This is the club's take on the classic ride to the sea: about 98 km from Highbury Fields to Brighton, finishing on the seafront by the Palace Pier. There's roughly 1,050 m of climbing, most of it in the second half, and the biggest effort is saved for last. It's one way, so plan on the train home.
Where it goes
The first 25 km are city riding. You drop down through Clerkenwell, cross the Thames at Blackfriars Bridge and head south through Kennington, Stockwell, Clapham, Balham and Tooting, then out through Mitcham and Carshalton. Expect lights, buses and stop-start progress, so treat it as a warm-up.
Past Carshalton the road climbs steadily onto the North Downs around Chipstead. After a drop to Merstham there's a short, steeper rise towards Nutfield, then quieter lanes south through Outwood and on through Crawley Down. The road then climbs gradually to Turners Hill, at about 180 m the high point of the middle section, before rolling down past Ardingly and through the lanes east of Lindfield and on through Wivelsfield to Ditchling.
The hard bits
- Ditchling Beacon (km 86–88): the big one. From the edge of the village the road climbs about 150 m in under 2 km, with the steep middle section averaging around 9% and steeper ramps near the top. It's narrow, often busy with cars and other riders, and comes with 85 km already in your legs.
- Onto the North Downs (km 16–35): long and steady rather than steep, gaining about 200 m in two stages.
- Turners Hill (km 50–61): a gradual 10 km rise of about 120 m, with a few short, steeper pitches.
From the top of the Beacon it's an easy, mostly downhill run into Brighton.
Planning
There are shops and cafés in the London suburbs and in the larger villages along the way, but the lanes between Merstham and Ditchling are quieter, so carry two bottles and some food. Late spring to early autumn is best, as the Weald lanes can be muddy and covered in leaves in winter.
Weather: this route heads due south, so a south-westerly, the most common wind direction in the UK, often means a headwind or crosswind for most of the day. The top of Ditchling Beacon is exposed, and the run down into Brighton can be cold and blustery even on a mild day. Check the forecast for the afternoon, not just the start.