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Yes Oliver you should really have gone.
I remember the weather last year as pretty good.
This year it was kinda cloudy all the way but totally dry and ideal cycling temperature.
Me, Bob and a friend went for fish and chips on the pier at the end.
As usual (well since the ride got bigger) the ride split into certain groups but most managed to meet up at Crawley for a chin-wag and feed and I think everyone enjoyed it - the informal leader of one group of pals, who have formed their own mini slower group, described it as the best ride of the year.
Special mention to Tom Crispin who rendezvoued with us at East Croydon and got all of his merry bunch there - including a 10 and 12 year old. (now surely that makes you feel bad Oliver :) )
Some pics from a participant - includes shots of a rather spooky full faired bent which I gather became a single speed on the way back after a malfunction. Bob also did it on his King Cycle.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32678527@N02/sets/72157627943729443/with/6318853987/
To next year - first Sunday of November - details should be on www.lewishamcyclists.co.uk
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See you there Bob - it's looking like there may be another bent on the ride.
Weather looking good.
Some final late notes:
Weather looking good.
Some late notes/reminders
Please bring two spare tubes - we want to keep moving - this ride has a
mad rhythm of its own.No sit-down lunch stop at all -
bring sandwiches or something that counts as lunch in addition to
snacks/on-the-go fuel - you can eat this at the
traditional pause at the south end of Crawley High Street.No formal back-marker as such on this ride (I know it sounds odd but
it's the only way to run it without
killing the ride) - if you manage to trail the first group on the first leg
to Crawley and don't get swept up by Tom
Crispin's intrepid group following behind, get yourself to the south end of
Crawley High Street where we will be
pausing a fair while to eat our butties etc.Following the route after Croydon is very easy - just follow the loads of
temporary signs (usually blue RAC or yellow
AA I think - can't remember) the mad chuffing cars, the crowds.Please read the safety information above.
Enjoy.
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Paul reminds me that there'll be no lunch stop on this ride, unless you're riding under your own steam, so if you want to go with the group, bring a sandwich or seven.
Thanks Oliver.
We usually stop (I think Oliver presses straight on) to eat our supplies at the south end of Crawley High Street. The cars pause in the High Street to take on fuel and water themselves so it's a handy point to watch them splutter off again - we usually hang around there for 15 mins or a bit more. If you should lose us, a good place to try and meet up again.
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Paul, are you leading the feeder ride from Cutty Sark? I am interested in this and may join there, will be learning soon if I can get a day pass to join in.
Yes - usually it's the start, this year it's a feeder. 7.15 PROMPT departure. The Fast to Forest Hill Station forecourt (complete with handy free toilet you can take your bike into) then Fast to East Croydon.
Full info at:
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Yep, appears that there are no engineering works.
The ride has been growing - last year I'd guess that by the time we all assembled at East Croydon there were about 45 of us - maybe a bit more. But this isn't a big event and well under the radar of the train companies. No-one had any trouble getting back last year. Anyone who fancies a few extra miles can pootle along the nice coastal path westwards to then pick up the line through Arundel (caution - I haven't checked that line for works).
Another possible for extra miles is to ride back to Haywards Heath back up the route - kind of poignant - the real stragglers belching and puffing as they struggle to get to Brighton by the cut-off time.If you come do introduce yourself to me KT Bee - I'll be on a blue Cannondale - if weather is really bad, an old Ridgeback hybrid.
Paul -
Hope to see you (briefly :) ) on Sunday Oliver.
all the best, P
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Apologies for the wonky formatting above - I was expecting to be able to edit it if it looked wrong - I'm a very very occasional visitor here.
Do try to read it anyway.
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Some updates:
The link to the British School of Cycling shown above for the more sedate ride should now point to this year's event.
Bob has a recumbent I think and I've never been involved in a ride/train/bike interface with one but I've led and been on loads of rides with Lewisham Cyclists and our experience has always been that First Capital Connect and Southern (the two companies running from Brighton to London) are fine with bikes at weekends - maybe they are more strict around about the time of the Brighton charity ride. We've had 15 on no trouble. I'd expect folk to return from this ride in groups anyway - some of us sit on the beach (done it several times even in November) noshing fish and chips and a hard core even ride back to south London.
One point - Lewisham Cyclists/Southwark cyclists have learned to leave that whippet Oliver (and maybe his fixed gear pals) :) to themselves on this - it's all a great day for everyone - but if you are joining the main ride at East Croydon (other points available - see above) ask for Paul or Bill - another group has tagged on to this but is planning to leave 15 mins earlier - but they may well be slower.
As I said, we do leave some of the, er, faster souls to themselves, but some important safety advice follows. As well to be aware of.
[SIZE=2]The first year we did this ride, due to understandably limited opportunities to survey the route, we ended up on a bit of A road just north of Brighton which is a virtual multi-lane motorway. Yes it was fun in a mad mad way, but it isn’t advised. And so, like all years after the first one, the leader will not go that way.
The road in question is just after the descent from Clayton Hill, the last hill before Brighton. We come down the A273 but turn right into Pyecombe just before this becomes the madness that is the marked-green A23. If you end up on this, you enter a multi-lane highway and then encounter a tricky fast feed into a roundabout with cars trying to go left towards Lewes or straight on to Brighton.
To avoid it we will be turning right to go via Pyecombe onto a national cycle route.You can see the road in question here:
After following the cycle route for a short distance, we will rejoin the main road for the triumphal zip down to Brighton and the pier.
If you do take the fast road, be warned.
Apart from this, the rest of the ride follows the exact route taken by the cars. That's what makes it so special.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Another safety word from someone who has done the ride a few times:
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[FONT=Times New Roman]It's not advisable to stop in front of any of the vintage cars at junctions or traffic lights. Some of these old cars take a very long time to stop, if stop at all. Brakes seemed to have been an afterthought on some of these contraptions. So be aware and keep to the side of the road if there are cars coming up behind you.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Have fun chaps
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It's looking good for the fourth run of this. And better weather than last year.
Full details of Lewisham Cyclists ride follows:
Yes, the initial meet time is a bit earlier than Tom Crispin's Brit School of Cycling probably rather slower ride. Tom is a Lewisham Cyclists as well.
Weather this year looking pretty good:
http://lewishamcyclists.co.uk/?page_id=88
toot toot, Paul
A rather nice vid shot by a group who came from over the river. Their leader was on the very first "mixing it with the cars ride"
http://vimeo.com/31920638