{"id":4980,"date":"2019-09-01T21:19:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-01T20:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/?p=4980"},"modified":"2019-09-01T21:19:02","modified_gmt":"2019-09-01T20:19:02","slug":"trying-to-cycle-to-brighton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/01\/trying-to-cycle-to-brighton\/","title":{"rendered":"Trying to Cycle to Brighton"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For the second time in my life, I&#8217;ve tried to cycle from London to Brighton. The first time was a decade ago and my girlfriend at the time sprained her ankle in Lewisham. She was determined, but in Croydon, she was forced to admit defeat and we turned back. I kept the map, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48645927598\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"map of national cycle routes 20 and 21\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48645927598_dcde6ddd7a.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"map of national cycle routes 20 and 21\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 375px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 375\/500;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a few changes. The route no longer starts at Cutty Sark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649195351\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"bicycle route marker\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649195351_7de578d18d.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"bicycle route marker\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 375px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 375\/500;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a wee bit north of there now and you can&#8217;t see the start sign from following the extension of (21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649195801\/in\/photostream\/\" title=\"Route 21 Start\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649195801_272999a1ac.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"Route 21 Start\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 375px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 375\/500;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>It still winds through Greenwich, obviously, but the area has changed dramatically.  When I first went along the route, the area was slightly alarming. There were neglected estates with burned sofas in front of their houses and cops knocking on doors. Now there&#8217;s a lot of construction displacing a really cool looking arts sector which likely displaced the residents there previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I found both times that taking route 21 to Croydon is a lovely relaxed ride that manages to wend through parks and offroad or low traffic paths until it gets to Addington, which is where I stopped for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649335357\/in\/dateposted\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649335357_214c05decb.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Ribbon\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There were a lot of blue ribbons tied to things, which I don&#8217;t know anything about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shortly after that the route got more rural and there were unpaved sections, which, because this is England, were lined with brambles and stinging nettles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649335977\/in\/dateposted\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649335977_c7a8b2fb08.jpg\" alt=\"the edge of the countryside\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48655374363\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"Pub on Cycle Route 21\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48655374363_66c818cecd.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"336\" alt=\"Pub on Cycle Route 21\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/336;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649196106\/in\/dateposted\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649196106_a7e9d8a689.jpg\" alt=\"on the edge of Surrey\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><figcaption>I&#8217;m smiling because I don&#8217;t realise what&#8217;s in store for my legs and tyres.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As I got into Surrey, the offroad paths got less and less well maintained. They were made up mostly of loose gravel. A lot of them has deep gulleys running through the middle, where water had drained down them. They looked like they hadn&#8217;t been maintained in quite some time. I don&#8217;t think they&#8217;re at all appropriate for touring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The views were nice, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649336257\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"a field near Croydon\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649336257_732645d148.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"a field near Croydon\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/375;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649197226\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"a nice view\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649197226_6027ee85f3.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"a nice view\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/375;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>My original plan for this trip was to take my dog in a trailer and spend two days. I was persuaded instead, though to leave the dog behind and try to do it in one day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to think of myself as an experienced touring cyclist, but it turns out that going slowly with a dog is quite different than going slowly without a dog. For instance, I don&#8217;t really have a good reason for my extremely glacial pace. The other is that if one is towing a dog trailer down a steep incline covered with loose rocks, there are a lot of things to worry about, but the bicycle flipping up over the handlebars is not one of them. I very nearly flipped my bicycle at least once and nearly bit it a few times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649336382\/in\/dateposted\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649336382_87e41c3f0d.jpg\" alt=\"A hole in the ground from hard breaking\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A somewhat visible hole from trying to stop and not fall off.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649197561\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"I couldn&#x27;t ride down this\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649197561_b53e09bd4e.jpg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" alt=\"I couldn&#x27;t ride down this\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 375px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 375\/500;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>It felt like I did a lot of time walking. Also, Gravelly Hill is very well-named.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649337267\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"a lovely view\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649337267_427cb5f478.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" alt=\"a lovely view\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/375;\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>As I got to the M25, the paths improved tremendously and the views were still very nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/celesteh\/48649336922\/in\/dateposted\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48649336922_3f3877ce4d.jpg\" alt=\"me at the M25\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><figcaption>I look disturbed because it&#8217;s been a long trip to only reach the M25.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I got to Red Hill, which was where I had been planning to sleep and it was already kind of late in the afternoon. I switched from the 21 to the 20 to get to Brighton. The shadows got longer. I looked at my map and saw that I had 25 miles to go and two hours until dark. The smart thing to do would have been to give up, but I pressed on until I got to a place called Hand Cross. My legs were trembling from exhaustion and twilight was falling. There&#8217;s no train station there and the infrequent buses were only going north, where I could get a train back south. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A cabbie pulled out of his driveway just a few meters away and I flagged him down to get a ride the rest of the way into Brighton. It was 40 minutes just by car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Route 20 had been mostly been on extremely fast moving frontage roads next to the motorway. As I looked out the cab windows, I could see it continue, right in the pollution next to the road and I swear I thought I saw some section of it where it was actually on the margin of the motorway!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I went about 50 miles in all, which I&#8217;m very disappointed by. I could go the same distance normally with a dog. But, I did get almost all of the uphill and a lot less of the downhill and did get stuck walking a fair amount. The last part that I missed out on did not look like it was fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, I&#8217;m not sure how much any of it was fun. The on-road parts had aggressive cars coming much too close, especially around Croydon. The offroad parts were even more dangerous.  I thought about who I could report the problems to, but as the UK is about to embark on economic self-destruction, there&#8217;s not much hope they&#8217;ll ever get fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is probably the last time I&#8217;m going to even bother trying to follow a national cycle route in the south east. Maybe they&#8217;re better in other parts of England or in Scotland, but the ones that set off from London seem to go to absolute shit once I get out of the sprawl.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the second time in my life, I&#8217;ve tried to cycle from London to Brighton. The first time was a decade ago and my girlfriend at the time sprained her ankle in Lewisham. She was determined, but in Croydon, she was forced to admit defeat and we turned back. I kept the map, though. There&#8217;s &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/01\/trying-to-cycle-to-brighton\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Trying to Cycle to Brighton<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[145],"class_list":["post-4980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-bikes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4980"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4981,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980\/revisions\/4981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.celesteh.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}