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Yes, you did do that bit from
Yes, you did do that bit from mile 91-97, great minds!
I see what you mean about the crossing at mile 92, Burnthouse Lane. I haven’t ridden it, but the Google maps car made it so you should be ok. There are two more small roads just east of there, I may have been thinking of them.
Great challenge by the way! Don’t tell the off road folks, but the way they are going, the Downslink is very, very dull. I’ve done it for charity a few times, and can’t face it again!
I live down this way, Stan’s
I live down this way, Stan’s is good.
You’ve missed a lovely bit at mile 97; Doomsday Green to Bucks Head goes through the Hammerponds which are lovely and well worth checking out. At mile 92 when you cross the main road, I don’t know if you can ride down there; it might be private or un-made. I would follow the road round to the left just after mile 91, and go to Maplehurst. Then either go left to Copsale and Sedgewick and then up to Doomsday Green, or carry on through Nuthurst (nice pub if you need an extra stop) but that will give you a mile or two on an A road, but it isn’t that busy.
The bit from mile 78 to 87 is lovely.
If it is too easy, you’re very close to the toughest hill in the area, Barhatch Lane near Cranleigh…
What about Tanhurst, Leith’s
What about Tanhurst, Leith’s evil bastard cousin?
I live in the South Downs too
I live in the South Downs too (up from Shoreham) and was up in the Surrrey Hills this weekend, didn’t find it too bad but I left at 6 am. Am happy to share routes etc with you if you want to get in touch? It is busier around Dorking but there are options to get you pretty close in less well-trafficked roads.
I had a great ride out west the other week to Butser Hill, following the small lanes that lie around the north edge of the Downs, very very quiet.
You can also head east and find plenty of quiet country lanes.
I love having my phone out on
I love having my phone out on rides with me, I would never have thought to take a proper camera.
Rule 3 Use the back brake first to stabilise the bike when braking. Gentle modulation so to avoid lockups yThanks, this is new on me. I always thought back brake marginally after front brake as there was more chance of back wheel skidding from the lateral pressure. I’ll give your tip a go instead.
I do mostly try to feather the brakes rather than pull for long periods, although at the most crapping-myself moment on Sunday I admit I was just riding the brakes for tens of metres.
You’ll find if the back wheel locks up, maintaining control is fairly easy, and it usually stays in a straight line or only arcs out a little. Releasing the brake lever briefly gets you back in control again.
If you lock the front, you need to be a bike control zen master to NOT hit the deck. 99 times out of 100 it will slide out from under you in nano seconds and the best you can do is minimise the damage to yourself. That’s why I get on the back brake marginally sooner than the front. With practice you can increase the pressure on the levers and feel what each tyre is doing; really steep descents like in the Lakes or Bignor Hill you have to move your body weight back over the rear wheel to stop it lifting. Long descents like in the Alps can give you so much pain in your wrists you want them to finish sooner!
I’d add a good long look over
I’d add a good long look over your shoulder before you roll over the top so you know if there is anything behind, and if so how fast it is going. I find some times this makes the driver back off so you can concentrate on your line and where you are heading, and use all the available road. Look again later on the descent if possible.
Have a look on Pistonheads at
Have a look on Pistonheads at Gruffy preparing for the Transcontinental Race. Lots of stuff there that I’d just not even have thought about) if I was nuts enough to be doing something like that!)riotgibbon wrote:
Yeah, I’ve sent it in, there was no way it was ever going to court, but I’m hoping for a Dixon of Dock Green style ‘now then lad, you were being a bit hasty there, and has thaa actually read t’Highway Code?’ semi-frienfly /menacing chat. Though that last bit might be Juliet Bravo.Years ago, I forced into crashing up a kerb by a tosspot in one of those little Suzuki Carry vans. I had a pop at him half a mile before for a close pass, got round him while he queued at lights, and then when they went green he came alongside and just kept inching in towards me until I had to crash up the kerb. Chased him to the bakers where he worked afterwards, and all his mates came out, so I left it. I did report it to the police who assured me they would go and have a word with him. It’s all you can hope for really, but I still won’t let a close pass go without a shout and gesticulation.
Interesting read, I have a
Interesting read, I have a similar clicking when out of the saddle, right pedal around the 6 o’clock position. Bike is being checked out before the weekend, will talk him through these suggestions.
Should helmet use be mandatory for mopeds? I got behind one that was struggling to hit 25 the other day. I can do that legally on a pushbike.Er, it is! In this country anyway.
I always wear a helmet; mainly because I banged my head on the tarmac in two incidents when I came off on ice last year. Both were my fault, no-one else around never mind involved.
I don’t let drivers get away with close passing me, I always shout and gesticulate. I have noticed that nearly always following cars then give an exaggerated amount of room. Apart from the one that got especially close.
Driving is something that most people in the UK don’t really think about, ask most drivers if they can recall anything about their last journey by car, and they wouldn’t have a clue. There should be a campaign to raise awareness about this issue, but I doubt anyone who doesn’t cycle gives a monkeys.
If it’s one of my own rides, I normally factor in stopping for a sarnie midway through.If it’s an event I’ll get a decent feed at a feed station – whatever they’re offering.
I get some porridge in before heading out, and normally carry a couple of bars and bags of sweets for a sugar hit, and some powders for when I refill bottles. I tend to find if you make some of it ‘recovery’ stuff (protein) it staves off hunger better, and I get home with food to spare.
I’m with Dave on this one, if it’s an event I will try and get something at the feed stops, although variety isn’t always great and you can’t always get stuff to carry with you. Savoury is good too, mini pork pies have made my day a couple of times! On normal rides, I’m trying to get back to pub stops – a pint and some chips, or maybe a light meal, life’s too short to always be worrying about pace, and what time you said you’d get back home.
Will try the recovery/protein idea, hadn’t come across that before.
Another Propel rider here
Another Propel rider here although mine was the £1600 version. I love it, I also spend all day thinking about riding it when I am not riding it. Mine is last year’s model which looks better than this year’s version, although that is just the paint scheme and that is my own taste.
You’re right to worry about the brakes, I had issues with a 25 mm tyre and the old brakes, which was fixed by Giant.
Think it will be a 52-36 chain set also unless you’ve changed the rings, cos an 18 tooth gap will be pushing what a front derailleur is capable of. The biggest gap is normally 16t, so 50-34, 52-36 or less with the likes of 52-39 etfYes sorry, 52-36!
That’s great thanks, ordered the chain, the brand is KMC and it says 11 speed so.. guess it’s okay.
Bugger! Wanted to know how the 52-34 worked! 52-36 and 11-32 wasn’t enough for me up Hardknott this year.
The Stelvio isn’t a long way away is it? And I drove up the Gotthard Pass last summer, stunning, would love to ride it one day.Bit far the Stelvio. 6 hrs according to the map. Thanks though
Sorry Andrew – we drive from Brighton to Pescara every summer and I have been looking at “small” diversions on the way to do some iconic climbs. The Stelvio is top of the list and wouldn’t be too much out of our way, in the context of a 20 hour drive each way! I haven’t run this one past the missus yet…
