Good turnout for the first Brighton ride of 2016. Weather just about right - dry and not too hot for the important bits like climbing Ditchling. Teamed with Alex to take the 16s down - Alex whinged about the route I took last year up Dean Lane from Starbucks at Hooley so just went down to Merstham and then over to Bletchingley and down to Outwood. Just enjoying the downhill from Bletchingley when Simon called a puncture... another convert to the Var tyre levers
Avoided Smallfield by taking Cogmans and Dowlands and on to the Turners Hill road.
The gents had a pitstop at Turners Hill in the pub car park (you know, I think we should stop that...) and the ladies had one at Lindfield in the public loos there (for those interested, they're up the road on the right just before leaving the high street). Took it steady up Ditchling to the usual photo stop at the top.
Not sure I'm going to have spaghetti prawns again, though they were nice, as I felt a bit sick coming out of Brighton up and over Devil's Dyke but I was the last vc at the Regency and I had a group of 15s/16s to get back home. Stayed together pretty well though I felt sorry for Fred's friend, Paul, who was struggling from the word go but with a few stops to regroup and rest including a last minute stop at the shop in Rusper for tea, ice-creams etc... we all made it back
