London to Brighton. A question

i want to do this ride but having checked the website it appears that all the spaces are taken. is it possible to just turn up on the day and ride the route? or is this a big no no??

Do you mean the BHF ride? Lots of people who haven't registered do the ride starting early. Don't do it if you're going to start late in the day--it's often walking pace, standing around, getting off. I haven't done it myself, but this is what you hear. There are plenty of other ways of getting to Brighton. You could join the forum overnighter that's happening soon:

http://www.lfgss.com/thread38621.html

LFGSS' vesion of Paris-Nice.

There'll be more Brighton rides as the year goes on, and all of them will be more fun than 'the' L2B, unless you get a kick out of crowds of tens of thousands.

I left Clapham at 6am when domestiquing for cliveo last year - wasn't an official entrant. Quite a steady train of riders even at that time (arriving in Brighton well before 9am). Rode back (almost immediately) via a route much further to the West.

If I were you, Adscan, I'd do it on another day with a forum group; as Oliver suggested. But perhaps a night ride isn't the best way to pop your L2B cherry, unless you're already confident riding down pitch black lanes, and have some decent lights. I'm sure there'll be plenty of daytime affairs as the weather continues to improve*.

*pleeeeeeeeeeeeeez

i want to do it with a couple of guys from work. that is why i was thinking of the official day rather than risking loads of traffic.

will they turn me away if i just turn up with my bike and no official number or whatever they give you. it was the BHF that i was looking at.

might look at the LFSS event instead then.

BHF = loads of traffic

traffic = thousands upon thousands of pedestrians holding bikes for miles on end

As mentioned above, if you're going to turn up on the BHF day, set off from Clapham at 6am. No need to make the organisers aware of your presence - they don't care. But remember that getting the train home is a lot easier on a non-BHF weekend.

Can anyone give any advice on how hilly the route is? About to do my first london to brighton and just thinking of what's the best gear ratio to use for the day. I'm currently running 42:16 ratio and that seems to negotiate me up most london hills without too many probs

geremi you'll have no problems with that gearing it's pretty much all downhill except for ditchling and you should be able to get up that with a good portion of HTFU. if you're riding fixed some of the descents could be tougher

Head up to Swains Lane in Highgate. That's as close to the major hills as you can get. Just bare in mind that Ditchling beacon is much longer, and you will have ridden 50miles by then.

on that gear you should be fine on all but ditchling beacon

The BHF ride avoids major hills. Only Turners' Hill and Ditchling Beacon present any challenge, a challenge that is lessened if you have BMMF pushing you up.

Only do the BHF ride if you can get away in the first batch or earlier (preferably earlier). A colleague riding about five or six years ago was taken off in a crowded descent and spent three years having reconstructive facial surgery.

As BMMF says, ride with the forum.

cheers for the headsup, dudes. think i'll be on ye olde freewheel as by the sounds of things, if dithcling is after 50miles, not sure if i'm up for having to maintain a hench cadence on the way down.

how do you guys usually get back to london? i'll be wetting my whistle considerably after the ride and just realised bikes arent allowed on trains the whole day, so looks like i may end up stranded in brighton for a while!

I cant seem to find a good enough map and directions for the London to Brighton route, I am not doing the official BHF one but me and some mates are riding down on tuesday. Can anyone point me in a good direction to a map and directions? I have found this,

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/national-cycle-network/route-numbering-system/route-20

But cant seem to find directions for it.

Ollie's got a good route. He's posted a link before, but I can't remember where. drop him a PM
http://www.lfgss.com/member4170.html

propeller, this is one of the alternative routes, with downloadable PDF and photos of key turnings... nice and quiet too one you get off Brighton Road... http://www.freewebs.com/cycleroutes/