Hello All

 

Well, I must say that the ride was far more demanding than I expected it to be.

 

I made some big errors in preparation:

 

I wore a long sleeve jersey suitable for a ski resort in winter, not Sussex basking in 28 degree temperatures.

 

I slept fitfully with an alarm call at 4.45.

 

Yes, I drank a glass or two of wine the night before.

 

I wore a T shirt under my already hot jersey...

 

So what happened?

 

I had a puncture at 5 miles and jettisoned the T shirt.

 

I then cycled (egged on by my accomplice, Max) at an absurd pace - we were not overtaken for 40 miles. We took a wrong turning as marshalls were absent and some joker changed the signs - hey, extra distance no problem...

 

All the while I drank water- a mistake as you need electrolytes.

 

Then I started to get cramp. Another puncture. Walked a mile to a pitstop and bought a new tyre and tube and refilled my bottlle and cycled up the Devil's Dyke and into Hove. Whereupon got knocked off my bike on the promenade (sore knee) and got another puncture.

Fish and chips and at last to Thameslink hoime....only it wasn't running. Cycled from Victoria to St Pancras. Got home at 6 pm. A total of 72 miles.

 

A bath seems an amazingly attracive thing at a time like that.

 

Anyway glad I did it. Look at the pics to see Devils Dyke and finish.

 

Advice? Get some serious liquids for a trip like this, wear the right clothes and get some sleep.

 

 

Julian

 

 

http://www.capitaltocoast.org.uk/