Monday, April 22, 2013

Hostel trip - Thursday 18 April


From South Downs Hostel to Truleigh Hill is only about 25 miles direct so a detour to the east was included to make a full day and balance the urban coast with some rural delights. We were almost ready to go when the missing key gremlin struck. The offending item was finally traced to its rightful place in spite of having "already checked there"!! A strong breeze was blowing in from the sea and Tony reported dire predictions of gales from the BBC. So with the wind behind us we headed north up the A26 to Beddingham and then via Glynde to Laughton. Now we turned south through Ripe and past Berwick station, then down the lane to Litlington where we stopped for 11s at the Tea Gardens. Faced with a choice of sun and wind or shade and calm we went indoors. Onwards to Exceat and then right onto the A259 towards Seaford. Until now we had only brief encounters with the wind but it stopped us in our tracks as we tried to ride onto the front at Seaford. An uncomforable buffetting followed until we left the sea for the cycle track to Newhaven. By now it was already 1pm and a planned lunch at Rottingdean seemed a challenge. Fortunately Tony knew of the Luna Rossa cafe where Mussels and Chips and other delights were on offer. Suitably refreshed we followed Sustrans 2 up an ever steepening Gibbon Road to join The Highway. High, yes, but no highway except in Sustrans eyes. This rutted lane brought us to Peacehaven where we followed suburban streets to eventually rejoin the A259. Now the trial by wind really began and the descent to Saltdean was barely rideable. Here the undercliff route to Brighton was deemed safer than trying to ride a clifftop bus lane in a gale. All thoughts of Shoreham Airport were abandoned and we had tea in Hove before finding a calmer back street route through Portslade. The tired legs still had to face the three mile climb to the hostel and it was 6pm when we arrived after the windiest ride most had experienced in a long time.

Brian

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