London To Brighton Bike Ride Tips
What Sort Of Bike?
We went on a Sunday and were amazed at the amount of cyclists we saw. You dont have to be a tweed clad duffer to do the CTC event (OK you probably will see a few, but its great for all levels). You can just turn up and ride with whoever else is there. There are a couple of cafe stops along the way to top up your water bottle and take in a spot of sustenance.
Its flat mainly – only one good hill which we went down at speed with a tailwind (someone later called that Wuthering Heights as it was so steep), Brighton Town Press (brightontownpress.co.uk). Another feature of Cobbly was the sheer amount of serendipity encounters that happened. Its all very well getting together with your mates on social media. I’m a little obsessed with the sportive concept – i like that you can get some big rides under your belts without having to join a club.
Theres a number of us round here who have raced in events from the London Nocturne and popular urban sportives like Kielder 70. 1 (im a really crap road racer) and i quite fancy doing this ride, so i thought id mention it here. Its a good ride for the more casual cyclist as well, you can easily do it alone but its also easy to get back into contact with someone behind you.
Downhill bikes are popular but you run the risk of damaged wheels. Cyclocross bikes can be good, if youre not worried about getting a little muddy or wet. Otherwise its best to stick to a hybrid bike, mountain bike, touring bike or nothing at all whatever feels most comfortable. We set off in single file, at a pace that isnt too fast for the slower riders at the back, while still being quick enough to keep up with the faster ones up ahead.
There are several ways to get here. We travelled from London Waterloo on a direct train to Billingshurst. Brighton is an hour and half away if you take the bus timetables from the stop at Waterloo (dont forget your bike!) or you can cycle to Steyning and go from there, via either Arundel & Pulborough or Houghton & Seaford. From Billingshurst it takes approximately 35 minutes to ride: for a map of the route from here click here.
[gallery ids"8462,10587"]. R eview the route yourself on Google maps, and if youre not happy with the look of it, head for the hills. It doesnt matter how good a rider you are or how light your bike. If youre not comfortable with it, turn around and try again another day. But there are three main options. Firstly, theres Long Island, like I did. Some of the roads are fairly busy but you have brilliant views across the water from across the island.
How Much Traffic Is There?
A couple of minor roads in the cycle network are scary; Ive got confidence in my handling skills, but even I think it would be prudent to dismount on some of them (especially if your bike isn't well-suited for off-road). Traffic is generally very friendly, as drivers slow down to check on you and your bike — especially in rural areas. With your criteria I would avoid the A1/A68 (noisy) and A5/A418 (very slow), and go for the A684, A6177 and A6179.
The first bit is not especially scenic, but you get to some nice traffic free roads after you leave Northallerton these lead down into the spectacular Teesdale country (but there arent many services on these roads). Nevertheless, the bigger point is that traffic here is distributed rather more evenly than in many places. Anecdotal perception of a chaotic free-for-all is not entirely without foundation, but its more likely that youll encounter a couple of dozen cars before an ambulance on your average ride into town.
I have ignored main roads and motorways for the most part; but hope not to pass on many of them. Also I havent included any ferry crossings. Mostly because its too difficult to tell the quality of a route via sea from a brief overview of road quality oneach side. So which roads are the worst? I had a look at what I considered to be the worst routes out of London. Motorway, A-road, old road or lane it doesn't matter.
The following tables show the stats. Its relatively flat so quite fast, and has lots of good facilities for cyclists. To get the most out of riding and to become a true cyclist, follow this 4 simple steps to the perfect ride. Bikes are easy to neglect, and their well being is generally based on the general state of their componentry. Clean your bike and youll notice a huge difference in how it performs.
Is The Route Signposted?
Theres not much signposted as you go: just a few basic direction signs and no other road markings apart from, at least when I did it, the turn-off from the A27. There arent many blind corners but those that there are can be quite hairy as youre not prepared for them. If youre worried about getting lost I reckon this route is probably best ridden with a turbo trainer in someones living room if you dont fancy the real thing.
There are many different ways to traverse the 70-odd miles between London and the seaside resort of Brighton. The BHFs classic route, marked on its map of Britain, is the most popular (it also happens to be our favourite). It takes in Surrey and West Sussex, before heading east across the South Downs. The typical time taken over it is about three hours of riding. Route. There are two ways of getting to Brighton, either via the A23 which is a dual carriageway for much of its course or via a series of more meandering B roads.
Although there are pros and cons to both routes as described by the BHF, we decided on one that had minimal traffic and allowed us to take more relaxing back roads from Reigate to Brighton. We start from the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre in London and use the A3 all the way to Bognor Regis. Many people choose not to venture out of the M25, but taking nearly any route through Surrey is a guaranteed traffic jam, so weve decided to bite the bullet.
How Do I Get Back?
I need to get back to London tomorrow night, but I'm not sure which service to take, or whether it would be worth taking a reservation. I've had enough of an experience of catching trains at Brighton with my bike on that I've given up trying to beat the crowds. It’s far more sensible for me just to reserve a bike space before I go. So you're not thinking about sticking it on the roof then? Nope, it's complicated, you have to put it in with your luggage.
Now, getting to the train station at Pevensey is not a problem. Its about a 15-20 minute walk from the port of Newhaven but you can take the car ferry instead. The car ferry runs all day and into the night, however it stops mid afternoon so dont think that you can just cross in one go. The first car ferry leaves at 05:15 and the last is at 23:00, their website has all details on how to book and what times they run.
When I first moved to Brighton I thought the train ticket system for bikes was quite confusing. Handling the bike on a train is pretty easy, but knowing which trains allow bikes and buying the right ticket in the first place can be a bit tricky. So, below is my attempt to help you with your bicycle journeys by explaining how to buy tickets, how to get on the train and other useful information to make life easier.
Once on the train you can either head to the bike rack at the front of the train if its at one of the terminus stations, or you can keep your bike on board and stick it in an empty window seat. (Stick some signs on it like a misplaced library book if no one is sitting there. ) If you are lucky enough to get a seat, then probably a good idea to ride without pedals and just use the platform when you arrive.
How To Train For London To Brighton
I recently completed the Brighton to London ride – a huge charity event in the UK that draws thousands of cyclists from all over Europe. It was my first time doing such a long bike ride, and I have to admit, I was dreading every minute of it! The route provides a challenge for those used to distances of 40-80km, but had never attempted more than this before. If you are looking to prepare yourself for this cycle or other so called 'big days out', there's some things you can do.
In the words of Alan Partridge, you’re about to embark on ‘a bit of a strange adventure’. The idea is simple; ride your bike from London to Brighton and back in one day. Now, I know that some people may question why you would ever do such a thing, but the fact is that it’s quite common these days. With events such as the Explore Cycle Challenge and RideLondon 100 taking place, cycling has become more mainstream.
The funny thing is, it seems like everyone has a story about how they completed that ride! I was inspired to write this blog post as I thought back on my own journey into cycling. My intention is that anyone reading it would feel inspired and more confident before attempting their first large ride. I met the same people whilst training to ride London to Brighton. This post should help give you an idea of what.
Training for 85km is different to what most cyclists do during the winter months of base and progression training. 85km will require greater specific endurance and there are some elements that will need to be addressed throughout your training – nutrition, pacing, aero-fitting, racing. Although having a decent fitness base will set you up nicely, it isn’t the full answer. I didn't have many plans for my summer holidays this year. I was working with the Homeless World Cup, which primarily meant staying late the night before in London and flying back early in the morning.
So without much time to spare I decided that there wasn't any better way to spend my days than cycling all the way from London to Brighton. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the London to Brighton bike ride, it’s been held since 1896. It sees over 9,000 cyclists take part each year and there’s a mean average speed of around 25km/h. Peak-hour trains are between 7 a. m. and 9 a. m.
