Bob’s Own Account of his Fantastic Bike Ride
London to Brighton charity bike ride Sunday 17th September 2017 in aid of Crossens Bowling Clubs defibrillator repairs
The idea of the bike ride, goes back to the early fifties, when watching the film Genevieve, at the ABC Regal, Southport, and it has taken over sixty years, to get round to cycling it, and the route is a lot harder than the route taken by the antique cars.
Saturday, set of for London by train, when I got off the train at Euston, there was a phone call from my wife, to say that the hotel I had booked into in Wandsworth, had called to say the hotel was closed for emergency repairs, told her not worry. Set off for the Premier Inn at the County Hall, where they rebooked me in. the room had a smashing view, over the Thames, and the London Eye.
Had a text from Sue Davies wishing all the best, and have an early night, I replied that I was already in bed with my bike.
Sunday, early breakfast, and set off for Clapham Common the signing point for the ride. There was over four and half thousand cyclists taking part, took several photos then set off for the fifty four mile ride.
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The ride started off at a gentle ride through Balham, Tooting Broadway, Croydon, and then hills started appearing regular, though not much problem, as I had been getting plenty of training in, over the last three months, some of the rides where quiet exhilarating, but at one point going down hill, the battery lock disintergrated, and came apart and disappeared, fortunately I always carry something to repair problems, tired the battery up with a luggage belt, and carried on. |
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The route was well signed and marshalled, most of the roads where narrow lanes, which was frustrating to the jags and mercs, who trying get to their golf clubs, they would roar up behind a party of cyclists, but would have quiet a bit of a wait before they could get past, only to be held by the next bunch of cyclists hundred yards further up the road, quiet good fun seeing their beetroot face |
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Onwards passed Carshalton pond, see photos, Epsom and on to Turners Hill some 600ft high, here we all stopped for a two coarse meal, of pasta, rice and salad, cake, fruit and tea. The organisers had laid bike mechanics, for those that had problems, and of course portable loos. |
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From there the was only twenty five miles to go, a long drop followed, down to sea level, before we sighted Ditching Hill. This hill is over twice the height of Parbold, at 1000ft, has climbs of |
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After short break for water and more fruit, it off again, in the distance you could see Brighton. What goes up must come down, and so the must thrilling part of the ride, and dangerous, touching forty five mile mph at times and averaging well over thirty, before we hit the outskirts of Brighton.
From there on we were in convoys, all the way to Brighton promenade, and the finish with an ice cold bottle of water and a medal.
Coaches and vans, had been laid on to take us back to Clapham common, which took two and half hours, it then dawned on me how far the ride was.
Cycled back to Premier inn, some six miles away, without battery power, as it had packed up in Brighton.
The following day having charged the batteries, it was off back to Euston, on the way I took some more photos of London, and managed to see changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, then taped the local bobbies up to close the Mall, while a took several pictures of my bike.
Arrived back in Southport, and cycled up to Crossens Bowling Club, to be greeted by the vets team.
I would liked to thank all my sponsors, and Garry and Mike at Mosscrops cycles, who serviced my bike, straightening my back wheel and fitting new brake blocks, which came in very handy at some of the speeds I was going.
Would I do it again, it was always a ride I wanted to do, and I know what people say about e bikes. Several years ago, I was struggling riding with my knees and chest, so I took the plunge, and bought a Batribike Granite |Pro, from then on cycling took off again. Merseyside has many of cycle tracks, and good train service to get you to want to start from. Take the Wirral way, superb ride from Hooton, back to Seacombe ferry, then train or cycle it back to Southport, like me.
Hope you have enjoyed my rambling story, next year it might Hadrains wall or the transpennine route
All the Best and Thanks Bob Mitchell