After last year’s ride in a particularly wet June (for the pics go to the Gallery for June 2007), we’re quietly confident of making it to Brighton in relative dryness.

We’ll take mostly minor roads, face the challenge of Ditchling Beacon (everyone will be waited for and it’s no problem if you choose to walk it – we’ll be glad of a breather at the top) and return by train, probably after a drink/fish and chips or whatever by the beach.

Pub lunch but as always bring snacks.

There is a short off road bit which might cause full on racers a few issues but any other bike will be fine.

And for an example of the British weather’s sheer perversity, check out the Gallery for November 2007 when we went to Brighton in glorious sunshine.

Total distance – about 60 miles.

Meet Cutty Sark Gardens Greenwich 9:00 or Forest Hill railway station forecourt 9:45

Contact: Paul 07957 209322. NO TEXTS – talk – it’s good for you

Report

Our annual Bike Week ride to Brighton, carefully arranged not to clash with the mega charity ride which takes place the week before when Southern Trains bans all bikes on its trains. In fact such is its commitment to ecological travel and public service that it bans all bikes across its entire network on that day so we have to avoid any ride that might use its trains.

Ten of us at Cutty Sark Gardens and two more at Forest Hill railway station. Lots of newbies or very occasional riders which was good – more for the growing pool of fans of our rides. One Frenchman, one German, the rest of the usual mongrel bunch of Londoners.

Weather dry (a nice change from last June’s ride – see pics under “Gallery” for the full horror of that) though we faced a strong headwind all the way to Brighton. Some mutterings about maybe training it to Brighton and riding back under wind power but that of course would have spoiled the delights of Ditchling Beacon, so we set off to Croydon, down through Purley, then along the main road towards Caterham, forsaking the cycle route that takes you climbing up into suburbia and has a very slippy bit which felled several of us last time we ventured that way.

Made pretty good pace though one of our team was hampered by what may have been the most expensive bike of the group – a full suspension (not lockable) mountain bike more suited for racing down sheer drops over tree stumps and rocks. So we glided/bounced along to Caterham before the first climb.

Dropped down a pretty dangerous road over the M25 that I was shocked to learn is actually used by the thousands on the charity ride, past Blenchingly to Outwood where we recovered our strength in front of the windmill.

Last year we were making such awful time and the weather was so unremittingly wet that at this point we detoured to a nearby pub in the vain hope of sitting out the rain, but this year we took the intended route down a dried out muddy path.

Turners Hill for lunch then off through Ardingley and into more lanes. Glimpses of the, er, challenging south downs start to appear, but being a perverse bunch we ignored the signs for Ditchling and took what I think is a more scenic route before stopping for ten to fifteen minutes at the bottom under the encouraging V sign of trees. Not because we were tired (the last few miles had been pretty easy) but to psyche ourselves up for the near-one-mile climb to come. A motley collection of bananas, energy bars, energy gels, and the decidedly unstable sounding Red Thunder were gulped down to help power us up the Beacon, which most of managed to cycle up.

No major mishaps, just one puncture, mine, which I repaired with my usual attention to detail/slowness. Hope some of the new riders come back to enjoy our year-round rides. Now for the first Sunday in November run with the veteran cars - see “events” for details or click on “gallery” under November 2007 for reports and pics of the last time we did this rather mad ride.

Paul