London to Brighton bike ride - URGENT question!!

I appear to have won a place on this year's London to Brighton bike ride. The competition organisers have been kind enough to give three days notice

The thing is, I haven't trained. I've only been out on my road bike once. I'm fairly sure I can do the distance, but from what I've read (on here mainly - old threads) is that the ride is a bit tricky in terms of the sheer volume of people? Not to mention a big hill near the end... And how am I supposed to get to London for an early start, and back to Sheffield from Brighton with two bikes?!

Has anyone done this ride? Is it worth the hassle of trying to get there/back, or should I just say cheers, but let someone else have the prize? As far as I can tell, it's going to cost ~£200 for travel with this late notice...

Words of wisdom please

it may have changed, but I seem to remember something about not being allowed to take bikes on the train from Brighton afterwards - you had to book a special coach service back to London. That might be the biggest problem I could see???

Er, why two bikes?

The prize was for two places I wasn't planning on taking a spare

Hi Bookie - as I mentioned on FB - it's a nice race to do but as you mention it can be a little costly. My parents picked me up from Brighton but I remember the roads being packed - could you organise your own support crew?

I don't think I could with the late notice... I really want to do it, but the excitement is giving way to  'urgh, think of all the faff involved...'

Decisions, decisions...

don't bother - it's not the greatest of experiences as there are way too many cyclists, you can't get a decent  ride, and as soon as the first hill comes up people start walking which means you have to as there is no way you can ride past them as they crowd the road.

I've done it twice many many years ago and wouldn't do so again

and with the aggro of getting back to London now, it just ain't worth it imho

I've got very fond memories of doing the London to Brighton ride a few times when I was young, but...

1. I was young
2. I lived 6.5 miles from Clapham Common
3. I rode my bike a lot
4. I was fit enough to ride up Ditchling Beacon (the big hill at the end) whilst saying "Excuse me" every five seconds to the hoards of cyclists walking their bikes up
5. You could put your bike on the train back to Victoria
6. It seemed to be sunny EVERY year (actually the forecast is getting better but it's hardly going to be tropical)

Um, I'm with fb - I wouldn't bother!

...Ha! Check out my 80s bouffant and cycling threads!  (I'm on the left)  London to Brighton bike ride, 1988.

+1 with Phil

in "t'olden days", the L2B ride was OK - much less congested and you could actually ride up both Turners Hill and Ditchling Beacon - these days, you wouldn't get a chance unless you manage to get a very early start from the Common.

the  2nd time I did it turned out to be the hottest day of that year - and with a hangover after a friends wedding in (conveniently) London...

not for me again

I've still not decided... I've got until Saturday night to let them know, although if I leave it that late I'll definitely not have space on the coach back to London.

Apparently I can have whatever start time I like, so I could go off in the first wave and hopefully miss out on a lot of the congestion. The complete lack of training is an issue though... plus my thighs are incredibly painful today after some HIIT yesterday...

I'm leaning towards not going

I did it on a BMX a few years ago for a bet....nightmare was an understatement.

I would honestly just come down any other weekend and ride it yourself with a friend or two. I haven't done the ride but have heard the same feedback as yourself.... but rode it on a random weekend myself last year (with a few extra miles thrown in) and it was a very nice ride

I've mastered quite a nice route now I think. Do it another time.

Pirate L2B? 

Pencil in the Pearson 150 next year.  Same route to Brighton without the dull bits through London suburbs, plus you get to ride back again....

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Pencil in the Pearson 150 next year.  Same route to Brighton without the dull bits through London suburbs, plus you get to ride back again....

Sounds like a much better ride!!