London to Brighton Off Road 2017
Discussion
Hi all,
I did search but couldn't find anything for this year...
Has anyone done the L2B off road before? I've signed up on a fit of pique (lost my dad to heart disease a couple of years ago so the cause means something to me). However, I only took up cycling last November after over 30 years out of the saddle (i.e. when I was a kid).
I'm taking it seriously and trying to get out as often as I can. I live in the Chiltern valleys so finding gradients isn't a problem! Still have about 7 months before I need to do it so hopefully long enough to get in decent shape.
I'm also doing the London to Reading next month as a "warm up". On my own though - can't find anyone to do it with me
So - any advice for a fatty (about managing the L2B, not making friends!)?
I did search but couldn't find anything for this year...
Has anyone done the L2B off road before? I've signed up on a fit of pique (lost my dad to heart disease a couple of years ago so the cause means something to me). However, I only took up cycling last November after over 30 years out of the saddle (i.e. when I was a kid).
I'm taking it seriously and trying to get out as often as I can. I live in the Chiltern valleys so finding gradients isn't a problem! Still have about 7 months before I need to do it so hopefully long enough to get in decent shape.
I'm also doing the London to Reading next month as a "warm up". On my own though - can't find anyone to do it with me
So - any advice for a fatty (about managing the L2B, not making friends!)?
Did it a couple of years back as a fitness target. It's a really good day out, well organised and fun. Fair bit of road to ride but only 1 beast of a hill towards the end that beat me and i was not exactly at the peak of fitness back then. Good bunch of friendly people doing it apart from a few Strava bellends trying to push their way through everyone and everything. Main thing is remembering to eat and drink more often than you think you should for a long period in the saddle and dont push yourself too hard to keep up with faster groups at the start
Edited by bearman3784 on Tuesday 21st February 08:59
bearman3784 said:
Did it a couple of years back as a fitness target. It's a really good day out, well organised and fun. Fair bit of road to ride but only 1 beast of a hill towards the end that beat me and i was not exactly at the peak of fitness back then. Good bunch of friendly people doing it apart from a few Strava bellends trying to push their way through everyone and everything. Main thing is remembering to eat and drink more often than you think you should for a long period in the saddle and dont push yourself too hard to keep up with faster groups at the start
Edited by bearman3784 on Tuesday 21st February 08:59
Thanks for that - It's at the back of my mind about trying to "keep up" because I've never done distance before so don't really know how to pace myself. Hopefully the training over the coming months will help with that!I did it a few years ago, ended up being circa 80 miles for the day.
I would take some gels (follow the general rules of dont wait till you are hungry to eat one) and enough water bottles, there are re fill sections every 10-15 miles if I remember correctly, take some sunglasses, some of the sections are difficult to see through the trees if the sun is shinning in your general direction.
I also couldnt hack the very last hill, at around the 60 mile mark, loose surface and about a 5 mph top speed was all I managed!
Training wise, I was doing 30 miles, 2-3 times a week, in around 1 hour 45 mark (I think!), with a mix of hills and flats. If you have any woods/trials around you, probably worth doing some distance on them also, as very different to the road miles.
I hit a point I couldnt go much faster than 13-14 mph on the flat, due to lack of energy (didnt eat enough!)
I would take some gels (follow the general rules of dont wait till you are hungry to eat one) and enough water bottles, there are re fill sections every 10-15 miles if I remember correctly, take some sunglasses, some of the sections are difficult to see through the trees if the sun is shinning in your general direction.
I also couldnt hack the very last hill, at around the 60 mile mark, loose surface and about a 5 mph top speed was all I managed!
Training wise, I was doing 30 miles, 2-3 times a week, in around 1 hour 45 mark (I think!), with a mix of hills and flats. If you have any woods/trials around you, probably worth doing some distance on them also, as very different to the road miles.
I hit a point I couldnt go much faster than 13-14 mph on the flat, due to lack of energy (didnt eat enough!)
I've done it before - it's a pretty long way off-road! As said, make sure you eat enough and that your bike is in good condition. The trials you ride on are a mix of paths and bridleways and I saw some people on cyclocross bikes. Reason I mention this is, I did it with some stupidly chunky tyres on my bike (Maxxis High Rollers) and I think that over that distance I would've benefited from some skinnier, lighter ones.
See you there!
I missed it last year through work commitments, already signed up for this year and the South Downs Way 35 mile again.
I entered the SDW on my own last year but not at any point of the ride was I actually on my own, always found myself riding with groups of people chatting and having a laugh, everyone is really friendly.
As said and as I personally found out food and drink are key to keep going over long distance, you want to consume about 60g of carbs per hour it works out if using gels 1 every half hour. I prefer solid foods flapjacks, fruits etc. Having some form of electrolyte energy drink is also a good way of getting carbs and electrolytes in your body.
Keep as much weight as you can off your body, try to put as much as you can on the bike. Over a long distance having a rucksack can really take its toll on your shoulders and back. I use a Topeak Mondopack saddlebag which carries my waterproof jacket, multi tool, pump, tyre levers, spare food/fuel and a 750ml bottle, i tape 2 inner tubes to my frame. I have 2 bottle cages on the bike with with 750ml bottles. BHF are good at organising water/food stops along the route to refill. A top tube bag which I carry around 2 hours worth of gel/food in is a handy way to easily refuel whilst riding.
Looking forward to the day!
I missed it last year through work commitments, already signed up for this year and the South Downs Way 35 mile again.
I entered the SDW on my own last year but not at any point of the ride was I actually on my own, always found myself riding with groups of people chatting and having a laugh, everyone is really friendly.
As said and as I personally found out food and drink are key to keep going over long distance, you want to consume about 60g of carbs per hour it works out if using gels 1 every half hour. I prefer solid foods flapjacks, fruits etc. Having some form of electrolyte energy drink is also a good way of getting carbs and electrolytes in your body.
Keep as much weight as you can off your body, try to put as much as you can on the bike. Over a long distance having a rucksack can really take its toll on your shoulders and back. I use a Topeak Mondopack saddlebag which carries my waterproof jacket, multi tool, pump, tyre levers, spare food/fuel and a 750ml bottle, i tape 2 inner tubes to my frame. I have 2 bottle cages on the bike with with 750ml bottles. BHF are good at organising water/food stops along the route to refill. A top tube bag which I carry around 2 hours worth of gel/food in is a handy way to easily refuel whilst riding.
Looking forward to the day!
ecs said:
I've done it before - it's a pretty long way off-road! As said, make sure you eat enough and that your bike is in good condition. The trials you ride on are a mix of paths and bridleways and I saw some people on cyclocross bikes. Reason I mention this is, I did it with some stupidly chunky tyres on my bike (Maxxis High Rollers) and I think that over that distance I would've benefited from some skinnier, lighter ones.
On the flip side, seeing said cyclocross riders sliding out onto their asses on the muddy downhills made me feel a bit better about knobblies! Depends on conditions on the day i guessGreat advice chaps. Really valuable.
I have a lot of wooded areas around me so I can definitely take advantage of the "relevant" training. I'm getting out 2-3 times per week but only managing about 10 miles each time (I'm very slow at the moment!- it takes me about an hour to do that) but with circa 400ft of elevation gain so practising hills to some degree. Had a nice off-road ride at the weekend through deep mud and around 800ft of gain over 11 miles or so - should be able to do a bit more of these as the weather improves.
I have a lot of wooded areas around me so I can definitely take advantage of the "relevant" training. I'm getting out 2-3 times per week but only managing about 10 miles each time (I'm very slow at the moment!- it takes me about an hour to do that) but with circa 400ft of elevation gain so practising hills to some degree. Had a nice off-road ride at the weekend through deep mud and around 800ft of gain over 11 miles or so - should be able to do a bit more of these as the weather improves.
Landlord said:
Great advice chaps. Really valuable.
I have a lot of wooded areas around me so I can definitely take advantage of the "relevant" training. I'm getting out 2-3 times per week but only managing about 10 miles each time (I'm very slow at the moment!- it takes me about an hour to do that) but with circa 400ft of elevation gain so practising hills to some degree. Had a nice off-road ride at the weekend through deep mud and around 800ft of gain over 11 miles or so - should be able to do a bit more of these as the weather improves.
If that is all off road, then 10 mph is not bad at all. This is the BHF ride on 23rd September right? If so, the trails should be pretty dry and free of mud which is a good thing. The Chiltern hills should be pretty similar to those on this route. I have a lot of wooded areas around me so I can definitely take advantage of the "relevant" training. I'm getting out 2-3 times per week but only managing about 10 miles each time (I'm very slow at the moment!- it takes me about an hour to do that) but with circa 400ft of elevation gain so practising hills to some degree. Had a nice off-road ride at the weekend through deep mud and around 800ft of gain over 11 miles or so - should be able to do a bit more of these as the weather improves.
I live close to the Downslink near Beeding, so know the bottom half of the route well. Most of the DL is pretty easy, you could probably get away with a road bike on some sections. Struggling to read the map on the official site. Looks like the last hill is the one up from Beeding after a water stop which I think is at a school. This is a pig of a climb, fairly constant gradient but the surface is all over the place. There's a channel down the middle carved by rain water, on the left as you go up there is some exposed pipework and drain covers to keep it interesting, and at the moment the right hand side is slippery mud. It will be easier in the summer though! When you get to the top of this bit, you get back on the road and climb up to Truleigh Hill. This isn't too bad normally, just a long drag, but if the wind is coming from the east it is a lot tougher.
Looking at the profile you have a couple of tough climbs in the middle, somewhere around Gomshall, and then there doesn't seem to be much until the last one.
South of Slinfold there's a good pub at Bax Castle, which going the other way you can ride right by without seeing but should be obvious going south. There's another one in Henfield, the trail has a short rise where you join the road and the pub is right there. I'm saying this because I get bored of "energy" foods and drinks on a long ride. I always take one or two gels and bars, but I end up craving savoury things like pork pies and sausages... if it's hot keep your water bottles full, you'll get through them like you're in the desert.
There have been posts on here in previous years, not sure how to search to bring them up though.
I bailed out on this last year, I was supposed to be doing it with 7 or 8 mates. I can't do more than 3 hours in the saddle without experiencing severe pain in my lower back and sitting bones, I tried a few 3 hour plus rides before the big day and I knew a 6/7 hour ride would kill me.
None of my mates are especially fit, but they all managed to finish it, the fastest was 6.40ish and the slowest 7.45 ish and afterwards they all piled out into Brighton for a night out so it can't have been too bad I suppose?
None of them made it all the way up the final hill, I don't think many average people did, it's a killer.
It's on my bucket list, but I won't make this years ride unfortunately.
None of my mates are especially fit, but they all managed to finish it, the fastest was 6.40ish and the slowest 7.45 ish and afterwards they all piled out into Brighton for a night out so it can't have been too bad I suppose?
None of them made it all the way up the final hill, I don't think many average people did, it's a killer.
It's on my bucket list, but I won't make this years ride unfortunately.
Daveyraveygravey said:
If that is all off road, then 10 mph is not bad at all.
If you count pot-holed tarmac as "off road" then yes, it is... 
Daveyraveygravey said:
This is the BHF ride on 23rd September right?
It is.Daveyraveygravey said:
This is a pig of a climb, fairly constant gradient but the surface is all over the place. There's a channel down the middle carved by rain water, on the left as you go up there is some exposed pipework and drain covers to keep it interesting, and at the moment the right hand side is slippery mud.
From a video I've seen of last year's on YouTube it sounds like the same place.Daveyraveygravey said:
yellowjack said:
This sort of thing...
???
Hmm, that's almost standard road bike (with care)???
This perhaps not so much. 1997 Falcon Pro-Line on 23c Gatorskins on the course of the Gorrick Summer Monkey MTB race. It's what happens when an Infantry officer tells an ex RE NCO that "you'll never ride that thing round my race lap". It was then essential that I prove him wrong...
...and a less blurry shot to prove it was indeed a road bike.
https://www.strava.com/activities/327611959
yellowjack said:
This perhaps not so much. 1997 Falcon Pro-Line on 23c Gatorskins on the course of the Gorrick Summer Monkey MTB race. It's what happens when an Infantry officer tells an ex RE NCO that "you'll never ride that thing round my race lap". It was then essential that I prove him wrong...
...and a less blurry shot to prove it was indeed a road bike.
https://www.strava.com/activities/327611959
I've not done the event but I have ridden the route. It starts out on the Thames tow path, then a mixture of potentially muddy bridleways and lanes, a long stretch of flat disused railway line, a climb up over the downs and descent down into Shoreham, and finally along the front to Brighton.
Only pics I have (courtesy of richardxjr):
Not sure what specific advice I can give over doing any other all day ride for the first time. Gradually build up the time you spend out on each ride in the months beforehand. Eat and drink plenty. Most of all, enjoy it!
Only pics I have (courtesy of richardxjr):
Not sure what specific advice I can give over doing any other all day ride for the first time. Gradually build up the time you spend out on each ride in the months beforehand. Eat and drink plenty. Most of all, enjoy it!
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