2013.11 November

November rides.

Saturday 2nd November 08.00am ride.
Solo ride by SP, who later commented as follows:
“Well i was out yesterday the only one! was very misty but surprisingly warmer than expected. i went up to both rings and in the fog saw a herd of about 20 deer with one huge stag. on my phone it says 24.2Km and i was out for 2 hours 38 minutes”

Saturday 9th November 08.00 am ride.

JR and PT foregathered in the square, and for want of more engrossing activity, rode up to Nepcroft to collect RT and all returned to the traditional starting point. JR was eager to support local entrepreneurial activity, and suggested we inspect the brek offering at Clapham. This we did by riding immediately to the tank via Muntham. Rolling down by the windbreak of trees to Myrtle Grove was slower than usual, due to the adhesive properties of the leaves/mud mix on the track. We took the road down to Long Furlong, then the Furlong itself to Clapham. The rain held of until the stores opened at 9:30 and brek was taken. Three Llamas were proposed, the limited offering being offset by enthusiasm. Drizzle accompanied the ride back through Clapham woods and over Church hill, the torrential downpour having been avoided by the refreshment sojourn. !2.3 miles.

Saturday 16th November 08.00 am ride.
PT, MT, SP, RT.
A glorious almost cloudless November day and MT’s yearning for some bacons following his long pork-free diet in some far away land, led to a call for a brek in Arundel.
Route up to Muntham, over to the SDW and Kithurst car park, where PT experienced a rear wheel blasteet – both RT & PT had suffered front wheel blasteets prior to the ride – it being blasteet season again. On the way down to Burpham MT’s brakes were failing giving TM’s itching fingers the opportunity to perform another surgical operation.
At Warningcamp it was SP’s turn to have a blasteet, which was quickly repaired in the usual FGCC style.
Weighed down after an excellent brek the more leisurely southern route was selected, via Poling, Angmering, Durrington and the Findon Gallops.
ST’s chain kept jumping off, giving TM another opportunity to operate, followed by a further adjustment to MT’s chafing brake, leading to MT marvelling at TM’s cycle fixing capabilities – “now you see why he is our TM” (RT).
Total 23 miles

Saturday 23rd November 08.00am ride
Nick Way memorial restoration ride.
PT, ZA, RT.
The plan was for RT to stop off at Pond Green in his car, prior to driving to Devil’s Dyke to meet PT, in case anyone else happened to be out for a ride. To his great and pleasant surprise he came across our long lost Team Vicar.
Well it soon became clear that TV had returned as it turned out to be a glorious day. Not only that but when assembling bikes at Devil’s Dyke ZA had great difficulty in installing his front wheel – problem solved when RT said “I think that is my wheel”.
A short ride to the memorial location identified precisely by the Satmap, and a post was selected for RT to create a new memorial. Some time spent trying to determine the year when PT fell there by reference to the website, but the year was missing (to be corrected by webmeister). Agreed that we thought it was 2000 which could be amended later if necessary. Helmets off, FGCC salute and ode to the fallen recited, all in the freezing wind.

Nick Way memorial - PT collarbone year 00
Nick Way memorial – PT collarbone year 00

Route then along the SDW to Truleigh Hill and then left at Freshcombe Farm. Left again at Thunders Barrow and up Perching Hill, past the site of the ancient village of Perching, in a valley reminiscent of Buddington Bottom, and back up to the SDW.
Past the Nick Way memorial giving RT an opportunity to put some finishing touches to the site and back to the car park at Devil’s Dyke.
PT produced a new TM toy – a portable bike wash for the very muddy bikes.
A 10 minute wait for the pub to open, but the magnificent brek was worth it.
Total 8.5 miles but plenty of undulations and mud – and 1269 feet climbed