10 - Viva Lewes

SEVEN SISTERS
CYCLE HIRE
Two wheels good
I blame the Anglo-Saxons. Building
Lewes on a hill may have
made sense to get the jump on
their medieval enemies, but it has
made cycling literally an uphill
struggle for their descendants.
Talk about short-sighted planning.
For all the sterling efforts
of the Ouse Safe Cycle Network,
biking in Lewes remains a
pursuit for the committed. However,
if like me, you get weary
on Winterbourne Hollow and
burned out on Bradford Road,
it may come as a relief to realise
that the Seven Sisters Cycle
Company in Friston Forest offers
a less demanding alternative.
The Seven Sisters Company (just
beside Cuckmere Haven) has
been going since 1991, and for
the last �ve years has been run
by Simon and Caroline Godin.
I hadn’t been there for a decade
at least and was struck by how
much they’ve spruced it up. The
bikes are better than I remember
too. Forget about old-fashioned
sit-up and beg three-speed jobs
that weigh a ton. These are proper
mountain bikes you can lift
with your little �nger and which
carry all tree roots and bumps
before them. My seven-year-old
WWW.VI VA LEWES .CO M
WE TRY OUT
companion was quickly kitted out with a rather cool Dawes Rocket and
a helmet that instantly rendered the duck one she has at home “juvenile”
(though throwing around a word like that she might have a point).
Luckily the Seven Sisters people also sell bike accessories and, at the
end of each summer, second-hand ex-rental bikes too. Actually sales and
rentals seem to be only part of it these days and the menu also includes
repairs, lessons, guided rides and even children’s parties.
Pleasingly, Friston Forest itself has not changed at all. There is a proper
mountain biking trail for the more adventurous, and a �atter, ‘family’
one for those who prefer a sedate meander. The latter is perfect for
child riders (and out-of-practice adults) to gain con�dence. We enjoyed
a perfect summer afternoon in one of the most gorgeous parts of what is
a ravishingly beautiful bit of Sussex. We even saw the green phone box
that BT threatened to sully with red paint a few years back. A red phone
box! Perish the thought.
Best of all was the moment when we �nished our ride and realised the
Exceat Farmhouse Restaurant was no more than twenty yards away.
So, fancy an afternoon on one of the most enjoyable inventions of the
19th century, your green views unsullied and a full afternoon tea within
staggering distance? What are you waiting for?
Simon Godin’s top tips for a perfect cycling afternoon.
Dress in appropriate clothes. It gets hot and humid in the forest.
Bring water and remember to drink it.
Use your gears. It’s not Keere St but there are still a few hills waiting
for the unwary.
John McGowan
The Seven Sisters Cycle Company is open seven days a week. Bikes cost
£5 per hour with a minimum two-hour rental and a whole day for £25.
01323 870 310. www.cuckmere-cycle.co.uk
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