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!

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

DA Picnic at Wisborough Green

John C kindly volunteered to lead this ride and when I turned up at Horsham Pavilions in the Park he was already there along with John V. It was good to see them both and as we were chatting a fourth rider, namely Pete E, turned up. We stayed in the cafe as the tail end of a heavy shower wore itself out and then we were off. Pete led us through Horsham and out on the Worthing Road to Tower Hill. The road surface showed evidence of the recent shower but, as we headed down Two Mile Ash Road so the heavens opened again. On with the waterproofs and shelter under a tree as the worst passed overhead.

Then we carried on through Barns Green and up Valewood Lane. John next led us up New Road and right onto the A29 for a short run up to the first left. As we negotiated this fast and busy road I noticed a rather battered Ford Ka sat in the field on my left - judging by the hole in the hedge and the state of the car, it looks like it had rolled over a couple of times before coming to rest pointing back in the direction from whence it came. The first left is Okehurst Lane and when we reached the far end we realised that we were going to arrive at Wisborough Green too early. So we decided to add a loop to the north and headed up to The Blue Ship at The Haven. Here we turned left then right and carried on up to the A281 at Bucks Green. Next we headed over to Tismans Common but had to stop as JC had a puncture. As we stood around watching John replace his tube, we could see the clouds were getting thicker and greyer - hurry up John!

Back on the road we were overtaken by a couple of "yoofs" in a car who shouted at us and threw something out of the car as they passed. Judging by the standard of driving I understand why young male drivers have to pay so much for car insurance. To be honest, I was half expecting to find them wrapped around a tree somewhere along Drungewick Lane!

However, we reached the end of the lane without comng across any scene of carnage and as we were now nearly there, JV and myself upped the pace a bit and arrived at the Green just a few minutes after twelve.There were a couple of riders already there and then the others rolled in. The sun was now shining and there were some 14 of us all having a picnic. I popped across to the pub and brought back a rather nice pint of Doom Bar to wash down my egg mayonaise sandwiches, chorizo, cheese and tomatoes. Very nice. This means that, with only one more DA Event to go, we're in the lead for the trophy. So come on everyone, a good turnout for the Arun Crossings on September 2nd should guarantee a win for us.

After an enoyable time chatting with our colleagues from the Arun and Adur and Bognor and Chichester sections, we headed back home. As there was just the four of us and we're all confident on the road, we used the A272 to and through Billingshurst before taking the left turn onto Wooddale Lane. This lane is so quiet that there's a green verge along the middle of much of it. After this we retraced our outward route back to Horsham where we said goodbye to Pete leaving the two Johns and I to use Forest Road through Roffey and Colgate to Pease Pottage. A quick burn down a very quiet A23 to K2 and a few minutes later I was home. My mileage for the last three Sunday rides has been 101, 65 and now 48  and I'm starting to feel fitter.

Next weeks ride is a Beginners Ride starting from Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs. Led by Pete S it will be an easy ride suitable for practically everyone and open to members and non-members alike. The weather forecast is suggesting good weather, so come out and have an enjoyable couple of hours out and about on your bike.