We’ve made it to England! London no longer feels so far away.
But if I thought Day 2 of our adventure along the Avenue Verte was challenging, Day 4 had it beat.
The day started promisingly. We first pedaled east next to the beach, watching the waves crest. When we moved inland, it’s that verdant English countryside and, yes, hills.
I was thrilled to find the early spirit of the National Cycle Network through those sculptures that were installed for the Millennium, like the trio above. And I discovered the Cuckoo Trail, a railway line that fell victim to the mass shuttering of railway lines and stations in the 1960s and is now a 14-mile mostly traffic-free path for people walking and biking. It’s part of National Cycle Route 21, which we followed almost all the way to Crawley.
Two more rail-trails on the route are the Forest Way and the Worth Way. I was grateful for all on a 61-mile day with nearly 3,000 feet of climbing. At least the railroads didn’t like going straight up the South Downs and the High Weald!
The big ‘but’
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the National Cycle Network that I experienced at the start of this trip (and while I lived in London decades ago) took a hit.
I had expected the Avenue Verte route to take us west to Brighton, then straight north. Kind of like an L.
Instead the route is more like a backwards C: east-ish to Seaford and Polegate, then north to Groombridge and west to Crawley.
Wait, didn’t I ride to Brighton when I lived in London? It turns out that the section of National Cycle Network Route 20 from Brighton to Crawley has been decommissioned because it wasn’t very good. (It still exists, just as a local route.) Such a shame that an alternative couldn’t be found or upgrades made.
So instead the Avenue Verte uses National Cycle Route 2 and then National Cycle Route 21 to reach Crawley.
There’s no way to sugar-coat this: National Cycle Route 21 has some sections that are simply unrideable. And not just because I was on on a road bike with 28 mm tires. My riding buddy with 42 mm tires felt the same way.
Here are some of the trail surfaces we encountered:
Now imagine this when it’s also really steep.
Not something you want to do in the rain. Thankfully this day was dry.
This was easier, but also not what I expected.
This is how Komoot broke down the route:
If the National Cycle Network is aimed at most people and a range of cycling skills, this is not it. If the Avenue Verte is a gravel route, then scream it from the hilltops.
And what about the roads we used?
We definitely hit some long, steep climbs. I can grudgingly cope with that.
Sadly, there was a big difference in quality between French and English roads. At times we were on narrow two-lane roads (no shoulders) and the potholes effectively narrowed them to one lane. Add the sharp curves and drivers of BMWs, Audis and Land Rovers who are much less patient than those who passed us in the Renaults and Peugeots …
Again, I’m thankful there was no rain.
Then there are land owners who apparently really don’t like England’s system of public footpaths and bridleways and will discourage you from using them if they go past their property.
Thank goodness for these signs that contradicted those. But no way was I stopping at the nearby pub.
A couple other signs we saw in this area. In what other country would a sign start with “polite notice”? Got to love the English for that.
This last one was at the start of the Forest Way.
Signage for the Avenue Verte, on the other hand, is more like a secret code. It’s those green triangles — a stylish A and V? The appeal is London to Paris, or Paris to London!
Why do I think the French are more enthusiastic about this?
Curious about the French side of the Avenue Verte? Here are trip reports for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.
Exploring by bicycle 