The Findon Gentlemen's Cycling Club

FGCC rides in December 2023

Saturday 2nd December 08.00am ride

JT, RK, ZA, PT, JR, TB, RT with AM on road.

Below freezing temperatures and fog did not prevent a good number turning up for a ride. With such a large peloton it was decided to head for the Ferring Country Park cafe with a large loop round to it.

The route started off north and up through the crematorium and on to the SDW to Chantry Post. Then down to Lee Farm and up Wepham Down and on into APE, turning south onto Dover Lane to the A27.

Gentlemen in the mist at the gun club gate

Atmospheric conditions in APE were such that ZA with his highly insulated coat was covered in hoar frost as were the fronts of bikes – “frosty the team chaplain?”

Along the A27 to Angmering and over the bypass and towards Highdown. Then south again into Hangleton Lane and across the A259 to Ferring and the Country Park where we met AM and all enjoyed an excellent brek.

Return route via Ilex way, sea front, Grand Avenue, West Worthing, TAB, Mill Lane and the Gallops.

Total 23.75 miles and 1,268 ft climbed

Saturday 9th December 08.00am ride

PT, RT, AM on road, and later JR.

Only PT & RT at OPG at the start due to heavy rain and strong winds.  No representation of the youth wing with even one of the forces wing sending a message crying off due to the weather.  AM taken by the tsetse syndrome again but ventured out slightly later.

The e-peletwo headed up to Cissbury CP into the wind with stinging rain, thankful for electric assistance. Over to the Steyning road and then up the tarmac to the concrete road.  Slow descent due to the braking force of the wind.  Then onto a soggy Downslink to Teddy’s, where we were welcomed in spite of arriving a very wet state – bin liners provided to sit on.

Shortly afterwards a rather large flood of water entered the cafe in the form of Mr Mead who had braved the less sheltered route of the sea front.  And by the time we had finished eating, an “unleashed” Mr Roche arrived having had a dry ride.

Return journey via the sea front by which time the wind had changed direction to being a westerly, so into the wind again.  JR parted company at Grand Avenue to head off to LA.  AM took an inland route from Teddy’s back and the e-peletwo finished off the ride via Salvington Hill and the Bostal.

Total 27.6 miles and 1,178ft

ZA was prevented by the need to deal with a plumbing issue (domestic, rather than personal!) from joining Le Peloton 9 Dec, but was out on his road bike later that morning (c. 08.30).  His route:

Nepcote Lane, Cross Lane, Findon Rd, Bost Hill, A27 Arundel Rd, Ivydore Avenue, New Rd, Romany Rd, Yeoman Rd, Limbrick Lane, Mulberry Close, Mulberry Lane – R through twitten by Goring Library to St Mary’s Church:

Returned via A259 Goring Road, L at rbt – George V Ave, Bruce Way, Bruce Ave, Tarring Rd, S Street Tarring, A2031Rectory Rd, Offington Lane, A24 Findon Rd, Lime Tree Ave, May Tree Ave, A24 Findon Rd, Cross Lane, Southview Rd, Northview Terrace, Westview Terrace.  Or in graphic form:

Saturday 16th December 208.00am ride

 PT, CB, MA, ZA, and TK

Drizzly ride to Arundel losing ZA en route but meeting AM and JR for Mote House brek ZA rode with Le Peloton along SDW, W until the fork just beyond Springhead Hill … L heading SW, L down Kim’s ‘Vroom route’, L at jn with Gallops towards Lee Fm; thence climbed back up to Chantry Post on SDW returning to Findon via track to W of Muntham & Worthing Crematorium to join A280 Long Furlong at Tolmare, and thence back to Findon c.10.15

24.5 miles and 1,752ft – peleton in red, ZA in orange

Saturday 23rd December 08.00am ride

MA, CB  off-road and AM & ZA on road.

Brek meeting planned at bluebird cafe Ferring, but closed so Sea Lane chosen instead.

ZA on road reported as follows:

A280/Long Furlong, Hillside/France Lane/Arundel Rd, Patching, A27 cyclepath, Poling – to ascertain whether bridleway which runs W from village towards Lyminster might have been reopened: it hadn’t!
Retraced route back to A27, crossing main road to take old road to Crossbush; S on A284 towards Littlehampton, L Mill Lane passing entrance to Amenity Tip, Toddington Lane, Littlehampton bypass to Body Shop R’abt. Worthing Rd, Rustington, Windmill Dr, Park Dr, Station Rd, Vicarage Lane (E Preston), The Street, Worthing Rd, A259 cyclepath, Langbury Lane, Ferring St, Goring’s Way, Sea Lane (Ferring), Marine Drive to meet MA, CB & AM at Sea Lane Cafe.

‘Tailed’ CB along Marine Crescent, & up George V Ave before parting company with him at R’abt; Goring Rd shops, Reigate Rd, Tarring Rd, South St, Rectory Rd, Offington Lane, A24/Findon Rd – diverting up Ashfold Ave, Aldwick Crescent thru footpaths to top of Coombe Rise, along Shepherds Mead, Long Meadow, Storrington Rise, A24/Findon Rd, Cross Lane, Southfield Rd, Northview Terrace & thus back to ‘Base’.  27.44 miles and 774 feet.

Total 20.5 miles and 834ft for CB

Total 25.2 miles and 1,385 ft for MA (MA in blue, ZA in red)

Saturday 30th December Avery trek ‘n lunch

MA, CB, TK, RT and Thomas with ZA on road, all aiming to get to the Avery household by around 11.30 – 12.00.

Soggy conditions but with three e-bikes and two willing (?) analogue riders we headed off-road up Muntham and north to the SDW, where the field by the high barn tested even the e-bikes. Continuing along the SDW to Kithurst and then taking the track to Pepperings Farm and the Burpham road.

Onto the a27 and then into the wind towards Ford and then to the Edgecumbs coffee cafe for a reviving caffeine dose, where we were joined by ZA.

Onward route to the Avery establishment was down to Climping, along the LA seafront, into Rustington village and then Angmering village to our destination and another excellent year end FGCC family lunch.

TK, ZA and RT afterwards returned home en velo, with RT struggling to keep up with the two members of the youth wing. Others took auto transport. Cycling route was back into the village, down to the A259 and then along it and cutting through to the Selden arms, at which point TK parted company to head to Steyning.

RT, ZA completed the ride via the valley, whilst TK headed east cutting through back roads and then up to Lyons farm and the Steyning road past Sompting Church.

ZA’s route onroad bike:

A24 Washington R’abt, A283 Storrington, B-road through Amberley & Houghton to Whiteways R’abt, A284 London Rd to Arundel – brief stop at Cathedral, King St, Maltravers St, Ford Rd to join CB, RT, Philip T, TK & MA at The Edge for ‘The Morning Coffee Stop’
Then en Peloton to Climping, Littlehampton, Rustington, Angmering to join the festivities kindly laid on by Family Avery at 54 Lloyd Goring Close which were – as always – very much enjoyed by all present

Return with RT & TK part

Total 32.1 miles and 1,170ft for RT (Blue)

ZA 25.96 to Averys, 1017 climbed (Yellow)