Cutty Sark Ride 2015

I thought I'd organize this ride for a Bank Holiday Weekend so that it would only take up 1/3rd of peoples weekend freetime - that should guarantee a good attendance!

I met up with Michael at Three Bridges station and we caught the train to Blackfriars station. We had fun fitting ourselves and two bikes into the lift but we managed it and as we emerged onto the Southbank we were met by Eric. That was it - I'd had a few messages from people saying they couldn't make it but nonetheless we stopped at the start point outside London Bridge Station until the specified start time.

We rode over to Greenwich and took a couple of photos whilst waiting for the second start time to arrive, then we were off.

We've become very familiar with the route now and in many ways it makes the riding easier. We were chatting away and even the couple of minor route detours didn't faze us. With so few riders we weren't wasting much time stopping for regroups and we got to the lunch pub, the White Bear at Fickleshole, before 12:30.

The rain was holding off and it was warm enough to sit outside and share our lunch with a few lazy wasps.

As usual the afternoon started off  with an offroad blast downhill with soggy mud and nettles to avoid, followed by a lungbusting drag up the hill and onwards to Chelsham. My favourite part of the day was next with a nice rapid descent through the trees to Woldingham Golf Course - made a bit more exciting by the gully that has developed in the lower parts of the track! We were back in the pedalling groove as we made our way up the quiet valley past Woldingham school and then along Quarry Road - this bit is always annoying as it takes you down part of the scarp slope before forcing you to climb back up it on a rough track. It does mean however that the crossing of the A22 is safely via a bridge. The road climb just beyond required the use of granny gear but shortly after we had the usual breather at the top of Gravelly Hill. The view wasn't as good as on previous occasions - the weather was muggy and reduced the view to a vague expanse of slightly misty green hills.

Remounting, we had the fast descent through the woods and under the M25 to emerge by the sand quarries. The path zig zags between the pits and was quite peaceful - until Eric swallowed a fly and proceeded to emit the loudest coughs I have ever heard! We carried on, past a cricket match and across Nutley Marsh. Passing a gent walking his dog the damned thing jumped at me but fortunately was prevented from making contact by the owners strong grip on the lead - I  suspect his Rottweiler often tries to play with unsuspecting body parts within range!

We passed through Redhill and then past the East Surrey Hospital. I took a short cut through the housing estate and we stopped at the newsagents for a chocolate bar and drink before having a quick blast along the track and down through the woodland.. We met up with a couple of cyclists riding from the London Eye to Burgess Hill and guided them through the badlands of Horley as far as the station. Eric had a puncture so decided to catch the train down to Three Bridges leaving Michael and I to carry on, past Gatwick Airport. As we went into the industrial estate we met a German cyclist and guided him as far as Northgate Avenue where we pointed him in the direction of the town centre. We then rode on to Three Bridges Station where Michael would meet up with Eric to drive back home and I carried on up and over the final hill to get home having clocked up just over 50 miles. The actual distance from the Cutty Saek to Crawley was about 45 miles and I reckon we should rate the ride as medium rather than hard.

Next weeks ride is the last DA Event of the year - the Arun Crossings. It starts from Pulborough Station at 09:30. It involves crossing the river on tracks and bridleways so is easier on a mountain bike or strong hybrid. 

Muddy ride with Gordon

Want a complete cycling experience?  Come out on one of Gordons Rides.


The day started with breakfast at Gordon and Jacqui's before an enjoyable warm up ride along Parish Lane and down through Tilgate Forest. Gordon, Ken and I did a bit of exploring through Furnace green and sued the northern tunnel under the railway - recently extended and refurbished with excellent lighting and a good smooth surface, this tunnel offers an excellent and (in some instances) shorter alternate link between NCN20 and NCN21. However, we were on our way to Three Bridges Station so we turned left onto Billington Drive and rode past a long stream of waiting traffic to arrive at the station for 10:00hrs. Here we were joined by Michael and Malcolm, then Mike, an acquaintance of mine.


Gordon led us back up Billington Drive and onto the Worth Way. Conditions were muddy but grip was good and I soon had a splattering of mud over me. Someone suggested that the Irish called the weather conditions "Soft" - an excellent description - the clouds were indistinguishable from each other and seemed to reach the ground without quite making things foggy, the vegetation looked somehow soft - even the branches and with big fat knobblies on my bike, the ride was pretty plush as well.


We were riding at an easy pace and I was having fun along the way, practicing hops, taking detours up banks. At Crawley Down we took the slope up to the B road and then used it up to Turners Hill. Never an easy hill, I realized that none of the cyclists waiting near the top had actually ridden the entire hill (all the way to the crossroads) - so I told them so, and claimed King of the Hill for myself!!


From Turners Hill we headed west along the ridge through Worth Abbey to Back Lane. Here Mick decided to head for home (via the Cowdray Arms I think), having assured me he knew where he was and how to get back to Crawley.


Meanwhile the rest of us enjoyed the long glide south and west before the short, sharp climb into Balcombe. Gordon had recce'd the route a few days earlier and was in the process of telling us about some ice he'd encountered when, as I shot down a tiny lane he'd led us to, I realised there was ice all the way across it!!  Not a problem though, I didn't need to turn or lean or brake or accelerate and just floated uneventfully across it, shouting out a warning as I did so.


Other features of this lane were:  (i) the smooth, new tarmac  (ii) a conversation with some chickens and (iii) a couple of hills (granny gear for the use of).


A right turn onto a busier road took us up to Cuckfield where we headed West then north to Staplefield and a quick visit to The Victory. What a great pub - warm welcome, warm fire, good beer (we went for the Wilmington Brewery Long Man) and good food. Actually, the good food observation was based on previous visits, as today we were going to lunch at Gordons, so it was time to get back out in the cold.


From Staplefield we carried on west, under the revamped A23, to Slaugham and thence the bridleway up to Handcross. As we were starting to feel hungry, we took the shortest route back to Gordons where he and Jacqui treated us to a delicious lunch. An hour or so later, after some good discussions about life, the universe and the CTC, we all headed off home.


Next weeks ride starts from Horsham Park Pavilions at 10:00hrs and will be a fairly easy loop to the south of Horsham led by me - unless anyone else wants to volunteer? -  with a lunch stop at The Bax Castle.

Gordon's B-Ride

Lot's of words begin with B and Gordon tries to tick off as many as possible with this ride - breakfast, bacon, beans, bread, bikes, Broadfield, bridleways, Bob, beer, beautiful weather,

I took Gordon up on his offer of breakfast and rolled up on his doorstep at the unearthly time of 08:30. As we ate we discussed the coming ride and speculated on who else would turn up. When we ventured out the early morning chill was starting to dissipate and by the time we reached Parish lane we were getting quite comfortable. Gordon, Jacqui and I paused at the noticeboard for the Tilgate Downhill Bike Park where we read that it has ceased to be!

I enjoyed a speedy run down the firebreak to the "Orange" tree and having crossed the motorway I was just winding up to speed down through the golf course when I spotted two horses coming up so I came to a halt whilst they passed.

The downhill was clear so I rattled down at speed with a big smile on my face. Then it was through the woods and down the steps into Marion Road (everyone else uses the gate, but I love using the steps). Gordon took us on, into Maidenbower and then up the cycle path to the Worth Way and across to Three Bridges Station.

The station forecourt was a scene of carnage - the railway to Brighton was shut and so there were buses everywhere, taxis toing and froing, and displaced cars filling in the remaining gaps. Three cyclists (Ken, Eric and Sebastian) managed to negotiate through it all and now there were six of us.

We headed through Three Bridges along NCN20 until Northgate Avenue where we followed the cycle path towards the town centre. Next we travelled along The Boulevard and then up the High Street before negotiating the one way system, crossing the railway and turning right onto Springfield Road. The day was getting better and better as the temperature continued to rise and the blue sky stretched from horizon to horizon. We passed through Goffs Park, crossed into Gossops Green, ran down into Bewbush and then through the scrubby woodland to the railway crossing point.

This is NCN228 and we stayed on it until the far end of Wimlands Lane where we turned right (instead of left) onto Wimland Road and headed towards Rusper. At the end of the road we turned left onto the Horsham Road and followed it down the hill before turning left (and back onto NCN228) onto Channells Brook Bridleway. There was quite a strong chemical smell here, but we soon passed it. At the end we turned right, crossed the railway and then the A264 before stopping for a tea break at the Strawberry Fields café (at New House Farm).

Refreshed, we carried on along the Crawley Road to the Roffey traffic lights and onto Harwood Road. we popped in to the car park at Leechpool woods to see if there was a route across to a bridleway we wanted to use, but no luck, so we carried on, turned left at the roundabout onto Comptons Lane and then left, just after the mini-roundabout, onto Hampers Lane. This lane is a public bridleway and starts off as a tarmac surface but then turns south away from the tarmac. Eventually it spat us out onto Hammerpond Road for a quick downhill across the tail of Roosthole Pond. Everyone else faced up to the incline to the car park entrance but I cheated, leapt off the road and road through the undergrowth to avoid the climb. I rejoined everyone in the car park and was greeted with some sarcasm (although I reckon it was envy). The trail up from the car park to Mick Mills Race has been much improved since last I rode it and was very enjoyable in the bright sunshine. The main drag up Mick Mills Race was a pleasure too and seemed to take but a couple of minutes.

On reaching the Forest Road we headed east to Colgate and then turned right onto Blackhouse Road. This was a pleasant downhill roll followed by a short climb and a left onto Grouse Road. From here we headed on into Pease Pottage and my party-piece ride down the slope by the Marie Vesco steps. Once over the road, we said goodbye to Eric and Sebastian who were heading through Tilgate Forest and back to Maidenbower.  The rest of us pulled up at Gordon's where we were treated to a delicious lunch - ahhhhh, this is the life - cycling, sunshine, food - and beer!

Thanks Gordon and Jacqui for a most enjoyable day.

Next weeks ride starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 10:00 hrs and will be an easy ride over to Rudgwick for the Apple Fair.  Hopefully it won't be wet like last year when we didn't actually get there because it was so wet!

The Plough at Leigh

I still don't know how to correctly pronounce the name of the village, but that didn't mean that Anton couldn't lead us there.


The last Sunday in September dawned with glorious clear blue skies and on arrival at Three Bridges Station there were a couple of new faces joining us for the ride. Anton led Eric, Sebastian, Michael, Christine, John C and myself out through Three Bridges on NCN 20 and into the Industrial Estate (coincidentally, using the same route that I do on my way to work). The roads were fairly quiet and we were soon on the smooth path running alongside the River Mole towards the Airport terminal building. The lake at Horley was looking very picturesque in the sunshine and then Anton took us through the middle of Horley and over the corssroads by the Air Balloon pub. Meath Green Lane/Lonesome Lane was very smooth and we realized that we were running a long way ahead of time, so decided to fit in an extra stop.

Accordingly we pulled up at Reigate Garden Centre to have a quick drink and ablutions break...


On the road again, Anton took us on some pleasant lanes to Betchworth and past The Dolphin pub before fitting in a little extra loop to ensure we arrived at The Plough in Leigh bang on midday -  Anton scores maximum points for timing.


We sat outside in the sunshine and were met by Barbara who had ridden up from Horsham.




The beer was good, the food was good, the conversation was good but the weather eclipsed them all - a full-on summers day.

We remounted and headed west before turning south to get to Parkgate. From here it was west and south again to Newdigate and then further south to Rusper. We stopped there for a while (and some of us had an icecream) before Barbara headed off towards Horsham and the rest of us headed back to Ifield. We took advantage of the new Ifield to West Green cycle route and then used the backstreets of Southgate to get to Hawth Avenue and thence Furnace Green where I left the group. Anton carried on, under the railway to Maidenbower and then guided the last couple of riders back to Three Bridges Station.


Next weeks ride is Gordon's B-Ride - it starts from Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs .(or 08:00 for Breakfast at Gordons) then follows a mixed surface route out to Horsham on the NCN 288 route and back via St. Leonards Forest. Mountain bikes or strong tourers are recommended.  Why B-Ride you ask - well, it features breakfast, bacon butties, banter, bikes, bridleways, Bob(probably), bumps, bunnies(maybe), bananaskins, babies - that's enough b's! Ed.

Annual Ride to the Seaside

This is usually a popular ride and this year we had eleven riders turn up.


Pete S led Marian, Anton, Val, Norman, Malcolm, John V, Ken, Christine, Michael and myself off towards Turners Hill. However, halfway through Pound Hill Malcolm had to  turn for home as his rear wheel had broken another spoke (making five in total) and was looking likely to collapse.


The drag up to Turners Hill was a pain as usual and Val was all for turning for home but a bit of gentle persuasion from the rest of us changed her mind. We sped down the B-road, past a less than busy Wakehurst Place and on through Ardingly. The weather was just right for cycling and we were soon on Lindfield. I popped in to the Co-Op there and bought some chocolate bars, everyone else was talking about what to do in light of the fact that there were no trains running from Brighton. The decision was made to carry on to the teashop at Ditchling and then work out what to do. We got there using Slugwash Lane and Ditchling Common Road.


The garden at the teashop was sheltered and sunny and we settled down to eat, drink and chat. Val took this picture of three monkeys:

Anton had not joined us in the café but had continued riding and gone up Ditchling Beacon. When he did join us he showed me some video of the climb and his obligatory 99 cone at the top. Well done Anton.


Talk had turned to what shape the rest of the ride would take and consensus was that we would head for Haywards Heath Railway station along a quiet route, point Norman in the direction of Horsham and anyone left over would ride back to Crawley. However, seeing Antons film had made me pine for the climb - it was silly to be so close and not do it! I set off and just a couple of minutes later I was gritting my teeth and getting stuck into the hill. The first part of Ditchling Beacon is always the hardest for me and I was soon down to about my 5th lowest gear ratio. I was determined not hit granny so each time the road bucked up I rose from the saddle and stomped on up. In a perverse way I was quite enjoying the climb, helped by going past a resting roadie and enjoying the views of the Weald, and I was surprised when the horse and rider sign swam into view to announce the top was imminent. I did the usual and rode on into the car park, right up to the ice-cream van and got my usual, a '99'.


It had taken me 10 minutes to do the climb, it took just over two to get down (and I'd been slowed down by some cars). Reaching Ditchling I checked the café but everyone else had gone, so I headed east for a mile or so then turned north onto Spatham Lane. By now I had expected to have caught the others but was beginning to worry I'd taken the wrong route, so sent Anton a text. I was on the right route but they were about three miles or so ahead of me. I kept going and then, halfway up Hundred Acre Lane, I saw Anton who had come back to meet me - thanks Anton. We carried on to Wivelfield Green and then onto Slugwash Lane - it's harder going north. At the far end, Ken and John V were waiting - everyone else had continued on towards Lindfield (and then Haywards Heath). Anton left us here and we bypassed Lindield to use East Mascalls Lane and Plummenden Lane on our way up to Ardingly.


I needed a breather so we stopped and sat on a bench in the middle of Ardingly. Then we spotted a tandem going past - it was Pete and Marian! They stopped and joined us before we all got going again and carried on past the showground and on up to Selsfield Common. We were really quick into Turners Hill but as I climbed up towards the crossroads, my chain got jammed and I had to stop and clear it. It seems that I spend so much time working on other peoples bikes that mine just doesn't get any attention!


The others were waiting for me at the top, but I had no recurrence of the problem and just a few minutes later we were back in Crawley.


Next weeks ride is a Horsham Pavilions in the Park start at 09:30. Pete E will lead us on a nice roundabout route to the south and east before turning west for lunch at the Wiston Tea Rooms. The return to Horsham will be pretty much the shortest route back. The ride is rated as Medium and will be about 40 miles long. We did it in the wet last year and enjoyed it in spite of the weather, so if the sun is shining it will be even better. See you there!!

The Crawley 100

Each year we stage a 100 mile ride - as befits the name of our club we start it at either Crawley or Horsham. This year it was a Crawley start. The current route was devised by Mick a few years ago and has had just a couple of minor adjustments since

One hundred miles is a pretty intimidating distance, so in recent weeks I had been talking to fellow club members and trying to encourage participation in the event at a level people were comfortable with - ride part of it, half of it, join us at a refreshment stop, wave as we ride past - whatever suited. I was very pleased to be met by six riders (Pete S, Malcolm, Ken, Anton, Pat and Frank) as I pulled up at Three Bridges Station at the unearthly time of 7 am! Mick had intended coming over by train but due to a cancellation had to rejig and arranged to meet us at Doomsday Green.

So, we set off through Furnace Green and Tilgate to K2 and the first climb of the day, up Pease Pottage Hill. The roundabout was very busy with cars queuing to get into the car boot sale so it was very easy and a lot safer than usual to negotiate. Everyone enjoyed the fast ride down Grouse Road, although Hammerponds Lane was less well received. My timetable said that we should be at the Doomsday Green/A281 crossroads between 07:45 and 08:00 - we were just 5 minutes into the window so, having met up with Pete E, Mick and Michael, we had a couple of minutes for a breather.

The roads were not very busy and the weather was just perfect for cycling as we headed on south wards to Copsale and then eastwards to Maplehurst. Here we continued east before turning south to head towards Littleworth. Pat and Frank turned north instead as they had to head for home. after Littleworth we used the A281 towards Henfield but turned left onto the B2116 before going north to Wineham. After passing the Royal Oak we turned right onto Bob Lane and a mere couple of lanes later we popped over the A23 and pulled up at the breakfast halt - the Bolney Little Chef - bang on schedule, 09:30hrs.

Here's a string of pictures Anton took to illustrate the journey so far:

http://youtu.be/Ep2CwJKiW1g

Breakfast was enjoyable and the service was impressively quick and accurate but we were still a few minutes behind schedule setting off again and the second half of the morning 50 miles had just a few hills in store for us!

The route took us on a couple of very quiet lanes east then north, across the A272 and up to Brook Green before heading east to Whitemans Green and on to Borde Hill. Copyhold Lane took us further east and then it was north to Ardingly. Here are two views of the run down to the reservoir - I tried (but failed) to put them side by side but could only put them one after the other.

http://youtu.be/RYhklX1NTnw

After the stiff climb away from the water, we carried on north and on to Turners Hill. Now it was all downhill or level to lunch and we arrived at Stepneys cafe in Maidenbower exactly at 12:30, right on schedule.

Malcolm was suffering from a bad ankle so headed home - hope it's better now Malcolm. Pete S had to get back home for a family activity so there were just six of us sitting down for lunch. however, Pete E and Michael headed straight back to Horsham (stopping off for a pleasant beer or two at The dragon in Colgate).

This left just four of us to set off for the afternoon fifty miles. The first twenty five miles were fairly level as we used NCN21 and Lonesome Lane up to Reigate and some quiet lanes westwards in the Betchworth and Leigh areas before we passed through Newdigate and arrived at Capel Church for tea.  

The tea and cake was superb but it was time to get going again. Just a few minutes later we were enjoying a very pleasant run down Weare Street but then it was the short hill into Okewoodhill. Rowhook Hill soon followed but thankfully downhill. I was getting tired by now and even though we were in Horsham I was dreading the last few miles back to Crawley. Mick had peeled off as he was close to home, leaving just Anton, Ken and myself to endure Hammerpond Lane and Grouse Road. Looking at the map I reckoned we didn't need to do the Lambs Green loop to get the mileage right but when we finally got to Pease Pottage, Ken decided he needed to go to Handcross and back to ensure his Garmin ticked over to 100 miles. Meanwhile Anton clocked up his 100 just before we got back to Three Bridges Station (he'd put in some extra distance at lunchtime by going to his car and back) and my speedo registered 100 as I cycled home from the station. 

Thanks to everyone for taking part, hope you all recovered quickly (it took me just over a day).

The next ride is on Sunday 3rd August and is a DA Event, the Picnic. We'll start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 09:30 and ride to Wisborough Green for the picnic, before returning - it should be a fairly easy 35-40 mile trip. The hardest part will be packing and carrying your picnic - mine will be crammed into my bum bag so will of necessity consist of fairly firm foodstuffs like cheese, chorizo, hard boiled egg etc.   Come on, rise to the challenge, see you on Sunday.

Newbridge Garden Centre

Mick led this ride which started from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 08:30 and was accompanied by Pete E and Michael. Mick had publicised a number of joining points but the first, at The Black Swan in Pease Pottage, had no takers. However, the second had a gaggle of riders eager to join the days cycling excitement - Malcolm, Corinne, Pete, Marian, John C, John V and Bob.

So ten of us turned into Springfield Road and for the second consecutive week the ride took us along NCN228 through Goffs Park. This time however, when we got into Gossops Green we took a right turn onto Overdene Drive and passed my old school before using the Rusper Road to get to Rusper.

From here we carried on to Capel and then took the Ockley road. A left and right over the A29 and then rounding the corner we were confronted by a Road Closed sign. Fortunately the road we wanted was open - Mole Street. This was a really nice lane that I don't think I've ridden before - I have it on video now:

At the southern end of the lane we emerged on Horsham Road in Walliswood. We carried on south and west to Ellens Green before swooping down through Rudgwick, across the A281 and on down to The Haven. Carrying on we turned left onto Stane Street for the one mile straight (actually it's probably less than half a mile) up to Hayes Lane and into Slinfold. This was the home straight now and just a few minutes later we were at the Garden Centre for lunch.

Mick had ensured they knew we were coming so that we would definitely have a table but as it happens, the cafe is so big that we had acres of space and split into an inside group and an outside group while we ate our lunches.

The  journey back took us through Broadbridge Heath up to Warnham and across to Warnham Station. We used the gated crossing rather than the subway (that saved Pete and Marian having to hoist their tandem on their shoulders).

Now our noble band split with Horsham trio turning right and the Crawley contingent turning left and up the hill past the Langhurst tip (or "recycling facility" as it is no doubt now restyled). We then took Green Lane followed by Wimland Road and Wimlands Lane to get to the Faygate Road crossroads. Here the two Johns headed north to stay on the tarmac roads and use Lambs Green to get back to Crawley whilst the rest of us were back on NCN228 and heading along the farm track atop the ridge.

After a gate the track becomes a pressed stone/mud track flashing through the woodland and down to the railway crossing into Bewbush. Crossing the tail of Ifield Mill Pond we were back in Gossops Green and heading through my childhood stomping ground back to Goffs Park. Corinne left us here, then Malcolm leaving just Pete, Marian and myself to negotiate the backstreets of Southgate and head into Furnace Green where the final split occurred and I arrived back home - ready for yet another family do!

Our next ride is our annual 100 mile ride. This year, it's our Crawley version.  It will start from Three Bridges Station at 07:00 hrs and head in an anticlockwise loop to the west and south, passing over the Doomsday Green A 281 Crossroads near Hilliers Garden Centre at about 07:45-08:00hrs. The breakfast stop will be at the Bolney Little Chef at about 09:30 hrs. From there it will head east and north to get to the lunch stop, Stepneys Cafe in Maidenbower Pavilion, Crawley, at about 12:30hrs. That will be the first 50 miles done.  The second part will start from Stepneys at about 13:30 and be another anticlockwise loop, this time to the north going through Gatwick and up to the Leigh and Brockham area before stopping for afternoon tea at Capel Church at about 16:00hrs. The final 25 miles will head west and south (taking in Weare Street) before turning east and heading back to finish at Three Bridges Station at about 19:00hrs.

Come along, even if you just want to do part of the route or share a refreshment stop. There are some wonderful lanes on the route and company always makes the riding easier.

Here are the Morning and Afternoon route maps (click on them to see full-size):

Crawley Family Bike Ride 2014

As part of National Bike Week, Crawley Borough Council organises a number of Bike events. We help out with the Crawley Family Bike Ride by acting as ride leaders and marshals.

I arrived at Oriel School nice and early, just in time to lend a hand with the setting up of the registration table. I added some literature about the club to the table - a list of rides we have coming up, the club business card and even some business cards for a certain Bicycle Repair Man! Some Community Police Officers were also there offering a bike marking/registration service. Other freebies on offer were various hi-viz stickers, pens, bike accessories and even some bike lights.

As ten o'clock approached more and more people turned up and in the end we had some 52 people posing for the group photo (including the 4 PCSO's). There were 8 Horsham and Crawley members and we were all wearing hi-viz yellow tops, so Pete could lead the ride off with some confidence that everyone would be safely monitored by an experienced rider.

We followed the route of NCN20 as it went under the railway into Furnace Green, then through Furnace Green and Tilgate to the K2 Leisure Centre. We had let the ride split into two through Tilgate in order to present less of a hold up to any motor traffic, but we regrouped near the football stadium to tackle the climb up through Broadfield. NCN20 emerges from a small path onto the Marie Vesco Traffic lights that allowed us to safely cross onto the Old Brighton Road at Pease Pottage. A right then a left outside the Black Swan took us past where The Grapes used to be and up to Woodhurst. Here we used the footbridge to safely cross over the busy A23 and were then, once again joinedon the Old Brighton Road at Tilgate Forest Row. From here we made good time on the broad road and were soon at Handcross which was as congested as ever. We had safety in numbers and most of the motorists gave us plenty of leeway so we soon pulled up at Nymans Gardens (National Trust). All the riders had free entry to the gardens but most headed straight to the cafe and a welcome drink and bite to eat.

After about an hour and a half we regrouped for the journey back. The sun was still shining strongly but was now on our backs and pretty soon we were back at the Woodhurst footbridge. At this point I escorted three riders back to the Marie Vescoe crossing and Broadfield whilst the rest of the group headed for Parish Lane and the alternate NCN20 route down through the forest. Having seen my charges safely to Broadfield, I raced across to Parish Lane and caught up with the main body as they kicked up the dust on the run down through the forest. Then it was across the M23 on the eastern bridge, down through the golf course and back on the tarmac in Marion Road before popping under the railway and arriving back at Oriel School. Everyone was wearing big smiles on their faces so I judge the event to have been a success.

Here's a bike cam view from my position at the back of the ride:
Family Bike Ride 2014

Hopefully we'll be able to run this event again next year, but in the meantime, check out the Horsham and Crawley CTC Runs List  and see if there are any of our rides that you fancy.

Our next ride on Sunday 29th June is quite long at a minimum of about 30 miles (with a train return) or about 60 if ridden all the way. It will start outside Horsham Pavilions in the Park (Horsham Swimming Pool) at 08:00 hrs (sorry about the early start - but hey, the sun will have been up for about 4 hours by then!) and take us to Copsale via Pedlars Way and then all the way to Shoreham on The Downs Link. From there we will head along the coast  to Brighton and Hove for a lunchtime stop.  If that is far enough, head for the station and catch a train back up to Three Bridges and then Horsham. Otherwise, the afternoon will retrace our outward route. As almost all the route will be off road, a strong touring bike, a hybrid bike or a mountain bike is recommended.  It will be a long day, but I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Our most Family Friendly rides tend to be on the second Sunday of every month (yes, we ride all year round), so look them up on our runs list.

Gordon's B-Ride

This was a very enjoyable day, thanks Gordon.

It's takes me ages to write blogs these days, so I've cheated and padded out my words with some moving pictures.

I arrived at Gordons expecting to see a gaggle of freeloaders taking up his breakfast offer, but no, I was the only freeloader! So, after rather nice bacon sandwich and a cuppa, Gordon and I headed for Pease Pottage.

Outside The Black Swan we met Val, Corinne, Michael and Malcolm. From here, Gordon led us out along Parish Lane and then down through the Forest on NCN20 to cross over the M23, through the golf course and out to Oriel School where we met up with John C and John V.

Next we acquired NCN21(The Worth Way) and headed east, over the M23 and on to Rowfant.

This video shows the journey so far:

The weather was very pleasant and the Worth Way was in good condition, so all was right in the world - except for my rear tyre that is - it kept going down, but I couldn't find a puncture. At the first stop I'd just pumped air in as I thought it was a slow puncture. After a second stop, three of us checked the inside of the tyre for thorns or any other sharp intrusion (none found) and I fitted a new tube, but within a few miles the tyre seemed to have deflated again. When I got home I checked both tubes and found NO punctures using both a visual inspection and a water bath - the valves seemed OK as well. As we speak both tubes are fully inflated in my shed and seem to be holding onto their contents. So what was the problem? I suspect a puncture repair I'd done on the first tube shortly  before setting off had not set properly and caused the first problems but that when I'd subsequently removed all the air and rolled the tube up tightly to stuff it away in my bumbag, the patch had properly taken. The second tube is a mystery and my only guess is that the pumps I'd been using out  on the trail just weren't getting enough air in.  I pumped it up with a track pump when I got home and it's stayed fully inflated since....

Anyway, back to the ride. We left the Worth Way at Imberhorne Lane and headed north until we reached the bridleway taking us back west to Gullege. From here we retraced our Worth Way steps as far as Crawley Down where we hit the road going south and endured the steep little climb into Turners Hill. At the top we regrouped and regained our breath before heading west, through Worth Abbey to a refreshment halt at The Cowdray Arms.

After a fairly short stop we carried on along the Handcross Road before turning left into Brantridge Lane - it was a lovely ride down this lane as this video shows:

At Staplefield I had to reinflate my rear tyre (again) and then we headed across to Sluagham and then north on the bridleway through the Slaugham estate to Handcross.

We only briefly entered the western edge of Handcross as Gordon now took us west along the B road before diving to the right onto a farm track bridleway that would take us across a valley and then on up to Plummers Plain and out onto Grouse Road.

From here we only had a mile or so to go back to Gordons House where more refreshments were on offer - Corinne was most impressed, although we had to point out that Gordon is an exception - the rest of us don't lay on such a good spread!

Commercial Vehicle Run

A nice easy ride today. Sunny weather meant an airing for my knees as I wore shorts for only the third time this year!

Waiting at Three Bridges Station were Frank, Val, Anne and Gordon! With a late running Pete E promising to meet us at Broadfield Stadium. We rode over there along the Black Path into Furnace Green, through Tilgate and through the underpass. Having secured our bikes, we walked around the car park looking at all the various Vintage Commercial Vehicles parked around:

Hey hey!  This is an easy way of filling up a blog - just posting photos!!

Let's do some more:

It's just like being there isn't it?  Apart from the sound that is - oh! And the smells - hot oil, diesel fumes, blue smoke, overheated rubber. It was good fun strolling around chatting with other spectators, some of the vehicle owners and also several other cyclists.

Frank enjoyed reliving his time on the buses and Pete turned up just a few minutes before we decided it was time to do a little bit of cycling. Here are a couple of his pictures:

I was hoping we'd have a slow moving Vintage Commercial Vehicle to slipstream up Pease Pottage Hill but we were out of luck and had to do it completely under our own steam. We all made it though and then it was on to Handcross with Frank towing a bus all the way (I told you he likes buses): 

At Handcross I handed over the leaders jersey to Gordon so that he could take us onto a bridleway through the Hyde Estate - what a revalation - it was a lovely smooth tarmac and took us through some light woodland that was absolutely loaded with Bluebells:

There was even a landscaped lake:

I'm on a roll now, have a video:

http://youtu.be/i_lswfAGHvs

Eventually the track brought us out onto the Pease Pottage Road and it didn't take us long to get from there to Gordons house where, over a nice lunch and drinks, we gathered together to work out our programme of rides for July, August and September.  I have since published them on he runs list page of our website:   www.horshamandcrawleyctc.org.uk

Our next ride will start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 09:30hrs on Sunday 11th May. It will be a fairly easy loop to the west of Horsham led by Michael. Come along, it will be fun.

Worth Way

Pete was unable to lead this months easy ride so I stepped in. I fancied putting the knobbly tyres on my bike and riding the Worth Way, so that's what we did.

The weather was nice and I ventured out in shorts for the first time this year. I was joined at Three Bridges station by John C, Val and Malcolm before we set off along Billington Way and onto the track. Spring had arrived and the Worth Way was lined with Bluebells, Wood Anemone, Celandine and lots of Blackthorn blossom.

The ride out to East Grinstead was really pleasant and it was good to see lots of families out on their bikes.

Here's a video of the ride through East Grinstead and out on the Forest Way:

http://youtu.be/kiYLhwJQCyA

We stopped to nip up to a viewpoint and look across to Weirwood reservoir, but now that apple trees have been planted in the field up there the view has gone. Once we got riding again, I took a little detour on some single track and then we all took another to view Brambletye House before carrying on into Forest Row.

http://youtu.be/eE8oSZdzy10

As you can see, we headed through the back of Forest Row and past a gathering of car enthusiasts before pulling up at the Java and Jazz cafe.

After a pleasant lunch (chocolate milkshake and a toasted sandwich for me), we headed back.

It was a really nice ride, pleasant and completely uneventful.......

Easy Ride

Pete S led Jacqui, Sandra, Val, Gordon, Norman, John V and myself out on a ride designed to encourage newcomers to cycling. A simple route saw us follow NCN20 up through Three Bridges and the Industrial Estate and then alongside the swollen River Mole up to Gatwick Airport.

Further evidence of the recent high rainfall was the flooding in the tunnel under the motorway link. It was only a couple of inches deep though, so we easily negotiated it. Apart from that the path was relatively clean and clear. Until we got to the subway under the railway in Horley - that was closed due to flooding, so we had to lug our bikes over the footbridge instead.

Pete was going to take a slight detour from the NCN20 to avoid the bumpy and gravelly bridleway but Val had wandered ahead and took us onto it before Pete could intervene. It was therefore slightly ironic when Val was heard to suggest that we should have avoided the bridleway!

This area is where Horley seems to be expanding into but at the moment it is pretty much awash with floodwater - perhaps the council will stipulate that all the new houses there are built on stilts or floating pontoons.

Reaching tarmac again we just had about three miles and two climbs to go before pulling up at Redhill aerodrome where the cafe was busy (as usual).

Refreshed, our return journey was the exact reverse of the outward journey - except that this time we avoided the dirty bridleway bit. On reaching Three Bridges we said goodbye to Sandra who was heading for home whilst the rest of us headed over to Broadfield for lunch at Gordon's, followed by the Q2 Runs List meeting.

Many thanks to Gordon (and Jacqui) for hosting the meeting and many thanks to all the members who took part and helped produce a nice varied selection of rides taking us through to the end of June. I've sent the list off to be published in The Pedaller and I've also posted it on our website.

North and West of Crawley

The first ride of 2014 was preceded by the news that two of our riders had fallen off their bikes in recent days. One due to ice and the other due to a pothole. Both riders are recovering but won't be riding for a few weeks yet. Get well soon gents.

Weather wise we were lucky to have a nice clear day. There had been a light frost but with a 10:00 hrs start all the roads were ice free. part from myself, today's riders were Barbara, Val, Frank and Gordon. 

I'd produced a nice easy and relatively flat route which took us up NCN21 through Gatwick and then out of Horley via Meath Green Lane/Lonesome Lane. We took the bridleway across to the A 217 then headed south to Black Corner where we forked right towards Ironsbottom. From there we headed to Charlwood then Russ Hill and finally Rusper. We were the only people in the pub for about half an hour and our food arrived really quickly.

The weather forecast suggested rain in the mid afternoon so we headed straight back home from the pub

Off-road ride

By way of a change, we organised a Saturday ride this week. It was Gordon's idea and he also invited us all to breakfast at his house beforehand. I was the last one there and, puffing from the hill up to his house, I joined Gordon, Norman and Dave to enjoy a nice bacon sandwich and cuppa tea.

Just in case anyone else turned up, we rode over to the Black Swan before heading off along Parish Lane. We squeezed through the squeeze gate and into Tilgate Forest. As someone had recently reported on the Crawley Cycle Forum Facebook page, the top end of NCN20 was blocked with a fallen tree so we had to carry our bikes over it. Gordon was checking the cycle route signage was ok and we were soon speeding down the firebreak and spraying dew from the grass all over ourselves.   Crossing over the motorway we then had a nice fast blast down through the golf course followed by the wriggling path through the woods before emerging in Furnace Green.

The tunnel under the railway took us into Maidenbower and then it was just a question of using the cycle paths up to the Worth Way. We continued on, past Worth Church and over the motorway again. The Worth Way was very pleasant and not at all busy and we were soon at Crawley Down. Here we took to the road and headed south to Turners Hill. After the climb, we needed a break so we stopped at The Crown for refreshments. Coffees all round (apart from my beer that is)!

We got going again and spent several minutes getting over the crossroads just outside the pub before stopping to inflate Normans front tyre. Gordon led us on through Worth Abbey and then onto the  Whitely Hill bridleway. Once we'd crossed the Balcombe Road, I stopped to change the battery in my camera and let everyone else go ahead.

Eventually, after answering a phone message, I got going but was only just getting settled into the singletrack when I came across Norman who'd had an off and hurt his leg a little. We sorted out his bike and carried on down the track.

 Crossing the railway, the bridleway migrated from sandy mud, through stony track to tarmac and became Parish lane. Norman decided to head for home at this point, leaving Gordon, Dave and myself to go off for some fun in the woods - with our bikes, madam!!

Gordon led us backwards and forwards through the forest and eventually down a hill - this one:

As you can see, Gordon made a spectacular flight over his handlebars, but is made of strong stuff and having got his breath back was straightaway leading us up another hill. Not long after, it was time for me to head home (I needed to get off to football) and the last two worked their way through the western part of the Forest and back to Gordons house.

The Seaside Ride

I was impressed with the sheer number of cyclists waiting at Three Bridges station but slightly dismayed to find that half of them were not on our ride but on what looked to be a ladies only ride along the Worth Way. Ah well, there would still be 9 of us heading to the coast. Pete and Marian were leading on their tandem with Barbara, Val, Michael, Richard, Norman and Ros following. I was the "Lanterne Rouge" for the day and accordingly I switched my nice bright rear light on to keep the tin-box jockeys at bay.

We travelled at a fair old pace down through Ardingly and we were pretty stretched out by the time we got to Lindfield, so needed to regroup (and get our breath back). Slugwash Lane stretched us out again and the run over Ditchling Common had a lot of traffic (some of it passing slightly too close to us).

We had a refuelling stop at the cafe in Ditchling and talked about a lot of things as we scoffed our teacakes/carrot cake/croissants and drank our tea/coffees. There was lots of material I could put onto this blog but unfortunately (as I pointed out at the time), my memory is so bad that I can't remember any of it - apart from renaming Marian to Bloody Mary and Norman to Marilyn.

Having settled my bill and bought a small cake "for later" I joined the others back outside and we remounted to head for The Hill. I led as far as Underhill Lane but I then waited for everyone else to go past me so that I could get film footage as they all started up Ditchling Beacon. Anyone familiar with the Beacon knows that it kicks up immediately after the crossroads with Underhill Lane and that just when you think you've got the measure of the hill and have a pedal rhythm that works, it takes a left turn and ramps up even steeper. If you can conquer that initial assault on your calf muscles then it just becomes a case of endurance with several little humps thrown in to upset your cadence. Assuming you manage to keep going, the next thing to worry about is all the traffic that hovers about behind you, slipping their clutches and over-revving as they seek to pass in the face of the occasional vehicle coming the other way - vehicles that look like they're going to jump onto your side of the road at any one of those humps I just mentioned, as they are all located on slight bends! Perseverence brings its reward and when you finally see the "Beware Horse and Rider" sign, you know there's only a hundred yards to go and your legs feel the gradient start to ease - time to compose yourself, up the tempo a bit and look like The Hill was no great effort to you. For me, this means wearing a big smile, trying to stop my chest heaving, putting in a bit of a sprint to ride right over the top and into the car park to pull up next to the ice-cream van. Another 99 ice-cream but only if I've ridden all the way up the hill. So far I've had one EVERY time I've attempted The Beacon. Today it didn't feel too hard, I must be fitter than I think :-)

Most of our riders managed to ride the whole Hill - see if you can spot them in Pete's picture:

Marian managed it but as Pete is not in the picture I'm not so sure about him!

The ride across to Old Boat Corner was nice and fast as usual and then we had the last climb up past the golfcourse at Hollingbury. Speeding down Ditchling Road we were soon in the heart of Brighton and having dealt with the traffic we arrived at the prom. A short walk with our bikes brought us to our lunch stop at Jack and Linda Mills Smoked Fish Shop.

I had grilled kippers in a roll - it was delicious and was accompanied by a really good cup of tea. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their fresh fish lunch as well - so much so, that some were too engrossed in it to look up when I took their picture:

 I doctored the picture a bit - here's the original:

All too soon it was time for us to start our return journey. Five of us decided (sensibly) to catch the train, Richard (hardcore) was going to ride home via Lewes, with the remaining three (nuts) opting to ride the NCN20 back north.


I was one of the nuts and led my little group up through Brighton on the A23 and then up through Mid-Sussex close to the A23 as far as the Bolney Stage where we felt the urge for some liquid refreshment.

After a couple of beers it was time to get going again.

Reaching the Warninglid flyover, we left NCN20 and headed into Warninglid before heading north once more to Slaugham Pond. Next we used the familiar route past The Wheatsheaf and onto Hammerpond Road. We said goodbye to Norman at Bucks Head as he continued on towards Horsham and we turned right onto Grouse Road. Michael had discovered the energy sapping effect beer sometimes has on the legs but we manfully rode on and were soon at the top in Pease Pottage. A quick blast down to K2 and an easy ride through Tilgate followed before I pointed Michael in the direction of Three Bridges Station and peeled off to arrive home myself.

I later found out that Richard (hardcore) had eschewed the joys of Lewes and had in fact used a slightly more direct route home - although by the time he finished he had still clocked up some 72 miles compared to the 55 I'd got on my speedo.

Next weeks ride should have been the reorganised Cutty Sark to Crawley ride but we've decided to cancel it and wait until next year as services using London Bridge Station will be severely disrupted by engineering works that day.

Instead we will have an Easy ride from Horsham Pavilion in the Park, starting at 10:00 hrs with a lunch stop at a cafe somewhere.

***** Stop Press *****

TOMORROWS RIDE (CHIDDINGSTONE) IS CANCELLED DUE TO THE WEATHER.

Instead, we will be running an off road (and through the snow) ride along the Worth Way. Starting from Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs and returning at about 12:00hrs.  Put your grippiest tyres on whichever of your bikes has the most clearance and come out to play - I mean, practice your bike handling skills!

Veteran Car Run 2012

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.

Monthly Introductory Ride

I was interviewed by the local paper this week as they asked ‘is there a knock-on effect from the Olympics’. I had to reply that although I had seen many cyclists around town, we had not experienced a lot of new riders and that perhaps they had all joined Crawley Wheelers to go racing. But that was before our beginners ride where we had eleven riders! I had quite forgotten what it is like to lead such a large group and being on the tandem made this a little bit harder, but it was a delight to see so many people out on their bikes. We followed our, now quite regular, route to Redhill Aerodrome. Many people had not done this before and we got the opportunity to see 200 tons of jet aircraft fly over our head at Gatwick and the light aircraft and helicopters buzzing around at the Aerodrome. We had a warm day and fulfilled our promise not to leave anyone behind, even though we had a wide range of capability in our group. The watch-word with Horsham/Crawley CTC is social, leisure riding and so we hope to see you out on your bike soon.

Check further information on Cycling in Crawley on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/123008357770954/

Anybody wanting help to get cycling or commuting to work can email: crawshamctc@hotmail.com

Castle Inn, Chiddingstone

Heavy rain, high winds, flooded roads, fallen trees – the weather forecast could not have been more daunting. Sharp contrast to 29th April 2011 when Kate & William enjoyed a beautiful day for their wedding.


However the fearless Frank and the pensive Pat duly arrived at Three Bridges Station at 10am. There we met a very keen potential member Simon Wales who had telephoned earlier in the morning to enquire weather (sorry dreadful pun) the ride was going ahead.

At ten past ten in heavy rainfall we set off at a good pace in the direction of Chiddingstone. The lane east of Lingfield through Haxstead was flooded but Simon was adept in riding along the crown of the road waving at car drivers and getting them to slow down.

After 20 drenching miles we squidged our way into the pub. The publican was friendly and invited us to hang our wet clothes on hangers above a radiator. So we peeled off our sodden outer layers and exchanged a bit of banter with the bar staff whilst ordering our lunches. Pat ‘pushed the boat out’ and went for the roast beef at £15.

As we dried out over a leisurely lunch we were delighted to see the sun beaming in through the windows. Refreshed and revitalised we retraced the route towards Crawley via Edenbridge, Lingfield and Copthorne. A pleasant ride home – spring sunshine and only a few puddles to contend with. Total mileage 40.4.

Frank & Pat

So you see, bad weather doesn't prevent us from a having a lovely day out - and I'm sorry I missed the ride (I was busy winning a car rally in Northamptonshire).    Bob.

Next weeks ride is another Three Bridges Station start (at 09:30) and will be VERY easy. We will make the short trip to Broadfield Stadium to look at the Historic Commercial Vehicles that will be stopping there on their London to Brighton run. here you will be able to get up close and personal to a number of old fire engines, buses, charabancs, lorries, vans and other commercial vehicles dating back to the beginning of the motor vehicle age - there may even be some that you remember from when you were young(er)!  The vehicle owners/carers are always keen to chat about their vehicles, so we can easily while away and hour or two. Then, depending on the weather and what people want to do, we may venture on a short ride to a pub for lunch.

As cycle rides go, they don't get any easier than this one!!