2013.06 June

1st June 08.00am Saturday morning ride – The return of the Flying Dane.
RT, TK, KBS
Surprise attendance by the Flying Dane with his new Kona. Motivated by his new toy the FD requested a 4 peaks ride (not too long a ride – TEMKEK salute), but naturally the reverse route starting up Church Hill.
AS KBS shot off ahead in his traditional style, RT & TK surmised that it would not last and that the FD would soon run out of steam.

Usual route across Long Furlong, at which point KBS was offered the opportunity to go home if the route so far had proven too much for him, and over to see if GD was in office. We were informed that for once GD was not on the golf course and was out delivering hay. To the high barn and the drop to the A24.

As we started the ascent to the A24 the FD rushed on ahead not hearing the “blasteet” call. Whilst TK & RT fixed the “blasteet” (Tim please remember next time to make a note of which of your spares has a puncture!) comment was made that in the past the FD would come back down the hill both to investigate and to give himself another shot at the hill, but that this time we expected him to remain at the top. Wrong! He appeared just as we were setting off and once more shot up the hill ahead of us.

However there were signs of KBS fading as, when we reached Chantonbury he suggested return via Cissbury car park, with some excuse that going via Langmead would be “too boring” – its not even tarmac Kim! Nevertheless he agreed to go that route when it was concluded that the route could include the climb on the east side of Cissbury, and leading TK and RT to conclude that we were wrong and that the Flying Dane had returned (well for the moment!):

The return of the Flying Dane
The return of the Flying Dane

So remainder of route was via Langmead, down the gravel track, right towards Cissbury car park, but then a left round the east side of Cissbury and the sharp climb to the top and a drop back down to the car park and return home.
Total again only around 10 miles?

Saturday 8 June 2013
Just three in the peleton today, PT, Sam (despite the absence of Thriscutt Sr) and Ian. To the cries of “Ian?” I am delighted to inform the Gentlemen that Ian is a rider and staunch supporter of none other than the Thornton Road club, a roadie biking club on Romney Marsh established in 1946 (we have some way to go!). Ian had ridden over from Hythe the day before, to visit friends in Findon and was fitted up with Mark T’s bike and sent down with Sam to have a go off-road.
We took off up through the crem and gained the South Downs way at the barn, then along to the tank to take in views of Arundel and beyond to the IOW. Back across the field to the west, then down by the trees to Myrtle grove, Lee farm and Tolmare and back to Findon down Long Furlong (just to make Ian feel at home on some tarmac).

Friday-Saturday 14th/15th June NFC/IOW ride.
PT, AM, ZA, RT.
In a perfectly planned FGCC way, PT & RT rode down to the square meeting AM just as he got to the bottom of School Hill. The three cycled to the station to catch the 08.55 train to Southampton, and as the train stopped at Angmering ZA was standing exactly at the right point to join the others.
On the journey we were treated to a sermon on the train provoked by the mention of the name “Gove”.

The sermon on the train
The sermon on the train

Transfer at Southampton to Ashurst and a stop for a bacon baguette there having ridden such a long way that morning.
Started off the NFC ride by heading on up to Rufus Stone. One stopping point – “to insult the map” – turned out to be alongside the Dansk Vicekonsulat, presumably conveniently located for the next Viking assault on our green and pleasant land.

Dansk Vicekonsulat in the middle of the New Forest - why?
Dansk Vicekonsulat in the middle of the New Forest – why?

Danish Vice-Consulate
Manor Farm
Kewlake Lane
Bramshaw
Southampton
Hampshire
SO40 2NT
Opening hours: 09.00-17.00
Tel: (023) 808 12155
Mobile: 07732 748755

And I think the vice consul is called Wendy (this information provided by the Flying Dane – does Mrs FD know about this?).

 

Saturday 22nd June 08.00am ride
???

Saturday 29th June 08.00am ride.
JR comments as follows:

Saturday’s ride was a tripartite affair which was not totally without incident – although I’m pleased to say that Richard can put away the paints.

Attending:

Mr. Kim Bang Sorrenson of Denmark, sometimes resident of Findon.
Mr. Tim Kersley of Milton Keynes (two nights a week), otherwise resident of Findon.
Mr. John Roche of Findon (but whose heart is with his people in Tanah Rata).

The TK max bit comes from my view of Tim & Kim at maximum revs (TK Max – get it?), riding out ahead me whilst I flagged gently behind for the whole ride. Ah yes, the ride: Up Stable Lane, past Gallops Farm, Buddington Bottom, SDW – so far two more hills than were absolutely necessary (in my opinion), where there was a parting of the ways. I elected to take the tarmac down to Steyning, The flying Dane’s tarmac allergy kicked in at this point and he went flying off in a downward direction. A spirit of worldly, altruistic and generally all round Christian spirit filled Tim who accompanied the Dane lest Viking blood be spilled (so close to bloody Norse corner).

An uneventful brek at Truffles where Tim and I opted for the vegetarian choice, but where a menu hat trick was avoided (which would have made the waitress’ admin so much easier) because Kim’s naturally Viking tendencies again kicked in as we discovered that as well as a tarmac allergy he has a carnal fixation too.

The ride home was almost as uneventful. A journey west along Mouse Lane was going well until we encountered that tiny bridge across the path amid the Wiston Estate. Tim did an emergency stop and then launched into a Sermon from atop the bridge of which Mr. Andy Mead – DJ FGCC would have been proud. Words of utter condemnation were uttered about the general construction, shoddy repair work and overall geometry of this reconstruction. Apparently there then followed a master class on bridge construction, Tim telling anyone who would listen exactly where our modern day bridge repairers had singly failed to follow the example set by their Victorian forebears; vis-a-vis the fact that the whole repair had been thrown together. This structure is therefore now officially condemned.

In the previous paragraph I used the expressions,”apparently” and “anyone who would listen”. I use these expressions with confidence because the latter was a very low number (less than one). Time was at this point frozen as I had drifted off to a land of slumber where bridges are perfect and all is right with the world. I was only awoken by stentorian Norse orientated Viking snoring from the other hero of this story.

A bleary eyed trip up Llama Lane (ask the TM what that feels like), was followed by a failed attempt at a last post ride home to the (for Tim and Kim) temporary haven of Findon.

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