What do people do when they get to Eastbourne – have friends/relatives pick them up, stay in local cycle friendly accomodation, bivvy by the side of the road Audax style, public transport, taxi ?

There’s a Wiggle CX SDW ‘event’ in a couple of weeks.

looks interesting apart from what to do at the finish…

Leave car at finish and get train to the start (obviously need an overnight stay in Winchester for this one)? Or car in Brighton and bit of train at each end.

Or if there’s two of you then car at each end but it’s a bit of a drive back to Winchester after a days riding.

Stay at the Winchester Holiday Inn and park there, do the SDW in a decent time and then get the train back to Winchester. Was about £25 when I did it.

What do people do when they get to Eastbourne

Wait to die

Train or YHA, depending.

Warning on the YHA – it’s a fair way up a hill!

I got the train at each end, but you do need to keep an eye on the time to do this (in the end got the train 1hr before last one and we didn’t set a massively fast pace, but we didn’t have any disasters en route either).

get the train back to Winchester.

did you not find that a pain after all the riding ?

If you are parking and using the train its worth bearing in mind that doing the train journey before the ride might be more pleasant that after. At least then you can have a comfortable snooze on a quite train in fresh clothing.

Arriving at your finish line knowing you’ve then got to go sit on a train for a couple of hours smelling of sweat and countryside whilst your legs seize up is much less attractive.

I was staying in Brighton when I did it, I did have a nice conversation with some drunk people who had done a pub crawl on their bikes. They were quite impressed with how far they’d ridden that day, I didn’t tell them what I’d just done.

Arriving at your finish line knowing you’ve then got to go sit on a train for a couple of hours got a comfy seat for an hour and a bit, a fish supper and bottle of wine to share, smelling of sweat and countryside daisies, red wine, batter and vinegar whilst your legs seize up you keep stretching so you’re still OK for the 7 mile ride the other end is much less attractive. not so bad.

What was bad was turning up at the station after doing the lot in a day, with aforementioned fish supper and bottle of red, only to be told that there was a bike ban on the trains into London cos of the Olympics. There was only us and about 6 others on the train! We got on, saying we’d take our chances at being thrown off at Lewes, or wherever it was supposed to start. Would you believe we were OK?

1.2miles home for me.

The YHA might be up a hill, but further down that hill (in the direction of the Station) is a great pub (Lamb Inn), also does B&B, and the Spice Garden Indian.

Couldn’t you just do the double-double? transport: Sorted. 🙂

Couldn’t you just do the double-double? transport: Sorted.

I am pretty unfit as it is – had some muscle issues that gave me an excuse to slack off, but this could be the challenge I am looking for 🙂

It’s not a challenge, it’s a solution! 🙂

just to jump on this – does anyone know where to stay in winchester that is ok with a bike in the room?

think the premier inn (or one of the chains) has a secure bike storage room?

Premiers all look booked 🙁

Alternatively park mid way (Amberly), ride to Eastbourne and back getting a double dose of the lumpiest bit. That’s what I did to save on the accommodation/train costs.