Rough Stuff rides for LFGSS folk, join regular rides that avoid tarmac

Rest day? Busy? Or reckon Brighton will be too busy? I didn’t register that it would be on Easter Sunday at all

Easter Brunch is a big tradition in my family. Especially good when Paris-Roubaix or Flanders is on TV after!

Ah well to be fair, that sounds like a really lovely day! not a bad trade off at all.

My only issue with Sundays is the sketchy railways (can see nothing bad for that weekend tho). Is Saturday not an option? It definitely makes the transit from N19 to Brockley a lot faster!

Ah well simply because I’ve gotta see my partner’s family on the Saturday…

Railway should be fiiiiiiiiiiiine

A rough and ready Pilgrim's Way route.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/380103
Note that I've made this stupidly hard by starting at Merton Abbey Mills and following the Wandle out, this means that you ride up some bastard loose steep hills (for example Plantation Lane). I did this, as this actually means we start the ride close to the Pilgrim's way and get the chance to visit the church at Chaldon with its 800 year old doom painting. If you so desire, you can purchase Pilgrim's passport, stamp it in the church and again in Canterbury. I'm not at all religious, but ancient customs fascinate me.

A shorter alternative would be to join the route just south of New Addington (between points 20 and 21) .

We'd stop for food in Shoreham before climbing the ridiculously steep hill to re-join the Pilgrim's way at Ortford.

We'll cross a medieval bridge at Aylesford where we can stock up on food and drink if required before taking to the Rochester Road and once again picking up the Pilgrim's way through to Wye before heading north-east to Canterbury for a well-deserved pint and the train home.

I would also really love to take a stove and some food along with me and cook part-way, but I'm not sure how popular an option this would be on a 95 mile ride!

I have ridden almost all this route and it's an absolute cracker.

Cheers @Alex_B - I’ve nibbled at some of this (middle section joining at Otford) before. I’d happily do this again, but maybe joining from a point where the train deposits me to south of London (hey! could be Otford!) but it’s a Sunday dependent thing.

Basically: This or a version of /or/ Stayer to the south coast = yes.

Seems a very circuitous way to join the Pilgrims Way, which you can pick up easily at the bottom of Titsey Hill. Your route also misses some of the best bits of the Pilgrims Way.

Some route change suggestions - after point 33 you can take a bridleway that takes you straight through to the bridleway you pick up for point 35. After Wrotham, you can pick up the Pilgrims Way again if you take the white road on your map from the intersection with the M20, it then follows the bridleway that you pick up below Vigo village and that takes you all the way through to the outskirts of Snodland. You can then cross the Medway on the new bridge and pick up your route again at waypoint 39.

If you fancy a dip in the sea (sewage permitting) at the end, then it's another 6 miles or so to Whitstable on the Crab and Winkle Way, which has some nice sections too.

Well the democracy of the instagram poll shone through and decided that we’re going to Brighton on Easter Sunday. I got my #graphicdesignismypassion skills out for this lovely flyer (keep all constructive criticism to yourselves to spare my feelings).

Hopefully some of you can join like you did last time, let’s pray for nice weather.

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Wow. That’s great : )
Late 80s, like steppy graphics, that stretchy type was in everyone’s toolbox (I think LetraStudio was the first software package that could do this interactively - gawd ask yer dad). Actually looks new and refreshing!
Thanks for organising this : )

Hahah that’s great! I owe the font choices to my partner, and the logo, she’s creatively wild n whacky and I’m pretty boring and uninventive. Without her it would all definitely feel far more old and cliche.

And no worries! It’s all really just a selfish exercise to find people to ride with without having to give in and join an official cycling club haha

The ride to Brighton on Sunday 9th (this Sunday) is still going ahead, forecast looks okay, trains are running, 8am Brockley Overground Station the Browns of Brockley side (:

yes yes yes

A few pics from the ride today. The route definitely packed a punch, that final off road climb peaking at like 20% was not expected. Had no idea it existed!

Cheers for coming @vilms5000 enjoy your train back.

P.s. anyone know the quickest way to get a snapped boa lace replaced? Got something caught in my shoe walking up aforementioned monsterclimb and snapped the wire :( I’ve request a free replacement kit from Boa but that takes quite a while

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Lace or ratchets? I could have a rummage through my spares tomorrow

The metal cable that tightens in the twisty ratchet? Sorry calling it a ‘lace’ is maybe confusing but didn’t know what else to call it. Would be eternally appreciative!

I'll see what I can find. I had a ratchet go years ago and Boa just sent out an entire replacement for a pair of shoes. I may still have them somewhere. If I find them I'll PM you.

Nice. I'd have loved to have ridden with you, but I was visiting my dear old mum.

The Downs Link is a good route for a social ride. You can cover a lot of ground quickly, but it is kind of boring. What astonished me is that no cafes have sprung up to serve all those cyclists passing by.

Late response, but there is the Milk Churn just off the Downs Link near Rudgwick that caters to cyclists and would recommend.
You can also jump off it at places like Cranleigh and there's shops and cafes right next to it.

Triffic pics! and thanks again for leading a fun day out, which had a bit of everything and not too much of that bloody Lewes Rd : )

BTW: My cunning plan from Hove was a fail. Got back to N19 after 9, d’oh.

Heard a rumour that the Pilgrims to Canterbury (from somewhere south London-y) is the 14th May. Excite.

Yeah i reckon it could be. Is there a good gpx of the route anywhere?

Probably have to do the cut and paste of what’s upthread. I’ve got a Komoot file ‘North Downs Jazz Quartet’ that does the middle bit, for sure.

This is from Beckenham and includes the section to Whitstable, but keeps to Pilgrims Way as much as you can.

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• Beckenham to Whitstable via Pilgrims Way.gpx

Thanks!