10-30 am on Sunday 29th April saw approximately 20 people with mountain bikes milling about in the University of Sussex Sports centre car park anticipating a ride on the South Downs that promised some fine views and a couple of notorious hills. The weather was perfect, low 20’s with a slight breeze. The ride had plenty of incidents including many punctures, badge of honour goes to Dave who managed to puncture both front and rear wheels at the same time, repaired them, rode 10 yards and flatted the rear tyre again. Some days were made for staying in bed!
The first gravelly climb was conquered without much fuss followed by a nice whizz downhill through the trees. The following two climbs including ‘Heartbreak Hill’ had the group spread out and panting for breath, a taster of what was to come. Drop down and back up the South Downs recover then repeat. The ride into Lewes was a blast accompanied by a broken chain. At this stage the pace on the hills was slowing and we were all eyeing the ‘Hill of Truth’ climbing from Kingston up to the South Downs Way. There it was, chalk glinting in the sun and looking down on us mere mortals who were approaching ready to do battle. There are two options here and the Mentalists (Slim, Ollie, Rick & Pete) eventually talked themselves into trying the previously unridden right hand route. The rest of us consumed energy bars, cake and sweets at the bottom in order to give us some energy for the impending struggle of man versus nature up the left hand side. Did we make it? some did some and didn’t, the defeated swore to return and triumph over this freak of nature. A quick charge down Newtimber Hill and we were soon back at the car park drinking coffee, eating maltloaf and regaling tales of the ride.
Thanks to Nick for putting the route together and leading the ride (with the kind help of Blay & Dave who volunteered to be gate pixes) and everyone who came. A great day out.
Check out Guy’s helmet cam footage of the ‘The Hill of Truth’….
More from Guy…
Cheers, Mike
excellent helmet cam footage Guy – who is that on that nice new shiny bike lol! Man that hill looks tough even on camera and usually they have the opposite effect on gradient…. hope everyone enjoyed yesterday as much as we did, see you on the next one ful details to follow soon
Congratulations to everyone for getting up Kingston Hill in one piece – special congratulations to those brave souls (wierdos) who thought the left hand route was for softies and took the extra painful option to the right.
Really enjoyed myself
Nick
p.s. Dave, I believe, is blaming me for taking him to especially puncture prone areas of the Downs!!! I have had two texts on the subject so far today.
Good ride, really enjoyed it. Next time when I’m more awake I’ll listen and go up the hard path!
What a brilliant ride and brilliant coverage too. A bit expensive for me though, 1 new tyre (second time out) and 2 new inner tubes ruined – sill luck of the draw. Many thanks to everyone who helped me – I was totally knackered after that ascent of Kingston Ridge. Thanks also to Nick (AARGH!) for planning the route and the organisers (Mike and Lisa) for the coffee and malt loaf. (it tastes too good to be legal!)
Great ride, I could really feel the pain in my legs this morning…after effects of the Hill of truth, I have no idea how the Fantastic Four managed the right hand side climb, well thats another climb round here I’ll have to try out when Im feeling both fitter and stupiderer! As ever, thanks guys:great company, great trails, great weather and yummy maltloaf.
Now, back to my video editing
Ming, I love the photo of you to the right (saluting), think you’ve won the ‘Pic of the Ride’ Competition, and you really don’t look like you’d only had 3 hours sleep with the car door lock button nestling nicely in your ear !! Keep smiling
That’ll be the wonders of redbull and 2 bottles of lucozade sport! You’ll be pleased to know that when I got home I had some very senior moments, forgetting where I’d put things etc, and was snoring on the sofa by 1900hrs!
Great ride and great people, really enjoyed it and good to go on some different routes around the downs and perfect weather, glad to see I’m not the only one that gets plagued with punctures ;o) … good to see the pics and video, and needed that coffee and malt loaf at the end. Looking forward to the next one!
has anybody got a map of the ride i can look at?
Jim…just added the tracklog of the route to my pics…
Tracklog of South Downs (Falmer & Kingston)
Sounds to have been a good ride. Missed the train out of Eastbourne, so got the next one an hour later, but you had all vanished into the hills! Cycled back to Eastbourne on SDW, so not altogether wasted. Can anybody offer a lift from Eastbourne on 13th to Horsham?
Martin
I can take you if you can get to Brighton station by 9-00. Let me know via this thread
cheers ollie
Martin,
As alternative to Mike’s offer I can pick you up from Haywards Heath from the 9:35 Eastbourne train, gives you a bit more of a lie in as saves changing trains.
Martin
If you can go with Tony from Haywards Heath, I can take Jim from Brighton.
I made the first offer to you so let us know what you want to do….
Guys, there will be a couple more vids of the Lewes ride on Youtube by thursday morning. Finally got around to uploading these so you can all revel in the sunny images and start regretting the change in the weather this week… rain, nice.
Oh well, perhaps I shouldnt have removed the mud tyres from the bike
Type muddy @rse lewes in the youtube search field.
Thanks Guy…I’ve linked to them above.