British Heart Foundation London to Brighton off-road bike ride Epic!

[@JC-un4bg]

That weather looked insane for the day.

[@simonridesmtbtrails2422]

Yes, was amazing weather for the day made it all the more enjoyable. Wasn’t looking forward to it if it had been raining as the previous week had been.

[@russty81ify]

I got the First wave and pinched my inner tube 10 miles in, by the time i fixed it and got to this point 10.28 it was absolute carnage. People walking down 2-3 a brest people stacking it left and right..... they had closed the alternative techy route if you could call it that, because someone had stacked it and required an ambulance. Alot of people doing the ride that had zero training and completly out of there depth.

[@simonridesmtbtrails2422]

Oh yes, I think I came through just after that accident and they rerouted us down the alternative route that was techy that I loved, but yes, a lot of people were not prepared for that with their bikes or skills

[@chickbells]

I’m riding it this year. Looks like you have good skills and etiquette. Seems to be a lot of people struggling with the basics there though.

[@simonridesmtbtrails2422]

Thank you. I’m thinking I might ride it again this year. I think most of the route was fairly straightforward but there definitely were some downhill sections people struggled with, either with bikes not up to the terrain or not used to tackling techy downhills.

[@DARRENTRANCE]

Good effort 👌. You kept a good pace going. What time did you get ? Could probably take off an extra 20 mins of time because of the traffic you got caught up in.

[@simonridesmtbtrails2422]

Time from the timing chip was 6 hours 23 minutes. That was including a 20 minute lunch stop, about 3 additional stops to fill up water or change GoPro batteries. As you say without getting caught up in traffic could have easily shaved off 20 mins or more from the time.

[@HerculesXIV]

Anyone that's done this route think it would be silly to do so on a gravel bike, but also there and back in a day? The most I have done is 120km on a gravel bike, on road. I really want to challenge myself and working hard on my fitness at the minute. Any thoughts? I will not be riding on the event day, just a personal challenge in early September.

[@simonridesmtbtrails2422]

I think a lot of the route was fairly flat, especially along the downs link. So gravel bike is ok, but I did see a lot of people with punctures along the way so probably a good idea to have decent tyres and also tubeless sealant for those pin prick punctures. The most I did before the actual ride was about 25 miles. It’s really good on the day because there are lots of checkpoints to stop and refuel. Weather was great so that definitely helped the enjoyment of the day and made it easier

[@andybate9330]

I did it on a mountainbike myself and a mate on his gravel bike. Granted, he was much more efficient and quicker in certain places particularly on the Downs Link. He did find it a bit too rough in places for the gravel bike though, particularly some of the more technical climbs / descents in the Surrey Hills and the descent into Brighton where he felt that he was going to be shaken off! Certainly doable on a gravel bike but has its challenges!

[@mickpowell8503]

Not quite the same pzazz as the road event.