This could potentially go in any of Commute, Strava or here...
Did L2B yesterday for the first time with a proper rider number and all the way from Clapham (I've done bits of it in the past, joining/leaving the route to meet friends and tag along). First few miles, until Carshalton-ish, were *such* a tedious slog. Car + bike congestion, traffic lights, lane changes, roadworks, buses ... is it always that bad?! Such a breeze in comparison, on previous occasions, bombing down the A23 and slipping out "the back way" over Farthing Downs. Still, great vibe as always out in Sussex. Shout-out to the Palace chariot!
An excellent day for me, ride-wise... I've been adding climbs like College Road to my homeward commute for months now and the hills all felt manageable, even Ditchling... although 3/4 of the way up, when I fancied I'd earned the "granny cog", it refused to shift
so I was forced to do it all on the middle cog (24-speed hybrid). Followed a couple of roadies most the way up, calling out "on your right!", so it was a smooth path. However, my mate had a bit of a 'mare. He's a proper gym-freak, unlike me, but doesn't do much cycling... I repeatedly left him behind on the climbs, and unfortunately only a short way up Ditchling he got cramp and had to get off and push, poor guy. Still, he'll learn his lesson and leave me for dust next year I dare say.
As we're halfway through the year, I totted up my miles (on Strava) and make it 700 almost exactly. 1500 for the year sounds like a go-er, but I have young kids and only currently do 2 x 20 mile commutes (i.e. 4 x 10 mile journeys) a week, so I'd need to up that to 3 and/or do a few major weekend jaunts if I'm going to make it...