Dan is something of a local legend, and whilst not everyone will instantly recognise the name Daniel Pullen, you'd be hard-pushed to find a cyclist local to the Sussex area who hasn't heard the name Stravanator Dan (Probably due to your KOM being stolen by him).
Going beyond his status as a local hero and proprietor of the (N+1) Cycle Cafe by Brighton train station, Dan was also part of the Hunt quartet who recently took victory at the Revolve24 endurance race at Brands Hatch.
For this week's Reader's Ramble, we could think of no better route designer than the local hardman famous for riding through just about anything... really fast...
"Not everyone loves climbing, but I love it. It’s quite hard to train for though. Especially if you want to do continental sportives and challenges etc. Hill repeats are cool, but often they’re just not long enough. That’s why I love this route. It’s straight out the door. 10/15 minute warm up to the base of a 20-minute climb, and then it’s just up/down/up/down for pretty much 2 hours straight. The route is on mainly pristine tarmac with very little traffic and takes in some of the most stunning Sussex countryside (and a few iconic climbs). It’s a solid training ride that always leaves me battered but happy and in need of a flat white and a slab of cake."
Dan Pullen