A few guys who like to ride their bikes quite fast on anything but tarmac.
In the absence of any mountains around Brighton, we try every weekend to make the most of the South Downs. Always looking for the shortest ups, longest downs...
So... sad geeks that we are, we've decided to share with the world our random rides around the Sussex downs and anywhere else we venture when the spring finally comes. Feel free to contact us if you'd like to share routes and join in the rides...
This route was from the Lake District Mountain Biking book, which is a must-have if you're not from the area. Highly recommended. As the book says this is a great little ride. Not too long, not too high (weather still a problem on this day) but taking in some nice fell-top tracks and the best part of the North Face trail too. The book starts you at Moor Top car park, but we started at the Grizedale visitor centre, which means you finish with the North Face trail downhill run, which is great!
Drove up to Keswick area to tackle the Altura Trail at Whinlatter Forest Park. This is a much more technical challenge than the North Face Trail at Grizedale, especially in poor conditions. The rain eased for the second half but were replaced by galeforce winds, so we were tested to our limits at points. Still at least the tyres worked - not sure you could find wetter roots and rocks in the UK right now!
The trail consists of 2 sections of a waymarked red route, the north section being much more challenging than the south, with a steeper longer singletrack climb at the start and harder downhill sections. Lots of switchbacks, dropoffs, etc. (hmmm, yes, it doesnt look like much from the shots, but the camera was stowed for the hard stuff)
The south section is faster and more fun (IMO), although still plenty of twisting uphill singletrack that was a bitch in the galeforce wind, but once you reach the top you are rewarded with some stunning views (of clouds) before embarking on a final downhill run that we were flying along.
Full info and a map of the trails can be found on the Forestry Commission site. There's a new blue section that is actually newly open this week, so we couldn't get on that. If the red route is anything to go by this will be a lot of fun. Well worth the trip! There's also a good bike shop at the trail start, which is always handy if you need to make any final rash purchases :) They hire bikes and do training courses too...
Despite the pissing rain we bit the bullet and headed out for a shortish loop around a low fell, fully waterproofed up, but still came back utterly soaked. This route was adapted from the Lake District Mountain Biking book, which is a must-have if you're not from the area. Highly recommended. We were staying in Little Langdale so thats our start point but you can obviously start anywhere. Take the route in a clockwise direction. From Little Langdale the drove track over to Elterwater is rocky and good fun, then its a good climb on road up to High Close, before dropping down and passing through the gate to get onto Loughrigg Fell. The first section is a fast downhill run to an intersection.
Take the higher path here which widens in a 100 meters or so, joining the main track up to the caves. Definitely worth a look, and a wander inside if you ignore the warnings.
Downhill from here along Rydal Water, but turning right before Pelter Bridge to skirt the east side of the Fell. After a couple of km you take a lane/bridleway up a bitch of a steep, long climb to the Fell. This track turns to dirt but continues all the way to Ivy Crag and then down to Loughrigg Tarn.
We turn off before the tarn and head down the hill to Skelwith Bridge. Follow the permissive path from here along the riverside all the way to Elterwater. Nice and wet.
Our first trip out in the Lakes District. A quick morning spin around the North Face trail at Grizedale Forest. A lot of fun! Plenty of great singletrack and boardwalk action. Nothing too challenging, so fun for most levels. The last third down from Moor Top car park is a blast! A great warm up for the week ahead (shame we didnt know this would be the only dry day). There's a good map of the trail available online here
View Wilmington to Brighton in a larger map 2hrs 45mins, 24.89 miles, 9mph Av, 32.6 max. A good afternoon out when the wind is from the East. Pain in the arse if its not. Going East-West takes in the longest downhill stretch around, from Firle Beacon on South Ease. You dont have to start in the woods, thats just were the car dropped off. The woods are busy with kids, dogs, horses (all with little/no sense), so best avoided really.
View Ladybower Loop in a larger map 16.74 miles, 2hrs 16mins, Av 7.3mph, Max 31mph A quick jaunt around Ladybower near Sheffield with our friends in the North. Nothing too taxing here, but the drove tracks are rocky as hell compared to the South Downs. Whiteknuckle stuff at points. First aid kit came in handy here, as Ben took a fall going at 2mph and bled everywhere!
View Larger Map 2hr 10mins, 18.72 miles, 8.5mph av speed, 27.1mph top speed. Up in the Chilterns for the weekend this time, and my brother took me out on a locally popular route. Loop from Stonor up onto Christmas common, along the ridgeway, before coming back southwards, following some excellent narrow fast tracks, through some proper woodland. Quite a bit of road on this ride, but it's pretty much deserted on a sunday morning. Lots of riders out.
View Larger Map 2hr 15mins, 20.2 miles, 9mph av speed, 26.2mph top speed. Lots of pissing about in the woods this time, before heading out over the river and up to the South Downs Way. Finishes with an ace downhill run to the Cricketers Arms at Berwick, which is a real chocolate-box picture pub, cask ales, good food, nice garden, etc etc. The good trail in the forest is now marked with red waymarker posts, so you can pick it up almost anywhere you find it, but it starts at the visitors centre and climbs up the south side. They'll give you a map for free in the centre.
View Larger Map 2hr 28mins, 22.2 miles, 9mph av speed, 29.4mph top speed. Another loop from East Brighton out on the old Drove track behind Woodingdean, but this time taking the long curving descent down to Standean Bottom before climbing back up Balsdean Bottom. Out to Black Cap via Balmer Huff and then westward to Ditchling Beacon. Instead of coming back through Stanmer Park we chose the slow descent past the Chattri Memorial. Erected in memory of Sikh and Hindu soldiers who died while in hospitals in Brighton and Hove during the Great War (53 bodies were cremated at the Chattri site, their ashes were then taken to be scattered in the sea.) Back home along the London Road. No photos of this one. Forgot the camera and the weather was grey anyway!
View Larger Mjavascript:void(0)ap 2hr 25mins, 20.2 miles, 8.3mph av speed, 36.7mph top speed. Great weather again for this one. Friston forest can be a mudbath but we've been spared any real rain for a fortnight so it was pretty dry. You can park at the forest and just do loops of the forest. Apparently the trail is waymarked although we've yet to see it - second time out to the forest and we ended up on the single track that winds down from the east end (the high point) to the car park at the west end. Good singletrack to practice your skills without fear of dossing it into anything more nasty than leaves and dirt. Lots of fun. Must go back and check out the south side. Coming back on the track at the foot of the downs spares any tired legs from too much pain... and there's a selection of fine pubs in Alfriston, Berwick, Firle, etc depending on how thirsty you are.
The boys on Firle Beacon at the start.
The run down(ish) towards the river crossing.
Rich has a little "lie down" :)
The sign said no diving, and we were all ready for a dip in the festering ditch too!
1hr 49mins, 15.16 miles, 8.2mph av speed, 33.6mph top speed. Great ride in great weather for once this year. Not a cloud in the sky. Getting dropped off at the car park above Storrington was a great idea. Save's getting the train out there, means you start at the top of a nice downhills section, and there's just something about A-to-B rides that I prefer to loops.
The drop down to the A24 crossing is fast and flinty. You'll not be wanting to come off there! Take care crossing the A24, its dual carriage way and the traffic wont slow down for you (tight f*$#ers)... then there's a painful steep slog up from the A24 to the top of the downs near to Chanctonbury ring, but it's short and sharp.
A quick breather to admire the view on the way up...
Approaching Chanctonbury Ring from the west.
Spend a few moments buzzing round the ring, avoiding the kids/dogs/pensioners and the various new-age types (chanting)...
After lots of long fast runs across the fields, just before you hit the Bostal Road, you'll come across a memorial erected for a farmer and his wife, where their ashes are interred. Put up by their sons (who were probably in that tractor over the field at the time). You might want to stop for a poignant moment of self reflection as you gaze across the downs in all their splendour... or just keep going hell-for-leather down to the road junction.
Farmer's memorial.
Crossing the Adur River
Looking out to Brighton from Truleigh Hill
Finally we can see the finishing Pub - Dog & Shepherd in Fulking. There's a footpath down from here right into their garden. How convenient?
Looking down on Fulking and (more importantly) the pub
Nice 1hour 40min loop this one. Some spots can be very wet at times but it stays ridable throughout winter. Came back pretty filthy today. Some really nice long fast downhill sections. Wanted to log it all with photos but my camera packed up after 20 mins!
The old drove road behind Woodingdean is nice and fast in the summer, but can be quite slow when wet. Expect to get covered in filth. Still ridable though.
On the South Downs Way here, looking down the long fast stretch that bears right and follows the vale all the way down to the railway and A27. Big fun! Camera stopped working after this.... Dammit!
Our intrepid explorers venture out into the sunshine (despite the biting windchill of minus 7 degrees C). Things which quickly deteriorated into the worst snow storm for 18 years. Blizzard! Yikes...
See it started off so nicely... The first 8km from Firle Beacon heading west is pretty much downhill all the way to the river crossing. Definitely the best way to start a ride!
Nice loop this. We started from Hove Park, and the ride up to the Dyke along the old Dyke Railway line is easy. Mental shoot down inside the Dyke, then make your way to Wolstonbury Hill (go over or round Newtimber Hill if you like). The bridlepath traversing Wolstonbury Hill southern side is a mudfest in the wet.
Fun single track in the woods and a fabulous example of a Roman road (jeeez what a geek). Super muddy in the southwest section - avoid that in the winter.
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