... treating it as a race/ training ride/ competition?
Each year when I do the ride I am amazed by the (minority) number of "keen" cyclists who seem determined to ruin the ride for the vast masses of people who are there to enjoy themselves and raise money for the BHF.
The instances of "keep tto the left if you're wallking" being shouted and various obscenities that were raised at those people unable to cycle up Ditchkling Beacon were truly shocking.
I love the London to Brighton, and this year I started at 6am and I was fortnuate to avoid much of the cruch. My brother and other friends however started later and were amazed/ shocked by the rudeness of a small number of riders.
Not wanting to generalise too much (although that is precisely what I'm about to do!!) it does appear to be roadies who are mostly at fault of this.
Can anyone offer a resonable answer to this?
Cheers
Robin
.... why some cyclists INSIST on making L2B a misery by...
Do you mean as against mountain bikers. I don't think your serious road racing cyclist would enter such an event.
I agree with your comments about the bad language and such like which shouldn't happen but what is wrong with keeping to the left, it is normal road rules isn't it?
I don't see a problem with anyone trying to do any ride as fast as they can though.
I agree with your comments about the bad language and such like which shouldn't happen but what is wrong with keeping to the left, it is normal road rules isn't it?
I don't see a problem with anyone trying to do any ride as fast as they can though.
Sadly it's an event for the wannabes to pretend they are hard racers. I bet none of them have a BCF racing license. It's just like the jerks leaving Silverstone and hammering back down the M1 after the grand prix.
The real racers either
a) Enjoy a sociable day out
b) Stay at home and go racing another day
The real racers either
a) Enjoy a sociable day out
b) Stay at home and go racing another day
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Michaelfranks
Re: .... why some cyclists INSIST on making L2B a misery by.
robbo75 wrote:... treating it as a race/ training ride/ competition?
Each year when I do the ride I am amazed by the (minority) number of "keen" cyclists who seem determined to ruin the ride for the vast masses of people who are there to enjoy themselves and raise money for the BHF.
The instances of "keep tto the left if you're wallking" being shouted and various obscenities that were raised at those people unable to cycle up Ditchkling Beacon were truly shocking.
My brother and other friends however started later and were amazed/ shocked by the rudeness of a small number of riders.
Robin
I have made similar comments in another posting and a work college had the same problems riding up Ditchling Beacon. By then I was exhausted and just pushed my bike up hill on the left side of the road!
It does seem something needs to be done but what?
CTC members must have experience of organising large rides. Do they have any helpful suggestions?
But as I said in my earlier post, what is the problem of keeping to the left either when walking with your bike or riding . After all that is the rule of the road isn't it?
I do agree though that there is no room whatsover for the abusive language and behaviour which some people use.
I gave up riding events like this quite a few years ago, not because of the attitude of faster riders but because of the problems you encounter with the not so experienced cyclists. I think it is great that people get out on their bikes and do these sort of events but I quickly found out that they are not for me.
I do agree though that there is no room whatsover for the abusive language and behaviour which some people use.
I gave up riding events like this quite a few years ago, not because of the attitude of faster riders but because of the problems you encounter with the not so experienced cyclists. I think it is great that people get out on their bikes and do these sort of events but I quickly found out that they are not for me.
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biking_fox
I've not done the L2B but have done the Manchester Blackpool a few times. Never experiance or heard of anyone experiancing this, and there are a lot of keen 'roadies' pushing it fairly hard. Maybe its a "Southern" issue. 
The biggest problem is the majority of riders who ride several abrest blocking the road for the rightly agrieved motorist behind. Just because its a 'big' ride doesn't mean normal road rules don't apply. This includes stopping at traffic lights.
It is a wonderful sight ot see that many riders out together though.
The biggest problem is the majority of riders who ride several abrest blocking the road for the rightly agrieved motorist behind. Just because its a 'big' ride doesn't mean normal road rules don't apply. This includes stopping at traffic lights.
It is a wonderful sight ot see that many riders out together though.
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peter236uk
- Posts: 543
- Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 1:44pm
L to B
Hi this was my first year doing the event although a keen cyclist 9 off us did it from my rugby club more for a laugh and enjoyable day out,
Yes the hill sections are frustrating I had to get off up ditchling becuase of numbers of people and yep i heard same comments from some mostly older cyclist more experianced people but hey ho.
I do not think you can take that event as a serious event due to the numbers much better to do London Cambride or Oxford cambridge when there are less people.
We still had a good time and stopped at few pubs and just enjoyed it thats what it is all about really.
Yes the hill sections are frustrating I had to get off up ditchling becuase of numbers of people and yep i heard same comments from some mostly older cyclist more experianced people but hey ho.
I do not think you can take that event as a serious event due to the numbers much better to do London Cambride or Oxford cambridge when there are less people.
We still had a good time and stopped at few pubs and just enjoyed it thats what it is all about really.
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mrs doubtfire
- Posts: 110
- Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 1:05pm
- Location: Meanwood Leeds
L2B MISERY
Come up to Yorkshire next year .See www.gybr.co.uk This event is part of Bike Week.Wetherby Racecourse to Filey.A distance of 72 miles.Super scenery good refreshment stops and just enough hills to keep it interesting.Also cyclists of every shape and size and ability. It is a great day out.
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Kim Mitchell
This is just to bring a bit of balance to the thread so far but obviously it is only my own personal experience of the day.
I'm in my 60th year and have been cycling for almost a year now. Last Sunday was my debut L2B and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My buddy and I had asked for - and got - a 6.30am start which because of a huge delay to the 6am starters (does anyone know what that problem had been?) we didn't get away till 7.20am.
I have to say that despite many helpful warnings from experienced cyclists and the various grumbles in this thread I didn't encounter one single instance of bad behaviour or foul language or impatience from any of the proper BHF L2B riders. I qualified that carefully because in the Clapham - Tooting area we were joined by a bunch of eight or ten extremely irritating hoody ASBO types who whizzed in and out of us doing wheelies and yelling abuse at all and sundry. Luckily I didn't see anyone rise to the bait and I never saw them again after Tooting - anyone know how long they lasted?
The only other irritation for us was between Carshalton and Fannies Farm where our part of the 'peloton' was joined by a lone roller-bladed speed skater who I found particularly annoying because, like many skaters, he needed to weave a lot which meant that he was constantly weaving in and out of quite a tight bunch of cyclists. The sound of his constant trailing leg dragging his rollers on the road for braking effect was also quite alarming. I have to confess that I gave a wry smile when I later heard that he'd ended up in a hedge somewhere between the M25 and the M23; shame!
Considering that it was my first time I'm glad that I didn't have any problems and was impressed by the 'racers'; i.e. anyone faster than me and my 11.5mph average who would simply shoot straight past even occasionally saying, "Coming through on your right, please" or words to that effect.
Overall a great day and I'm looking forward to doing it or something similar again soon.
Many thanks to those of you who answered my plea for L2B information a couple of months ago.
I'm in my 60th year and have been cycling for almost a year now. Last Sunday was my debut L2B and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My buddy and I had asked for - and got - a 6.30am start which because of a huge delay to the 6am starters (does anyone know what that problem had been?) we didn't get away till 7.20am.
I have to say that despite many helpful warnings from experienced cyclists and the various grumbles in this thread I didn't encounter one single instance of bad behaviour or foul language or impatience from any of the proper BHF L2B riders. I qualified that carefully because in the Clapham - Tooting area we were joined by a bunch of eight or ten extremely irritating hoody ASBO types who whizzed in and out of us doing wheelies and yelling abuse at all and sundry. Luckily I didn't see anyone rise to the bait and I never saw them again after Tooting - anyone know how long they lasted?
The only other irritation for us was between Carshalton and Fannies Farm where our part of the 'peloton' was joined by a lone roller-bladed speed skater who I found particularly annoying because, like many skaters, he needed to weave a lot which meant that he was constantly weaving in and out of quite a tight bunch of cyclists. The sound of his constant trailing leg dragging his rollers on the road for braking effect was also quite alarming. I have to confess that I gave a wry smile when I later heard that he'd ended up in a hedge somewhere between the M25 and the M23; shame!
Considering that it was my first time I'm glad that I didn't have any problems and was impressed by the 'racers'; i.e. anyone faster than me and my 11.5mph average who would simply shoot straight past even occasionally saying, "Coming through on your right, please" or words to that effect.
Overall a great day and I'm looking forward to doing it or something similar again soon.
Many thanks to those of you who answered my plea for L2B information a couple of months ago.