The Arun Crossings - DA Event

I enjoy this ride: we criss-cross the river Arun multiple times between Pulborough and Rudgwick on highways and byways. It's a great excuse to fit the knobblies and let my Kona do its thang!

The crowd was slow getting together at Pulborough Station but in the end there were seven of us (just Michael and myself from H&C).

Turning right out of the station, we first used the old bridge at Stopham followed immediately by the new one then up through the woods and a sandy track with great views of the Downs to the south and east. Next we headed north towards Toat before taking a bridleway west for another crossing.  The bridleway took us through a landscape that probably looks pretty much the same as it did a century ago before climbing up to Bedham Lane. This took us north before we turned right onto a bridleway at Horsebridge Hill. A single track trail took us through some woodland then out onto a grassy ride before crossing a small lane and running along the edge of a small valley. Then we went down and across a grassy plain before another river crossing at Pallingham Quays (I think). We next followed a couple of farm tracks before turning left Blackgate lane and then left again to go past Scrase House and then down the hill behind it on a stony-surfaced bridleway. As we reached the bridge over the river we caught up with a couple of horses and being kind and generous folk, we opened the next couple of gates for them. We flew on up the slight gradient before getting on tarmac again for the last mile into Wisborough Green where we stopped at the Old Mill cafe for elevenses.

A good cup of coffee and a selection of delicious pastries later, we were back on the road. We went north and east, past Fishers Farm and dived onto another bridleway. The nest two crossings took us east then west, past Malham Farm then north, out onto Drungewick Lane. 

Next we took the canal path alongside a restored section of the Wey and Arun Canal and pulled up for lunch at the Onslow Arms in Loxwood.

The afternoon saw us head back along the canal before turning north and going through Tismans Common to Rudgwick and then south along the Downs Link. A bridleway then took us west to run round The Haven and into a wood on another bridleway. Back out on Okehurst Road we headed south before going through a farmyard onto another bridleway west and over the river and canal again. Stopping to change my video battery I enjoyed a sprint through a wood to catch up with everyone else as we emerged onto a drive leading to the B2133 at Newpound. Now it was just a case of popping back to Wisborough Green.

I Had a family birthday party to get to so I didn't stop at the cafe and pressed on south - back over the river and canal up the hill and out onto Black Gate Lane then onto Pickhurst Lane and two small climbs before arriving back at Pulborough station to drive back home.

I'd had a really enjoyable day - the weather was warm and sunny, the riding was excellent, the countryside beautiful and the company entertaining.

DA Event - the I-Spy Ride

After all the preparation Pete had put in to create this event, it was a little disappointing that with the wet weather and lack of entrants we decided to just have a short ride rather than run the Treasure Hunt.


The ride was enjoyable and the rain mainly held off as we made our way to Smock Alley for lunch at the Five Bells.  This was my first visit to the Five Bells and I found it to be a lovely pub.


The return ride was very pleasant and Pete will keep all his route and questions to use in next years I-Spy.

Freewheel DA Event

A Horsham start and a roundabout route to Barns Green. We used Granny's Lane, Rowhook Hill, Rudgwick, The Haven, New Road and then pulled up at Summers Ponds just before midday. The Bognor and Chichester riders were already there. We sat in the sun and enjoyed our food and drink but we had to hang around for an hour and a half before the Arun and Adur bods were ready to roll.

We all went back to New Road, climbed to the top and started the Freewheel challenge. We each took it in turn to roll down the hill and see who could get the furthest. John C has been best at this in previous years but this year Sam from BogChi was the high roller. We did however get best lady  - well done Anne. 

DA AGM

Today's ride was simple - leave Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 9:00, get to Pulborough Village Centre by 10:30. My ride over had started off slowly but I'd got into my stride by Roffey and arrived at the start with 10 minutes to spare. Ken rolled up a few minutes later having used the same route over. Next we were joined by Norman and new member, Frank.

I led us out of Horsham over the golf course, down through Broadbridge Heath and on to Bashurst Hill. The skies were mainly blue with a light wind and the temperature was quite balmy for November. 

We were all enjoying the ride and we're having a good old chat as the road took us South. Crossing the A272 was event less and we carried on through Broadford Bridge and up Woods Hill to West Chiltington. After zigzagging down the hill we turned into Stream Lane which lived up to its nam with water running along it for some distance. With no mudguards on my bike I was trying to keep my speed down and bunny hop the worst bits but I still ended up with a damp behind!

I didn't have time to dry out before we were pulling up at Pulborough Village Centre - we'd arrived with 10 minutes to spare and enjoyed some tea, biscuits and a chat before the meeting started. 

The meeting was pretty much the same as usual, friendly and business-like. Oh - we won a couple of trophies as well!! There was a well observed two minute silence at 11:00 and the meeting wound up at about 11:45.

Along with Barbara we made straight for the pub - the Oddfellows Arms and settled down for lunch. Shortly after we were joined by Dave and Louise Galley and then another five DA folk turned up and we had a nice lunchtime drinking, eating and discussing all manner of things. 

The weather was still pleasant as we made our way back but this time via Barns Green, Bax Castle and Tower Hill. Back in Horsham there were now just two of us left to ride along to Crawley. 

Next weeks ride is an Easy Ride suitable for beginners, starting at Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs. 

DA Event - Arun Crossings

The last DA Event of the year is one of my favourites. The Arun Crossings is just that - several crossings of the River Arun - linked together by quiet lanes and sometimes challenging bridle ways. Although there are only so many places to cross the river, thanks to Colin we have a different route every year.

This year he led us north from the station, over the railway and then onto an old sunken track that climbed a sandy ridge and led us down to the old bridge at Stopham.

Click here for a 2 minute video

From here we climbed along the western side of the river, through Stopham, up and up and eventually out onto the road at Bedham Hill. 

Turning right onto a bridle way we plunged down the valley side and made our second crossing, shortly followed by a bridge over the canal (empty at this point). On reaching Toat Lane, Colin took a gamble that there was a route through to the northeast but we reached the end of the lane there was no route for us to use (my MAPS.ME app on my phone confirmed this), so we headed back and then took Pickhurst and Blackhurst lanes before using the bridleway north for our third crossing. We were now only a mile or so from Wisborough Green but a hissing sound announced that I'd got a puncture!

After replacing the tube I caught up with everyone at The Old Mill Café where we had our tea break.

Colin now took us north up Durbans Road and then right onto a bridleway that took us over to Fishers Farm. From here we headed east then north before turning onto another bridleway.

This collection of sometimes muddy bridleways now spat us out by the sports club at Loxwood where we had a short downhill before stopping at the Onslow Arms for lunch.

Like many pubs, the sunday menu didn't have any sandwiches/lighter meals but I found a tasty starter and had a pint of cider to wash it down. The sun was out and with about a dozen of us sat around a large table next to the canal, we had a good chat about various things.

After lunch we headed off along the canal towpath to Drungewick - here's a shortish video of this very pleasant part of the route:

Loxwood to Drungewick

Then a combination of lanes and bridleways took us over the river several more times as this video shows:

How many times did you see us cross the river (and canal)?

DA Event -The Picnic

The major challenge in this event is to pack a picnic, ride to Wisborough Green and eat it!

However, the most amazing thing about this years running of the event was ......  I was 15 minutes early getting to the start!!!!   However, I wasn't the first one there: Gordon and Jacqui were sitting by the bike stands and Michael was inside having a coffee. Soon after Pete E arrived and it was time to get riding. Anton had phoned to say he was running late and would meet us at Wisborough Green. We headed out over the golf course and then, just as we turned right towards Warnham, my phone went off and John V informed me that he'd just missed us and would either catch us up, or meet us at Wisborough Green. We rode over the hill to Warnham and then up another hill out of the village. A pleasant run through woodland brought us to the A29 and a short run to the end of Weare Street for the climb up to Okewoodhill. From here we headed for Ellen's Green, Cox Green, Baynards and then down Woods Hill.

Down Woods Hill

There were a lot of other cyclists out today - Cranleigh CC were out in force and there was at least one and possibly two Sportives running as well. We carried on, through Tismans Common and on to Loxwood where we turned south and then took the very pleasant Skiff Lane all the way to Kirdford Road where we only had another mile before arriving at Wisborough Green. We' d made good time and arrived there about 30 minutes earlier than our target time of midday. We commandeered a bench and I walked over the green to take some photos. Colin from the Bognor / Chichester group had just finished his elevenses at the Old Mill Cafe and I had a quick chat with him. When I got back to everyone else they all had put an extra layer on as the sun was hidden behind some grey clouds that had slipped in from the West and the wind wasn't as warm as it could be. Midday came and went, John V arrived followed shortly after by Anton but still no one from the other West Sussex member groups had shown up. We'd finished our picnics and a couple of us popped over to the pub for some quick liquid refreshment, whilst others popped to the cafe to do the same. Then, just as I was thinking about phoning Edwin, he turned up along with a few others. 

It was good chatting with the other groups but the Horsham and Crawley contingent were itching to get riding again, so we said our goodbyes and set off for home. We opted for the most direct route back via Barns Green and Bax Castle. I eventually got home at about three o'clock having ridden just over 50 miles. Ironically the weather had just improved all afternoon and was roasting hot all the way back - was I glad for the large amount of tree cover Sussex affords!

Next weeks ride is a Beginners ride suitable for all riders. It starts from Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs and will probably be an out and back ride along the Worth Way. Afterwards (at 13:00 hrs) we will have the Q4 Runslist meeting at Frogshole Farm public house - why not have lunch there? Please come along and help us determine what rides to do during October, November and December.

The Two Weald Ride

First Sunday in July?  It must be The Two Weald Ride.

After the glorious weather of the previous weekend, I'd rather forgotten about rain, so the deluge we had on Saturday took me by surprise. Waking up on Sunday morning to thick cloud and a dampness in the air, I was initially worried that we wouldn't have many takers for this, the third DA Event of the year. However, as I travelled down to Wisborough Green I noticed that the roads were all bone-dry and that the cloud was noticeably thinning. Pulling up, I saw Frank and Pat just manoeuvring their camper van into place and my fellow H&C committee members, Pete and Barbara getting their bikes ready.




















Within minutes, several others had arrived and we had a group of ten riders set off to ride the North loop. We left Frank at the camper van complete with home made cakes and tea/coffee, ready to welcome any further entrants. By 11:00, four others had turned up and had all set out on the North loop (although one of them, Ray, had already completed the East loop having set off independently at 09:00).

Here's a 3.8 minute video of the North loop:

After a fairly quick lunch, and a natter with all the other riders, four of us set off on the South loop, followed about half an hour later by another couple - one of whom was Ray, hard man of the day, clocking up his third loop.

Here's a 3.9 minute video of the South loop:

We arrived back at Wisborough Green just after 16:00hrs and a quick check revealed that there were just two riders still out - Richard and Ray.  They pulled up at 16:30 and after a last cup of tea and slice of cake it was time for us to pack up. We presented Pat and Frank with a bottle of wine as a thankyou for using their camper van as our base and then it was time to head home.

Our next ride is a "combination" ride.  There will be an 09:30 start from Three Bridges Station which will use the Crawley Horsham Cycle Route from Crawley to Horsham (some non-tarmac sections). Then, at 11:00 hrs we will all join up with a Beginners Ride from Horsham Pavilions in the Park.  This will take us on an easy loop out to The Bax Castle for a brief refreshment stop and then continue back to Horsham. There will be some non-tarmac sections in this ride, but it will be suitable for all but the most delicate of bikes.

Downs Link to Brighton

Back in February, we got together to create the runs list for the 2nd quarter of the year and Val (our "keep it flat and not too long" expert) suggested a ride out on the Downs Link to Shoreham and then along the coast to Brighton. Everyone at the meeting seemed quite keen, so in it went: a ride leader was determined, a route and itinerary worked out and the details published in The Pedaller (as well as  our august webpages).  No going back then even though it was pouring with rain on the Saturday and 8 o'clock seemed way too early and cold to be getting on a bike. Nervous communications on Saturday evening suggested maybe four people would turn up but, lo and behold, there were 7 of us at Horsham Pavilions in the Park (Anton, Barbara, Bob, Ken, Malcolm, Pete E and Val) and we picked up 2 more from Horsham station (Corinne and John V).

Anton was ride leader but he let Pete E guide us through Horsham and out on Pedlars Way. In spite of Saturdays downpour, the trail wasn't muddy, just slightly soft, and the lanes were nice and dry. At Copsale we noted that the sign for The Bridge Inn has been kept but now reads "Bridge House" - another pub gone. How many old King and Barnes pubs have disappeared since the Hall and Woodhouse takeover?

The clouds were starting to break up now and the temperature was just about perfect for cycling with just a hint of a tailwind. The Downs Link surface was about as good as it could be although a feature of todays ride would be how much the vegetation was encroaching on each side of the path.

It didn't take us long to get to Partridge Green, then shortly after we noticed that they've put a surfaced path across the grassy field - previously there was(were?) just a couple of muddy grooves to follow, now there is a nice, raised pressed stone path.

The following video starts from the gate entering the field and includes a lot of the Downs Link to Shoreham (at four times normal speed).....

10 minutes of video

In Shoreham we emerged on the roundabout in the town centre and used the A259 for a while before turning right to pick up NCN 2 and cross the lock gates for the east harbour. The cycle path was really quite busy and by now the sun was blazing above.

We stopped for a quick loo break before continuing on along NCN 2. Shoreham Harbour amy not be the most picturesque (or sweet smelling), but I enjoyed riding through it and the road wasn't too busy.  At Hove Lagoon, NCN 2 becomes a shared use path on the south side of the A259 and is a really fast and pleasant way to travel along the front - so long as you take account of other users and pedestrians. The further east we went, the busier the seafront became and so, when we got to Hove lawns cafe we decided to stop for lunch as we were worried that eating places may be too busy for 9 of us if travelled further on and closer to midday....

We pushed a couple of tables together, made our orders and were eating and drinking within just a few minutes. It was very pleasant sitting there in the sun I can tell you, although I had to put my neck scarf over my head to ensure I didn't start to look like a swan vestas match!!

After about an hour or so, we decided to move on and our little party shed three of our number - Corinne was heading into Brighton of an afternoon of being a tourist, Barbara and John headed to Brighton station for a train back north and the rest of us headed back the way we came (I did think of suggesting an alternate route involving a climb up to Devils Dyke, a fast off road descent and a few miles of upsy downsy small lanes as far as Henfield, but thought better of it).

At some point there will be a video here showing various parts of the return journey - but it's not ready yet.....


We retraced our steps to Shoreham harbour and over the lock gates but then we followed the proper NCN 2 routing over the A259 and along some quiet back streets before taking the signposted cut through to the Downs Link which we rejoined by the Red Lion. The ride back was pleasant with the sun on our backs although the headwind and ever so slight upward trend did make it a bit harder than the morning. That seemed like a very good excuse too stop at the Cat and Canary in Henfield for lashings of ginger beer (well actually most of us had cider).

Partridge Green and West Grinstead were soon behind us and at Copsale we decided to continue to Southwater Country Park where we had another stop - might as well have an ice cream this time :-)

We tried to use Normans "back streets of Southwater" route but missed one turn and ended up on the Old Horsham Road for about a mile before heading across to Newfoundout and then back on Pedlars Way into Horsham and the end of the ride.

The end of the ride for all of us that is apart from Ken who was todays Hard Man. He'd ridden over from Crawley first thing and now proceeded to ride back. He was so quick that my chauffeur only caught up with Ken when he was but a couple of hundred yards from home!

Thanks everyone for taking part - judging by your chatter and smiling faces, I reckon you all enjoyed the ride. Well done Val for suggesting it in the first place (and well done for completing what was nearly a 60 mile ride).

Next week sees the next DA Event. This is the second of the DA Events that we organise and is The Two Weald Ride. Based at Wisborough Green (TQ048259), riders will be there from all three Member Groups within the West Sussex CTC and there will be a choice of four different 25 mile loops available to ride. Your committee will be there with refreshments between 10:00 hrs and 16:00hrs (thanks again to Frank and Pat with their camper van) - bring along home made cakes or biscuits for us to sell to raise funds for our club.

The route instructions and the overview map are available here , so if you want to get started before we've set up the refreshments, be your own boss. Why not try and do all four loops in one day??

I-Spy Ride

It's about time that I put (virtual) pen to paper again. After all it's been more than two weeks since I last did so and the I-Spy was a really good event. Coincidentally, it was organised by Pete E, our treasurer, and I should currently be attending a committee meeting with him and Barbara this evening ........  but, guess who forgot?  I've made my apologies and will make reparation at the rearranged meeting next week! Thanks for being so understanding guys.

Anyway, as I said, the I-Spy was really good. There were fourteen participants and Pete started us off from outside the cafe at Southwater Country Park. The route was very pleasant and took us past the Bax Castle, through Christs Hospital and on to Slinfold. Here we managed to overtake all the other groups of riders as they struggled to find one of the answers. We next had a three mile stretch of A road where I used my defensive riding techniques to keep the tin-box jockeys at bay before we headed across to The Haven and then on to Tismans Common. Shortly after, just before we reached Drungewick Lane, I heard a hissing sound and noticed the back end of my bike start squirming. A puncture! I'm never worried about dealing with punctures but it was a bit annoying that as we were busy sorting it out, all those teams we'd passed at Slinfold managed to regain their lead over us :-(.  As we were stood at the side of the road, I noticed an approaching car had a problem with the trailer it was towing and managed to flag them down so that they could stop and sort out their trailer. 

Puncture mended, we were on our way again and managed to catch up the other groups at the canal bridge and then pass them most of them as they struggled to count the number of stakes in the grass outside a property along the lane. From here we headed into Wisborough Green and then out to Fishers Farm Park for lunch. I could tell we needed a break because we missed a clue just yards away but couldn't be bothered to look for it!

Fully refreshed after my lunch of Sausage Baguette and pint of cider, I set off with Barbara and Val on the second part of the test and we promptly missed the next clue! Never mind, on we went up Rowner Road and then east, across the A29 and onto New Road. The route continued, taking us on to Barns Green and then to the Bax Castle for the second time today. This time we turned onto the Downs Link for a slightly bumpy but pleasant enough ride as far as the farm track at Southwater. The last couple of clues were hidden away in the backstreets of suburban Southwater before we pulled up at the finish, back at Southwater Country Park.

It was really hot sitting in the sun and the shadier seats were very popular - an ice-cream helped. We felt that we were in with a chance of winning but then the last team came in and got a lot of points. Oh no!  A draw - that means a tie break. This year we had to count the post boxes we went past - we guessed a fractionally more accurate number than Gordon's team and that meant we won! 

Everyone who took part had a great time on what is one of the two DA Events that Horsham and Crawley organise. Pete put a lot of hard work into this one and it paid off with a superbly entertaining and smoothly run day. The next DA Event is on the first Sunday in July - the Two Weald Ride. We will be running this and will offer the usual four different 25 mile loops from Wisborough Green.

Freewheel 2014

It's April, time for the first DA Event of the year - the Freewheel.

This year we returned to the hill that was used back when I joined the CTC 10 years ago, New Road.

The morning dawned dull and wet, although I was feeling quite chipper as it was my birthday! I used my birthday as an excuse and sent a text to Anton taking him up on the offer of a lift that he had made me. Arriving at Horsham, we were met by Norman and Mick - although it has to be said, Norman was in civvies and not riding. As we stood around chatting, Ken rolled up and joined in the chatter. The weather seemed to be improving insofar as the rain looked to be stopping, so we didn't start riding until half past ten. I had a couple of routes in mind, but in the end we just did a small loop taking in Broadbridge Heath, Slinfold and The Haven before cutting across from Rowner Road going up New Road and arriving at Sumners Ponds in Barns Green. This is where we were due to rendezvous with the other sections for lunch. Within a few minutes of us settling down to our food, a few other riders had turned up but by the time everyone else had arrived and had their lunch, we'd been there for nearly an hour and a half!

It was a short ride to the hill on New Road and then we were off. Each of us taking a turn rolling down the hill and seeing how far we could go:

The end result saw Anton roll furthest but get disqualified for turning his pedals as he started to get off, but no matter to us as the next two places were our own John C and Ken.

After all that excitement it was but a short run up Two Mile Ash Road back to Horsham and home before four pm.

Next weeks ride is a Three Bridges start at 10:00hrs for one of our monthly Introductory Rides led by Pete S.  I'm hoping that he will take us along the Worth Way as I reckon the Spring Blossom will be really good.

AGM at Pulborough

'Good-morning; good-morning!' the General said

When we met him last week on our way to the line.

Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,

And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

'He's a cheery old card,' grunted Harry to Jack

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

Siegfried Sassoon.

Today's ride took us to Pulborough for the DA AGM. 

I met up with Anton, Norman, Val and Ken at Horsham Park Pavilion. We headed through Horsham town centre, up Tower Hill and onto Two Mile Ash Road. Barns Green, Coneyhurst and Broadford Bridge were soon behind and Woods Hill was in front of us. We gritted our teeth and all five of us made it up the hill and carried on to West Chiltington. We swept down the hill, onto Stream Lane and some 10 minutes later pulled up at Pulborough Village hall for the AGM. We joined about twenty other members for the meeting, during which we observed a respectful silence and awarded several trophies - most of which were won by Horsham and Crawley section.

We headed for lunch at The Rising Sun in Nutbourne. The pub was quite busy and we couldn't find  enough space for all of us. That, coupled with the fact that they didn't do sandwiches, made us finish our drinks, get back on our bikes and head for Sumners Ponds. We had a nice lunch there, sitting outside for probably the last time this year.

It was an easy ride back to Horsham where we left Norman and Val. Ken and I cycled back towards Crawley although he used the main road and I used the Forest Road. Back home, I realised I'd clocked up about 50 miles - it hadn't seemed that far!

Our next ride, on Sunday 17th November, starts from Three Bridges station at 10:00 hrs and is called "Horsham at Arms Length". We'll follow a clockwise route skirting around Horsham with a lunch stop at The Blue Ship in The Haven and possibly a tea stop at Capel church later on. The mileage will be about 40 or so and there will be a couple of hills.

Arun Crossings DA Event

Pulp Fiction??   Not quite - report to follow.......

Meanwhile, watch the video....

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1015163803845

The Two Weald Ride (DA Event)

During the summer months, we have a number of events designed to bring members of Arun/Adur, Bognor/Chichester and Horsham /Crawley CTC member groups together. In July we stage the Two Weald Ride. This gives our members a choice of four different 25 mile routes looping out from Wisborough Green in the general direction of each of the four main compass points.

For this years event we had a total of 15 riders turn up. It was a gloriously sunny day and I opened up the checkpoint a little earlier than advertised and got the first rider off at 09:35, with the second following along just before 10:00. As in the last few years, Frank and Pat brought their camper van and it made a great base for everyone to congregate around and enjoy their refreshments. Frank had manoeuvred it under the tree and so we could sit in the shade to avoid getting sunburnt. 

The bulk of the riders set off in two groups at about 10:15 - one group using the North loop and the other using the West loop. This left Frank and myself manning the Control but we were soon joined by John V and then Anton. We were hoping to ride as a quartet but we needed to wait for someone to take over the Control and time was slipping away, so John and Anton set off on the West loop by themselves. As I was getting hungry, I popped into the pub for lunch and got back to the van just before Pat arrived back (with John C). This meant Frank and I could set off, along with Colin - this was his second loop of the day. We'd decided on using the West loop because we think it is the nicest although it does have a couple of hills. This slide show covers all but the last mile of the entire route in a mere 6.5 minutes! If only we could ride that fast! Mind you, we'd miss the fantastic countryside that it goes through - hopefully the slide show gives some flavour, but believe me, there's no substitute for the real thing.

Arriving back at the Control bang on 16:00, all that was left to do was wave goodbye to the last of our fellow riders as they headed for home and then pack up the camper van and head for home ourselves. It had been a wonderful days cycling although the heat had probably stopped some people doing additional loops. That said, we'd collectively cycled well in excess of 400 miles taking into account those people such as John V, Anne and Colin who had all ridden to and from Wisborough Green on top of riding their loops.

Next weeks ride is a big one - it's the Horsham 100.  And this being England, the 100 means miles not kilometres!  It will start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 07:00 hrs and comprises of a 50 mile loop to the south with a tea stop at The Barn Garden Centre (Dial Post) at 09:30 and lunch at the Park Cafe in Horsham at 12:30. The afternoon 50 mile loop will head north and have a tea break at Henfold Lakes at 16:00 to finish back at Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 19:00 hrs. Feel free to do as much or as little of the ride as you want - perhaps just one 50 mile loop, or just a rendezvous at one of the refreshment stops which are both within about ten miles of Horsham. Hey, why not just meet up at lunch and give your encouragement to those trying to make it to three figures :-)

I-Spy Ride

Miles Route Instruction/Question
0 Start from Sumners Ponds Reception.
0.1 Turn RIGHT onto road
If B+C=6, what is BG+I?
0.2 STRAIGHT ON (and over L/C)
Where are the two horses and riders?
0.6 STRAIGHT ON (ignore road on left)
What’s between Courtlands and Emms Farms?
What postcode for Appletrees?
Where’s the yellow, green and white BP petrol pump?
1.6 LEFT then RIGHT
No Public Right of Way where?

This was the start of what faced the eleven competitors in this years I-Spy DA Event.

Route instructions interspersed with questions - 29 of them over the 17.5 mile morning section and 25 questions over the 13.5 miles of the afternoon section. Mainly in teams of two, the competitors set off from Sumners Ponds at about 10:00hrs. I sat chatting with Mick and had a coffee and piece of cake before setting off to get to the lunch stop before the competitors. Mick was heading home via Broadbridge Heath whereas I headed out of Barns Green on Two Mile Ash Road. On reaching The Bax Castle I had to decide whether to go onto the Downs Link or stay on the road - as I was tracing part of the afternoon section, I decided to stay on the road so that I could check that the question answers were all still there!

I soon arrived in Southwater and all the answers I'd passed were still in place and visible. I now adopted the Downs Link and sped past the Country Park, down the lane and under the A24. The surface of the Downs Link was nice and firm with only slight sogginess in parts, so my slick tyres were coping well and I was passing all the other cyclists. Generally speaking my speedo was reading anything between 17 and 20 mph as I headed south, though I eased off a little as I went through West Grinstead station as there were several other cyclists around. I was also busy looking at the old station building which looked like it was boarded up, so I didn't notice what I think was an "L" shaped lump of metal or concrete which whacked my rear wheel and put a fairly major buckle into it! Half expecting to have acquired a puncture as well, I gingerly carried on but everything seemed ok and I got my speed up again.

I was enjoying the day, the riding, the smell of the wild garlic and it wasn't long before I arrived at my destination, Partridge Green, and pulled up at the Partridge. It was 11:30 and I was pleased to find that they were already open so I rapidly made a start on a rather nice pint of Partridge. At midday I ordered some food (chilli and chips) and then had a chat with some other cyclists that had arrived. There was a small family group that arrived with one bike and a dog between them - they'd had another bike but that had punctured and, unable to reinflate the tyre, they'd left it chained up intending to collect it on their way back to Dial Post.  Another group of cyclists had arrived. They were from Burgess Hill and had come across country via Bob Lane and Shermanbury. They seemed interested in Sumners Ponds, so I gave them directions and showed them its location on the map.

As I finished my lunch (and embarked on a second pint), the first competitors arrived soon followed by each of the others. They handed their morning answer sheets in and it was soon apparent that everyone had spotted the answer to every clue - I was very harsh and docked one team 1 point for putting Wiston Wood instead of Wiston Estate. But without some differentiation in points I wouldn't be able to determine a winner, so needs must (besides, the organisers decision is final)!

I circulated photos of the answers to the morning section and issued the direction/question sheets for the afternoon section. As the last team embarked, I finished off my beer, packed my pannier bag and headed back onto the Downs Link. As I rode back along the track, I was a bit slower than I had been earlier - proof that beer is not a good fuel for cyclists perhaps? The sun now started to break through the clouds and by the time I'd reached Southwater I was getting too hot to keep my jacket on. The last few miles along Church Lane / Bonfire Hill and Two Mile Ash Road were very pleasant and represent my first piece of short-sleeve riding THIS YEAR!!  My knees haven't yet had an airing though.

Arriving back at Sumners Ponds, most of the tables at the cafe were occupied, but once I'd got a cup of tea and piece of cake, there was a spare one available and I settled down to await the arrival of the competitors. First back were Gordon and Michael, followed by Anne, Edwin and John. Paul and Dave were next in, then Pete and Marian on their tandem. As it was nearly four o'clock I phoned Pete E to find out where he was. "Just arriving" he said and yes, there he was along with John C.

Quickly marking all the answers I realised there was a three way tie and that I would have to invoke the tie-break question. Sneakily, right at the end of the afternoon section of the question sheet I'd asked "How many times has the route crossed the word SLOW (painted the correct way up) on the road today?" The teams had each put a different answer and so the result was determined by who had the closest answer to the correct figure.  There had been a total of eleven SLOW's on the route and the team of Paul and Dave, with an answer of seven were closest.  There being no prize and no trophy, Paul and Dave only had the applause of their fellow competitors to reinforce the pleasure of their victory in this years competition.

Next weeks ride starts from Three Bridges Station at 09:30 hrs and will visit the Wings Aviation Museum in Brantridge Lane. This will be the first time we've visited this attraction and I believe there is an £8 entry fee, although if enough people turn up perhaps a reduced fee may be negotiated? I also understand there is a cafe on site. Unfortunately I'm unable to attend this ride but I'll be very interested to hear how it goes.

Commercial Vehicle Run

The First Sunday in May sees a London to Brighton run for commercial vehicles. On the way they stop for a service break at Broadfield Stadium. We intercepted them there and walked around admiring the shiny (retired) working vehicles - lorries, vans, fire-engines, charabancs, buses - even a cement lorry!

We finally got back on our bikes and managed to beat a couple of the old vehicles up Pease Pottage Hill before following them through Handcross and down to Staplefield where we had a long and relaxed lunch outside The Victory.

It was very nice sitting in the sunshine but we had to head home, so we headed west through Slaugham, past Slaugham Pond up to Plummers Plain. From here we went past the hammerpond and then turned right onto Grouse Road. At the top end of which, Barbara and Norman turned toward Colgate and on to Horsham whilst Gordon, Michael and myself went back to Crawley.

There is no organised club ride on Sunday 12th May - because it's the Club Weekend away in Dieppe! I thought I'd put this photo here to give a slightly French feel:

The following week, Sunday May 19th is the second DA Event of the year - The I-Spy Ride.
As this one is organised by us, please come along and support our section in the competition.
It starts from Sumners Ponds in Barns Green at 10:00 and will involve cycling about 35 miles and answering a number of clues on the way round. It finishes back at Sumners Ponds sometime around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and there will be a lunch stop in the middle. The Bluebells look and smell fantastic and I've certainly enjoyed planning the route.

DA Event - Freewheel

Today we rode to Nutbourne for the Freewheel competition - basically everyone takes it in turn to just roll downhill (no pedalling) and see who can go the furthest. After several years of trying, and being a leading contender, JC finally managed an outright victory today. Well done.

I made a video of my descent during which I managed to hit 38 mph but I couldn't translate it into distance and came about 4th or 5th or something.....

Next weeks ride is an easy ride starting from Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs and will either be an out and back along The Worth Way, or a gentle road route to Redhill Aerodrome - it all depends on who turns up and what kind of ride they want!

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.

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.

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.

Two Weald Ride

The third DA Event of the year took place on Sunday 1st July.  Based at Wisborough Green, this event gives participants the choice of four differnt 25 mile loops away from Wisborough Green - to the East, the West, the North and the South.

For the third year in a row, Pat and Frank kindly brought their motorhome so that we could use it as a base and to provide refreshments. Everything was set up at 10:00 hours and riders began arriving from the three parts of the West Sussex Member Group.

In total 16 riders attended and set off in small groups to tackle the delights of the various loops. The most popular route being the West with 8 people tackling it.  The North was next most popular with 7 people enjoying it. The East and South loops has just two riders apiece. Hah! I hear you say - that makes 19! Where did the extra 3 come from?  Well, three intrepid riders managed to fit in two loops - and 2 of them (Anne and Colin) had not only ridden to the start from Chichester but were riding back and probably clocked up somewhere in the region of 90+ miles for the day. Fantastic.

Generally speaking the weather was very good (considering) with blue skies and fluffy clouds for most of the day and just a couple of showers in the late afternoon. There was a blustery wind from the southwest but it wasn't always that noticeable when riding - most of the routes benefitted from using fairly sheltered roads.