14/6 Birling Gap Off Road

Good Old Birling Gap Did Not Disappoint!

Our off road  ride today was our favourite local one from Birling Gap. Early rain managed to put off Derek who decided to do the BBR instead but I put my faith in the forecasts which all said it would be dry. Sure enough by the time we got to Birling gap it was sunny and getting increasingly warm. Paul B was with us having come out of an unseasonal  period of hibernation but was in surprisingly good shape.I was also really surprised to have Ivan ride with us on a Saturday but this may well become a normal occurrence as Ivan exclaimed that he has had an epiphany and realised that life is too short to work on Saturdays . Good steady climbing took us through Cornish farm and up to the top of Butt's brow. From here there is the super fast  filling loosening decent down to Jevington. I really dislike this decent as its so long and bumpy my weak hands have trouble hanging on to the bars, so it was relief to reach the bottom and begin the steady climb up to the top of the "Long Man". Paul was feeling unusually brave today and so took the alternative grassy decent down to Alfriston with Malc,while myself and Ivan stuck to the bumpier but more straightforward decent down  the SDW.  Rather than take the easy way along the bottom of the downs to BoPeep, we decided to head straight up the steep chalky Kings Drive which gave our legs a better workout. Before long we were at BoPeep car park where our favourite decent began. Unfortunately we weren't concentrating enough today and spoiled the descent by taking a wrong turn and ending up riding through part of a golf course before having to retrace our steps. Rather than trying to navigate through the single track of Friston forest we used the boring but predictable family  trail instead. This just left the wonderful fast open decent past Crowlink and back down to Birling gap.
         The cafe has been repaired since the cliff erosion in the Winter with some new tables out side only a few feet away from the cliff's edge, we enjoyed well deserved tea and cake here but had to laugh at the incredible slowness of the staff working there who didn't

seem to have any sense of urgency whatsoever!