The word “iconic” is over-used but... the London to Brighton bike ride really is. Britain’s best-known one-day route, it has a simple appeal: wake up on a sunny Saturday, get on your bike, and end up at the beach. At 60 miles, it’s perfect for an energetic day’s riding, or a lazy weekend. And you can get the train home afterwards. There’s no single London–Brighton route. Even the best-known organised ride, the British Heart Foundation’s annual 30,000-rider fiesta, alters its course from year to year. But since the organised ride benefits from road closures, it follows more major roads than you’d otherwise want. Instead, we’ve designed a route which is influenced by the BHF ride, but doesn’t follow it slavishly – and which has some of the best cake you’ll find for miles around. At any time of year, this is simply a great ride. Lovely villages and country pubs, undulating countryside, and the fleshpots and feasting of Brighton to celebrate your achievement. Print the map, get on your bike, and go. How hard is it? The rolling hills of Sussex give the route much of its charm. If this is your first countryside cycle tour, there’ll inevitably be a point where you think “How much longer does this hill go on for?” And that’s fine; it’s not a race. Don’t strain yourself, but ride at a pace that you find comfortable. If most of your riding so far has been in London itself, consider taking two days over this rather than one. If you’re an experienced cycle tourer, on the other hand we think you’ll find it undulating rather than hilly – much as you would expect for this part of the world. It’s classic country riding – a few climbs to keep you on your toes but not as gruelling as a route of similar length in Wales, say. There’s one really big hill, right at the end: the infamous Ditchling Beacon. It’s 10% on average, 16% at most. There’s no shame in pushing, as most of the BHF participants do, but you can just settle down into your lowest gear and plod up it. What sort of bike? Anything. We did it on a folding bike (albeit a touring Bike Friday rather than a commuting Brompton). You’ll see dozens of road bikes out on the lanes. Your commuter hybrid is fine too. There’s two short unpaved sections: if you’re on skinny tyres, you can divert round them or simply push. How much traffic is there? This part of England is densely populated, not least by people with fast Audis, so you won’t get the solitude you’d enjoy in mid-Wales or the Pennines. There are plenty of quiet lanes, but you occasionally have to use busy roads to connect them up. The busiest section is of course South London, where any really quiet route would be unbearably indirect. Our route keeps you away from the worst roads while still speeding you out of London in a reasonable time. Needless to say, there are still a few spots where you’ll need to keep your wits against you. (We highlight these in the route guide.) If you really want to avoid traffic, you can follow the Avenue Verte bike route from London to East Grinstead, but it’s a lot slower.
