Thursday Night Ride to the Coast - 17th April to Felpham

[dellzeqq]

Adrian C
Alex V
Alice C
Andrew By
Andrew F
Angus L
Anne H
Anne M
Arno E
Ben J
Ben S
Benjamin D
Bryony S
Carine B
Carl P2
Carlos R
Charles L
Charlie B
Charlie M
Charlotte B
Chloe P
Chris B
Chris D
Chris W
Claudine C
Dave F
Dave J
David P
Dr John B
Eddie C
Gary R
Geoff S
Gina W
Graeme G
Grahame D
Greg T
Howard K
Ian At
Ian McS
James Gi
Jane D
Janette G
Jenny M
Jo T
Joan McG
John K
John M
John S
Jon the farmer
User10571 B
Kai N
Kieran M
Kim W
Kirk T
Kristjan K
Lee T
Louise M
Luke C
Mark W
Martin B
Martin T
Mary L
Michael A
Mick B
Mick D
Miranda S
Neil G
Neil J
Nigel C
Nikki W
Olufemi I
Paul D
Peter L
Peter Wo
Philip P
Quentin W
Rebekah W
Rob H
Rob Hw
Robbie F
Ross C
Sandra S
Selena M
Simon C
Sonia W
Stan E
Stephen B
Steve D
Stuart A
Susie F
Tim D
Titus H
Xi C
Young Joe H
Stephen T
Mark G

 

[Mark Grant]

Adrian C
Alex V
Alice C
Andrew By
Andrew F
Angus L
Anne H
Anne M
Arno E
Ben J
Ben S
Benjamin D
Bryony S
Carine B
Carl P2
Carlos R
Charles L
Charlie B
Charlie M
Charlotte B
Chloe P
Chris B
Chris D
Chris W
Claudine C
Dave F
Dave J
David P
Dr John B
Eddie C
Gary R
Geoff S
Gina W
Graeme G
Grahame D
Greg T
Howard K
Ian At
Ian McS
James Gi
Jane D
Janette G
Jenny M
Jo T
Joan McG
John K
John M
John S
Jon the farmer
User10571 B
Kai N
Kieran M
Kim W
Kirk T
Kristjan K
Lee T
Louise M
Luke C
Mark W
Martin B
Martin T
Mary L
Michael A
Mick B
Mick D
Miranda S
Neil G
Neil J
Nigel C
Nikki W
Olufemi I
Paul D
Peter L
Peter Wo
Philip P
Quentin W
Rebekah W
Rob H
Rob Hw
Robbie F
Ross C
Sandra S
Selena M
Simon C
Sonia W
Stan E
Stephen B
Steve D
Stuart A
Susie F
Tim D
Titus H
Xi C
Young Joe H
Stephen T

Not on the list...

 

[User10571]

Not on the list...

Rattle his cage, Mark.
Rattle it like there is no tomorrow.
Don't let him sleep 'til your name is on the list.
G'luck!

 

[jefmcg]

Afterwards, I'm meeting up with @vickster to ride along the coast to Eastbourne/Brighton. She's taking advantage of Southern trains DaySave - unlimited travel for £15 on Southern if you book 3 days in advance. My partner is nerding out in Eastbourne for Easter, so I will crash in his hotel room.

Does this look like a decent route? I want to take in the foreshore as much as possible, and definitely gentle pace, so happy to be off the A roads where possible.

(let me know if this is too off topic for this thread, and I'll move it somewhere else)

 

[dellzeqq]

Afterwards, I'm meeting up with @vickster to ride along the coast to Eastbourne/Brighton. She's taking advantage of Southern trains DaySave - unlimited travel for £15 on Southern if you book 3 days in advance. My partner is nerding out in Eastbourne for Easter, so I will crash in his hotel room.

Does this look like a decent route? I want to take in the foreshore as much as possible, and definitely gentle pace, so happy to be off the A roads where possible.

(let me know if this is too off topic for this thread, and I'll move it somewhere else)

going along the South Coast on a sunny Good Friday morning? I know I'm going to get slated for this, but, given the bitty, tricky and busy nature of the roads I'd be darn tempted to take the train. Sorry.

 

[StuAff]

The A259 is a pretty horrible road, so best to avoid it as much as you can. Around Angmering there isn't a lot of choice, but there is a shared path on the right-hand side of the dual carriageway.

At Shoreham you can take the National Cycle Route along Old Fort Road and use the new shared-use bridge to get back onto the A259.

At Southwick at the harbour you can cross the lock gates and go along Basin Road by the beach - there's a terrific café on the beach there called Carat's.

Brighton has a cyclepath along the seafront, although the numbers of pedestrians put some people off using it. I like it, it misses out all the traffic and traffic lights and most people seem quite aware that it's a cyclepath. Don't ride on the prom itself though, it's not allowed yet.

After Brighton Pier you can use the undercliff path right by the beach as far as Saltdean, much nicer than the main coast road but again there will be lots of pedesrians.

The East Dean road after the Cuckmere valley is a mighty hill. You could turn inland there and avoid it but it would make the route a fair bit longer.

I would disagree, but only partly, with those views on the 259- parts of it are perfectly OK (stretch from Chichester to Havant, for example). Other bits though...eek, even for the likes of me. Four or five miles either side of Littlehampton are particularly nasty IMHO. This is the route I took to Brighton from Pompey on Sunday (don't worry too much about the different paths, I never seem to go the same way twice, even on the same day). @jefmcg I'd suggest sticking with @User13710 's suggestions- better for the less rapid more scenic persuation (well, as long as you avert your eyes from Shoreham Power Station...).

 

[theFire]

I would disagree, but only partly, with those views on the 259- parts of it are perfectly OK (stretch from Chichester to Havant, for example). Other bits though...eek, even for the likes of me. Four or five miles either side of Littlehampton are particularly nasty IMHO. This is the route I took to Brighton from Pompey on Sunday (don't worry too much about the different paths, I never seem to go the same way twice, even on the same day). @jefmcg I'd suggest sticking with @User13710 's suggestions- better for the less rapid more scenic persuation (well, as long as you avert your eyes from Shoreham Power Station...).

I drove along the A259 from Climping to Felpham on Sunday. It is particularly nasty at the moment as they have done a surface dressing job along it. So loads of loose stones.

 

[jefmcg]

Thanks guys. Catching the train is not an option, as Vicks has committed to catching a train to Bognor, and getting back home via train too: I think she'd kill me if I suggested train to Brighton. Anyway, I'm updating the route, and now I've found http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-2 (thanks TMN), that should help. I'd already mentally prepared for bailing at Brighton if I can't face the hills. I'll also plot out an inland route, if I've still got pootling energy left. Not too worried about the crowds, after 15 years in the UK, I'm still charmed by the seaside english person. They seem to come from another era. Also charmingly thinking that a load of pebbles makes a beach.

 

[Tim Hall]

Not too worried about the crowds, after 15 years in the UK, I'm still charmed by the seaside english person. They seem to come from another era. Also charmingly thinking that a load of pebbles makes a beach.

It's when they come from an era imagined by Graham Greene that it gets dicey.

 

[Aperitif]

Imagined or observed?

Imagined enough to give one the 'Kolley wobbles' if on a bike, perhaps?

 

[jefmcg]

Truly! First time I went to Brighton, I could imagine Pinkie or his descendants** running some dodgy enterprise praying on drunken tourists on the fringes.

**of course, there was never much of a chance of pinkie having descendants, but you know what I mean

 

[jefmcg]

The roads around East Dean will be really horrible at Easter, and the road snakes along by Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters, so there will be HILLS! Maybe have a look at cycling (or getting a train from Brighton) to Lewes, Glynde, Berwick, Polegate, and using the little lanes to get to Eastbourne. No seaside, but it's flatter, lovely cycling, and will be much less busy at Easter. And you'll pass some great pubs along the way.

Thanks. I've plotted a new route mostly following national route 2, so that's probably close to your suggestion.

 

[Captain Defect]

Hello all. I'm new to this (forum's & bike clubs) My mate talked me into this ride to felpham and I'm very excited about it. However my mate has now pulled out, but I'm not going to pull out myself. I have a few concerns if anyone can help? No:1 How to get to the start line? I live in Beaconsfield (bucks) and am thinking about driving car into london and parking on a meter. I believe they are free in the evening and bank holdiadys? I'm happy to offer anyone a lift if their my way if i take the car. No:2 How do i get back? I can't seem to get the train ticket cheap as its a bank hol. Does anyone out there want to be train buddies in order to get group save? No:3 whats the deal with taking a bike on the train? my concern is that over 80 folks and bikes are going to pile on a train? What time is the best time to return? ie do you have brekky then crash out for a bit, or just eat then go to the station? Sorry for such a long question, but i'm really looking forward to it but a little worried how to go about it in the best way. I have been putting a few miles in a day for over a month so the ride its self should be fine, just the agro of getting to start line and home again. Many thanks in advance for any info / advice. Looking forward to meeting some of you this thursday. Regards, Paul

 

[Tim Hall]

Hello all. I'm new to this (forum's & bike clubs) My mate talked me into this ride to felpham and I'm very excited about it. However my mate has now pulled out, but I'm not going to pull out myself. I have a few concerns if anyone can help? No:1 How to get to the start line? I live in Beaconsfield (bucks) and am thinking about driving car into london and parking on a meter. I believe they are free in the evening and bank holdiadys? I'm happy to offer anyone a lift if their my way if i take the car. No:2 How do i get back? I can't seem to get the train ticket cheap as its a bank hol. Does anyone out there want to be train buddies in order to get group save? No:3 whats the deal with taking a bike on the train? my concern is that over 80 folks and bikes are going to pile on a train? What time is the best time to return? ie do you have brekky then crash out for a bit, or just eat then go to the station? Sorry for such a long question, but i'm really looking forward to it but a little worried how to go about it in the best way. I have been putting a few miles in a day for over a month so the ride its self should be fine, just the agro of getting to start line and home again. Many thanks in advance for any info / advice. Looking forward to meeting some of you this thursday. Regards, Paul

Evening Paul.
1. Start is at Hyde Park Corner. I'd really really really strongly advise NOT driving to the start, as you'll end up having to drive the next day on zero hours sleep. This is VERY dangerous. Get a train to Marylebone and cycle the short distance to HPC.
2. There'll be loads of people you can do the Groupsave Goodness thing with. 4 is the magic number. Or cycle back with @ianrauk and co.
3. Southern don't do bike reservations. Strictly speaking there's a limit of two bikes per set of 4 coaches, but inventive bike packing, coupled with a winning smile and a bit of give and take generally means you can do more than this. Don't forget not all 80 travel back at once. Some don't travel back at all.
4. Breakfast at Felpham is very good. Linger awhile. Chat to your new friends. Wander slowly to the station, do the Groupsave Thing. Take it easy.

 

[Captain Defect]

Evening Paul.
1. Start is at Hyde Park Corner. I'd really really really strongly advise NOT driving to the start, as you'll end up having to drive the next day on zero hours sleep. This is VERY dangerous. Get a train to Marylebone and cycle the short distance to HPC.
2. There'll be loads of people you can do the Groupsave Goodness thing with. 4 is the magic number. Or cycle back with @ianrauk and co.
3. Southern don't do bike reservations. Strictly speaking there's a limit of two bikes per set of 4 coaches, but inventive bike packing, coupled with a winning smile and a bit of give and take generally means you can do more than this. Don't forget not all 80 travel back at once. Some don't travel back at all.
4. Breakfast at Felpham is very good. Linger awhile. Chat to your new friends. Wander slowly to the station, do the Groupsave Thing. Take it easy.

Thanks for the reply tim. Sounds good. I get the train to the start. I dont think i could make it back on bike. I look forward to meeting new friends over a spot of breakfeast.