# Your reaction to someone who told you they took 8 months to train for the London to Brighton?



## BentMikey (31 Aug 2007)

What would your reaction be, inside your mind, to someone who told you they took 8 months to train for the London to Brighton?


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## Baroudeur (31 Aug 2007)

With no more information I'd say they were using it as either an excuse or motivation to get out on their bike in which case 'good on them!' 

But I know what you mean...


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## peejay78 (31 Aug 2007)

depends how fat they were.

then again, i hear the pace on the L2B can be fearsome, especially if you get in with a peloton of bromptons and full sus MTBs going up ditchling.


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## BentMikey (31 Aug 2007)

That was my thought too, fat and very unfit, or just bad training. This was in an unpleasant email to me complaining about us skating it. I can't imagine actually needing to train to cycle it.


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## Smeggers (31 Aug 2007)

BentMikey said:


> That was my thought too, fat and very unfit, or just bad training. This was in an unpleasant email to me complaining about us skating it. I can't imagine actually needing to train to cycle it.



If this was in Soapbox, I'd flame you about your arrogant attitudue to your own superior fitness. But its not, so I wont


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## Tim Bennet. (31 Aug 2007)

Depends on your ambition for the day. We trained a lot longer than that but still couldn't stick with a well drilled pace line that was trying to get somewhere near the two hour mark.


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## peejay78 (31 Aug 2007)

i don't think i'd be able to stick with them if i'd trained for the past fifteen years.

i reckon i'd get the measure of the bromptons though.


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## domtyler (31 Aug 2007)

What was the gist of the email Mikey? Were they trying to say that skaters shouldn't be allowed etc.?


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## BentMikey (31 Aug 2007)

LOL, Smeggers, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not very fit, you might have a point.

@Tim, yes, true. That sort of pace is not acceptable during the main ride though, they would have had to leave early.


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## Smeggers (31 Aug 2007)

BentMikey said:


> LOL, Smeggers, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not very fit, you might have a point.
> 
> @Tim, yes, true. That sort of pace is not acceptable during the main ride though, they would have had to leave early.



.. then apologies, I dont get your point though?!


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## BentMikey (31 Aug 2007)

@domtyler, yeah, that's about it. Apparently he had to shout at a skater for holding him up on one uphill. *Cough* what about the hundreds of cyclists I waited patiently behind then? (Admittedly mostly because I was having such a good time socialising with them, I wasn't very motivated to overtake).

@Smeggers, I was just saying that if even a relatively unfit person can manage L2B, I don't understand why anyone would focus 8 months of training on it. It's not a race, it's a social and chilled bike ride, and unless you leave very early, IMO it's dangerous to go fast and try to overtake aggressively.


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## Blonde (4 Sep 2007)

L2B is a challenge for new cyclists. It wouldn't be for me, but I've been cycling for about five years now and have done a few SR series. When I first started though, 20 or 30 miles was a 'long ride'. My very first ride as an adult was 8 miles and it was fun but quite tiring on a shopping bike and not having cycled since I was 10 years old. It depends what you mean by 'train'. In my mind I don't 'train,' I just ride. But riding 200 kms I suppose is 'training' for a 300km ride, riding 400kms is training for a 600 and so on. So for a new cyclist 'training' for L2B would be simply riding further distances until the required distance was reached. This does take time though and I think 8 months from scratch is reasonable progress - especially if you have other commitments and work full time.


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## asterix (6 Sep 2007)

Some people I know would need to train 8 months to do the L2B.. 

They'd also need a few months mentally preparing themselves for the idea it could be done at all


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## Jacomus-rides-Gen (7 Sep 2007)

I wonder if they own a brand new carbon beauty just for the L2B, and have never used it again... in favour of their usual steed - a Merc


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## Paulus (7 Sep 2007)

Blonde said:


> L2B is a challenge for new cyclists. It wouldn't be for me, but I've been cycling for about five years now and have done a few SR series. When I first started though, 20 or 30 miles was a 'long ride'. My very first ride as an adult was 8 miles and it was fun but quite tiring on a shopping bike and not having cycled since I was 10 years old. It depends what you mean by 'train'. In my mind I don't 'train,' I just ride. But riding 200 kms I suppose is 'training' for a 300km ride, riding 400kms is training for a 600 and so on. So for a new cyclist 'training' for L2B would be simply riding further distances until the required distance was reached. This does take time though and I think 8 months from scratch is reasonable progress - especially if you have other commitments and work full time.



Totally agree Blonde. I've been cycling for many many years and rides like the L2B can be ridden non stop in just under three hours. But, many of the riders who do the L2B are riding that sort of distance for the first time and see it as a huge challenge, no matter what type of bike they are riding. 
Personally I wouldn't ride the L2B again as it is just too busy but that is my choice. I did it about 15 years ago and didn't enjoy it.


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## BentMikey (7 Sep 2007)

I do take your point, Blonde, but even for a brand new rider 8 months does seem particularly long for such a short ride. I would have expected 1-2 months of some regular effort being more than enough to complete the L2B.

As you say, the more bums on bikes the better.


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## Steve Austin (8 Sep 2007)

Maybe they have a time they would like to complete it in?

Its nice to have an event to train for. Its good motivation. and whilst i agree, 8 months to train for L2B may seem excessive, if it keeps someones personal motivation up for that long then surely that is a good thing.


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## BentMikey (8 Sep 2007)

Yes, training for a time would explain why he was so annoyed with the skater getting in his way, but not why he had the bad planning to leave so late when there was lots of traffic to hold him up. It's stupid to go fast on the L2B in my opinion, unless you leave super early to make it safe enough without the compressed thousands of cyclists.


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## Johnny Thin (8 Sep 2007)

There's a local organisation, Stourbug, run by Ru88ell off other forums. He trained a group of ladies over several months to do just 45 miles, from Stourbridge to Stratford, at a speed of about 9mph. As he once pointed out, there must be a huge need for this as even the slowest club run is about 12mph, way above the capability of most of the public.


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## gavintc (8 Sep 2007)

I don't really see your point. You could argue that I trained for 3 yrs for my last attempt at Ventoux. I know that my cycle fitness has progressed steadily over that time. 

About 3 yrs ago, I did the Glasgow to Edinburgh ride (50 miles) on an old MTB. I was dead on arrival in Edinburgh and struggled to make the final 3 miles to my flat. But, it kindled an interest and here I am 3 yrs later and think nothing about doing a 50 mile training ride. I therefore think that anyone who sets out on one of these 'challenge' rides has made an important step to improving their fitness.


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## wafflycat (9 Sep 2007)

As we've got different levels of experience, what is a minor undertaking for one person can be a major test of fitness for another. At least they are out there on a bike doing some exercise. Credit them for that.

I did 65 miles on Friday (cycled home from Cambridge). I've got many a friend who thinks that because I can do that, I'm superfit - and nothing could be further from the truth. Basically some people can't envisage the distances it is easy to cycle. This can be for many reasons, including but not limited to, not being cyclists themselves, or not doing exercise at all (or only in a very limited way), or for having bikes which are BSOs and so darned uncomfortable they *can't* do any more than a few miles as it's too uncomfortable on a BSO.


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## longers (9 Sep 2007)

What's a BSO?


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## wafflycat (9 Sep 2007)

A Bicycle-Shaped Object.

See

http://www.southcoastbikes.co.uk/Articles.asp?article=NO_BSO


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## longers (9 Sep 2007)

Thanks, got it now.


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## palinurus (9 Sep 2007)

wafflycat said:


> A Bicycle-Shaped Object.
> 
> See
> 
> http://www.southcoastbikes.co.uk/Articles.asp?article=NO_BSO



That's a handy page, ta. Next time I need to dissuade someone..


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## Keith Oates (10 Sep 2007)

BSO, that's one to store away for a rainy day discussion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ChrisKH (10 Sep 2007)

There was me thinking it meant 'British Standard (but 'Orrible).


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## bof (11 Sep 2007)

My belief is that anyone in reasonable health could do L2B without training and given how crowded the route is, doing it at any serious speed is dangerous. So, to me, putting in training for it is pointless. I did it once when I had not been on bike for 2 years -and I was'n't doing lots of other sport. 

But then I caused offence a few years back when a relative suggested doing it and I said it was too easy, and a few years ago the Etape du Tour was filling up with people who thought it was the L2B but a bit longer. I think that maybe it is easy to forget that a beginner may not make the most sensible choices, but if the complainant was an experienced cyclist then he's a total wally.


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## Old Walrus (11 Sep 2007)

South Coast Bikes - top workshop, quick, efficient and good value for money.
10/10.


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## spire (13 Sep 2007)

Anyone with a moderate level of fitness should be able to do L2B at their own pace without any training. The proviso , of course, is that many won't be able to cycle up Ditchling. On that note, it always amazes me that so many young, fit-looking people with all the gear push their bikes at this point.


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## giant man (23 Sep 2007)

*


spire said:



Anyone with a moderate level of fitness should be able to do L2B at their own pace without any training. The proviso , of course, is that many won't be able to cycle up Ditchling. On that note, it always amazes me that so many young, fit-looking people with all the gear push their bikes at this point.

Click to expand...

*But that's only because they can't get past the teaming amount of 'cyclists' in front of them.


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## spire (27 Sep 2007)

giant man said:


> But that's only because they can't get past the teaming amount of 'cyclists' in front of them.




While that is true if you are a late starter, if you depart before 7.00am I have always found you can cycle up Ditchling.


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## pieinthesky (27 Sep 2007)

BentMikey said:


> What would your reaction be, inside your mind, to someone who told you they took 8 months to train for the London to Brighton?



I would think "good luck to you"

And "thats one less car on the road"


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## Sharky (13 Sep 2020)

The first time I rode the LTB, it was with a crowd from the office. None were cyclists, but some made an effort to get a few miles in. However, there was one chap who hadn't. In fact he didn't even own a bike. So he made arrangements to borrow one and collect it at the start on Clapham Common. Somehow he got to Brighton, threw the bike into the lorry and has never ridden a bike since.


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## CanucksTraveller (13 Sep 2020)

13 years must take the world record for thread resurrection, I can only admire what it took to unearth this glance at CycleChat members of yesteryear. It can't have been easy! 

I think Pontious was still in flight school when this kicked off. 😄


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## Oldhippy (13 Sep 2020)

Training? What's that!


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## Ming the Merciless (13 Sep 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> 13 years must take the world record for thread resurrection, I can only admire what it took to unearth this glance at CycleChat members of yesteryear. It can't have been easy!
> 
> I think Pontious was still in flight school when this kicked off. 😄



It’s the similar threads list which unearths these . What @Sharky wanted to say was it’s taken him 13 years to train for L2B. Then it was cancelled!


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## Sharky (13 Sep 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> 13 years must take the world record for thread resurrection, I can only admire what it took to unearth this glance at CycleChat members of yesteryear. It can't have been easy!
> 
> I think Pontious was still in flight school when this kicked off. 😄


As old as this thread may be, just worked out that it was started 20 years after my first LTB ride!


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## BurningLegs (13 Sep 2020)

I’m 31 years old and still training for it


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## Sharky (13 Sep 2020)

BurningLegs said:


> I’m 31 years old and still training for it


You've got time. I did my first in 87, when I was 37.


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## pjd57 (13 Sep 2020)

For those of us not familiar with those far flung remote southern parts , is it a long , hilly route ?


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## Sharky (13 Sep 2020)

pjd57 said:


> For those of us not familiar with those far flung remote southern parts , is it a long , hilly route ?


Not really. The ride itself is/was 56 miles and apart from Ditchling and Turners Hill, I don't remember it being that hilly. These two hills would be OK apart from all the other cyclists trying to do it at the same time. Was forced to dismount one year and other years got up OK.

I did it 4 years on the trot in the 80's and to make it a little more of a challenge, rode to the start and then rode home via Tunbridge Wells. The first time, I hit the wall at T'wells and had to ring for a lift home. The other years, I managed to get back home. About 140 mile round trip.


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## palinurus (14 Sep 2020)

L2B was the first long-ish* ride I ever did and that was with a group from work. I was riding to work regularly as was one other person. Nearly everyone else just turned up on the day and got around fine, someone borrowed a bike the day before and the crank came loose but they had mechanics on hand at intervals so that got en-route. This ended up being stored in the toilet at work for ages and then thrown in the metal skip (I saw it several times a day when taking a piss- it was a Raleigh Winner). First year got in a van to the start with colleagues, next time I did it I rode from Watford and then back from London (getting the train back from Brighton- they used to lay on a special)

*I was used to doing- irregularly- about 30 miles at a time I suppose, and about 17 miles daily to and from work.


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