London to Brighton - advice for a cycling newbie..
Discussion
Signed up for London to Brighton this year. Haven't cycled for 20 years, am totally unfit and probably overweight right now, and don't have a real bike!
Schedule is busy and I travel frequently so my training will have to be on an exercise bike at home or in various hotel gyms.
Not aiming for records or anything, but would prefer not to have a heart attack in the event.
What regime should I be aiming for to build the fitness for the ride on an exercise bike? Anyone done London to Brighton and got any tips?
Schedule is busy and I travel frequently so my training will have to be on an exercise bike at home or in various hotel gyms.
Not aiming for records or anything, but would prefer not to have a heart attack in the event.
What regime should I be aiming for to build the fitness for the ride on an exercise bike? Anyone done London to Brighton and got any tips?
I did it 2011 for the first time. I am sure that there are many more experienced faster and fitter riders on here, but the reality is they are not in the position you are in.
I used a good mountain bike with thin slick tyres. It allowed me to roll easily on the downhills and flats, but gve me great gearing for the uphills.
My training started a couple of months before and I started with 7 mile flat rides, and lenghthened them by a few miles a week, adding hills as I went. I did a minimum of two and n ormally three rides a week
The longest i did before the L2B was a 30 miler the week before.
Ignore everyone giving you huge training regimes Below (prediction) but my brother who is not in the least bit a cycler did it with a couple of his friends last summer in an afternoon and was still ok enough to hit town afterwards.
I was with them and they were in as fine as me afterwards. No training, mountain bikes etc, still no problems.
Merely man up, hit the road and keep pedalling. No worries
I was with them and they were in as fine as me afterwards. No training, mountain bikes etc, still no problems.
Merely man up, hit the road and keep pedalling. No worries
Always been my approach to just about anything in the past - no training tv - just go do it.
However I know that I'm older, seriously unfit and probably carrying around 15kg of pure lard at least...
All my previous attempts to get fit have failed because there has been no point beyond it being a vague wish.
With this as a goal, and more importantly, not looking like a comets dick in front of my mates (who bike seriously and wear Lycra a lot) I figure I will be able to stick to an exercise bike based regime for a few months if it's not insane, and it might even do me some good. I may even enjoy myself!
However I know that I'm older, seriously unfit and probably carrying around 15kg of pure lard at least...
All my previous attempts to get fit have failed because there has been no point beyond it being a vague wish.
With this as a goal, and more importantly, not looking like a comets dick in front of my mates (who bike seriously and wear Lycra a lot) I figure I will be able to stick to an exercise bike based regime for a few months if it's not insane, and it might even do me some good. I may even enjoy myself!
I have my name down for this year too just waiting conformation of entry. Similar to OP I have not riden a bike for over 20 years, last year bought a MTB and have been out riding most weekends. In the beginning I started out riding on the flat to get used to the bike and get my confidence back up again and have increased the mileage every week. This mornings ride was just under 38 miles with the dreaded Ditchling Beacon at my 20 mile mark. I would advise a little training if only to get used to being on a bike again.
Be careful though as I have been biten by the cycling bug and have not only signed myself up for 2 other rides but am also looking for a road bike...(the wifes not too impressed when I am gone for hours though)
Be careful though as I have been biten by the cycling bug and have not only signed myself up for 2 other rides but am also looking for a road bike...(the wifes not too impressed when I am gone for hours though)
6 months after a heart attack and pretty unfit with only a few 10 mile bicycle rides under my belt I left SW London to cycle to Brighton on a very heavy eBay special mountain bike with fat road tyres.
I had 2 bananas and a water bottle and a map of a nice country route down to the coast. 6 hours and 58 miles later I sat on the beach and ate a packet of crisps.
I stopped for a breather every hour or so and did push up one incline and had a very nice pint and a fish and chip lunch at a pub after 35 miles.
You'll be fine and with loads of other cyclists around you it should be even easier.
I had 2 bananas and a water bottle and a map of a nice country route down to the coast. 6 hours and 58 miles later I sat on the beach and ate a packet of crisps.
I stopped for a breather every hour or so and did push up one incline and had a very nice pint and a fish and chip lunch at a pub after 35 miles.
You'll be fine and with loads of other cyclists around you it should be even easier.
If you so much as dab a foot on the ascent you're a failure 
Depends if you want to 'just finish', or if you want to finish in daylight! I think you can already figure that you are going to get two camps replying to your question, the 'just get on and pedal 'cos my mate did it and he was fine', and the 'you need to train for 6 months' lot!
Truth of the matter is that a sensible training regime and decent diet should see you through, the BHF issue a reasonable sensible training plan on their web site; https://www.bhf.org.uk/pdf/beginners%20cycling%20t...
The first time I did a 60 mile ride it nearly killed me and taught me a hell of a lot about preparation and diet! I slapped a couple of slicks on my MTB, stuck a litre of squash in a bottle, a couple of bananas and a couple of mars bars in my backpack. At the time I was riding 15 miles a time off-road a couple of times a week so thought that I would be fit enough to do 60 miles without training - wrong! 45 miles in I 'bonked', the single most painful thing I have ever experienced, I could not stand, walk, sit - in fact I felt as if someone had dipped me in boiling hot oil!
If you want to do the L2B and enjoy it then you need to prepare, especially if you are not as fit as you once were. Good thing is you have plenty of time ahead of you so start slowly and build up. While a session in the gym on the bike is good its no substitute for 'saddle' time, time in the saddle will build you your strength, stamina and get your legs used to peddling for a couple of hours at a time.
The other bit thing is to think about food/drink on the ride and a couple of days before. Don't go for high sugar foods like a mars etc, if you need a sugar rush while in the saddle you are better off with a handful of jelly babies and a banana before you set off. Decent chicken and pasta dish the evening before, lay off the booze (don't want to get dehydrated), a good breakfast and couple of flapjacks in your pocket for the ride and a couple of water bottles with hydration tablets will do the job.
Truth of the matter is that a sensible training regime and decent diet should see you through, the BHF issue a reasonable sensible training plan on their web site; https://www.bhf.org.uk/pdf/beginners%20cycling%20t...
The first time I did a 60 mile ride it nearly killed me and taught me a hell of a lot about preparation and diet! I slapped a couple of slicks on my MTB, stuck a litre of squash in a bottle, a couple of bananas and a couple of mars bars in my backpack. At the time I was riding 15 miles a time off-road a couple of times a week so thought that I would be fit enough to do 60 miles without training - wrong! 45 miles in I 'bonked', the single most painful thing I have ever experienced, I could not stand, walk, sit - in fact I felt as if someone had dipped me in boiling hot oil!
If you want to do the L2B and enjoy it then you need to prepare, especially if you are not as fit as you once were. Good thing is you have plenty of time ahead of you so start slowly and build up. While a session in the gym on the bike is good its no substitute for 'saddle' time, time in the saddle will build you your strength, stamina and get your legs used to peddling for a couple of hours at a time.
The other bit thing is to think about food/drink on the ride and a couple of days before. Don't go for high sugar foods like a mars etc, if you need a sugar rush while in the saddle you are better off with a handful of jelly babies and a banana before you set off. Decent chicken and pasta dish the evening before, lay off the booze (don't want to get dehydrated), a good breakfast and couple of flapjacks in your pocket for the ride and a couple of water bottles with hydration tablets will do the job.
I did the Bridlington to Morecombe ride about 15 months ago over 3 days and that was the first riding I had done since the London 2 Brighton 13 years earlier.
My training consisted of a going out from a couple of months in advance starting with a short ride of a couple of miles culminating in cycling from home (Crowborough) to Eastbourne and Beachy Head. I am fotunate as its hilly around here and certainly the cycling was ok, however it did wreck my hands. Couldnt hold a knife and fork wither, however on a single day ride this should be ok. As mentioned for L2B you'll need road tyres.
My training consisted of a going out from a couple of months in advance starting with a short ride of a couple of miles culminating in cycling from home (Crowborough) to Eastbourne and Beachy Head. I am fotunate as its hilly around here and certainly the cycling was ok, however it did wreck my hands. Couldnt hold a knife and fork wither, however on a single day ride this should be ok. As mentioned for L2B you'll need road tyres.
Reading this with interest, I'm also going to be signing up for the London to Brighton ans havn't ridden properly for more than 5 years, I've got myself a turbo trainer so i can use the bike indoors, 2 kids and busy job means it'll be difficult to get out to ride especially at this time of year.
Worse still this is as a warm up for a 100 mile bikerun later in the year to raise money for a hospice that cared for a friend. Thinking this will definately need quite a bit of training lol.
Worse still this is as a warm up for a 100 mile bikerun later in the year to raise money for a hospice that cared for a friend. Thinking this will definately need quite a bit of training lol.
Time in the saddle is going to be the tricky bit, work travel kicks in next week and with trips lined up all over Europe and the US and beyond in the coming weeks plus a 6 week old baby at home I know that going out for a ride is not going to be an easy task, but if I can at least put the miles in on a machine I'll start to build some kind of stamina. Once that starts happening, then maybe I can buy or borrow a bike and start riding it..
You can do this ride with no training at all, very easily, it depends of course if you intend to cycle every hill etc.
I would suggest just doing a mixture of stuff, and working on cardio fitness, maybe a light form of intervals would be useful as there is a lot of small hills which for a new rider are going to get you out of breath somewhat.
Its often very easy because you never really have to face any wind as there is always someone in front of you, but its annoying going up hills at 2mph as obviously you can only go as fast as the person in front of you!
Last year both my dad, in his 60's and my gf's dad in his late fifties (mine does ride a bit, and hers ohly played sqaush and is a bit overweight) they both did it comfortably, mine is about 3.45 and hers in a little of 4.
I would suggest just doing a mixture of stuff, and working on cardio fitness, maybe a light form of intervals would be useful as there is a lot of small hills which for a new rider are going to get you out of breath somewhat.
Its often very easy because you never really have to face any wind as there is always someone in front of you, but its annoying going up hills at 2mph as obviously you can only go as fast as the person in front of you!
Last year both my dad, in his 60's and my gf's dad in his late fifties (mine does ride a bit, and hers ohly played sqaush and is a bit overweight) they both did it comfortably, mine is about 3.45 and hers in a little of 4.
For now it's an exercise bike / cross trainer with pedals the size of snowshoes! If I am going to buy anything it will be a bike!
Going to get on the fake bike tonight and put myself through 10 miles as a starter. Have promised myself if I can manage to do some miles every day for 28 days on the exercise bike then I can start the process of looking for a real bike...
Going to get on the fake bike tonight and put myself through 10 miles as a starter. Have promised myself if I can manage to do some miles every day for 28 days on the exercise bike then I can start the process of looking for a real bike...
I did it about 3-4 years ago and really enjoyed it - did it on a MTB with slicks.
Felt like i'd had a hard day by the end but was generally ok. Ditchling was closed when we got there due to an accident the other side and we had a long wait at the bottom.
There's 20-30k people with a mixed bag of ability, awareness and speed. We saw a few accidents (one or two nasty) but the ones we saw happen were all someone swerving without looking and then taking the front wheel out of a rider behind.
I just took it easy on the descents as i'm a bit of a wuss and anything over 30 has me thinking about how quick the skin will leave my ass if i come off.
Got me hooked though - I now have a road bike and typically cycle 2 x 20 milers a week and 1 40 miler at the weekend.
Enjoy
Felt like i'd had a hard day by the end but was generally ok. Ditchling was closed when we got there due to an accident the other side and we had a long wait at the bottom.
There's 20-30k people with a mixed bag of ability, awareness and speed. We saw a few accidents (one or two nasty) but the ones we saw happen were all someone swerving without looking and then taking the front wheel out of a rider behind.
I just took it easy on the descents as i'm a bit of a wuss and anything over 30 has me thinking about how quick the skin will leave my ass if i come off.
Got me hooked though - I now have a road bike and typically cycle 2 x 20 milers a week and 1 40 miler at the weekend.
Enjoy
turbo-ww said:
Planning to do it this year too, despite being an old thread I presume the above is still valid?
A couple of people have made comments on how dangerous it is because there are so many riders - Lots of contact etc. Is this true?
I did it for the first time last year - my advice, get the earliest set-off time possible (we did) and the traffic isnt too bad. London section is a bit stop-start but once you are out it opens up and you will have plenty of space.A couple of people have made comments on how dangerous it is because there are so many riders - Lots of contact etc. Is this true?
A few of the hills get a bit congested as many people either immediately get off with no warning, or wobble around.
Did witness a very nasty accident with a rider (literally) wrapped around a telegraph pole on a very steep descent, but i assume that was rider error, rather than too much traffic.
Whereabouts in Berkshire are you? Just try and get some hill training in so that Ditchling Beacon isnt too much of a shock. That said, i'd never done a hill that long/big/steep before and had beeb getting myself worried about it, but in the end managed it quite easily (i was puffing at the top, mind).
turbo-ww said:
Planning to do it this year too, despite being an old thread I presume the above is still valid?
A couple of people have made comments on how dangerous it is because there are so many riders - Lots of contact etc. Is this true?
Haven't done it for a few years myself, and left at 6 am last time, and it was busy then, but I heard it was madness later on. Try and keep your awareness up, always look over your shoulder before you pull out and leave the person in front some room in case they do something unpredictable.A couple of people have made comments on how dangerous it is because there are so many riders - Lots of contact etc. Is this true?
If you can't do the whole distance before the big day I would recommend doing a long ride at least once before. The longer you are in the saddle the more tired you become, mentally as well as physically, and you can do dumb things that would surprise the normal you. Navigation can be an issue if you are on your own in this state but won't apply on the L2B. Doing a long ride will also show you how much food and drink to take with you although you should be able to get to a shop on the L2B quite often. It will also give you aches and pains in unexpected parts of your body, probably your hands and wrists, and maybe your neck or back.
There is a pub at the top of Turners Hill which is about half way, and lots of people stop there.
It can be a magic day out though. If you get your fitness up and can manage 16 or so mph you'll be able to tag along with others and save some energy. If you do this, it is advisable to get some practice and learn what the hand gestures mean.
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