Surport Local Team
Well-known member
- Jan 5, 2011
- 716
Anyone doing this, I am trying to get fit. I am interested but a bit concerned I would be out of my depth.
Please advise?
Please advise?
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Brighton to Paris bike ride
- Thread starter Surport Local Team
- Start date
You'll not be out of your depth.
What bike are you riding, is it fit for purpose?
You've still got a few months of training, which is more than enough time.
You need to start off little and often.
Don't over do it Sunday morning keeping you off the bike for a week.
Build up gradually, try and do some cycling (in this weather any extra exercise) every 2 or 3 days.
You don't have to be able to ride 60 miles, twice, to ride 60 miles, if you see what I mean.
Before the start you need to be able to ride 30+ miles, without to much difficulty.
The other 20+ mile might be a challenge, but you'll have the core fitness to see you through.
Remember the course isn't taxing, apparently the French part of the route is a splendid ride on a well maintained surface.
So it's more to do with being able to put the miles in, in the saddle, than climbing up French mountains.
What bike are you riding, is it fit for purpose?
You've still got a few months of training, which is more than enough time.
You need to start off little and often.
Don't over do it Sunday morning keeping you off the bike for a week.
Build up gradually, try and do some cycling (in this weather any extra exercise) every 2 or 3 days.
You don't have to be able to ride 60 miles, twice, to ride 60 miles, if you see what I mean.
Before the start you need to be able to ride 30+ miles, without to much difficulty.
The other 20+ mile might be a challenge, but you'll have the core fitness to see you through.
Remember the course isn't taxing, apparently the French part of the route is a splendid ride on a well maintained surface.
So it's more to do with being able to put the miles in, in the saddle, than climbing up French mountains.
To be honest I think it depends on your current fitness level.
If like me, you are mid 40's, gave up smoking 2 years ago, go to the gym twice a week, bought a bicycle last year and have looked at this gig and thought 'mmmm', then maybe not. I think that trip is a lot of cycling.
Instead I would like to officially announce my intention to participate in the REMF Selhurst to The Amex trip in September. Anyone got a link to the official thread?
Good luck if you go for it, braver than me, not always that difficult to be fair mind!
If like me, you are mid 40's, gave up smoking 2 years ago, go to the gym twice a week, bought a bicycle last year and have looked at this gig and thought 'mmmm', then maybe not. I think that trip is a lot of cycling.
Instead I would like to officially announce my intention to participate in the REMF Selhurst to The Amex trip in September. Anyone got a link to the official thread?
Good luck if you go for it, braver than me, not always that difficult to be fair mind!
Differing opinions already. Maybe Stat Bro is more genned up than me, if so, fair play.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,641
I did a ride from the Pissfield to the Amex via Withdean just before the Amex opened. Think it was about 70-80 miles. Prior to that, I think the most I'd done was about 35 miles in one go, and was certainly not a regular cyclist.
It's not like running a marathon- look at all the fatties who do the London to Brighton bike ride annually in their only bike ride of the year. I guess it just depends on the fitness (and thus pace) of the other riders who do it- if a few of them fancy themselves as the next Chris Froome.
Go for it, you'll probably have a great time
It's not like running a marathon- look at all the fatties who do the London to Brighton bike ride annually in their only bike ride of the year. I guess it just depends on the fitness (and thus pace) of the other riders who do it- if a few of them fancy themselves as the next Chris Froome.
Go for it, you'll probably have a great time
champion7
fast and furious
The only thing to worry about is making the ferry the organisers specify that you have to be on.
I don't see any reason why, with your criteria, you couldn't do the France ride.
TBH London to Brighton is probably tougher, you'll not be riding up anything like Ditchling Beacon, or any of the 2 or 3 other climbs, when heading to France.
The distance you can cover on a bike is difficult to gauge but I'll be brave enough to say you can go further than you think.
But the right equipment, or a close approximation, is key.
There is a reason why 'we' ride 23mm skinny tyres on paper weight bikes, in skin tight clothes.
I'd imagine more people are put off cycling because they are riding the wrong bike.
Fat tyres, suspension, a big bomb proof frame, and your coat acting like a parachute might look comfy but is all but useless on the road.
Even simple things like keeping your tyres pumped up, makes a massive difference.
Edit - Just to be clear, I'm not saying you have to rush out and buy all the gear.
But what you do have needs to be fit for purpose.
If your current wheels can take thinner tyres, buy thinner tyres.
Struggling away with near flat tyres is so much tougher than skimming over the road with fully inflated tyres.
Your bike needs to be mechanically sound, clunking away in 3 gears because the other 15 'haven't worked for ages' needs a service.
If suspension can be turned off, do so.
and so on.
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Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
I cycled from Hammersmith to Bristol over two days. That was with minimal training and I was a heavy smoker then. The most difficult part was getting back on the bike on the morning of day two, but sleeping on a hard floor in a church hall didn't help. I felt I could've gone on further.
I see no reason why you can't do it.
I see no reason why you can't do it.
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TotallyFreaked
Active member
- Jul 2, 2011
- 324
I Cycled last year from Dieppe to Paris with my 2 teenage kids over three days. I imagine you will follow a similar route to the one we cycled as it is part of a cycle network. They had not cycled much beforehand but found it manageable so you should be fine. Although it is mainly flat the mid part of the route is what they call rolling hills so it can take it out of you if you have not put in the miles (this is where they struggled). However if you get out on the downs a bit you will be perfectly fine and just find a pace that suits you. A decent well serviced bike with some road tyres on will also help.
You will absolutely love the route and ride, the scenery is beautiful and the site of the Eiffel tower from around 5 miles out of Paris is such a great site. Much less cars on the road than here and French drivers are very courteous towards cyclists. They will usually indicate and then pass you on the other side of the road. My Kids hate cycling here due to traffic but felt very comfortable on the roads and tracks. I even felt more comfortable in Paris than on some of the roads around Brighton. If you follow the same route the first twenty miles are on a disused railway track known as the Averte Verte which is a great flat cycle. Good luck you will enjoy it lots.
You will absolutely love the route and ride, the scenery is beautiful and the site of the Eiffel tower from around 5 miles out of Paris is such a great site. Much less cars on the road than here and French drivers are very courteous towards cyclists. They will usually indicate and then pass you on the other side of the road. My Kids hate cycling here due to traffic but felt very comfortable on the roads and tracks. I even felt more comfortable in Paris than on some of the roads around Brighton. If you follow the same route the first twenty miles are on a disused railway track known as the Averte Verte which is a great flat cycle. Good luck you will enjoy it lots.
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Seagull over Canaryland
Well-known member
If it helps a close and quite sports minded lady friend who wouldn't describe herself as a serious cyclist did the McMillan London - Paris charity ride following a modest training programme (in between being a busy working Mum) and using a fairly basic road bike. It helped that she was highly motivated to complete the ride because she has a significant medical condition and saw the ride as a personal challenge in her life.
Their riding group included several experienced riders who mentored the first timers, plus they had a decent mobile support team.
I have deep respect for her, not least because she had a decent crash early in the ride and needed some patching up but was not deterred. OK their start point was London, not Brighton and she said the hardest part was an ascent near Rochester because she hadn't much climbing practice, but this also gave her a big morale boost which then set her up nicely for the rest of the ride.
She was on a huge buzz for ages after completing the ride and now regularly does 100 mile charity rides each year, because she now knows 'she can'. Good luck.
Their riding group included several experienced riders who mentored the first timers, plus they had a decent mobile support team.
I have deep respect for her, not least because she had a decent crash early in the ride and needed some patching up but was not deterred. OK their start point was London, not Brighton and she said the hardest part was an ascent near Rochester because she hadn't much climbing practice, but this also gave her a big morale boost which then set her up nicely for the rest of the ride.
She was on a huge buzz for ages after completing the ride and now regularly does 100 mile charity rides each year, because she now knows 'she can'. Good luck.
