Club Run Report - 22nd Sept 2013

Club Run to Middle Farm, Firle

Sunday 22nd September by Paget Cohen

My tyres didn't need much pumping to get them up to maximum pressure, but either I had the beginnings of a fever or it was a lot milder than the grey skies made out;  either way I decided at the last minute to leave the armskins on the kitchen table.  The ride to Uckfield persuaded me that I wouldn't need the gillet for long either and the arrival of Mr Pelham at Boots was all the convincing I needed to stash it in a back pocket.  The clement weather had caught most on the hop as the majority of the 9 who set out sported long sleeves and Rob and Terry had even gone with 3/4 length tights.

Once it was clear that neither au pair nor Dr Stu were going to join us Ian signalled for the off Northwards towards Piltdown with an acquaintance of Rob's tagging along on a single-speed cruiser.  We'd dropped him and Ollie by The Peacock, but waited for the Wanderer as were about to turn right past the golf club for Down Street.  Detour to avoid Fletching complete we tacked West for Sheffield Green, Freshfield Crossways and Walstead where we encountered our first jogger.  Up Snowdrop Lane we passed so many more I half thought we'd found ourselves amidst a fun run.  Slugwash Lane passed with only a hairy moment for Darren as he ran wide and a long wait for the fast men as Mark was trying to ride off a hangover.  Up to now there had been so little worth writing home about that I took matters into my own hands;  at the bottom of the land heading South out of Wivelsfield the road we had to cross had been freshly dressed with loose chippings, the guys ahead braked harder than I expected, I ran out of spare tarmac, failed to unclip and had time to call 'timber' before I hit the deck - serves me right for not wearing my Womble costume.

Returning to the vertical I rejoined the pack making for Streat, a lane popular with horse-riders also.  With no delays of note it was far too early to turn in the direction of the tea stop so Ditchling Beacon it was.  Ian had reassured Mark that we'd all stay behind him, but that lasted as far as the first ramp.  For the record Rob took the prime and maximum KOM points followed by Midgo and Terry, with Dave Hodgson just pipping me for 4th.  Over the top I received proof, if it were ever needed, of the benefit of drafting when as Mr P blew by me I dug in to grab his wheel and had to ease up to avoid going into the back of him.  Yuriy Tymchenko made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance at the top of Coldean Hill, but didn't join us for the freewheel.  From Stanmer Park it was the usual blast along the A27 and into Lewes.  Having impressed me with his climbing earlier Dave showed off his bike-handling skills in town when taking drastic action to avoid the cars ahead that had stopped for no apparent reason.  Having briefly lost Rob and Darren to the distraction of the brewery we lost Midgo completely as he hared off down the A27 cycle-path without us.  We lost Rob again before the tea stop, this time to a rear flat (should have ridden a Giant);  just for once I was on the front and didn't notice so it was left to Terry and Ollie to provide roadside assistance.

Middle Farm was as good as ever, particularly the slab of apricot flapjack I treated myself to, and before long we were joined by Chairman Slow, the Audax Crew and Gibbo + Windy with some soil samples fresh from the South Downs.  The mudpluggers + Chris joined us for the race home with riders peeling off from Laughton onwards.  Having lost CM & Gibbo somewhere near Halland, Midgo and I delivered John to his door before resuming our now traditional 2up back to Heathfield.  Just shy of 60 miles for me, but a thoroughly enjoyable ride despite the fall.

Club Run Report - 15th Sept 2013

Club Run to Old Loom Mill

Sunday 15th September by Paget Cohen

After last week's rear wheel puncture and front wheel shunt I thought the Giant deserved a little TLC so bought her a little black number in the form of a pair of Conti Gatorskins.  Even colder than last week with the garden thermometer struggling to reach double-figures and that was in the sun of Heathfield;  I found freezing fog in Framfield.  Either I was flying or my cycle computer was having a funny turn as it showed 57 down Birdineye, and even in kph that's unlikely for me.  At least it was working unlike Brett's cadence-meter that had taken the cold snap as a sign to go into hibernation.  We waited with Terry + spaniel (neither riding as required as children's entertainers for the day) until almost 8:40, but the Swedish au pair Ian had promised us failing to materialise we reluctantly hit the road South with Mark & Darren making 5, all in long sleeves or armwarmers.

Avoiding the time-triallists on the A22 we made for Glynde via Bentley and Half Mile Drove.  Brisk progress had already been made, but it seemed ridiculously easy with a tailwind and smooth pavement along the A27 cycle-path.  Less so on the loose chippings around the back of Ripe and Chalvington, but even the Berwick level-crossing was on our side.  From Arlington to Monkyn Pyn, however, we faced the world and his wife on horseback and the level-crossing barriers down just for good measure even before braving the A27.  To people local to Wilmington the sight of a giant must be more reassuring than frightening, that of a man in a Godzilla costume more intriguing than scary, but being swamped by an Eastbourne Rovers club run, now that is terrifying.  They were in such tight formation that you could have thrown a blanket over them, or a gillet as Ian attempted to no avail.  Once we'd recovered said article from the Litlington road we continued southwards to Exceat - perhaps he should have had it securely strapped to his seat-post as the banana of one of the now-departed Rovers was.  Once on the main road Darren took off uphill like a man on a mission, to find somewhere to pee as it turned out, while the rest of us paced our effort to Friston pond.  Just for a change I wasn't left behind to ride solo through Jevington, but once Ian had taken the register Mark took it as his cue to put the hammer down into Wannock and I have yet more horse-riders to thank for bunching us back up.  Leaving a large crowd of Rovers huddled outside the Polegate Harvester we crossed the A27 via the footbridge - strictly no cycling - and from there we could have almost smelt the coffee and teacakes were it not for the horse manure and exhaust fumes.

For once the main club run beat the rush, but we were joined in our queue by a late-starting Midgo sporting a retro Fagor jersey as part of a Sean Yates tribute.  Mr Jeffs, pristine in the latest Wanderers fashions, was next to pitch up followed by an off-road Gibbo in a mud-spattered jersey form a manufacturer I've never heard of and an overdue appearance from Ollie Tuckley in old-school Wombles gold.  Once refuelled we hit the road, or the Cuckoo Trail in Gibbo's case, to find the sun had gone in and the wind got up.  Not wishing to leave our route-finding home to the driver of a campervan from whom Ian hitched a lift, Midgo and I went our own way across Hailsham to repeat our 2up from Hellingly of 2 weeks ago.  Unsurprisingly the uphill and loss of strength in numbers put a dent in my average speed, which had apparently been 18.2mph to the tea stop if my computer was to be believed, but if I can replicate 17.5 over a hilly 3 hour club run I'm confident I can break the hour for my first ever TT in a fortnight.   

Press Release 1st September 2013

On Sunday, five members of the Lewes Wanderers team headed out to Bethersden to take part in the Kent CA 12 hour event, one of the most arduous and testing rides on the time trialling calendar. The basic tenet of a twelve-hour event is brutally simple - riders are set off in one-minute intervals and have to cycle as far as they can in their allocated twelve-hour period. The complex course consists of several interconnected loops, including some deceptively taxing circuits around the marshes at Camber. Although the course is relatively benign the devil of the ride is the wind factor, which sweeps across the Marshes and forces riders to battle against nagging headwinds for large stretches of the course.

After a stiff climb up Hamstreet, riders are turned off into the Ivychurch circuit, flat but very exposed.  At the finishing circuit, riders completed nine miles loops until they heard the welcome shout from the timekeepers to stop pedalling. The biggest challenge of the day for many riders was to get off their bikes after twelve hours locked into an extreme time trialling position.

For Lewes top rider, Rob Pelham this was to be his first taste of a 12 ride, but his performances in the 100-mile event suggested he had the power and the stamina to do well. Rob certainly lived up to his reputation and recorded an unconfirmed distance of 267 miles, which looks like placing him at the pointy end of the leader-board, a magnificent achievement on his first attempt at the distance.

Micky Turner, fresh from his long distance ride from London to Edinburgh and back, certainly reaped rewards from his extreme training by covering some 248 miles. Micky was set for the magic 250 mile mark before a last gasp puncture forced him to ride on a deflating tyre for the last twenty minutes of his ride. Chris Martin had a strong start to his ride covering the first hundred miles on a schedule which would have seen him notch up over 240 miles, but a severe case of cramping forced him to slow down to eventually record a distance around the 228 mile mark. Sam Ramsey was another newbie to the distance and did well to notch up a distance of 224, a near identical distance to your correspondent, whose final mileage was shortened due to a puncture within the last hour of his ride.

Although these distances are unconfirmed, it appears that Lewes may well have retained the team trophy and broken the club’s 12 hour team record. Two nail biting decisions await the recorders final definitive distances; who will be the third member of the winning team to join Micky and Rob, and will Rob’s distance be enough to break Tom Glandfield’s recently set club record of 267.4 miles.

The club would like to express heartfelt thanks to Esther and Tim Carpenter, along with a massive array of cheerful helpers, who organised this most complex and demanding of events with mind boggling professionalism.

Press Release 24th, 25th & 26th August 2013

The extended Bank Holiday weekend gave several members of the Lewes Wanderers Cycling Club the opportunity to spurn the usual domestic rituals and obligations in favour of bike related diversions.

The action started on the Saturday with the running of the Sussex CA Ten, based around Loxwood. The course is an eclectic mixture of narrow country lanes interspersed with technical twisting sections and hair-raising descents. The sole representative for Lewes was Johan Stegers, competing in one of three events he was to ride over the bank holiday period. Johan clocked a time of 26:56, with the event being won by Chris McNamara in a rapid time of 22:09.

The following day Johan and your correspondent headed west to compete in the Southdown Velo 25 based around Arundel. Normal Bank Holiday weather prevailed, typically blustery and wet. This made conditions extremely testing and resulted with some slow times on the day, with most riders being some three minutes slower than normal. Johan posted a time of 1:06:03, with your correspondent, thanks to an off course excursion, clocking 1:04:14.

Johan had little time to recover before he joined Chris Martin to compete in the SCA 25 mile ride, which retraces the arduous 10 course two and a half times. Chris and Johan had steady rides on this tough course recording times of 1:09:35 and 1:10:34 respectively. The winner was a name that has featured heavily on the honours board this year, namely Steve Kane of Brighton Excelsior who powered around the course in a time of 56:01.

Away from the rigours of time trialling, fifteen or so Wanderers set off from Uckfield on Sunday to ride the club’s annual jolly out to Box Hill near Dorking. After a forty-five mile journey the riders faced the climb up to Box Hill where they broke off for the obligatory tea stop, before setting off for home, via breath-taking vistas, to complete a tiring but memorable eighty-five mile trip.

This Sunday sees the running of the Kent 12 Hour event. Five Wanderers appear on the start sheet including 100-mile master, Rob Pelham. This will be Rob’s first crack at the 12-hour ride and with his racing pedigree looks to be with a good chance of finishing in the top three. The Lewes team will be pulling out all of the stops to retain the Bray shield for the best team of three.

More details of all these rides and other club activities can be found at www.leweswanderers.co.uk

Report from Chris Martin, Chairman, LWCC: It is with huge sadness that I have to report the death of Rose Hill on Wednesday 21st August. Rose was on a cycling holiday near Salisbury with her husband Mick, when she was involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle. Rose was a huge supporter of the Lewes Wanderers over many years and a regular marshal at many of our events. LWCC send their sincere sympathies and condolences to Mick and the family.

Press Release 17th & 18th August 2013

The ironic Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times” aptly describes events that were to unfold in the ESCA 100 mile time trial held on Sunday. Event organiser, Bob Harber had to revise the course five times due to on-going road-works, eventually settling on four loops of a circuit of the A22. The start of the race was uneventful, though a steady build-up of traffic heading out to the Eastbourne Air Show resulted in long tail backs to the frustration of motorist and cyclists alike.

The Lewes squad had decidedly mixed fortunes on the day. Some sixty miles into his ride, Nick Dwyer had a nasty fall on a bottle change, which forced him to retire, shaken but thankfully uninjured. With only ten miles left to cover, Rob Rollings clipped a pedal on a kerb, which acquainted him with the flora and fauna of the hedgerow. After a few running repairs, Rob gamely got back on his bike to finish with a creditable time of 4:09:07. Rob’s gallant effort ensured that the team prize went to the Wanderers with Rob Pelham (who continued his remarkable record of never having gone over four hours in a hundred event) and Tom Glandfield (4:04:12), who was suffering somewhat after his twelve hour heroics of the previous week, completing the team of three. Rob Pelham finished third overall with a time of 3:59:01. The winner of the event was the talented Steve Kane of Brighton Excelsior, who posted a remarkable time of 3:50:01.

Unfortunately, the last drama of the day befell your correspondent. I had completed 99 miles of the course when disaster struck as a motorist pulled out in front of me, which resulted in a spectacular somersault over the bike. Fortunately, bike and body were largely unscathed and I went on to complete the course, with a nagging feeling in my scrambled brain that something was not quite right. On returning to the HQ someone pointed out that I had failed to take the final roundabout, meaning my ride was some twenty yards too short, invalidating my result. Determined to get a time, I rode back out to the course to complete the elusive twenty yards, eventually clocking up a time of 4:44:05. My disappointment at missing out on a PB was slightly tempered when I discovered that along with Tom Glandfield, and Micky Turner (4:21:57) that we had managed to retain the Surrey and Sussex VTTA team prize. Other Lewes performances on the day were Sam Ramsey (4:27:23), Peter Baker (4:42:25) and John Mankelow DNF.

The previous day, Jamie Lowden was the sole Lewes representative at North Hampshire RC 25. On a fast Bentley course, Jamie slashed an incredible four minutes off his PB, in less than favourable conditions, to post a time of 53:06, fast enough to share third place in a class field. Rob Sharland of Kingston Wheelers won the event in a time of 51:40.

Press Release 3rd & 4th August 2013

Tom Glandfield rewrote the Lewes Wanderers record books by recording an incredible mileage of 267.6 miles in the National 12-Hour Championship run over a testing Essex course on Sunday. The long standing club record for the distance was set in 1991 by the late Matthew Rabbetts, who notched up an impressive distance of 259.6 miles. Tom had been striving to crack the record for the last three years and was on target last year until he was forced to retire due to over ambitious pacing for the first 100 miles. This year, he used this experience over the gruelling distance to adopt a more sensible pacing strategy (though some might question if 58 minutes for first 25 miles is a particularly conservative start) and managed to complete his epic 12-hour adventure without stopping. 

Tom finished 8th overall, a magnificent achievement in the face of some fierce completion from some of the premier long distance riders in the country. Tom has marked a line in the sand and several Lewes riders will be striving to grab the record from him at the forthcoming Kent 12, notably Audax legend Paul Gibbons who is at the peak of fitness after his three-day 1000-mile adventure.

Several Wanderers opted for slightly shorter rides at the weekend, though slightly shorter than they had anticipated.  For many years riders have been grumbling about the pockmarked state of the road around the Boship and were delighted to see significant improvement in the road surface. However, the irony of the situation was not lost on the riders as an unexpected roadwork’s flotilla arrived early on Saturday morning to resurface a stretch of the course scheduled for the10-mile event. Rather than cancel the programme organiser Stuart Davis of Eastbourne made the inspired decision to run a prologue style race over a shortened 4.9-mile course. With a shorter distance, one might envisage that the race would be easier, not quite so, as the pain is dished out in a more intense dose as riders explode from the blocks in an eye-popping five-mile sprint. Lewes Nick Dwyer was the master of this explosive event covering the distance in a flying time of 8:47.

The diligent road patchers meant that the scheduled Sunday 25-mile course had to be curtailed to a unique 13.9-mile distance, the novelty of the distance meaning that every rider would set a PB on the day. Steve Kane reversed Saturday’s result by setting a time of 29:18, edging out Nick Dwyer by an eight second margin. Dwyer teamed up with Phil Allen (30:07) and   Rob Rollings (31:13) to claim the team prize. Other Lewes times on the day were Stuart Kirkham (34:02), your correspondent (34:42), Oliver Tuckley (35:16) and Stephen Gaston (35:17).

The combined result of the two weekend races saw Steve Kane and Nick Dwyer sharing top spot with identical aggregate times, with the fast improving Phil Allen grabbing the third podium spot.

Horses and Cyclists...

We have received a letter from a local horse rider. (see below). 

I think/hope our club members are pretty good at calling ahead to horses and waiting for a signal to pass, I could probably slow down a little more when passing 'head-on', regardless its a timely reminder of how to deal with horses, she mentions off road riders, but it applies equally to our roadie Brother and Sisters:

Dear Sir

Re: Horse Riders 

I am writing to ask a favour of you.

I am one of a number of Horse Riders regularly using bridleways across the South Downs in the Denton/Firle/Alfriston area and we are experiencing frequent incidents where our horses are frightened by cyclists, so much so that they shy and bolt, which as I am sure you understand is potentially dangerous.

Can I firstly say that this is NOT a witch hunt or complaint against off road cyclists, in fact your club members and other cyclists are usually very helpful with gates etc., and usually very friendly, the problem is that through no fault of their own, they do not understand horses fully.

Horses are not very brave, in fact they spend most of their time on the lookout for ‘Monsters’ waiting to attack them and cannot rationalise. When they see a bike approaching silently at speed they see it as a predator and their first instinct is to run! It is even worse when cyclists approach horses from behind and there is no warning as to their presence as they are silent.

We would be really grateful if you could possibly make your members aware of this problem and to ask them to pass the word to other offroaders in the area, and to ask them to slow right down on their approach to horses and to shout from a distance to make us and our horses aware that they are there and we can then move to a safe area to let them pass.

A frightened horse is not only a danger to itself and its rider but could also cause harm to cyclists in its panic!

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read this.

Yours gratefully

Club Run Report - 8th Sept 2013

Club Run to Chez Gibbons

Sunday 8th September by Paget Cohen

I wasn't particularly looking forward to this as I wasn't feeling great, Gibbo's rides are always hard and the breakfast news was predicting heavy showers before the morning was out.  I considered taking the mudguard-clad Marin, but the Giant was set up and ready;  I did, however, furnish myself with long-fingered mitts, rain jacket, arm-warmers and a 2nd pair of socks as it was only 13 degrees when I set out.  Slightly late as it happened as the front tyre resisted assuming full pressure, but the fresh tarmac on the main road through Cross-in-Hand assisted a swift passage to Uckfield.  Ready for action were Nice Martyn, Terry, Mark, Chris M, Dave Hodgson & Brett, but not Paul, so, suitably warmed up, I had time to pocket my jacket before he and John Miller arrived for the off.  No summer tourist trail as it wasn't deemed sufficiently popular with the participants nor organiser.

The ride out was incredibly similar to last week, even to the extent that we lost one of our number before Waldron - Chairman Slow to a knee problem that didn't prevent him joining us for cakes later.  First significant deviation from the ride to Pevensey was when we went straight on through Vines Cross, but we did take the next right-hander up Furnace Lane to Warbleton then the down-up-down-up to Rushlake Green.  Armskins were long since rolled down as we headed north-east from the Green itself to Dallington and Woods Corner avoiding Carricks Hill.  To my surprise Gibbo ordered a left past the Brightling observatory and Needle though, far from struggling, I was relatively thriving  on the succession of short steep ramps.  I was, however, hopelessly left behind on the long downhill past the gypsum mine which caused the guys to have to wait for me to be sure I knew to take the road past Batemans.  Knowing Gibbo as I do it was no surprise we went right then immediately left into the switchback of Spring Lane;  from here a pleasant ride became somewhat more eventful.

First Dave Hodgson pulled up with a rear wheel puncture.  We stopped under the canopy of trees, but the first spots of rain could be felt before we got going again.  Across Witherenden Hill the increasing precipitation made the descent into the valley dicey and Martyn and Dave stopped to don rain jackets.  I pulled over to do the same, but saw blue skies ahead so thought better of it and, indeed, by the time we reached the junction with Scotsford Road it was bright and sunny once more and Martyn had stripped off again.  To be fair Gibbo gave us the option of heading straight for cake, but democracy saw us take in an extra loop round the back streets of Mayfield and down Fir Toll Road.  We'd just regrouped when our leader set off for Five Ashes only to take a left down a notoriously pot-holed cut-through to the A267.  We all survived that and briefly mixing it with the traffic, but Meres Lane was another matter.

The warm sun was visibly lifting the moisture out of the road surface where it could, but it was still very shiny and no sooner had I warned Mark of the steep descent ahead than he and John followed Paul into a tight right-hander.  Gibbo just about stayed on the black stuff, but his closest followers couldn't make it and planted themselves in the hedgerow.  Fortunately no harm was done, except to hedge, and they were able to laugh it off, but we had only just started up the next climb when I felt the tarmac become strangely rippled, ie I now had a rear puncture a la Dave courtesy of a large flint.  He, Brett and Martyn helped me back on the road for one final sprint along the main road to waiting cake.

Or so it should have been , but my adventures weren't over as a car pulled out in front of Martyn in Heathfield High Street.  He slammed on the anchors and I, following, did likewise but still hit his rear mudguard flinging me over the handlebars.  Thankfully bike + I avoided being run over and escaped with no more than a cut right knee, bruised left bicep and grazed right hip to match the left one I acquired in January.  I did consider limping home, but was rewarded for continuing by a fine array of cakes thanks to Iveta and the sympathetic company of a horde of Wombles.  Spots of rain were taken as a cue to brave the greasy decking and the mean streets of Broad Oak and make the short journey home which I survived without further incident.

Isle of Wight Audax

Audax Racing!

Whilst the cream of the Wanderers long-distance riders were taking part in the Kent 12, the other mere mortals took on the Isle of Wight audax-and won!

My trip started early on Saturday morning, meeting up at Windy’s with Mr Jeffs. With everything strapped into car and trailer, we headed off for the New Forest, arriving a few hours later at a campsite in Lymington. Windy was on a mission, erecting a tent big enough to get several cars in, whilst Graham and I offered what assistance we could, before I attempted to set light to the whole show with my petrol powered stove-I hadn’t used it for a while!!

With all things looking sweet in our new home, we changed into bike kit and headed out for lunch under a fabulously warm sky. Graham had a bit of local knowledge, leading us round in a merry circle, before we found a place to eat. After lunch, it was off to the forest. No amount of persuading was going to get Graham offroad, so Windy and me had to look on as we passed countless tracks heading off into the trees. Eventually, with the pace kept high, Mr Jeffs crumbled, heading off back to the campsite with an overhead escort in the shape of a flying fortress-me and John headed for the trees!

It turned into an interesting adventure, riding slick tyres on sand and gravel, but we managed to double our mileage. I have no idea where we went as I was just using the sun to ride round and somehow we ended up back in Lymington. Once showered, we set off on the trail of beer and food, finding a pub that nearly beat John and me with a beef pie so big that neither of us fancied any more beer afterwards!

The next day we headed for the ferry; early morning and quite cold. It was impossible to miss the other Wanderers; Pete Price was on full song, laughing louder than the ferry. Once off the boat on the Isle of Wight, the flag dropped and Windy said go! The first control was 9kms away at the Needles and we’d already sailed through the field, collecting a hardened audax campaigner to guide the way. All stamped up, we headed for the opposite end of the island. As an island virgin, I was surprised how lumpy and rolling it was, but nothing we couldn’t cope with; our ancient companion seemed more than capable too-a bit like T without all the chat!

Second control at Bembridge came up quick; our friend carried on whilst we opted for a bacon sandwich and a panoramic view of the harbour with its large boats wafting about in the calm waters. We left as team T arrived, heading back for Yarmouth, chasing a large group of cyclists. They seemed to be riding off course, but always staying in front of us until we finally caught and overtook them only to then have to wait for our next ferry!

This was the chain ferry in Cowes, taking longer to load than it did to get across the water-just long enough to ruin your legs. We sped off in a large group; john doing a monster turn on the front whilst I was feeling a bit down on power. Someone else took over, fading quite quickly as soon as it went up, and I found myself back on the front again! With not far to the ferry, I opted for the “bury the hatchet” mode until someone shouted we’d just missed the next ferry anyway!

With time to kill, it only seemed right to have a pint, before the search for something to eat on the boat journey back to the mainland. By now, we had both spent all our money, scratching around to find enough coins to pay for a cup of tea! Hopefully we wouldn’t need anything until we finished.

Once back on the mainland, we had a 60km loop of the New Forest to do. As usual, we were back in the lead again fairly quickly-probably something to do with the headwind we seemed to be riding into. It seemed a long drag across the forest-the only saving grace were the amazing trees along the sides of the roads (that’s if you find trees amazing in the first place that is!).  

We had now crossed to the Northwest side of the forest and turned round to head for the finish with a tail wind. All we had to do was find the last control, which we failed to do so, before we headed for some more offroad to finish the day off-this was not the official route I hasten to add! I was a bit miffed about not getting my card stamped and even more miffed that we might as well have done a lot more offroad before hand!

At the first opportunity, we hit the dirt. Well, I literally hit the dirt! The sand was a bit too deep; I came to a grinding halt and then keeled over, unable to release my feet from the pedals, ending upside down in the heather with bike still firmly attached! I then proceeded to do this again about 20m further on, much to the amusement of John, earning myself the best comedy falls of the weekend.

Having got going again, we kept the road route in sight on the Garmin and made our own route up. Climbing up one hill, I thought my legs had finally had it-Windy felt the same. As we neared the finish, we ran out of offroad options, and the speed soon whipped up on the tarmac-the legs had forgotten their earlier pain. The last bit was a tortuous route round the houses, but we eventually found the finish and a well-earned cup of tea along with a few too many bowls of riced pudding and peaches. We were the 3rd and 4th back in the 160km group, despite the last 25km being offroad-we never disclosed this fact!

The T team rolled in about 40 mins after us, looking reasonably fresh and we exchanged the day’s tales over more tea before heading our separate ways home. A good weekend’s riding I think and I may have to go back again next year. Thanks to Windy for the transport and accommodation.   

Club Run Report - 1st September 2013

Club Run to Pevensey Bay Cafe

Sunday 1st September by Paget Cohen

Another bright sunny start, but with a distinct chill in the air when I fetched the Giant out of the shed I nipped back in for arm-warmers and I was jolly glad I did.  No Wandering hares for this tortoise to chase this week, but a veritable throng awaited outside Boots including Brett proudly astride his new Defy 2 Advanced and Terry, whose Da Rosa escaped a high speed spill down Dewlands Hill with nary a scratch, but couldn't avoid a rack falling off the wall of his garage putting a dent in it's top tube.  No Peter Baker so just a regular dozen headed up Bird-in-Eye, round the back of Framfield and down to Pounsley.  The climb to Sharlands strung the bunch out and disappointingly we said goodbye to Dr Stu at the main road as he was having trouble breathing - physician heal thyself.

Rather than risk losing one of us or himself to the lure of The Star at Waldron Ian had us swing left back to Rosers Cross then a right to approach Hanging Birch Lane from the North avoiding Lions Green for a (pleasant) change.  With a range of abilities among us Ian found himself drifting back and forth along the line trying to keep us all together.  Despite, or perhaps because of, this the general pace seemed high and led to numerous occasions when those in the vanguard tried to second guess or dictate the route only to have to turn around and chase the straggling bunch who had turned off somewhere.  Skirting the Vines Cross suburbs the arm-warmers could be dispensed with as we made for Cowbeech and Trolliloes and I took the opportunity to chat with the our guest for the day.  Clad in an all-black Sky/Garmin combo and aboard a shiny Boardman shod with tri-bars + yellow-edged Ultremos was Hugh from Shoreham who was looking for regular club runs and maybe some competitive riding.

Once in Bodle Street Green the customary left into the still pot-holed Prinkle Lane, up Bray's Hill and down to the foot of the Hardriders prime.  I've never liked riding the climb up to the A271, still less the sectional nature of the main road, much preferring the undulating lane from Boreham Street through to Wartling.  Across the levels the inevitable chain-gang ensued;  despite the designation of our equipment Brett and I were unable to Defy the laws of physics, I personally losing touch when the bunch spotted a lone Eastbourne Rover ahead and accelerated to overtake.  The tempo eased to Norman's Bay and slowed to a walking pace as the level-crossing was closed to road traffic.

The Ocean View Cafe was as good and busy as ever and, despite other concurrent events, our numbers were swelled by more Wanderers for a more leisurely ride back across the levels to Rickney.  One room for improvement (literally) at the tea stop would be that for the little boys;  whether a reluctance to make use of such facility was to blame for Mark calling us all to stop for him to take a comfort break I don't know, but Darren kept us entertained by being the one to fail to unclip.

Against the wishes of some we didn't head up Cricketing Lane;  if we had we might have avoided an oncoming Audi TT by slightly more than the inches that transpired.  Nico had been experiencing mysterious niggles with his Guerciotti all ride and by now Hugh's steed had come out in sympathy an unidentified noise of it's own.  Not that we were in a hurry, but rather than cross Hailsham Midgo and I turned right at Hellingly to enjoy a quiet 2up chat back through Grove Hill, Vines Cross (again) and Old Heathfield to just miss out on the metric ton, but with no complaints.