11.2022 November

Findon Gentlemen’s Cycling Club rides in November 2022.

Saturday 5th November 08.00am ride

A ride to welcome Team Chaplain into the Septuagenarian wing of the FGCC.

ZA, PT, RT meeting AM at the airport. 

With a very wet and windy ride in prospect and many off-road routes likely to be extremely boggy Truffles at Shoreham Airport selected as a brek destination and also where AM could join the peloton.

Up Cissbury in lightish rain, not as bad as had been taking place during the night. Over and right to Lytchpole Farm and then the track to and down Lambleys Lane. Across the A27 to Sompting and then a meander through Lancing and across the level crossing to the green at the seafront. Seafront route to the airport with rain having all but ceased.

Downpours during the brek leading to decision to have extra toast to delay having to get soaked. Fortunately by the time we got going the rain had eased to a bearable level. Back along the seafront to Brougham Road and North street with AM stopping to apparently remind RT where he was. However RT was more interested in the ride and had completely forgotten about the Canton-ese building construction of which he had managed.

Across the railway bridge to then follow the Findon Cycle route home.

Total 20.3miles and a mere 831 ft.

TAMITS – RT demonstrating that matters FGCC successfully drown out any thoughts of past employment

 

Saturday 12th November 08.00am ride

MA, TK, TB, AM, ZA.

A ride to Teddies via Cissbury, Coombe Farm, Botolphs and Downslink, with return along the seafront and presumably Grand Avenue and the Gallops for the main peloton with MA continuing west as per the map below.

27.5 miles and 1,418 ft for Mr Avery and around 20miles and 1,000ft for the main peloton. An odd quirk from Strava shows Mr Avery as riding on the river heading south just before the A27 flyover.

AM reported on his ride as follows:I met the peloton at the end of the Downslink as they emerged from under the railway Bridge. My route was down the valley to the western end of Worthing seafront and then straight through to Shoreham where I crossed the footbridge and went left to meet the others. The return was the seafront,Grand Avenue, Tarring High Street and we all rode up the valley on the cycle path and back roads to Findon. My route total was 24 miles

Saturday 19th November 08.00am ride

PT, MA, RK, RT meeting AM at Shoreham.

A break in the seemingly endless rain and a Downslink to Henfield chosen as the target for the morning. AM arrived but intending to head west on road.

Looking forward to a brek at the Old Post Office the peloton headed up Stable Lane, over to Langmead and down the concrete road to Maudlin Lane at which point RT suggested that we turn left to the Steyning end of the lane rather than the roundabout end due to the likelihood of deep water at the latter end. However MA in bullish mood pushed for a possible swim even though on his e-bike. In the event there was almost no lake at the feared point – for once Southern Water must have fixed a problem and we set off onto the road section of the Downslink.

Half way along King’s Stone Lane a cyclist coming the other way enquired as to whether we were intending to  go along the Downslink because if we had planned to do so we would have to contend with mid-shin height (en-velo) flood water alongside the sewage works. This time MA agreed to not continue in that direction. Therefore we switched to Teddies as the brek location and sent Mr Mead a message to inform him of the change in destination, just in case…

Heading onto the Downslink at Bramber roundabout we came across a lake just at the point where one can either cross the A283 or proceed through the lake to on the track under it. Still in charge mode MA wanted to go through it accompanied by the other e-biker PT while RK & RT hesitated observing the progress of the waders. After waiting for a while and hearing no cries of anguish (or electrical noises the latter two followed to find the path clear after about 100yds.

Brekking at Teddies the familiar figure of Mr Mead appeared at the window and then joined us for a coffee. Turns out that he had a change of plan and came east taking bacon bap and coffee at the corner cafe only to then find that the peloton had also arrived.

Return route via seafront, west Worthing and the Gallops.

Total: 25.5 miles & 959ft climbed

TAMITS: MA PT The swashbuckling e-bikers?

Saturday 26th November 08.00am ride

MA, PT, TB, AM

Six were gathered at OPG this morning, MA, PT and TB astride ebikes, AM on his road bike, and ZA and IM a pied accompanied by their respective 4×4 companions.  These last two declined to join the peleton.
AM set off coastwards in pursuit of miles, while PT, MA and TB resolved to attempt the four peaks as TB was time pressured.  The traditional route was followed:
descending from Chanctonbury via the quarry to the A24.
AM rejoined le peleton at Roger’s farm at the agreed time of 09:30 for a brek a quatre, after which MA and TB headed south while PT and AM returned to beautiful downtown Findon.