E-Bikes & Mr Cycles – At Your Service!

(Rod, 17th Jan 2024)

So, here’s the thing, electric bikes are great. Really great. And there’s been a massive shift in more positive attitudes towards them in recent years, BUT they are a lot more expensive than their non-electric equivalent. BUT they are a lot easier to pedal uphill, into the wind, or over bumpy ground.

AND people of all ages can ride further, faster, and more often on an electric bike AND enjoy it.

However, apart from being more expensive, they also add a whole new level of difficulty to maintaining your bicycle. Now you have to consider wires, cables, motors, batteries, displays, controllers and connectors AND those concerning stories in the media about e-bikes catching fire!

DON’T PANIC. But do pause for thought when considering the purchase of an e-bike…

At Mr Cycles in Seaford, as with all the bikes we sell, the customers we sell electric bikes to cover the whole spectrum of cyclists from beginner to enthusiast, from old to young, road to off-road, triathlete to commuter, and even the occasional celeb, but the one thing they all have in common (apart from being cyclists) is the need to maintain their bike in good working order.

Buying online can be convenient and fast (Mr Cycles is only open 5 days a week from 9am – 5pm), but it can also be very frustrating when your bike doesn’t arrive or it doesn’t work, and the only way you have to get the problem sorted is to send an email or message someone somewhere far away (China? Germany?).

This article (this rant?) was prompted when I collected a broken e-bike from a customer’s home recently. They were concerned that the repair might be prove too costly, and given the age of the bike and its manufacture from unknown origins, they wondered if it is was time to consider a replacement. They’d already seen a bike they liked and showed me an article in Saga magazine sourced from Cycling UK with five recommended e-bikes.

They pointed to one of the bikes. It cost almost £3000 from an online retailer.

“I can supply you with an e-bike like that,” I said, “probably a bit cheaper too.”

I looked at the other e-bikes listed. Four of the five bike brands were only available through online retailers based in other countries or far afield.

“I can also offer you better customer sales and ongoing service support. I’ll get back to you with a few different options.”

It got me thinking…

E-bikes are great – when they fit, when they’re fit for purpose, and they work. Otherwise they’re expensive, heavy, frustrating, and possibly dangerous.

At Mr Cycles we don’t sell cheap bikes, but we do sell good bikes as cheap as we can. They come with supplier warranties, our service, and the offer of our collect & return service as well as the back-up of our workshop over the years. We deal directly with suppliers and manufacturers to resolve any sales or service queries on your behalf. It can be very frustrating for all concerned, when people contact us over a problem they’re having with a bike they’ve bought online from a company we’ve never heard of and who offer no aftersales support in the UK unless you can prove you’re not a robot before you can talk to…a robot?

So, the advice from Mr Cycles is this:

If you’re thinking of spending a few thousand pounds on any bike, but especially an e-bike, make the effort to seek out your local bike shop and see what they offer before spending online.

Your local bike shop may not have the marketing reach of companies such as Saga (2.7 million customers) and Cycling UK (70,000 customers) but they do have people you can see and speak to, and a workshop if you need it.

E-bikes are the most practical electric vehicles, but if they are going to lead the green transport revolution they need a thriving network of local dealers and workshops to support them. After all, you wouldn’t buy an electric car from someone who expected you to find a box big enough to pack it in and ship it back to them every time it needed a service or repair.

E-bikes and fire risk:

Guess what I’m going to say…buy your e-bike and any replacement parts it needs from your local bike shop. If you buy your bike online ask if they supply any spare parts you might need before you click the button. Don’t mix and match batteries, bikes and chargers.

There’s no reason why your electric bike should present any more of a risk than the other devices in your home with lithium batteries in them such as your mobile phone, laptop, power tools, shaver, etc.

Don’t let your teenager try and recharge a single-use vape.

Don’t buy an e-scooter – they’re illegal to use in public and the police can and do confiscate them, and, in my opinion, they are dangerous to ride on our crumbling roads with such small wheels.

And finally, you CAN buy online through Mr Cycles 24/7 by using the Click & Collect option offered for Giant, Liv and EBCO bikes (https://mrcycles.co.uk/) , but please speak to us first even if only to check the size you need. You never know, sometimes the bike you want is already in stock at our shop in Seaford – and may even be cheaper!

---

 

Older posts….

Electric Bikes – Work Of The Devil or Transport Saviour?

Intro

Reliable official data is hard to come by but a brief look around your local town and trails should show you that electric bikes are finally gaining a foothold in the UK cycling market. E-bikes now account for about a quarter of cycle sales in the Netherlands and are even outselling normal bikes in Germany. So why do we appear so reluctant in the UK when it comes to taking the strain out of cycling?

How Does An E-bike Work?

An e-bike will have various sensors measuring data such as how many times a minute you turn the pedals through a complete revolution, your speed, how hard you’re pedalling, what assistance setting you’ve chosen, and how hard the motor is working to assist you. A central processor unit will use this information to determine how much power to send to the crank to help you with your pedalling. The battery supplies the power to the motor that drives the crank that helps you turn the pedals. Older or cheaper e-bikes will have the motor built into the hub of the front or the rear wheel.

What Is The Legal Definition Of An E-bike?

First of all, for those of you who are unfamiliar with what legally constitutes an electric bike in the UK, here’s what the law says about electric bikes – or an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) to be precise:

• You must be at least 14-years old.
• You do not need a licence to ride one.
• It does not have to be registered, taxed, or insured – EXCEPT in Northern Ireland where you will need a motorcycle licence to ride any electric bike AND it must be registered, taxed and insured, and you’ll need to wear a motorcycle helmet when riding one.
• The EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it.
• It must display the power output and/or the manufacturer of the motor.
• It must display the battery’s voltage and/or the maximum speed of the bike.
• The motor must have a maximum power output of 250 watts.
• The motor should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph.
• An EAPC can have more than two wheels.

If a bike meets the EAPC requirements it’s classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed.

Any electric bike that doesn’t meet the EAPC rules needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet. The vehicle will also need to be type approved to make sure it’s safe to use on the road.

To be clear, if an EAPC can be electrically propelled without pedalling, it’s known as a ‘twist and go EAPC’. A twist and go EAPC must be ‘type-approved’ to make sure it’s safe to use on the road. A type- approved vehicle will have a plate showing its type approval number.

At risk of labouring the point: you can’t ride an illegal electric bike off-road to avoid punishment. It would be like riding a motorbike over The Downs with all the legal punishments that might attract.

Who Buys An Electric Bike?

So now we know what an electric bike is, but who uses them in the UK? And why are we so far behind other countries in adopting electrically assisted pedal cycles?

Having spent many years cycling in the UK and abroad, and 11 years in the cycle trade, I’ve noticed there is one very significant difference that sets the UK cycle market apart from its neighbours – we mostly cycle for fun and fitness.

Of course there are exceptions, but the vast majority of us do not use bicycles as a means of transport. We race, we endure, we get fit, lose weight, we jump, do tricks and raise money for charity on our bikes. We do not commute to work, ride to school, visit friends and family, go on holiday, pop down the pub or do the weekly shop on our bikes. Our bikes are built for speed and we must wear special cycling clothes and shoes in order to travel further and faster. I’m not saying that’s wrong, and obviously I am generalising massively, but on the whole the majority of us cyclists do not use our bikes as a form of transport, but…the good news is…more of us are.

As a cycle retailer I can see those differences in cycling habits reflected in the type and style of bikes on offer in the UK compared to those on offer across the rest of Europe. Most of the bikes ridden in the UK come under the heading of sport and leisure, whereas more of the bikes ridden in Europe are utilitarian and often unisex. I used the word ‘ridden’ deliberately. My business also has a large cycle service and repair workshop I am also very aware that there a lot of bikes that are purchased one summer, ridden half a dozen times and then left in the shed to gather dust and rust. I see these bikes when the kids have grown up and their owners want to get fit again, or grandchildren come to stay, or sons and daughters go off to university and need some transport. Which leads nicely into another reason electric bikes are becoming more popular.

Bikes As A Form of Transport

Now that the technology has been proven, and car manufacturers and governments are forcing or encouraging us to adopt electric cars, the switch from vehicles using fossil fuels will come swiftly, and some of that acceptance of electric cars will rub off onto sales of electric bikes.

Young people leaving education and starting out in life are being priced out of driving (as well as a lot of other things) because the running costs are so high and insurance premiums can be astronomical in price. Time to get a bike. Then once they’re on that bike they’ll notice other benefits apart from lower running costs:

• A bike is easier to park
• A bike can often carry on when cars are left at a standstill in queues of traffic
• You don’t have to sit next to someone who hogs the seat and may smell less than savoury!
• You’re not squashed into a train carriage that is frequently late or cancelled and is always rammed with other commuters and nowhere to sit
• You’re fitter
• You see more and are more aware and interactive with your surroundings

A bike is an attractive option if you already have access to one and are reasonably fit, but if you don’t have one and you’re not that fit then an e-bike begins to be an attractive option. Admittedly an e-bike is always going to be more expensive to buy than an equivalent non-powered model, but it’s a whole lot cheaper to run than a car.

IT’S CHEATING!!!

Who??? We already have electric drills, saws, chairs, food mixers, lights, toys, milk floats and now cars. Why not bikes? We don’t all RUN around in cars like the Flintstones with our feet poking out the bottom. And yet when I’m riding an electric bike, or talking to customers in my shop, people’s reaction to them is very often a negative one. People I’m not even talking to will approach me, point an accusing finger at one of the electric bikes on display and declare vehemently, ‘I don’t need one of those! It’s cheating!’ It’s weird! It’s like they’ve spotted a year’s supply of EPO amongst the energy gels! Generally, guys don’t walk into a chemist and feel the need to point at packets of Viagra and declaim, ‘I don’t need those!’ Women don’t feel the need to decry hair dye as the work of the devil, but people do feel the need to come into my shop and engage me in conversation about electric bikes and then tell me they don’t need one with an air of righteous indignation.

It seems like the majority of cyclists prefer to be masochists flagellating themselves on the wheels of their machines grinding their way up another hill and into another headwind. And that’s fine. I get it. The purity of rider and machine alone against a cruel world, and yet…over the years we’ve added gears, suspension, disc brakes, aerodynamic profiling, pneumatic tyres, etc. to make our riding smoother, easier, faster, and safer.

When you’re commuting to work on an e-bike and you’re home 30 minutes quicker than if you went by car you’re cheating no-one but the people left fuming in the queue of traffic behind you.

If you’re getting older and the joints and muscles don’t work quite like they used to but an e-bike means you can still go on the club rides you’re cheating no-one but Old Father Time. And if you get to ride with your mates and have fun because you’re not worried about being able to keep up with them then you’re not sat at home watching TV and piling on the pounds.

Catalytic Converter

A good bike is one you don’t even think about. It’s a catalyst to experiencing fun and enjoyment. A catalyst is something that accelerates or enhances a (chemical) reaction without itself undergoing a permanent change. That’s what a good bike does. For people who ride electric bikes it’s really not about the bike – it’s about what an e-bike allows them do.

A good, well-maintained bike takes away the mechanical hassles of cycling. A good electric bike takes away those mechanical hassles, as well as the pain of cycling, and leaves just the joy. The joy of cycling with your mates again on the rare occasions that work and family life allow, even though you’re not as fit as you used to be. No more do you have to be embarrassed at always being last, and your mates don’t have to be frustrated waiting at the top of every slope until you arrive panting and red-faced just as they zoom off again. It’s about getting the top of all the hills around you just to see what’s there; to wander down new trails and explore, safe in the knowledge that you’ll have enough puff to get back home again.

An e-bike is increasingly the choice of busy, young professionals who perhaps used to ride when they were younger, and would really like to go riding with their friends, but don’t have the time available to go cycling regularly. Because of that they can’t get fit enough, or maintain their fitness, such that they don’t feel embarrassed about being the chubby one at the back – again! It’s a shame but these people give up before they start. An e-bike can bridge that gap between you and your friends who are zooming away down the trail leaving you dragging behind. It can also get you fit. This is the biggest fallacy I encounter amongst most people: ‘It’s doing all the work for you.’ It’s not! What an e-bike does is assist your pedalling at a level chosen by you. You can have a lot of assistance, a little, or no help whatsoever from the motor.

I also find that e-bikes are exhilarating and fun and that the motor pushes you as well as the bike to go faster and therefore work harder such that you often exceed the legal maximum 15.5mph speed of the motor. When that happens it’s just you pedalling regardless of how much assistance you’ve chosen! Then you get fitter, then your battery lasts longer, then you ride for longer, then you get fitter, then you ride more often…

Beer Garden Celebrities

Previously my wife gave up cycling for several years because a muscle problem meant she was physically unable to cycle beyond just a very short distance and it certainly wasn’t enjoyable. Charging the slopes of Firle Beacon and climbing hills above the Long Man of Wilmington were physical impossibilities. Sadly, the less she did, the stiffer she would become, the less she did. But all that has changed.

One of the perks of owning a bike shop means I get to ‘borrow’ lots of nice bikes, and once Giant Bicycles produced a crank-driven electric mountain bike with a frame small enough I knew it could be the answer to my wife’s problem of lack of strength and endurance. All I had to do was persuade her to try one…it wasn’t easy. At first it was the same, sad, old story I hear too often – it’s cheating/they’re heavy/they’re too expensive/people will laugh at me/I don’t know how to use one. Now I can’t get her off it!

Over the last few years my wife and I have re-discovered our love of cycling together. We like to explore the beautiful Sussex countryside we’re so lucky to have around us, and we enjoy the tea gardens, beer gardens, nature and history of the South Downs National Park (and beyond) whenever time and weather allow. We’ll often be found sitting outside with our two electric bikes enjoying some outdoor refreshment when the nudging and whispering will start on neighbouring tables: They are I tell you. No they’re not. Yes they are!

I imagine it’s similar for film stars. Eventually someone will pluck up the courage to ask the familiar question: Excuse me. I’m sorry to bother you but could you settle an argument for us. Are your bikes electric?

Then the usual: it’s cheating/they’re heavy/they’re too expensive/people will laugh at me/I don’t know how to use one.

Ten minutes later they’re whizzing back down the lane to us with a big grin on their face extolling the virtues of electric bikes and asking where they can get one. Well – there is a great little shop in Seaford called Mr Cycles…

E-Bikes – The Great Levellers,or… The Once and Future Cyclists

I’ve already mentioned how good e-bikes are for getting people back on their bikes to ride with their friends rather than sit at home because they’re worried they can’t keep up, but this was really brought home to me recently when I took out a group of my old friends who hadn’t ridden for years for a ride over the Sussex hills and through Friston Forest. Again, it took some persuading to get them to get them to agree to ‘cheat’, but eventually off went the four of us on our electric bikes.

We started gently by cycling along the seafront and then up the Ouse valley to Southease and our first refreshment stop. Although we stuck to cycle paths wherever possible, there were occasional bits of cycling on road. However, the guys negotiated these sections with ease with the growing confidence from knowing that they weren’t pedalling slowly and aggravating impatient drivers. In fact, they often found they could keep up with the traffic flow.

Spirits were high as I explained that after coffee and cake we were heading up Itford Hill, and past the radio towers on Beddingham Hill, where we would then drop down to the Old Coach Road that runs along between The Downs and the villages of Firle, Alciston, Berwick and on to Alfriston.

You what!? I can’t get up that hill! You’re joking!

Next thing I know the four of us are admiring the vista of the River Ouse snaking its way towards Lewes Castle between Kingston ridge and the hill fort of Mount Caburn to the east. Then we’re flying down the hill towards Firle, splashing through the puddles on the coach road like kids, and finally sitting in the late summer sunshine in the garden of The Cricketers. The four of us together. Bantering like we’re teenagers – except we’re not. We’re four unfit fifty-somethings. One with a new knee, one with ankylosing spondylitis, one non-athletic homeworker, and one overweight, stressed, self-employed business owner who’s sneaked out for a long, long, long overdue day out with his old mates. And that’s when I realised why we’d had so much fun on those electric bikes – we were all on the same level. No-one got annoyed or embarrassed waiting for the slow one. We all got up the hills just fine and at the same speed. We rode together. We laughed and joked together. Four old men that had been once been cyclists were now cyclists once more. My friends may not be electric, but they were certainly buzzing.

The Last Word

IT’S NOT CHEATING! You can’t just push a button or twist a throttle and go – that would be illegal. You have to pedal. How hard you pedal is up to you. Just ride it like a normal bike, use your gears, and choose the level of assistance you want or need. Happy cycling.

---

A 23-mile circular ride for mountain bikes over cycle paths, downland, old coach road, heathland, forest, road, bridleways and promenade. I’ve described the route riding in a clockwise direction.

Click HERE to open this ride in ‘Map My Ride’ in a new window. See below for my ride navigation notes.

Ride Navigation Notes

I’ve started the ride from where the ice-cream van normally parks on Seaford seafront near the Salts Recreation Ground. Plenty of free parking to be had there. And ice-cream. And chips.

Head West along the seafront on the shared cyclepath all the way towards Newhaven. Stop at the pelican crossing just before the roundabout at Denton Corner where there is a Premier Inn and a large Sainsbury’s supermarket and cross over. We’re heading for the village of Denton which is a right turn immediately before Denton Recreation ground. On Denton Road turn left up Rectory Road opposite The Flying Fish pub. Turn left at the top onto Heighton Road towards South Heighton village. Just past The Hampden Arms pub turn right off the tarmac onto a wide bridlepath beside Old Forge cottage. Ignore any turnings and keep to the left as you climb towards The Downs past an old barn and eventually turning right to pass the radio masts on top of Beddingham Hill.

Continue past the aerials on the South Downs Way towards the Firle Beacon car park, but do not enter the car park. Instead, turn left on the tarmac road and whizz down the hill towards Firle village. Don’t go too fast! Beware of gravel on the road on the bends! You’ll pass two semi-detached brick houses on your right, and then you’ll see an old barn in the field off to your left – be prepared to turn right onto the old coach road immediately opposite the track leading to that old barn. There is The Ram Inn, village store, and Firle Place  in Firle village, but our route bypasses all that as you pass a couple of fields and come to a junction at the end of the first section of coach road you turn right and a bit of farm track quickly becomes a wide chalk & flint track heading uphill.

Cycle with consideration for other users of the path and you’ll be slow enough to spot The Beanstalk Tea Gardens tucked away on a bend on your left. There’s a peacock often to be seen hanging around here.

Keep following the old coach road as it ambles along eastwards at the foot of The Downs. Be prepared to be passed by the very occasional motorbike or 4×4 as this section of the route is classed as a Byway. Cross straight over Bopeep Lane by Bo-peep Farmhouse and continue East past the bridleway leading to Alciston village and The Rose Cottage Inn which now only offers accommodation. Further along you’ll see the spire of Berwick church in the distance. Once you’ve passed a barn conversion on your right you’ll come to a bend with a bridleway that ducks into some low trees and heads south towards Alfriston – ignore it and follow the bend through 90 degrees to the left and head for the church. The best way to enter if you’re cycling is through the back gate which is reached by turning right on a bridleway by the large slurry pit as you approach. Follow the treeline round and, just after you get the marvellous view towards Milton Street and Wilmington, you’ll come across a small wooden gate giving access to the churchyard. Leave your bike there, and any muddy shoes outside, if you plan to take a look at the murals in the church.

St. Michael & All Angels church at Berwick is not only a fine example of a downland church, it’s also home to some significant murals by the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell. The village is also home to the delightfully unspoilt Cricketers pub. If you stop for lunch there on a warm summer day they have been known to refill drink bottles complete with ice cubes!

When you continue your journey you’ll be heading down the bridleway leading away from the churchyard gate which spits you out onto the Alfriston Road near Drusillas Zoo Park. Turn right towards Alfriston village (plenty of refreshment opportunities there) but just before you reach the village turn left onto Lullington Road and over the little hump-back bridge over the River Cuckmere. Follow the road round to the right until you come to a T-Junction by a massive flint and wooden barn. Turn right but soon you turn left off-road again onto a bridleway just past the big flint house next to the barn and the little, red postbox. It’s a long chalky, flinty, gravelly drag to the top of the hill now where you will find Lullington Heath Nature Reserve and the true, little oasis that is Winchester’s Pond and its hidden bench. A chance for some rest and relaxation in a tranquil spot.

From here there’s some downhill and then a very steep climb back up to meet the South Downs Way very briefly before turning south towards the back of Friston Forest besides the gallops above Jevington. Plunging into the forest is always enjoyable but on an autumn afternoon it often yields exquisite treasures.

Wind your way down through the forest (you’re bound to get lost but don’t worry!) until you reach the tiny village of West Dean tucked between its historical church and pond. If the route through the forest looks too muddy (and it can get incredibly muddy!) then take the road. Either way, you need to end up at the T-junction with the A259 at the bottom of Exceat Hill waiting for a kind motorist or two to let you turn right onto the A259 towards Seaford. Don’t worry! You don’t need to go far on the road and you don’t need to cycle up the road into Seaford – we’re following the Sustrans NCR 2 Cycle Route. Cross the bridge over the Cuckmere River in front of The Cuckmere Inn and immediately turn left into the pub car park. At the far end of the car park go through a small wooden gate (marked NCR 2) and follow the permissive path towards the sea. You may need to give way to pedestrians along here – especially at weekends. Take the first right through another gate and follow the route uphill through a couple of sheep fields until eventually you pop out onto an unmade track called Chyngton Lane, at the top of Chyngton Way, at the foot of the concrete road that leads up to Seaford Head car park. Follow the road and NCR 2 down Chyngton Way towards the seafront and back to the start point.

Camel Valley Cycle Trail – Moor to Sea

It was a revelation! Despite nearly completing fifty-two orbits of the sun, I’d never crossed The Tamar river into Cornwall – until this year. Why did I leave it so long? I don’t know, but after my wife and I enjoying a glorious week cycling out from The Old Chapel cottage near Wadebridge between Padstow and Bodmin we’ll be back soon!

 

It was a long, six-hour drive to the land of tin and Tintagel from our home in Sussex by the Sea but finally we turned left by the old, red telephone box into a sunken lane not much wider than our van. As our bikes jiggled in the back, and we headed downhill past ancient farmsteads and cottages, hoping not to meet another vehicle (we never did), it struck me that here was a part of England that it is quite easy to lose yourself in and hide away from the world. A feeling reinforced as we splashed across the ford at the bottom of the hill and climbed again, squeezing through banks of wild garlic, and slowly crested another hill. Cornwall was already working its charms and slowing us down. And there it was – The Old Chapel cottage – a tiny granite building tucked into the hillside overlooking a thickly-wooded valley. This was to be our home for the next week as we explored the cycle trail which was waiting for us somewhere down the steep hill, between the trees, beside the meandering River Camel. As with any UK holiday we were ready for all weathers (although there was an emergency visit to Bodmin for boots, warm socks, and a woolly jumper) but the thick, stone walls and log-burner meant that The Old Chapel was truly a ‘cosy cottage’, and with the indoor pool and sauna available should cold or stiff muscles need reviving, we were ready to begin our Cornish adventure. Our cycling legs may have been a bit rusty after a long, wet winter, but as the next morning dawned bright and clear we were ready to roll.

The Camel Trail

The Camel Trail is a bridleway which runs for about 18 miles along two sections of disused railway from the port of Padstow, via Wadebridge, to Wenfordbridge on the edge of Bodmin Moor. There’s also a short off-shoot at Dunmere (near the excellent value of the Borough Arms carvery) to the former county town of Bodmin. The railway was used to carry sand to inland farms for fertiliser, as well as slate and china clay to ships at Padstow and fish from there to London and other cities. The last passenger train was in 1967 and freight finally ceased in 1983.

Of course, the beauty of a cycle trail on a disused railway is that it will be reasonably straight and fairly flat, and we’d chosen our base near the middle of The Camel Trail to take full advantage of those facts. Our plan was to pootle up and down the trail enjoying the wonderful views, pub lunches and cream teas, with occasional loops off to explore further, and to build up our daily mileage slowly. It almost went to plan.

We’re Off

In our excitement to get going we turned left instead of right, and we were almost to Bodmin before realising our mistake and heading back for Padstow. On the plus side, we learnt where The Borough Arms pub, Camel Trail Tea Garden and Camel Valley Vineyard were – all with direct access to the trail.

After 36 miles on our first day we felt we deserved the cocktail and crab sandwich overlooking Padstow harbour, and the cream tea back up the trail a few short miles past our cottage. Best scones I’ve tasted. Well worth the extra pedalling! And that set the tone really. Cornwall had us by the taste buds!

Get Off Your Oss! May Day in Padstow

Having lived all my life in East Sussex near Lewes I’m familiar with towns and villages closing the roads and taking to the streets with flaming torches, wearing strange costumes and setting off fireworks. Oh, and drinking the odd beer or two. All of which culminates on November 5^th with tens of thousands of people packing into the narrow streets of Lewes to celebrate the spirit of bonfire. So I was quite intrigued by the May Day celebrations held each year in Padstow on May 1^st which date back to times long-forgotten. A chance not to be missed. And a golden opportunity to ride smugly into town where no car was allowed to go.

Chatting to the locals it was clearly a day for members of Padstow families to return to their town, their relatives and their roots. Oh, and wear strange ‘Obby Oss’ costumes. Two of which took to the streets at various times whirling and dancing through the town. One taunted and followed by the red faction, and the other taunted and followed by the blue faction. Much jollity, singing, street performers, processions and drinking ensued across a 3-day period at all hours of the day and night with the town and harbour festooned with flags and bunting. Great fun.

We left the locals to it and continued up the hill, past 16^th century mansion, Prideaux Place, and on towards places beyond the Camel Trail…

Off the Camel Trail and Over the Hump!

The Camel Trail is great. It’s a fantastic resource for Cornwall that allows tourists to cycle freely in (almost) a totally car-free environment, and locals to travel between towns and villages along a flat, easy route. It can get very busy at times though – weekends, school holidays. So I was keen to test the waters (and the hills!) beyond the Camel Trail. I knew my wife would cope on her electric bike, but with demand high for our fleet of electric test bikes I was on my normal mountain bike. How would I get on? The Cornish coast is famous for its valleys and cliffs, and if you go down to the sea it’s surely going to be up all the way back!

As I sweated my way uphill out of Padstow in the spring sunshine, past the high wall surrounding the deer park of Prideaux Place, I’ll admit to being a little trepidatious for my fitness – and I also spared a thought for those whirling under the warmth and weight of the Obby Oss costumes. But as we crested the hill, and the road became a track, I grew more optimistic, and then Trevone Bay came into view. A great little beach, with a great little café, and a server who knew someone in need of an extra shot of espresso when he saw one. A successful first foray – there would be more to come.

Lanhydrock – Victorian Stunner

The house is a superb example of a Victorian country home and The National Trust and their volunteers have really breathed life back into the house. The stories of the people who lived and worked there were illustrated superbly with talks, sights, sounds and even smells! The sound of the maid singing in the servants’ quarters was at once both beautiful and eerie. The life of beloved eldest son and heir, Thomas Agar-Robartes, both inspiring and sad. The 17^th century plasterwork on the ceiling of the Long Gallery simply awesome.

With hindsight, we could have cycled to Lanhydrock. We certainly could have cycled once we got there, with 10km of cycle tracks on the estate to suit all abilities and bikes for hire. And we certainly could have used a bike to cover the ground through the fifty-three rooms we spent hours walking through, let alone the gardens. Definitely somewhere worth visiting again and again.

We were glad we got there early though and managed to do the house justice, if not the gardens. However, we had an early evening appointment to keep, just along the trail from our cottage, at Camel Valley Vineyard. We were definitely going there by bike.

Camel Valley Vineyard – Bob and Annie’s Corker!

We’d seen it on our very first excursion along the Camel Trail – a vineyard that welcomed cyclists and produced world-class sparkling wine.

I’d booked us on the Wednesday night Grand Tour & Tasting and we cycled up to the winery in the early evening sunshine.

As we parked our bikes next to the Audis and BMWs and hurried to join the rest of the group I was hoping the tour would live up to my expectations. I needn’t have worried.

Our guide for the evening through the winery and the tasting (five glasses of bubbly – thank goodness we were on the bikes!) was none other than top man, showman, and all round good egg, Bob Lindo. Who, together with his wife Annie, and son Sam, makes sparkling wine that has been judged by those who should know to be among the world’s finest.

As we sat sipping our glasses of bubbly on the terrace overlooking the vineyard I could only agree.

Life’s A Beach!

After the success of our initial cycle off The Camel Trail to Trevone Bay we were determined to explore further. Having lived by the sea all my life I enjoy a good beach – especially a sandy beach. Something which Sussex doesn’t have enough of. Let me tell you – Cornwall has them in bucket (and spade) loads!

Once again we headed west along the Came Trail, up through the streets of Padstow, past Prideaux Place (closed for filming), and on towards the hamlets of Trethillick and Crugmeer and then, just before the steep descent to Lellizzick, we to the path that led across a field, through a stone wall (where we parked our bikes), along a stream and between the bushes until it opened up onto the wide, empty, sandy expanse that is Harbour Cove. A great start to our beach day.

Retracing our route to Crugmeer, we then turned back towards the coast and Trevone Bay. Before we got there, a track to our right and a gateway at the end, caught my eye. It had to be explored.

 

 

As ever, the Cornish coastline did not disappoint. But it wasn’t just the cliffs and sea that caught my eye. It seemed like every element that went to make up the scene was shouting for my attention. As gulls wheeled and cried below, even the stone walls were fighting to be seen. Not to be outdone, the turf beneath my feet was the softest and most springy I’ve ever trodden.

Eventually we tore ourselves away and trundled downhill to the beach at Trevone Bay.

We passed the café and wound our way uphill, turning right at the top for a brief dash along the B3276, and then downhill again to the sands of Harlyn Bay.

We pushed on across the little, stone bridge, and then uphill, heading for the dramatically situated Padstow lifeboat station, which isn’t in Padstow, but instead perches below the cliffs at the far end of Mother Ivey’s Bay.

Before we got there, I spotted a bench sitting high on its own. Surely it was placed there to take advantage of a spectacular view? A bird of prey sitting on a stone cairn seemed to favour the spot too. Once again, we weren’t disappointed as Cornwall smacked us in the face with its rugged beauty.

Hats off to the hardy souls who launch themselves into those waters when duty calls. From the lifeboat station we crossed the headland and headed for the western tip of Trevose Head where the lighthouse sits. There we sat and contemplated the views south towards Constantine Bay and beyond.

 

With our seaside excursion a resounding success we retraced our route until we reached the B3276. We turned to port, and, with a kind breeze over our stern, we flew downhill all the way back to Padstow. With a loaf of crusty bread in my rucksack, and sipping a coffee overlooking the harbour, I realised I’d completely underestimated the number of spectacular coves and sandy beaches there are to explore in Cornwall – many return trips are needed! And if, in the first week of May, those blue waters were too cold to swim in, at least we had the indoor pool at the end of our day.

There’s Moor!

“I don’t mind a ride up onto Bodmin Moor, but I’m not sure I want to go to Hell and back!”

“Not hell and back – past Helland Bridge, through a much nicer-sounding place called Merry Meeting, to the end of the trail at Wenfordbridge. Where we’ll stop at the Snail’s Pace Café before our assault on the climb up onto Bodmin Moor.”

And so went the discussion at breakfast as I plotted our route to the eastern end of the Camel Trail.

“We’ll head up through St. Breward, across the moor, and then down through a place called Blisland, before re-joining the Trail at Merry Meeting.” A route containing Bliss and Merry – what could possibly go wrong…?

Now, on a path like the Camel Valley Cycle Trail, you could be forgiven for thinking that you couldn’t go wrong. Flat, wide, well-signposted. Easy. Wrong. For the vast majority of the route it is very easy to follow and plainly signed. There are a few exceptions to this. One is the little bit that uses the roads through Wadebridge, the other is the turn north at Dunmere that bypasses the spur into Bodmin. We definitely knew we’d gone wrong when we reached Sainsbury’s in Bodmin. Useful if we’d wanted supplies but not when trying to navigate to the upper reaches of the River Camel. There were no cute ponies grazing the wide, rugged expanse of Sainsbury’s car park.

We back-tracked to Bodmin jail. An impressive building, whichever way you look at it. Relying on my GPS device to get us back on track, I struggled up past the entrance to the jail, watching my wife disappear up Bodiniel Road and then along Copshorn Road.

At some point the road turned into a steep track, which then headed downhill to a small river (or was it a large stream?). The GPS was adamantly beeping and showing the way. Reproachful looks from wife as the trail got steeper and rougher. We passed an abandoned lady’s shoe half-buried in the scree. It got very muddy.

A long, muddy section led encouragingly to a small bridge which spanned the river the and seemed to promise an easier path on the other side. Thoughts of trolls and bridges and grassy meadows faded when we read the sign posted on the far side of the bridge:

 

“I’m sure it’ll be easier from here,” I said, more with hope than conviction.

But it did improve. The track became a road. A very steep road, but a road nonetheless. And there was another cyclist. He was going in the opposite direction but he offered me words of encouragement as I pushed my bike up the hill. I’d seen the black chevrons of doom that indicate a steep gradient across many of the roads near our route today as I’d plotted our course on one of my beloved Ordnance Survey maps. The hill wasn’t a problem to my wife on her electric bike though and offered her a chance to enjoy my suffering as some sort of revenge for my navigational faux pas. Finally we rejoined the Camel Trail at Helland Bridge. I hoped we’d see it again on the way back!

You can’t mistake the trail here as the railway lines are still embedded in the road surface as it crosses the road. It’s worth a short detour down to the riverside to see the medieval bridge which wears the centuries with a quiet, shabby dignity. The first recorded mention of it is in 1381, and here it lies in quiet repose like a proud tramp whose well-worn suit was once an expensive tweed.

I may be wrong, but this whole section of the Camel Trail from Dunmere to Wenfordbridge seems slightly down on its luck – neglected even. Definitely not as well signed as other sections of the trail but absolutely worth a visit. Especially when the flow of tourists further west begin to swell.

The sense of slow decay is further heightened as you pass the extensive, grade 2 listed remains of the old china clay buildings known as Wenford Dries. But before you get too despondent you soon arrive at the end of the trail at Wenfordbridge and the little gem that is the Snail’s Pace Café.

Refuelled on home-made cakes and delicious coffee we turned right and headed off uphill (of course!) towards St. Breward following what turned out to be a well-marked loop of the National Cycle Route No.3 which would lead us across a section of Bodmin Moor and back to the trail at Merry Meeting. We hoped. We ignored the ‘Road Closed Ahead’ and diversion signs. Surely they didn’t apply to bikes? Thankfully we managed to squeeze past the roadworks in St. Breward and stick to our route.

It was a long, long climb up to the moor, but well worth the effort. Cute ponies, empty roads, brooding moorland and another listed bridge awaited:

  

All too soon we were rolling down, off the moors, through the picture postcard village that has the intriguing name of Blisland. Complete with many stone cottages, a village green, and a pub that looked well-worth a return visit. Then down down down a long, narrow road where we hoped we wouldn’t meet anything coming the other way (we didn’t) to where the railway lines were in the tarmac once again, and the Camel Trail crossed the road.

We turned left and headed back along the densely-wooded valley towards Wadebridge and our cosy hill-side cottage. We were tired, but it was a happy tired. We may have missed the turn at Dunmere, and certainly done more than we intended, but we’d ridden to the ends of the trail and beyond. We were coming to the end of our first visit to Cornwall, but we weren’t downhearted because we knew we’d be back. There was still more to see.

We’re both eager to return to Cornwall as soon as we can. Our time spent cycling on and off the Camel Trail had been the perfect training ground to get our legs going again after the long winter and ease us through a brief spring into summer. Off the trail there were some testing hills, but the rewards were worth it. And if you’re on an electric bike, well… 

Resources

The Old Chapel cottage, Polbrock, near Washaway: contact rod@mrcycles.co.uk for booking details. There are two cottages on-site, one 1-bedroom and one 2-bedroom.

The Camel Trail: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/camel-trail

Padstow Tourist Information: http://padstowlive.com/

Bodmin Tourist Information: Bodmin, Cornwall: an essential guide (visitcornwall.com)

Lanhydrock, National Trust: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lanhydrock

Camel Valley Vineyard: https://camelvalley.com/

Bodmin Jail: http://www.bodminjail.org/

Sustrans National Cycle Network Route No.3: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-3

Helland Bridge: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1020812

Wenford Dries: https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101391566-wenford-dries-st-breward#.Ww1N4UgvxPZ

The Borough Arms: https://www.theborougharms.com/

The Camel Trail Tea Garden: http://www.cameltrailteagarden.co.uk/

Snail’s Pace Café & Bike Hire: http://www.snailspacecafe.co.uk/

Prideaux Place: http://prideauxplace.co.uk/

Bodmin & Wenford Railway: http://www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk/

Electric Bikes – buy one from Mr Cycles, Seaford and take it with you! : http://mrcycles.co.uk/

Not That Harvey’s

A 30-mile circular ride for mountain bikes over cycle paths, downland, quiet roads and by-ways, bridleways and promenade. I’ve described the route riding in a clockwise direction.

Click HERE to open this ride in ‘Map My Ride’ in a new window. See below for my ride navigation notes.

I’ve started the ride from where the ice-cream van normally parks on Seaford seafront near the Salts Recreation Ground. Plenty of free parking to be had there. And ice-cream. And chips.

Head West along the seafront on the shared cyclepath all the way towards Newhaven. Cross the bridge at Newhaven, but, at the Pelican crossing on the far side of the bridge, cross over towards Denton Island and pick up the cycle path on that side of the ring road. Just past the subway entrance on your left turn right onto Elphick Road.

Follow it to the rear of The Jolly Boatman pub by Lewes Road recreation ground and turn right onto Robinson Road. Then take the path that passes behind the swings and then runs northwards parallel to the river.

You are now crossing Newhaven’s old rubbish dump which was capped with spoil from excavating Brighton Marina. You are also passing the incinerator on your right, which burns Brighton’s rubbish.

When the path ends by the riverbank turn left towards Piddinghoe. When you get to Piddinghoe Pond, home to Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club, turn left onto the track that runs behind the dinghies parked beside the lake and the clubhouse. Cross the small car park and pop out onto the road. Turn right to cycle all the way through the village until you reach the T-junction with the C7. Beware fast traffic. Turn right onto the C7 road and cycle about a mile towards Lewes before turning left onto a wide gravel track opposite the current start/end of the southern Egrets Way. You should see signs for Chapel Barn and the Farm Shop.

Head west towards Peacehaven on the gravel track and pass by the metal gates using the pedestrian/cycle access on the left-hand side. Follow the track for about 1/2 mile or so, past some farm buildings, until it forks by some houses. Take the right-hand fork on an unmade road that is Valley Road. Follow it uphill, straight over where it crosses Roderick Avenue, until it joins Downs Walk (also unmade) and turns left (south) downhill to join up with a tarmac road that is Telscombe Road. 

Turn right and continue for a short distance on the road. Just after passing Louvain Nurseries on your right, turn right onto unmade road marked as a dead-end and ‘No Access to C7’.

This track is still Telscombe Road and it will take you across the top of Telscombe Tye (occasional cows and sheep), and would take you to Telscombe village, except we are going to turn left off onto a bridleway (where the occasional llama, or perhaps it’s an alpaca, hangs out).The bridleway starts just before the cattle grid where the tarmac road begins again and you can see Telscombe village in the distance.

The route takes you along a well-defined track, through a couple of gates in a sheep field, past an underground reservoir and a new house some lucky soul has had built to take advantage of the extensive view off to your right. Take care because the path is quite rutted in places.

Ignore a couple of bridleways joining from your left and continue following the track in a north-westerly direction. A valley will open out on your left with views towards Balsdean Farm and the back of Saltdean. You can’t see the village of Balsdean because it was shelled into oblivion when it was used for target practice for Allied troops during WW2.

The path slopes down to the left and in a clump of bushes you will find the John Harvey Cross:

Unlike poor John Harvey, continue past this point and where the path splits take the left fork downhill, through a small gate and down into the valley bottom across a corn field and up the other side to join a tarmac road for a short distance uphill towards another underground reservoir. Just below the reservoir (big, rectangular turf lump up to your right) there is a turning off the road and onto a bridleway which heads towards the back of Woodingdean and the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. at Falmer.

Follow the bridleway as it heads roughly northwest towards the back of Woodingdean, past one transmitter site, until you reach a small, rough car park at the edge of Woodingdean on the Falmer Road, and turn sharp right onto another rough track heading towards another transmitter site. Follow the bridleway along the top of The Downs above the A27 towards Lewes. 

Halfway along the ridge towards Kingston and Lewes we are joined by the South Downs Way near a small wind turbine. Follow the route of the SDW and admire the views that are all around you. Eventually at Mill Hill above Rodmell you come to the top of a tarmac road (Mill Lane) that heads down into the village. The SDW continues across the fields infront of you, but we are going to use the tarmac route down into the village. [During wet winter months I suggest you turn right by the pub at the bottom of the hill and follow the road 1/2 mile south and turn left into Southease, picking up The South Downs Way again as you do so. Alternatively, after better weather…]

At the bottom of the hill, cross the C7 by The Abergavenny Arms, and head down further towards the bottom of the village. Pass the twitten to the church and the defunct school; pass Monk’s House, former home of Leonard & Virginia Woolfe; pass the hidden cricket field with one of the best backdrops to any sporting arena I’ve had the pleasure to play at, and turn onto the bridleway that starts by the car park and head off towards The River Ouse.

Turn right by the river and pick up an unsurfaced section of Egret’s Way towards Southease. This is the bit of the route that can be very boggy after wet weather. Halfway to Southease the route becomes surfaced and much smoother. When you come to the road at Southease, turn left and cross over The River Ouse using the rickety, wooden swing-bridge and re-join the SDW as you do so.

After you cross the railway line at Southease station now is a good time to make use of the refreshments and facilities at the YHA cafe just up ahead. Don’t cross the busy A26 road but instead re-trace your route a little to pick up the new bridge that crosses over the A26 and then begin your assault of Itford Hill. Whether you are on an electric bike or not, this climb is well worth the effort. Take your time, ride up it if you can, walk if you have to, but do stop to admire the views. I never get tired of the views here and always stop at the crest for a breather. 

Our route continues east along the SDW past the radio masts on top of Beddingham Hill, through the car park, past the triangulation pillar at Firle Beacon, but, BEFORE we get to the car park at Bo Peep, we turn right onto a bridleway heading south. So don’t get too carried away flying downhill after you’ve crested Firle Beacon!

I’ve had some magical experiences here going down this bridleway as it cuts across the farmer’s field – whizzing through a yellow tunnel of rape, or crossing a glistening, silver carpet of spiders’ webs – but it can also be hell if you catch it just after the field’s been ploughed!

If you’ve got the right bridleway you should be heading towards the back of Denton village and you should be able to see Newhaven harbour breakwater in the distance. Keep heading straight towards Denton, heading downhill until the route steepens and you reach a valley bottom. Follow the bridleway straight on as it begins to climb, but before you reach the crest of the hill turn left onto a bridleway heading downhill that then follows the bottom of the valley towards Poverty Bottom pumping station where it becomes a tarmac road. Pass through the hamlet of Norton, and the village of Bishopstone, until you reach the busy A259 road. Cross the road to re-join the cycle path on the other side and re-trace your route back to the start point on Seaford seafront. Well done!