Hi
Right it is time to tell my story of the London to Brighton bikeride I did last month. You have seen a few photos now let me tell the story.
We started at Clapham Common, Clapham, London at just after half seven in the morning. Luckily South London is on a bit on an incline. Some bikers were showing off by cycling towards oncoming traffic then quickly ducking in. One got pibbed by an irate driver. We cycled through Balham then Tooting and Tooting Bec through to Mitcham. We then cycled through to Beddington and Purley. Once we left Purley we were out of London metropolis and had done about 10 miles. One time we went down a steep hill and one of my biker mates was going at 45mph. We stopped at a bikers stop at Chipstead near the M25 for a few minutes and topped up on water.
We then went through a pedestrian and biker tunnel right under the M25 motorway. Now after this would be where the ride would become harder, with more incidences of going uphill rather than down. I can now sit at my sofa thinking how difficult it sometimes was, looking back on it now. :2fun:
After 13 or 14 miles I got a bit puffed and was a bit worried that I wouldn't finish the ride as I had 40 more miles to go. But within a few minutes I got my breath back. We biked through the Surrey countryside then crossed the border into Sussex.
Sussex was to be the biggest pesky county for hills. We stopped at Crawley Down for a breather and a middle aged man cut up a younger cyclist and the younger one said "I was having a brilliant day until you come along and ruined it you (the word he said was a swear word)" and slapped him round the back of the helmet. We burst out laughing. By then we had done 31 miles.
We then went up a not so steep hill for a mile or two and it was quite tiring. We biked up and down a few hills through Wivelsfield and into Haywards Heath where I had done 40 miles. I then was pretty sure I'd finish the ride.
After Haywards Heath I had a lull and for a few miles was becoming increasingly tired. We then arrived in Ditchling. We saw the monstrous Ditchling Beacon coming ever closer. I then regained some strength after I had a quick burger at the final stop before the beacon. Although I did, like most cyclists pushed my bike up the beacon. By the time I reached the top I had done 48 miles. I was 100% sure of finishing the ride.
We then reached the top and biked through into Moulsecoomb, an outer suburb of Brighton. We then cycled down the main Lewes Road dual carriageway past Brighton College.
I knew I was near the end. My brother and our 2 mates finished only 10 minutes before me as I did lose them after 32 miles. We cycled through into Brighton Town Centre and saw St Peter's. I then approached the seafront and crossed the finish line at 20 past 1 in the afternoon. So don in 5 and a half hours. I greeted mum and we all met up and went for a meal. I had a celebratory pint.
Ben
Right it is time to tell my story of the London to Brighton bikeride I did last month. You have seen a few photos now let me tell the story.
We started at Clapham Common, Clapham, London at just after half seven in the morning. Luckily South London is on a bit on an incline. Some bikers were showing off by cycling towards oncoming traffic then quickly ducking in. One got pibbed by an irate driver. We cycled through Balham then Tooting and Tooting Bec through to Mitcham. We then cycled through to Beddington and Purley. Once we left Purley we were out of London metropolis and had done about 10 miles. One time we went down a steep hill and one of my biker mates was going at 45mph. We stopped at a bikers stop at Chipstead near the M25 for a few minutes and topped up on water.
We then went through a pedestrian and biker tunnel right under the M25 motorway. Now after this would be where the ride would become harder, with more incidences of going uphill rather than down. I can now sit at my sofa thinking how difficult it sometimes was, looking back on it now. :2fun:
After 13 or 14 miles I got a bit puffed and was a bit worried that I wouldn't finish the ride as I had 40 more miles to go. But within a few minutes I got my breath back. We biked through the Surrey countryside then crossed the border into Sussex.
Sussex was to be the biggest pesky county for hills. We stopped at Crawley Down for a breather and a middle aged man cut up a younger cyclist and the younger one said "I was having a brilliant day until you come along and ruined it you (the word he said was a swear word)" and slapped him round the back of the helmet. We burst out laughing. By then we had done 31 miles.
We then went up a not so steep hill for a mile or two and it was quite tiring. We biked up and down a few hills through Wivelsfield and into Haywards Heath where I had done 40 miles. I then was pretty sure I'd finish the ride.
After Haywards Heath I had a lull and for a few miles was becoming increasingly tired. We then arrived in Ditchling. We saw the monstrous Ditchling Beacon coming ever closer. I then regained some strength after I had a quick burger at the final stop before the beacon. Although I did, like most cyclists pushed my bike up the beacon. By the time I reached the top I had done 48 miles. I was 100% sure of finishing the ride.
We then reached the top and biked through into Moulsecoomb, an outer suburb of Brighton. We then cycled down the main Lewes Road dual carriageway past Brighton College.
I knew I was near the end. My brother and our 2 mates finished only 10 minutes before me as I did lose them after 32 miles. We cycled through into Brighton Town Centre and saw St Peter's. I then approached the seafront and crossed the finish line at 20 past 1 in the afternoon. So don in 5 and a half hours. I greeted mum and we all met up and went for a meal. I had a celebratory pint.
Ben