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.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Sunday, 18 November 2012
The Plough at Leigh
Anton lead us from Horsham via Oakwoodhill and Weare Street to The Plough at Leigh. It was cold and bright.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
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.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Sunday, 28 October 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!
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!
Sunday, 21 October 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.
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.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
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.
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.
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