Club Run to The Pantry, Hartfield
Sunday 7th July by Paget Cohen
Judging by the amount of sweat dripping from my helmet just from riding back from attempting to marshal the first stage of the Tour de Sussex at Laughton the day before I might have readied a bucket for my Sunday return., but the conditions were too good to waste. 20 degrees as I accepted the 8am tailwind to Uckfield to find someone already waiting. Turns out he was merely a tourist stopped at the lights to check his map, but Mark L, #294 Stuart K, Carl M and nice Martyn soon pitched up.
Having paced us up the climbs North through Coopers Green, Burnt Oak, Stone Cross, Whitehill and Rotherfield Martyn peeled off, work done, or perhaps he was regretting the arm-warmers. Mark assumed the mantle of navigator-in-chief and led us further North past the Bowles Outdoor Pursuit Centre to Eridge and into into Groombridge. Rather than mix it with the traffic up Groombridge Hill we cut down a recently resurfaced lane for a brief burst along the A264 before ducking into the next valley and Walters Green. The climb back out was made harder by the broken surface under the shade of the trees, but worth it for the stretch Westwards along the ridge.
At the White Post crossroads we het 2 horse-riders heading South and a stream of sportive riders turning North. In hindsight we probably should have gone with the flow rather than down the lane they were all emanating from as more than once Stuart & I had to yell, grab the brakes and swerve to the verge to avoid those dodging hazards, overtaking or simply being thoughtless; still we survived unscathed to reconvene at the next junction.
Not quite where Mark intended as it happened, but I know the area well so was able to direct us through Cowden, and up past Holtye Golf Course to cross the A264 again and into Cansiron Lane. From the far end it was only a short ride to the tea stop and welcome rest and refreshment. Good job we were early as we were able to order before a mud-spattered Gibbo and the somewhat cleaner Messrs Jeffs and Lloyd and Midgeley rolled in from their own directions.
As such we were able to depart en masse, but I seemed to have left my legs behind on the drag up through Chuck Hatch and onto the forest as Graham and Carl had turned for Crowborough before I caught the others waiting for me. Downhill was no better as I was cooked, but the guys kindly soft-pedalled from Fairwarp allowing me to join them until the Coopers Green when we went our separate ways with only Midgo to lead me back through the lanes, dodging dogs, horses and chickens, and back to Heathfield. 55 miles at a relatively pedestrian 15.4mph, but satisfying nonetheless.
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