South Downs Way with KC Day 2 - Hove to Eastbourne (then Winchester then home!)

 

After we dragged our sorry arse’s in after 10pm last night, Jo, Kieran’s long suffering other half, had left some pasta bolognaise in the pan ready for us to heat up which was a god send, and as Kieran started his stretching regime (he just lay on the floor not moving) I had one of the best showers of my life in the bathroom I had only seen as a derelict shell 3 years earlier, the last time I’d stayed at Kieran’s.In my tiredness then proceeded to flood new bathroom completely as I hadn’t closed the door, then get changed to only find Kieran still motionless on the floor…he did manage to get himself up in a Tin Man from Wizard of Oz fashion and a quick shower later joined me for tea at gone 11pm then bed.

Plan for today was get up 8ish so we could be ready and out the door for 9.30, climb back up to where we left the South Downs Way last night, picking up KC’s pal on the way. 35 miles to Eastbourne, we’d be done for 3, get the train back to Hove, watch the final days stage of the Tour at KC’s while having some food, shower and then my train from Brighton back to Winchester at 6.09pm, then drive Jean the 225 miles back home. Easy. I mean what could possibly derange this simple plan…

Some basic maintenance on the bikes before we set off (Kieran having 2 minor mechanicals yesterday) , but at least we weren’t in Dec’s clown bike territory or Conleth’s frankly inhumane way he treats his bikes. They needed de-weeding, some lube and a good tighten up after the pummelling they’d taken yesterday, all done while Joseph, Kieran’s 17 year old son, awakened from his pit and got ready to join us! We were, unbelievably, out the door just after 9.30 and re-tracing the slightly sketchy route we’d taken down from Devils Dyke in the dark last night. Sitting behind Joseph, the fruit hasn’t fallen far from the tree! Massive calf’s and a no hander master class within the first couple of miles, shows he is his fathers son…as we’ll find further proof of later when he’s tired and hungry…😁

The difference to speed that tarmac to gravel/off road makes was starkly shown up by the 4 miles up hill to Devils Dyke. At 500ft of climbing we were averaging 10mph for the 4 miles. Off road it was 5mph…Up at the pub at the top we were greeted by the sight of dozens of paragliders using the stiff breeze to make the most of the views. Taking some photos while Kieran phoned his pal to find out where he was, he came back with news that he cried off as he’d been out and had a few last night and had only just got up. He might have done it previously in a day, but at least me and Kieran hadn’t pulled out after a heavy night on the booze!!!

Just after 10 ten it was along the tops and then the relatively gentle climb up to the famous Ditchling Beacon, the highest point of the annual London to Brighton cycle ride and famous in our cyclist WhatsApp as a point where Dec loves a selfie after riding up it. Sending him one of me at the sign post mentioning we’d done it the hard way, he obviously responded that it wasn’t on a heavily loaded Brompton like wot he did the London to Brighton on, always got to go one better…Passing a hunt with the hounds and a couple of old dears that we thought were chuggers, it was along the tops for around 5 miles gently swooping about as the chalk cliffs of Lewes made their way closer.

Dropping down from the top of the downs we got a bit lost, my Garmin was still not playing ball and we’d missed a sign so as KC works in Lewes and knew kind of where the route led out, we took to the road and the lovely smooth descent from 700 ft to sea level was done in a blink of an eye and we were back into civilisation. Pulling up at a cafe by the railway station, we had a look at the menu and weren’t (or at least Jospeh wasn’t!) impressed, so spotting that a garden centre was just on the outskirts and near the route it was a quick dash the 2 miles and we were pulling up outside at 12.15.

The garden centre was busy though and while KC went to order the food (cheese and ham toasties and chips for them both (see what I mean?!) and a chicken tikka wrap for me, I had a good catch up with Joseph. When I worked for TOFS I spent a good year opening a load of shops round Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, so I was pretty much an unpaying lodger with Kieran and Jo, so it was good to hear what he’d been doing and how school was. As he’s doing politics, we also had a very good conversation about the destruction of the tories and what’s happening in America…the kids are going to be alright!

 As expected the food took a bit to arrive and it wasn’t until 1pm that we were ready and leaving. We’d only done 18 miles, there was 20 left and we had three wass climbs to get up before the downhill into Eastbourne. Mmmm maybe we weren’t going to get back for the tour, but if we aimed for 4, we could get back to Kieran’s for a shower and some food before my train…we found the route again and it was straight up the huge climb from Southease. At 532ft in 1.27 miles at an average of 8% it was horrific. As Joseph put his mountain bike into its smallest gear and just pedalled up it at 2mph, me and Kieran realised we’d brought a knife to a gun fight with our gravel bikes. Pushing up the horrendous narrow chalk rut finally it came out of the trees to a surface you could kind of get up but the sun was out, it was baking hot and the wind had disappeared. With Joseph and Kieran waiting at the top, it was a quick drink and down the equally terrifying descent into Alfriston.

I’ll not lie, I was struggling. More with the descents than the climbing if I’m honest. I didn’t have the skills/balls of Kieran and Joseph going down hill, so I was hard on the brakes for most of them and taking a battering through my hands, having to stop as cramp took hold. I was also thinking as it was mentally tiring as well as physically, that I didn’t want to stack it and ruin the trip so taking it extra cautiously. The one consolation was if Dec had have joined us, I mean it would have been carnage…

Afriston was absolutely beautiful, but we had literally no time to spare and it was through, over the river and railway line past the Youth Hostel and then bang, the next one was upon us. It wasn’t as bad on the lower slopes, but as it burst out of the trees it got steeper and steeper. I’d actually passed Joseph on the lower slopes spinning his granny gear but in a real life tortoise and hare, just as me and Kieran got off as the gradient reached 20% he was past and up to the summit. It was so hot, I’d completely unzipped my Carter USM cycling top, apologising to walkers coming the other way at what they had to avert their gaze from…

Straight back down another vertiginous drop, hand cramp, sheer terror and bloody mindedness got me to the bottom and to the last climb of the day up from Jevington. Drinking the last of the water, I was off, and as always the last climb is the easiest as mentally you know it’s done after this. As such, I just sailed up it, no problems, despite the horrible surface, the heat and the gradient. It never ceases to remind me what I big part your brain plays in cycling. It’s not really your physical status, it’s definitely mental that plays the biggest part. Up to the top in one go, not even stopping, I had the pleasure for the only time in the route of waiting for Kieran and Joseph. You know when I said about the apple not falling far from the tree? Joseph had had enough. Given that this was the furthest he’d ever ridden, ever climbed and the heat, it was fair enough, but he had a proper Campbell strop at the top. I know I shouldn’t but I had to laugh…

Watching Kieran talking him round as we all had to do countless times to him proper made my day! Only 2 miles left but it was 4.10. I wasn’t going to make it back to Kieran’s and more importantly I was in danger of missing my train back to Winchester. When we reached the outskirts of Eastbourne it was also obvious that the route we had loaded didn’t in fact take us to the end of the route at Beachy Head. It was another 3 miles away. If we went there, I’d certainly miss my train. The one constant of all out trips apart from the massive hubris about what we can achieve in the time given, is that it doesn’t matter about the end destination. We never spend any time there and that’s not the special bit. As such we decided we done it, and dove down to the train station to find we only had 5 minutes for the last train that would take me to Brighton in time for my train home.

The train back to Brighton went in a blur, apart from, of course, the train not having enough bike spaces and having to jam them in doorways and all to soon it was time to say goodbye to Kieran and Joseph at Brighton as I got on the Winchester train and they headed to Hove. As always when I’m with Kieran, his bonhomie and sense of humour makes me very happy, and to see mini me Joseph growing up to be a carbon copy, hilarious! 

So thoughts on the trip? I wish I was 17 again and had the legs, lungs and lack of fear Joseph has! I’ve massively improved my off road skills over the course of the weekend, but there is still much to do. You have to concentrate so much more on the surface beneath your wheels and the route of least resistance. As we were going mostly straight up or down, there wasn’t as much time either, to take in the scenery. You need to plan total distance including stops at about 5mph over rough terrain like this, and the 13 hours yesterday and 9 today have been some of the hardest cycling I’ve ever done, massively out of my comfort zone. It probably would have been better bringing a full suspension mountain bike, but I don’t have one and Andrea would literally kill me if I bought another bike…The South Downs is very much as Declan claims “The Beautiful South” and it might have been better to do it over 3 days and seen a little of the few lovely towns we rode through. But it’s done, another ticked off the list, and on to planning a ride with Frankie in September before he has his other hip replaced…It ends, it always Ends!