DA Event - Picnic

This weeks ride was the penultimate DA Event of the season and involved members from each of the West Sussex Member Groups rendezvousing at Wisborough Green for a picnic. I was down to lead from Horsham but the usual struggle for me to get to the start on time was compounded by having been out late on saturday night - in fact I was so tardy, I had to scrounge a lift from my wife and arrived a mere 10 minutes late.

I spotted two bikes I recognised and sure enough, when I went into the cafe I found Barbara and Norman waiting. We sat and chatted for a few minutes and then set off. I'd decided to use the most direct route and so we headed through Horsham town centre and out on the Worthing Road. Turning right at The Boars Head on Tower Hill we used Two Mile Ash Road and headed towards The Bax Castle. As we crossed over the Downs Link a heavy shower started so we sheltered under the bridge and waited for it to pass.

Back out on the road there were now a few patches of standing water but the sky was mainly blue (apart from a big bank of dark grey cloud to our left). We took the usual shortcut along the Hordens in Barns Green and then turned right immediately before the level crossing onto Valewood Lane. Turning right at the end of the lane onto West Chiltington Lane we stopped as this is where we were parting ways - Barbara and Norman were heading on back to Horsham and I was carrying on to Wisborough Green.

I next used New Road and then, on reaching the A29 decided that as I was by myself I'd use the main roads to Wisborough Green. Ten minutes later I was sat down on a bench at the crossroads in the middle of the village.

After half an hour no-one else had turned up so I decided to eat my picnic lunch by myself - bang on cue, just as I finished, the others arrived! In all there were about eight of us and we sat around chatting about various rides, refreshment stops and the like.

An hour quickly passed and then we all headed off home in our different directions - mine was a lonely ride (sob, sob) and I more or less retraced my steps to Horsham and then took the Forest Road back to Crawley via Pease Pottage. All in all I only rode about 32 miles today.

Next weeks ride starts from Three Bridges at 10:00hrs and, led by Pete, will be an easy ride using the Worth Way. It will be suitable for all cyclists including beginners. I hope to see loads of you there.