Travelsonabike2 Bognor Regis 13th-March-2016

Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 bike ride Sunday 13th-March-2016 Southborough to Bognor Regis. 67 miles. After rescuing Passepartout from the rubbish heap this morning, I left the hotel, not really knowing which way I would go home! But after a bit of dithering around, I’d made a decision.

Bike hidden in the bins
Passepartout’s resting place for the night
King Of The Mountains

After coming through Crowborough yesterday and mentioning that it was the second-highest point in Sussex, and Ditchling beacon was the highest. I decided that I would attempt to cycle it! Just to see how bad it is or isn’t! I know the London to Brighton charity cycle ride goes over it. And everybody says how bad it is. Well, now it’s time for me to find out! Although granted, most on the London to Brighton ride are none cyclists. And it is towards the end of their sixty-mile ride.

Well, I managed to get over it. And without having to stop! I really didn’t find it too bad at all. Yes, it’s a bit steep, and it goes on for a while, but it’s not that bad. However, I can see that if you’re not a cyclist or don’t cycle much, it would be a struggle!

Ditchling Beacon was busy. The lycra brigade love it! As I rode up, a steady stream of lycra-clad idiots kept coming past me. And fare due to them, most said good luck. I was determined not to stop; I don’t think I would have got going again if I had! Thankfully I made it to the top without stopping, although I did come close a couple of times. But every time I thought of stopping, one of the boys on their lightweight racers would go past me. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of me having to rest! They weren’t going to beat me. They might be quicker than me, but I can ride just as far as any of them, with twenty times as much weight!

Conquered

Once at the top, the Lycra brigade was resting, puffing and panting, congratulating each other on such an epic ride! As they ate their high energy bars and drank their sports drinks. Me, I just carried on cycling. I could feel them all looking at me, giving me daggers as if to say, what, aren’t you stopping? I don’t see the point in stopping once you’re at the top. You can rest on the way down.

A word of warning to anybody attempting the London to Brighton ride, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s downhill all the way to Brighton after Ditchling Beacon. It isn’t! You only go downhill for a short distance before there’s another hill. Nothing on the scale of Ditchling beacon, but it’s still a hill. But once that’s out of the way, it’s then downhill all the way to Brighton seafront.

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