Spin Up in a Brewery, cycling from Horsham

Spin Up in a Brewery is a day of bikes, beer, barbecue and roller racing held at Dark Star Brewery in Partridge Green, West Sussex. Tickets cost £8 each and include a free pint. Many people ride to the event as part of a longer outing from Brighton, and it has become a fixture for cyclists looking for a relaxed Saturday afternoon that combines a ride with good beer and entertainment.

The most direct route from Horsham to Partridge Green runs along the A281 before turning onto Sedgwick Lane, heading south to Copsale and then following the Downs Link Trail into Partridge Green. That makes the trip roughly 11 miles in each direction. On a wet day the Downs Link is not especially muddy, but it is certainly damp, and both rider and bike tend to arrive at the brewery looking a little worse for wear. A pint of Hophead Bitter soon lifts the spirits.

The event itself is built around roller racing, with the setup and organisation handled by South Coast Sprints. Riders compete on stationary rollers while spectators watch, chat, drink and eat from the barbecue. Some arrive after cycling a longer route of around 30 miles, making the most of the day before a slower ride home.

Dark Star, Morvélo and Kinesis Bikes, who either organise or sponsor the event, have a reputation for generous hospitality. The traditional throwing of free cycling and brewery merchandise to the crowd is part of the entertainment, and departing guests have been known to leave with a T-shirt and a bottle of beer.

For anyone considering the trip, the combination of a straightforward cycle route, affordable entry, a free pint and an afternoon of roller racing makes Spin Up in a Brewery excellent value. The weather can be mixed, as it often is in this part of the country, but a little rain does little to spoil the day.