The Next Ride: Sunday 20 April 2014 (Easter Sunday) – Hassocks to Lewes

We will catch the 10.44 train to Hassocks (buy return tickets to Hassocks) arriving just before 11am.

As it is Easter Sunday we have planned an early lunch at Wivelsfield to avoid the crowds. Menus will be handed out on the train and lunch orders phoned through to the pub before we set off from Hassocks.

We head off through Keymer  to Ditchling then turn left on Spatham Lane.

After a few yards we turn right onto an offroad track (weather permitting). A good easy surface for most of the way, there is a short section that some may choose to walk.

Arriving at Streat we turn left and head towards Wivelsfield on a small road that gently undulates.

The Cock Inn is our lunch stop where we plan to arrive between 12-12.30. http://www.cockinn-wivelsfield.co.uk/index.html

After lunch we set off for Lewes avoiding Plumpton Green, arriving at Cooksbridge where we take a small road to Hamsey then Offham. Arriving there we cycle the pavement of the busy A275 (the law having clarified that where it is dangerous to use the road, its ok to cycle on the pavement) before turning left into Lewes for tea.

Trains to Brighton: 06, 19, 44 past the hour.

Lunch details
On our practice ride we asked the pub to email me the menu so that we could all preorder (it being a busy day).

We will distribute  printouts of it on the train to Hassocks on the day,but would encourage people to make a decision beforehand. We will be phoning through our orders from the station carpark.

Please  phone Tessa on 01273 777574  if you are definitely planning to come on the ride so the pub can be alerted about numbers, beforehand.

Tessa & Sikka

 

We welcome people who want to try one or two of our rides before joining. If you would like to join the Clarion club, click here to download a membership form.

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The Next Ride: Sunday 9 March 2014 – Cuckoo Trail and Pevensey Levels

Only c 16/17 miles and mainly pretty flat.

From Polegate we’ll take the Cuckoo Trail through Hailsham leaving it at Hellingly near the Cuckoo’s Rest. From there we’ll head eastward to Magham Down and the outskirts of Herstmonceux for about two and a half miles.  Half of this will be on the fairly busy A271 and gently uphill – but that’s the lot for traffic and (apart from the Trail bridge over the by-pass) the nearest thing to a hill on the route.

We’ll stop for lunch at the Catkins (sic) Tea Rooms.  I’ve checked  this out – it does a roast or a range of snacks and sandwiches including vegetarian ones on Sundays and can also supply free range eggs to anyone running short of them.  It’s in the Cooper’s Croft Garden Centre, adjacent to a “high quality” cattery (hence presumably the tea-room’s name) and near the famous “Truggery” shop which afficionados of ancient Sussex crafts might like to go and have a look at after lunch.

Then it’s down Cricketing Lane and across the Levels to Rickney and then along the usually quiet  Glynleigh Road eventually rejoining the Cuckoo Trail just north of the Old Loom where we can make the usual tea-stop before returning to Polegate.

Catch the 10.20 from Brighton station or
Meet: at 10.49 at Polegate station
Trains back at 42 minutes past the hour (non-stop). There are others involving a change:

My mobile number is 07770743287 

Ian

We welcome people who want to try one or two of our rides before joining. If you would like to join the Clarion club, click here to download a membership form.

The Next Ride: Sunday 23 February 2014 – Hove to Steyning and back

Just a little potter out to Steyning and back via the Shoreham Toll Bridge and the Coombes road, since no one else has volunteered to lead a ride on this date. It’s a re-run of my previous ride while some of the club were in Norfolk last year.

Meet outside Marocco’s at 11 am. Ride past Carat’s, over the lock gates and along to Shoreham on the back streets. Over the toll bridge and up the Coombes road to Steyning – it’s about 10 miles, and the pace can be as leisurely as people wish it to be.

In Steyning there are cafes and pubs galore, so I’m sure we’ll find somewhere to have lunch. Last time we struck lucky with the White Horse, so we might try there again. Then we can potter back the way we came, with a tea stop at Shoreham Airport café if anyone fancies it. Bail-out point at Shoreham station if needed, otherwise we’ll just retrace our route to the start.

Meet: 11 am outside Marocco’s on the seafront in Hove. I will be there anyway (unless the weather is absolutely atrocious when as usual the ride will be cancelled by email the day before), so just turn up. We’ll wait, oh, until 11.05 for latecomers! The route is so well known that I’m sure we’ll be easy to catch.

Total distance: 20 miles, mostly flat with a couple of little undulations that we’ve all done many times before.

Trains: Not needed for most people, but they are of course available at various stations as always.

Contact: Jenny, 07527 119736

Jenny

We welcome people who want to try one or two of our rides before joining. If you would like to join the Clarion club, click here to download a membership form.

The Next Ride: Sunday 26 January 2014 – Burgess Hill to Wivelsfield

We’ve been trying to recreate the ride Ian led 7 years ago on 19th Jan 2007 when the sun shone & we enjoyed the lovely lanes of the Sussex Weald. After a 25 mile trip from Hassocks on Thursday we’ve shortened it to  20 miles from Burgess Hill, returning from Wivelsfield station & lunching at The Witch Inn, Lindfield, where we had super meal today. We’d like to catch the 9.54 train to Burgess Hill as Witch Inn has party of 28 at 1pm & we need to arrive before them – though buy return to Wivelsfield. Following Ian’s advice that most of the ride should be before lunch, it took us 2 hours today to reach there & an hour or so back along Slugwash Lane afterwards. Need to depart promptly from Burgess Hill station even so & start the lanes that lead to Borde Hill Estate via Cuckfield. Lanes are undulating but paved & mainly traffic-free & a few bits of main roads to cross or to ride.

Catch the 9.54 train from Brighton station or meet at Burgess Hill station at 10.10 

Return trains from Wivelsfield 05, and  35mins past the hour.

Terrain – no off-road but short undulations on good lanes.

Lunch – The Witch Inn, Lindfield.

Mick’s mobile   07803730401 

Anne and Mick

We welcome people who want to try one or two of our rides before joining. If you would like to join the Clarion club, click here to download a membership form.

The Next Ride: Sunday 12 January 2014 – Hassocks to Shoreham via Ashurst

18 to 20 Miles

From Hassocks station through Albourne, Partridge Green to Ashhurst. Lunch at the Fountain Inn. Return via Steyning and Coombs to Shoreham with the possibility of a tea stop at Shoreham airport.

Train back from Shoreham (or make it a longer ride by cycling home from there)

Catch the 11.05 at Brighton station or meet at Hassocks station at 11.15
Train for return from Shoreham to Brightron at 17.07
My mobile no. is 07814-257495.

John

We welcome people who want to try one or two of our rides before joining. If you would like to join the Clarion club, click here to download a membership form.