The Findon Gentlemen's Cycling Club

FGCC rides in September 2023

Saturday 2nd September 08.00am ride

PT MA JR and ZA convened at OPG, and a brek at the Old Post Office Henfield was agreed on.  Setting off up to Cissbury and then north to Chanctonbury, MA was temporarily lost in the mist near the Last Post marker.  Safely reunited at the top of Llama Lane, we tried a “last post” to the main road, and easily reached it.  Continuing North to Kim’s favourite footpath through the woods, then east to Partridge Green and south on the Downslink to Henfield.

After  a fine brek (“everything except the avocado and salmon”, with spicy beans) the peleton headed south on the Downslink to Steyning, where JR peeled off to meet his Lyn for coffee.  At Maudlin roundabout ZA peeled off to return to Findon (along the pink route up Maudlin Lane before using ‘the Concrete Road’ to ascend the Downs and crossing the Sompting-Steyning Rd at the top, ZA turned left to reach Findon via Cissbury car park), leaving the turbo twins unrestrained for a dash down to the airport and back along the beach to Grand Avenue, where MA peeled off to continue towards Angmering (with some battery anxiety as he was down to the last faradic fumes in the tank) while PT took the superhighway route back to Findon.

PT covered 34.81 miles and climbed 1258 feet, while MA covered 44.2 miles and climbed 1880 feet.

Andy, again hampered by the flies, had woken too late to join the peloton and set off at around 8.40 as a peletone. He writes, “Needing miles, as this week has been busy I went West as far as Ferring and then turned into the light N Easterly and made my way to the Pollinator via The Bluebird and the seafront for a well earned Cappucino or is it Capuccino? Obviously in a takeaway cup. Thence to Teddy’s for a Teddini and another coffee. (in a takeaway cup) A round about circuit of Shoreham and the airport took me to the seafront where I returned with a diagonal crosswind to the Sea Lane Cafe and beyond to then head east through Goring and West Worthing andnorth up the Valley and home. Sunny morning quiet uneventful ride and 36 miles covered”.

Putting the home peletons to shame, Nigel completed a ride of 44.5 miles climbing 3934 feet in the Derbyshire Dales, from Bakewell to Nether Booth and back:

Saturday 9th September 08.00 ride and Sheep Fair day

Sheep Fair Day, so a reduced peleton in some respects (JR, TK?), but the e-presence of MA and PT was augmented by the still shiny but slightly noisy bike of MB, and the energetic steed of KBS.  A trip to Teddies over Lancing Clump was agreed on, and all set off at about 8:15 up to Cissbury and beyond.  Suspicions should have been aroused when the Lancing College minibus was sighted at Cissbury car park, but we carried on.  At about the top of the first hill fter the Steyning road, out of a cloudless sky

came a procession of Lancing College pupils and teachers on a sponsored walk.  About 1200 of them, making progress on the narrow track quite sporadic.  All were passed by the time we reached the tarmac bit near Hoe court Farm, so the really narrow bit by the college was undertaken without a contraflow of children.

Over the wooden bridge and down Rope Walk for a brek a Teddies, and an opportunity to apply sunscreen in extravagant quantities

Back along the beach to the Canadian war memorial, where MA continued on home (red route) while the now pelethree returned toward Findon up Mill lane (royal blue route) until Kim peeled off upHoneysuckle lane (lavender route) for Tolmare, and a peletwo of MB and PT returned to Findon across the Gallops:

After a later start, ZA completed an anticlockwise circumnavigation of about 17 miles, taking in various local branches of the ertstwhile (is that true, seeing as he makes regular excursions from the sub’s bench?) family business, along the orange route.

Andy reported a ride to the sea front, represented by the dark blue route, of a mere 10 miles.  His view was that that was “better than a punch in the face”.

PT and MB covered 18 miles and climbed 820 feet, MA rode 27 miles and climbed 1420 feet, while KBS covered 18.5 miles and climbed 1027 feet.   Really hot and cloudless day.

Saturday 16th September 08.00am ride

TK, MB, RT and newcomer Jason Townsend.

TK arrived with brand new steed – an electric Cube. Some excuse about enabling him to join the peloton now that he is living in Steyning. And yet he arrived from High Salvington, downhill to the start!

Short ride needed for RT and newly-recovered from Covid, Matthew – he might have reminded us about this on one or two times during the ride 😉 – so 4 peaks with brek at Dee Dee’s for those with more time.

Jason had only recently acquired a new steed including SPD’s. As he had not ridden with SPD’s he was warned that in the event of a fall he should expect photography first and concern as to his health second.

Cissbury, Chanctonbury, Washington car park via the dew pond and then Windlesham. At the top we turned left alongside the trees beside a newly ploughed field which had narrowed the available pathway, making the cycling a little more “technical”. After a short while JT decided to have a little lie down onto the soft ploughed soil, but leapt up thereby avoiding any photographic evidence. On towards  Pukkamuk, along Collarbone Alley and TK & RT stopped at the JR memorial in order to show JT an example of a memorial. However no sign of the other two for a long time. Digital communications established that JT was clearly feeling quite tired by this time as he had decided to have a second little lie down though this time on his left side.

The ride concluded with a descent via Church hill.

TAMITS: The “I love being horizontal” award for JT for demonstrating his love of lie downs on his first ride?

Total 10 miles and 1,005 ft

Meanwhile, CB was out on his steed in Italy.

14.5miles and 701ft

And in t’north (nearly) our own CCTV was abroad a velo in a circuit taking in Market Drayton:

which he describes thus:

R out of Sunny Side Touring Park, Coole Lane (NCR 552) to canal bridge by track to Coole Hall Farm to access Shropshire Union Canal towpath passing Overwater Marina, Audlem and its 12(?) locks, continuing as far as the lane from Norton in Hales to Adderley.

From there following route as marked as per photo of OS Landranger 127 STAFFORD & TELFORD. (OS Landranger 118 STOKE-ON-TRENT & MACCLESFIELD is a library edition ..)  stopping at Fordham Organic Farm Shop for refreshment before continuing into Market Drayton. On return route, from Norton in Hales, continued on NCR 552 thru Kinsey Heath to join A525 into Audlem (to visit Cemetery on A529 in Audlem).

Thence cut across field to ‘Shropshire Fly’ pub to access canal towpath as far as Bridge 80 (just N of Marina) thence back up to Coole Lane and back to site.

Saturday 23rd September 08.00am ride

A peleseven assembled at OPG, blinking in the reflected glare of TK’s new and blindingly white e-cube (fresh from first trip over from the Nouveau Chateau Kersley in Steyning), and resolved to head over to Shoreham via Coombes on the outward leg.  Pursued by squadrons of disappointed tsetse flies, AM also appeared at OPG on his road bike, and a brek at the airport was agreed.

With the e-contingent to the fore, the peleseven (4 ebikes and 3 “normally aspirated” in TK’s words) climbed over Cissbury car park under cloudless skies, and headed on to take the tricky descent through the wood at Coombes, then followed the road north to pick up the Downslink and cross the Adur by the metal bridge.  Back across the Adur by the wooden bridge, and to the Hummingbird for a convivial brek with lashings of vt.  Andy appeared, to join the festive board and dispose of a proper big boy’s brek, before again disappearing for a road ride to as yet unspecified parts.

Back over Lancing Clump, this time without the contraflow of charity walkers.  MA blasted off ahead after receiving a familial phonecall as we ascended the wooded tarmac bit of the clump track, to leave a pelesix.  Attempting to do the return leg on low e-setting, I had trouble keeping up with Matthew on his shiny new bike.  Tim turned left at the Steyning road, leaving a pelefive, which reduced to a pelefour when Tommy turned south at Nepcote green, and further reduced to three when ZA peeled off at Cherry Cottage.  A thought was spared for any anxious observers who had seen seven leave, but only three return: “heavy Flak over Shoreham” could have been to blame.

PT’s strava records 15.85 miles and 1296 feet climbed.

Saturday 30th September 08.00am ride

Messrs Avery and Kersley having ridden over from Angmering and Steyning respectively, a peleseven convened at OPG and resolved to ride to Arundel.  Four analogues (Allen, Bourner, Mead and Thomas) were accompanied by  three ebikes (Avery, Kersley and Topley).

Meanwhile, in Denmark, Kim took his Saturday ride and swim:

PT, MA, TK, MB, AM, ZA, RT

3 ebikers and 4 analogue at the start of the ride. Due to an excess of VT AM managed to appear on his off-road bike just as the peloton was belatedly leaving for Arundel.

The ride up through the crematorium gave AM an opportunity for an angry sermon on his dislike of dog-owners who do not clear up after  their animals. This outburst was caused by an exceptionally large deposit in the path impeding his progress up the hill and having to walk.

Route via Lee Farm with ZA peeling off to head home via Michelgrove. Limited space at the Moat House (table at the back reserved for someone else – “don’t they know who we are?”) meant a split into two for brek.

Post brek AM headed off to Yapton to then return home via LA, whilst the peloton returned to Findon via Warningcamp and the Monarch’s Way, with MA parting company in APE just above Michelgrove Lane. RT experienced a “little lie down” at the top of the hill above long furlong due to trying to swap ruts to avoid walkers ahead.

Total 19.8 miles and 1,607 ft.

TAMITS: AM the “up sh*t creek without a pedal” award.