100 mile cycle ride in Surrey and Sussex

Every year, the aim is to complete a long-distance 100-mile cycle ride. It is a personal challenge and good training for other weekend trips on two wheels.

The plan

The day began with a 6am train from Horsham to Merstham in Surrey, bikes in tow. From there, the route headed back to Horsham through country lanes in Surrey and a large loop into Sussex, starting at 6.45am and finishing at 5.15pm. The total distance came to 100.12 miles.

The route takes in a couple of tracks and off-road sections, but it is mostly country lanes, so hybrid or road bikes are the best choice.

The route in stages

The ride is broken into sections based on the villages, and the shops, where stops were made. There is something about knowing a village shop is coming up that helps the pedalling along.

• Merstham to Brockham, 25 miles, with a handy shop by the village green.
• Brockham to Rusper, around 45 miles in total.
• Rusper to Partridge Green, around 75 miles in total.
• Partridge Green to Barns Green.
• The final stretch back home to Horsham.

Fitness and the day itself

Cycling 100 miles requires a reasonable level of fitness and activity. Preparation for the big day involved three rides of between 35 and 75 miles in the weeks beforehand. Even so, there was a physical low point at the Rusper stop, before recovering in the afternoon and feeling mostly fine for the rest of the ride: tired, a little saddle-sore, but otherwise in good shape.

The route is not especially hilly, though there are some climbs. The steepest is a short section on Hammerpond Road near Horsham. There are also some long downhill stretches to enjoy.

The day was a satisfying one, because previous 100-mile rides had finished between 6.30pm and 7pm, while this one wrapped up at 5.15pm. It is not a race, but improving on a time is always welcome. A Trek 7.4 FX hybrid bike made a real difference on this occasion, though fitness surely played a part in the earlier finish as well.

Finishing at 5.15pm left time for a celebratory drink afterwards. Champagne, it turns out, is apparently an approved recovery drink. Who knew?

The three riders completed the route together and had a fine day for it: clear weather and not too hot. It is hard to ask for better conditions than that.