Sat 23rd: SE London > Ditchling > Bournemouth > Stonehenge, and back.

[arallsopp]

Morning all.

Its that time again. I have a 24 hour pass card starting 0400 Saturday, and ilovebikes wants to pop to a bikeshop. Whilst Bromley (and Tonbridge) both offer good choices, we hear there's a good one in Bournemouth, so will be aimed South West.

The Mouseketeers are straight line averse, so to make it an official ride, we're considering checking off the following diversions:

• Climb Ditchling Beacon (roughly 35km off route, and too far South)
• Late breakfast in Brighton (Madeira Cafe, maybe 75km all in)
• Coastal route to Bournemouth (Chichester, Fareham, Southampton, Lyndhurst, Christchurch - add another 150km West.)
• Check out the shops and rest a little (call it 230km all in)
• Tea with my extended family in Ringwood (30km North, but lines us up nicely for...)
• Stonehenge (chase the failing sunlight - can we get the 300km in before it dies?)
• ...and home (point East, ride 150km, and Bromley should pop up infront of us).

That makes the route look something like this.

Whilst the route planned, and the road cycled rarely mesh on these rides, the 2057hrs deadline for sunset at Stonehenge should keep us focussed.

So... anyone ridden these environs before? Local knowledge would be a marvellous thing, and if we get as lost as we did on the way back from Manningtree, 450kms could soon spiral into something truly stupid.

If that sounds like a good idea, let us know

 

[ChrisKH]

You're a sick man you know, leading ilovebikes astray like that.

I suspect his saddle will be polished pink by the time you return.

 

[iLB]

did that sign say lands end 6 miles?

 

[dellzeqq]

I'd leave the A27 west of Brighton well alone. I've done Chichester by-pass to the A29 turn half a dozen times, but early in the morning and at a pace. I wouldn't do it against the wind and during the daytime. I'm not saying the A259 is a bed of roses, and the headwind will be strong going through Worthing, but....(shakes head, worriedly).

I do think the A31 is a brilliant homeward ride, and I have simply taken the left on to the A3. There is a substantial rise before you get to Guildford, but, once over that you are in the stuff of dreams on a descent that can be beyond (my) pedalling speed. But please remember that on Sunday evening you have the rush back to the Great Wen, and any radial main road is going to be full of tired weekenders in a hurry.

The A246 is a nasty road. Please don't. Poor visibility, up and down, really lousy surface. We (the CTC) avoid it.

Other than that it only remains for me to tell you that the van outside, the one with the chaps wearing white coats, is nothing for you to worry about.....

 

[StuAff]

Hmmm....going nowhere near me then I'm inclined to agree with Simon about the white coats, but for what it's worth, considering you're passing through some of my regular haunts:
West of Chi to Havant- take the A259. I found it a bit busy for my liking east of Chi, but west it is (to my mind) a brilliant cycling road, the odd crosswind notwithstanding. Smooth, open, fairly quiet, on/off road cycle lanes over much of it, cycle routes around the rather hairy roundabouts (unless there are 90 of you and Simon and co are waymarking!). I'd agree with Simon that you should steer clear of the A27. Having been to Bognor and back three times recently, I'd suggest A259 into Bognor, then onto the B1266 towards Chi, up Vinnetrow Road and from there you've got quiet roads and/or cycle paths right through to the other side of the city, as far as Fishbourne in fact, where you can join the nice bit of the 259.
Portsdown Hill shouldn't be too bad to climb from that side (it's not the steepest section there). I'd cut down from Down End Road rather than Dore Avenue, nice sweeping drop that way, should be quicker. Junction and lights at the bottom too.
A27 has cycle paths either on or off road, but the pavement bits can be a bit bumpy. You should however avoid the worst sections between Portsmouth and Fareham this way, bits alongside Cams Hill are silky. Not gone much west of the Delme roundabout (I'm usually heading to Wallington), so can't help you with the rest.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

avoid the A27 in West Sussex FULL STOP

 

[arallsopp]

Hmmm... Looks like we've picked the worst road again. Fortunately our spin down the A12 sated my demands for heavy haulage and cruddy surfaces, so I think we should re-route to avoid the A27.

ILB. 'We' means YOU for now. Have a play. Extra points if you choose a tool that'll export a GPX file.

... and do try to keep the miles down. I'm on duty the next day

 

[Auntie Helen]

If you would like me to come and sabotage both your bikes beforehand to give you an excuse not to do it, I am very happy to oblige.

 

[Aperitif]

You see a pattern here readers? This A road business is not my doing! Not guilty your honour. Although, once I am done on Saturday lunchtime-ish, I might be bombing down the A30 in the general direction of Hants, Stonehenge etc (The wierd forces will not bugger up my Garmin will they? )

 

[Davywalnuts]

Ohhh! I would soo love to do this! When you zoom out to see the whole of England, it looks sooo impressive!

I am sure I am on an all day bender for a mates b-day, if not, am in!

 

[arallsopp]

The weird forces will not bugger up my Garmin will they? )

Not so as you'd notice, no.

In fairness, we've both had a little more time with the GPS now. I still struggle with a missing feature though.
What I want is a mode that says, "You are here [X]. But you think you are here [Y]. You are not.

 

[mike e]

Ditch all this new fangled technology and stick with good old paper maps using the lie of the land, churches, power lines, bridges etc to find your position. The trip been planned here would only require about 2 panniers full!! Handy ballast when descending, not so when climbing.

I've got a Garmin 205 edge (broken at the moment, another story) but when it worked it once relayed back to me, when back home, that I'd travelled 600 odd miles, at an average speed of 500mph+ and elevation nearing 30,000ft, this I realized was not entirely accurate and that in fact it has tracked onto an aircraft north of Henley-on-Thames heading for Frankfurt!! I retold the story to the Garmin guys at the cycle show who were amazed this could happen!

For sale - 1 used and broken GPS or exchange for lot's of map's

 

[Mista Preston]

Mr Allsopp, alas this sounds like so much fun and I could have got a pass too but as I do not expect even with my spritely average speed improvements I will not be able to keep up with you and the youthful pink seated ILB irrespective of the milage.

It leaves me to say I hope to see you tomorrow night for our Wednesday night ride and have a great weekend ride. Lets plan for me to be ready for your next milage crazed ride

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I lost all faith in GPS's when on a polaris three different machines claimed we were atop three separate mountains when we were sat outside a cafe about 2m apart at the bottom of none of them.

I've also get bored rescuing visiting car drivers at work whose sat nav takes them down the wrong end of the RUPP our office is on so the find themselves wedged in the undergrowth and unable to turn around. Once folk believe in the infallibility of their technology they begin to assume that the reality they can see with their eyes is wrong and the tech is right.

That said on trailquests I've seen people do the same with OS maps "If that church is this church then we must be here" "err but isn't that the symbol for a church with a spire?" "no" "yeah it is is look" "well they might have taken the spire down since the map was made" at which point i departed the scene....

 

[Aperitif]

I'm a great believer in combinations; the Sun, a compass, a map and local knowledge.

And Brian