There's not a lot I can add to Des and Aperitif's write-ups.
The ride started out a bit damp, but it was quite fast with so few people. It was nice to leave Gatwick Airport with the weather rather a lot drier, and the final variation on the route into Newhaven (as opposed to the Brighton route) was quite excellent, excepting the very last bit on the main road, which was quite busy since it was a Friday morning, and people were on their way to work.
Des, Aperitif and I probably got to see the ferry before the rest did, given the time they had to wait when we left them.
Full sized panoramic view of the ferry.
What we saw of Newhaven was a bit meh, but the route out had a nice little off-road bit, after quite a little climb out. Unfortunately my right knee started hurting after I left breakfast. I don't know what I did to it, but it was quite painful when I put any force through it, so I had to essentially cycle with just my left leg. Not exactly optimal for NCN2 along the south coast, which has a handful of short climbs along it.
Full sized panoramic view of part of the port.
NCN2 is a little odd around there. There's a nice, if little rugged bit shortly after leaving Newhaven, but then it essentially directs you though a housing estate, to avoid the busy south coast road. Since it eventually dumps you onto that anyway, the effort involved in sending you down this rather soulless bit seems a bit pointless.
With my duff knee, we were a bit slower than would have been ideal, especially with the moderate levels of traffic, so ended up cycling along the cyclepath bit on the pavement at the side of the road. Eventually, from the Marina onwards, you do end up on a small quieter route, which brings you in along the front, and past the Madera Cafe.
We stopped off, as the others have said, for a coffee, chinwag, and spot of Brighton people watching, before departing for the station and a fast trip back to East Croydon for me. For once no one got on at Gatwick with a heap of luggage to block the doorway!
.
Des and Aperitif partaking of mid-morning coffee in Brighton.
My smattering of photos are
here.
The thumbnails were hyperlinked to the original images, but the new board software seems to make that so difficult to do now, that I've lost the will to live trying to get it to work.
The route from HPC to Newhaven is on
GPSies, and our final bit from there to Brighton station is also
on there.