Every year the British Heart Foundation persuades 27,000 people to cycle up Ditchling Beacon, giving them a big head start in London and a warmdown into Brighton.
The British show particular enthusiasm and talent for getting some folk to jump through hoops to convince other folk to give to charity, which is why I don’t go for these sorts of events: If you want to give, just give. So I didn’t do their ride. I did the hill. (I heart hills.) Normally it’s kind of a pain with the cars. It was nice of the BHF to clear them away for me.
Q: How many times can you cycle up and down before the officials get narked
A: 5.
As this isn’t the Brighton-to-London, it’s unofficially a one-way system. Therefore I was very careful every time I went down, even gathering thanks as I moved out of people’s way (having arrived early so I could attempt this when there were fewer of them). You can’t really blame the marshalls for viewing me as an enthusiastic nuisance, but I will anyway. Because if there’s another thing the British do well, it’s radiate severe disapproval* at those who colour outside the lines.
* Americans just shoot them and get it over with
More pics and déjà vu