Brighton - Horley/Kings Cross

[EasyPeez]

Hi,

I'm going to need to make my way from Brighton to Kings Cross next week. I'm just trying to map out some routes but have no knowledge of the area and wondered if any locals could do me the favour of suggesting their preferred routes.

I'll be on a heavily laden road bike, so rough surfaces are out of the question, but I'd be happy with compact cinder/gravel if the weather in the preceding days has been decent, and any chance to get away from traffic will be welcome.

I'm considering riding the whole route, but so as not to eat into my time with a friend too much it's more likely that I'll ride as far as Horley or similar and take a train from there.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Andy

 

[vickster]

Can presumably get a direct Thameslink train from Gatwick to St Pancras Intl, save the hassle getting across London. Maybe get on the stop before Gatwick (Three Bridges) to save getting through the airport?

 

[Tim Hall]

As @vickster suggests, Three Bridges, although farther South is easier to get into with a bike. On the other hand Thameslink from Gatwick, a mere couple of miles up the track are significantly cheaper than from Three Bridges. Leastways they are at the weekend. Anyway, back to your original question, like the wise old elf says, the A23 path, probably up as far as Crawley is good these days, since the A23 Handcross bit has been realigned. @ianrauk has ridden it a few times. Get across Crawley somehow and then pick up NCN21. It goes by Gatwick and the Gatwick Surprise (lift into the S terminal if you want the train), and takes you to Horley. Surface is good, tarmac and other hard stuff. Sign posting is mixed, keep looking for the little blue and white stickers and go through what appear to be barriers with impunity. Wend your way through Horley and, if it's open, stop for a refresher at the micropub at the top of the subway. Push your bike through the subway and continue on NCN 21, although for a better surface take Orchard Drive (proper tarmac) rather than Lake lane (pot holed hell and road planings). Then get on the off road track again, heading North to Earlswood. Good surface, mostly gravel, as far as Salfords, bit of cioncrete farm track, more gravel then East Surrey Hospital. Carry on North, again looking for blue and white signs. You'll be in Redhill by now. I wouldn't recommend the NCN 21 north of Redhill, as it gets a bit steep over the North Downs, so jump on to the A23 for a while. You could take it all the way into London, but might be better off bearing off at Coulsdon and going via Wallington, although that too involves a bit of up. Then Mitcham, Tooting, Clapham. After that I've no idea. It's London and full of bears.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

After that I've no idea. It's London and full of bears.

Given the paucity of woods in London where do the bears go to relieve themselves, I wonder?

 

[Tim Hall]

Given the paucity of woods in London where do the bears go to relieve themselves, I wonder?

No idea. All my urban ursine education was based on the teachings of A A Milne. Thusly:

 

[GrumpyGregry]

No idea. All my urban ursine education was based on the teachings of A A Milne. Thusly:
View attachment 355914

At least it wasn't Paddington. Coming over here, eating our marmalade...

 

[robjh]

Given the paucity of woods in London where do the bears go to relieve themselves, I wonder?

Wood Green? Petts Wood?
OK, I'll stop there

 

[tallliman]

If anyone fancies mapping this out, I'd be grateful. I'm planning on riding from Enfield in North London to Burgess Hill in August. (Dump bags at my friends place then ride up Ditchling Beacon and back again)

 

[vickster]

If anyone fancies mapping this out, I'd be grateful. I'm planning on riding from Enfield in North London to Burgess Hill in August. (Dump bags at my friends place then ride up Ditchling Beacon and back again)

You can use Ride With GPS or Strava for mapping

 

[robjh]

I wouldn't work on Horley as a bail point, it doesn't get that many trains. Gatwick would be a better bet, although you do need to know how to get in with a bike.

If the OP does decide to get a train from Gatwick, they can avoid the horrendous queues at the ticket windows and machines by simply touching in and out with a debit card on the Oyster-type pads on the entry barriers. Going by my experience this weekend it costs £8.10 and is marginally cheaper than buying a real ticket.

 

[tallliman]

You can use Ride With GPS or Strava for mapping

I do! I was meaning more whether someone could plot the route described in the previous posts for me!

 

[EasyPeez]

Thanks @User and @Tim Hall for the good suggestions.

I've just picked up the relevant OS maps from the library and will print and slip your route notes inside, @Tim Hall

My train out of Kings Cross is not until 8.30pm, so if the weather is good and I can get off shortly after lunch I hope to ride the whole way.

Based on your suggested route and another look at the train times, I'm thinking Redhill would be a better bail option, if I'm struggling with the weather or p***tures or such. Not booking a train in advance might be problematic in terms of getting the bike on, but there seems to be a train every 15mins, so I'd hope to be ok even if it means waiting and trying several.

It looks like Gatwick would be significantly cheaper, esp given @robjh 's tip, but unless the weather is atrocious I'll likely want to ride further than that, plus the idea of getting a bike through an airport sounds like no fun at all.

Thanks again.

Andy

 

[srw]

Don't worry about getting the bike on the train - there are no bike bookings needed around here, and I've never failed to get on with a bike. The only reason you might not manage is if the train is rammed to the rafters with commuters, but at peak times during the week you aren't supposed to put a bike on the London-bound train anyway.

Presumably, like most commuter lines, at peak times the trains are very long but almost completely empty going into London?

 

[vickster]

They can get full esp after Gatwick . @jefmcg and I were on a train from Polegate to East Croydon/CLJ at around 5 last Friday. It was pretty full when we got on and got fuller at LGW with people standing with suitcases. The bike area we headed for was full too.

 

[srw]

Round here a couple of times I have attempted to get on a London-bound train before 9 am (for complicated reasons involving annoying timetable changes) only to find it was rivalling those Japanese underground trains in which the guards shove people in their backs to get the doors closed. No hope in hell of getting a bike on.

Oh, the perils of a missing word. At peak afternoon times going into London.

I choose my trains very carefully to minimise the chance of standing in the morning peak.