2019-06 June

Findon Gentlemen’s Cycling Club rides in June 2019.

Saturday 1st June 08.00am ride – Sam memorial ride
A double welcome back, firstly to MT of the Cambodian ex-pat wing, and then to AR who had not been able to attend rides for some time.
Under sunny skies a peleton of RT, JR, MT, AR and PT first spent a few minutes talking b#~^€cks, remembering Sam, and admiring the shininess of AR’s new E-bike, and then set off over Cissbury to cross the steyning road the head north to pick up the SDW. Passing through Bacons-Belsen we inhaled the distinctive aroma of “consultant’s report”.

RT descends on SDW towards Bacons-Belsen and the Adur

Over the bridge and down the Downslink to spend a few minutes at the new Shoreham aircrash memorial, before crossing the wooden bridge and heading to the airport cafe for an alfresco brek.

The peloton takes a breakfast at Shoreham airport.

Back along the seafront with some adjustments to AR’s new steed at Worthing and then again at Grand Avenue. Meanwhile RT attempted to repair a slow blasteet at Worthing, not being able to find the cause applied a repair to a likely looking cut, but it later proved unsuccessful so a couple of reflations were required to get him home. Final part of the route was up Mill Lane to the Gallops.
20 miles and 1585 feet climbed.

Saturday 8th June 08.00am ride
Having cancelled the tank trek due to anticipated limited numbers a good sized group gathered at Pond Green – PT, JR, RK, TK, KBS, AR & RT.
Maintenance faffing included fixing RK blasteet and RT’s headset (twice).
Birthday boy TK (50) needed to be back by 10.00 am so after much deliberation a 4 peaks ride selected starting with Church Hill. Inspection of the not-memorial half way up – all fine. Across the top to High Barn, and a fast drop to the A24 then the crawl up to Chanctonbury. TK needed to shoot off back home to sort out a computer problem that he had initiated, but KBS planned a quick toast to the birthday boy, so TK went to find a good reception point to make a quick call home. KBS poured out the shots of Danish cough mixture (sorry something like Gammeldansk) and the peloton were left for some time holding the shots waiting for TK’s return – the scene of 6 older cyclists holding shots in howling winds on the top of a hill resulting in comparisons with scenes from “Last of the summer wine”. Toasts made the peloton continued, having to angle some 20 degrees into the wind whilst crossing the ridge at Chanctonbury, back to Cissbury car park and to the village for a brek at the garden centre.
Total 11.5 miles 1,100 ft
TAMIT: TK phone call leading to Last of the Summer wine moment

Friday 14th/Saturday 15th June Isle of Wight and New Forest ride
PT, RT, JR, TK, RK
A perfectly organised plan saw the Findon peloton riding to the station and taking a brek at the station before getting onto the same train as that which RK had boarded at Lancing, to then be joined by Mr Topley (train from Horsham) at Ford station. Mr Roche insisted that this would be an email-free ride – a first for him on FGCC rides.
Train to Portsmouth , problems at Fastcat ferry when we discovered that the through to Shanklin tickets bought at Worthing by TK were for the hovercraft, which does not take bikes (never had that problem before!). Usual jobs-worth engagement for the IOW train meant split group.
Regathered at Shanklin station cafe with coffee break providing great opportunity for talking “b*****s”, such as discussion on whether veganism would ever reach this corner and the proposal by Mr Regime-changer King that the best way to reduce meat consumption is to reduce the number of people on the planet. Also words that irritate – the one for TK being “so” at the beginning of a sentence. So that became the word of the next two days to exhaustion of its use. The first use of the word once we started riding came from TK.
Sustrans route to Carisbrook and an attempt to go round the castle missed, but we cycled up to the car park to look at it before finding our way to the Eight Bells for our usual lunch stop. RT upsetting JR’s prospects of a new fiancee.
Then the Tennyson trail to Freshwater Bay with the three climbs into a westerly wind proving challenging. Lost keys memorial in surprisingly good condition and maintenance took place while PT and JR made the annual search for the keys. To Yarmouth with plans for cream teas, but the ferry was just coming in so straight on to Lymington and to the digs.
An evening starting with a trial of the various pubs to find the best beer, then an overly expensive but nice curry, washed down with a further pub visit.
The next morning TK parted company from the peloton to return home, whilst the rest started off for a New Forest ride with a ride along the banks of the Lymington river. Rather than “banks” the route was more like going through marshes after the recent heavy rain with stretches of waking (wading) through mud and shoes getting soaked. Pleasant ride through the forest to Lyndhurst for coffee and cakes, before riding to Brockenhurst to take the train to Southampton and home. On the Brockenhurst train a non-jobsworth ticket collector informed us that we had broken all the rules due to having 4 bikes on the train and were using a group ticket.
Totals: First day 32 miles (including ride to station from Findon) and 2,038ft (Strava) – c. 3,00ft (Satmap)
Second day 18.5 miles and 752 ft.

TAMIT:
PT getting onto the correct train this time and in the right direction.
JR: email free ride – a first.
RK; regime changer suggesting reducing number of people on the planet to resolve global warming.

Saturday 22nd June 08.00am ride
ZA, AR, RK, MA
ZA reports. Lovely weather made for a great Amberley loop rid..(and TM).. would have been impressed with the way in which Mark (A) managed to effect a temporary repair to his chain with the aid of Roy’s ‘Halford’s Special’ chain tool: brek at Wyevale.

Total: 18 miles 1,510ft climbed
TAMIT: MA apprentice to TM fixing chain.

Saturday 29th June 08.00am ride
TK, RT, RK, JR, AR
A shortish ride proposed as TK had to get back by 09.30 so that the rest of the peloton could go to TK towers for an impromptu brek. 4 peaks proposed, but the more gentle way round, but by the time we had reached Cissbury this reduced to 3 peaks as some did not want to climb to High Barn, by the time we had got to the A24. Hottest day of the year so far and the Downs were busy during the ride with everyone taking an early walk/ride prior while it was still relatively cool. A gentleman who had just ridden up to the top from the A24 looked ready to expire.
Past Windlesham and back up to Pukkamuck via the shaded path at which point TK parted company. On and up to the top of Church Hill at which point we decided that we had enough time to go High Salvington then down the road and the path to Wyevale then up to Kersley Towers.
At Kersley towers we were treated to a splendid brek sitting in the shade in the verdant garden on a marvellous summer day.

Total 11 miles and 985ft

TAMIT: Vegetarian TK enduring having to go to the butcher’s to buy meat on behalf of his fellow cyclists, such dedication (and courage) being characteristic of true gentlemen of the FGCC.