Club Run to Pevensey Bay
Sunday 31st March by Paget Cohen
The first day of British Sumer Time and the first after the clocks should have gone forward. Well I kept up my end of the bargain, remembering not just to reset the cycle computer, but more importantly, the central heating too. Important because, while it was dry and bright, someone had forgotten to do the same for the great outdoors. Never mind, perfect conditions to blood the Giant Defy on a club run (42 solo miles on Good Friday) and wear the new overshoes on top. The bike certainly attracted some admiring comments even if the rider never will. As is common Mark L + Stuart K were already waiting at Boots and we were joined by Ian McG, John Miller, Terry Everest and Stuart Anderson who did his good deed for the day early by pushing to the kerb the shattered remains of a beer bottle a Mini had just run over.
Standard out run through Palehouse Common, Easons Green and Hawkhurst Common, but then we turned for Chiddingly. Having just survived a stretch of ice I promptly hit a pothole and experienced a classic pinch puncture. Despite my calls and campanology the bunch disappeared into the distance without me. Fortunately Stuart K had taken the ice even more gingerly so was on hand to lend a hand; plus by now the sun was out so my fingers were cooperating too. After pausing once more to re-engage the front brake (before I got a painful reminder) I made chase through Muddles Green as the group (now less Mark who was off horse racing) made for Gun Hill.
For whatever reasons I was suffering so badly by now that I considered turning left for home, but I couldn't face wasting such good weather so persevered; at least I had an ally in Terry who was feeling a similar lack of miles in his legs. I managed to stay in touch through Hailsham, but across the levels the elastic started to stretch and it was only thanks to my club mates taking turns to drag me back into the fold that I reached Pevensey Bay in company. Now I look forward to a tea stop as much as the next man, but rarely have I needed one so much.
Ocean View Cafe was excellent as ever, though less populated by Wanderers than normal. Once we'd interrogated John about his impending London-Edinburgh-London (we wish him well) and I'd shed layers, but put on a few pounds we hit the road reenergised and re-enthused. For once my legs didn't fail me straight after the stop and I was quite able to keep pace through Pevensey, Mill Hill and Hankham. Past Old Loom Mill John decided to take a turn on the front and all of a sudden mine and Terry's thighs waved little white flags and our colleagues disappeared in the direction of Hailsham.
As such neither of us got to see quite how our esteemed club runs leader ended up on his backside in the road approaching the BP mini-roundabout, but apparently he clipped a wing mirror. No obvious damage, except to whatever pride Ian might still cling on to, and on the upside it gave me a chance to recover for the blast through Michelham to Lower Dicker. all the same I was relieved to go my own way and own pace once past the ice and potholes of Chiddingly. Still a healthy 56 miles at a respectable 15.5mph, mostly with an underinflated tyre as it transpired, and at least I didn't fall off.
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