This is the 100 Climbs South East Sportive — but it didn’t go to plan.
Railway chaos meant I had to completely replan my route just days before the event. Instead of the 10 climbs I originally mapped out, I was forced to cut it down to 8 — but I was still determined to ride in the Surrey Hills and take on some of the most iconic climbs in South East England.
In this video, I take you along for the full weekend — from my warm-up ride in Brighton (including Ditchling Beacon) to the main event itself. Expect beautiful scenery, a brutal few climbs, and some unexpected moments along the way. This sportive is a unique format: it blends orienteering with road cycling, using Simon Warren’s 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs. Riders must choose their own route, scan QR codes at each climb, and score enough points to be classed as a finisher.
Climbs featured in this ride include:
Coldharbour Lane, Leith Hill, Barhatch Lane, Combe Lane, White Downs, Chalkpit Lane, White Lane, and the legendary Box Hill.
Here is the Strava ride – https://www.strava.com/activities/14305808239
This was also part of my training for the Fred Whitton Challenge — one of the UK’s toughest road cycling events — coming up soon. Subscribe if you want to follow that journey.
📷 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/andrewon2wheels
📈 Strava – https://www.strava.com/athletes/10209274
🎥 Watch my Mow Cop video – https://youtu.be/NvUVzLh6pRY?si=HS9HcNvdEYAxS72M
Time codes
Intro – 0:00
Hotel mistake – 0:33
Saturday ride – 1:20
Brighton Seafront – 1:46
Steyning Bostal – 2:30
Ditchling Beacon – 4:18
Back to the hotel – 6:01
Waking up Sunday – 6:31
Signing on to the 100 Sportive – 7:08
Explaining the different format of this Sportive – 7:56
Coldharbour Lane – 8:48
Explaining my Route – 9:37
Leith Hill – 11:25
Barhatch Lane – 12:00
Combe Lane – 14:32
White Downs – 16:13
Box Hill – 17:34
Chalkpit Lane – 20:08
White Lane – 20:47
Back to the Village Hall – 22:08
Good news – 22:22
Train home – 22:58
Outro – 23:28
4 Comments
that bedroom issue could have been really embarrassing !!
The last thing i would want to do on a sportive is stop and scan Qr codes, annoying format tbh
Great video, being a South Downs National Park resident and very familiar with all the climbs, I’d certainly agree with you overall White Down is more testing than Barhatch, however if you’re under-geared Barhatch catches more people out (e.g., if you’re running a 53/39 and a 11/28, likelihood of putting a foot down on Barhatch is far greater as that last 500 metres is a brute)
Was keen to hear hear more of your thoughts on The Bostal that’s probably my nearest “100 Climbs” and most common for my local cycling club, it tends to divide riders, like marmite you either love it or hate it.
Happy to sign post you to some more climbs down this way if you’re ever in the area, even some that haven’t quite made it on Simon’s radar 👌🏻
Ditchling can be a challenge on the London to Brighton- it's at mile 50 and lots of people off their bikes and walking on the left, then middle lane of slower riders, then slightly faster on the right. But a fantastic feeling of achievement when you peak out. The downhill after is a blast if it's dry too! Good brakes are a must!