09.2021 September

Summary of Findon Gentlemen’s Cycling Club rides in September 2021

Saturday 4th September 08.00am ride

MA reports:

What a great ride today, most memorable from my perspective for a number of day bacle avoidance measures…

Having set out on something of a rush fearing I was running late I set out via Dappers Lane and East on old Arundel Road heading towards Holt Lane, I was riding along the verge of the A27 when I realised I hadn’t started Strava. I avoided day bacle numero uno by stopping at the bottom of Holt Lane to turn it on, hence the gap in the plot below.

Up through Clapham Woods, I avoided any lay downs by remaining on the bridleway and only received minor scratches along the ridge before descending Church Hill and arriving at OPG without further incident. Upon checking the time, I found I was 20 mins early so decided to add a short loop up past the Pest House and Gallops Farm and back to OPG where I met up with Roy, Tim and Richard.

As you see we did the Lion Trail to Steyning then the Downs Link ( another day bacle was avoided here when Roy spotted my shoelace had come undone and I able to stop and retie it before it got caught in the chain) to Teddies for breakfast then along the seafront to the bottom of Grand Avenue. Leav the rest of the peleton to head north, I rode on to Climping Beach to meet up with my finer half for more coffee and ice cream then home via Ford, Arundel, Warningcamp and down Dover Lane.

A great ride indeed.

Total 22.1miles and 945ft for the main peloton

Total 45.8 miles & 1,930ft for MA

Saturday 11th September 08.00am ride

An all-Whyte peleton of PT, MA and TK was joined by RT (Specialized) and JR (Trek) for  a ride towards the west, to take brek in the marina cafe in Littlehampton. Climbing up through the crem, the team war artist attended to the Collarbone Alley memorial and FGCC ode to the fallen recited. Pressing on we reached Chantry Post car park and turned south to Lee Farm.

The peleton was reduced, on arrival at Lee Farm, as Mr Kersley’s leash became taut and he was left with no alternative than to peel off for home, his route (in blue below, peleton in orange) being guessed at as follows:

The remaining riders headed west to Myrtle grove and on to the Budd memorial (mile 7ish), which was found to be in good repair.  RT observed that the memorial was saved by its being painted on a sycamore tree (a large weed) rather than one of the ash trees which surrounded it at the time and have since been felled.
Arundel bypass and the monotony of the Ford road led to discussion of the attraction that such riding has for the lycra-clad posse who flit about on the tarmac.  No credible explanation could be advanced.
Brek at the marina proved entertaining, with mugs of tea provided instead of the requested pots, then a pot of tea holding about half a mug being provided when we ordered a second round of drinks.  Most of the breks were delivered deficient of one advertised component, and supplementary trips by the waitress were required to complete the repast.  All was done with a cheerfulness which overcame the chaos admirably.
The homeward leg was along the seafront then through the mean backstreets of Rustington, with much doubling back to eventually penetrate the private estates and their “no entry” signs.
We took leave of MA at Highdown (mile 22), and continued through Durrington then north to the A27 at Holt lane.  Up through Clapham woods in the dry conditions, then down Church hill.
Strava informs us that Mr Budd, meanwhile, provided the local signorinas with a heart-fluttering glimpse of his fine pins, on a short loop in the mountains:

No doubt the local Red Cross was out to revive the swooning ladies.
ZA was returning from a sojourn in the Wess Curn’ry, taking in inter alia the Camel trail.
Total 27.3 miles and 1,686ft for the peloton
Total 9.6miles and 853ft for TK
Total 5 miles and 926ft for CB

Saturday 18th September 08.00am ride

James, John, Paul, Tim and Zach climbed up to Cissbury and continued on the steep bit, then turned north toward Langmead.  Hurtled down the concrete road and took Downslink to Shoreham for brek chez Teddy.  Back along the beach and up to West Worthing LC,  then through Tarring to the Becket, Mill lane and the gallops. Total 21 miles & 1,129ft

Sunday 19th to Friday 24th September Peaks ride

Peaks Day 1 – Sunday 19 September – MA PT ZA and Nigel and Thomas Wilson

MA collects ZA and PT, then takes them to M40 Oxford services for coffee.  On to Ashbourne to check in to Travelodge and rv with NW and TW.  Ride through tunnel.

and up Tissington trail (it’s really uphill all the way from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay).  Turn east at Wibben Hill then drop down into Kniveton and up a well-hidden bridleway to Madge Hill.

 

South to cross the Belper road then circle round through Crompton to re-enter Ashbourne from the south, Kersley-style. 18.2 miles & 1,713ft

Peaks Day 2 – Monday 20 September – MA PT ZA and Nigel

Nigel met us at the hotel, and we set off west from Ashbourne, after an unsuccessful search for brek in town, to find a farm shop in Denstone where we fell, as JR would have said, on our feet.

The next section of the ride took us up the Churnett valley alon a disused railway (past Alton Towers resort) and on to the towpath of the Caldon canal at Froghall. Following the canal to Chedderton, we lunched at the Black Lion with a view over the canal and the heritage railway, which obligingly sent an ancient diesel train past.  Route back was a mix of road and bridleway, with many climbs and speeding descents. 37 miles & 3,261 ft

Peaks Day 3 – Tuesday 21 September – MA PT ZA and Nigel

Nigel again appeared at the hotel, by which time the rest had obtained and consumed brek materials from the adjacent Aldi.

All set off north up the Tissington trail, this time reaching the Hartington signal box

before continuing to Parsley Hay for a second brek stop.  The burst of rides had taken its toll on Nigel, who elected to retrace his tracks down the Tissington back to Ashbourne.  The return leg was much quicker and easier, he later observed.

The pelethree went back to the signal box and took a westerley route to Hartington, discovering that the guest house (Bankside) we stayed at last time is up for sale, and that the bus shelter has now been repaired (it suffered blast damage due to a nocturnal pressure equalisation episode that overtook Mr Kersley during that ride).

Continuing south we entered

by passing over a narrow bridge

then by road to Alstonefield followed by an incredibly steep and overgrown walking descent to Hope.   Minor roads to Ilam and Blore, eventually joining the A52 for the final descent into Ashbourne. 39.2 miles & 3,297ft

Peaks Day 4 – Wednesday 22 September – MA and PT

42.6miles & 2,936ft

Nigel took the day off, and ZA preferred a morning stroll into town (with a view to taking a bus to Leek), so the Turbo twins were unleashed.  Out of Ashbourne to the northeast, down and up various hills marked with the OS “>” symbol, through Agnes Meadow to the top of Madge hill.

Southeast to Atlow and Atlowtop then to the dam at Carsington water.  North along the dam to the visitor centre

for Staffordshire oatcakes

decoratively drizzled with real brown sauce!

After retracing across the dam, we followed the lakeside trail round Carsington to the north shore then headed north to join the High Peaks Trail at about mile 18.

A look back at the lake

then over this stone-faced embankment

and along the trail to the signal box at Hartington, then up to Parsley Hay for a coffee stop at mile 29, with impromptu performance by a cycling barbers shop group from Lincolnshire.  Then a hurtle down the Tissington trail back to Ashbourne and a further coffee stop at the Tunnel cafe.

Back to the hotel to find ZA departing on a short ride up to Tissington to explore that seething metropolis.

Peaks Day 5 – Thursday 23 September – MA PT ZA and Nigel

10.6 miles and 1,312ft

Hotel rooms vacated, bikes loaded, we set of for Wilson Towers at Middleton for a sumptuous brek

Then the pelefour set off down to the Cromford canal, past the quarry site where war gravestones were cut

and a narrow guage railway now runs

At the canal, a preserved railway workshop looks like the engineers have just knocked off for a smoke

and examples of the old cast iron rails can be seen

Over a temporary bridge on to the canal towpath going southeast

through a canal tunnel

and back along a hilly road to Holloway and the canal workshop again, then along the towpath northwest to Cromford for a coffee stop.  Then up a mother-in-law of a hill back to Middleton.

10.6 miles and 1,312ft

Load up again, team photo

then hit the road south.

Saturday 25th September 08.00am ride

KBS MA PT JR ZA

3.5 peaks, KBS’ fingers still showing the effects of his recent BDN ride crash.

ZA adds: slight debacle when the Pelefive split at chanctonbury dewpond  – KBS, PT & MA taking the old quarry route whilst JR & ZA stuck to SDW. JR & ZA lingered at car park awaiting arrival of the Pelethree who – once JR had made a phone call – were found to be waiting for the Peletwo part way up Glaseby Lane!

Brek taken at Findon Garden Centre

Total 9.2 miles and 955 ft