Six of us met at London Bridge for the ride, falling to five after one re-checked his email and realised that he was with the wrong group. See you next time Robert.

A slowish train took us to Gatwick where we took the unmarked goods lift from the terminal to the cycle path below (for info, leave the train platform, enter the holiday crowds in the terminal, take a sharp left opposite check-in zone J and there it is).

Off down the NCN Brighton route, turning off to follow the signs to Three Bridges railway station. This is actually the marker for where the route splits between the Brighton and Eastbourne branches though you wouldn't know it from the Sustrans signage.

Just after Three Bridges station we took off on to the Worth Way , a tree-shaded pretty smoothly covered ex railway track. A badly marked turn at Worth Church was successfully negotiated. An attractive-looking church which we didn't have time to check out, but a mental note was made to return.

Over the M23 and there the leader managed to miss not so much a turn as a straight-on and his reccy notes about complications on this patch offered no insights - this patch had been such a breeze before he hadn't brought a map for this bit.

A four-mile loop followed, offering a nice downhill run, roads back to Maidenbower and, yes, a second view of Worth church and the M23. The turn/straight on was caught this time and off we went.

Through East Grinstead where the signage again goes wonky (just follow the road signs through the town centre) but this was negotiated OK and some, including the leader, started to feel more confident. After the tarmac, back on to trails when we hit the Forest Way - more easy cycling through Winnie the Pooh Country until we hit the road again a few miles before Eridge station - on the Uckfield line and a handy place to join the route.

About 15 miles of undulating quiet roads followed with some climbs but nothing too tough. Steve on his recumbent managed the curious bit of bramble-strangled path past Eridge station better than any of us and for a party trick managed to get a branch to hook his headband off. This is the toughest bit of a generally easy ride and Martina, who hadn't done any longer rides in a while, started to wonder if she was up to it. A mixture of encouragement and pushing onwards pulled her through it, even when we managed to get to the planned pub stop a few minutes late - they'd actually stopped serving early. More intermittent climbing and we reached the Cuckoo Trail where the ride becomes a breeze - a gently downhill gradient and it's possible to really fly if you want to. Just keeping a look out for the family groups.

We stopped at Horam, home to an all-day pub, a cider farm and a good selection of cafes, particularly an impressive bikers' (motorised) caff which is also host to a fair number of cyclists. Steve seemed to prioritise beer over food so we had a good pint at the pub. We'd missed its lunchtime food so we snacked outside and I went to the bikers' caff for a sausage in a bun. Returning to the group I was accosted by the landlord angry about people easting at his tables even though I was standing and had all but eaten the bun. And we had tried to buy food from him. He was seriously narked. I moved further away from his table but I was clearly judged to be still offside with a sausage and was guided over his white line.

I needed my bottles refilled so I was determined to take up his earlier offer to refill them so, to laughter from the group, I popped back in to ask nicely. I explained that we'd never set out to cynically abuse his premises and all was well. I guess he'd had a bad day from more calculated cheapskates filling his tables. Just shows folk can be decent. We will return.

Back down the Cuckoo Trail we cut off before Polegate at the end to improvise a route down a particularly peaceful country lane. Felt like miles from anywhere - the dome of Herstmonceux Castle 's old observatory beckoned across the flatlands but we pressed on to join NCN route 2. The sea came into view and we stopped to admire and take some pics of a herd of llamas/alpacas, though they couldn't be tempted to pose with Lewisham cyclists. More interested in ravishing each other I think.

The last bit of the route followed the sea on a glorious mellow summer's evening. Through Bexhill and past the wondrous De La Warr Pavilion - a highly influential modernist building about to reopen after an extensive English Heritage restoration. Hastings is much-maligned. The data shows that it is an area of fairly serious deprivation and bits of it are decidedly tatty. But it has real character, particularly the old town. We stopped for some great fish and chips and a beer on the seafront then headed back to the station for a train about 8:20.

Steve had a more expensive ticket so he went back on the fast train but the other four of us went on our el cheapo Southern Trains Daysave ticket. The entire journey London bridge to Gatwick and Hastings back to London had cost us £5.25 each (£21 for four with registered post 1 week in advance from the

web) and we could actually have wandered all day on it. We'll make more use of this in the future I think.

A pretty late return to London but I hope we all enjoyed it. Well I did.

Thanks to everyone for their company. Steve proved that recumbents can climb and go off road. Congratulations to Martina on finishing the ride - the ride to Hastings is far better than the last bit to Eastbourne - I promise.

Thanks to Judith for one of her rapid main road routes back from East Croydon (I must get a map out and figure if it makes any sense). And thanks to Ian for his patience with my non-satellite guided-navigation and making sure I didn't lose anyone down on planet earth.

About 68 miles. One puncture. A ride to repeat I think, but may be better to picnic on the Cuckoo Trail, leaving time for more beer stops.

Paul