Winkworth Arboretum

Spring forwards, fall backwards - aha, that means an extra hour in bed. Where did it go? By the time I'd found my rack pack, transferred my spare tubes, repair kit, tools, waterproofs into it, found my NT card, bankcard, cycle wallet, filled up my water bottle and all the other bits and bobs necessary to go out for a days cycling, i already had only 30 minutes in which to ride a 40 minute journey! As I rode through Tilgate the nice bright patch of sky had been blown away by the gusting wind and by the time I crested Pease Pottage Hill, the heavens were opening. I sheltered in the lee of some bushes by the service station and lost another 5 minutes but then a bigger blue patch was dominating and I could remount. I pressed on, manfully, into the teeth of the wind and managed to claw back some time but was still 10 minutes late getting to Horsham Pavilion in the Park. There I met Pete E and John C and we were shortly after joined by Norman. My phone then rang and John V said he was only a few minutes away and what route were we taking - I told him and we set off.

The golf course was deserted although there were several cars on Robin Hood Lane. On Byfleets Lane (formerly Granny's Lane) John V caught us up and then when we reached the A281 Norman left us to head for home ( he'd been out on some muddy tracks before meeting us and felt he's had enough exercise). Pete lead us up Rowhook Hill, then as we waited at the turn to Ellens Green, we found out that John V had had a puncture and that he would catch up with us. We rode slowly on to Cox Green and then Baynards. No sign of John, but then a text saying he'd meet us in Cranleigh - we were still a mile away and he was already there!

In Cranleigh we took a road to the north and headed through Shamley Green and Wonersh to Bramley where we started up a long hill that just seemed to go on and on. Regrouping at the top, Pete told us that we just had to turn left and the Arboretum was an easy mile away. He was right and we were soon sat down having our lunch. There'd been a long queue in the cafe - too many people brandishing large denomination notes/plastic cards/vouchers. When we'd finished eating, three of us headed into the garden to see the autumn colours, leaving JV to look after our bikes.

Here are some pictures:

We arrived back at our bikes and got back on them. Now we headed south and after a short climb had a good fast downhill before turning to a more easterly direction and getting the benefit of the wind on our backs. We were soon in Cranleigh once more and then used the B road back to Ellens Green. Rowhook Hill was nicer now we were going down it and a few minutes later we said goodbye to JV who was heading through Warnham and Rusper back to Crawley. Pete, JC and I recrossed the still empty golf course and finished riding soon after with JC very kindly giving me a lift back to Crawley as I was feeling tired - looking at my speedo I was surprised to see I'd clocked up 51 miles!

Next weeks ride is an easy one. Sunday 3rd November is the first sunday in November and that means just one thing - Old Crocks Race.  Meet at Three Bridges station at 10:00hrs. We'll ride to the High Street, soak up the atmosphere as the Veteran Cars come and go, then we'll ride with them along Southgate Avenue and up Pease Pottage Hill (pick a suitable Old Crock and slipstream it up the hill - it's the easiest and fastest way up). Depending on the weather, who's out and what they want to do, we'll either lunch at The Black Swan or carry on riding to lunch at Staplefield or Slaugham or Plummers Plain. It's a nice freeform day which we can shape to be whatever we want it to be.

See you there.

The Bluebell Railway

Looking forward to today's ride, I opened the curtains to be confronted by a torrential downpour. Hmmmmmm. Do I still want to go for a bike ride? Well.... I had washed and re proofed my waterproofs during the week, so maybe here was an opportunity to test out my handiwork?

As usual I was late arriving at the start - this week my excuse was the length of time it took me to fit my rear rack and associated mudguard, my front mudguard and pull on my nice, clean waterproofs, but - the rain had stopped!

Waiting at Three Bridges were Pete E, Michael, Norman and Narinder. A quick text conversation with Ros and we'd arranged to meet her at East Grinstead, another text conversation confirmed that Gordon would not be falling off joining up with us this week.

The Worth Way provided a firm and reliable surface, although a lot of muddy water was getting picked up and sprayed around by our tyres. We sped along through Rowfant and Crawley Down until we arrived at East Grinstead station where we met Ros and Carol in the railway carriage cafe:

After this brief encounter there were now seven of us and we headed up the High Street and onto The Forest Way for the quick sprint down to Forest Row (Ros used the road in order to avoid getting as besmattered as we were). 

From Forest Row we used Priory Road to climb up into Ashdown Forest. It was a stiffer climb than I was anticipating and we stopped at the crossroads to get our breath back before turning left and then right onto Twyford Lane. This is one of my favourite lanes and I freewheeled down it at about thirty mph. Towards the bottom of the hill it gets a bit bendier, steeper and narrower but today it was also muddier and slippier. I splashed through the ford which was disappointingly shallow, and waited for the others with my video camera running all the way:

Left at the scissor-shaped crossroads and climb back up until we were once more on the main Ashdown Forest ridge. From here we went across to Chelwood gate and on to Nutley before turning south on the A22 and then right onto Nether Lane which becomes Down Street - another really excellent lane for riding. Now it was just a case of going through Splaynes Green to get to Sheffield Green where we turned left for the short run down the A275 to the Bluebell Railway.

Here we had a nice meal in the Bessemer Arms before doing some sightseeing around the station. Someone was acting like an over-excited schoolboy (I shan't say who, but he had a purple jacket on) and kept up a non-stop commentary on all the railwayana surrounding us.

He didn't even stop once we got on the train! Ros may well have had enough though, for she decided to cycle back to East Grinstead.

The journey up the line was however most memorable for the fact that the heavens opened and it absolutely poured with rain - we'd avoided getting wet whilst cycling and now we were warm and dry in our own compartment as the train splashed through the torrential downpour (we did think about Ros though - has she dried out yet??).

Bang on cue, the sun came back out just as the train pulled into our stop at East Grinstead - timing!

Here's the magnificent loco that was pulling our train - it's a Class 9F, the last class of steam locomotive built for British Rail. Ask Norman what the wheel arrangement is...

The ride back to Three Bridges along the Worth Way was uneventful but once more splattered us in muddy water. We didn't mind, we'd had a really nice day out (in spite of the weather).

Next weeks ride is hopefully timed just right - it goes to Winkworth Arboretum, a National Trust garden that has spectacular autumn colours, so bring your NT card if you've got one. There is a cafe there (it's just outside the garden so you don't need to pay entry/show your card if you just want some refreshments).  The start will be from Horsham Park Pavilion at 09:30 hrs for a ride of about 30-35 miles and I would rate it as easy-medium.  Don't forget, the clocks will have gone back on Saturday night/Sunday morning, so it will be brighter in the morning.

Rudgwick Apple Day

It was trying to rain as I made my way from Pease Pottage to Horsham, but I was comfortable in my waterproofs. Arriving at the Pavilion in the Park, I found three riders waiting for me - Barbara, Val and Norman. We lingered over our coffees but eventually ventured out into the now constant rain. Barbara was delivering copies of the Pedaller which left just three if us to head off over the golf course, through Broadbridge Heath and on into Slinfold. Norman felt he was wet enough and was going to head home from Slinfold and, when I mentioned we'd be going up a hill there, Val queried whether I'd mind turning back as well. I'd been looking forward to this ride for a few weeks and trying to anticipate what the Apple Day would be like, but with the rain rattling down all I could now imagine was a sad, sorry, muddy field with just a few soggy punters wandering around it. "let's head back" I said - so we did. Norman stayed with us until we were back in Horsham and Val kindly offered me a lift back to Crawley. End result: not many miles covered, mental note to try and get to the Apple Day next year.

Skimmington Castle

Three Bridges start.

Frank, Pat, Barbara, Norman, Gordon, John C, Anton, Bob.

Old Hollow, Copthorne Bank, Smallfield, Redhill Aerodrome (elevenses), Salfords, Dovers Green, Slipshatch, Flanchford, Reigate Heath, Skimmington Castle (lunch).

Betchworth, Parkgate, Gordon in a ditch, Charlwood, Ifield, Crawley.

Next weeks ride is a new one for us. It starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 10:00hrs and will be an easy ride to Rudgwick for the Apple Fair. Hopefully we'll enjoy all the fair has to offer and then return the short distance back to Horsham. 

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.

Easy ride West of Horsham

Whoops!   I've been so busy trying to create a film of the off-road ride Anton and I did at Deers Leap that I haven't produced a blog for last weeks Sunday ride.

Here's a link to the film:    http://youtu.be/Y7VTqcLihAA

Anyway, on Sunday I was back on the Tarmac with slick tyres and heading for the Horsham start. At the Pavilions in the Park I was met by Val, Ken and Norman. I'd promised a fairly flat ride but having used the golf course route out of Horsham I soon had them riding up Rowhook Hill. We then went past Baynards and through Cox Green to go down the hill and over a very quiet A281 to Tismans Common.  We carried on Westerwards as far as Loxwood where we stopped at the canal for a breather and a chinwag.

Heading south, the hill out Loxwood seemed much easier than usual but rather than head towards Ifold as I'd originally planned, I decided to take the second right and keep going south. At the end of the road I pointed out to everyone that the area to the right was the next one under threat of Fracking. We turned left and were quickly in Wisborough Green where we pulled up at The Old Mill Cafe for lunch.

At this point I would like to suggest to you, dear reader, that you never, ever try and swat a wasp whilst enjoying lunch and drinks with some chums. It's unnecessary and you might just knock Normans nearly full glass of apple juice all over the place!

In order to keep to my promise of minimal hill climbing, the route back saw us head north from Wisborough Green to Roundstreet Common and then use Drungewick Lane back to Tismans Common (ok, there is a short sharp hill after the canal on Drungewick Lane - but it's only about thirty pedal strokes long). We used a short stretch of the A road through Bucks Green and then headed south and east past The Haven before a quick run along part of the A29. We next had a slight incline up before a nice long freewheel down into Slinfold. 

Going past the new roundabout I found myself wondering why the lamp posts had been positioned IN the footpath rather than in the grass verge - it would appear that the County Council in their "wisdom" think it better for pedestrians (perhaps with prams or in wheelchairs) to manoeuvre past the street furniture rather than the three times a year grass cutting team. Who are these publicly employed jokers supposed to be working for? Next thing you know, they'll be letting tax-avoiding multinational companies pump poisonous chemicals into the rocks beneath our feet to fracture it and release a bit of gas and maybe oil that they can sell at a ridiculous price in order for it to be burnt and further exacerbate our planet's global warming problem!

After Broadbridge Heath we used Robin Hood Lane and crossed the golf course to arrive back in Horsham where we said goodbye to Norman and Val. Ken and I used the Forest Road back to Pease Pottage with Ken setting down a cracking pace and me almost holding on to his coattails. We had a good fast run down Pease Pottage. Hill and I was home by about 15:20 having clocked up about 50 miles.

This weekend sees a ride on both Saturday and Sunday:

On Saturday we have an off-road ride of about 20 miles starting from the Black Swan (Pease Pottage) at 10:00hrs. If you go to Gordon's first (from about 09:15) he'll treat you to a bacon roll and cup of tea at his place (address on the runs list). Mountain bikes are recommended, but a good touring bike may be OK.

Sunday we'll be back on Tarmac and will see Frank lead his popular ride to The Skimmingham Castle for lunch  - that's a 9:30 start from Three Bridges Station for an easy 35 mile ride without any big hills.

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.