Floods, Pot Holes, Puddles and theSilk Road

The ride was always intended to be a short easy morning ride, which is just what I needed having overdone things at the gym during the week.

Besides myself there was only Michael waiting at the start at Three Bridges, but we waited to see if anyone else turned up. At least the wait allowed me to put on waterproofs since it started to rain. So shortly after 10:00 we started the ride, taking the normal roads and cycle paths (Route 21) to get to Gatwick Airport and Horley. By Horley the rain we had at the start had come to nothing, so off with the boil in the bags (waterproofs) and on with the ride.

With the new housing estate, north of Horley, Route 21 now proceeds along a better road, but since I was following the route on the map (out of date) we ended up on the very rough and potted holed former track, near Great Lakes Farm. I should have been paying more attention to the road and not a number of Labradors having a great time in the stream running alongside, since soon it was a matter of trying to find the best course through the many potholes, craters, quarries, plus puddles, ponds and lakes that covered the route. Coverings of mud/sand  and streams crisscrossing the “path” also added to the technical nature of the ride, but soon we were both safely on a more solid road.

At this point it was time to leave Route 21, and start the first climb of the day. (More of a long drag than a serious climb – honest).  The first right took us onto Picketts Lane and beyond passed the turning for Redhill Aerodrome, but no tea stop since we continued northward passing the Hospital just to the south of Redhill / Reigate.

After a short stretch on a main A road, followed by a shortcut though a housing estate we were soon on the “silk road” leading back to Horley. Why the “silk road” you ask? Well not only was it pot hole free, but it appears to have been properly surfaced (BUILT), and not only for a short section for nearly its entire length. It goes to show that some Council’s can provide/maintain SOME decent roads. Passing a number of flooded fields and Flood Warning signs, we encountered only flood free roads, with only the occasional large puddle, but there were signs of previous flooding.

Soon back in the northern part of Horley my plan was to get round to the western side of Gatwick Airport, before returning to Crawley. The route now crossed the A217 and soon started climbing again. The last climb of the ride, but once we had arrived on the ridge and continued towards Norwood Hill it offered clears views North and South, including that of Gatwick Airport.

A left turn at Norwood Hill soon saw use both in Charlwood and the final part of the journey, which I could have continued directly into Ifield, but decided to take a slight detour towards the Rusper Road, before approaching Ifield from the West and returning to Three Bridges via Ifield Station, Southwater and Furnace Green.

Statistics:

43.4km or 28.32miles

185m of climbing

A map of the route is below along with my GPS track of the route.

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Next week’s ride is an Easy / Medium 30miles South of Horsham, lunch at The Wheatsheaf, Plummers Plain. Depart HPP at 10:00am

Planned Statistics:

48.3km or 30 miles

306m of climbing

Planned route is

Christmas Dinner 2012

Fifteen of us turned up at the Dragon in Colgate for this years Christmas Dinner - but only four on bikes! Barbara and Pete rode from Horsham, Frank and Pat from Crawley.  The rest of us arrived by car or taxi. 

We started in the Lounge Bar and enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks, conversation and Barbara's speech prior to awarding the Mick Horley trophy to Pat and Frank for their sterling support for the club in our successful delivery of the Two Weald Ride.

We then sat down for dinner and the wine, conversation and jokes started to flow. We suspected that fifteen people in one group was a little too much for the pub to handle as there was quite a spread in time between the first plate and last plate arriving at the table. On top of that, my initial dessert spoon was more suited to the depths of a Knickerbocker Glory than the shallow joys of Christmas Pudding and Custard! Meanwhile, the variety of different shaped pudding bowls caused some raised eyebrows as well!

Eventually, some three or four hours after arriving, and having gained an inch or two around the waist, it was time for us to head home through the rapidly approaching gloom of  a fairly mild mid-December afternoon.

Next weeks ride will start from Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs with Anton leading a gentle morning loop out to the northwest of Crawley and back.

CTC beginners ride - Woodhatch garden centre

We always seem to get a good turn-out for our monthly ‘introductory’ rides for some reason.  Maybe we should be able to figure that out?!  So it was, that this Sunday we had seven riders – Sandra, Sandy, John C, John V, Norman, Bob.  

My stoker was still tucked-up ‘al la duvet’, so I was on my hack bike in case we went along the Worth Way.  But she had suggested Woodhatch garden centre and so we set off in that direction as everyone else thought that this was a good idea.  

The route 21 took us to Horley on a bright but chilly morning and there we carried straight on through the town centre to the cross roads with the A23.  Once over we arrived at Lonesome Lane.  Well it’s not as Lonesome as it used to be when I commuted daily down it in the 70’s, but it is still very pleasant and the light traffic was well behaved.  Arriving at Woodhatch we found that the garden centre had some kind of seasonal fund-raising event on, but fortunately we were able to get in to the café.  

After refreshments and a natter we crossed Woodhatch to the west of the A217 by a diverse route through the back doubles, courtesy of John V.  Although I lived in Woodhatch for several years John still manages to know routes that I don’t!  I don’t know how he does it.  Arriving at the A217 we turned right to the south and hurried along for about 500 metres to the right turn for Irons Bottom at Sidlow Bridge.  I don’t think that I will speculate how this village/hamlet got it’s name!  This road was lightly trafficked and we had a quiet ride through pleasant countryside, to Povey Cross where we said goodbye to Norman as he headed back directly to Horsham, and we headed through the back entrance to Gatwick.  

After retracing our steps through the terminal we arrived back at Three Bridges.  Total ride duration about 4 hours including long coffee break.  Distance about 25 miles and average speed around 8 mph.  Anyone can ride at this speed and we’d love to see you at the next one – Sunday 10^th Feb, 10.00 at Three Bridges Station.  Go-on, put it in your new 2013 diary now!

See us and Crawley related Cycling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/123008357770954/

Peter Smith

CTC Crawley/Horsham

South of Horsham

Anton led this ride from Horsham Park Pavilion. He took us along Depot Road to Doomsday Green and across the A281 onto Sedgwick (formerly Magpie) Lane. We carried on down to Copsale then used the Downs Link to cross under the A24 and arrive in Southwater, from there we headed towards Shipley but turned right onto the A272 for a short while before going through Dragons Green and on into Barns Green where we stopped for elevenses at Sumners Ponds. From there it was straight back along Two Mile Ash Road past Bax Castle and up to Tower Hill and back into Horsham.

Wineham Royal Oak

A Three Bridges start, led by Bob.

We went to Handcross then Staplefield, used the small lanes down to Hickstead where we crossed the A23. Then used Bob Lane to get to the pub where we had a short break before trying to beat the rain home - we just failed and got a little wet for the last few miles of the ride.

The Plough at Leigh

Anton lead us from Horsham via Oakwoodhill and Weare Street to The Plough at Leigh. It was cold and bright.

DA AGM, Pulborough

 

Could I get across to Horsham for 09:00hrs?      No!      I phoned Barbara and she took on the leadership role, I concentrated on trying to get to Pulborough for 10:30. As it was, I was 15 minutes late getting there!!

 

The AGM proceeded pretty much in the usual fashion and when it came to dishing out the prizes, we (Horsham and Crawley) were on the receiving end of most of them. The picture shows Ros who, with Anne, attended the most DA Events:

 

 

At the conclusion of business, most of us rode the short distance to The Sun at Nutbourne for lunch. After some good food, good ale and good company, we all headed off home before the sun got too low.



Our next ride, on Sunday 18th November, will be led by Anton and head North and West from Horsham. It will start from Horsham Park Pavilion at 10:00 hrs and will be a medium ride of about 35 miles.  Remember, 35 miles is only 3.5 hours cycling.  See you Sunday.

Veteran Car Run 2012

Winkworth Arboretum

Got to Horsham Park Pavilions cafe today to be met by John V, John C and Norman - none of them sounding very enthusiastic about going out into the drizzle. Norman decided on just a short run back home. The two Johns and I decided to commit ourselves to ride at least as far as Cranleigh where I had arranged to meet Michael. We went via Warnham, Oakwood Hill, and Ewhurst. At Cranleigh we decided that we didn't want to go to a pub and eat ( I had already decided not to go to Winkworth as although the rain had stopped it was still quite gloomy), so we all agreed to go to the cafe at Wisborough Green instead and set off south on a direct route there. The cafe was excellent and I would recommend their soup. After about an hour we set off  along the A272 and then took Rowner Road to the The Blue Ship where Michael left us. We went back to Horsham via Slinfold and Broadbridge Heath. About 35 miles in total which seemed about right for a cold day.

Next weeks ride is VERY easy - it's the Old Crocks Race (or London to Brighton Veteran Car Run as they prefer to call it). We will start from Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs and ride to Crawley High Street where we will be able to get close to the cars as they park up for a while.  From there we will follow the route of the cars up to Pease Pottage and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the old cars struggling up the hill before popping into The Black Swan for lunch. Come along, it's one of the few occasions when you get the chance to overtake cars on Pease Pottage Hill!

Skimmington Castle

A nice easy ride this week. However a 9:30 start from Three Bridges on a damp, overcast morning saw only two riders turn up. Norman and I waited around for the obligatory ten minutes and then set off. We rode through Three Bridges first - it seemed a lot easier to use the roads than use the footpaths to me - I can't understand why the recent furore about footpath cyclists (pedestrians on bikes?) had erupted in this area. The industrial estate was very quiet and we were soon passing the Beehive. We noticed that one of the office blocks now houses Nestle (they moved from Croydon recently) but the othere all look deserted.

The River Mole was running very briskly and Norman made the observation that perhaps we should try installing small scale hydro electric generators on rivers like this - every little helps.  I was reading about plug-in photo-voltaic cell panels recently. I got the impression that these would be a fairly hassle-free way of reducing ones use of centrally produced electricity although Norman pointed out that it would actually take quite a long time to recoup the cost of buying/installing them (at current prices).

The pond just north of Gatwick Airport was looking very nice, aided no doubt by the work party in reflective gear brandishing brooms and plastic sacks. I think this pond will look spectacular next spring and summer. We continued through the middle of Horley and passed a healthily busy car boot sale before using the subway under the railway.

We'd been following NCN21 since Three Bridges and continued to do so as it went out through the new builds of North Horley, then once we reached the end of a bumpy farmtrack we left NCN21 in favour of a tarmac climb up the hill and across to Redhill Aerodrome. The cafe wasn't too busy and we were soon sat down supping our coffees. With the low cloud very much in evidence, it was no surprise that there wasn't a single aircraft movement whilst we were there.

We continued north then headed west and used Philanthropic Road past the cemetery  and then through south Redhill and across to the Woodhatch crossroads. We continued west and onto Slipshatch Road, followed by Clayhall Lane and then right onto Flanchford Road. This took us round onto Reigate Heath and then a right turn onto Bonny's Lane led us up to the lunch stop at The Skimmington Castle.

The food and beer was good and we spent a pleasant hour at the pub before setting off for home. We headed south through Leigh, Norwood Hill and then Charlwood. As we arrived at Ifield Wood I noticed a cyclist heading in the opposite direction and somehow I realised it was a chap called Ed who posts on the Crawley Cycle Forum pages in facebook. He's posted a video on there where you spot us cycling past! Shortly after this we turned right through Ifield Wood to the Rusper Road where Norman headed right towards Lambs Green and Horsham and I turned left towards Crawley.

Pulling up at home I'd covered just over 30 miles, almost all easy with no bad climbs - shame only Norman and me had turned up.

Next weeks ride starts from Horsham Park Pavilion at 10:00hrs. Pete will lead us to Winkworth Arboretum for a lunch stop at the cafe there. It's a National Trust garden so bring your NT membership card if you want to view the spectacular autumn colours in the garden. It should be an easy/medium ride of about 35 miles.

Beginners Ride from Horsham

The second sunday of each month we run a Beginners Ride, this month we started from Horsham. Pete E was the leader and he led us away from the Pavilions in the Park, through the park and along some quiet residential streets to the golf course and then out onto Robin Hood Lane. There were eight riders in total - five club members (Pete, Barbara, Norman, Bob, Anton) and three new riders (Sandy, Suzette and Andy).

Pete took us through Broadbridge Heath and a nice safe crossing of the A264 using a subway. Old Wickhurst Lane took us south and through the building works for the new bypass. We then carried on along a bridleway and had our first technical problem of the day - a chain managed to shift into the gap between the large sprocket and the spokes - but it was quickly fixed by adjusting the rear derailleur.

A little further on the track became a tarmac road as it passed the old Horsham waste tip (now a set of greenfields with the occasional vent pipe visible). However, at the end of the road we had a second technical problem - this time a loose crankarm - embarassingly on a bike I'd recently serviced! Unfortunately none of us had a 15mm spanner with a sufficiently deep reach to tighten the crankarm back up so we split into two groups - Norman took over as leader and led the group up through Itchingfield and along a couple of bridleways into Barns Green and on to Sumners Ponds. Meanwhile Pete and I headed straight for Sumners Ponds where their odd-job man lent us a 15mm socket spanner and we were able to successfully tighten Pete's crankarm. It was very pleasant sitting having coffee and cake at Sumners Ponds - I recommend it if you're in the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got going again and headed up Two Mile Ash Road as far as The Bax Castle then headed for Bonfire Hill and Southwater. At Southwater we took the Downs Link and crossed under the A24 to arrive at Copsale. Now we were back on the road and following the cycle signposts back to Horsham. This took us onto the delighfully named Polecat Lane on which there is a small hill that I forgot about. Continuing north we arrived at the strangely named hamlet of Newfoundout and then back onto a bridleway. This bridleway is called Pedlars Way and heads down through some woodland,

 

before arriving in south Horsham just in time for lunch.

Next weeks ride, on Sunday 21st October, will start at 09:30 from Three Bridges Station and head for a lunch stop at The Skimmington Castle, Reigate Heath. It will be a relatively level 30 mile ride with a short tea break at Redhill Aerodrome in the morning.

 

 

 

Bluebell Railway

Nine thirty on a grey sunday morning, the rain was holding off and there was only one other rider waiting outside Three Bridges station. Norman and I waited a further 5 minutes then set off up Billington Drive and onto The Worth Way. Although we were both on hardtail mountain bikes, Norman was running on medium knobbly tyres and I was on my road slicks. The surface of the trail showed evidence of the recent wet weather but there was plenty of traction and we made good time over to East Grinstead. Here we met the ride leader Ros. Disappointingly, no-one else had turned up.

Ros led us down Brooklands Way, Hurst Farm Road and then out of East Grinstead on Dunnings Road/West Hoathly Road. This took us past Deers Leap Farm where Anton and I went for a ride the other week. We then had the run down to the tail end of Weirwood Reservoir before the climb up past the Girl Guide camp and some good views down the valley, looking at the nice, full reservoir.

At the top we turned right then immediate left onto Chilling Street. This lane gives good views across this part of the High Weald and provides easy, slightly downhill riding. At Cinder Hill we carried on south then climbed up Waterbury Hill to Horsted Keynes which we skirted using Sugar Lane and Treemans Road. Next Ros took us down Sloop Lane to cross first the River Ouse and then the old canal before going uphill and left onto Butterbox Lane. Halfway up the next hill we turned left onto Banks Lane which cut across to the A275 for the final mile to our lunch halt at the Sheffield Park station of the Bluebell Railway.

We sat and ate our lunch on a bench on the platform. It was a sheltered little suntrap and it was very pleasant sitting there watching all the activity in the station: a train came and went, a set of Pullman dining cars was preparing to leave and a couple of light engines were manouevring around.

The return ride took us north to Sheffield Park crossroads and then east towards Fletching and onto Down Street for a nice quiet run up to Nutley. Here, after a couple of hundred yards on the A22 we turned left and headed west to Chelwood Gate where we turned right onto the A275 which we followed to Wych Cross. Next we took Hindleap Road and then at the crossroads we seperated - Ros headed north and back to East Grinstead via Forest Row, Norman and I used Top Road across to Sharpthorne, West Hoathly and thence to Turners Hill. Here I went off past Tulleys Farm and back to Crawley whilst Norman stayed on the ridge and using a combination of road and bridleway headed for Horsham via Pease Pottage and Colgate.

Our next  ride is an easy one aimed at beginners/relative newcomer cyclists and starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park (Horsham Swimming Pool) at 10:00 hrs. It will be a very easy loop to the South and west of Horsham making use of quiet lanes and bridleways with a stop for refreshments at Southwater Country Park and finishing back at The Pavilions a couple of hours later.

The Seaside Ride

This ride is another of our signature rides. Most times we've run it the weather has been kind and not been wet. This year was the exception. As I got on my bike to leave home, so it started raining. Arriving at Three Bridges I could see Norman, Gordon and Pete S. However, Norman wouldn't be riding - he'd come over from Horsham but now had a puncture and that combined with the rain curtailed his riding for today.

Pete led us through Pound Hill and out on the Turners Hill Road all the way to the crossroads there. We headed on down through Ardingly and then to Lindfield. Here we were met by Anton - he was on his mountain bike again today - his normal road bike was in dire need of a new bottom bracket! We headed for Slugwash Lane and as we enjoyed its delights so the rain came down that bit heavier and I could start to feel the water soaking through my shorts. We carried on with the wind increasing and the rain easing off a touch until we pulled up at Ditchling tea-rooms. I plumped for poached eggs on toast and a pot of tea. Once we'd all finished it was time to pay the bill and get going again. I decided to put my waterproof trousers on as the rain seemed to have intensified and indeed, as we looked up at The Beacon, I could see that the cloud was now obscuring the slight view of it that we'd had earlier. The climb up the hill was hard as usual, but uneventful - except that Gordon completely battered it into submission with a superb piece of climbing. I crested last, huffing and puffing, but as usual I was totally able to ride all the way to the ice-cream van for my obligatory '99' cornet!

At the top the wind was pretty strong and the rain was just starting to sting. Gordon decided to head along the scarp and then drop down to Hassocks to catch a train home. Pete, Anton and myself decided to head on to Brighton and catch the train from there. Waving goodbye to Gordon as he set off into the clouds, we remounted and found the wind was slightly behind us as we sped across the the top to Old Boat Corner. Here we went over the top and down to The Lewes Road rather than our usual route into Brighton on Ditchling Road. The Lewes Road wasn't too bad and was relatively sheltered (being in a valley). Reaching The Level, we headed up the hill and used Trafalgar Street to get to the station. Tickets purchased we got straight on a train with plenty of space for our bikes and even had enough time to get a coffee before it pulled out.

So, this year we didn't actually make it as far as Brighton seafront, but we had a good ride and enjoyed it in spite of the weather.

Next weeks ride is a Horsham Pavilion in the Park start at 09:30, led by Anton it will go south and west of Horsham with a possible lunch stop at The Limeburners. Hopefully it will avoid the Barns Green area as there is a Half marathon on.

Here's an extra blog entry for you - what a bargain!

A couple of weeks back, on the Arun Crossings Ride, Anton had suggested that he needed to acquire a bit more off-road experience. So a few days ago he phoned me up and suggested a trip to Deers Leap Bike Park.

We met up in the car park half an hour later than arranged as I was running late - you'd be amazed how busy life gets when you're retired! Anton had already booked us in and handed me the map as we gave our bikes a quick checkout before starting the ride.

It was the first time either of us had visited Deers Leap and the map suggested the riding would just be following a number of farm tracks around a farm. However, as we followed the track around the fields we spotted that each patch of woodland had tracks going through it. These were graded blue(easy), yellow(medium) or red(hard). We dived into the first one, singletrack amongst the trees with lots of roots to negotiate. This highlighted two of the most important features of off-road riding - correct gear selection and body position. We've both obviously been riding too much on the road as we were each using too long a gear but soon found middle at the front and second or third at the back to be ideal. Body position is important on-road but crucial off-road. When you're away from the tarmac you've got to move away from the saddle - backwards, forwards, side-to-side, up and down! It's important to keep your centre of gravity in exactly the right position otherwise you can spin out on the climbs, go over the handlebars on the descents or just plain lose it at any moment.  Anton had a couple of minor offs as he grappled with this more active "cockpit" style and I failed a couple of simple root-crossed climbs as my lack of recent off-roading took it's toll. 

Having traversed a couple of the woodland tracks we were now at a high point of the route and had good views all round. More importantly, Anton had a big grin on his face - he was enjoying the joys of the rough stuff! A hundred yards of slightly downhill, tooth-rattling farmtrack brought us to a junction of several tracks. Which way to turn? I decided we'd work our way through each of the location markers in sequence, so we now headed back up the hill on a different track. Here I could demonstrate the basic principles of finding the smooth line, dealing with ruts and how energy sapping it is riding through longish grass. Another rattly glide took us to a junction and an interesting looking bit of singletrack disappearing into the trees over a choice of two small wooden bridgelets. As we were about to do this we heard the whoops and shouting of a group of other riders, the first ones we'd seen in the park. There were about half a dozen 20 to 40 year olds on hired bikes and having fun. They climbed on up the main track and we set off into the woods. After the bridgelets and some rooty singletrack the path opened out and became a muddy track. We tried to pick the firm line at the edges but had to walk for a couple of yards where the undergrowth made the firm line impossible to use. Once again the path narrowed to singletrack and made its rooty way up through the woods before emerging at a field. We travelled up and around the edge of the field and then around the edge of another. This second field was a hive of activity as a rather large temporary hall was being constructed. As a couple of security guards waved us on, we had to duck under a surveying line and saw a young lady spraying paint on a large sculpture of a rider on a prancing horse. All this activity seemed to be in preparation for a major Scientology event. East Grinstead=hotbed of crackpot religions.

We found more singletrack and enjoyed a pootle through some woods which featured a red graded rooty, steep descent. I shifted my bum backwards off the saddle and ran down it with a modicum of front and rear brake - no problemo. From here a short technical rooty climb and the track brought us out at the head of a grassy valley. Consulting the map, we had a choice: either a gentle glide through the grassy valley bottom or another woodland way along the valley side. We opted for the latter and negotiated more rooty singletrack followed by a narrow grassy path through an expanse of bracken. Skirting the opposite edge of the field we'd recently travelled, we entered a largish area of young woodland and followed the track as it twisted and turned and use a couple of rickety wooden bridgelets over small streams. Then I spotted a north shore type raised boardwalk feature - about two foot wide, it undulated about 3 or 4 feet above the ground for 20 yards or so and included a couple of switch backs and three 18 inch drops. Dunnit! The exit was a bit worn and made it hard to move off a line that led straight to a tree, but it was easy enough. Now we dropped through the woods and reached a curving boardwalk that took us about 8 feet high over a stream, then had a very short flip up at the end and out of the woods, into the sunlight. We turned right here and travelled along a broad firebreak between the woodland on our right and what looked like a crop of willow (biofuel?) on our left. Next a small opening took us back into the woods and over another boardwalk, this time about 10 feet above the stream below. Some singletrack on the left beckoned to me but Anton decided to pass on it and travelled in a parallel direction on a broader track we'd used earlier. Once we'd met up again, we found a new track that headed north and then east around a 15 year old plantation of trees. As we climbed along it I noticed three small jumps constructed for bikes going in the opposite direction. Now we decided it was time for a break so swept down a broad path, found ourselves at the curving boardwalk, crossed it and turned left to travel the few hundred yards back to the park centre.

Here we had a cup of tea and a chocolate bar each, whilst chatting with a fellow rider and then the bike mechanic working in the centre.

Refreshed, we repeated the first part of the circuit, this time much quicker and smoother than earlier - I didn't even do a single foot-dab, let alone get off! We investigated a feature called The Green Lane but decided it would be too messy and then headed back onto the singletrack that started with the narrow bridgelet. After this was the muddy track and I decided that, rather than try to stick to the firm line at the edge, I'd test my tyre grip by ploughing right through the middle.  It was a bit up and down, but six inches below the gloop it was firm enough and by keeping the power on throughout the pedal rotation i was able to drive right through it and out the other side. No problem. then we headed up through the wood on a little used track - mistake! it was so underused that it was covered in leaf and twig debris and by the time I reached the top, the combination of mud, leaves and twigs had added about 20lbs to the weight of my bike! Still, there were plenty of twigs to scrape the gloop off with and whilst we were doing this, we met up with that group of cyclists we'd seen earlier. A couple of them were moaning, but generally they seemed to be enjoying themselves. They asked if we'd seen any jumps and so I pointed out where I'd seen some. Continuing, what swam into view next? Yup, that raised boardwalk again. As I swept onto it I realised that mud covered tyres weren't going to help grip the slightly damp wood - I'd better be accurate and not do anything stupid up there. Up down, up down, drop drop drop and ride off. No problem again.

We pottered around through this patch of woodland a little while longer and then decided to head for home but with a little loop along a couple of the firebreak type paths. As Anton led us along the first one I noticed a deer in the trees just 10 yards ahead of Anton - he didn't spot it as he was so focussed on getting his line right through a small gully. Finally we climbed back to the park centre and made full use of their bike wash facility before packing our bikes away and heading home.

Deers Leap bike park is definitely not a full on bike park for hardcore mountain bikers but was certainly plenty of fun for us amateurs. At a mere £2.50 for a day there, it's quite cheap and certainly gave Anton and I a chance to work on our offroad skills.

Tour of Britain

Never fiddle with your gears the day before going out for a bike ride! I spent most of todays ride trying to adjust out various slight clickety-clacks and phantom gear changes! However, it didn't stop me overtaking two roadies as I passed through Tilgate and then charged (!) up Pease Pottage Hill. My bike appeared to be running quite well today (in spite of the gear chatter) and I arrived at Horsham Pavilion in the park on time. Barbara had also just arrived and waiting inside were Norman, Anton Marion and Pete S.

 

Three months ago when I'd posted this ride on the runs list it was just going to be an ordinary loop out to the north of Horsham but just a few weeks ago I'd realised it coincided with the last day of the Tour of Britain and that we could intercept it and watch the Pros go by. This meant we had a nine-thirty start but only 10 miles to travel (as the crow flies) and then a long wait for the race. So instead I took everyone on a small detour to the south and east of Horsham before heading for a lunch stop and then a race viewing point.

 

We used Depot Road and Comptons Road to head out through Doomsday Green and then north east on Grouse Road. Blackhouse Road took us to Colgate and then Tower Road was an enjoyable blast down to the A264. As we headed through Faygate and on to Rusper the road got very busy with lots of other cyclists, all heading north. A large contingent of them were on the last leg of a three day ride from Paris to London, the others looked like they were heading to The Tour.  

 

We carried on and were met by Ros as we pulled up at our lunch stop, The Crown at Capel. Unfortunately their restaurant was closed for refurbishment and they had no food available but their beer was good and they didn't mind us popping over to the convenience store opposite and bringing some food back to eat with our beer.

 

Lunch over, we crossed over the A24 and then had the joy of Weare Street heading south (downhill). We crossed over a quiet A29 and then, after a short climb, burst out onto the route the professionals would soon be using. Quite a few people were already gathered there and the pub (which I'd originally considered for the lunch stop) was very busy, making me glad we'd stopped at The Crown. we picked our viewing spot and settled down to wait for the spectacle to begin. We noticed the following quality piece of spelling:

 

 

Here's a picture of most of our motley crew:

I can't think why Anton was hiding behind this hedge:

 

Here's a selection of action shots taken by Pete and myself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as the Broom Wagon had passed we got back on our bikes so that we could take advantage of the traffic-free roads as far as Ellens Green. Here we had a slight mechanical issue as Norman had lost a bolt on one of his cleats, but Pete whipped out an Allen key and tightened up the remaining bolt as a "get you home" fix.

We were soon back at Horsham and saying goodbye to Norman and Anton. Richard, Marian and Pete carried on to Crawley with Ros and I following on shortly behind. I guided Ros through Crawley and onto the Worth Way using the shortest route through Tilgate, Furnace Green and Maidenbower and then got home myself by about 5pm having coverd about 48 miles.

Next weeks ride is another of my favourite rides (so much so that I'm foregoing a family luncheon so I can ride) - it's the Seaside Ride. Leaving Three Bridges station at 09:00hrs we will ride to Brighton seafront via Ditchling Beacon (we'll have elevenses in the village before tackling the climb). We'll have lunch on the seafront and then there's the option of returning by train or by riding NCN20. Come along, it's a good challenge but well within practically everyone's capability.



Arun Crossings - DA Event

This years final DA Event took place on Sunday 2nd September.

The Arun Crossings is a great ride that simply involves crossing the River Arun as many times as possible between Pulborough and Rudgwick.

Plenty of riders gathered together at Pulborough railway station at the appointed time, however we had one small problem - our ride leader was missing. We tried phoning him but without luck and, as we know he sometimes checks out part of the route on his way to the start, we were worried he might have had a mishap somewhere. We hung around for one more train to come in but to no avail, so it was time to make a decision. As I'd ridden this event a few times before (although the exact route varies every time), I stepped into the breach and thanks to Ray and Joanna who had a map and a printout from the DA website, decided on a route to use.

There were thirteen of us and we set off north along Coombelands Lane. Eventually we took a bridleway on the left and headed down to Pallingham Quay and our first crossing of the river.












Now came our first climb of the day as we followed the bridleway up and onto Bedham Lane. A few hundred yards of tarmac and then right onto another bridleway heading east and over Pallingham Lane. Here we went through a freshly mown hayfield and once we'd crossed it had to spend some time removing all the hay tangled up in our gear mechanisms and pedals! Whilst waiting, some of us played Poohsticks from the bridge marking our second crossing of the Arun.

There was a little drizzle in the air now as we gained a farm track and with typical timing, one of our riders suffered a puncture. As they were happy (and equipped) to deal with it themselves I decided to ride on to the end of the farmtrack and wait for them there - it's easier to mend a puncture/replace an inner tube when you don't have an audience of several cyclists!

Turning left onto Blackgate Lane, we climbed up slightly the 100 yards to the end of the lane and then onto a driveway before bearing right onto a bridleway and swooping down a stony track to cross first the canal and then, 50 yards later, the river. We were now approaching the elevenses stop at Wisborough Green, but as we were running late I decided we'd keep going - a decision helped by the fact that two of our riders were going to switch to a road only route from here due to one of them having a sore ankle which was being aggravated by the bumpy off-road conditions. They could pop into the cafe and check for other riders whilst the rest of us could take a short cut along a bridleway and on to Newpound Lane and up past Fishers Farm Park.

On reaching the road we took the bridleway that was straight ahead. The drizzle had stopped but this bridleway was quite wet and muddy. I thought about getting off and walking but reasoned that I would get very muddy feet and quite possibly slip over, so I just selected the lefthand rut and, quite literally, ploughed through the mud. Most of the other riders did the same but, as I was holding the gate open for my fellow riders, I heard a splut! and looked around to see Anton picking himself up from the mud. I let out an involuntary laugh before composing myself and checking he was OK. As he remounted, he said he was oka-a-a-a-a-a-yyyyyyyy  SPLUT!!!  he'd gone over again. This time as well as getting coated in mud, he'd bashed his knee on his bike. Once he was through the gate and into the mud free field beyond, he checked out his knee - just a scratch - and scraped off as much mud as he could.

Over the field we went and arrived at Rowner Lock on the canal where Ray took these pictures:

Once we were back to the road we headed north and arrived at the The Blue Ship shortly after 1p.m. to be met by half a dozen other riders from the various West Sussex sections - including our missing leader. Safe and sound, he explained that he'd been late getting to the start due to being in the 12th coach when Pulborough station only has room for 8!!  That meant going on up the line and then a long wait for the next train back - by which time we'd all left.

Lunch was very good (especially the beer at £1 a pint!!) and it was a bit of a wrench to get going again. Colin led us for the return trip and managed to use 5 different crossings from the morning ones. I don't know how, but he also managed to find 5 completely mud-free routes! This pleased Anton especially.

Shoreham Air Show

To avoid clashing with a DA Event, we decided to run the club ride to the Shoreham Air Show on Saturday this year.

Joining me at Horsham Pavilion in the Park were Pete E and Norman. As the main objective of the day was to maximise viewing of the aerial displays, I'd decided on a quick route down to Shoreham. We left Horsham on Kerves Lane then went on to Copsale, Maplehurst, Littleworth, Partridge Green and Steyning. Here we took Maudlin Lane which becomes first Annington Road and then Coombes Road before crossing the A27 and then using the old Toll Bridge to cross the River Adur.

The plan had been to then ride up Mill Hill and view events from the hillside up there, but we decided to just sit on the riverbank instead (as it was closer to the pub!).

Although it was cloudy, there was (just) enough space for the aerial displays to proceed and we enjoyed several breathtaking demonstrations of beautiful planes, both old and new. However, sitting still on the riverbank we were getting quite cold so we decided a visit to the pub was in order. We managed to get a table by a window and so could enjoy our beers whilst continuing to enjoy the flying displays.

Unfortunately, the star of the show, the Vulcan XH558 was scheduled too late in the day for us to wait and we were probably back home before it occupied the airspace over Shoreham.

To get home we decided to use the Downs Link - none of us had used it for some time, so it made sense to check it out once more. It was good and dry and we followed it all the way up to Christs Hospital. Here we used the bridleway north to Broadbridge Heath and then back into Horsham over the golf course. We'd been travelling at a pretty brisk pace back up the Downs Link and I was feeling tired so decided to use the main road back to Crawley. It wasn't too bad and I employed a defensive riding technique I learnt on a cycling course in London: by looking uncertain and as though you're about to do something unexpected (like a turn), you make motorists notice you and they give you a bit more space. The trouble is, you have to do this for every vehicle you hear approaching and it does get a bit wearing looking over your shoulder and doing random arm movements, still, at least I got safely home.

Mystery Ride

It was good to welcome Mick out on this ride but disappointing that no-one else turned up. I had two routes in mind to the mystery destination: one to the south and then west of Horsham, the other to the North and then west. After discussion we decided on the latter and so, off we set. We went past the newly refurbished station and past the Salvation Army centre to reach Depot Road. At the end of the road we decided to see if there was a route through the houses but, after a couple of false endings had to make our way back to St Leonards Road in order to get on to Hammerpond Road.

This road took us past the rugby club, the church, Roosthole pond and Mannings Heath golf club. We then turned onto Grouse Road for three miles of generally up before turning left to head across to Colgate. After a quick breather at Tower Hill, we blasted down the hill and across the A264 into Faygate. At the top of the hill we turned into Wimlands Lane then took Wimlands Road up to the Horsham Road. Here we turned left and then picked up Green Lane and Friday Street to head on up towards Capel. My favourite lane now loomed into view - Weare Street - and, as ever, it was a really enjoyable ride along it. On reaching the main road we turned left and then, after about a mile took the second left onto Northlands Road. Halfway along this road is a house with a quite substantial six-storey tower.  I've no idea on the reason for it to have such a tower, do you?

Anyway, a couple of lanes later we arrived at the mystery destination: The Sussex Oak at Warnham. It just so happened that the pub was hosting a beer festival :-) and we had to try a couple!

Cutty Sark to Crawley using NCN21

Since its introduction a few years back, this has become one of our signature rides. The basic idea is travel to The Cutty Sark at Greenwich and then ride back to Crawley along National Cycle Network route 21. This year we had the uncertainty of the bike provision on the trains due to London 2012 Olympics restrictions. One rail operator, FCC, managed to give us a definitive "Yes, we can carry your bikes*" answer a couple of weeks before the ride, but the other, Southern, just referred us to their ambiguously worded website and then, only a couple of days before the ride, deciding to go back to the normal cycle restrictions. All these rail operators get on my wick - they take more money off me through my taxes than British Rail ever did and then mug me again with their lack of provision for cyclists and intricate fare entrapment methodologies. The cheapest fares are for people who can book up several months in advance, on a particular train for a particular journey with only 5 shoelace holes in their left shoes - OK I made the last requirement up, but you get the picture.  Try booking a long way ahead when the same rail companies can't give you a definitive answer to the question "Can I take a normal bike on your trains on Sunday August 19th?".

In the light of Southern's tardiness with an answer, I'd moved the planned rendezvous at Victoria Station (served only by Southern trains) to Evans Bike shop just outside London Bridge Station (regularly served by FCC trains). This meant that one train in particular ended up with five of us travelling on it! Sod's Law meant it was one without any proper cycle facilites (or at least, none that we could spot as it pulled in), so two of us got into the front carriages and the rest in the rear carriages. Fortunately the train wasn't busy and standing our bikes in the entrance lobbies didn't present any problems at either Gatwick Airport or East Croydon. We walked through the station, across the walkway and regrouped outside Evans. Here we were met by Mike's son Eric. We waited a while, but in spite of a number of cyclists milling around, no-one else was joining our ride.

It's a relatively short and direct route from London Bridge to Greenwich and I shot off along it, not noticing I was spinning along at 17 - 20 mph! However, everyone managed to keep pace and we soon arrived at The Cutty Sark where we were met by Norman - he'd come up on an earlier train and had enjoyed a pleasant ride north of the river before reaching the start point. We took the opportunity to have some refreshments before finally setting off on NCN 21 at about 10:30.

 

The first part of the route heads up the valley of the Wandle (I think it is) through Orpington and eventually to Croydon where we skirt New Addington with a long climb alongside the tramway. We continue climbing through the suburbs and thence into the North Downs abd the lunch stop at the White Bear in Fickleshole.

 

Here we dined on some very nice sandwiches (and a couple of oints of ale - we needed the calories, honest!).

 



After lunch the character of the ride changes and takes on a rougher aspect with a succession of bridleways. It's for this reason that I always use my full offroad tyres for this ride.

 

My favourite section is a one mile downhill track that bursts out of the trees by the clubhouse of a golf course - I love the look on the faces of the golfers sat outside the clubhouse as I come rattling and banging into the sunshine at about 25 mph scattering stones and dust everywhere, wearing a smile as big as their largest sandtrap!

 

An offroad hillclimb is followed by a long uphill drag (on tarmac) through the grounds of a school and shortly after by a very tough offroad uphill - this photo shows it, but doesn't really give away how hard it is!

Yet another tough uphill, but on tarmac eventually brings us to the scarp of the North Downs and a lovely sunny viewpoint

Micheal took the opportunity to have a quiet lie down:

Once off the Downs the surface of the route improves a bit and, in spite of being tired, the average speed started going up again.

Near East Surrey hospital there's a small store where we stopped for chilled bottled water and other refreshments before finishing off the ride on familiar trails through Horley and Gatwick and back to Three Bridges Station.

Fifty something miles with a nice group of fellow cyclists and taking on several challenges en-route - perfect!