When to ride London to Brighton

London to Brighton runs from Clapham Common to the seafront, about 54 miles (87 km), and it is a one-day ride. The point of pacing it is to arrive at Ditchling Beacon with something left.

Time: one day. You need: a bike with low gears, and the route GPX.

Commit to one day

Clapham Common to Brighton seafront is about 54 miles or 87 km. Ride it steadily. Spending the first hour trying to feel fast is the usual first-timer mistake.

Set the bike up for the Beacon

Any bike works: road, hybrid or hire.

1. Low gears matter. On the steep ramps you want to spin.
2. 25 mm is fine in the dry. 28 or 32 mm is nicer on the Surrey lanes.

Shift through the easiest gears before you leave and check they change cleanly.

Save the second half

The day opens through Clapham, Tooting and the Surrey edge, then rolls through the Sussex Weald before the Downs.

Keep the early pace easy enough to talk. Do not chase faster riders. Eat and drink before the Downs, not after you have already gone quiet.

Feeling fresh at Redhill is the trap. The Beacon is near the finish.

Treat Ditchling Beacon as the checkpoint

Ditchling Beacon is about 1.5 km at around 9 to 10 percent, with steeper bits around 16 percent.

1. Shift before the road kicks up.
2. Stay seated and keep a steady cadence.
3. Do not surge before the steepest ramps.

Walking a short stretch is fine. It is better than arriving at the top empty.

Descend, then finish on Madeira Drive

The descent into Brighton is fast. Brake early enough to stay in your line. Madeira Drive is the usual finish. From there it is the seafront, or the train.

Load the London to Brighton GPX before you set off, so you can see how far the Beacon still is instead of guessing. If you are choosing the morning, score the route for the hour you would leave. Wind on the open downs is the part a town forecast will not show you.