The Findon Gentlemen's Cycling Club

Findon Gentlemens’ Cycling club rides in May 2026

 

Saturday 2nd May 08.00am ride

Nick Way memorial maintenance ride. TK, PT, MA meeting ZA at Teddies.

Up to Cissbury and to the Steyning Road. Then on the SDW up Truleigh hill towards Devil’s Dyke for a bit of memorial maintenance. Naturally this also called for a recital of the FGCC Ode to the Fallen.

Then a south easterly route through splendid open countryside in fine weather to then drop down to the coast and a brek in Teddies where ZA joined us. Return route along seafront to Grand Avenue, West Worthing, Mill lane and the Gallops.

Total 27 miles and 1,970 ft

ZA 19 miles and 440ft for a seafront ride both ways.

MA 35 miles and 2,750 ft with his extra distance to and from Angmering.

Meanwhile in Denmark the Flying Dane found a big hill (Lille Kuilsberg) to climb on his local route, completing 18 miles and 700ft in total.

Friday 8th – Sunday 10th May Isle of Wight ride

Day 1. PT, RT, JR, ZA, JC, TB

The Findon pelefour gathered at OPG and left promptly at 08.00am to meet TB at Findon Valley shops and head for Worthing station. First debacle was somehow losing JC at Offington roundabout, but telephonic communications resulted in all arriving at the station together. Short train ride to Barnham to change to a train to Portsmouth Harbour finding PT already onboard. Second debacle occurred at Portsmouth and Southsea where JR moved his bike half off the train to let a passenger alight but in the process managed to lose his helmet under the train. For some reason he was not permitted to get under the train to retrieve it.

Onto the ferry at PMH and at Ryde we circled the town until we located TAV cycles at the top of the hill whee JR went to obtain a new helmet. He emerged sometime later with a fluorescent green helmet to match (?) his bright orange jacket.

The peloton then headed down to Appley beach for a pleasant brek with a great beach view. Post brek we continued east along the beach then south through Seaview and then southwesterly on a mix of on- and off road tracks towards Brading then Nunwell. at Nunwell  Farm we turned off the road and briefly lost ZA & JC in a barn full of old vehicles while the rest of the peloton waited at the next gate. RT took the opportunity for a major faff including locating his glasses somewhere on/in his panniers only to discover on arrival at the digs that said glasses were lost.

A scenic route continued southwest towards Alverstone, but with the final descent to Alverstone being along a steel and very narrow rutted path very much not to the liking of both Johns who both decided upon a little rest or two along the way.

Then on to the Sandown-Newport cycle path and a refreshments stop at the Pedallers cafe.

Fully refreshed we continued along the cycle path to Merstone Station and onto the road through Merstone, then left onto Chapel lane and a northerly track, across Blackwater Road and up another steep hill, St Georges Down. This was followed by a loop to the east, north and then west to Newport, taking in off-road routes again as much as possible – thanks to our Team Routemeister.

Final leg up the cycleway to Cowes to arrive at our digs and to be met by our excellent and colourful hosts Ursula and Richard.

Evening out in the Union Inn to arrive back at the digs to a party being held to celebrate Richard’s having only just missed being elected as a local councillor.

29 miles and 2050 ft

TAMITS: JR – Helmets on the tracks award?

Day 2. PT, RT, JR, ZA, JC, TB joined by TK, MB at Lymington

 

36 miles and 2,550ft

 

Day 3. PT, RT, JR, ZA, JC, TB, TK, MB

Damp/wet weather in prospect so after another entertaining breakfast with our hosts we decided to go straight to the fast cat but away from busy roads as much as possible. We decided to use the temporary launch across the river – the chain ferry was yet again out of action – requiring hauling of heavy e-bikes over the side of the launch.

 

Passed a church where a previous vicar is a friend of our Team Chaplain. Cemetery there contains graves of a number of lower ranking royals from the past.

On arrival in Ryde we had around 40 minutes before the next ferry so RT decided to charge to where he thought that the glasses may have dropped off the bike. riding on turbo all the way there and back he arrived back at the ferry just as it was about to leave. PT asked the operators if they could hold of leaving till RT was on board. RT had to buy a ticket and was assisted all the way by various staff with the gangplank being drawn up the moment he was on board. Absolutely no evidence of jobsworths in contrasts to the nearby pier train station.

9.3 miles and 700ft peloton

18.6 miles and 1,200ft  RT for quick flit to find glasses

 

Saturday 9th May 08.00am ride

AM went somewhere from Findon

Saturday 16th May 08.00am ride

AM, MA, PT and RT convened at OPG. JR passed through on his way to organise the May Revels at the School, and apologised for absence in person.  A duifferent route to Arundel was proposed,more winding than usual, and all were up for it.

Climbing up through the Crem, we turned south on Collarbone Lane to pass through the bushes to Tolmare.  Down through the farm following the Monarch’s Way to Myrtle Grove and Michelgrove, then North to skirt round Harrow Hill and arrive at Lee Farm.  Taking the track west towards. Wepham Down, we turned south to climb Barpham hill to the trig point that marks the start of “Kim’s Vroom route” along New Down to Wepham Wood and Warningcamp.

Views from Harrow Hill, and Andy nearing the trig point:

RT (blue) peeled off for home at Wepham wood, domestic exigencies pressing for an early return.  The pelethree (red) continued into Arundel for a leisurely brek chez Erica at the Moat House.

For the return, we climbed up to Crossbush and took the old A27 east, turning left into the woods at Poling Corner and continuing east on a dry track parallelling the present A27.  MA (green) peeled off just north of Norfolk House to return south to Angmering, leaving a peletwo of PT and AM to wend eastwards through APE to Michelgrove and Myrtle Grove.  To make a day of it, we headed north to skirt Blackpatch Hill and arrive at Chantry car park, from where we followed the SDW to Church Hill-ik and descended into Findon.

At OPG we again met JR, this time accompanied by a responsible adult in the form of Ollie, who seems to be taller each time of meeting.

The rain started spitting just as I closed the car boot on the dismantled remains of the bike.  About 24 miles and 1800 feet, according to Twonav.

Meanwhile in Denmark, the flying Brit/Dane pounded out a solid 17 mile circuit, climbing about 700 feet:

 

 

Saturday 23rd May 08.00am ride

JR appeared at OPG, and took charge of a box of Shrewsbury shirts.  He set about a personal delivery service to addresses in the village.  ZA and Nala put in an appearance, a diversion from ZA’s conventional dogging activity.

PT, MA and JC set off for an epic ride – Chalk, Dial Post, Partridge Green, Henfield PO brek, Shoreham airport, seafront, Grand Avenue, Gallops and Roger’s Farm

Stops on the post brek route included coffee and cakes at the coffee van by the wooden bridge (courtesy of JC), and two stops in quick succession on the seafront by the lagoon, first to fix a puncture  and second to diagnose and temporarily alleviate a gearchange problem to allow a mum to keep up with the family.

MA – Green.  PT and JC – red.  MA – Green, but Strava failure means his ride from the beach to Findon, and then up Church Hill-ik and back to Angmering lies in the mists of uncertainty.

Saturday 30th May 08.00am ride

AM, ZA, MA, RT

Nigel appeared at OPG walking his dog and comments made to the effect that he should be on his bike with us, but he was too busy.

Glorious sunshine and a wish expressed by RT to ride the tops of the local hills so a circuitous route to Teddies via Chanctonbury and the trig point above Lancing.

Route north past Chalk to Washington, up the now gentrified  SDW north face climb, a circuit of the Ring, over to Langmead, past the model aircraft flying field, east and then up to the trig point. Fast descent east and then down to Lancing college, under the A27 and on to Teddies.

Just as we were finishing the brek who should appear but Nigel G on his bike, having been prompted by our comments at the beginning orf the ride. ZA and RT wanted to get going. RT then discovered that he had lost part of his mudguard on the way over so headed home via the outward route, successfully retrieving said piece at Chanctonbury. ZA went for a dip in the sea close to a former family beach hut returning via the track to Cissbury alongside the golf course.

AM and MA had an extended brek with NG before heading home via the seafront.

Total : RT 26 miles and 2,480ft.,

 

ZA 22 miles and 1,560ft

MA 33miles and 1,900ft

Meanwhile in Italia, CB rode 37 miles climbing 2,060 ft.