FNRttC Friday Night Ride to Bognor - Friday 15th July

[Fab Foodie]

Any good?

Too common ....

 

[Fab Foodie]

This is the route we used in April 2010, which includes the Gurkha Bridge. I think the alternative is to just continue on at Houghton, along the B2139 and then left along the A284 into Arundel (I can't see where else you'd go), and that's what we did a few years back for a Christmas Not The Friday Night Ride to the Coast.

Cheers Tim

 

[rb58]

The thing about Ditchling is that you cannot set a rhythm all the way up. Bury hill is easier in that regard, although the traffic is way more horrid.

I've been up Bury Hill a few times and it's fair to say it's not my favourite, mostly because of the rubbish road surface. However my enduring memory is of following Simon up who was pushing something outrageous like a 53x19 or something, whilst zig-zagging and giggling. Nutter!

 

[lazybloke]

Phew, I'm released from cub-camp duties as soon as the tents are up on Friday night. Will be very tight for time, but should be able to join the Bognor fun - form submitted.

 

[Tim Hall]

I dispute that this isn't as bad as the Beacon! I can get up the Beacon, but have never manage Bury Hill even on a road bike. Ugh.

I was pondering this on my way to work this morning. Have you tried Bury Hill on your new bike? Has the new bike got lower gearing than your other bike(s)?

 

[robjh]

I haven't tried it on the little bike, although I will be doing so on Friday if all goes well. I failed on the Orbea, which has similar gearing (I don't really do gear technicalities I'm afraid), but I do find the little bike generally easier to ride as it's smaller, lighter, and fits me better. Riding it is very different from my other bikes though - I find I have to use all the gears differently, due I think to the smallness of the frame, short chainstays and different chainlines (does that make sense?), spending much more time in the big ring. Anyway that's OT. We'll see.

Whatever, you know you'll enjoy zooming down the other side

 

[Mr Orange]

Steel yourselves for this. If the weather forecast looks favourable, I will be on a big bike for this ride.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Steel yourselves for this. If the weather forecast looks favourable, I will be on a big bike for this ride.

Have you taken leave of your senses man?

 

[StuAff]

Quite. I'll be on a bike with mudguards....

 

[Shadow]

Whatever, you know you'll enjoy zooming down the other side

And zooming past loads of other riders, no doubt!

 

[Flying Dodo]

Well, @SandySnake , @Eddie_C and I had an interesting recce last weekend. The first part was fine, although after spotting a sign on the A24, it seems the road to Dorking is shut unless one of the highway engineers gets back to me in time. Further on, sadly it looks like the Gurkas have had their kurki weapons confiscated as the route between North & South Stoke was almost completely overgrown with nettles, thistles and brambles on either side of the field. This photo was taken after we'd done a lot of trampling:

However, we battled through, and squelched our way along the path after the Gurkha bridge, to find:

which would have been lovely for a pig to roll in, but not so wonderful for us. We couldn't use the gate part at all due to the thick mud and the suspicious looking pools of yellow liquid underneath, and had to climb over the fence. The final gate next to the river was also half overgrown with brambles so I was quite amazed we didn't get any thorns in the tyres as we lifted the bikes over.

So bearing in mind the further rain that's fallen, sadly, the bridge is off the menu.

So we'll be going the picturesque way up Bury Hill. On the plus side, we won't be on the A29 for long, and as mentioned above, there are 2 lanes heading up, so any traffic will have moved across. And don't forget - what goes up must come down. And then it's downhill all the way to breakfast - no higher than 20 feet above sea level for 8 miles!

 

[Tim Hall]

Presumably the A24 closure is where they're resurfacing the Mickleham Bends section. Is the cycle track (big and wide) on the western side a viable alternative?

 

[Flying Dodo]

Presumably the A24 closure is where they're resurfacing the Mickleham Bends section. Is the cycle track (big and wide) on the western side a viable alternative?

That's what I'm still waiting to hear from the contractors, as the whole width may be closed.

 

[Tim Hall]

That's what I'm still waiting to hear from the contractors, as the whole width may be closed.

The SCC website suggests the cycle track will be open.

Cyclists: these works could affect your journey and you may therefore wish to consider using the nearby off-carriageway pathway.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-a...works-in-my-area/a24-mickleham-bypass-dorking

Mind you that's not the same as actually talking to the contractor, so I'll stop teaching grandmother to suck eggs.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Quite. I'll be on a bike with mudguards....