How Tough is Ditchling Beacon?

Ditchling Beacon is one of the best known road climbs in the South East of England. It's situated just north of Brighton, here I ride this climb on my adventure bike for the first time & give my assessment on just hard it really is.
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#ditchlingbeacon #iconicclimbs #cycling

[@themuddycyclist]

Have you ever climbed Ditchling Beacon, how hard did you find it?

[@jaidenleandro3297]

@Sonny Magnus Instablaster ;)

[@dalewarner6865]

Just did it on the London to Brighton event. I agree with everything you have said. Spot on Sir

[@themuddycyclist]

Good to hear. Well done today, hope you didn’t get too wet!

[@francisjoseph4959]

I've done it today. I nearly shit my pants hahaha

[@themuddycyclist]

@@francisjoseph4959 😆

[@marknice2793]

I done the London to Brighton ride with two of my cousins, very early 1990s. I got up Ditchling Beacon in one shot, hard and sweat stinging my eyes at the end. I'm 63 now and still ride bikes, building my strength up slowly post Stroke last year. Recently, I got myself an electric bike as well. I have loved cycling since having my first bike aged 10.

[@themuddycyclist]

You keep at it, ebike is the way to go to prolong your cycling years. I know I’ll be heading that way at some point.

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Well done.. Good to see the gravel bike again👍 I notice there's a London to Brighton gravel route now, I must look in to that.

[@themuddycyclist]

Oh really? Do you have any route details?

[@williampaterson1706]

Well done mate tick that off the list 🚵‍♀️

[@themuddycyclist]

Done it, move on 😁

[@MyAJ66]

Fair play....looks like a tough one.

[@themuddycyclist]

Thanks 🙏

[@simondowbiggin4288]

Have done this three times agony for me so respect.

[@themuddycyclist]

Certainly got the heart pumping 🥵

[@thesounddisciple9213]

Just did this yesterday on the london to Brighton ride, the actually hill wasn't too bad but doing it after 50 miles was tough! Brilliant views though

[@themuddycyclist]

Well done, great effort 👍. Think I said in the video that after doing most of the London/Brighton it’s a different climb!

[@2wheeledgrandad456]

I've done the L2B 4 times and each time I've walked up Ditchling Beacon, just can't do it due to suffering from emphysema legs could lungs absolutely no chance.

[@yazzijazzi5152]

Mate, you climbed that in no time!

[@themuddycyclist]

😆, I was blowing at the top

[@caramba10]

Did it on the London to Brighton, Low gear but just settled into a steady pace, did it on my fatbike.

[@themuddycyclist]

Impressive 👍

[@wolfk1]

Will do the London-Brighton ride in a few days on 9/11, smallest gear is 54/33, will see how it goes.

[@themuddycyclist]

Good luck, you’ll smash it 🤞😆

[@cliver6377]

Just did it on today’s London to Brighton - found it very hard indeed, fully expecting when I wake up tomorrow some part of me will be complaining loudly

[@themuddycyclist]

😁, well done 👍. You’ll soon forget how painful it was!

[@gamma_dablam]

I did it after 50 miles on a brighton roundtrip ride. Went up with an average cadence of 82rpm on a 34t in 8.5 minutes. Would neither have enjoyed it nor been as fast with a smaller cassette whereas it was fairly nice with a 34t cog. I'd compare it in difficulty to Titsey Hill , but not much tougher than that.

[@themuddycyclist]

Wouldn’t fancy this climb after 50 miles, good effort 👍

[@georgias7265]

Doing this tomorrow at London to Brighton. Any final words of advice? Great video 🙂

[@themuddycyclist]

Slow and steady gets the job done. Good luck 👍

[@georgias7265]

@@themuddycyclist I managed to cycle all the way up! The view was amazing.

[@themuddycyclist]

@@georgias7265 Well done, brilliant effort. It's worth it when you get to the top,

[@joeyollie123]

When I first rode up it, a guy said to me "you need to slow down!" near the start - he was probably right, but I decided to prove him wrong anyway 😂 Out of interest, what's your lowest gear ratio on that bike?

[@themuddycyclist]

Good for you 😊

[@ChubbyChecker182]

What is this climb like on an electric bike such as the Fiido or Ado bikes ? Would it really be easy, or is there issues that make it not so ?

[@themuddycyclist]

It would be absolutely fine on an electric bike, you’d fly up there!

[@oxharp]

@@themuddycyclist Depends on the Ebike. It would still be an effort with a 250W pedal assist ebike at 15kg.

[@themuddycyclist]

@@oxharp Of course, you still will have to pedal, so it won't be a walk in the park. However I'd suggest it will be much easier than an 'analogue' bike, as long as you don't run out of battery!

[@duncanmacphee200]

Nowhere near the toughest in Sussex. Try the Steyning Bostal (from the Steyning side) - shorter than the DB, but has sections of 20-25%.

[@thee-bikinggiant4847]

i thought you would have been quicker than that !!!! great video ...

[@themuddycyclist]

I need an e-bike!

[@thee-bikinggiant4847]

@@themuddycyclist you said it !!!!

[@IntoTheWhite04]

Easier or harder on your mountain bike do you reckon ?

[@themuddycyclist]

Would have definitely been harder, but still well doable.

[@IntoTheWhite04]

@@themuddycyclist interesting. I always found my road bike tougher on the hills than my mountain bike. Have sold that now.. haha.. can see the Surrey hills where I go riding from there. Was by the windmill a couple of months ago to ride Stanmer park

[@mikegill1037]

The thought of it is worse than actually doing it. The little flatter parts make it totally doable. 7/10 a reasonable rating

[@themuddycyclist]

Think I was expecting it to be worse, but was ok. Not going to rush to do it again.

[@mikegill1037]

@@themuddycyclist It was one of our regular routes home to Brighton after a days riding in the Weald. Embrace it 😇

[@themuddycyclist]

😁, I’ll try

[@craigsears-black9796]

It just needs reasonable gearing and the right mindset and it becomes an enjoyable but challenging climb. There are tougher off-road climbs on the SDW.

[@themuddycyclist]

True, a lot of tougher climbs on SDW but Ditchling Beacon is pretty long compared to most of them.

[@joeyollie123]

Mountain bikes do have lower gear ratios, although some climbs are fairly tech and do require a different skillset

[@yazzijazzi5152]

Enjoyable and climb do not go well together in a sentence 😂😅

[@malcolmhales8181]

The climb is not hard, the amount of traffic on it is horrible

[@themuddycyclist]

You’re not wrong, think I did it on a weekday, so was bearable.

[@lean2281]

Cycling is so easy compared to running

[@themuddycyclist]

That’s why you have to go much further