Club Run Report - Sunday 19th May

Club Run to Llama Farm, Wych Cross

Sunday 19th may by Paget Cohen

12 degrees C, winds light, cloudy with outside chance of rain or shine.  10 of us assembled outside Boots at 8:30 including Matt from Lewes (brown curly hair, red & black Trek Madone) on his first club ride for a year and Rob P choosing to slum it with the also-rans.  That of course meant quite a high tempo from the off and a tough reintroduction.  The few drops of moisture nice Martyn noted as we departed were just about all we experienced, not that the sun was much more forthcoming.

The first third of the ride followed the exact same route as late last year (see the December 2012 issue 262 of The Wanderer) and passed quickly and without incident.  From setting the pace Rob found himself pipped by yours truly to the prime at the top of Slugwash Lane and promptly hung up his wheels and headed off on foot into the hedgerow never to be seen again;  I'm not sure I want to know what he was doing.

First deviation from last Autumn's route occurred at the top of Plummerden Lane where we headed back towards Horsted Keynes.  After stringing out on the climb we regrouped by Ludwell Spring for some to take a leak.  The second variation came after the climb to Plaw Hatch Lane where, too early for tea, we cut straight across down Grinstead Lane, round Wier Wood Reservoir and up to Deer's Leap.

After waiting at the junction for Carl, who was struggling on the climbs for some reason, we hung a right past Standen and dived down in to the East Grinstead suburbs.  A right turn saw us climbing through a meandering housing estate.  Ian later admitted that even he was lost at this point and I thought he was leading.

For the second time in three days I found myself on a former railway line as we escaped suburbia via the Forest Way.  It's not quite the Strada Bianchi, more like the Strada Arancione, but irrespective of hue I'm not a fan of loose surfaces.  Once in Forest Row Ian spared us the harder climbs in order that we could keep our weekly appointment with Mr Contrary Jeffs heading the opposite way out of Coleman's Hatch.

We almost timed our arrival at the Llama Farm perfectly - just behind Tony G and Chris H, but ahead in the queue of half-a-dozen or so from Redhill CC, and, more importantly, our hungry LEL trainees Messrs Gibbons and Miller.

Unlike November I avoided being shamefully dropped down the A275 and sat comfortably on Stuart K's white-walled rear wheel as we watched Mark L and Ian race to the Chelwood Gate turn.  Carl had left us for Graham's company so 8 of us were left on the roads to Nutley and Down Street;  pausing only briefly for a brake test to avoid two horses.

Either I was now struggling or Hertmonceux John was finally warmed up as I only caught him back in Uckfield thanks to a red light and he plus Simon F left me again on the Bird-in-Eye climb.  I kept the gap to within 100metres through Blackboys, but John went his own way from Sharlands leaving Simon to drag me home.  Shouldn't complain with two 100k rides in 3 days, the second 2 hours quicker than the first.