England : Kent Ashford to Eastbourne Saturday 27th May

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StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Dan and I are here. Nice ride up from Rye, good turn of speed until I hit the Ashford bike path (parkrunners).
 

Salty seadog

Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Great write up and pics OMG. Sorry about your elbow.
The cafe you stopped in Battle is an awesome place. Great choice.

Battle has a good looking high street, haven't been there since I was a kid. Cafe was great grub but a bit pricy.
Just short of £7 for a chicken baguette and a tiny bit of salad on the side......Wot no crisps....

Good ride though.
 
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StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Didn't have much notice of this, but not a problem. I've been meaning to do some more riding in this part of the world anyway, I'm always keen to help the lovely @User21629 keep the black dog in the kennel (etc...), and I could make it. So, as for the ride back in September, alarm set for 3.45, ready to get the 5am Victoria- bound train and hence connections to Ashford. As then, again, I was planning to get some more miles in by leaving the train at Rye and riding the rest. In the event of sleeping through the alarm or acts of train operators, I'd still have time to get to Itsnotinternational for 10am. Thanks to Network Rail closing all the Portsmouth lines for the weekend, I'd have an extra few miles to get to and from trains, from Havant. And thanks to the weather, I got to get very wet indeed when I sent off at 4.30am. 'Refreshing change' quickly became 'saturated, turn the taps off now'. And they didn't go off, not yet. No Strava PRs but a decent enough turn of speed, six miles done in 27 minutes. Didn't bother with wet weather gear- the lycra soon dried quickly enough, and there were copies of Metro at the station. Useless as a newspaper, useful as an aid for drying shoes (went for the Sidis rather than Shimanos- quicker to get wet, but also quicker to dry).

The train was late into Hove (Southern service problems? Fancy that...), where I was due to make my first connection to get to Brighton. Didn't bother waiting (I might just have known the way by now...) and time enough to purchase second breakfast before the train to Ashford. That, thankfully, ran on time, and into Rye just before eight. Then, up my other favourite Military Road (the other being last week's treat on the IOW) and on to Ashford. Not quite as fast as September, but still more than fast enough, even allowing for failing to find the bike path through the park first time, and then having to dodge umpteen park runners. At the station by 9.30 or so (the last mile or so in another shower, fortunately the last!), where I was soon joined by Dan and @User21629. Given we were it, we were rolling soon after 10am. Ride leader had a few issues with her Garmin (Dan didn't have one, and I didn't have the route on mine- though I have just found it is on my Garmin Connect account, just couldn't get it from there to the Edge...no, me neither) which slowed us a little at first, but the pace soon picked up, at least until the first of many climbs. Apart from a stretch between Shadoxhurst and Woodchurch, our route south was entirely different from my route north, though no less lovely (or lumpy). Bodiam Castle (DUCK!!...OK, Ducks!) was lovely. Ride leader's clipless moment was not. I was right behind when it happened, and it was somewhat unnerving to say the least. She laughed it off at the time, but her elbow clearly decided otherwise…having ridden through pain myself a few times, I can well understand her choice to cut the ride short.

Burtons in Battle proved a most excellent lunch choice. Their ploughman's lunch filled a hole (for a bit). EDIT: here it is....
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At three or so, I parted ways with the rest of the ride and headed west for the least inconvenient train. Did consider going to Eastbourne and sort-of-finishing the ride, but Polegate was a bit nearer and further west on the line. Just over an hour later (the last stretch on the not-terribly-pleasant but it was OK A22) I was there, and hence onto a Brighton-bound train at Lewes.

Then, Southern Fail #2. The train ran very, very slowly (barely faster than I'd cycle it!) and stopped altogether at Falmer with at least one, probably more, serious faults. My chances of making the intended westbound train were shot, so I opted to ride into town. Made the next Havant-bound service, just (though it was late leaving too!) and back into there just after seven, home just after half-seven. 85 miles done altogether. Thanks @User21629 and Dan!
 
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Salty seadog

Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
T'was indeed a good ride, like a lot of the Kent countryside it rolled and rolled, going up to go down to go up again....the climb into battle after Bodium castle seemed endless, not too harsh just never ending. The sun shone strong on my bald pate and it showed when I looked in the mirror last night, must put some slap on in future.

Just debateing with myself whether to ride to Faversham this morning to meet someone or have a rest day. I'll have a bath soon just to make sure I know I am burnt as it's gonna sting sliding into the hot water......it did yesterday, is this self flagellation?

Thanks Stu good to meet you and cheers Ausra for the Route.
 
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