FNRttC to Brighton - recce ride

[frank9755]

Sounds good!

I think I might know which route you were testing but will wait to see on the night.

My commute is west to east and I got in to work very quickly this morning, but it can't have been so pleasant as a cross-wind!

 

[dellzeqq]

sorry - there's no secret about it...

for such a densely populated part of the country there's precious few ways to cross the North Downs if you're headed for Brighton or thereabouts. There's the 'nunnery path', the A22 which is dull, White Hill Lane which is horrible to get to, Farthingdown which has a dangerous descent, the A23, Markedge Lane which is dangerous, Reigate Hill, Wray Lane which goes nowhere, Pebblecombe, Little Switzerland, which is the most beautiful, but hard work to get to and the A24.

So it's time to try out Pebblecombe, which is a nice hill but........to get to it you have to do three miles along the A217 which, during the day, is really only for the very brave (northbound's not bad, but southbound is horrible). So I thought I'd check it out, and it wasn't too bad. It's also the shortest route to Faygate.

 

[theclaud]

Only two of you went then? Well done!

 

[frank9755]

Interesting - just spent half an hour looking at Streetmap. I've not ridden Pebblecombe Hill before so look forward to it!

The one I was thinking of was Markham Lane / Rocky Lane, as I remember chatting to you about bits of it being re-surfaced the last time we were near there.

When I did it, I missed out the Markham stretch (the bit North of the M25) because I got chatting to another cyclist and missed my turning - so have not done the dangerous bit. Is Markham Lane dangerous in any circumstances or (just) dangerous for a large group at night?

 

[dellzeqq]

On your own it's fine. In a large group it's frightening.

 

[Aperitif]

To be frank, if there are any potholes, we'll Markham...

 

[dellzeqq]

if the weather holds I'm going down to Brighton tomorrow - any takers. Early start, easy pace, some notetaking, stopping by the Cabin Cafe

 

[GrumpyGregry]

damn. just agreed to go an survey a proposed dual use cycle route around the 'sham tomorrow else I'd join you south of somewhere.

 

[dellzeqq]

well, we'll be through the Cabin Cafe before Lunch - give us a call if you fancy meeting up

 

[Flying Dodo]

if the weather holds I'm going down to Brighton tomorrow - any takers. Early start, easy pace, some notetaking, stopping by the Cabin Cafe

So, a SMRttC?

What time & place were you thinking of departing from?

 

[Aperitif]

Good riding conditions and a beautiful temperature for shorts at the moment, and little wind...in London and environs! Just got in and the weather 'expert' person on the radio said to expect fearful rain in London and the South, cloudy in the early morning but brightening up during the day, before tumbling into puddles of Sunday splashes. Be careful out there...

 

[dellzeqq]

apologies to those who texted - Kats and I set off earlyish and wandered down to Brighton via Sutton, Pebblecombe, Newdigate, Faygate, Warninglid and Devil's Dyke. It was overcast, but stayed dry. The roads were in decent shape, although the Warninglid variation is definitely only for a clear night.

I managed to lose the front wheel going down Pebblecombe, which is good going since I've been taking that hill without braking for 38 years. Expect safety talk. And the level crossing at Betchworth is still as rubbish as it was when it through me off all those years ago, so there'll be a safety talk and a man with a red flag....

 

[theclaud]

apologies to those who texted - Kats and I set off earlyish and wandered down to Brighton via Sutton, Pebblecombe, Newdigate, Faygate, Warninglid and Devil's Dyke. It was overcast, but stayed dry. The roads were in decent shape, although the Warninglid variation is definitely only for a clear night.

I managed to lose the front wheel going down Pebblecombe, which is good going since I've been taking that hill without braking for 38 years. Expect safety talk. And the level crossing at Betchworth is still as rubbish as it was when it through me off all those years ago, so there'll be a safety talk and a man with a red flag....

Eeek. Are you OK?

 

[dellzeqq]

no biggy. For half a second or so it looked as if I would pile in to the traffic coming up the hill, but Dellzeqq the master risk-taker (as opposed to Dellzeqq the incredibly boring compiler of risk assessments and safety talks) performed his usual 45mph drift the back wheel correction and all was well.

 

[theclaud]

no biggy. For half a second or so it looked as if I would pile in to the traffic coming up the hill, but Dellzeqq the master risk-taker (as opposed to Dellzeqq the incredibly boring compiler of risk assessments and safety talks) performed his usual 45mph drift the back wheel correction and all was well.

That's good. For a minute I thought it might be one of those "in praise of travelling sideways" posts that contained a small footnote about a shattered skull...