150km or so in fact… set off at 9:30am, didn’t arrive till 8:30pm, mucho knackered. The choice of a SS was both good and bad – good in that it helped/forced us to keep a constant cadence and speed (around 18km/hr or so average) for the whole ride (except for getting over the Downs!) – bad in that on the sections where you can easily build up a bit of speed and chew the miles a bit quicker (along the Downs Link particularly) we couldn’t do so, just had to spin it out at around 20km/hr when we would’ve most likely been on 25km/hr+ with gears. Meant that the ride took about 1.5hrs longer than I expected it to, didn’t get back to my flat till 11pm (missus wasn’t hugely happy about that!)

All in all, it’s a good challenge, nothing particularly technical (though the descent down to the sea off the Downs is pretty fun actually!), it’s definitely a top ride for building endurance and ‘putting miles into your legs’, with interesting enough scenery and countryside to keep you amused as you ride along (apart from the Downs Link, that’s dull as dishwater 😆 ). Might try to organise another of these a bit later in Summer, will give more notice so hopefully a bigger group can turn up 😀

Anyhoo, here are a few pics from yesterday (mostly of Elfin, as I had the camera!):

Check out that architecture!

DSCF4248 by ten_sim, on Flickr

‘Elfinsafety, ’tis very important you know!

DSCF4249 by ten_sim, on Flickr

Riding a ‘skinny’ 😆

DSCF4253 by ten_sim, on Flickr

Please, can we catch this train back to London now?

DSCF4267 by ten_sim, on Flickr

Success! (well, the bikes made it at least, but did we?? 😆 )

DSCF4272 by ten_sim, on Flickr

Who are those handsome chaps? 8)

DSCF4273 by ten_sim, on Flickr

did it take ages because of all the picture posing stops?

Dave

good effort, btw 🙂

I’m in for the next one. Shout when its on.

Nice one.
Post up earlier for the next one…never know.

That Elfin geezer, he looks a bit shifty. 🙂

Sod the seaside, lets see a couple more pics of the retro-tastic bike.

Sod the seaside, lets see a couple more pics of the retro-tastic bike.

Here you go…

IMG_3231 by ten_sim, on Flickr

Lot’s more in this Flickr set… if you’d like to see more (with gears at this point).

Ad to ‘ave a word with these fayt lazy cahs:

Don’t like the look of that brahn wun.

Well done guys and good effort, looks like you had a great day out.

Sorry I couldn’t make it and I hope you got my text, work got in the way and I had to visit a couple of sites in Wembley & Wood Green – joy! Would rather of been out on the bikes. Hopefully can make the next one.

Love to know the route!

LOL. I’ve never seen somebody look so upset by a cah.

“No Elfin, these are small, those are far away…”

Hopefully can make the next one.

What makes you think there’s gonna be a ‘next one’??!! 😯

Actually it was fun, that. Really quite easy, until that final climb on the Downs. Sod doing that again in a hurry. Worth it for the terrific view at the top though; hazy sunset over the downs, really showing this little patch of England at it’s best. Unbeatable.

I wasn’t really very well prepared for this, and underestimated how much energy is needed for such a trek. Ate loads throughout the day, and I’m still bloody hungry today! Psy has loads of stamina though; he’s talking about a South Downs Way in a day. Nutter. He ought to be sectioned just for thinking of such folly.

LOL. I’ve never seen somebody look so upset by a cah.

Harry; I’m still too traumatised by the whole thing to talk about it. 😥 Never seen such inconsiderate behaviour in me life.

“No Elfin, these are small, those are far away…”

Heh! Andy off here once tried telling me Farborough airport was really Gatwick, using the same principle. I weren’t having it.

But Psy thought some sheeps quite close by were actually baby cahs far away. 😀

I reckon doin it the other way round will be a good ‘un as well.

And you’d have such delights as this, to lift your spirits as you got closer to home:

That’s the M25 that is.

It is a beautiful thing.

oooh… e’s a lot bigger in real life int ‘e..!

Don’t like the look of that brahn wun.

racist 😉

I reckon doin it the other way round will be a good ‘un as well.

Did it wrong’un a few weeks ago, getting a train to Brighton in the morning rush was a real PITA and didn’t get the boost of arriving at the beach for beer and chips.

I live a few miles away from ‘that bridge’ and would be more than happy to join in your next run if there’s a bit of notice, can show some variations on the Weybridge – Downslink section that may be a bit more interesting to ride 🙂

Crud catcher???

Really well done guys, a huge distance! 8)

Nicely done – did you ride the prom for a bit to turn it into an Imperial Whunundered? Never managed one of those.

Am I right in thinking (or seeing) that you were both riding SINGLESPEEDS? That’s silly that.

Crud catcher???

Yes, because you see those lazy fayt things? The shit all over the place inconsiderate buggers, and there may be nasties lurking in their poo which could flick up in your mouth or worse, eyes and cause all sorts of problems. Don’t care how naff it looks.

Brassneck; the Wunundred (proper one, not wimpy pimply measly foreign one) was achieved including the bit from London Bridge home. Spose we cooduv done a small loop round Brighton to achieve it on the same leg. Will look to involve a few extra miles on the next one so it’s done before getting on the train.

Am I right in thinking (or seeing) that you were both riding SINGLESPEEDS?

Yes you are right in thinking that, Dezzie! 😀

That’s silly that.

You’re not wrong. The nasty climb near the end, we rode a few yards at the bottom, looked at each other and said ‘sod that’ and just pushed up. then there was a short bit at the top, only a slight gradiernt, cheeky little headwind, and we were cursing. Gears ftw next time…

where di I find a copy of the route that everyone uses – or is it just South…

Brassneck; the Wunundred (proper one, not wimpy pimply measly foreign one) was achieved including the bit from London Bridge home. Spose we cooduv done a small loop round Brighton to achieve it on the same leg. Will look to involve a few extra miles on the next one so it’s done before getting on the train.

Then chapeau, + another 100 for SS – it don’t matter how it gets done if it gets done in one day. Unless you’re on the back of a tandem and refusing to put in a shift.

Did I spot a ‘Rat race’ Jersey there???

Guys inspired by your first posting I am off to fo it tomorrow. I am wussing out if SS but will jeep the ibis titanium theme going. I pulled the route off the BHF website and then drew it on my OS map. Easy enough to do with a spare half hour. Looking forward to it. SS next time! And if you do it again. Shout I might be up for it.

that’s cool! love your pictures of the day and the retro ride 🙂

that’s cool! love your pictures of the day and the retro ride 🙂

I’ve agreed to do it on one of my vintage BMX’s in september (i must be mental) but i’m doing it for charity so i’ll have to remember that as i’m wishing i wasn’t riding it about 20 miles in.

well done though and great thread!