2020-09 September

FGCC rides in September 2020.

Saturday 5th September – the not Not-Turvey house ride.

Not Turvey house ride cancelled due to the virus so a ride to the Orchards instead with the feast hosted by PT & JR instead of their respective breaks.

PT , JR , ZA, MA, RK, AM, TK and newbie Glen.

After a number of false starts it turns out that Glen is not American and turned up for a ride. Route for the main peloton was Cissbury, towards Chanctonbury, SDW, the Bostal, Kings barn lane and Downslink to the Orchards. Meanwhile PT had ridden down from Horsham and onto the Downslink to meet the peloton close to Steyning.

Return journey for PT being reverse of the outward journey, the main peloton returned via the Downslink as far as Partridge Green, thence onto Lock Lane, Ford Lane and a track to take them to Honeypot Lane. Then a track to take them to the top of North Lane close to the A24, down North Lane to Hole Street, Water Lane and Chanctonbury ring road to the bottom of Llama lane. Then west along the track to join the SDW go across the A24 and round the back of Windlesham, up to Collarbone Alley and across the field to top of School Hill to Findon.

A memorable occasion when we were pleased to welcome Glen to our number, and hope that he might join us again when he can.

Total 30 miles and 1,788ft (Strava)

ZA reported: “the returning Peloton became confused on encountering a sign saying ‘Footpath’ on Paul’s suggested route back to Findon with the result that – after some discussion(!), and aided by Monsieur Kersley’s navigational skills – we struck out along a bridleway running in a different direction: this eventually brought us out onto the same lane that joins the A24 at Dial Post, albeit a little further S.E. From there we picked up with the recommended route, taking the option to turn W before Llama Lane, returning via Windlesham (where it was necessary to put some more air in the rear tyre of my Kona), arriving in Findon shortly before 14.00.”

AM commented: “Thank you Paul And John for a splendid brek yesterday and to the rest of the peloton for putting up with dragging a lanterne rouge round the byways.

Thanks again for your forbearance and for a thoroughly entertaining journey back. I still maintain strongly that for a few brief moments we were technically lost between here and a hypothetical there. The poor guy on his gravel bike clearly thought we were completely bonkers. Who were we to disabuse him.

Onwards and crazily upwards.”

Saturday 12th September 08.00am ride

MA,ZA, JR, AM, TK

MA reports: “What a splendid ride today which included a stop for coffee and biscuits at Gemma’s home with the spectacular veranda and views before continuing to The Hummingbird for breakfast then back via the Downslink and the SDW to drop back into Findon via Stable Lane.

Zach, John, Andy, Tim and myself set out, leaving Zach at Gemma’s, the rest of us travelled on risking a sudden downturn in the weather without our TV with us.

Plotaroute total: 19.3 miles and 1,512 ft.

Saturday 19th September 08.00am ride

A covid-legal peleton of six (Andy, Paul, John, Mark A, Zach and Roy) was pushed into being a target of Priti Patel’s Stasi with the arrival of new grandad Richard. We immediately resolved to consider ourselves as a peleton of four and a second peleton of three, to prevent informers from reaching for their phones.

Climbing through Muntham in the shelter of the trees, the force of the wind was felt when we turned north to the SDW. This soon separated the riders into a peleton of Richard, Roy and Mark, followed by four spaced peletons of one. Regrouping at Kithurst Hill, the observant TV noted a less than usual number of Roches among us. After an interval, concern caused the (now legal) peleton of six to retrace the route, discovering John pumping up his tyre on the downslope after the tank turn. Regret was expressed over the failure of the six to be present in John’s hour of trial, principally because it had done us all out of an opportunity to extract the Mickey.

Mr Roche completes the repair.

Returning to and passing Kithurst, we took a left at Amberley dyke and descended to the village. At this point Richard and Zach continued on the classic Amberley loop to return to Findon, while the remaining five headed for a brek at the Riverside cafe which proved excellent (even if the did forget the second round of drinks).

Fortified, the peleton climbed back up the downs by the traditional route to Kithurst, the followed the SDW to Sullington. Turning south, PT completed a “last post” from the gate to the Roche memorial on Collarbone alley, and the peleton returned to Findon over School Hill.

Thanks to all for a grand ride of 19 miles with about 1500 feet climbed, on a sunny but breezy day.

Saturday 26th September 08.00am ride

PT, CB, AM, MA, JR, KBS

A sunny morning with brisk wind coming from the northwest. Six of us gathered at Pond Green, and were treated to a demonstration of puncture-mending accompanied by many exclamations (of varying degrees of linguistic appropriateness) prompted by the extraordinarily tight fit between Chris’ rear wheel and its tyre. A route discussion established Arundel or Littlehampton as the target, and a further discussion established that we should leave the village by Muntham.

Having selected to climb the downs in the windward direction, we all suffered accordingly

After battling along the SDW to Rackham hill, the peleton turned south at mile 5 for the long descent into Burpham. Passing through Wepham, we dived off the road just after mile 8, to make a steep climb through woods, over a field and down through more woods to join the traditional Arundel route at mile 9. At this point Chris took his leave and headed up the slope to return to Findon. I hope he made it, as no further word has been had at the time of writing.

The remainder of the peleton, namely Andy, John, Kim, Mark A and Paul, continued to rejoin the road and convene at the Post Office.

Finding the usual brek establishment besieged by starving denizens of Arundel to the point where entry would have involved an inordinate delay, we set off up the high street to seek and the secure an alternative victualling location. En route Andy was delighted to converse with an erstwhile professional colleague, now released from the repression of the DfE and happily practising as an “artiste du boulevard“.

After parking our bikes against the pavement sign and masking up, we were seated in an underground vault of the Motte and Bailey for brek (Kim has a photo), and a brek of superb quality was despatched. Kim attributes the success of the restaurant to the contribution made by Siri (his daughter, not the Apple assistant thingy) during her employment there. Clearly her waitressing experience from many Tolmare breks was put to good use.

Refreshed, the peleton left Arundel over the railway bridge and climbed to Crossbush to take the Lyminster road, eventually turning left for the track to Poling. Here, Mark A’s local expertise led us north and over the A27, then east on to a track parallel to the A27 which delivered us to the north end of Swillage Lane just after mile 16. At this point Mark A headed south for home (again, it is hoped all went well) while the now denuded core of the peleton turned north through APE to regain the home village via Myrtle Grove and Tolmare, shedding Kim at this last. By the time the Peleton reached Pond Green at 12:45ish, only Paul and John remained, Andy having taken leave at the top of School Hill.

According to Plotaroute we covered 20.9 miles and climbed 1759 feet.