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Anyone do this?
Got a last minute pass to ride and it was tremendous. 120 miles overnight from Hackney to Dunwich Beach. About 1500 odd very mixed (heavy shoppers to carbon whippets) sauntering through the Essex and Suffolk lanes to see the sun rise. There were people then going for a swim. Bonkers! I just slept on the peebles for a couple of hours.
Recommend this as part of your riding life. Diverse isn't the word. And it was FREE!!!! Just turn up and ride. Do it!!
I had a great ride. Struggling with weight and fitness I hitched a ride with a group from the Gregarios shortly after the start and when they came past I thought they would be cool for a few miles. But they were absolutely ace. They set a beautiful pace that had me get through it two hours quicker than I expected! Good company and Phil even dropped back to help me back on a couple of times. Thanks for never moaning that I didn't contribute on the front. Absolute gentlemen.
Was great to be picked up by my son and watch him and the three year old play in the sea as I tried to stay awake.
Anyone else do it?
It was a cracker! Set off with friends, but as is the way of things ended up doing most of the 2nd half by me self - yoyoing through the field (er, not literally you understand....) chatting with fellow riders. Light in the east by 3AM, dawn chorous, wonderful coffee stop just past Coddenham and the most sublime dawn ride to the shingle.
Well done to all who took part - its part of British Cycling Folklore!
Splendid.
Yes, second year for me. There was a huge turnout as the weather was so good and a lot more chain ganging going on since last year. I am a bit worried that the "spotive" mentality will take over and eke some of the chill factor out of the ride. Some groups came past me at 23-25mph..in the night! But that aside, fantastic atmosphere and amazing to wake up on the beach suddenly surrounded by thousands of bikes and kippers 😉
Hi Tim! Great to meet you on saturday. I'm Amit, one of said Gregarios (www.gregarios.co.uk).
Definitely was a good dynamo this year. The weather was great and there were lots of riders!
Phil and I decided to ride back this year. It was a long Sunday, but we finally made it back to London Fields at 5pm after 225 miles and 15 mins sleep (for me. Phil didnt sleep at all!) 🙂
The headwind on the return must have been a killer! Total respect damitamit! Will contact you about the frame and decals later. Got an idea. (always dangerous)
Agree about important to maintain the chill factor. Impormtue cafes to raise funds for gap year projects or new shops trying to help lent to a great atmoshpere.
Double post. Tired fingers!
I agree, massive respect damitamit. I pedaled back to Ipswich and that was more than enough for me.
It was my second time. A brilliant ride. Managed a couple of pub stops, bacon roll stops in people's gardens and got to the beach for a swim at sunrise. Couldn't have asked for more....although a full breakfast in the pub at 5am was another bonus. Brilliant.
I did and it was my first time.It was amazing to be part of the huge proccesion out of London and through Epping.There was almost a party atmosphere at the pub stops along the route.Then beyond the half way stop, it thins out a bit and you are alone with your thoughts through the dark,though I must say I didn`t feel sleepy at all.The first lightening of the sky and then dawn breaking make it all see a bit surreal.
Was fresh as a daisy up until the 90 mile mark then,shoulder ache and bum ache set in.That bacon buttie stop near Framlingham was a godsend.
Totally different to the feel of a sportive and may it remain so.A totally unique even and may even do it again next year when the aches subside.
I've done it a few times. In it's early days it was almost like an audax, run by Mosquito Bikes with a broom wagon and about 4 feed stops (low key) and then it went almost underground for a few years. Since then it's grown every year but amazingly it's kept the same low key feel in spite of having 1000+ riders.
I hope that no-one will be daft enough to try and cash in on it by turning it into a "Sportive", it's got a wonderful feel to it as it is and even the locals along the route are generally very welcoming - witness the pubs open through the night or the enterprising chap selling bacon sarnies (donations to charity) at Framlingham. Last time I did it a load of people were stood on a grass bank somewhere in the middle of nowhere offering tea and coffee. 🙂
We've talked about riding home a few times but the last time we were going to do that, the weather was horrendous so we bailed out and rode to Ipswich to get the train!
Some groups came past me at 23-25mph..in the night!
er. That was probably some of our larger group. The Dulwich Paragon fast group were on the beach at 330. We were on their bus didn't ride with the group for that long but there were a few sections when we were sustaining 40kmh. Katie, Keith and myself reached the beach exactly 8 hours after we left Hackney - moving average of over 25kmh which isn't bad given how slow it was getting out of London and the one beer stop we had.
Breakfast and beers on the beach at sunrise after an all night ride was an experience to remember. That said, I'm not sure I'd be rushing to do it again after how rough I felt yesterday afternoon (at least not without a few better nights of sleep beforehand - on Friday night at 8pm I could happily have gone to bed). A Torq Guarana gel every 90 minutes got me through from midnight onwards.
Turn around and ride back? Mucho respect. Energy wise could have kept pedalling but I was getting shaky by then and the digestive system was suffering.
Maddest ways to do it? There were a lot of Bromptons and one was there by the time we were in the Cafe queue. Unless they left a lot earlier than 8pm that's an incredible achievement on a Brompton. The few tandems we saw looked a lot of fun - would be great to do it that way. Guy with the dog on his recumbent - top man. Large group that were going for a Curry at about 1130 - not my choice before the second half of a long ride....
Was fresh as a daisy up until the 90 mile mark then,shoulder ache and bum ache set in
I went the other way. My saddle felt completely wrong for the first quarter of the ride and got better as it went on.
Much respect for the people who turned out along the route with camping chairs to cheer people on and massive thanks to the bike shop who set up near the half way point. Katie's back was suffering and their Solpadeine were a godsend
Oh yes, great times. Three of us did it, left at 9pm got there at 4.30. Brilliant. Leaving London and the blinking red lights were amazing, the dawn was beautiful. I was left with the hazy feeling that only 24hour racing normal brings.
Best rider was the big chap on a 29" singlespeed with a leg cadence of 120+ that was flying along at easily 25kph+. Strong man, should be in the squad for this summers games! Anyone know him?
The Dulwich Paragon fast group were on the beach at 330.
I was about ten minutes behind them. They had a girl in their group who kept up until about 95 miles then they dropped her..I passed her riding with two other blokes. I thought that a was a bit mean seeing as she'd fought so hard to stay on until nearly the end. They were really caning it though, I thought I was going well at 17-18mph but they flew past.
I can't believe how good I felt after a 65 mile ride to the start, off road tyres on the CX bike, three hours rest then off. I reckon it was the Thali from the Indian store in the London Fields market.
They had a girl in their group who kept up until about 95 miles then they dropped her.
She's quick - was in the Elite Crit at the Smithfield Nocturne the other week.
Jeez some sreiosly fast riders here.I was in a group of 6,1 on an mtb,2 on hybrids,3 of us first timers and we got there about 8am.Even if I had been riding solo and knocked off the 2 hours worth of breaks I`d still only have got there by 6am.
Given the longest road ride I`ve done this year was 40 miles just getting round was the priority.
Big thumbs up to Super Mario and Luigi on the tandem,and the Chicken!
aye, its cracking fun and a good spirit of riding which suits me. i applaud the way it is put together.
when we rode it last we had an advance food stash of bacon and eggs so avoided the desperate queuing for breakfast.
The Dulwich Paragon fast group were on the beach at 330.
Last time I did it a couple of years ago was with DP. It all split up as we left London and there were about 3 DP groups out on the road although we all met up (more or less by dumb luck!) after about 30 miles. The next 30 miles to the midway village hall took about 70 minutes - we were caning it. Proper disciplined through-and-off, no messing around. It was brilliant, I love being in good groups like that.
Once at the VH though, my gf and I left earlier than them to do the rest of the ride at our own pace. We got to the beach about 5 minutes before them even though they left the VH over an hour behind us!