I HOPE I can help clarify a few points about the London to Brighton Bike Ride and the traffic congestion caused on Father’s Day (Letters, June 25).

The ride raises a great deal of money for heart research. As the majority of sufferers are men, it is to raise awareness of the issue among those most at risk – fathers.

Living in an interesting city, one event will always clash with another.

The traffic congestion surrounding this event has been caused by the privatisation of the railways and the refusal of private railway companies to co-operate.

In the past, extra trains were provided at a reasonable cost with large, wagon-type carriages to put all the bikes in, leaving the seats free for passengers, riders or otherwise.

This system worked very well. I used to help marshall the riders at Brighton Station in the 1990s. There was no need for anyone to drive in to collect friends who had been cycling, so there was no congestion. Simple really.

Jackie Jones, Upper Lewes Road, Brighton