LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Gav · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:39 pm Subject: London to Brighton Bike ride / Skate

Rick,

haven't you ridden this before? They're talking about doing it on the WNS marshalls newsgroup.

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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2004 09:15:06 EST
From: pau<NO EMAILS IN PUBLIC FORUM PLS>.xxx
Subject: London to Brighton Bike ride / Skate

On Sunday the 20th June there is an event called the London to Brighton Bike
ride.
It is 56 miles long, and about 27,000 bikes, turns into a continuos line from
London to Brighton.
I have asked the British Heart Foundation press office if it would be
possible to skate along side, and raise some money, but they have not replied.
This is the bike entry form http://www.cycle-rides.co.uk/LBentryform.pdf
An official entry would cost £11:50 for the shirt £21.50 for the entry fee
(pack)
£20:00 train back If you use a bike.
I think to pull it off, it would need a small group of skaters to keep the
bikes at bay.
Ok, so we cannot do it officially on skates, but it is all on normal roads.
If it rains on the day we can just forget it, because it would be impossible
to do and no fun.
But on a good day it could be a bit of a challenge, and Great Fun.
Skate to Brighton have a beer or so, get something to eat, get train back.
What do you think, is anybody up for it?
Paul

Xia · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 874 Location: Geneva (Suisse)

done it on a bike,
don't bother turning up with skates...

It is allready hard to do it properly on a bike as there are too many people.

On hills, 80% will be walking and you end up with massive traffic jams, at one point I was stopped for 30 minutes in a hill.

The level of the rider is awfull and would probaly put the skaters at risk, I had a few close calls on my bike. Ambulances crews had a busy day.

I doubt I would do it again even on a bike.
Alex

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

I have to agree with Alex. Unless you start very early or very late it is too congested on the hills and would be quite dangerous to mix with novice cyclists on the downhills.