Downs Link, Unit 5 Bank Holiday Ride
We needed a quick write-up of the ride we did on the bank holiday in August, so here it is.
We rallied a few Unit 5 riders for this one, John, Barney, Becky, Wiggy, and me Tinashe. A few of us already knew bits of this route from other trips: myself and John had ridden the Downs Link before as part of a longer Downs Link, South Downs, Shipwrights Way overnighter, and Becky had covered it as part of London to Brighton. As a standalone day ride, the Downs Link works really well easy to plan last-minute, and easy to do either one-way or there-and-back from Guildford.
With everyone confirmed at short notice, we booked advance off-peak return tickets from Clapham Junction to Guildford, just over 30 minutes on one of the faster trains.
Once in Guildford, we rode down to the River Wey and picked up Dagley Lane towards Shalford railway station, following it through to join the Downs Link trail into Bramley.
For anyone who doesn't know it, the Downs Link is an old railway path running from Guildford down to Shoreham-by-Sea a route that can easily be split into smaller 7-10 mile sections if you fancy building up to it. It's mostly flat, with a couple of steeper bits, a climb and a fairly steep descent around the old, disused tunnel near Baynards Station, plus a bit more climbing on a stony track as you reach the South Downs. Ridden north to south, like we did, it's a gentle descent most of the way down to the coast. The surface is generally good, though it can get muddy in winter.
We rolled along as a relaxed pack, all on pretty different bikes, John on a Kona Libre, me on a Surly Long Haul Trucker, Becky on a Cotic mountain bike, Wiggy on a Cannondale CX, and Barney on a Ribble CX. Nice proof that this route doesn't need anything specific under you, just get out and ride it.
Our first stop was Southwater Country Park café, a great little rest bite before pushing on towards the South Downs National Park. Somehow, despite the hills sitting nicely on the horizon, we managed to avoid any real inclines, and just kept noodling our way down into Shoreham-by-Sea, where we were greeted by the usual seaside bustle.
The team wasted no time agreeing on a few fried treats, then spent a while chilling out on the shingle before heading back to pick up the link home.
On the way back, we made a strategic stop at Southwater Co-op for a Lucozade and some roasted nuts, then pushed on to The Cabin at Barretts Farm for coffee before continuing towards Guildford. Along the way, Becky's rear derailleur decided to have a moment, partially snapping, but with mechanic John on hand, we managed a trailside fix and got her nursing her bike safely back into Guildford.
Total ride: 120.03km, 6:12:18 moving time, 485m elevation, and we got seriously lucky with the weather.
Would absolutely recommend this one. We're already planning our next adventure, the New Forest is up next. Fancy joining us? Drop us a line or pop into the shop for a chat.
