The Railway Touring Club - Downs Link Ride

And I'm out. 'Did a Froome' on Sunday and damaged the tendons in my hand. Hope you all have a nice ride. Fingers crossed I'll be able to join you on the next one. Watch out for walls!

Wondering about doing a badger ride before this. I am woefully out of shape.

Oh no, I hope they heal well and quickly

Thank you. It's a long and slow process unfortunately.

long and slow process

Sounds like one of these rides

I hope it’s a shorter period that feared matey

Just found this thread having realised I did the Downs Link on a London to Brighton trip last weekend - bloody good fun!
23c tyres, plastic wheels 👍🏻
Edit - didn’t take any pictures on the trail, was having too much fun...

Day booked off. Hoping my bike doesn’t fall to pieces before then (today - a noticeable creak when I mash the drive side, panicking that there’s some flex in the frame that wasn’t there before...).

Totally missed this post!

After you’d mentioned the long circle west-then-northwards from East Grinstead I had wondered about a shorter circular ride from Shoreham on the Downs, bearing east to Three Bridges, then Worth Way (never done that one) > Forest Row and out south again. Plenty of bail points, but you start and end 50 miles from London : /

Day booked off. I'm coming.

@Klar @vilms5000 Great news!

Do we need a list of where people are meeting the group, I had assumed all at the IH, but thats probbaly not going to happen in reality, is it?

Good idea! While I want to ride from IH and therefore not miss all of the hilarious in-jokes that will develop in those crucial first miles (?), I live in Tooting and that little roundabout by Mitcham Eastfields is an obvious place to join. Soooo...

Can I come too? Just wondering how folk are planning to get back to town? (I’m based in Tunbridge Wells so might ride/train etc 👍🏻👍🏻

Train for me, because thats half the fun!

Route updated with a 'control' added where you are meeting us.

Happy to add more meeting points in for others, in an attempt to not forget you!

@Ecobeard Cheers!

I’m either going on to -erm- Shoreham or possibly Sompting. The definite part is: Lateish train back from Brighton to East Croydon then pedalling back to SW17.

I'm thinking about riding at least some of the way back. All depends on what state I make it to Brighton in.
Although I haven't looked at route options yet.

Well, for a start you will have gone to the wrong place

I'm in Streatham Vale, so yes, that would make sense for me as well. What time would we aim to get there?

That’s an @Ecobeard question?

(obv if they leave at 8 they’ll likely smash the 7 miles to Eastfields in around 30 mins, so we should be there around 0830 yes/yes?)

Yeah, sounds sensible, we will probbaly be late though as there will be:

• Faff
  
• Someone will be late
  
• There is no rush
  
  

So 08-30 to 08-45 ?

Aye.

I'll meet you at the IH at 8am.

I'll plan to ride back. I need the mileage. I'm very happy to make my own way back if others are faster than me and want to smash their way home. As a guide, I should avg 14mph.

Think I'll want to ride back, sort of depends on whether I've chosen the right gear

I'll meet you all at the Mitcham Eastfield station pickup, as i'll be coming from South-weezy.

Route edited to include pubs and breweries we can stop at.

S-B-S pubs and Fish and Chip shop to add.

If people @Klar @psg1ben want to ride back and dont neccesarily want to stop when we do, theres no issue with you going ahead to make more use of your time. I'm very much treating this as days holiday :)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30466854