Just got home - nicked her batteries and left Lucy at Beachy Head.
Wow - that was hard, I mean fun.
Lyndsey, Lucy, Sam and I didn't quite manage what i now realise was an impossible attempt at a highly ambitious ride. That doesn't make sense but I'm tired and you know what i mean.
We followed the normal captain's coastal to Brighton route to just past Turners Hill but then turned off to Sharpthorne, and through to Horsted,Fletching, Piltdown and Uckfield using quiet lanes. Lots of ups and downs but a beautiful sunny day and the lanes were incredibly smooth and un-potholed (why are Surrey's so bad?
).
From Uckfield we went via Waldron, Lions Green, Horam, and then over the Pevensey Levels - one of my favourite places on Earth and got to Eastbourne via bits of the A259 (which pleased Lyndsey - not interested in the countryside just wanted to go fast on dual carriage ways!!
) about 1.30 (four hours riding!!).
We all had pasta, al fresco at an Italian Restaurant, and made plans for the return. We were already behind schedule - Lyndsey decided he would ride to Brighton and either stay with a mate or get the train home from there. The rest of us decided to head back to uckfield and make a decsion there. We set off about 2.40 and rode over Beachy head - extraordinarily windy (and I'm talking weather here
) - a horrendous headwind, the noise was something else, constantly buffetted - bloody hard and not nice at all. Along the A259, up that 16% climb, then again that horrible headwind and it was just as bad. Finally got to seven sisters and turned inland - peace and quiet and a bit of rest bite.
Headed to Uckfield via Berwick station, Laughton and Palehouse Common - really lovely, sky larks singing away, hardly any cars. Lucy and I keeping a good pace and poor old sam really suffering - back brake rubbing didn't help but main problem was his bum - which was aching really bad!!! come to think of it so was mine!!
Got to Uckfield at 5.00 and decided enough was enough (still had 50 kms to go and knew that we weren't going to enjoy the rest of the ride
), just missed the train so had some good coffee and some really delicious short bread cake thingy at a nice newish cafe (thoroughly recommend) while we waited for the next one.
Home by 7.00 - 145 kms/90 miles on the clock and 672 metres of climb. Next time I'll take a more direct and less scenic route.
Thanks to Sam, Lucy and Lyndsey who made it a great day. Really enjoyed it. hard but fun, fun, fun!!
