02.2022 February

FGCC rides in February 2022.

Saturday 5th February 08.00am training ride

CB, ZA with AM on road.

With CB keen for a different route for a change the peletwo headed towards Pulborough, so AM decided to head off west rather than go up the A24 racetrack to join them. Precisely where he went is not known. The peletwo route set off up Muntham, to SDW to Kithurst Hill and then down Rackham Mount and past Rackham to the entrance to Parham. Then a walk on the driveway as this is a footpath (?) and onto the A283 to Storrington.

A split here as the baconsmeister wanted to test the bacons at Truffles whilst Team Chaplain wanted to press on.

It is understood that they both took the same return route – through the south side of Storrington and up Chantry Lane to a track across to Sullington Manor Farm and up the steep track to the High Barn. Onwards to Collarbone Alley and down across the field to Findon Roundabout to complete the ride.

Total 16.5 miles and 1,434 ft

Saturday 12th February 08.00am training ride

CB, ZA, RT with AM on a separate ride.

The peloton of the two old farts and the young pup decided to head south and east and were about to set off when AM arrived at Pond Green on his road steed, keeping his distance and intending to head off west, to get in a good few miles before his forthcoming big trip west. No sermon on the mount, but AM was singing praises of his steed and how much he likes riding it, professing that once on it he just finds that he keeps “rolling, rolling, rolling” and can’t stop, (“Yeehaw”).

The peloton set off up to and round the east side of Cissbury to the top, where CB found a dry spot – a brave location considering the strong gusty wind. Then down alongside the golf course, through Sompting and weaving through the streets to Lancing high street and to the greensward.

A breeze along the seafront with the assistance of strong winds and a brek taken at Teddies with plenty of VT in spite of there only being the three.

Return route via Lancing clump. No incidents to report. Total 17.3 miles and 1,158ft.

 

TAMITS: AM the “Yeehaw” award for regularly singing the praises of his road steed

On a mid-week BDN Amberley loop ride CB’s rear mech fell apart half way down Amberley mount resulting in his having to walk/scoot back to Findon, with some a-power push assistance once the peloton had done the loop and caught up with him at High Barn. A possible TAMITS is “The Y-fronts award for getting to the finish line a jockey short”

Saturday 19th February 08.00am training ride

PT, KBS, CB, RT

A pelefour of CB, KBS, PT and RT was briefly joined by Mr Roche (hors de combat for spinal reasons) and our esteemed CCTV (on morning dog duty to garner brownie points for a visit to the footie later) and after some vt a ride to Arundel was decided on, so as to maximise the wind assistance on the homeward climbs.
At the instant of departure KBS discovered a blasteet, and OPG became a temporary repair station as we observed KBS dealing with a tyre which was particularly reluctant to leave its rim.  Helpful advice and encouragement was given in the customary FGCC style, and eventually all set off south for Roger’s Farm and the gallops.
At the top of Mill Lane, KBS noted a recurrence of the squashiness previously encountered, and a further amusing struggle of Dane (of King Canute’s blood) vs Tyre was enjoyed by three of us.  The position of the hole in the tube led us to conclude that the injury had been inflicted during the earlier refitting operation, by pinching the tube between tyre and rim, even though the tube was of industrial thickness and size.  How we laughed.  Also observed that everybody’s inner tubes are repaired using someone else’s patches.
Things went swimmingly after that as we sped through Durrington and westward over Highdown. The pelefour remained intact, heading north through Angmering to the A27, then west to Dover lane and north up it.
The main barkle then ensued, with PT continuing north (certain the others would follow) while RT CB and KBS struck out westward to complete a loop through the woods and rejoin PT’s route about a mile adrift.  Telephonic communication was estsablished, and we exchanged location data.  PT advanced slowly towards Crossbush (hoping to be caught up and reinstate the pelefour), while the pelethree sped down to Warningcamp and on to Arundel (believing PT to have gone that way).  A further call from Crossbush informed PT that his presence was awaited at the stone tables in Arundel, where victuals would be taken.  Gravity and Mr Faraday’s excellent propulsive solutions contributed to a speedy descent of the A27 and a reunion of riders.
All were blown back to Findon together via Burpham. We stopped at the point on the road where the Flying Brit likes to head off into the woods on outward rides so that he could insist that it was a short-cut and all downhill from the valley up to the Burpham road on the Monarch’s Way (??). PT executed an elegant display of how to have a little lie down whilst dismounting his steed,  with a backward roll into the road much to the entertainment of the others (oh how we laughed)
The pelefour pressed on towards and onto the SDW for the return home via Muntham with the added character building effects of stinging rain/hail for the last half hour.
PT”s route in orange, others in green
PT covered 23.41 miles and 1578 feet climbed, others 25.32 miles and 1628 feet

Saturday 26th February 08.00am training ride

CB, PT, MA, RT

Route to Henfield and back with RT intending not to stop for a brek to be back by 12.00. Delays from the start with RT & CB both discovering front wheel blasteets at Nepcroft, and with CB finding that he had two on the same wheel having repaired the first.

Cissbury towards Chanctonbury and down Llama lane to Chanctonbury ring road. Route as per previous rides up to Dial Post and then east to Partridge Green to join the Downslink to Henfield.

Take-away from Truffles instead of a brek at the Old Post Office because of time likely to be taken at the latter, but chaos at Truffles resulted quite a long delay. Back down the Downslink where CB suffered yet another blasteet. After fixing that we headed down to Shoreham footbridge intending to head along the sea front, but both CB and RT were running out of time so the peleton split with CB/RT taking A27 and parallel streets plus A24 home. Meanwhile PT/MA took the sea front route parting company at Grand Avenue.

Total CB/RT: 30.1 miles and 1,355 ft

Total PT: 34.7 miles and 1,340ft

Total MA: 44 miles & 1,711ft