Report on the Tour de Chiddingly 2025

I guess we were tempting fate when we planned the fourth edition of the Tour de Chiddingly community cycle event for mid-September. Well, we’d had brilliant weather for the last three bike rides in September, hadn’t we?

The morning of Saturday 13 September broke somewhat inauspiciously, with driving heavy rain alternating with monsoonal downpours. It wasn’t looking good. We'd had a record 71 participants registered for the event, but as the biblical deluge continued, so the Greening Chiddingly email inbox began pinging with more and more riders dropping out.
 
We took the decision at 9:00am to go ahead with the event – well, the forecast was improving, it was relatively mild and the wind had dropped. By 11:00am there were patches of bright blue sky (see the pictures below for proof), only occasional raindrops, and a hardy 41 waterproof- and lycra-clad riders gathered in Farley’s car park for the Grand Depart.

After a short safety briefing by Mark Valleley, riders on the longer 18-mile loop set off west and then north towards Chiddingly and Waldron, before taking in the fleshpots of Hale Green and Gun Hill. About five minutes later, the hooter sounded for riders on the shorter 6-mile route to depart, also heading west through Chiddingly, north up Ailies Lane and then looping back to Muddles Green via Stalkers Lane and Scrapers Hill.
 
As it turned out, the weather wasn't actually that bad. The riders on the shorter route barely had a drop of rain during their circuit – although the heavens opened about 5 minutes after everyone had returned to the Village Shop. Those on the longer route weren't quite so lucky, but still only saw a couple of heavy showers over the course of their 2-hour ride.

Despite the slippery road-surfaces and numerous potholes, the event passed largely without incident. Richard Merritt and Jake Wood-Evans – acting as safety riders for the longer route – reported a couple of slipped bike chains and one rider unseated by a rather deep rut. Adam Gurr and yours truly on the shorter route saw only one slow puncture – but Mark Valleley arrived in the safety car in about 5 minutes and sorted this. A warming cuppa and a piece of flapjack at the Village Shop soon put everything to rights.
 
Each of the last three Tours have been fantastic but this year’s felt particularly special. Maybe it was the weather? Maybe it was the participants? Maybe it was both? The youngest rider this year was 5 years old, with the two oldest both well into in their 80s (well done gentlemen). We saw more attendees than ever from beyond the parish, with riders joining us from Heathfield, Cross-in-Hand, Eastbourne and even Framfield. Hopefully they enjoyed cycling through our glorious Chiddingly countryside and will be tempted back.

A big thanks to Tina Letanka for helping out on the registration desk, and for the staff at the Village Shop for staying open an extra hour to offer hot drinks, snacks and their usual high standard of hospitality. Roll on the fifth edition of the Tour de Chiddingly, which is already pencilled in for mid-September 2026.

David Nash

Riders on the longer route prepare to depart (image credit: Mark Valleley)

The first of the riders on the shorter route set off five minutes later (image credit: Mark Valleley)

Riders on the shorter route pause for a break at the end of Highlands Lane (image credit: Adam Gurr)

Riders on the shorter route make their way along Ailies Lane (image credit: Adam Gurr)

Poster for the Tour de Chiddingly 2025