NCN paths: are they manageable on skinny tyres

[Wednesday]

The A23 route is dull and noisy, but since you don't need to be as alert as on the roads I use it as an opportunity to put some music on which makes it fun. I agree that it's not the way to go if you want any kind of nice scenery, though.

 

[ufkacbln]

I deliberately split the orgaised trails such as the Cuckoo Trail (and others) as they are good. The warning is though that you should NOT expect this to be typical of Sutrans routes.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Dyke Road Avenue isn't just bumpy - it's spookily bumpy. One imagines that human sacrifices were laid in the sub-base, heads pointing toward one side of the road, toes to the other, in the style of Hawksmoor, and, as tne earth claimed their remains back, so the sub-base gave way, leaving the roadway corrugated.

Saddlescombe Road is the dangerous one. There aren't many roads in England I don't fancy, but this is one of them. If you're going north then Devils Dyke Road makes a much better and more scenic diversion. If you're going south I'd avoid the entire thing and go over Ditchling, Clayton Hill being not much fun either.

NCN paths vary greatly. Some of NCN 4 is sweet, but parts of NCN 1 through Gravesend and Rochester are a disgrace, but can, happily, be avoided. It's best to make particular enquiries rather than general assumptions.

It is a lark, a spree, etc., etc..

Saddlescombe has held a certain appeal, on a nice day, if your luck is in. I won't cycle down there since it killed someone I know in their car.

 

[Ticktockmy]

In the Crawley area, there is a 1.5 mile length of offroad through Tilgate Forest, which in all but really wet weather is doable with most tyres.

One end is in Furnace green, at the junction of the NCN 21, St Lenords Drive and Rosamund Road GR TQ 2867 3555. the other end is in Parish Lane, Pease Pottage, starts below the Powerlines GR TQ 2822 3322.

From Pease pottage, the NCN 20 go along the back road to Handscross on the B2114, road, then down to staplefield, were you take Staplefield lane, to warninglid flyover, cross over and follow the NCN 20 signs from this point the 20 follows both cycle tracks and parts of the old A23 to the Robin hood Junction, then the 20 follows the A23 into town.

I like the following route, stay on A23 route until you get to the Broxmead lane junction GR TQ 2654 2383, follow to GR TQ 2654 2383 Junction with Buncton Lane, follow to Bonley Road A272, cross Bolney Road into Stairbridge Lane and follow to the A2300 cross over into Pookbourne Lane and follow to Junction of Mill Lane and Northend Lane.

Turn right and then Left into Langton Lane to Albourne Lane B2116, turn Right and head to road Junction with A23 turn Left and follow NCN 20 into Brighton.

Bob G.

 

[gbs]

Well, I seem to have stirred up discussion.

Orignally I thought that NCN would provide an easy solution to the navigation problem for a ride in unknown territory without GPS but the various comments suggest that, as I feared, conditons may be problematical unless properly shod.

Just so everyone knows on Saturday I took v agreeable roads through Saddlescombe ( I did not find it particulary scary and I am definitely not a dowhill warrior type), Albourne, Sayers Common, Ansty, Cuckfieldc etc on to Horley on the return leg home from Brighton.

Dllzqq: Clayton Hill - where dat?

 

[andym]

Well, I seem to have stirred up discussion.

Orignally I thought that NCN would provide an easy solution to the navigation problem for a ride in unknown territory without GPS but the various comments suggest that, as I feared, conditons may be problematical unless properly shod.

Dllzqq: Clayton Hill - where dat?

Actually you seem to have been presented with about three reasonable options. And no one who has actually used the NCN routes in question has suggested any problems with the surface. The only bit where there is some question about the surface is the non-NCN bit - where you think it's OK.

And Clayton Hill us where the "Jack and Jill" windmills are.

 

[funnymummy]

I cycle this route weekly,
Over the years i've done it on my Dawes tourer fully loaded on 25" tyres, my Giant Expression 32" tyres plus towing #2 on Mission Trailer & on my Spesh 23" tyres, #3 rides it on his Raliegh Striker & makes it look easy!!
A few patches can be quite 'hairy' you may have to pick your path through the rougher sections, but for the most it is all rideable even on skinny tyres

 

[HJ]

Having toured using a number of NCN route (but not the ones op mentions), I am weary of the off road sections and I use 28mm tyres. The off road section are often of poor quality and not idea for long distance touring, if are going to ride them with skinny tyres, I would recommend that you pump the tyres to max pressure before starting out to avoid pinch flats and carry spare inner-tubes...

 

[gbs]

And Clayton Hill us where the "Jack and Jill" windmills are.

Sorry to say but not being a man of sussex I am still struggling to locate Clayton Hills.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I cycle this route weekly,
Over the years i've done it on my Dawes tourer fully loaded on 25" tyres, my Giant Expression 32" tyres plus towing #2 on Mission Trailer & on my Spesh 23" tyres, #3 rides it on his Raliegh Striker & makes it look easy!!
A few patches can be quite 'hairy' you may have to pick your path through the rougher sections, but for the most it is all rideable even on skinny tyres

I always get a bit of a thrill when I see another drop bar bike up on the South Downs Way, or on the oh-so-tame Downslink or anywhere else off-road in our lovely county.

Keep it up.

 

[Wednesday]

I cycle this route weekly,
Over the years i've done it on my Dawes tourer fully loaded on 25" tyres, my Giant Expression 32" tyres plus towing #2 on Mission Trailer & on my Spesh 23" tyres, #3 rides it on his Raliegh Striker & makes it look easy!!
A few patches can be quite 'hairy' you may have to pick your path through the rougher sections, but for the most it is all rideable even on skinny tyres

I'm convinced. Going to take the South Downs Way from Ditchling to Poynings on my way to Henfield today .

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'm convinced. Going to take the South Downs Way from Ditchling to Poynings on my way to Henfield today .

SDW from Ditchling to Steyning Gap, Downslink to Henfield. Very little black stuff involved.

 

[Ticktockmy]

Sorry to say but not being a man of sussex I am still struggling to locate Clayton Hills.

Come South out of Hassocks on the A273, after a mile you come to a village called Clayton, if you look up and SE up onto the Hill top you will see the two Windmills, Jack and Jill, Jack is a private house but Jill is sometimes open to the Public. Clayton Hills are the road between Clayton junction and Pyecoombe.

A half mile after leaving the Clayton Junction on the A273 is a turning on your left, follow uphill to the Windmills.
Bob G.

 

[Wednesday]

SDW from Ditchling to Steyning Gap, Downslink to Henfield. Very little black stuff involved.

Downslink is ok (I did that last week from Shoreham), but I found SDW involved too much looking at the track to really appreciate where I was. (I'd also left the house late, so I gave up and took the direct route once I got to the A23.)

 

[andym]

Funnymummy - you do the SDW weekly? I'm impressed, but unfortunately (or fortunately) it's not the route to Crawley and even I wouldn't recommend it to the skinny tyre brigade.

Having toured using a number of NCN route (but not the ones op mentions), I am weary of the off road sections and I use 28mm tyres. The off road section are often of poor quality and not idea for long distance touring, if are going to ride them with skinny tyres, I would recommend that you pump the tyres to max pressure before starting out to avoid pinch flats and carry spare inner-tubes...

I've also ridden a number of NCN routes and with the exception of the Ridgeway and South Downs Way (which are included in the NCN as regional routes, but to my mind should have been given some othe status as they are very different from the rest of the NCN) and a section of bridleway near Wells-next-the-Sea, I have not come across an off-road section that was not perfectly do-able with 25 mm tyres.

A half mile after leaving the Clayton Junction on the A273 is a turning on your left, follow uphill to the Windmills.
Bob G.

There's also a pub called the Jack and Jill at the bottom of the hill (IIRC).

And