London to Hastings

[anothersam]

I'm hoping to rustle up a ride from London to Hastings. Though I'm mostly posting about it over at LFGSS, if anybody here is interested, the more the merrier. I haven't the expertise in event planning that some illustrious CCers can boast, but l've traveled the route often enough to be comfortable bringing company, so hopefully there won't be too many casualties. Except perhaps on the hills.

We won't be doing this one.

Briefly, I'm aiming for a weekend in August, and at the moment am just looking for a show of hands for interested parties.

Here's a detailed map of the route:

 

[martint235]

Depending on the weekend I'm interested.

 

[wanda2010]

Will it include beer, Guinness, chips, burgers, ice-cream................. and a tow-rope?

 

[StuAff]

Interested.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Could be. Provided that you wouldn't mind me intercepting the ride somewhere (around the Biggin Hill area or the N Downs ridge or something like that) rather than going all the way into town, and then riding back through the grottiness. Diary permitting, of course.

 

[anothersam]

Grand. I will return later in the day to give this thread the attention it requires. First I have to source tow-ropes and possibly crampons.

I'll also make an attempt to categorise the hills.

 

[wanda2010]

Secret and honest hills. Only.

 

[martint235]

Secret and honest hills. Only.

Not a huge fan of secret hills personally. Honest hills only please.

 

[anothersam]

I'm planning a recce of the entire route on August 3rd, a Sunday. Anybody is welcome to come along. We could even call it a 'ride'. Raincheck day will be the 9th or 10th, to be determined.

The date for the Official L2H is Saturday August 30th; the 31st or September 6/7th if it rains, tbd.

I'll be along with the route and other trifling details later.

Could be. Provided that you wouldn't mind me intercepting the ride somewhere (around the Biggin Hill area or the N Downs ridge or something like that) rather than going all the way into town, and then riding back through the grottiness. Diary permitting, of course.

A Biggin Hillish capture should be doable if one of us brings a net.

Secret and honest hills. Only.

Not a huge fan of secret hills personally. Honest hills only please.

I think they're all honest, though some will extract more of a toll than others. Here's an overview I made earlier of most of the *special* ones [scroll to 'twinned hills' if that link doesn't take you there directly]. Note that isn't the route I'm planning for the last bit.

The worst, Hogtrough Hill, I can't even cycle up on my SS. Fortunately we're going down it. Hosey Hill follows soon after, and will get the blood pumping, but it's not what I'd call terrifying. Rogues Hill south of Penshurst Place near T. Wells is a nasty piece of work though. We won't be touring the ancestral home of the the Sidney family, whose Elizabethan forebear Sir Philip died in battle of gangrene and gallantly gave his water to another wounded soldier, saying "Thy necessity is yet greater than mine," think nothing of it, 'tis merely a scratch, cue the Black Knight. If you run out of water you can probably fill up at the pub in the village, and nobody else need suffer for it.

The highest climb is King's Hill Road, which is the main impediment between Burwash and the Brightling pyramid. It's about the same as Ditchling Beacon, but you get twice the distance to do it in. And there are lots of smaller hills in between; nothing to write home about, but cumulatively they will take their toll, so when we reach Hastings you'll have earned whatever debauchery you may have planned. Personally I'd like a nice game of air hockey, if the amusement arcades are open.

 

[martint235]

I may be able to make the 3rd but I'm out for the 30th I'm afraid.

 

[anothersam]

Route

 

[wanda2010]

30th now in the diary. Doing recce ride would be a step too far after Manchester/Morecambe ride the day before.

 

[anothersam]

Now that I've posted the route (and the L2H is actually in a diary*) I'm having one or two second thoughts, so if it's too ambitious there may be alterations; the jog around Westerham Hill, for example, which is there because I dislike that bit so much even though it's going down. And it has occurred to me that I don't have to be absolutely committed to starting from the middle of London, though I'm loathe to change that.

* two firsts, if you include the new branding

 

[martint235]

It's your call. I go down Westerham fairly often on my own and it's ok. I once took a group of 5 down it and I was as nervous as hell. It's not overly pleasant and the potholes on the main right hand bend just add that extra frisson.

 

[anothersam]

Thanks for your input. I'd probably also be nervous taking others down that hill, but as you say, individuals might be fine with it.

I'm also considering going down Cudham & Downe Roads & through Cudham, though prefer the route as marked because a) it takes in Down House; granted just a fly-by, but after the dinos at Crystal Palace it seems appropriate, b) I've got friends in Berry's Hill, which might make a convenient comfort stop (if they don't mind me volunteering their facilities and hospitality), and c) Downe Road goes up sharply enough into Cudham that I for one would have to get off and walk past the grim reaper upthread. Which would still be faster I suppose.