stapfam

Start of my holiday but had to go in to work to tidy up a few things. Left at 6am to ride the 32 miles in with glorious sunshine but rain was promised for the commute back. I prepared well and base layer- s/s jersey and the Assos winter long sleeve as it was not going to be warm. In the back pocket was my lightweight waterproof so I was pready for a damp ride.
Midday and I locked the office and started riding. Within 5 miles it was raining----hard. The real problem though was the amount of traffic. 2 mile tailback along the seafront with the cars a bit too near the kerb for comfort--So onto the cycle path on the promenade. Not a thing any one with sense does due to the peds but the pictures say it all. Saw an interesting bike but not the day for riding about in. Took a pic of the pier and you can see how few had ventured out for their daily constitutional. Had a headwind so decided to get a bit of shelter by finishing the commute inland- hence missing the headwind and the 2,000ft of climbing. Has to pass Brighton Pavilion and sorry- I was not going to walk around in the rain just to get a better pic just so you can see one of Brightons Spectacular Buildings.

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This was the first time I have negotiated Brightons Cycle lanes and I am not amused. The cycle lane on the road stopped and pushed me onto the Pavement (sidewalk to you). No set cycle lane initially- it was a free for all as to who got hit first. Me or the peds that I had to avoid. It was marked as a cycle path but no lanes. Got a bit further on the route and they improved but called into a bakers for Pie- Best I could manage was an Apple Danish so once out of Brighton I stopped to eat it. Big mistake as I stopped under a Big tree that should have offered shelter. Problem was the rain was now filtering through the leaves and branches so Big droplets coming down all the time. Bit further on and the Uni Sign is for Wobbly. His daughter is at Sussex university but I missed the entrance and just saw the final sign to it as I was passing

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Have to admit that I felt like phoning for a lift at this point. The rain was persisting down and I was getting damp. But push onto Lewes and I could phone from there. From the Uni to Lewes is a dedicated cycle path that runs alongside the road. Surface is not that good but passable in most places- except if you don't know the routes with no signing for the actual route. I did have a few bits of muddy track to negotiate to get back on route. The pic of the cars alongside the cycle route shows that it was still raining. I did intend to get some good pics of our Historical County town of Lewes for you but it was still raining so only a couple.

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But dropping out of Lewes- The weather cleared- Only 10 miles to go so didn't bother to phone for a lift- 2 miles later and I wished I had but not far to go now. I was glad at this point for the warm clothing as the temp had dropped to around 50f and I was soaked.

Got home and the wife was surprised to see me so early. The weather was atrocious and she knows me in weather like this. I normally find a cafe and wait till it clears a bit. Couldn't do that today as No Cafes to hide in for an hour or so.

So 30 miles taken steady in weather that anyone with any sense would not have ventured out in. In Fact- other than the Advertising hoarding- I did not see one single other bike. The weather was so bad that at times I could not see the road in front of me- and with the rain on the mirror- I couldn't see the cars behind either. But at least with no cafes, the ride got done fairly quick. 2 1/4 hours for a commute that in the car that normally takes 45 minutes. Couple of hours later and we do have brilliant Sunshine. I thinks it is called Sods Law- But I know what I am calling that ride.

The Weak Link

What does not kill you makes you stranger.

wobblyoldgeezer

Well, bravo to you - and thanks for remembering my family stuff

Daughter is still loving her Brighton to Falmer return commute on her cute Dutch upright.

When I was there - same Uni, similar course - I wasn't cycling (although I'd been a schoolkid national racer before), but I trundled around on a Lambretta 125, on which I went back to Yorkshire, 200 miles away, every vacation

So, same daft, different machine

Blxxdy well done for the wet round trip