Horsham Hundred

This years 100 miler was scheduled to start from Horsham with a 50 mile anticlockwise loop to the south in the morning and a 50 mile clockwise loop to the north in the afternoon. A dearth of volunteers meant that I would be leading the ride but would unfortunately not be available for the entire afternoon loop. I suspected riders would be thin on the ground, but having ridden from Crawley to Horsham for the 07:00hrs start I found myself completely alone at Horsham Pavilion in the Park. I waited until 07:30, just in case, before setting off.

Although I had an OS map with me, the route would be on familiar roads all the way and the exit from Horsham was the usual Golf Course and Robin Hood Lane route. With dry roads and a temperature that a double t-shirt combo could easily manage, I enjoyed the ride as it headed south through Broadbridge Heath and then up Bashurst Hill. I'd soon passed Coneyhurst and Broadford Bridge and as I slowly reached the top of Woods Hill I was in a world of my own and thinking about how to minimise the effort I was using to climb the hill. At this point I thought I heard a car approaching and looking over my shoulder I spotted not only the car but also a cyclist catching me up. I expected him to pass me in the next few hundred yards but he didn't actually do so until about a mile further on when I hit the short hill up Mill Road in West Chiltington Common. I was impressed with the chaps ability to cycle in spite of his physical impairment - I think he was stone deaf - as he didn't respond to my cheery hello as he passed me. Anyway, I was now at the southernmost point of the morning loop and turned north into Roundabout Lane and thence to Smock Alley. This lane made me work again and it was a relief when I finally got to freewheel down through the bends of East Street to come out on the Coolham Road.

Visibility was very good with no chance of any foolish motorist (or van driver) failing to spot me as I cruised through the junction. The road wasn't too busy and so the right turn onto Sincox Lane was negotiated with ease. As I approached Broomers Corner I considered cheating and cutting off the Shipley Village loop but honour and personal integrity stopped me - anyway, it's been a while since I rode through there and curiosity is a strong driving force...

Pound Lane and Swallow Lane were soon behind me and I was ready to cross the A24 - wait for a couple of fast-moving cars, then straight across both carriageways! It's not often you can do that and I was now at The Old Barn Garden Centre ready for a tea-break. I wheeled my bike through a relatively deserted building only to find the coffee bar shut, but on walking round to the other side I found the cafe open. I opted for a mug of tea and a large slice of Victoria Sponge. Sitting outside in the bright sunshine, I'd soon transformed myself from a hungry cyclist carrying a slice of cake and a drink in his hand to a contented cyclist carrying a slice of cake and a drink in his stomach. I stayed in the sunshine ruminating and memorising the map for the next part of the ride for a good ten minutes before walking back through the Garden Centre. Turning right I resisted the temptation to take a shortcut through the Lock Estate and headed up Grinders Lane and Honeybridge Lane. At a couple of points along this lane there are electric security gates giving the impression that someone doesn't want any involvement with the rest of the world - this impression was further fortified today when I noticed that an earth bank some two to three metres high has been thrown up just the other side of the hedge for a distance of about a mile - that is quite an earthwork. I was still pondering what is was for when I caught up with a horse and rider. Exchanging pleasantries I mentioned the bank and she said that the (millionaire) landowner was in the process of building a large lake for his speedboating hobby and that part of it would impact a public footpath - shades of the Hoogstraten bloke in East Sussex perhaps? Mind you, there is a bridleway only a mile or so from here that got moved purely to stop it going past someones house, so West Sussex may well be a pushover... When I got home, a quick bit of Googling revealed some old planning applications for this land, but nothing to indicate a large lake for speedboats, just a smaller wildlife pond. Incidentally, the same place seems to have been the address given by one of those chaps that threw purple flour on MP's in the House of Commons a few years back!

At the next junction I took Church Lane and then Golden Lane to emerge on the B2135 and head for Partridge Green. I was comfortably into the ride now and headed south through Shermanbury before taking the B2116 east as far as Wineham Lane where the turn to the north emphasised the fact that the morning was more than half done.

After crossing the A272, the climbs of Spronketts Lane were achieved at what we shall call a "leisurely" pace because I knew that the short but difficult climb into Warninglid was fast approaching. I didn't mess about and just selected Granny gear to do that one, so I had plenty of puff to drive my pedals for a good thrash down from Warninglid and past the school before the left turn onto Hampshire Hill at Slaugham Pond. Now I was on the home stretch - across the B2110, along Hammerpond Road, past the golf course and rugby club and into Horsham for lunch.

Pulling up at the Conservatory Cafe, I claimed a table outside and ordered another mug of tea and a bacon and brie baguette. The Park was buzzing with some sort of carnival and there were loads of cyclists pulling up having been out for a morning ride with the other cycle club in Horsham. John V joined me and then Jeet did also, so we had a nice old chinwag sitting in the sunshine. John didn't fancy riding the afternoon loop by himself - he's got nothing to prove in the worlds of distance or solo riding, so he and I headed back to Crawley via Rusper. We used the middle road up the hill - Old Holbrook. As we approached Crawley I peeled off as I was heading for a family birthday party in Ifield Wood and when I finally got off my bike my speedo told me I'd racked up a 69 mile day - not 100, but not too shabby in its own way.

Next weeks ride is titled "The Ashdowner" and will be a 40 mile ride south and east from Three Bridges Station starting at 09:30hrs. there will be a few hills and I intend to stop at The Cat in West Hoathly for lunch.