2020-07 July
FGCC rides in July 2020
Saturday 4th July 08.00am ride
A peleton of five (JR, MA, PT, RT and ZA) assembled in drizzly conditions to commemorate the day on which, in an act of supreme folly which has led ultimately to the reign of the Orange Moron, our former colony across the Atlantic chose to leave the benevolent protection of the Mother Country and strike out on its own. Sic transit gloria mundii*, to sum up the current state in which they find themselves.
After some discussion, JR’s unwillingness to believe that his erstwhile saddlebag has permanently forsaken him moved him to suggest a route retracing in part the ride during which the said saddlebag baled out, making its own bid for freedom from the oppression of having to follow the Roche derriere from place to place. Our own act of supreme folly was to agree to JR setting the route for the day.
Eschewing the delights of the usual route up Church Hill, JR led us up an “easier” sheer ascent via the north end of the Gallops and onto Honeysuckle lane, where the assembled company assisted our dear Team Chaplain to repair a blasteet (inflicted by a petty and vindictive act of God which shows the Almighty in not a good light, considering all that the Team Chaplain has done for Him over the years).
From there we descended a slippery Cote Street to the A27, and trickled south through the new housing estate towards and thankfully past the Tesco emporium.
Such was JR’s joy at arriving in the centre of the Ilex Way, he led the peleton east (west to him) to admire the art deco houses on its north side, then west (east to him) to retrace our tracks and complete the length of the Ilex Way in full and into the wind. Down Sea Lane to the beach, and then turning downwind we were blown along the seafront to the Coast cafe at Splash Point. Discussion over the various sarnies taken for breakfast turned to a Roche Heritage Trail to commemorate JR’s forty years as a resident of Findon, and sixty-odd (to be one more tomorrow) years a resident of Worthing. A string of former residences (of varying grandeur), educational establishments (of varying efficacy), and other locations (of varying relevance) was recounted, to be mapped into a ride encapsulation the life of our Team Orator.
Sandwiches and vox testiculorum** completed, the peleton percolated north past PT’s former Redfern offices (now boarded up, just saying) to cross the A27 at Lyons Farm and follow it east (west to JR) until Lambley’s Lane.
Turning north we climbed up to skirt round the sheltered east side of Lychpole hill and arrived at the green barn, where we turnd left and climbed into the wind towards Cissbury car park. A wind-resisted hurtle down the road brought us home to Findon. At some stage the drizzle stopped, but I am not sure when. Plotaroute total 16.5 miles & 1,004 ft
*Gloria threw up in the van last week, or Such is the passing glory of the world
**talking b%ck$
TAMITS: JR’s dilemma over which was east and which was west.
AM’s “cafe closed” ride.
A24 to A259 @ TAB lights.A259 to Clymping. Down to Clymping beach. Cafe closed. Back to West Beach LA. Cafe closed. Along LA seafront to East beach cafe. Closed. Back to Worthing via Rustington, East Preston, Ferring.
Worthing seafront to Half Brick t/lights. North past Worthing tip, Wickes et al to A27. To Offington R/about up Findon Valley home. Cateye says 35.01. Very blustery and hard work into the wind. Flying back. Not too busy, a very pleasant sunny ride. Plotaroute total 35.1 miles & 774 ft
Andy’s route is in blue, the main peleton’s in red.
Saturday 11th July 08.00am ride
We were anticipating the arrival of a potential new member Glen, but he turned up with a road bike and realised that he had forgotten to put his MTB in his van.
Following PT’s brief encounter with Glen and his road bike, a peleton of six assembled at Pond Green. Hope once again scoring a victory over experience, the peleton (PT, RT, TK, MA and ZA) agreed to follow a route proposed by JR.
It is best if JR explains the route, as only he can elucidate the inner intellectual workings behind his many choices!
The route followed was:
JR: Thank you Paul for this excellent reproduction of our route. To explain further the thought processes behind this routing decision:
The FGCC has a long tradition of wanting to pioneer new routes (e.g. The NW Passage), blaze new trails (e.g. the proposed new route to Clapham) and maintain standards (e.g. the excellent work undertaken by the Club Chaplain/Historian in maintenance and reporting on the Monarch’s way).
Fired with this knowledge, plus a need to break from routine (Amberley Loop, Three Peaks etc.) and a desire to let others share an experience of a few years back – when JR had to hike his way through 5 miles of Malaysian jungle to reach the summit of the tea plantation next door to my hotel in Tanah Rata – we embarked as follows:
Tarmac to Cissbury, ascent of same, then an off-piste diversion along an unclassified trail
to join with a bridleway that ascends to join the old bridleway (south of cissbury) that heads down to the hamlet of Charmandean. Crossing the A27, heading south past some Victoriana parts of Broadwater before arriving at the old village itself. From there, crossing Sompting Avenue to do a loop of St. Andrew’s School and remind ourselves (I can’t spell reminisce) of our victory at their PTA quiz, before heading over Ladydell Bridge, past Davison School, St. Georges Road and admiring a former Pied-de-Terre of the TM during his first (of soon to be two) stints at Redfearns.
Heading west along the sea front and experiencing perhaps a little too much of the local wildlife, we arrived at the equally old village of Goring where we found ourselves again drawn to the Ilex Way and again admiring the art-deco housing along the way. Emergence at Ferring meant we had to head north, cross the railway line and head to the lovely old village of Hangleton, before ascending Highdown Hill and taking a northward bridleway past the residence of the (soon to be propositioned), land-owner of the nearby Clapham estate.
Braving 0.6 miles of the east-bound A27 we headed north through the said Clapham estate at Holt Farm – a track we are normally traversing too fast to enjoy. In this direction and angle of ascent we were able to smell the roses a bit more and very pleasant they were too. Atop Church Hill we descended to cross the A24 at the Black Horse and head to Dee-Dees (surgically clean) establishment for brek. I recorded 18.2 miles of actual cycling, the difference between my own record and that of the official computer calculations being due no doubt to back tracking, going wrong, getting lost and general faffing!
Thanks to all for your company and patience – both on the day and for reading this trash.
AM’s ride – cafe closed again:
Pelotone. Road. A24 , to Offington R/about. Through back streets past W.Durrington Tescos to A259. To Clymping round LA over the Arun Bridge first left back to West Beach
Cafe closed. Back over footbridge along LA
seafront through Rustington EP Ferring down Sea Lane to Seafront. Along to East Worthing.
left up past Worthing tip, Wickes etc to A27, A24 up the valley home. Cateye says 32.55 miles. Beautiful weather wind from the N.West. ( Look away now Kim) Tyres singing on the tarmac.
TAMITS – persistence in his search for a morning coffee.
Saturday 18th July 08.00am ride
A magnificent Peleton of seven (JR, MA, PT, RK, RT, TK and ZA) convened in the Square in sunshine. A modified Amberley loop had been proposed in a pre-emptory email the day before, in the hope of at least shortening route discussions. The tactic bore fruit, as we departed promptly at the end of the ten minute rule period.
The outward route was standard Muntham and SDW to the earthwork at Rackham Hill, where a turn south allowed a calmer descent of Amberley Mount at mile 6.
The Peleton
breakfasted royally at the riverside tea rooms in Amberley and set off south for North Stoke. East to the Burgh and Wepham Down, where MA peeled off to head home and the now magnificent six sped down to Lee Farm and climbed to Chantry car park to return to Findon on the SDW, finally hurtling through the wheat field next to the Long Furlong (where was Teresa?).
Red is everyone, blue is MA and orange is the six.
Beautiful day with clear views to the IOW and the North downs from Rackham Hill.
A somewhat whimsical discussion at mile 10 concluded that black olives matter.
Plotaroute 15.5 miles and 1.362ft
AM ride.
Pelot one set off from School hill southwards to the Becket Lights. Turned west along the A259 to LA. At Morrisons R/about took the cycle path through the industrial estate and under the railway line to emerge blinking in the sunlight on the edge of Tesco’s car park. Back onto the A259 cycle path to Bognor, around the bypass to the the Pink pub at Bersted. South to Aldwick before turning East with the S/westerly at my back through Aldwick to West Bognor and The seafront. Quite crowded with funseekers and portly holidaymakers, munching on ice-cream, chips and sundry pastries, but negotiable at a reasonable speed.
Eastwards to Middleton and the end of the tarmac, through Middleton and back to the A259. Along to the footbridge over the Arun, along the seafront ngotiating the throngs of punters enjoying the summer sun to Rustington, Angmering and East Preston to briefly rejoin A259. South through Ferring and down Sea Lane to the beach. Turning East again to follow the seafront to East Worthing.
Turning at the Half Brick lights back up over the railway line and up to the A27. Back to the A24, on the cycle path to the Offington R/about continuing up the valley back to School Hill via the High Street. A very pleasant ride on a beautiful day through fields and by the sea. Cat Eye says 45.01 miles. The steepest climbs being School Hill and the
railway bridge at East Worthing station.
Saturday 25th July 08.00am ride
ZA, PT, JR, MA, RK & RT
A damp drizzly day and only foundation members plus the intrepid so-titled Crocodile Kruger were present. After recent westerly rides an easterly ride was chosen. Up to and around the east side of Cissbury and down past the golf course to Third Avenue and across into Broadwater, then led by JR, his homing instincts took us past St Andrews School for the third time in almost as many weeks and over the footbridge, leading to questions as to whether the footbridge had been the location of his first kiss with one of the local young maidens or his first cigarette (both denied).
Onto the seafront and all the way to Shoreham and up to Shoreham Airport for a splendid breakfast, of such a standard that all agreed that it would receive a high rating on Budd-advisor.
Replete and relaxed after a good session of vox testiculorum the return journey was a slow wet ride via Lancing College and Cissbury.
Total: 17.35 miles and 1,169ft (strava). Plotaroute 17.1 miles and 1,207 ft.
