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Brixton Adventure Diaries - #2

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Brixton Adventure Diaries - #2

Brixton Adventure Diaries - #2

Tuesday, 22nd June 2021

Brixton Adventure Diaries - #2

Name: Jack Davey

Age: 32

Bicycle Of Choice: Bombtrack Hook EXT-C

Time With Brixton Cycles Club: Technically zero: I joined as an honorary tagalong for this trip.

Download the GPX file

Ride journal

The South Downs Way. Four words that ignite a spark in the eye of masochistic climbers – and strike fear into the hearts of lightweight tyres – everywhere. The route is heavily associated with leviathan feats of endurance as riders aim to complete the full length in under 24 hours, so you could be forgiven for thinking there’s not much fun to be found along the flint-laden byways and singletrack. As someone who rides a section or two pretty much every day, though, I can assure you that this is not the case. The ride is, as always, what you make it. Stretching from Winchester to Eastbourne, the South Downs Way is littered with easy links to train stations, several of which run directly up to London. We opted to meet at Hassocks, a couple of stops outside of Brighton, and strike out to Eastbourne for a challenging, yet manageable, day in the saddle. If you’re a little unsure about venturing into the unknown, the SDW is a great route to start with as it’s pretty well signposted and the terrain is so varied that almost every type of bike can be considered the ‘right’ choice. In fact, once we assembled at Proper Cycling & Coffee it became clear that we had just about every off-road discipline represented in our selected machines. After a quick blast on the road, the route peels off into some quintessential South Downs territory: chalky singletrack up a punchy climb. From this point on, the route is 90% tarmac-free, and undulating terrain provides incredible views across the south coast and as far north as the Surrey Hills for anybody feeling homesick. The surface is mainly flint single and doubletrack, but there are sections that get muddy so bear this in mind if setting off with a dodgy forecast. The grassier climbs, such as the west side of Firle Beacon, can be hard work but the rolling panoramic payoff down the other side is an excellent return on the investment! We factored in two re-fuelling stops at The Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell, and the excellent Cadence Cycle Club in Litlington (conveniently located next door to the Long Man Brewery). Once you’ve rolled down the final descent into Eastbourne there’s a direct train back to Clapham Junction, or a not-unpleasant coastal road route back east into Brighton – if you don’t mind scaling Beachy Head!

Adventure Diaries are provided by the Brixton Cycling Club. To find out more and come and ride with us check out this link.

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