[Closed] STW Southern Brighton-London-Brighton 'Gravel type ride' Thingy update 2nd Aug

I've decided i'm not fit enough to keep up with you guys and my gearing at 36x11 would not be fast enough to keep up, so i'm out. Have fun guys 🙁

I'm still in, so slam a big tick in the box f'me, ta 8)

Rich... Grab the train to London and ride the of road bit with us!

DrP

36x11 not enough? That'll be more than enough for all but the hardest road rides!

Just noted I put the wrong date...should say Saturday 2nd...meeting at the foot of brighton pier at 0730!

DrP

Still in. Bought train tickets and everything!

I originally didn't put my name down as i'll be on holiday when it happens but would love to get involved if it's repeated or something similar arranged. Enjoy the ride!

Grand for those in, and will surely repeat for those who can't make it this time!

DrP

I am in the "strong possibility" camp of at least heading to London...

Not sure I could do 135miles with DrP though

Tim...pedal along to the pier for half seven, and see how you feel once we hit the big smoke!

DrP

Have fun you lot and please arrange another for when I'm not at a wedding I thought I'd got out of!

[i]Grand for those in, and will surely repeat for those who can't make it this time![/i]

Glad to hear this! Sorry, the pulled muscle last week means I just haven't had enough riding time to consider doing this. Really keen to join you on the next one and rip yer legs off! (joke)
Have a good one fellas.

All the sympathy you got didnt help then Dez?

It was so encouraging, I'm not sure why it didn't help.. 😆

Wouldn't be up for the whole route (race the next day) but could pootle down to the start and do a reasonable chunk of the road leg if that's allowed?

Questions

Would turning up on my best plastic road bling and mamil attire be allowed?
If not, I can keep the mamil gear and dig the winter bike out. It has guards and is made of Ti so is almost in keeping with the original equipment.

^^
Of course this is 'allowed'!!
I'm no fashionista, and strongly adhere to the 'ride wot ya brung' ethos..

We'll of course be completing the route within the day, so there'll be a 'minimum reasonable speed' so as to actually get round the route..but we're not looking for Mike Hall type ground coverage!

DrP

Cool

When you get a mo ping me an email with final dets.

It shall be done..

DrP

I reckon Dr P has started secret training for the next Highland Trail 500. 😀

🙂 Not yet looked at that one!

I'm still trying to figure out how I could fit in the "Wessex Way over 2 days".... That's my big objective on my cycling calendar...!

DrP

🙂 Sorry! Wessex Way in 2 days? Blimey, that sounds tough. 😯

Sadly the P's have had to rearrange a trip to the theatre for my elder daughter. The original Scooby Doo show on Friday was cancelled so they have moved us to Sat lunchtime.
I would have got away with it if it hadn't been for those pesky kids....

maybe , same as mike A , plastic road bike 1 way ticket for me if the planets align and I can organise it.
Thinking of an alpine SDWIAD in the next couple of weeks so a few miles would be good

Ok its time.....

What tyres?

Griffo's 😀

You could, yes... And buy another set in London!
Im leaning toward conti speedy things (file tread jobbies) you'll be thrilled to hear.

Pit Crew?? 🙂

i'm tempted - but need to drive in - and i know you can't park in brighton...

any thoughts.

Park at mine.. Get the train in?

DrP

Anyone taking lights??

Park at mine, about 15mins cycle to the pier?

Still keen here but need to work out some complicated logistics - bike in Hampshire, me in London, start in Brighton. Easiest scenario is to collect bike in advance and join the return off-road trip from London then take a train to Chi and ride back north. Having done the SDW last weekend (and been pretty cooked!) I'll at least have the kit ready!

A few options I suppose...
Where in hants is the bike?

You could, sometime this week, drop the bike at mine (a few train stops from brighton) or at Tim Ps, then simply come down from london and pick the bike up on sat?

I'm not sure what the talk of Chichester is all about?

DrP

Oh I get it!

You'll just do a part of the return leg from somewhere in Hampshire, and chi is nearest the bikes location, so ride back for there!

Email me if you want to discuss logistics as if it's not too far,I could pick up the bike before hand..maybe..

Email me..

DrP

i won't be there - friday night bravado had me posting; come sunday morning and the legs are still rubbish. 🙁

Have a good ride

Less than 24hrs to go....
Got some committed replies, and some who can no longer make it...

Post here if interested/coming!

DrP

Coming! Replied to your email just now.

Will try and get along for a couple of hours at the start, but Scooby waits for no man

Tim, be good to see you!

I've baked cookies for us to much on (they're from teh 'feed zone portables' book, so probably too healthy and I'll pick up some Oreos at the first sign of a shop...)

DrP

Ooo, just spotted this.

The most rugged tyres I've got for the Chinese CX is Marathons at the moment.... Convince me I won't die!

you'll be alright... If you can get across to worthing tonight you can borrow some proper CX tyres...

DrP

YGM

Probably...... if i can ditch my mate who has invited himself round tonight .
0550 from Havant , change at Chi then 0718 into BTN.
Scoot to pier head for 0730 , ride to that london on the plastic fantastic then head off at Roehampton toward Kingston and certain death , if i survive Kingston then its out Cobham way , Ockham , Guildford, Haslemere , Petersfeild and prob the train , but if I can all the way home . Its about 135miles so not to be sniffed at and I will have to take it steady for the first hour or so

Rob - we'll be catching that train in after Chi 🙂

Go on, do it....
(if you confirm, I'll fit the 'horn of shame' to the bike and "hoot" you all the way if you like...)?

DrP

Do you have my number??
It's 0800 "SEXYDOC", BTW

In
fit that horn
yep, got your number .

I have nedrapier in my house... 2 more and the centipede shall be complete.....

😉

DrP

Still got a wedding tomorrow, still jealous.

Just back from the first quarter of the (p)ride. 7 of us set out in drizzle from the pier. Obligatory start photo was taken in the stench of urine while a man hosed the puke off the pier. Not the best start! Set off through Brighton catching every red light we could but eventually hit the bottom of the beacon. My total lack of fitness and over enthusiasm on my SS last night meant I was dropped immediately. The rain made the decent pretty terrifying so I tucked in being Singletrackmind and will blame him for being slow. The sun started to peek out occasionally but we seemed to be following the drizzle to London. Luckily my sunglasses had fallen off on the beacon so I benefitted from the weight saving all the way out through Haywards Heath and into Ardingly where I had to leave the other 6 to continue on. Headed back the same way very uneventfully, with a bit of sun and a headwind but no more rain
Nice to meet everyone and sorry I had to head back but I am now pretty broken. Would probably have got to London but would have really been slowing you all down.

Same again next year DrP and I will make sure Scooby is not in town!

Good work Tim 😀

You out tomorrow?

Probably coffee only!

Coffee stop at Clapham 🙂
Just of to Roehampton, then the return leg.. Will be down to just two of us by then!

DrP

Keep going DrP 🙂

Hopefully see you at some point tomorrow Tim.

Good work DrP. The cookies still working for you?

Espresso stop in Weybridge...

DrP

Bit stormy on the south coast now...

Apols in advance but I'm rubbish with names. 🙄

I parted company with the guys at the A25 and then took a [url= http://app.strava.com/activities/174348851 ]scenic loop with (Toby??) west around LGW before going home[/url].

Up to that point only 1 puncture at Smallfield and everyone was in good spirits. Fingers crossed the weather held.

Sounds like I wouldve died. Glad I wasn't tempted to risk it now!

Good vibes for your return leg chaps!

Home safe and sound.

Eventfull ride with a very early train out of Havant across to Brighton.
Great to meet TimP again and all the possee as we set off on out little adventure away from pee stained Brighton.
1 puncture ( sorry ) on the way out and some nav isues that got sorted saw us arrive in good spirits in Clapham. quick tea stop then cross town to Roehampton uni , where i said my goodbyes and left the boys to return to Pride .
Got instantly lost and ended up in Richmond , so about turn and follow the river out to Kingston , then down the A307 toward Cobham . Stopped every 45 mins for fuel and to try to keep on top of the hydration , but the headwind was a killer , and it beat me eventually.

Another Nav error saw me detour out to Leatherhead , instead of Effingham junction , so added 8 miles before Guildford.

Quick rain shower in G'ford saw me put on my rain jacket for 10 mins only as the sun came straight out again.

Tea break in Godalminng then off through Milford and out to Haslemere .

I failed just short of Haslemere , ran out of puff in the headwind and some truly awful tarmac .
Haslemere station was a welcome sight at 1600 , and the 1620 to Havant with tea trolly even more so .

Mileage ? dunno , no computer but probably 110 ish.

hope the others survive pride in lycra!

I know that bit of Tarmac into haslemere, it's bloody awful.

Well done on the ride, that's an epic!

Fair play guys I did London to Brighton mostly off road including the downs link and it shagged me !

No way I could've contemplated a return leg

Finished!

Cold beer on the seafront now!

DrP

Well what a ruddy brilliant way to spend a Saturday!
Actually - it started on Friday eve when I rode into town to meet nedrapier, after he'd ridden the majority of the l2b OR route after work! We grabbed a swift drink in to trendy seafront bar (we leaked the part in out cycling swagger no doubt..) them got home and to bed for about midnight...eek!
Alarm went off at 0550..
Six of us headed out from brighton, with the intention from the start that only myself and TobyMc would do the whole route..
At the 'designated spots', members of Group departed, leaving me, tonyMc and singletrackmind to carry on into that there london.
At Richmond park we all set record breaking KoMs and became the best cyclers in London, then singletrackmind headed back to Pompey on road,which left only two....

I'm not afraid to say we had a lovely day!
Good banter,
Boring banter,
No banter - all the key stages of a big bike ride!!

The final climb up from Beeding onto the Truleigh hill gave us the most fantastic views over 'my home - the South Downs! Love it!

Then we smashed the last few miles into brighton, right back to the pier we started at just over 12 hours prior!

The crowds were out to meet us, and we weren't the only chaps in shiny skintight clothing 🙂

Stopped at the 'carousel' for the necessary post ride fuel up - battered sausage nada chips, and a few too many pints...
Toby's idea of filling the water bottles with booze would have been genius, if it weren't for me being stuck on a train without a working loo..

Needless to say,there won't be a "have you ever pi$$ed yourself on a busy train" thread to accompany the numerous "pooing yourself" threads!

I've washed my tan away now, and am off to bed, but will get pictures and write up sorted at some point I expect!,

Toby - great ride, great company, and pleased it's been your furthest to date 🙂

DrP

well, not quite such a grump now!
Well done chaps!

good work pidge 🙂

Gutted I couldn't join you for that, though I'm scared whenever I hear the words "smash out the last few miles"....

Good god, I'm sore! Very severe broomsticking of the legs...
A memorable ride though, so well done DrP for organising and dragging me me allong the cursed Downs Link! I've never sampled a finer chip than those on sea front....
Glad you made it home OK singletrackmind, we were fretting.
Great to meet all involved - looking forward to next years circuit already!
I'm going to try and walk downstairs now - will update around the halfway point.

Edit- yep, longest ride ever, ever, ever. 135m with 10m to and from the train - oof! And good luck with 4man 25TT today m1kea. Smash it!

Just back from the rest of the weekend's house hunting and in-laws visiting! Great ride. 60 off road on Friday, 60 on road with the guys on Saturday. http://www.strava.com/activities/175029814 (take 13 off for the train.)

Thanks DrP for organising, good idea well executed. Thanks especially for your hospitality on Friday night.

Friday's off-road was harder than I expected. I'd been in touch with DrP about doing the ride back to front; idea was to leave work early and ride from there, but that didn't happen, so I got on the train at Waterloo just before the no-cycles cut off at 16:45. I think if I'd missed that I probably would have ridden home.

Off the train at Weybridge. A bit of road and a short section of Thames path got my hopes up for a quick ride down (I had DrP's words about how long it should take ringing in my ears!) but turning into the woods, rougher tracks, indistinct paths, couple of missed turnings, even with the GPSy on the bars, couple of open sections where the southerly wind hit me... Average speed tumbled pretty quickly! Then the North Downs and the Surrey hills, more climbing, not all necessary - check the track! Great fun hanging on on the way down to Shere, though!

Somehow, I managed to bump gee off here into 4th place on a Strava climb. Only time that's going to happen! Oddly placed little segment, he was probably taking photos too, or textin'.

Never thought I'd be happy to see the Downs Link, but I loved it on Friday. I'd just lost my nerve about where the hell I was and got the phone out to check. I was a hundred yards from the turning onto the track. A Cookie of Filth (Sainsbo's triple chocolate) and off for the quick bit. A spot of RAARRH! and I was in Steyning. Genuinely enjoyed it. (Hated my other 2 goes on it!)

It was dark, I was knackered, and someone I didn't know was being very generous to me, so I took the road to Worthing and met DrP for a "why not?" pint, then back to his a few miles down the coast.

More about the road ride up there^. Good group to ride up with, great to meet you all. Glad everyone's rides went well (enough!). Great work Toby, glad you made it!

I was meeting mrsrapier in The South of England's Highest Village, so I peeled off with m1kea (Hi Mike, it was Ed!) and he pulled me round some extra miles at a decent lick. My average speed dropped off somewhat after we split, but well before I hit the hills!

Up for the whole B-L-B next time! I think...

Nice one fellas 8) and apols to Ed for the wrong name.

Re the 4 up; a lack of racing fitness from all of us saw us only just dribble under the hour but it was a nice day and a good laugh.

Gutted I couldn't make it in the end.

Definitely up for the [i]next[/i] one!!