2019-01 January

Findon Gentlemen’s Cycling club rides in January 2019.

Saturday 5th January 08.00am ride
CB, ZA, PT, RK, JR, KBS, TK, RT
Morning after the APM the night before.
Much debate prior to the ride as to a route with the final choice being an Arundel ride, with the Flying DanBrit wanting to go for a swim in the Arun requesting that the route go via Amberley and along the river bank to Arundel. The route started off as usual via Muntham and up to the High Barn, but then ZA suffered a blasteet. RT & KBS ahead of the peloton realised only at Chantry Post car park that the others had stopped, but on turning round discovered that RT also had a blasteet. They quickly repaired the tube in time for when the main peloton caught up, but by only a couple of hundred yards further on RT’s tube had deflated completely. In order to minimise standing time in the freezing wind RT quickly swapped the inner tube rather than repairing, but it took only another hundred yards or so for that tube to go down also. JR to the rescue with a new inner tube, but by this time it was too late to go to Arundel and so the route was changed to via the tank, Lee Farm, Michelgrove and Myrtlegrove to Findon.

Total 10.4 miles and 1046 ft.

PT’s report on the ride:
“Tension- filled scenes from this morning’s ride. Will the repair be successful . . .

All hands to the pump for RT’s second blasteet

Well, will it?

If there is a pump to hand

Apparently not – the scene 100 yards ( not metres) further on . . .

RT’s blasteet repair number 3.

And some fine Whipmeistering over brek at Julias”

CB demonstrates the art of whipmeistering

Saturday 12th January 08.00am ride
PT, KBS, JR, TK, RK, ZA, RT
Another fine morning so a second attempt at an Arundel ride with Danbrit river dipping diversion was agreed, with an interval for memorial creation for JR as agreed at the APM.
Memorial creation – JR

Memorial club colours being applied with template

JR and the peloton doff hats as the Ode to the fallen is recited

The river bank ride was mostly dry but satisfied the thirst for that route for the Danbrit. Slow Arundel brek and a return via Burpham (except ZA via Monarch’s Way).
23.2 miles 2300ft Satmap
24 miles 1800ft Strava

Saturday 19th January 08.00am ride
PT, ZA, JR, CB, RT, TK
A drizzly miserable day turned into a cold wet miserable ride partly due to the need for the Team Chaplain to head off on his own whilst CB fixed his second blasteet of the morning – the first fixed at Nepcroft and the second included a change of rim tape at PT’s car at Pond Green.
Route up to Cissbury car park and north on the water filled track to top of Stable Lane, thankful that the wind was behind us due to the penetrating drizzle made even colder with the wind. Close to the fork in the track that heads north east to the SDW it was JR’s turn for a puncture. Slow repair because of frozen fingers, but with the usual banter keeping spirits high. Setting off again it was not long before JR suffered another (same?) deflation and this time a tube replacement took place, a bare legged CB having to ride up to Chanctonbury and back in order to deflect approaching frostbite (hint of a repeat medal there?). Headed off again with firstly intending to go via Buddington bottom it being more sheltered, but change of minds to go via Chanctonbury and cut short the ride by descending to the A24 from there for a defrosting brek.
A mere 6 miles and 620ft.

Saturday 26th January 08.00am ride
KBS, PT, CB, RK, JR, ZA, RT
A ride to create the Flying Brit memorial. Muntham, SDW to Kithurst hill then fork down towards Burpham to the site of the incident at which point RT got out the appropriate stencils and materials to make the memorial, with the assistance of TK, by now an expert trainee for the position of war artist – all part of FGCC succession planning as someone remarked.

The peloton at the memorial creation.
KBS and his memorial

Ode to the fallen recited and we continued towards Burpham, then left along a track to take us to the top of the gallops and then Lee Farm, the long climb up to the SDW and return to Muntham. At this point the peloton split with RT & PT going straight to Findon and the remainder going to top of and down Church Hill for a brek at Wyevale’s following the decline in standards at Julia’s.
Total 14.3 miles and 1,233 ft.