sussex
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Hidden
Hidden Valley. That’s what they called it. Not everyone, just a few friends, some of the ones that ride mountain bikes. Not everyone knows about this place. Hidden Valley. It sounded mythical or far away, but it’s not, it’s on the edge of the city, right behind the houses. Though once there you feel like…
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Bookends
I love a commute that initially sets off deliberately in the wrong direction and then loops almost back home some time later, before reluctantly turning for work. Between me and work there is a chunk of coast, a river valley (three if I venture west or further east before heading for the office), some woodland…
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Mayhem Weekender
Sometime after midnight on Monday morning in a 24 hour petrol station on the edge of Brighton Cashier: “Have you done the bike ride today?” [Sunday was the annual London to Brighton charity ride] Me: “No, I’ve done a different bike ride. A little bit further.” Cashier: “Wow, further! Where have you ridden from then?”…
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The (Not Quite) Midsummer 300
When I started to audax a few years back I came up with a 300km route that I planned to do on midsummer’s day – along the Sussex and southern Kent coast, then turn inland and cut across Romney Marsh over the Downs and through Canterbury to Whitstable on the north coast, and back to…
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Doorstep Epic Plus
A few years my friends Jo, George, and Oli, joined Le Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux. Their stories from that day led me to attempt the feat last year. Their rides that day also inspired the idea of the Doorstep Epic. I’ve toyed with the idea of having a bash at George’s particular Doorstep…
100 climbs, all of the hills, ashdown forest, barhatch lane, box hill, chalkpit lane, climbing, coldharbour lane, coombe lane, cycling, devils dyke, ditchling beacon, doorstep epic, hills, ide hill, kent, kidds hill, leith hill, morvelo, north downs, reilly cycleworks, ride everything, south downs, steyning bostal, surrey, surrey hills, sussex, the wall, toys hill, weald, white down, yorkshill
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Pleasant Valleys Sunday
Fancy a short cx ride tomorrow? Nothing serious, just pissing about. Sounds good, yeah. Tilt at Fiveways at 9.30 good for you? Yep. See you there dude. Where we gonna go then? Was thinking Stanmer via the golf course, singletrack and bluebells, up to the Beacon, along the ridge, down to back of Falmer, Uni…
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Sussex Spring Classic 2017
The annual homage to the classics of northern Europe. There’s no shortage of farm tracks and bridleways around here so more Tro Bro Leon than Flanders or Roubaix (except no one wins a pig). One hundred and twenty kilometres of tyre abuse and stupid fun.
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Windmolen Achtervlogen
Sailing around Sussex with friends searching out windmills. All eight listed on the brevet card found and logged. At the almost the exact midpoint between the starts of meteorological and astronomical spring, it was the first ride in what felt like spring. Gloves off and jerseys unzipped. Riding with shadows and laughter. It didn’t start…
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Three galleries and chips on the seafront
Jerwood Gallery, Hastings De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne
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Farewell White Chalk Hills Ultracross
Since 2012 there has been the annual tradition of the stupid cyclocross ride across the South Downs, usually on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year. I missed the middle year but turned up and tried my best all the other years. The first two years I was on borrowed bikes with road pedals and…
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