Travellers’ tales: Night ride to the coast

By Cycling UK
A night-time shot of cyclists riding along a canal towpath from behind. The cyclists' rear lights are shining red in the trees and there are narrow boats on the canal
Leaving London via canal towpaths
From a beer in Westminster to breakfast in Havant: Portsmouth CTC organised a night ride home from London. Cycling UK member Phil Beed took on the long-distance challenge

Friday evening: 15 cyclists boarded trains from Portsmouth, converged on a Westminster pub, enjoyed an evening drink, then headed out of London. Canal towpaths provided a traffic-free route and, in one rider’s words, “turned up the adventure dial”. This was followed by Richmond Park, where we saw badgers and deer.

Leaving the suburbs, our night ride continued to Woking and a 24-hour McDonald’s, where we had food and drink and warmed up. Cycling along in the small hours, the group’s experienced audax riders were able to support and encourage others less used to riding through the night.

After Woking the ride followed quieter roads. We climbed over the Hog’s Back, followed more lanes, then had a 5km climb towards Hindhead. The final kilometre of the climb is a cycle track; motor vehicles take the A3 Hindhead Tunnel.

A group of cyclists are standing and sitting underneath an awning next to a campervan with the back opened up to reveal mugs, tea, coffee, milk and cakes. A banner reading 'Portsmouth CTC' is next to the awning
Enjoying coffee and cake in the National Trust car park at Devil’s Punch Bowl

The cycle track emerges into a National Trust car park at the Devil’s Punch Bowl. Here a fellow Portsmouth CTC member was waiting with a campervan. Under the awning were lights, chairs, tea and coffee, cakes and biscuits. A very welcome sight!

Dawn was breaking as we left Hindhead, the wiser ones adding a layer of clothing for the descent to Liphook. Then it was onwards on increasingly familiar roads to arrive at Portsmouth and the Langbrook Farm Restaurant, where stories of the night’s adventures were shared over coffee and breakfast.

Then the group split up and headed home to bed – or in one case on to watch Pompey playing at home.

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