 on Saturday which again was meant to be done in a team but everyone's dropped out due to injury and various other commitments)
Road Race? BHF L2B ride?
If it's the BHF L2B it's not a race....
Trains don't allow bikes going home that evening, or probs day after. Start early, cycle back to London instead.
Start early, miss the jams on the early hills, get a burger from the lovely peeps at the top of turner's Hill. If you stop in Ditchling, have a pint in the white horse before you hit the beacon. Cycle on the right on the beacon to avoid the folks walking up....ask them to keep left. When you see the horse sign that's the last 200m, but it's obscured by foliage at the moment.
Enjoy - it's social cycling at its best
everyone I was meant to be doing it with has dropped out meaning yet again just me
You and about 10,000 others! 😉
What's it like as a race? I have a start time of 06:30 so I presume that's early enough to avoid some of the traffic? Any tips or things that I should know about as a first-time road race rider?
It's not a race. Even up the front end, there's very few people treat it as a race. It's a charity ride. Unlike events such as RideLondon, it's also on mostly open roads, making it even more "not a race".
Like most events of that nature, there's a huge range of experiences; there'll be some folk on it who haven't ridden a bike since the last time they did L2B!
Tips: it's not a race, don't treat it as one - the open roads and big range of riders from total novice to club level makes it very risky to be charging through trying to set a fast time - it's really not the event for that! There'll be loads of support out along the route, especially Ditchling Beacon. Stop and get a pint and a burger on Turner's Hill. In fact if the weather is decent there'll be all manner of pop-up BBQs, food stalls, pub stops etc!
It's a nice atmosphere but do watch for other cyclists weaving up hills, falling off sideways or stopping randomly on climbs!
Getting back - easiest is to just ride. Trains, not sure what the arrangement is these days, I suspect it'll be special bookings only from Brighton but you might have more leeway riding along the coast to Eastbourne and going from there. Southern have hourly direct services from Eastbourne to London Victoria on a Sunday, no bike reservation needed.
We used to do it as a club ride occasionally. Brighton for fish and chips. Ride back for those that wanted, train back for those that didn't.
Just back in London from Brighton, followed the event route and bivvied on the south downs last night, cheated and got the train back from Brighton today. Lots of signs saying expect road closures on the day. Is it the same event?