Cycling on the South Downs: Day 1

This is about thinking it and the all important ‘doing it’! Starting with simple things and the original plan was to walk it, I may still do this however my companion for this trip preferred to cycle. I have not cycled much since I fell off my bike in 2012 and broke my ribs so you can see where this is going.

Never to be deterred, I bought a reasonable mountain bike at Halfords in August. I am now the proud owner of a Carrera Sulcata. I should have thought about it sooner though as some bright spark at Carrera named it after a tortoise!

I started riding it and getting used to the gears, sore bum etc over the next six weeks! I probably didn’t do enough but I thought I was ready for the adventure! I gave us four days from Winchester to Eastbourne mostly off road.

I planned two days long riding 30 mile plus and two days of about 20 miles. My first lesson, 30 miles off road is too far for me it ended up a kind of marathon with no time to sit and ponder, enjoy the views or visit anything along the way

From the start it was clear that my travelling companion Richard Moore is fitter than me. No surprize there but he seemed to spend a great deal of time waiting for me. After all I am riding a tortoise! (no comments please).

Anyway the start was great we reckoned on about 26 miles from Winchester Station to our accommodation.  We set off around lunch time. This was quite hard although it was probably the gentlest part of the journey. I was greatly relieved  when even he ‘the man machine’ had to get off and walk near West Meon.

The Best bit was watching Richard fly down Butser Hill, I enjoyed that bit too although I didn’t so much fly as scuttle. It was dark by the time we got to our night stop but it felt good.