2009-04-11 Sat - North London to Brighton

I'm riding down to Brighton on Saturday morning. Does anyone else fancies it? I was thinking of getting a reasonably early start - probably from Hampstead Heath train station at about 7:30ish. The forecast is pretty good so it should be a nice run.

Which route are you thinking of taking?

I'd like to do a Brighton run.. er cycle... i've never done one before.... How far is it ? Im south west area thou......

Which route are you thinking of taking?

Previously I've gone Brixton> Streatham> Croydon> Purley> Caterham>
Bletchingley> Outwood> Smallfield> Duke's Head> Crawley Down> Turner's Hill> Ardingly> Walstead Place> Slugwash Lane> Ditchling> Bitchling> Brighton. Open to alternatives though if it's not going to make navigation a consideration for me(ie if someone knows the alternative). What would your route to Shoreham be like in the daytime?

I'd like to do a Brighton run.. er cycle... i've never done one before.... How far is it ? Im south west area thou......

I'd guess it's probably about 60 miles or a bit less depending on how far SW you are. It's very doable ride; I've not done many miles for absolutrely ages so the pace will be fairly gentle!

Previously I've gone Brixton> Streatham> Croydon> Purley> Caterham>
Bletchingley> Outwood> Smallfield> Duke's Head> Crawley Down> Turner's Hill> Ardingly> Walstead Place> Slugwash Lane> Ditchling> Bitchling> Brighton. Open to alternatives though if it's not going to make navigation a consideration for me(ie if someone knows the alternative). What would your route to Shoreham be like in the daytime?

I recced the Caterham route and found it to be wanting--I now follow the Friday Night Ride to the Coast route via Mitcham and Reigate to Gatwick and then pretty much the second half of the route you've described.

Don't think I'll be able to make it on Saturday now, though--sorry.

I'll do another night ride to Brighton in May, so watch this space!

I hate navigating so I'll go the familiar way Oliver! - I'll keep my eye open for a night ride in May though for sure and look forward to a new route then.

Have a great ride!

The weather, contrary to what I'd been led to believe by the met office, was generally damp - I left at about 7:45 in fine rain which persisted, but not unpleasantly (except for soggy feet), until Purley. The soggy feet were more than made up for once over the M25 - the air was washed clean and south of Bletchingly the pale spring woods were dotted with snowdrops and the purple haze of the first bluebells. The countryside was really great almost all the way to Ditchling. The north side of the beacon was almost completely obscured by clouds and didn't have it's usual appearance of a shear wall rising out of the fields. This might account for why, driven on by the Hot 8 Brass Band, and kicking beyond what my legs felt they had in them, I made it up for the first time on a fixed wheel... Swains eat yer heart out! After 63 miles I arrived in Brighton just before one o'clock with four hours and one minute of riding on the clock.

Well done, Dave, nice effort! Sorry I couldn't come, perhaps join you some other time!

Sorry to to have missed the ride on saturday can you let us know about any rides in May.