2010-10-09 - London to Brighton

oh aye, you want 'em I got 'em, serious about medals though, 6pt probably get gold for doing the hill in about 2 minutes.....

Hoping to do this as my first long fixed ride: What sort of GI would I be looking at?

[Flipp-flopped at 73.1 & 82.8 GI atm]

i am doing it on 67

73 will be better - there are some hills.

only some hills? (I might just walk up ditchling tbh!)

only some hills? (I might just walk up ditchling tbh!)

i bet you don't

I'm on 49:19 (on 27x1.25 wheels/tyres though) which gives 69.3 GI

I've done this a couple of times before on that GI, I found it about ideal.

You can climb hills without destroying a knee, and still descend without spinning out... Still need brakes really though [in my opinion, on my bike, for me to ride it]

yep, 11 in the morning. be prompt l's & g's. got some wetlips to pick up en route

i am attaching the cheat sheet for the route we are taking. it includes a link to gmaps - okay won't upload so have cut and paste below - i will print a few of these off but anyone with access to a printer today might want to sort a copy.

please note regroup points have been mentioned. these are not opportunities to break out the picnic hampers - as soon as we regroup we get going again. simple. proper little feedstop at the top of Turners Hill.

should be a lovely little jaunt this one.

Brixton to Brighton

gmap route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4088250

Meet outside the Ritzy. Up Effra Rd swing round to right and straight up Brixton Hill on the A23.

We will regroup at Streatham Common.

Follow A23 (London Rd) - note at RAB at around 5 mile mark you head around to the right (still A23) rather than straight on up A235. That is, follow Thornton Road not London Rd at this point.

We will regroup at this weird RAB.

Follow A23 around Croydon (rather than go down pedestrianised High St) and follow on to Purley.

At 9 mile mark turn left on to A22 - Godstone Road

Follow this to 11.6m mark into Whyteleafe and turn R up Whyteleafe hill over the railway line and to this first little drag of the day.

We will regroup at the top of this hill.

Follow to end and turn L (13.6m) on to Church Road. This will start to descend but keep speed off as need the second R into Stanstead Rd (13.8m)

Follow this road which then becomes White Hill lane and take this steep descent - careful here, particularly if brakless - down over the M25 and take first left.

The lane is tight here but will look for a place near this turning to
regroup then set off along this lane into Bletchingley - cross the High St (A25 - 17.2m) and continue on in to village of Smallfield (22.3m)

We will regroup in this village

then continue you until x-roads (23.7m) turn left on B2037
take second R (24.3m) down mill lane - follow to end and turn R on B2028 - cross the A264 and follow signposts and go on up to Turners Hill and climb the little drag there to the top (27.9m)

We will regroup there and stop for a quick bite to eat, fill water bottles etc. like 30 mins max and away we go.

Straight over to follow the B2028 thru Selsfield Common (29m) and Ardingly (32m) and on into Lindfielf (35.1m)

We will regroup here and then head into Haywards Heath (36.5) where we will see the first sign for Ditchling and leave H Heath (on the B2112) and on thru Wivelsfield (38.9m)

Follow into village of Ditchling (42.5)

We will regroup just as we leave the village where the eagle eyed will see the left turn called Beacon Road. there is a clue in the name ls & gs - this is gonna take us up the beacon. I make a special mention of it here because I have heard accounts of people riding to Brighton who somehow miss this left hand turn. Possibly deliberately. (42.6209m mark)

Roll up the beacon (44/45 mile mark) and regroup at the top. then continue on to the A27 (46.7m) and cross it and continue along Ditchling rd and on and on all the way down to the seafront by the Pier (50.6m)

A sweet half century and an appetite for fish n chips under your belt.

oh aye, you want 'em I got 'em, serious about medals though, 6pt probably get gold for doing the hill in about 2 minutes.....

I'm thinking of bailing – it's been a knackering week and it'd be nice to have a rest day before I have to do it all again. Will have to see how I feel in the morning, if the weather's glorious it'd be nigh on impossible to resist.

Also definitely won't be first up the hill on my track geared monster. Will probably be walking up it while hanging my head in shame.

Good stuff (r.e. the route) I'll try and get round to printing a few copies...

^^ jonny's just laid it down.
there can be no excuses.
just a great day's riding.
see you all tomorrow.

This is gonna be wicks!

"Just the job"??

Will there be a streaming webcam link? I'll be stuck at work, but don't want to miss the inevitable 'curse of the Brighton forum ride' incident…

I had assumed that we would be followed by an ambo?

We will regroup there and stop for a quick bite to eat, fill water bottles etc. like 3 mins max and away we go.

ftfy

I've been struggling with a bit of a chest infection all week, so..............

You might win that race up Ditchling after all, Pisti.

on a serious note is anyone else rolling on through lunch, stop to refill etc but i'm lunching on the bike. Gotta get back to London for an evening do.

We're all rolling through lunch aren't we?
Snack stops/eating on the bike, good. Picnic blanket bedwetters, bad.

I've got one of those legendary Team SaxoBank handlebar mounted BBQs. Bring some sausages and a fork.

Nice one Jonny! Here's hoping the weather stays nice. This has the potential to be a great ride.

on a serious note is anyone else rolling on through lunch, stop to refill etc but i'm lunching on the bike. Gotta get back to London for an evening do.

ben, the idea is to keep this one rolling and rolling.

will inevitably be stop start getting out of the big smoke but once we are outside the M25 should be pretty smooth.

if we can will keep the stop at turners hill to a minimum.

but of course if you need to then get on and we will hopefully catch you in brighton.

bright times.

you'll be telling your grandkids about this one...

Right so. Weather looks good. Last bit of sunshine before winter starts kicking in I bet.
I'm up for it. Bike show can wait until Sunday.

1. Jonny
   
2. Pistanator
   
3. Glover
   
4. Benjam (provisional)
   
5. Wools (Fo' Shizzle)
   
6. Macca81
   
7. Smiff
   
8. Pink
   
9. Sarah
   
10. Sbrys Ed
    
11. Matty (unless it's pissing down/hungover)
    
12. Skullywetlip
    
13. Ham Pebblewich
    
14. M.F
    
15. Sam
    
16. Arducius
    
17. Fussballclub
    
18. Balmain
    
19. Lynx (80's 531 neon coolness)
    
20. 6PT, probably on over geared fixed.
    
21. Damo (calendar looks free)
    
22. Fox
    
23. Hoonz, might bust out the tourer for this one, it just eats up the miles.
    
24. Mc_nebula, fixed, geared, recumbent, tandem? yet to decide......probably fixed though......
    
25. kattiep
    
26. CV Fixed (only bike currently)
    
27. Branwen
    
28. CTML
    
29. Shoots
    
30. Shoots' friend
    
31. Ark Minor
    
32. Richoking
    
33. Lucky7
    
34. Tom K&e
    
35. Laner
    
36. Fade
    
37. King Fisher + 1
    
38. Yossarian
    
39. Tudor badger
    
40. dublinkevin
    

^ That's a hell of a team :-)

I hope 40odd do turn up. That would be epic.

No wetting the bed now.