Ladies Ldn to Brighton Ride - Saturday 1st October

Shame, good luck missmouse (:
thanks you. sad not to meet you.

Out. Most likely going in to hospital at the end of this week. :(
See you in a few months y'all! Or...forum ride to Beckenham?

Best of luck, sorry to have missed meeting you. I hope everything goes ok.

Seriously, everybody take a chill pill. It is not even the toughest hill in the county! Then again, I was seriously afraid of it first time I set off...but also pleasantly surprised when I actually got to it.

I seem to recall it looming in the distance and thinking 'oh hell' and then being pleasantly surprised once I got up it and inhaled an icecream.

What I do remember is getting to the point where I really started to struggle - I was moving but only just and since I was clipped in, I couldn't stop pedalling since momentum would have made me fall over - and looking up and seeing a 'beware of horseriding' sign with a sign under it for 1 3/4 miles and thinking... no.. there is no way I can do this for another 1 3/4 miles... and then realising that I was only about 134 ft from the top.

I seem to recall it looming in the distance and thinking 'oh hell' and then being pleasantly surprised once I got up it and inhaled an icecream.

What I do remember is getting to the point where I really started to struggle - I was moving but only just and since I was clipped in, I couldn't stop pedalling since momentum would have made me fall over - and looking up and seeing a 'beware of horseriding' sign with a sign under it for 1 3/4 miles and thinking... no.. there is no way I can do this for another 1 3/4 miles... and then realising that I was only about 134 ft from the top.

It certainly does look FAR worse than it actually is. First time I saw the top of it from afar I thought it was low lying cloud.

im out dudes :( my bb hasn't arrived yet which is annoying and i'l be partying friday night so wont be in the best state on saturday.

Joe, I may be able to help you on the BB front. Also, hangover is no excuse as shown on Hatbeards birthday ride :) I've riden with you when you were deep inside the pain cave and know you're up to it...remember Avebury? You put a lot of us to shame that night.

I wouldn't normally egg somebody on but I reckon the ride will miss out if you don't make it...come along! (not that I am)

i was ridiculously rubbish that night. but to be honest, its just generally bad timing, im moving house on friday and should really be spending saturday sorting everything out. i'l see though, this bb may turn up and i may make a last-ditch attempt to come along.
@malaysian- if i do come (not that likely) il be doing it brakeless as well so i wouldn't worry.

I'm not going through this again Joe. You showed a level of grit and determination that put pretty much all of us to shame that night. You left a real impression with all of us riding with you. Brighton is a third of the difficulty of what you achieved that night and I think you'd be silly to miss a chance to come and ride with some pretty experienced skidderz. I also realise that there are factors that might well preclude your attendance so I'm not going to continue to insist but I would implore you to reconsider. I can solve your BB problem and a hangover need not be an issue. In any case, looking forward to being on a ride with you again sometime...

safe dan. i'l try and get on this thing, if not, i'l see you soon.

^^ you mean he didn't just sit in your wind shadow like I do?

safe dan. i'l try and get on this thing, if not, i'l see you soon.

Cheers Joe. Sorry for getting all OTT with that but I really do believe you should give this a pop if at all possible.

^^ you mean he didn't just sit in your wind shadow like I do?

Flattery will get you everywhere Henry but I suspect you're just suggesting that I leave a larger aero void than most :D

Stonehedge, so you're attending?

Superjoe - get on it, madskidz down bitchling etc etc...

I drank too much homebrew cider which taste rank (like a liquid version of sausage and mash with apple), got a massive hangover the next day which is the Clacton 75 miles ride to the beach.

HTFU, drink a lots of red bull and you'll be fine.

I seem to recall it looming in the distance and thinking 'oh hell' and then being pleasantly surprised once I got up it and inhaled an icecream.

What I do remember is getting to the point where I really started to struggle - I was moving but only just and since I was clipped in, I couldn't stop pedalling since momentum would have made me fall over - and looking up and seeing a 'beware of horseriding' sign with a sign under it for 1 3/4 miles and thinking... no.. there is no way I can do this for another 1 3/4 miles... and then realising that I was only about 134 ft from the top.

Applespider I'm so glad that you posted this! I bought my first pair of spd shoes and pedals in August thinking they would be good for longer rides. However 2 weekends ago I was on a ride in Kent and I had the same experience as your Ditchling one. I was going up a steep hill (no where near as big as Ditchling I should add), when I realised that if I stopped there was a very real posibility that I wouldn't be able to unclip in time. Good motivation for getting up the small hill in Kent, but Ditchling is a different beast entirely!

I think I will use my pedals with toe clips and wear pumps!

Your feet may hurt in pumps though on a longer ride, or you might get arch cramps?

give the old "opposite-dorothy-heel-click" a go, twist both feet outwards at the same time, releasing both pedals and landing catlike and graceful on yer feet, bike between legs.....

Pumps and toe clips are my usual commuting set up, and I've also done Brighton before with pumps and toe clips and have been fine foot-wise. I really love the spds because I can pull up with my feet as well as push down so in a way they'd be brilliant for Ditchling. Maybe I just need to do some emergency unclipping practice between now and Saturday! :)

I concur with the spd's vs toe cages - you just get more power. Another great thing about riding in a group is that you sort of get a heads up from the person in front about unclipping!

Really looking forward to this now, and looking forward to meeting some new faces. Have updated 1st post with vital deets btw

give the old "opposite-dorothy-heel-click" a go, twist both feet outwards at the same time, releasing both pedals and landing catlike and graceful on yer feet, bike between legs.....

I'll have to try this one indoors. Currently do alternate feet, in panic mode, when the first one doesn't unclip properly :-). Getting better slowly.

That ^ technique is really just for when you start grinding to a halt uphill... time it so both your pedals are level as you're coming to a stop and just hop out/off.... otherwise i unclip weak foot first.

^^^ Nice disclaimer :-)

Another great thing about riding in a group is that you sort of get a heads up from the person in front about unclipping!

so far my only unclip fail was the person in front of me stopping awful sudden... I stopped ok, but couldn't manage to simultaneously unclip!

Have updated 1st post with vital deets btw

time? (or am I being blind...)

9:30 clapham common south.

Hi, I'd like to come along. If that's OK? I'll be on the fixed and will be practicing the two foot emergency exit on Ditchling... as although fine cycling it on gears I have a feeling my current ratio will kill me going up! ( It'll be lovely coming down :)) and I can't be arsed to change it, plus I've cycle to Brighton many time geared and never fixed!

Jayloo, bring your bike to my shop on Thurs and I'll replace them free of charge (the cable that is).

Ed, I'd love that but I work during the day and will have to prevail upon Guapo to get the bike to your shop. Which is it?

are people taking locks with them?