Alex cycles London to Brighton
An Early Start
The starting gates were located on Clapham Common, which was roughly one hours drive from where I live. The start time was 7:00am which meant that I had to wake up at 4:45am and leave the house by 5:30am- a struggle to say the least!
Arriving at Clapham Common at 6:50am.
After a few quick stretches we set off. It was a slow start out into London as we clashed with the everyday traffic; lots of car horns aimed at the hundreds of cyclist only to be met with an orchestra of bells (bicycle ringing bells that is!).
About an hour into the ride I found myself 13 miles from the start line- a relief as this was exactly where I wanted to be- doing an average of 10mph. There were various “refreshment” points dotted along the course offering an array of hot, greasy foods of which was the cause of much restraint on my behalf! Fairly contradictory, since the ride’s purpose was to raise money and awareness for cardiovascular diseases- but I guess bacon rolls sell better than apples!
Straight out of London
This part of the course opened out as I was cycling through rural towns and country roads. I managed to increase my pace and start to overtake a few cyclists who set off earlier than me, this felt really good until I was overtaken by a team of keen athletes that started at 10am. They had all the gear; lycra, GPS and bikes, which put together would probably cost more than my car!
I managed to reach the halfway mark at Burstow, having a quick 5 minute break to refuel, and was back on the bike. Full of optimism I approached Turners Hill - a lovely village, full of character and rural charm - the only caveat being that it has a massive hill bang in the middle! This challenging part of the course was helped by the reception we received once we made it to the top, greeted by a brass band playing on the green, with the locals handing out water and other much needed refreshments. I could have stayed there all afternoon!
Beating the Beacon
Ditchling Beacon was the notoriously tough part of the course located at the 46th mile. So if 46 miles of rural cycling hadn’t already killed you, then facing a steep 741ft climb would certainly tip you over the edge! I quickly drank a concentrated energy sachet and began my ascent to the top. With my head down, I was committed to cycling all the way. However, when lifting my head up to see where I was going the winding slopes seemed to last forever and it felt like it would never end.
I found this video online of the climb:
After 22 minutes of solid uphill cycling I reached the top. My legs felt like jelly, my back was sore and my hands hurt from holding the bike handles for so long, but it was worth it. The views from the Beacon were amazing, there was a really nice atmosphere at the top; people celebrating, hi-fiving or lying down in relief. I’d managed to beat the beacon!
What goes up must come down… fast
Cycling down the beacon into Brighton was the highlight of the ride, as you could enjoy the stunning views with virtually no need for pedalling since it was all downhill. The final stretch out of the Beacon and into Brighton was a long and steep hill, so naturally I tried to go down it as fast as I could, my speedometer clocked 40.9mph!
There must have been hundreds of cyclists on the main road through Brighton, this was the final stretch! Cycling past the rows of traffic I finally could see the pier, I’d done it! Cycling past the crowds cheering I felt like Bradley Wiggins at the end of the Tour de France, such an incredible feeling!
I crossed the finish line with a time of 4 hours 59 minutes. Below are a few more statistics from the race which I recorded with Strava:
I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has already supported the cause either in person or online. At the time of writing we're just short of our fundraising target, so any further support would be greatly appreciated!
https://www.justgiving.com/TeamTunbridgeWells/
