How dedicated a ride leader is it that gets up at 04.36 (am) on a Sunday to email the group to say that they are not well and can’t make the ride that day!? Especially, when you weren’t even supposed to be leading in the first place having stepped in when the original leader decided to pull out. That is just what our Chair, Bob, did this Sunday. Fortunately he is getting better now.
I duly agreed to lead and turned up at the start, a few minutes late, having had a lazy slow ride to Horsham. It was bright and sunny, although a very cold day, and so I had taken my time getting there. I waited quite a while but found myself still alone. Having bothered to turn out I decided to make the most of the nice day by returning through Roffey to Wimlands road where I climbed up past the Frog and Nightgown (what a great name for a pub, and a great pub) unfortunately closed when I got there. Having turned off the busy roads I discovered a fair bit of ice at different times, and walked part of Wimlands Lane in the company of two roadies – their slick tyres presumably being even less grippy than my touring tyres. Then along the ridge on the newly surfaced bridle path back to Ifield. This is a great route and I had some fine winter views as I rode carefully along.
Crossing the railway line to arrive in Gossops Green is not as scary as it might seem, certainly no worse than some of the busier roads in Crawley. My wireless computer had decided not to work – I think that the cold finishes off the batteries – so I detoured to Evans Cycles to get a new battery, and then home.
Twenty odd miles, not very much really, but enough on such a cold day. And quite pleasant – although it would have been nice to have some company. Hope to see you at the Xmas lunch next week (if you have booked with Anton).
Cheers,
Peter
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Sunday, 5 December 2010
It was his idea!
Following all the snow, the cold winds and the icy conditions, Anton and I came to the conclusion that it would be safest to cancel this week’s planned ride. Accordingly I updated the website and sent an e-mail out to our members. Anton volunteered to be at the start just in case anyone didn’t get the message.
Meanwhile I was wondering what I was going to do with myself – Oh no! Perhaps I’ ll have to go Christmas shopping !! – when I received a slightly cryptic text from John V: “WW 10:00?” I’d just about worked out that WW meant Worth Way when I received a second text confirming as much. Christmas shopping or a knobbly-tyred trek in the snow? No contest!
John had sent the same text messages out to the other fat-tyre candidates but he and I were the only ones that could make it. We met up just before Worth Church and set off along the Worth Way. In spite of Saturday’s torrential rain, there was still a lot of snow lying around and it soon became apparent that riding through it would take a lot of concentration. Where the snow had been compacted on top of a hard surface it was treacherously slippy and could send the front wheel in unexpected directions, so it was best to ride through the soft snow. However, where the underlying surface was relatively soft, it was better to seek out the harder, compacted snow as the soft stuff would shove the front wheel sideways and slip away under the rear wheel bringing forward progress to a complete halt. Just as we were getting used to that we encountered a third variety of surface – where there was a compacted top layer but with loose snow underneath. This was as unrideable as a six inch layer of loose snow and we soon learnt to recognise its appearance – icy, but with a milky look to it. It was however just about rideable in those areas where there was a scattering of fallen leaves on the top.
All this picking out the best route along the trail and the sheer effort of pedalling through the snow, slush, ice and mud was tiring and we decided to make East Grinstead our halfway point. Arriving there we opted to have our refreshments at the coffee bar in the petrol station as I was bespattered with mud.
One nice cappuccino later, we remounted and headed off around the one-way system. John came up trumps with an alternative route out of East Grinstead: first we used a couple of quiet streets, then a bridleway and a farm track before rejoining the Worth Way. Back on the snow and ice, we quickly realised that the best thing to do would be to retrace the tracks we made earlier. This meant we were quicker on the way back and consequently I got even more covered in mud. We were the only cyclists we saw during the journey and all the other people on the Worth Way were pedestrians out walking their dogs - I suppose that's one good thing about those walking poo factories - they get people out in the fresh air! Actually, now I think about it there were about half a dozen joggers out in the cold as well, including one who was heading in the opposite direction to what he thought. He was running away from East Grinstead and asked me how long to go before he reached East Grinstead! Charitably, I pointed him in the right direction.....
We got back to Crawley at about half past twelve having completed a round trip that would normally take little more than an hour.
Next Sunday's ride is scheduled to start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 10:00hrs and go on a loop to the South of Horsham with a lunch stop at The Fountain, Ashurst. Please keep an eye on the website in case we have to alter things again.
Meanwhile I was wondering what I was going to do with myself – Oh no! Perhaps I’ ll have to go Christmas shopping !! – when I received a slightly cryptic text from John V: “WW 10:00?” I’d just about worked out that WW meant Worth Way when I received a second text confirming as much. Christmas shopping or a knobbly-tyred trek in the snow? No contest!
John had sent the same text messages out to the other fat-tyre candidates but he and I were the only ones that could make it. We met up just before Worth Church and set off along the Worth Way. In spite of Saturday’s torrential rain, there was still a lot of snow lying around and it soon became apparent that riding through it would take a lot of concentration. Where the snow had been compacted on top of a hard surface it was treacherously slippy and could send the front wheel in unexpected directions, so it was best to ride through the soft snow. However, where the underlying surface was relatively soft, it was better to seek out the harder, compacted snow as the soft stuff would shove the front wheel sideways and slip away under the rear wheel bringing forward progress to a complete halt. Just as we were getting used to that we encountered a third variety of surface – where there was a compacted top layer but with loose snow underneath. This was as unrideable as a six inch layer of loose snow and we soon learnt to recognise its appearance – icy, but with a milky look to it. It was however just about rideable in those areas where there was a scattering of fallen leaves on the top.
All this picking out the best route along the trail and the sheer effort of pedalling through the snow, slush, ice and mud was tiring and we decided to make East Grinstead our halfway point. Arriving there we opted to have our refreshments at the coffee bar in the petrol station as I was bespattered with mud.
One nice cappuccino later, we remounted and headed off around the one-way system. John came up trumps with an alternative route out of East Grinstead: first we used a couple of quiet streets, then a bridleway and a farm track before rejoining the Worth Way. Back on the snow and ice, we quickly realised that the best thing to do would be to retrace the tracks we made earlier. This meant we were quicker on the way back and consequently I got even more covered in mud. We were the only cyclists we saw during the journey and all the other people on the Worth Way were pedestrians out walking their dogs - I suppose that's one good thing about those walking poo factories - they get people out in the fresh air! Actually, now I think about it there were about half a dozen joggers out in the cold as well, including one who was heading in the opposite direction to what he thought. He was running away from East Grinstead and asked me how long to go before he reached East Grinstead! Charitably, I pointed him in the right direction.....
We got back to Crawley at about half past twelve having completed a round trip that would normally take little more than an hour.
Next Sunday's ride is scheduled to start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 10:00hrs and go on a loop to the South of Horsham with a lunch stop at The Fountain, Ashurst. Please keep an eye on the website in case we have to alter things again.
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